Make War with Unbelief

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:16–17)

When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4).

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:7–9).

When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of my faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promises, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6); and, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Join me in this battle! Let us make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief. Unbelief in the promises of God is the root of anxiety, which, in turn, is the root of so many other sins. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God, Paul said in Ephesians 6:17. The shield by which we quench Satan’s fiery deceits is faith (verse 16) — faith in that very word of God. So take up the shield in your left hand and the sword in your right hand, and let us fight the good fight of faith.

Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight — to live by faith in future grace.

John Piper 

Why Is Your Christian Life So Hard?

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

ROMANS 8:37

 

PONDER THIS

I used to play football. My team would work and practice and hit and do all these things to take a bag full of zipped-up air across a pasture and over a white line on that field. It actually sounds kind of dumb when you think about it. But when you finally get that piece of pigskin over that white line, they call it a touchdown, and everybody goes bananas. That’s the goal, but there’s a group of fellows on the other side that says, “You’re not going to do that.” That’s what the game’s all about.

But let’s say I have figured out a secret to victory. We need to come out on the field at about 2:00 a.m. when the other team is not there. And then we can take that ball and shove it over that white line as many times as we want. Right? Well yes, theoretically. We could do that, but why don’t people do that? Because that’s no victory. If there’s no opposition, there’s no victory. God has not called you to a life of ease, but He has called you to a life of victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be unto God who causes us always to triumph in the Lord Jesus Christ.

How does today’s illustration help you understand what it means to have victory in Jesus?

Who or what is the opposition you face each day as a follower of Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Journal about the opposition you are currently facing in your walk with Jesus. Pray over these thoughts and thank God for the promised victory in Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Jesus’s Pursuit of Joy

 

[Look] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Does the example of Jesus contradict the principle of Christian Hedonism? Namely, that love is the way of joy and that one should choose it for that very reason, lest one be found begrudging obedience to the Almighty or chafing under the privilege of being a channel of grace or belittling the promised reward.

Hebrews 12:2 seems to say fairly clearly that Jesus did not contradict this principle.

The greatest labor of love that ever happened was possible because Jesus pursued the greatest imaginable joy, namely, the joy of being exalted to God’s right hand in the assembly of a redeemed people: “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross!”

In saying this, the writer means to give Jesus as another example, along with the saints of Hebrews 11, of those who are so eager for and confident in the joy God offers that they reject the “fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25) and choose ill-treatment in order to be aligned with God’s will.

It is not unbiblical, therefore, to say that at least part of what sustained Christ in the dark hours of Gethsemane was the hope of joy beyond the cross. This does not diminish the reality and greatness of his love for us, because the joy in which he hoped was the joy of leading many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10).

His joy is in our redemption, which redounds to God’s glory. We share the joy with Jesus and God gets the glory.

John Piper 

Nothing About Your Life Surprises Jesus

“‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.” JOHN 6:64

 

PONDER THIS

Do you think Judas’ betrayal took Jesus by surprise? Do you think He said, “What a revolting development this is! Oh no, how could I have chosen Judas? Wow, look, here’s a man I was trusting, and now he’s betrayed me!” Oh no, friend. Jesus chose Judas with His eyes wide open. Jesus knew Judas never believed in Him. John 6:70-71 says, “Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.”

Peter endured. Judas didn’t. Why did Peter, who denied Jesus, endure to the end, and why did Judas not endure? Very simple. Peter had faith; Judas didn’t have any. Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe. Judas never believed. Simon Peter did. And those who endure to the end, those are they who are saved.

Today we have discussed the way Peter and Judas were different. How were they similar? What might have led people to believe Judas would be the one to endure at the time?

How does the difference between Peter and Judas help you further understand the distinguishing mark of those who endure to the end in following Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out a list comparing Peter and Judas. List how they were the same and the defining mark that made them different.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

You Only Need to Be Saved Once

“For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

HEBREWS 10:14

 

PONDER THIS

I want to give you a challenge. Find anywhere in the Bible where anybody was ever saved twice. You can’t do it. Do you know why? It’s impossible to be saved twice. Nowhere in the Bible will you ever find someone who was saved twice. Some people believe you can get saved and lose your salvation. They believe you must be born again and again and again and again. They believe you keep on getting saved. But as today’s verse reminds us: by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Did you know for you to be saved twice Jesus would have to die twice? When you were saved, you received a ticket marked good for one salvation. You are perfected forever. Jesus is never going back to that cross. He’s never going to die again. By one offering we’re perfected forever.

What kinds of things cause you to question the validity of your salvation?

What might give you further assurance of your salvation? What might indicate that you’ve never been saved?

PRACTICE THIS

Spend time looking up passages that speak of the once-for-all assurance of salvation. If you have doubts about your salvation, ask God to reveal the truth to you based on His Word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

You Are Safer Than You Think

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” JOHN 10:28

 

PONDER THIS

In 1937, the Golden Gate bridge was built. I can remember very vividly the first time I saw that monumental structure as they began to build. At that time, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge. But as they worked, they built it high above those swirling, perilous waters. Many of the workers were afraid that they might fall—and it seemed like the very fear of falling caused them to fall. At first, they failed to build a safety net when they were building the bridge and 23 fell from the first section of the bridge.

On the next section of the bridge, they spent $100,000 to build a safety net. Back in that time, that was a monumental sum, but they felt it was worth it. After they built the safety net, only 10 fell. But all 10 that fell were caught and were safe; lives were not lost. With the safety net there, the work went 25 percent faster. The people could concentrate on their work because they knew that beneath them was a safety net. So it is with the child of God! When we know our future is secure, we can concentrate on God’s work in the present.

How does it change your perspective to be reminded that nothing can take you from God’s hand?

How would you live differently today if you really believed you were totally secure in Christ?

PRACTICE THIS

Take one action today based on your security in Christ. This doesn’t mean living recklessly, it means living with bold faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You Trusting Jesus Right Now?

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 JOHN 5:12

 

PONDER THIS

I’ve heard it said that if you cannot name the time and the place you were saved, you’re not saved. Have you ever heard that? There’s just one thing wrong with that—it’s not in the Bible. The Bible never tells you to look back to past experiences for proof of your salvation. It does not say, “He who believed has eternal life.” It says, “He who believes.”

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. If you’re not believing on Jesus today, you’re not saved. And if you are believing on Jesus today, you did believe on Jesus in the past. It’s impossible to presently believe on Him without having believed on Him in the past. Indeed, there was a time. Indeed, there was a place. But, if you’re not believing on Jesus now, whatever you call the past time and the place, there’s something wrong with it. The big question is: are you believing Jesus now? If you have the time and the place, wonderful. But if you don’t, that doesn’t mean you’re not saved. If you’re trusting Jesus right now, you are saved.

Are you more prone to rely on past or present evidence as assurance of your salvation?

What evidence is there in your life right now that you are trusting Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out the current fruit in your life that displays your trust in Jesus. Be honest with yourself. If the fruit is not there, respond to God, seeking salvation in Him today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Know You’re Saved?

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 JOHN 5:13

 

PONDER THIS

The assurance of your salvation is extremely important. We’re not talking about denominational preference. We’re not talking about little idiosyncrasies of doctrine. We’re not talking about political opinions. We’re not talking about matters that only count in this world. We’re talking about eternal life. We’re talking about your soul. When God made you, God breathed into your nostrils the breath of life, and you became a living soul. You could no more cease to exist than God Himself could cease to exist. Your soul will go on endless, timeless, dateless, and measureless—either in Heaven or in Hell. How important it is, therefore, that you absolutely know you’re saved.

What are the ways we can know that we have been saved by Christ? (Read all of 1 John 5 for more on this.)

How is God calling you to respond to Him today? Are there further steps you need to take?

PRACTICE THIS

Journal the steps you feel God is calling you to take today in response to Him. Take action to obey.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

 

You Are No Longer for Sale

“And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ And he said, ‘I will redeem it.’” RUTH 4:4

 

PONDER THIS

I did a study on the word redeem. It means to buy or to take out of the marketplace, that is, to take off the slave block. When our Lord redeemed us, He not only bought us, but He also took us out of the marketplace. We’re no longer for sale. That speaks of our eternal security. And then to redeem means to set free. That’s what happened to Ruth and that’s what happened to Adrian. I have been bought, I’ve been taken off the marketplace, and I have been set free in the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s redemption. That’s the wonderful doctrine of redemption we read over and over again. Even better, it’s not just Ruth, and it’s not just me—it’s all who have trusted in the Lord Jesus. If you’ve put your faith in Him, it’s you too.

Have you been redeemed by Jesus?

How is He calling you to respond further to Him today?

PRACTICE THIS

Share with another person the way you’ve been redeemed by Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Your Inheritance Is Bigger Than You Think

“Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” RUTH 2:9

 

PONDER THIS

Ruth is out in the fields, and Boaz says, “Ruth, are you thirsty? Help yourself to the things I’ve got for my workers there. Ruth, go ahead, glean the fields. Ruth, you can glean if you want to among the sheaves. Hey fellows, leave some on the ground for her. When it’s dinnertime and all the workers are eating, she doesn’t have to go off there in the corner of the field. Just invite her to the table and let her eat until she is satisfied.”

Did you know that soon she’s going to own that field? She’s gleaning in the field right now, but she is going to marry the owner of that field and all that he has will be hers. Think about it. Right now we’re just getting the first fruits, and thank God for those hands full of purpose. He gives me some day by day. And He says, “Sit down and eat and be satisfied.”

But bless the Lord, the meek will inherit the Earth. We’re going to be united to the Lord Jesus Christ, our heavenly Boaz. All that belonged to Boaz became Ruth’s; the very field that she was gleaning in. Look around. Do you think God made all this for those that belong to the world? He made it for His people. One day it will be ours because we will be united with Him.

How does it change your perspective to remember that God has promised His people will one day inherit the Earth?

How does it motivate you to join God’s work as coheirs with Christ?

PRACTICE THIS

Take a walk today for the purpose of observing God’s creation all around you. Be reminded that God has promised that His people will one day inherit the Earth as coheirs with Christ. Meditate on how glorious that will be—Scripture calls it a new Heaven and a new Earth in the Book of Revelation.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Grace Must Be Free

What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Picture salvation as a house that you live in.

It provides you with protection. It is stocked with food and drink that will last forever. It never decays or crumbles. Its windows open onto vistas of all-satisfying glory.

God built it at great cost to himself and to his Son, and he gave it to you free and clear.

The “purchase” agreement is called a “new covenant.” The terms read: “This house shall become and remain yours if you will receive it as a gift and take delight in the Father and the Son as they inhabit the house with you. You shall not profane the house of God by sheltering other gods nor turn your heart away after other treasures, but find your contentment in the fellowship of God in this house.”

Would it not be foolish to say yes to this agreement, and then hire a lawyer to draw up an amortization schedule with monthly payments in the hopes of somehow balancing accounts and paying for the house?

You would be treating the house no longer as a gift, but a purchase. God would no longer be the free benefactor. And you would be enslaved to a new set of demands that he never dreamed of putting on you.

If grace is to be free — which is the very meaning of grace — we cannot view it as something to be repaid.

John Piper 

 

Everyone Needs a Redeemer

“And the close relative said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.’” RUTH 4:6

 

PONDER THIS

Who was this nearer kinsman? If Boaz pictured the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the nearer kinsman who cannot redeem? He pictured Adam. Everyone is either in Adam or in Christ. Who is my real close relative? Adam. We’re all related to Adam, and in Adam, all die. He is the near relative to us all.

I was preaching in a revival one time. A woman came up afterward and said, “You’re a Rogers, aren’t you?” I said, “Yes ma’am.” She said, “Well, I have been doing some work on our genealogy.” She stood up real tall. She said, “Because I’m a Rogers.” And she said, “You will be happy to know that the Rogers came over on the Mayflower.” I said, “Well that’s wonderful.” But then I said, “I traced it back further than that.” Boy, did she get excited, and I said, “I traced it all the way back, and you need to know that we came from a crooked farmer and a drunken sailor. The farmer was Adam, and the sailor was Noah. That’s how far back we go.” Thanks be to God—our story didn’t end there. Adam was our near relative, but Jesus has acted as our Redeemer.

How have we all experienced the reality that Adam is our “near relative”?

How did Jesus act as our Redeemer?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list today comparing the work of Adam and the work of Jesus. Prayerfully reflect in worship over the work of Christ your Redeemer.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

How to Repay God

What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord. (Psalm 116:12–14)

The very use of the language “rendering to God for all his benefits to me” makes me nervous. Payback can so easily imply that grace is like a mortgage. It’s really generous, but you have to pay it back.

Paul said in Acts 17:25, God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” In other words, you can’t give anything to God or do anything for God that he hasn’t first given to you and done for you.

You see this again in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” So none of our work can ever be a payment to God, because the very work is another gift from God. With every deed we do for God we go deeper into debt to grace.

So in Psalm 116 what keeps the paying of vows free from the dangers of being treated like a debt payment is that the “payment” is, in reality, not an ordinary payment, but another act of receiving which magnifies the ongoing grace of God. It does not magnify our resourcefulness.

The psalmist’s answer to his own question, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?” is, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” In other words, I call on the Lord to fill the cup. To pay back the Lord means to go on receiving from the Lord so that the Lord’s inexhaustible goodness will be magnified.

Lifting up the cup of salvation signifies taking the Lord’s satisfying salvation in hand and drinking it and expecting more. We know this because of the next phrase: “I will . . . call on the name of the Lord.” I will call for more help. What shall I render to God for graciously answering my call? Answer: I shall call again. I will render to God the praise and the tribute that he is never in need of me, but is always overflowing with benefits when I need him (which I always do).

Then the psalmist says, in the third place, “I will pay my vows to the Lord.” But how will they be paid? They will be paid by holding up the cup of salvation and calling on the Lord. That is, they will be paid by faith in the promise that more grace — all-sufficient grace — is always on the way.

John Piper 

Are You Fully Committed to Jesus?

“Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.” RUTH 3:4

 

PONDER THIS

We should be careful not to misinterpret Ruth’s actions here. There was nothing improper, dirty, or impure. She was placing herself at Boaz’s feet under his protection. In Ruth 3:9 she requested that Boaz take her under his wing. She was saying, “I place myself under your protection; I am fully committed to you!”

Question: Can you have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ if you’re not fully committed to Him? The answer is no. Is Christ Lord? I must ask myself every one of these questions. Have I placed myself at the feet of my Redeemer? The most sacred place on Earth is not in the pew, not at the altar, not behind the pulpit, not some temple somewhere. The most sacred place on Earth is at the feet of Jesus when you are fully committed to Him.

What does it mean to place yourself at the feet of Jesus?

How do you need to further commit yourself to Him today?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time in prayer today to posture yourself at the feet of Jesus. Consider changing your physical posture to display this act of humility by kneeling if you are able.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

God-Given Foes and God-Given Faith

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . . not frightened in anything by your opponents. . . . For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Philippians 1:27–29)

Paul told the Philippians that living worthy of the gospel of Christ meant fearlessness before enemies. Then he gave them the logic of fearlessness.

The logic is this: God has given you two gifts, not just one — faith and suffering. That’s what verse 29 says. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” Granted to you to believe, and granted to you to suffer.

In this context that means: Both your faith in the face of suffering, and your suffering are gifts of God. When Paul says, don’t be frightened by your opponents, he had two reasons in mind why they don’t need to be frightened:

One reason is that the opponents are in the hand of God. Their opposition is a gift from God. He governs it. That’s the first point of verse 29.

And the other reason not to be afraid is that your fearlessness, that is, your faith, is also in the hand of God. It too is a gift. That is the other point of verse 29.

So the logic of fearlessness in the face of adversity is the double truth: Both your adversity and your faith in the face of adversity are gifts of God.

Why is this called living “worthy of the gospel of Christ”? Because the gospel is the good news that Christ’s blood of the covenant infallibly obtained for all his people the sovereign working of God to give us faith and to govern our enemies — always for our eternal good. That’s what the gospel secured. Therefore, to live that way shows the power and goodness of the gospel.

Therefore, fear not. Your adversaries can do no more than God grants. And he will grant all the faith you need. These promises are blood-bought and sealed. They are gospel promises.

John Piper 

You Have a Willing Redeemer

“There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.” RUTH 2:1

 

PONDER THIS

Consider how Boaz was a picture of Christ. Number one: he was from Bethlehem, as was the Lord Jesus. Number two: he was a near kinsman to Ruth, as Jesus is a near kinsman to us. He acted as a near kinsman to redeem us. That’s why Jesus stepped out of the ivory palaces and came into this world of woe and was born of a virgin’s womb. He took flesh and blood to be made like His brethren. Further, to redeem, you had to be wealthy enough. You had to have no obligations against you, you could not be bankrupt yourself. Boaz was a wealthy man, and all the riches of Heaven reside in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only did you have to be a near kinsman, and not only did you have to be wealthy enough to redeem, but you had to be willing to redeem. And the Lord Jesus, thank God, was willing to redeem, just as Boaz was willing to redeem. Boaz came to the fields where Ruth was, just as Jesus came to where I am. Boaz redeemed Ruth, but he also pointed to Jesus who is the Redeemer for the whole world.

How does it help you grow in worship of Jesus to see examples like Boaz that pointed to His coming?

How are we called to move toward others as Boaz moved toward Ruth and Jesus moved toward us?

PRACTICE THIS

Go to someone today who you know needs to hear the Good News of redemption.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

What’s New About the New Covenant

“This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)

Jesus shatters any absolute dissociation of commandments and love.

He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. . . . Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father” (John 14:15, 21). “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10).

Thinking in terms of commandments and obedience did not stop Jesus from enjoying the love of his Father. And he expects that our thinking of him as one who commands will not jeopardize our love relationship with him either.

This is crucial to realize because the new covenant relationship that we have with God through Jesus Christ is not a covenant without commandments. The basic difference between the old covenant offered by God through the Mosaic law and the new covenant offered by God through Christ is not that one had commandments and the other doesn’t.

The key differences are that (1) the Messiah, Jesus, has come and shed the blood of the new covenant (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 10:29) so that henceforth he is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that all saving, covenant-keeping faith is conscious faith in him; (2) the old covenant has therefore become “obsolete” (Hebrews 8:13) and does not govern the new-covenant people of God (2 Corinthians 3:7–18; Romans 7:4, 6; Galatians 3:19); and (3) the promised new heart and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit have been given through faith.

In the old covenant, the gracious enabling power to obey God was not poured out as fully as it is since Jesus. “To this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear” (Deuteronomy 29:4). What’s new about the new covenant is not that there are no commandments, but that God’s promise has come true! “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33). “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27).

John Piper 

 

You’re Never Too Far for Grace

“Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” RUTH 1:14

 

PONDER THIS

When Ruth made the decision to stay with Naomi, not only was her life changed, but my life was changed. Did you know that Ruth, this pagan girl, became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ? She married into the royal line and, according to the flesh, she became a part of the house of David. Before this decision, she had so much against her. She had a cursed life. The Bible teaches that there was a curse upon her. Deuteronomy 23:3 says, “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever.” The Law said, “Keep her out! She’s not worthy.” She had a cursed life. But what the law could not do, grace did for this woman. And what the law could not do for me, grace has done. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:12, “you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” But thank God, the grace of God has brought us in.

How does it encourage you to remember that you were previously without hope before God, but the work of Christ has changed everything for you?

How does this encourage you about others who also need to know Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Tell someone today about the hope you have because of Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

One Big Decision Settles the Rest

“When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.” RUTH 1:18

 

PONDER THIS

Have you ever gone out to dinner at night, and you and your spouse get in the car and say, “Well, let’s go out to a restaurant”? “Where do you want to go?” “I don’t know, where do you want to go?” And you begin to talk this way while you’re driving the car, and you turn this way and that way and all around town.

Last night I was invited to some friends’ house for dinner; it was a wonderful meal. When Joyce and I got in the car, we didn’t have to drive all over town. No, we didn’t have to decide at every corner we came to, because we knew where we were going. When you make a big choice, a lot of little choices are automatically made. In the same way, when you are set on following Jesus, you don’t have to weigh every decision along the way. You go in the direction He has called you. Ruth was determined to go with Naomi. A few big decisions take care of a lot of little decisions.

How have you experienced the reality that the big decisions of your life take care of the little decisions?

Where might some of your “little” decisions be out of line with your commitment to follow Jesus?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of little decisions you face today. Consider the way your big decision to follow Christ should impact these.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

 

He Does All That He Pleases

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. (Psalm 115:3)

This verse teaches that whenever God acts, he acts in a way that pleases him.

God is never constrained to do a thing that he despises. He is never backed into a corner where his only recourse is to do something he hates to do.

He does whatever he pleases. And therefore, in some sense, he has pleasure in all that he does.

This should lead us to bow before God and praise his sovereign freedom — that, in some sense, he always acts in freedom, according to his own “good pleasure,” following the dictates of his own delights.

God never becomes the victim of circumstance. He is never forced into a situation where he must do something in which he cannot rejoice. He is not mocked. He is not trapped or cornered or coerced.

Even at the one point in history where he did what in one sense was the hardest thing for God to do, “not spare his own Son” (Romans 8:32), God was free and doing what pleased him. Paul says that the self-sacrifice of Jesus in death was “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). The greatest sin, and the greatest death, and the hardest act of God was, in some profound way, pleasing to the Father.

And on his way to Calvary, Jesus himself had legions of angels at his disposal. “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18) — of his own good pleasure — “for the joy that is set before him,” as it says in Hebrews 12:2. At the one point in the history of the universe where Jesus looked trapped, he was totally in charge doing precisely what he pleased — dying to glorify his Father in justifying the ungodly, like you and me.

So, let us stand in awe and wonder. And let us tremble that not only our praises of God’s sovereignty, but also our salvation through the death of Christ for us, hang on this: “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever he pleases.”

John Piper