December 2018 – The God Walk

The Apostle Paul spent his last days in a cold Roman prison convicted to die as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. In that dungeon he wrote his final thoughts to his “son” Timothy to remind him of what was truly important and encourage him in his faith. He describes a society which is remarkably like our own– “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ²People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 )

There is a sense of urgency in Paul’s last written words to Timothy, and also to every believer living in the ‘last days’ (the time between Christ’s resurrection and his return). As we enter the holiday season, it is good to rest and renew our strength. But Paul warns us not to be lulled into a false sense of security, but to understand the times and wake up from our slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed (Rom 13:11 ; Eph 5:14-18 ). Paul urges us to be “prepared in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2 ). Satan does not go on holiday when we pack our bags! When life slows down and we let our hair down, we have a God-given opportunity to taste the sweetness of His inspired Word and equip ourselves to live courageously for Him in 2019! Our text this week is 2 Timothy 3:14-17 :

^“¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Hunger for God

The prospect of reading the Bible during the holidays may fill you with mixed feelings—perhaps reluctance at the thought of study after a year of hard work; perhaps guilt or dread at the idea of imposing duty and structure on lazy days; perhaps excitement at the thought of diving into a new book of the Bible. Guilt and duty are hopeless motivators for Bible reading and will definitely not sustain us during the holiday season. A neutral or complacent attitude towards God’s Word will be useless to combat “holiday rot!” Only awe and hunger for God himself can motivate us day after day to open our hearts to the Bible—to be receptive to its teaching, correction and training in righteousness. If we understand the miracle of God’s Word, the Logos, we will not see reading the Bible as medicine to swallow or a chore to tick off. It is pure pleasure, an experience of communion with God that is as sweet as honey (Ps 119:103 ; Ps 19:10 ). That is how David saw it a millennium ago even though he only had the first five books to read—mere shadows of what was to come. He longed for greater intimacy with God and saw the law as a vital conduit to this relationship. Timothy’s “sacred writings” (2 Tim 3:15 ) were also limited to the Old Testament. But we are far more privileged than David or Timothy. What a gift the holidays provide to us to get a taste of the Bible’s 66 God-breathed books, written by around 40 different human authors, spanning over 1600 years! Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s Word –“the Word made flesh” and when we are guided by the Holy Spirit, we see Jesus and everything he has done for believers in the Old and New Testament. It is awe inspiring that we have free access to these sacred texts which tell the greatest story the world has ever heard! How strange that we should plan endless entertainment, distractions, meals and celebrations, but not give a thought to nurturing our souls on holiday? Let’s remember that the Word is essential to our Walk with God. Let’s commit ourselves to a plan of how we will spend time listening and talking to God in prayer over the holiday season. Let us approach his Word with anticipation, like opening a beautifully wrapped gift every day, full of messages that are trustworthy, true and satisfying (Ps 119:14-16 ).

Show me!

“Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin was right. We remember nothing when we are just told things. The same goes for reading the Bible. Although the Bible is full of life changing power and can cut into our hearts like a surgeon’s scalpel (Hebrews 4:12 ; 13 ), its words are not magic bullets that automatically transform us. We need to do more than just read Scripture. We need to first open our hearts and pray, “God, show me the meaning of this text. Help me to understand your truth, not my own.” Then read the text carefully, following clues in the margins and notes of your Bible so that you understand what the text is saying to its original readers and against the backdrop of the rest of the Bible. See this as a treasure hunt rather than hard work!

Teach me!

Then whisper the simple prayer, “God, teach me what you want me to learn. ” Be still and quiet as you observe details in the text that stand out for you. Think and chew on it as a cow chews on the cud. Meditate on the words as if you are warming your hands at a fire. No word is wasted or arbitrary. When God the Holy Spirit teaches us, He doesn’t do it all at once. He peels away thoughts like an onion, layer by layer, leading us deeper and deeper into the truth of his Word. In a whole lifetime of reading Scripture, we will always be struck by new truths and will never plumb the depths of God’s Word.

Change me!

But the Bible is useless to us if it remains in our head and does not seep into our heart and emotions, our will, thoughts and actions. Our final prayer as we read Scripture is a commitment to action and a simple request: “Lord, I surrender my will to you. Please change me.” It is a prayer of yielding our whole hearts to God like the good, receptive soil in the parable of the sower. The rebuking, correcting and training function of the Bible can only take place when the veil is removed from our eyes and we finally see the attitudes, behaviours and thought patterns that need to be changed. Each day we need to turn away from ourselves and towards God—a daily recalibration as we wrestle actively and honestly with God’s Word. “Faith without works is dead,” says James (James 2:17 ). Jesus is looking for doers of the word, not just hearers or talkers (James 1:22 ; 23 ; 24 ; 25 ). “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chron 16:9 ). Jesus accused the Pharisees of being ‘blind guides’ because their knowledge of Scripture led to information, but not transformation. Paul warns Timothy of people who are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (2 Tim 3:7 ). Scribble down what the Holy Spirit is showing you as he confronts, comforts and convicts you with the inspired text of Scripture. Be specific and hold yourself accountable to your commitments.

Live it out!

ROMA is a useful acronym to help you wrestle with your Bible this holiday.

R- Read

O- Observe

M- Meditate / meaning

A- Apply.

Plan to read a book of the Bible this holiday and download the Explore Bible Devotional app (The Good Book Company) on your phone to guide you through it in bite-sized daily readings. The App is simple to use (even for the technologically challenged), the devotions are brilliantly written by some of the world’s best Bible teachers, and are very practical. I use the Explore Bible Devotional app as a vital companion to my quiet time as it helps me to interpret the text in front of me against the backdrop of the whole Bible, instead of through the lens of my own personal hobbyhorses. Start a new journal to jot down your thoughts and prayers. As you look back on your journal this time next year, you will be amazed at what God has done and how many of your prayers He has answered.

A river of grace for 2019

Imagine filling your mind every day with heaven’s pure river of wisdom, intimacy and guidance. The Bible is a flowing stream of grace that God himself has provided to enable you to be fruitful in season and not to wither (Ps 1:3 )– To remain nourished and restored through every season of life. See this holiday as a gap to reflect on eternal things, to see the beauty of Jesus on every page of Scripture, to spend time taking pleasure in God’s beautiful world and renewing your awe and love for the One who created you and has numbered all your days. Make up your mind today not to succumb to holiday rot! Allow God’s Word to transform you into a man or woman who is mature and complete, equipped for every good work in the coming year 2 Tim 3:17

Pray:

Lord, thank you for getting us through this year and never leaving our side. Help us to lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees at this time. Make straight paths for our feet so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed (Heb 12:12-13 ). Please restore us this holiday season and remind us that Christmas is all about you and your gift of Jesus.

Jesus, help us to sit at your feet like Mary, instead of being distracted by many lesser things, as Martha was. Help us to choose what is better this holiday, instead of trying to do everything (Luke 10:38-41 ). Jesus, you are the living Word, and we pray that you will help us to connect to you through the written Word of Scripture in the coming weeks (John 1:14 ; 18 ). Please equip us for every good work in 2019.

In Jesus’ name

Amen.

Thank God for speaking to you through his Word as you listen to this classic hymn by Amy Grant. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path is based on Psalm 119:105 (click here).

There’s a special variety of stress that comes over us as the year draws to a close. It’s not the good kind of stress that makes us perform better and think sharper. It’s that numbing, make-you-crazy kind of stress caused by excessive worry, hurry and too many choices and demands. Perhaps some loss, regret and conflict is also thrown into the mix. According to statistics released by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), as many as one in six South Africans suffer from anxiety, depression and substance use . Our daily newspapers report increasing numbers of murders committed out of blind rage, and every year the levels of aggression, anger and hostility seem to intensify. With our official unemployment rate of 27% (6.2 million people) and retrenchment figures rising by more than 5% in the last year, it is no wonder so many South Africans feel a sense of frustration, fear and powerlessness . If driving in the traffic is a reliable gauge of the mental state of our nation, things don’t look good! The hard truth is that stress damages our emotional, physical and mental health. But King David knew all about that kind of stress when he wrote Psalm 23 three thousand years ago. It was a prayer to settle his own fears by declaring the Lord as the Shepherd of his quivering heart. Let’s meditate on how each verse of this timeless Psalm counters a stressor we face today.

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³ He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

My Provider

Verse 1 is a powerful image of God as our great provider. David was himself a shepherd and likened his relationship with God to a shepherd and his sheep. God is my provider and will give me everything I need (Phil 4:19 ). I can trust Him completely (2 Cor 9:8 ). I am under His constant care and provision (Matt 6:34 ; Luke 12:24 ; Ps 34:10 ). He will supply all my needs (Phil 4:19 ). He will never abandon me (Heb 13:5 ). The only antidote to worry is to trust in One infinitely more powerful than myself, Jehovah-Jireh, my provider (Gen 22:14 ).

My Rest

(Ps 23:2 )

I love that God makes us lie down! It’s not an option. God commands us to rest so that we can be restored. Keeping the Sabbath is one of the top ten commandments for a reason. God has made us to work for six days and rest for one. It is a rhythm built into our human DNA which we defy at our peril. The Sabbath is God’s gift of love to meet our deepest needs, not an oppressive burden to make us miserable. Jesus also invites us to come to Him to find rest every day of our lives. When we feel frantic, we need to be still and ask ourselves two honest questions:

Do I know that my fruitfulness in life depends on God’s labour rather than my own?
Am I striving too much on my own and resting too little in Jesus?

It may be time to recalibrate our rhythm of work and rest.

My Great Counsellor

(Ps 23:3 )

The modern world considers it progress that we have many more choices available to us. But more choices require more decisions, and that translates into more stress. What do we hold onto and what should we let go of? Which school, which job, which house, which investment, which vitamin is best? Most people have hundreds of decisions to make every day, but moral choices are the ones that have the most far reaching implications. Verse 3 reminds God’s children that we have a Shepherd who will lead us along the “right paths” if only we follow his guidance. The Bible is God’s voice and becomes useful when we apply it to our lives. But how long do we spend in God’s word to grasp its meaning and respond to its message? Do we first spend precious hours worrying about a choice before getting on our knees to ask God for wisdom for the way ahead? The “mighty counselor” knows each of us intimately and the future is not uncertain to Him. He promises to guide us “for his name’s sake” and we can be sure that God knows what is best for us.

Do you steamroll ahead with your agenda? Or do you commit to the Lord whatever you do, and trust that He will establish your plans? (Prov 16:3 ). Regular consultation with the Great Counsellor is the only way to be free from anxiety in a world full of problems and pressures.

Fear No Evil

(Ps 23:4 )

Verse 4 reminds us that in the darkest valleys of loss, disappointment, hurt or injustice, we do not need to be ruled by fear. Our Shepherd God will never leave us alone. He will fight for us with his “rod” and pull us back into the safety of the sheep pen with his “staff”. Fear is a paralysing emotion which can convince us to give up and withdraw from life. Or it can cause a flight or fight reaction which wreaks havoc in our lives and relationships. “I will fear no evil, for you are with me” is a deeply personal declaration of trust in God. Immersing ourselves in the Psalms is a God-ordained practice to build courage and faith when we are afraid (Ps 27:1 ; Ps 115:11 ; Ps 118:6 ). Declare these verses out loud (Isa 43:1 ; Isa 35:4 ; John 14:27 ; Josh 1:9 ) and allow the truth of God’s word to seep courage into your bones and banish fear from your heart.

My Defender

(Ps 23:5 ; 6 )

David had many enemies who conspired against him, even his own friends and son. Nothing is worse than betrayal. David closes his Psalm by placing vengeance in God’s hands and focusing on the bigger picture and his place in eternity. God sometimes intervenes miraculously and saves us from harm (2 Sam 22:3 ) and it is right to pray for protection (Ps 140:4 ). But in God’s infinite wisdom and sovereignty, He sometimes defends us in other ways: He gives us his peace and joy that defies our circumstances. In another Psalm, David says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Ps 94:19 ). He protects us from Satan (2 Thess 3:3 ). He stands with us and will not leave us (Deut 31:6 ). He upholds and strengthens us through our ordeals (Isa 41:10 ). He gives us refuge under his wings until the disaster passes (Ps 57:1 ). Two things are certain—

No one can snatch us out of our Father’s hand (John 10:28 ; 29 ; 30 ).
Nothing in all the world can separate us from our Father’s love (Rom 8:38-39 ).

A Song for the Surrendered

This Psalm reminds us that although we cannot avoid the valley of the shadow of death, we do not need to be driven by fear and anxiety as we walk through it. Jesus did that for us as he died on the cross and bore the sin and evil of the world. For three hours darkness covered the whole land (Mark 15:33 ; Luke 23:44 ; Matt 27:45 ) as Jesus walked alone through the valley of the shadow of death, forsaken by his Father, abandoned by his friends, rejected by those who should have recognised him and hated by his enemies.

There may be times that people will oppose or hate us, but we do not need to defend or justify ourselves. Jesus did not even open his mouth to defend himself in the great miscarriage of justice that sentenced him to be crucified. Instead, he entrusted himself to his Father who judges rightly (1 Peter 2:23 ). Our Shepherd will defend us and His approval is the only approval we should seek. He is the one who prepares our place at the great banquet of heaven. He anoints us with the oil of gospel blessings because of our status “in Christ”. Our cup overflows with his generous gift of forgiveness and grace, because Jesus drank the cup of God’s judgment and wrath for us on the cross.

As you end today’s devotion, pray Psalm 23 aloud to God and personalise each verse. Surrender each one of your stressors today to the Shepherd of your soul, Jesus Christ. Let Him lead you beside quiet waters and refresh your soul.

Pray

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (1 Thess 5:23-24 ).

In Jesus’ name,