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But those who do right will continue to do right, and those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger. Job 17:9
It was one of the first lessons we learned as we were growing up. On a daily basis we’d hear something like, “Dinner is ready, wash your hands!” or, “Yes Johnny that is a nice puppy. Now be sure to wash your hands.”; at a local aquarium, right next to the pools of water teeming with fish is a small basin with soap and paper towels so you can wash your hands after petting the various forms of sea life.
No one would dispute the importance of hand washing. A cartoon I saw once showed an unsuspecting man coming out of the restroom at a restaurant. Immediately a sign above the door blinks in big bold letters, “DIDN’T WASH HANDS!”
But the reality is, many of us think of washing hands as a relatively minor issue. Admit it now. The last time you grabbed a snack or sat down at the table (when the kids weren’t looking of course) did you wash your hands? “Well, maybe on occasion…” you may say, “but it’s not a big deal!”
Or is it? Would you want your dentist to stick his hands in your mouth without washing his hands first? How about your surgeon? Would you feel comfortable going under the knife when the guy holding that knife had dried blood on his knuckles from yesterday’s surgery?
‘Of course NOT!” you say with disgust!’
Hands don’t have to look dirty to be harmful. Reality is, even clean hands have germs on them and some of those germs can be harmful to our health. In the same way, sin affects our relationship with our God. We may think this sin or that sin is too small to worry about. They don’t show up. Others can’t see them. They are just little things that don’t really matter.
Even the smallest sin in our lives can affect God’s ability show his power in our lives. Others may not see the things you harbor in your life but God does and he is more likely to give big things to those who take care of the little things in life.
Having clean hands is really a pretty simple thing. All you have to do is apply a little soap and water and you are good to go. Sin is the same way. Soap and water won’t get rid of sin, but the blood of Jesus will! That’s what grace is all about. You don’t wash your hands before you wash your hands. That’s silly. And you can’t clean up the sin in your life before you come to Jesus. That’s what grace is about. Grace says Jesus will clean up what I can’t. Get rid of the guilt of sin in your life. It’s as simple as washing your hands.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many ‘little things’ in my life that are keeping me from all you have for me. I’ve fooled myself long enough thinking those things won’t matter but they will. Forgive me for the little things. Cleanse me through the blood of Jesus. Amen.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
Why is it that we say ‘salvation is a free gift of God’ and then go on trying to earn it? Imagine if you gave someone you loved a gift, a very expensive gift that they could never repay. It wasn’t a birthday or Christmas or even a special occasion. You simply loved them and wanted to give them something.
From that point on, they continued to do all sorts of things for you. You would come home and your lawn was mowed. Every morning you were greeted at your car with a hot cup of your favorite coffee.
Would you feel your gift was cheapened? Would you tell your friend to stop trying to do so many things and just enjoy the gift? Of course you would.
Too many times in our lives as Christ-followers we become defeated and discouraged because we try as hard as we can to earn our forgiveness. When we fail we try harder and become even more discouraged. Sometimes we even give up the fight and say ‘what’s the use. I’ll never be a good Christ-follower.’
God didn’t give us the great gift of grace so we could be perfect. God gave us the gift of grace because he knew perfection would never happen in us. So even in times of failure we can live victoriously. Even when we rebel we know we can come back home. When we slip into sin we can always repent and come home to him. He doesn’t expect perfection. He isn’t surprised when you fail. He doesn’t hold a grudge. Your sin and weakness don’t cause him to turn his back on you. He will never, ever give up on you.
Stop trying to be the messiah. That job has been taken. Stop trying to be perfect. Only one person has ever done that and you won’t be the second one. Your past mistakes, no matter how terrible, can’t keep God’s power from working in you. His grace is all you need to live powerfully for him.
PRAYER: Father God, I’ve tried to live this Christian life in my own power for far too long. I can’t get it right. There are some issues I just can’t conquer on my own and I’m tired of trying. Forgive me of my attempts to go it alone. Empower me to rest on the fact that your grace is all I need to experience your power. In Jesus name, Amen.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 (NLT)
How can you believe in something you can’t see? People ask that question regarding God as they seek spiritual freedom. In reality we believe in many things we can’t see. It’s our choice to believe in them or not. For example, I can say I no longer believe oxygen is required for life because I can’t see oxygen. Does that change the life-giving qualities of oxygen? Nope. How about gravity? Suppose I climb to the highest peak of my roof and announce to the world, “Gravity, I no longer accept your existence! I can’t see you. You have done me no good. Therefore you either don’t exist or don’t care!” If I then proceed to jump from my roof, what will be the result? Will gravity have any less effect? Unfortunately, no.
Ok, (you may say) suppose I choose to believe in God. What proof can you give of his existence? Gravity shows itself every day. Science has been able to ‘see’ oxygen. Where can I see proof of God? My answer to you will be to look out the window. When I look out the window or take a walk or travel I see many things about God that point me to him.
- I see that God is creative. Just looking outside now I see at least 10 different shades of green. Just one color! Yet many different shades.
- I see that God admires beauty when I look at a sunset or scan the horizon from a high peak, or look into the face of the one I love.
- I see that God is gentle when I touch the petal of a flower and feel its softness.
- I see God enjoys mystery when I contemplate how life begins and the many different life forms that are seen and unseen, extinct and still walking our planet. It takes more faith to believe in evolution than to believe in the creator God of Genesis.
- I see God is very smart when I look at the scientific community and hear of the things we’ve ‘discovered’. I admit I chuckle when we use that term. We don’t ‘discover’ things. We simply find the things God has put into our world for us to find.
- I see God is powerful when I see the power of an earthquake or storm and realize that all of our human resources alone can’t control nature. But God can control it with a spoken word.
- I see God is passionate when I watch people who are truly in love interact with life.
- I see God is forgiving when I remember that he sent his very own son to die for me when I least deserve it.
There are so many other ways God shows himself to us on a daily basis. Too often we are too busy to notice. Take time today, as you go about your tasks, to look for examples of god’s inner qualities in nature around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I’m in awe when I contemplate the great power of your world. I worship and praise you for showing us so many things about you. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your Spirit that dwells within. Empower me to day to give you glory with every step I take, every word I speak and every action I take. In Jesus name, Amen.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18
Moses and the Israelites were trapped. Ahead of them lay the Red Sea. Behind them, the Egyptian army was closing in fast. It was a hopeless and fearful situation. The Bible says that they cried out to the Lord in their fear. The answer they got was (my paraphrase) “Why are you standing here crying and whining to me about such a small matter? Put your staff up, split the sea and cross! Then turn around and watch how I will deliver you.”
They did just that, and, as we know, the sea parted, the Israelites crossed, and the elite Egyptian army was destroyed! The prayers of God’s people were answered but only after THEY took action. Sometimes it’s not enough just to pray, we need to act.
If God is speaking to you about an enemy that you need to stop hating and start loving, don’t just pray about it, pray sincerely asking God to show you ways to mend the relationship. Then…DO SOMETHING! That something may just mean forgiving them and moving on. That something may mean doing some tangible act to mend the relationship. Sincere prayer often requires action on our part to see God act.
There are times, of course when God will provide answers without a physical action on our part, but even then we must be openly seeking guidance from our Father to know how to act. Do we wait, or is he giving us direction? The closer we are to him in relationship the easier it will be to discern his plan for our lives.
Many times, when Jesus healed someone it required some action on their part to be healed. For example, was there something magical in the mud that Jesus put on the blind man’s eyes so he could see? No, but the act of faith to go to the pool and wash was proof of his sincerity! Was Jesus’ robe ‘magic’ when the woman touched it? No. It was her act of faith the provided the avenue of Jesus’ power to heal her.
What are you seeking God for today? Have you come to him with a pure and sincere heart? Have you come believing that he is willing and able to save? Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and do something ‘spiritually risky’ in order to open and avenue for his power to flow through you?
When you come before your Heavenly Father with a sincere and pure heart he draws close to you as well. He crosses the room to meet you as you enter. He gives you his full attention. He may not give you the answer you were hoping for, but he always gives you the answer you need.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many times I’ve prayed and felt like you didn’t answer. So many times my prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and fall harmlessly to the floor. Help me to pray with a sincere heart and a willingness to take any action that you may ask of me so that your power can flow freely through me. Forgive me for my doubt, rebellion and selfishness. Help me grow in relationship to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Joshua 2:11
The Israelites were about to enter a new chapter in their history books. Joshua had taken over leadership after Moses, the servant of God, had died. Now it was time to enter the land promised by God years earlier.
Joshua sent two men to spy out the land in much the same way he himself had been sent by Moses. These men secretly entered the city of Jericho to gain information on the city and how it could be conquered. They hid in the house of the local prostitute, Rahab, while the King of Jericho sent his men door to door to find the spies. Rahab lied in order to spare the lives of the men sent by God.
In return for her actions, the men promised her that she would be spared when the Israelites came to overtake the city. Not only did this woman’s courage spare the lives of her family and herself, it earned her a spot in the genealogy of Jesus Christ!
The story of Rahab should give us courage as we face insurmountable challenges in life. Difficult as the road may seem at times, it’s imperative that we remember, as followers of Jesus Christ, the God has gone ahead of us to prepare the way. The King sought to capture the spies out of fear. Two men would serve as no threat to a king in a walled city with an army at his disposal. But it’s important to remember that the King wasn’t afraid of the men. He was afraid of God.
The king wasn’t the only person who was afraid. In fact, Rahab tells us that the entire city was in turmoil over the rumored attack of God’s people. Rahab’s fear however, wasn’t due to men. Rahab was afraid of God. In fact, her fear of God was so much greater than her fear of men that she risked her life to save the spies from being captured.
During those times in life when we are afraid we can gain comfort by learning from the story of Rahab and the spies. We need not fear what men can do to us. This is true in the political realm as well as in the personal realm. Our real concern isn’t what others think of us. We need to focus on what God thinks of us.
The spies didn’t need to proclaim the power of God. God did a fine job of letting the world know about His power and strength. They didn’t need to protect themselves from the King. God provided a way for them to be safe, accomplish their task and return safely from their mission. Rahab was saved from death because of simple faith. She didn’t know all the rules and regulations that God had set out for His people. She didn’t know about sacrifices and all that went with the Israelites faith. She knew God’s power and that was enough for her.
God’s people need not fear man made systems. As Christ-followers we can go confidently into the future knowing that our God, the creator of the universe, has gone before us. We can go with confidence and power to do the work that He has planned for us. Our past and our own strength are meaningless to an all knowing, all powerful, loving and merciful God. All he wants is for us to trust His power on the journey He has carefully planned out for us.
PRAYER: Father God. You know my heart. You know the fear that I have. I fear that the ‘secret places’ of my life will be found out. I fear the political and economic woes of our world will destroy me. I fear for my children and my family. Fear seems to be a constant shadow in the back of my mind. I ask that you would give me the courage of Rahab and the spies. Help me to focus more on your power and less on the power of others in my life. Empower me through your Spirit to be free me from the fear that overwhelms me. Amen
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 