Excuses or Obedience?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:22

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In First Samuel 15, we read the story of how Saul failed to destroy the animals that God said were to be utterly put to death. Samuel confronted Saul about this and Saul told a lie: that he was going to sacrifice them, but he just hadn’t done it yet.

And Samuel said, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:22-23a). To rebel against the Lord “is as the sin of witchcraft” because it puts you in the realm of the devil.

ACTION POINT:

When God gives a clear command from His Word, we are not to parade it past the judgment bar of our human wisdom. We are to obey whether we understand it or agree with it. It is either God’s Word or it is not.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Strengthened by Your Foes

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.” Numbers 14:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Joshua and Caleb faced formidable foes in the Promised Land, and yet what was their response to their enemies? “They are bread for us.” (Numbers 14:9). 

What is bread? It is the staff of life. What happens when you eat bread? You are strengthened by it and you grow by it. 

Paul also faced formidable foes. He wrote, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). 

Why isn’t the door to victory easy? Because if it were easy, then you would become weak in your effort to work out your faith in God. God places obstacles in 

your path to give you strength. “Wheaties” is not the breakfast of champions— giants are. God wants you to feed upon your difficulties and depend upon Him 

to make you a conqueror.

ACTION POINT:

What does it take to strengthen your body? What does it take to build your intellect? What does it take to grow love in relationships? Work. Read 

Philippians 2:12-13 and apply it to your life today. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Renouncing the Rebel Inside

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Is there stirring in your heart a spirit of rebellion today? Maybe you don’t even recognize it. But if you do, let me plead with you to do something about it 

right now.

Ask God to cleanse you from your desire to rebel. 

Ask Him to root out the rebel in you. 

He is not going to remove it until you renounce it. It is your choice. 

Ask Him to forgive you for the foolish and careless words you have spoken. 

Ask Him to take out that spirit of rebellion against authorities. 

Ask Him to teach you how to lovingly respect people when they are in the wrong. 

Either you crown Jesus as Lord, or you crucify Him. Are you with Jesus today or are you against Him?

ACTION POINT:

Is there someone who has wronged you and you seek revenge? Do you have a need to have your rights exalted above others? Read and apply the truth of 

Philippians 2:3-11.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Which Category Are You In?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end.” Deuteronomy 8:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are three categories of people reading this: those who are in trouble; those who are just getting out of trouble; and those who are going into trouble. Job 14:1 says, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” 

The Spanish have a proverb: “There’s no home without its hush.” Sooner or later, we will all know sorrow, heartache, and trouble. What we need to know is that troubles are not a sign that things have gone wrong or things have gotten out of hand. We are often in trouble by the providence, plan, and purpose of Almighty God.

When the Israelites were delivered from Pharaoh’s army through the Red Sea, they went into the wilderness. Had God lost control? No. God led them there by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 

ACTION POINT:

In the unfailing providence of God, we are often led into a place of trouble. The wilderness is God’s proving ground for your faith. How are you doing?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Giving the Devil Plenty to Mourn About

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." Colossians 2:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

People often ask me, "Why do Baptists immerse people—put them fully under the water—when a new convert to Christ is baptized?" Because that’s what God’s Word teaches. When you go under the water, that is a picture of your death and burial. When you come up out of the water, that is a picture of your resurrection. "Buried with Him." "Risen with Him."

If I died and you took me to the cemetery and sprinkled a few granules of dirt on my head, have you truly buried me? No. The very word "baptism" means to immerse. 

ACTION POINT:

Your baptism is a funeral service: Dead to the old life. Raised to newness of life. And the devil doesn’t like that. The baptismal is a liquid tomb, and the mourner who comes to that funeral is the devil. Let’s be sure he has plenty to mourn about.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God Is Invested in You!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” Deuteronomy 20:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you remember the miracle God performed when He brought the Israelites through the Red Sea, when they were being hunted down by Pharaoh’s army? It was incredible. 

Now let me ask you: What happened three days later? The Israelites began grumbling because there was no water! 

Do you think God would invest such a miraculous deliverance in them, then abandon them just days later? Absolutely not!  But what happens to us when we are down in the dumps and wondering where God is taking us? We become just like the Israelites! 

And yet God did something more for you than He did for them! He sent His precious and only Son to die on Calvary’s tree for you. God redeemed you. 

More than God bringing you out of a watery grave, He delivered you from eternal damnation into glorious communion with Him forever! God saved you! What more could you possibly want?

ACTION POINT:

Are you down in the dumps today? Do you feel like the victim of a bad situation? Do you feel like God has abandoned you? Then write down Deuteronomy 

20:4 on a piece of paper and meditate on it until you believe it.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Steadfast Love

Definition of steadfast:

Firm in belief, unwavering, dutifully firm

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.  - Hosea 6:6

In mercy, God has pursued you!

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. - Luke 15:7

In love, He has provided a Savior to rescue you from Hell.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? - Romans 8:31-32

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. - Romans 8:34

He doesn't want you to follow Him for the sake of traditions.

5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?"

6 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 

7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

9 And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! - Mark 7:5-9

He wants your commitment!

He wants His word written on your heart, in your mind and for you to obey!

He wants you to share His word with others!

The sickness of sin leads to eternal sorrow.

12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:12-13

Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." - John 9:39

And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." - Mark 12:33