Devotions to Help you Marvel at our God!

Sorry for the untimely post.  I hope this does not cause problems for any other posters.  Usually, I bring a devotional on Tuesday, but I am in-between vacation and a mission’s trip, so this week is a little out of kilter.

Friday 6.19.09

Have you ever heard the phrase, “That’s too good to be true”?  Usually, this idea is associated with an opportunity or windfall of good fortune that is beyond the normal concept of working to obtain something.  We naturally understand the concept of earning what we have, and we even get the concept of receiving small gestures of gifts.  But, it’s the idea of being “graced” with something very good/large without putting forth any effort to obtain it that blows our minds.

For example, imagine a phone call that says you’ve been randomly selected to receive $100,000.  Or, a letter comes in the mail stating that you’ve been invited to a local car lot to pick out the automobile of your choice.  Is the phrase, “That’s too good to be true” echoing in your mind right now?

Have you ever thought about why a phrase or an idea like that even exists?  I mean, why are there things in this world that are too good to be true anyway?  Why is the idea of something-for-nothing the exception and not the norm?

I think it is because we are naturally unfamiliar with the concept of grace.  In life, most things are not given to us in Christmas wrapping.  We have to work for them.  We operate under principles like:

• If you don’t work, you won’t have money.
• If you don’t do your homework, you won’t get good grades.

So, when an offer comes along that breaks these principles, we assume it is “too good to be true.”  This is exactly what happened to the man we will be reading about today.  So, take out your Bible and read 2 Kings 5:1-15 (don’t worry, I will wait for you):

Application Questions:

1. The Bible tells us that Naaman had a lot of good things going on in his life (v. 1), and most of them were due to his hard work and efforts.  But, there was one thing/situation that he was not able to control…what was it?
2. Naaman needed to be healed.  So, he went to visit God’s prophet Elisha.  What did Naaman bring along on the trip (v. 5)?  Why did he bring these things?
3. Naaman was so set on the fact that he had to do something or give something in exchange for his healing that he could not deal with Elisha’s instruction to simply dip in the river.  How did Naaman respond to this offer of grace (the thing that was too good to be true)?
4. God was not asking Naaman to work for his healing or to give any possessions to pay for his healing.  Instead, what was God calling Naaman to do?
5. How do you suppose Naaman’s story is a picture of your own spiritual life?  Do you see any similarities b/t him and you?
6. Can we buy our spiritual cleansing?  Can we earn spiritual cleansing by doing good things?  No, we receive it the same way Naaman received physical healing – by faith.  It wasn’t the water that made Naaman well, it was his faith/trust in God.  Before you go, read Ephesians 2:8-9 and take these powerful Words of God with you today!

Monday 6.8.09

Have you ever been locked out of your house?  Your car?  I can still remember the very day that I purchased my first car.  I drove it home, parked it in the driveway, locked the doors and went inside.  Later, when I returned to get back into my car, the doors were locked.  I soon realized that, in my absent-mindedness and car inexperience, I had left the keys in the ignition.  I was locked out of my car!  What a helpless feeling it was to be on the outside of the vehicle while peering in at the keys dangling from the ignition.  I was locked out – frustrated and disgusted with myself.

In a similar way, the Bible is clear that, because of our sin, we are “locked out” of heaven.  We cannot enter heaven’s glorious city (the dwelling place of a holy God), but only stand there peering in at her beauties.  We need the key to enter.  But what is that key?  And, how do we obtain it?

Ephesians 2:8 begins with these words, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”  This verse explains that the key to heaven (our salvation) is the grace of God.  It is by His grace alone, demonstrated in the cross of Jesus Christ, that is the key which gains us entrance into heaven.  Salvation is all of God – let us not miss that point.  His glory is displayed in that He planned, crafted, and made available this “key” of salvation for us.

But, the verse does not stop there.  It also says that our salvation is obtained “through faith.”  So, it is true that God’s grace in the provision of Christ gives us the key to enter heaven.  But, God does not turn the key and open the door for us.  He places the key in the lock and calls for us to believe His word – that the work of Christ will do all that He promised. The key must then be turned.  How?

By faith!  Salvation is activated and heaven is accessed when we turn the key.  This is not a work by us…we did not craft the plan, nor make the key, nor call on ourselves to turn it.  Yet, it is through faith alone in Christ alone that turns the key and opens heaven for us.  Abraham experienced this very truth when the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).  Salvation is by grace, through faith – or to say it another way – it is by the key, through the turning of it.

Alive2Christ,

Kendall C.

Tuesday 6.2.09

On the PBS Program “Antiques Roadshow,” people bring in their “treasures” to see if they are indeed valuable or merely junk.  Appraisers break the news to hopeful collectors after inspecting their pieces of history.  Sometime the people are disappointed with the news and other times pleasantly surprised.

Once in a while, a real gem is discovered.  A painting that was stashed away in a basement collecting dust is revealed to be a rare find.  Often when this happens, the appraiser will make a comment like, “Now, go buy a nice frame that does justice to this $40,000 piece of art.”  In other words, the painting is beautiful and very costly, but the scraps of wood that frames it makes the painting look tired and cheap.  So, get a frame that gives due credit to the work of art.

In Titus 2:9-10, Paul writes to Titus and tells him that servants/workers are to submit to their employers and not be argumentative.  Then, he gives the reason for doing this – “so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (v. 10).  Do you see the motive behind Paul’s instruction?

The truths of God our Savior are a priceless treasure.  We are not to “frame” them with ugly, sinful living.  Just as a frame adorns a valuable painting, so too our life adorns the priceless beauty of God our Savior.  With our lifestyle and actions, we can either distract from the beauty of God, or lend credit to His beauty and make it attractive to the world.

So, how about you today?  What kind of frame are you?  Does your life look like a quickly thrown-together square whose paint is chipping off and pulling apart at the corners.  Or, are you carefully and meticulously building a quality frame that is worthy to adorn the infinite and precious beauty of God our Savior?  May your life be one that draws others in to have a closer look at the great and glorious gospel of Christ.

Alive2Christ,

Kendall C.