Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2

Right now believers on every continent of the world are preparing for the Easter season — one of the three biggest annual Christian holidays, with the other being Pentecost and Christmas. Regardless of where you live, Christians will be celebrating Easter and singing jubilant songs that commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

But before there was a resurrection, there was first the Cross. There could be no resurrection without the Cross that preceded it, and that Cross represents the most horrible event Jesus could have ever endured. Yet He endured it all without complaint — for you, for me, and for all who would later come to repentance.

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Have you ever felt that you were thrust into a situation that you didn’t ask for or didn’t desire? Did you find that there was nothing you could do to escape it? How did you deal with the situation? How did you endure it? If that is a description of how you are feeling about life right now, then pay close attention to today’s Sparkling Gem, because as you will see, this is precisely how Jesus felt when He hung on the Cross.

Jesus lived a pure, sinless life. If there was ever anyone born on this earth who didn’t deserve the Cross, it was Jesus. However, it was part of God’s plan for Him to procure the salvation that today we gloriously and freely possess!

Jesus accepted His assignment, but the Bible plainly tells us that He did not relish the experience. He had to set Himself to “endure” it as a part of the assignment the Father had entrusted to Him. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

This verse makes it abundantly clear that Jesus “endured” and “despised” the Cross. In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, we discussed what it meant for Jesus when the Bible says He “endured” the Cross. However, today I want to take that discussion further.

As we saw yesterday, the word “endured” is a translation of the Greek word hupomeno, which is a compound of the words hupo and meno. The word hupo means under, and the word meno means to abide or to stay. When the two are compounded, the new word portrays a person who is under some type of incredibly heavy load but who refuses to stray from his position because he is committed to his task. Regardless of the load, opposition, stress, or weight that comes against him, he is not going to move. He is going to stay put in his spot and not surrender it to anyone for any reason!

That word “endured” tells us emphatically that Jesus refused to stray from His position. If He had wished, He could have called upon 12 legions of angels to deliver Him and destroy His enemies (see Matthew 26:53), but He refrained because the Cross was the path of redemption that the Father had entrusted into His hands. His experience on the Cross was unimaginably horrific, yet it was the necessary price to be paid for the forgiveness of sin. If Jesus had shirked His responsibility and refused to accept the Cross as a part of His divine calling, then you and I would still be bound by our sin today.

I’ve never hung on a cross as Jesus did, and I can’t even imagine the thought of it. However, there have been times when God has asked me to endure some very hard things that I could escape only by disobeying His instructions. Regardless of how difficult it was to be obedient, I had to keep my eyes fixed on the prize before me and endure the moment. And one thing I have found to be sure: On the path of obedience, difficult or painful moments eventually come to a conclusion — and when they do, resurrection and exaltation follow.

You may be enduring a difficult situation right now because God has called you to do a certain task. Or perhaps there is no other way out but to go through a situation rather than run the other way. Regardless, I encourage you to focus on the example of Jesus and learn from Him. He utterly despised the Cross; yet He endured it nevertheless as a necessary part of His assignment to procure our salvation. This may not sound like something that makes you want to shout. But when you endure to the end and accomplish your divine mission, I promise you’ll be thankful that you did not throw in the towel earlier when you were tempted to give up.

I want to encourage you today to lift your eyes and set them on the goal before you. God’s plan is not that you remain in this difficult place forever. His plan for you is a place of victory and resurrection! For a season — and only God knows how long that season is — you may be called to simply endure. But if you know you’re where you’re supposed to be, simply embrace the opportunity to trust God in the midst of it all and refuse to let any person or any devil from hell move you out of position! With God’s power, you can stay in the right place and get the job accomplished that Jesus has asked you to do!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I look to Jesus in all things as my Example of how to live and to walk in a manner that is pleasing to You. Jesus endured the Cross for me and remained committed to His task without weakening beneath the weight of all that opposed Him. Because Jesus refused to abandon Your plan, even when it cost Him greatly, I will not run from my responsibility to obey Your plan for me, despite the difficulty of what I am facing. I draw upon the power of His might to declare that although I may feel weak, I am strong in Him. Just as Jesus endured His Cross, knowing that it was crucial to His obedience to and fulfillment of God’s divine plan, I take up my cross and follow Him — knowing that as I endure to the end, I will see the salvation of the Lord on my behalf.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that no temptation is beyond my ability to resist it and no trial can come to me that is not common to man or beyond what I can endure. But God is faithful to His Word and to His own compassionate nature. He is at work in me, creating both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him. I know and trust that He will not allow me to be pressed beyond the measure of my ability and my power to endure so that I can bear up under it patiently. I let patience have its perfect work in me so I can come out on the other side of this situation strong in character and in spirit, lacking nothing.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you recall a time when you were called upon to do something very difficult that your flesh didn’t want to do, but you knew it was God’s will for you to endure it and stay there regardless of how tough it felt at the time?
2. When you look back at that difficult moment, I am sure you had times when you didn’t know if you could endure it. What do you think would have happened if you had quit and thrown in the towel? What would have been the result of caving in to that temptation?
3. Do you know individuals who are exactly where they are supposed to be and doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, yet that place and time is accompanied with hardship? What can you say or do to encourage them to remain faithful in spite of the temporary hardness?

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2

When Jesus hung on the Cross, beaten almost beyond human recognition, He was subjected to intense, ugly verbal abuse. The soldiers at His feet scoffed, religious leaders laughed, and even a criminal being crucified nearby sneered at Him. In this eternally pivotal moment, all of creation should have rejoiced, for the Creator of the universe was paying the ultimate price for the redemption for mankind. It was the single greatest act of love the world had ever witnessed. But instead of comprehending the supreme price Jesus was paying that day, the crowd arrogantly jeered, mocked, and scorned.

Have you ever pondered how all of this ridicule affected Jesus’ emotions when He was dying on the Cross? Let me ask you — what if you were hanging on the Cross and people laughed and mocked you as you died for them? How would you be tempted to feel at that moment?

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Jesus’ body had already been ripped to shreds by the vicious beating He received in the residence of Pontius Pilate. Roman soldiers in Pilate’s court laughed at Him, mocked Him, and played humiliating games with Him. One by one, a whole cohort of soldiers took turns spitting on Him, slapping Him, and striking His face with a reed they took from a nearby fountain in Pilate’s palace. It was extreme verbal, mental, and physical abuse.

Then the soldiers jammed a crown of thorns so firmly on Jesus’ head that the long, sharp spikes perforated His skin and scraped across His skull, causing blood to stream down from His brow like a river until His entire face was covered with it. The thick, sticky blood matted His eyebrows and eyelashes, making it difficult for Him to see. Huge, nine-inch iron nails were driven through His hands and feet, which pierced His nerves and sent signals of pain throughout His entire body. The weight of Jesus’ body hanging from those nails dislocated His shoulders, and His joints were pulled out of place. He struggled to breathe every breath as His lungs began to fill with fluids that would eventually suffocate Him.

Making this unimaginably horrific experience even worse was the fact that Jesus had been completely stripped naked and hung on that Cross humiliated before the hostile crowd. Putting one’s naked body on public display was a great indignity in Jewish culture, thus making the ordeal especially shameful for Him.

Yet Jesus endured all of this agony, pain, and embarrassment willingly. Why? Because His death was the price demanded to purchase forgiveness and redemption for the very people who had done all of this to Him. He was dying for the very people who sneered at Him, for the criminals who laughed at Him, for the soldiers who mocked Him, for the religious leaders who demanded His crucifixion — and for you and me. (In Sparkling Gems 1, April 21-24, I wrote vivid descriptions of the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. If you have not already read it, I encourage you to do so. It will give you a greater understanding of what Jesus endured to purchase your salvation.)

But how do you think Jesus felt about this experience at the time it was happening? Hebrews 12:2 gives us insight to this question. It says, “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

First, I want you to notice that this verse says that Jesus “endured” the Cross. The word “endured” is from the well-known Greek word hupomeno. It is a compound of the words hupo and meno. The word hupo means under, and the word meno means to abide or to stay. When the two are compounded, the new word portrays a person who is under some type of incredibly heavy load but who refuses to stray from his position because he is committed to his task. Regardless of the load, opposition, stress, or weight that comes against him, he is not going to move. He is going to stay put in his spot and not surrender it to anyone for any reason!

This word depicts one who refuses to bend, break, or surrender because he is convinced that the territory, promise, or principle under assault rightfully belongs to him. It denotes a refusal to give up. One expositor has rightfully translated hupomeno as staying power. However, my favorite translation of the word hupomeno is hang-in-there power!

The fact that the Holy Spirit chose to use this word to describe Jesus’ time on the Cross tells us emphatically this was not an enjoyable experience. Regardless of how difficult and humiliating the experience was, Jesus was committed to “endure” it because the shedding of His blood was the only way to purchase our freedom from Satan, sin, and the effects of the curse that Adam’s disobedience brought upon the human race.

The Cross was so unpleasant that Hebrews 12:2 goes on to tell us that Jesus “despised” it. This is very important because it reveals exactly how Jesus felt emotionally about His time spent on the Cross. According to this verse, He “despised” the whole experience. The word “despise” is from the Greek word kataphroneo, a compound of kata and phroneo. The word kata means down, and the word phroneo means to think. When the two are compounded into one word, the new word means to think down on something or to despise it. It could be translated to loathe, to spurn, to detest, to abhor, to have an aversion, or to find something revolting or repulsive. The Cross was a degrading, crushing, and humiliating experience. In fact, crucifixion was the lowest, crudest, and most barbaric form of death in the Roman Empire.

Hebrews 12:2 goes on to tell us that Jesus despised the “shame” of this experience. The word “shame” is aischune, which depicted disgrace, embarrassment, or humiliation. In the New Testament language, the word aischune carries mostly the idea of shame. By using this word, the author of Hebrews was telling us that the Cross was something that brought shame to Jesus. It was an act of indignity which degraded, debased, and dishonored Him.

Just before He died, Jesus cried out and said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). In this amazing statement, I want you to take note of the word “forgive.” It is from the word aphiemi, which means to release, as in releasing a prisoner or setting someone free from an act they have carried out. It is the decision to not hold something against someone, but rather to liberate a person from the consequences of his actions. When Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them,” He was saying, “Father, release them…” or “Father, do not hold this against them….”

When you are facing unfair criticism or being blamed for something you didn’t do, it is imperative that you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and the example He set for you. He lived a perfect, sinless life and did not deserve the punishment that was laid upon Him. Yet He willfully carried our sicknesses and bore our diseases. And when that sin and sickness was laid upon him, He did not retaliate or strike back! The Bible tells us that “when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously…” (1 Peter 2:23).

There are rare times when nothing can be done to change a situation, and we are required to be silent and trust God to take care of it. First Peter 2:23 says that when Jesus was reviled, He did not revile again, and when He suffered, He threatened not. The word “reviled” is the Greek word loidoreo, which means to speak abusively, to insult someone, or to speak words that are crude and vile. We would call this verbal abuse. However, when these kinds of words were hurled at Jesus, He didn’t return them to his offenders. Instead, He remained silent and “threatened not” when He suffered — even though He could have called upon all of Heaven to deliver Him or to obliterate His enemies. The use of the word loidoreo in this verse emphatically means that Jesus didn’t threaten his enemies when they began to threaten Him.

Instead, Jesus “committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” The word “committed” in First Peter 2:23 is from the Greek word paradidomi, which means to entrust, to hand over, to surrender, or to commit. The fact is, there was no way for Jesus to escape the Cross without abandoning His divine mission on earth. Rather than fight it or becoming angry and vengeful toward His abusers, Jesus chose to turn His eyes to the Father and entrust Himself entirely into God’s hands in that very difficult moment.

Likewise, if you are in a situation that you cannot change, you are called to follow Jesus’ example and entrust yourself into the Father’s care. Retaliating against your offenders or verbally returning words they have said to you will not help you or them. It will just make the situation worse. When you are in a situation that you have no power to change, you must pray for strength to endure the situation, and you must also entrust yourself to God who judges righteously. You can be sure that God is watching, and He will not overlook your prayers of faith or the price you’re paying for the love of Him.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I want to say thank You for sending Jesus to die for me on Calvary. What a terrible price He paid to purchase my freedom from sin. When He hung on that Tree, it was for me, and for this I want to say thank You from the depths of my heart. Today I ask You for grace to forgive those who have sinned against me, just as Jesus forgave those who sinned against Him. The devil has tried to make me bitter, but I know Your grace can make me better. Rather than focus on the injustice I have experienced, I am fixing my eyes on You and entrusting myself completely into Your loving care.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I joyfully declare that God is my judge and He is watching everything that is taking place in my life right now. I do not have to worry or fret that God doesn’t know what is happening, because I have entrusted myself into His care and He is lovingly watching over me. I will not fight those who have wronged me and I will not retaliate with ugly words. I have made the decision to follow the example of Jesus. So today, I confess that I am not abandoned, I am not alone, but I am resting safely in the arms of my Heavenly Father who deeply cares about me and all that I am going through in my life right now.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Has there ever been a time in your life when you knew that fighting back would accomplish nothing, and you knew that you needed to simply be silent and trust God to work on your behalf? When was that time in your life and what happened as a result of silently trusting God?
2. Can you think of someone who is going through a difficult season in life and needs to be reminded that God is watching and that He will take care of those who surrender themselves to Him? Do you need to pick up the phone and call that person today to encourage that person to keep surrendering his or her situation to the Lord?
3. What did you specifically learn from today’s Sparkling Gem that was new for you?

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.
— 1 Peter 2:21

When Denise and I were first starting our traveling ministry many years ago, we would occasionally make time to stop at the Oregon coast to enjoy the sights with our young sons. We didn’t have a lot of money back in those days, so we stayed at some relatively low-class hotels, but the good thing about those hotels was that they were located right on the edge of the beach. The rooms might not have been the nicest, but the locations were terrific!

Denise and I would take our young sons to walk, run, and play on the beach. It was such fun to stand in the water and watch the ripples of the sea come in and slowly wash the sand out from between our toes. We’d collect seashells, chase seagulls, climb the big rocks that jutted out into the ocean, and eat Dungeness crab for lunch every day. But the funniest thing about those trips was watching Denise and the boys as they tried to walk in my footprints!

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I’d walk out front, and Denise would follow behind me, trying ever so carefully to step exactly in each of my footprints. It was hysterical watching her, because my stride was so much bigger than hers. She would nearly leap from one footprint to the next in order to exactly follow in my steps. But the most humorous moment was watching our small sons trying to step in the footprints I had left in the sand. The boys would stretch forward with all their might to reach the next footprint. They’d step short of my steps, jump to get to the next footprint, sometimes trip and fall, and so on. It is one of my favorite memories of their childhood.

The reason I’m telling you this story today is to illustrate the apostle Peter’s words in First Peter 2:21. He wrote, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.” Peter told his readers and us that when we face hardships with people or circumstances that make us suffer, we must look to Jesus and “…follow his steps.” In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, we studied the word “example” (hupogrammos) and learned that we must be committed to copying Jesus’ every movement. But in First Peter 2:21, Peter took it one step further and told us that “…we should follow his steps.” What does he mean by that phrase?

The word “follow” is the Greek word epakoloutheo. It is a compound of the words epi and akoloutheo. In this context, the word epi means after, and the word akoloutheo is the word that means to follow. When compounded into one word as they are in this verse, the new word means to carefully follow after someone with the goal to replicate what he or she does. It depicts a person so committed to imitating another person that he is willing to follow him exactly and to do whatever he does. This is a picture of true discipleship. The word epakoloutheo could only describe a person who is very serious about replicating someone else’s life in his own. Although everyone will not heed it, this call to replicate the life of Jesus is a call that God has given to every child of God.

But as Peter continued, he used a word to explicitly show how closely we are to imitate the life of Jesus in our own lives. Peter went on to say that we should follow “in his steps.” The word “steps” is the Greek word ichnos, a word that really means footprints — precisely like the foot- prints I left in the sand at the beach. It is the picture of us putting our feet exactly where Jesus first placed His feet, stepping in His very footprints and following His actions in every circumstance we face. The verse could therefore read, “We must ardently follow Him with the goal of replicating His life in ours. Yes, we must be so committed to follow Him that we step in His very footprints.”

This means we must learn to walk in Jesus’ steps, even if it seems His stride — His standard, His example, His way of living and loving and forgiving — seems much bigger than the level we’re used to walking in right now. Like my small sons who tried so hard to walk in my footprints, we must be committed to leap from one footprint of the Master to the next until we have learned to easily match His stride and keep the pace He set while He walked the earth.

This must have been very encouraging for the early believers who were suffering so many injustices at the hands of the Roman government and pagan communities. By following the footprints of Jesus, it made it easier for them to know what to do, how to act, what to say, what they shouldn’t say, and so on. Jesus’ footprints were right there in the four gospels — all they had to do was read them and then do what Jesus had done when He was in a situation similar to theirs.

The truth is, no one was ever more mistreated than Jesus. When soldiers spat on Him, Pilate scourged Him, religious leaders laughed at Him, and He was even betrayed by His own disciples, He continued to walk in love and forgave them all. He set the chief example about how we should respond when we find ourselves in circumstances beyond our control. Therefore, in moments when we feel injustice is being carried out against us, it is imperative that we remember the example Jesus set for us and then “follow His steps.”

So instead of giving in to frustration and letting your emotions get the best of you when you’re having a hard time, look to Jesus’ example and strive to walk exactly as He walked. Once you’ve found His footprints in the Word of God, pick up your feet and step forward by faith to follow His steps, which are clearly outlined. With those footprints before you, you can do what He did, you can say what He said, and you can walk how He walked.

If you will let the Holy Spirit help you, it is possible for you to successfully walk through this time in your life. What a blessing that you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself! Just look at Jesus’ steps in the sand, and stretch forward by faith to step in His footprints. By yourself, you can’t do it. But if you will let the Holy Spirit help you, He will show you how to keep the Master’s pace and match His stride through every challenge along the way to a victorious outcome!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I thank You for setting the supreme example for me! Although You were abused, misused, and falsely accused, it never affected Your love or Your steadfast commitment to minister to the world. Today I make the choice to follow in Your steps as they are outlined in the Word of God. I refuse to allow my emotions to dominate me or to permit my feelings to be hurt. I make the decision to ardently follow the example that You left for me. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will give my best efforts to walk in the footprints You left for me in the Word of God.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will move out of the place of hurt feelings and step forward to walk in same steps that Jesus took. His steps are clearly outlined in the Word of God, so I will read the Word, study Jesus’ life, and learn how Jesus responded to people and situations. With His example before me, I will do what He did, say what He said, and walk how He walked. Following in His footprints makes it much easier for me to deal with the circumstances at hand!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Has there been a time in your life when you didn’t know how to respond to conflict or injustice that was being leveled against you?
2. When you look at the life of Jesus and see how He responded to people who treated Him unfairly, how do you fare in comparison to His example? By studying His example, what do you now see that you should do differently when you are confronted with a difficult situation?
3. Why don’t you take some time to read through the gospels to see how Jesus responded to the criticism that was leveled against Him just before His crucifixion? Take notes of what you read, and see what you can learn about the godly way to respond to false accusations and undeserved blame.

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps….
— 1 Peter 2:21

Can you remember first learning to write as a young child? Oh, how well I remember those early days in the first grade when I carefully studied how my teacher wrote the letters of the alphabet on the blackboard. When she was done, it was our turn to take our lead pencils in hand and copy what she had written.

With all my might, I pressed my pencil onto the paper of my Indian Chief tablet. In fact, I pushed so hard writing those letters that I formed a callous on my finger that I still have to this day! I gave 100 percent of my concentration to exactly duplicate every letter my teacher had written on that blackboard. Day after day and hour after hour, I would write those letters over and over again. I filled my tablet with pages of writing until I finally mastered each letter of the alphabet. It took concentration and commitment, but in time, I learned to write exactly as my teacher had shown me.

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I’m sure you, too, can remember when you first learned to write. But did you know that this is precisely the idea Peter had in mind when he told the early believers, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21)?

Let me explain what I mean. When Peter wrote these words to early believers, they were suffering terribly for their faith at the hands of the Roman government. They were suffering unjustly, and there was nothing they could do legally to defend themselves. God’s Word commanded them to respect, submit to, and pray for the very government that was harassing and killing them. To the believers who were facing this plight of unjust treatment, Peter said this: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

The word “suffered” in this verse is from the Greek word pascho, meaning to suffer. It’s the word used to describe the passion or suffering of Jesus when He died on the Cross. However, there are many examples of the word pascho in the New Testament, all of which carry the idea of suffering, undergoing hardships, being ill-treated, or experiencing adversity.

The truth is, Jesus experienced a measure of suffering throughout His entire life on this earth. When He was a Child, His family suffered as they fled from the murderous plots of King Herod. Later Jesus suffered at the hands of religious leaders who hated Him and continually leveled false accusations against Him. Jesus had to constantly put up with the immature behavior of His disciples as He tried to teach them and set an example for them. He suffered betrayal at the hands of one of His associates, Judas Iscariot. His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane was so intense that His sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And in the end, Jesus suffered the worst suffering of all — death on the Cross. Yet through it all, Jesus lived above the suffering and maintained an attitude of love for those who treated Him unjustly.

Peter reminded his readers of Jesus’ suffering, hardship, and ill treatment in order to draw the early believers closer to the Lord in the midst of what they were experiencing themselves. At that time, they desperately needed to know how to respond to unjust situations they could not change. Since no one was better at dealing with such challenges than Jesus, Peter reminded his readers (and us) that “…Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example….”

Now we return to the illustration of a child learning the letters of the alphabet! When Peter chose to use the word “example” in this verse, he reached into the world of early education and borrowed the Greek word hupogrammos. This word precisely depicts a schoolchild who carefully watches his teacher write the letters of the alphabet. Then that child painstakingly and carefully copies each letter, matching it as closely as possible to the original letters written by his teacher.

This is exactly the picture Peter had in mind when he told you to follow the “example” of Jesus. Since Jesus is your Teacher and Master, you must focus on your spiritual blackboard — the Word of God — to learn from Him and then reproduce His example in your own life.

You must learn:

• How the Master dealt with unfair criticism, so you can respond like Him when you are unfairly criticized.
• How Jesus responded to attacks that were waged against Him, so you can know how to respond in His strength to attacks that come against you.
• How He responded to people when they failed or betrayed Him, so you can respond the same way when people disappoint or hurt you.
• How Jesus carried Himself with grace and dignity even in the midst of unspeakable abuse, so you can then draw on His strength to walk through difficult situations with the same grace and dignity.
• How He forgave His accusers every step of the way, so you can freely forgive those who mistreat or malign you.

You cannot avoid the fact that you will sometimes face unpleasant situations in which you feel mistreated, abused, or discriminated against. As long as you live in a world where the devil operates and unsaved people have their way, evil and injustice will touch your life from time to time. So when you find yourself subjected to a situation that seems unfair and unjust, you must ask, How does God expect me to respond?

Of course, you should pray for God to change a difficult situation. Prayer can make a huge difference in any circumstance. But what if the situation doesn’t change as quickly as you wish? How should you respond? For example:

• If your employer treats you badly for no obvious reason and the situation goes on for a long time, what should you do? Of course, you could go find another job. But what if you know that your current job is where God wants you and that you’re not supposed to leave it? How should you respond to the foul treatment you are receiving from your superior?
• If fellow employees are out to hurt you, to undercut you, or to see you demoted, what course of action should you take? Perhaps you’ve taken steps to befriend them, but nothing seems to improve the situation. How should you respond to the unfair treatment you’re experiencing?
• Maybe you feel persecuted by fellow students who don’t share your faith in Christ and who dislike your personal conviction. You know you can’t quit school as a reaction to this difficult situation. But exactly how does God expect you to respond?
• Perhaps your family members are hostile to you because they don’t understand your faith or they don’t agree with the direction you’re taking in life. How should you respond to your loved ones? It’s so very important that you know how to respond when your family doesn’t agree or support what you are doing — especially when you know the Holy Spirit is the One leading you to take that course of direction.

Certainly you must do everything possible to resolve conflicts with friends and family and to protect yourself and your reputation. Yet sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, that are not so easily resolved, and for which there is no easy recourse. Whenever you’re feeling maligned and mistreated, remember that it’s a prime opportunity for the devil to tempt you to become bitter, angry, hard-hearted, and resentful of those who have treated you unjustly. If you yield to that temptation, your wrong response won’t do anything to improve your situation, but it will produce negative consequences in your own life.

That’s why you must absolutely refuse to allow the devil to sow those negative emotions into your heart, which only bear bad fruit. Harboring such emotions is never the answer, no matter what situation you might be facing in life.

Are you facing difficult times? Are you being accused of things you didn’t do or being blamed for things of which you have no knowledge? Are you being mistreated or discriminated against? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the moment for you to turn your eyes to the blackboard — God’s Word — and study each stroke of the Master. Once you see what He did and how He responded in situations similar to yours, it is then your task to copy Him. If you’ll take this approach to the challenges you’re facing right now that seem so distressing, you’ll begin to see those situations as opportunities to become more like Jesus.

So make it your earnest goal to apply the principles of Jesus’ life to your own life. Strive to pen the strokes of your moments on this earth to reflect each stroke of the Master. If you’ll let the Holy Spirit help you, it’s possible for you to successfully walk through life as Jesus did. What a blessing that you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself! Just study the strokes of the Master’s pen, and press forward by faith to copy those strokes in the face of every challenge that arises.

By yourself, you cannot do it. But Jesus didn’t leave you to face the challenges of life alone and without help. After purchasing the full price of your redemption, He ascended on High, where He now intercedes continually before the Father on your behalf (see Hebrews 7:25). And just as He promised, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within you as your Teacher and Guide and to fill and empower you so you can walk as Jesus walked through every situation you could ever face.

Jesus did the hard part. All that He suffered, He suffered for you, leaving behind a perfect example for you to follow. As you respond with His wisdom and love in the face of every challenge, light will overcome darkness and God’s purposes will be fulfilled. Victory will be the outcome today in every situation you face when, by God’s grace and the help of His Spirit, you determine to copy the strokes of the Master!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I’ve been struggling with a difficult situation. I have prayed for wisdom; I sought the advice and counsel of others. But now I know that I need to seek the example of Jesus as it is revealed in the four gospels. Jesus is my Example and the One I am called to imitate. So, Holy Spirit, I am asking You to help me as I open my Bible to seek answers from the life of Jesus. Once I see what Jesus did and how He responded to situations that are similar to mine, I ask You to help me copy every stroke of His life. I know that if I will do what Jesus did, it will not only help me, but also it will positively affect those whom the devil has used to mistreat me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am a serious disciple of the Lord Jesus. He is my Example, my Teacher, my Master, and my Lord. As a serious disciple, I study His life and endeavor to imitate His every response in my thinking, in my actions, and in my relationships. I regularly read my Bible to learn from the life of the Master. As I seek answers from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit enlightens my eyes and gives me the answers I need to successfully navigate through the difficult situations and relationships I encounter in life. By myself I could never know how to effectively maneuver through all these minefields, but the Holy Spirit sees what I do not see, He knows what I do not know, and He is helping me walk unharmed through life with the actions and attitude of Jesus!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How long has it been since you’ve read all four gospels? Can you remember the last time you did it? What impact did it have on your life?
2. What is the exact situation you are facing right now that personally challenges you? Is it a person or a group of people that seems to be the source of trouble for you? Do you really understand why they don’t like you, why they don’t enjoy your company, or why they disagree with you? Even if their point of view is wrong, have you tried to understand it?
3. How long has it been since you seriously prayed for the people who are troubling you? As you pray for them, rather than just think about them, the Holy Spirit may drop ideas into your heart that will help you break the barriers between yourself and them. Why don’t you take a few minutes to pray for them right now?

And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
— Ephesians 6:17

How would you like to deal a debilitating blow to the devil when he tries to attack your life and mind?

Today I want to talk to you about what Ephesians 6:17 calls the “sword of the Spirit” — a supernatural sword that has the power to drive back the enemy and deal a blow to his attacks against your life. When you have what I’m about to describe, it gives you supernatural sword power against the devil!

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul wrote, “And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” In order to fully understand Paul’s message regarding the sword of the Spirit, let’s look at what the apostle had in his mind when he used the word translated “sword.” It’s the Greek word machaira, which is the very word used to describe the type of sword that Roman soldiers used in battle.

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Because the Roman army was so committed to warfare, Roman soldiers continually practiced the arts of warfare. One daily exercise was sword practice, which they undertook both in the morning and the afternoon. Every soldier practiced sword fighting by striking a six-foot-high wooden post that was firmly fixed in the ground. This post became the soldier’s “enemy” during practice. Just as he would if he were fighting a real enemy, the soldier would advance upon his target, strike hard with his sword, and then retreat.

The soldier’s job in practice was to learn how to take advantage of his enemy, hit him at his weakest point, and strike him so he could not respond. His aim was nearly always directed toward the area of the post that represented the head or face, the thighs and legs, or occasionally the sides of the target.

The ancient Roman writer Vegetius described Roman sword-fighting tactics in his book Concerning Military Matters, saying, “They were likewise taught not to cut, but to thrust with their swords. For the Romans not only made jest of those who fought with the edge of that weapon, but always found them an easy conquest. A stroke with the edges, though, made with ever so much force, seldom kills, as the vital parts of the body are defended both by the bones and armor. On the contrary, a stab, though it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal.”1

The practices I just described are exactly what Paul had in mind when he wrote, “And take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). How vital it is that we understand the sword of the Spirit!

Notice particularly where Paul said, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This word “word” is the Greek word rhema, which refers to a specific, quickened word. In order to have a sword that penetrates a blow to the enemy, we need a rhema — a specific, quickened word from the Scriptures — placed into our hearts and mouths by the Holy Spirit. With a rhema from God placed in our hearts and mouths, we have “sword power”!

Remember, all a Roman soldier had to do in order to eradicate his enemies was make a well-placed, two-inch-deep stab wound. Likewise, one rhema from the Lord has the power to eliminate the enemy’s attacks! Thank God for the sword of the Spirit!

The best example of this powerful sword of the Spirit is found in Luke 4:3-13. In this passage, Satan is repeatedly and aggressively attacking Jesus. But Jesus answered him repeatedly with a specific quickened rhema from the Holy Spirit. For example, after the devil tempted Jesus with food, Jesus drew the sword of the Spirit and rebuked Satan, saying, “…It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (v. 4). The enemy could not respond to this sword of the Spirit.

When Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship, Jesus drew another rhema and wounded him deeply yet again. Jesus said, “…it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (v. 8). To this sword of the Spirit, Satan had no answer.

Finally, when Satan tempted Jesus to prove His deity, Jesus answered him again with a sword! He said, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (v. 12). With this rhema, Jesus penetrated Satan’s armor with one final stab and dealt his enemy a devastating blow. Luke 4:13 tells us that after Jesus responded multiple times with a rhema — a specific, quickened word that dealt exactly with the type of attack Jesus was facing — the devil “departed” from him. Satan was nullified by these rhema words that Jesus drew and used like a spiritual sword against him.

Like the Lord Jesus, when the Holy Spirit quickens a scripture to you and you use it against the enemy, he will eventually “depart” from you because he has no answer with which to engage you in further combat. The sword of the Spirit is a supernatural spiritual weapon that renders the devil powerless. So today I want to urge you to open your heart to let the Holy Spirit reveal the exact scriptures you need to withstand the devil’s attacks and to deal him a “fatal” blow. With those scriptures in your heart and mouth, God will have given you a spiritual sword that the devil cannot resist!

1 Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Concerning Military Matters (De Re Militari), Book

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I am thankful for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. When I need sword power to stand against the enemy, the Holy Spirit quickens Scripture to my heart. When those verses are supernaturally revealed to me, please help me recognize and not forget or underestimate what is happening. Help me realize that the Spirit of God is placing a supernatural sword in my heart and that my job is to put it in my mouth and to wield it against the enemy. And, Father, just as the devil eventually “departed” from Jesus, at least for a season, I know that the devil will depart from me too. Thank You so much for the sword power that You give to me by the Spirit, quickening those verses to me at just the right time!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I have sword power to stand against the devil’s attacks because the Holy Spirit quickens Scripture to my heart. When those verses are supernaturally quickened to me, the Spirit places a supernatural sword in my heart. As I release those words like a sword from my mouth, I wield a debilitating blow against the enemy. As I submit myself to God, I resist the devil and he must flee from me (James 4:7). I am thankful for the sword power that the Spirit gives to me and for quickening verses to me just in the right time!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a time when the Holy Spirit “quickened” a verse to you, and that verse gave you instant power to stand against the attacks that were being waged against you? What was the scripture that gave you sword power against the enemy? Have you continued to wield it against the enemy as part of your customized arsenal?
2. If you are being attacked in your life or mind right now, have you asked the Holy Spirit to quicken a specific verse to you that will give you sword power against the devil’s attacks?
3. Do you know of any testimonies of someone who received a rhema word that suddenly gave that person direction and power for what he or she was doing or facing? What is that testimony?

For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save what had been lost.
— Luke 19:10

Denise and I had decided to relocate from the small Latvian city of Jelgava to the very heart of the capital city, Riga, which was closer to our ministry offices. After searching a long time for a residence large enough to suit our family, we found an old apartment in a building constructed in 1898 that would meet our needs. This apartment was located in a once-elegant building in Riga’s most prestigious neighborhood — that is, a building that was elegant before the Bolshevik Revolution.

In the earlier Soviet years, apartments like this one were confiscated and converted into communal flats. In the case of our apartment, this once majestic space had been divided into eight tiny apartments for eight families that shared one kitchen and one toilet! The people who lived there over a period of nearly 55 years had no respect whatsoever for this architectural treasure. Their total lack of care was most obvious in the bathroom. As men used the bathroom over the years, they had missed the toilet so many thousands of times that the acidic effect of the urine had literally burned a hole through the heavy flooring big enough to see straight through it into the apartment below! It was shameful to see what had happened to this once-luxurious apartment where an elite class of people had formerly lived.

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As I walked through that horribly deteriorated apartment, I was stunned by the hints of old beauty that somehow still remained. I could see that under years of botched paint jobs, each room was adorned with massive moldings that went all the way around the ceilings. Several of the rooms contained lavish fireplaces so spectacular that they should have been on display in a museum — but the condition of these fireplaces left me aghast. This once-grandiose residence now only boasted of collapsed ceilings, crumbling plaster, and mold that had spread over large sections of the walls. To top it off, hooligans had painted derogatory words and nasty phrases all over the walls throughout the apartment.

Because the apartment was so trashed, it was available for an unbelievably low price. Actually, no one else wanted it! But we knew this was our apartment, so we purchased it and went to work restoring it. Although dirt, grime, filth, and trash were heaped in huge piles in every room, we knew that this place was restorable if we would be willing to do what was necessary to bring it back to its former glory.

So many times when I looked at the work involved of restoring that dwelling place, I thought of how that apartment was like a human life. It often made me reflect on the words of John 10:10, where Jesus told us that Satan always attempts to take what is good and ruin it. But whatever Satan has tried to spoil, Jesus has the power to reverse!

As the restoration process took place in our apartment in Riga, we began to peel 55 years of Soviet wallpaper from the walls. One layer at a time, we peeled back decades of history — until finally we came to a discovery that took us completely off guard. When all the Soviet wallpaper was removed, we came upon nearly perfectly preserved Yiddish newspapers that were plastered over every inch of those walls. The papers had been used to level the surface before the next layer of exquisite wallpaper could be hung. When I saw those Yiddish papers, I understood that the original owners of the apartment had been Jewish — and the reason no original owners had ever been located is that they’d been exterminated in the Holocaust. Such history was emerging in that place!

The molding in one room was so intricate that it required one man four months to clean it, and because the details were so sophisticated and multifaceted, dental instruments had to be used to scrape away the ugly paint that had covered it. But finally, after almost one year of nonstop work, that dilapidated apartment was amazingly restored to its original glory. The process was long and painful, but the results were breathtaking, and Denise and I were thrilled that we had invested the time and energy to undertake this effort.

It was almost impossible to believe that this formerly neglected, run-down, decrepit, decayed apartment had become our lovely home — a home we would live in for years before we finally moved to Moscow. But because we were willing to accept the challenge of the task and painstakingly undertake the process of restoring this property, we were rewarded with something very glorious and magnificent that eventually emerged from a ravaged, wasted, and devastated state.

When I sat surrounded by the restored version of this habitation, I often wondered, “How could something so beautiful have become so devastated?” We so quickly adjusted to the restored version that we often “forgot” how horrible it had been just a short time earlier. When people came to visit us, they often commented that it was like a historic treasure — but they had no idea of the hard work, time, effort, and prayer required to transform it and bring it to its new splendor. They only saw the results.

My view was very different. Almost every day of living in and looking at that apartment made me think of Luke 19:10. That verse says, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That word “lost” always grabs my attention. It’s the Greek word appololos, derived from the word appolumi, and it conveys the idea of something ruined, wasted, trashed, devastated, or destroyed. By the way, it’s also the same word used for the Destroyer — one of the New Testament names to describe Satan’s demented nature.

The words “to seek” are a translation of the Greek word zeteo, which depicts a search so intense that it could be likened to an investigation for something. It tells us that Jesus has put forth and is putting forth His best efforts to actively seek to save and restore whatever Satan has tried to steal, kill, or destroy. What does “save” mean in this case? It is translated from the Greek word sodzo, which mainly implies rescue, such as a rescue from a raging sea, rescue from an illness, rescue from immediate danger, and so forth. Inherent in this type of “rescue” is one’s return to safety and soundness.

Just as our 1898 apartment was rescued from destruction and returned to a normal state, Jesus wants to rescue and return us to a state of normalcy, safety, and recovery. This isn’t just a salvage operation I’m talking about — it’s a full-scale rescue that results in a redemptive and fully restorative operation.

Someone might say, “Yes, but even if Jesus works mightily in my life, some things will probably never be like they were before this destruction occurred.” I, too, know very well what it is to suffer loss on different levels. I know that who you and I are today is not who we used to be. Yet who we are is not a second-rate, dumbed-down version of something that used to be better! We may be different than we used to be, but memories of the past are not always realistic. Those memories are usually tainted to look better than they really were. In Christ, we are filled with the potential of the Holy Spirit inside us, and the truth is that you and I are not a weaker, substandard version of what we were before. We’re stronger, better, and improved because of what Jesus has done to rescue us and to redeem and restore our hearts and lives to a state of wholeness in Him!

For example, I never saw the original apartment we lived in that was built in 1898 — and, indeed, the original version may have been more beautiful than the version that became our home after Denise and I restored it. But if I compare what we restored to what we first found when we began looking at it as a place to live, it’s absolutely amazing that a horrible place with a “urine hole” that went right through the floor could once again be beautiful and whole. To accomplish that task required faith, imagination, hard work, and a lot of prayer. It didn’t happen overnight. It was a daily effort. But with all that combined effort, faith, prayer, and the help of others, the results were breathtaking! I’m sure that if the original owners in 1898 had seen what we restored from such a decrepit, fallen state — even if it was different from the original version — they wouldn’t have thought it was a second-rate version. It may have been different, but what came out of that restoration process was still a home of great beauty and value, as was the home that had been exquisitely created in the beginning.

Likewise, Jesus is earnestly seeking to perform a rescue operation in every area of your life where Satan has attempted to bring devastation and ruin. It doesn’t matter how the destruction occurred — whether it was due to your own neglect, to the actions of others, to circumstances, or to an attack of Satan himself — Jesus is still pursuing you for your rescue, your safety, and your recovery! And if you will participate with Jesus’ active hunt for you and your good, it will speed up the restoration process in your life. This doesn’t apply just to you. Jesus is seeking to rescue those around you who desperately need rescuing. Don’t give up on them, because rescue operations are Jesus’ specialty!

It took hard work, imagination, and a lot of committed time to restore that old apartment in Riga, and it would never have happened if we had just “hoped” it would get better. Denise and I were the initiators of that renovation process — just as Jesus was the One who initiated His recovery operation in our lives. But our ongoing participation was also required. And if we will participate with Jesus in what He is trying to restore in our lives, it is simply a fact that the process will be speeded up as He restores us to the wholeness He originally intended for our lives.

And keep this in mind regarding your own personal renovation process: Although things really may be a little different than they were originally, it doesn’t mean they are “less than” they used to be — they may, in fact, actually be better! Let that process continue as you yield to the Holy Spirit’s work in you to will and to do His good pleasure (see Philippians 2:13).

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You that Jesus initiated a rescue operation in my life. He isn’t merely salvaging me; He has put forth His best efforts to restore the ruined places of my life to a new splendor that brings glory to His name. Holy Spirit, today I surrender my life into Your power. Please take me and carry out the instructions of Jesus to rescue and restore me as He sees fit. I promise that I will not look at myself as a second-rate version of something that used to be better. Release Your power in me, let it transform me, and I will praise You for what You make me to be for Your glory!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that in Christ, I am filled with the potential of the Holy Spirit, and I am not a weak, substandard version of God’s original intent for my life. Because Jesus has released the Holy Spirit in me, I am a stronger, better, and improved version that far exceeds anything I used to be. I refuse to believe the devil’s lies suggesting that I am less than who God made me to be in Jesus Christ. Because I am a partaker of the divine nature, the ideal image of Christ is being reproduced in me by His Spirit!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What condition were you in when you surrendered your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? It is good to remember what Jesus has done in your life. Write down your testimony and keep it for your own personal memory’s sake. It will make you thankful for the new version you are today!
2. Would you have wanted to take you on as a transformational restoration project? How often do you take a pause to recognize the new you and to thank Jesus for what He has done in your life?
3. Although you have already been restored to a state far better than you used to be, what areas in your life do you recognize still need to be surrendered to Christ’s transforming power? Why do you think you haven’t made the decision to surrender them to Him yet?

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety-nine just persons, which need no repentance.
— Luke 15:7

The Bible tells us much about angels. It gives us different categories of angels and describes how they look, how they fly, what they do in the presence of God, their role in the earth today, and much more. By studying the Scriptures, it is easy to get an accurate perspective of what angels do both on earth and in Heaven. But today I want us to see the one unique thing that causes angels in Heaven to erupt in joy. What is this solitary act that triggers such a mighty angelic celebration?

With all the information about angels recorded in the Bible, there are only two verses — a total of 49 words in the King James Version — that implicitly describe an event that causes angels to stop what they’re doing and throw a celebration that is different from those they regularly experience in the worshipful atmosphere of Heaven. Both of these references are found in Luke 15, where Jesus gives the parable of a shepherd who found one of his sheep that had been lost.

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In Luke 15:4-6, Jesus said, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep that was lost.”

The Early Church believed this parable was a reference to Jesus Himself. Jesus left Heaven and, like the shepherd in the parable, came to earth to seek and to save that which was lost. The early Christians of the First and Second Centuries were so convinced this parable was about Jesus that they often used the image of a shepherd carrying a lamb across his shoulders as the graphic to depict Him. In ancient catacombs in Rome where early Christians once gathered to worship and pray, painted images of a shepherd carrying a lamb, representing Jesus, are still visible on the walls.

The Early Church saw Jesus as the Shepherd who left home and came to earth, found them lost in sin, and then lovingly redeemed them and brought them back into right relationship with God. And like the shepherd in the parable, after Jesus accomplished this awesome task, He returned home rejoicing.

According to the parable — if we believe that it represents Jesus, as the Early Church believed — when Jesus returned to Heaven, He invited all of Heaven to rejoice with Him because man, once lost, was now redeemed. From Jesus’ words in His parable, we assume that when He crossed the threshold of Heaven, He called out to the heavenly inhabitants and told them, “Rejoice with Me, for I have found My sheep that was lost!” (see Luke 15:6).

The words “rejoice with me” are a compound of the words sun and chairo. The word sun depicts something that is done in conjunction with someone else, while the word chairo means to be glad, to rejoice, to exult, to celebrate, or to express great joy. When they are compounded, the new word means to celebrate in conjunction with someone else or to greatly rejoice with other companions. This particular word is found only seven times in the New Testament, and one of them is here in Luke 15:6 where the shepherd calls on his friends to rejoice with him over the lost sheep that was found. It literally means rejoice with me, celebrate with me, or exult with me!

The finding of lost sheep was such a cause for rejoicing that Jesus called for all of Heaven to celebrate with Him! Just think how serious a man’s lost condition must be in order for Jesus to see it as a time to stop and throw a party whenever a sinner repents!

Jesus comprehends the great cost of a person’s redemption, for He paid for each soul with His own precious blood. So when a sinner repents, Jesus sees this as a time for Heaven to celebrate! He calls on all of Heaven’s inhabitants to celebrate every time a sinner is saved! Consider the profound miracle that transpires when a soul doomed to eternal destruction is redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. It’s no wonder that Jesus wants all of Heaven to join with Him in throwing a celebration!

In Luke 15:7, Jesus continued, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.…” Some allege that the word “sinner” is too harsh, but it is the word Jesus used to characterize people without God. It is the old Greek word hamartolos, a word that has various possible renderings, but the basic meaning is an offender, a lawbreaker, one who is guilty of missing the mark, or a sinner.

The lost man has failed to meet the requirements of the righteous law of God and is therefore a lawbreaker or a sinner. If he doesn’t repent and receive Christ before he breathes his last breath, the penalty for dying in this lost state is eternal separation from God (see Romans 6:23).

You can see why there is such eruptive joy in Heaven when a sinner repents! The word translated “repent” in this verse is the word metanoeo (see also March 18 and 19 Gems). It is the picture of a person who hears the truth, realizes the life he has lived has broken God’s laws, and therefore makes up his mind that he will leave that old life and live for God according to His Word. The act of repentance and faith in Christ gives the lost person new birth and entrance into the Kingdom of God.

This is a huge happening! Luke 15:10 tells us, “…There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Why is this a cause for rejoicing? Because when a man is saved, his sins are removed, and he is washed in the blood of Jesus — in that moment, his nature is changed and his name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. That is an event the entire spirit realm recognizes, including mighty angels who stand in the very presence of God. They get so excited when this mightiest miracle of all takes place in the life of a human that they stop everything to take note of it and to celebrate!

I don’t know about you, but I am personally convicted by the lack of excitement I see in church when a sinner gets saved. People yawn and cover their mouth, as if it is just routine activity — when, in fact, it is the greatest miracle that can occur on planet earth! It is worth our shouting, yelling, and jumping up and down in joy, for there is no greater miracle than the new birth!

Angels live in the breathtaking presence of God and regularly see His wonders that are beyond our imagination. Yet they are so thrilled about a person who repents that they rejoice with great joy.

Maybe it’s time for us to revisit the subject of our salvation and relearn what great a miracle it is when a lost man is redeemed and quickened to spiritual life by the Holy Spirit. Since angels get excited about this, isn’t it time that we start appreciating it too?

I pray that your understanding has increased and that this study of Luke 15 has affected you in a meaningful way. Don’t let the devil steal these truths from your heart. Remember, God is always calling you higher. Make sure your heart is closely connected to Jesus’ heart. Rejoice greatly with Heaven the next time you witness someone repenting and becoming a new creation in Christ!

And if there’s anything that holds you back from your own forward progress in Him, it’s time for you to make up your mind turn from it and adjust your life to show that you are serious about making new gains in God. Your redemption was worth the highest price, Jesus’ own precious blood — so live every day like you esteem the treasure of your salvation more than all the riches this world could ever offer you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I repent for my own apathy concerning the miracle that takes place when a lost man is saved. I was one of those who has yawned and said, “Oh, that’s nice.” But in truth, there is no greater miracle than a man whose nature is changed. Nothing is more wondrous than the moment a sinner’s heart is changed and he is adopted as a child of God! Please forgive me for being so lackadaisical about this marvelous miracle that only You can perform in the heart of a human being. Help me never forget the price that You paid for my salvation — and to never forget how my life has changed since the day I repented. Even more, I ask for Your fire to burn in my heart in a fresh way for those who are still unrepentant. I ask You for open doors for me to tell others about the love of Jesus Christ so their hearts can be changed and they can be spiritually awakened by the Spirit of God.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will never take my salvation for granted. It is the greatest gift of God in my life, and my salvation is so precious to God that He gave His own Son that I might know Him today. I am thankful and so grateful for the privilege of being a child of God — a child of the Light. I recommit myself to serve Jesus with a passionate heart and a single mind all of my days. Just as Jesus’ blood saved and changed me, it is still saving and changing people’s lives all over the world. When people come to Christ in repentance, I join the throng of the heavenly host to celebrate this great victory. It is a commemoration of a human nature supernaturally changed, a spot in hell that has been vacated, and a place in the Father’s house that will now be filled! This is worthy of my greatest joy and exultation.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How do people in your church respond when a sinner walks the aisle to repent and commit his or her life to Jesus Christ? Is it a time of real rejoicing or just another part of the program?
2. How long has it been since you took time to deeply ponder the miracle of your salvation? Why don’t you consecrate a few minutes of your time to do it today?
3. Let your imagination soar as you consider what it may be like in Heaven when it is announced that a sinner has repented.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
— 1 Corinthians 3:16

In the final days of the Soviet Union, the leaders of one prominent city decided they would build a spectacular hotel to impress the many foreign guests who had begun to visit. The site for the hotel was chosen in the most prime and visible location in the city, and the architects finalized their plans for what they declared would be an outstanding architectural wonder.

The city was soon filled with people’s continual chatter about the many benefits this new building project would attract to the city. Eager to have the project finished, the city leaders announced an opening date for the hotel that was unrealistic, considering the amount of work that had to be done. Bulldozers began to move dirt, and concrete trucks began to pour concrete in great volumes. Yet it was soon apparent that the project was taking longer than expected. Impatient and fearful that they wouldn’t meet their own self-imposed deadline, city leaders urged the architects and builders to go faster and faster, even though rushing the construction could jeopardize the integrity of the structure.

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Before long, a huge, magnificent building was erected on the site — so tall that it could be seen from a great distance. You can imagine what a horror it was to the city leaders and to the entire city when they realized the building was starting to dangerously lean to the side! The foundation had been poured so quickly and with such inferior materials that it wasn’t able to hold up the weight of the structure. Eventually the building leaned so much that the entire project had to be abandoned. What had originally been intended as a great architectural achievement became the city’s greatest public embarrassment. Today that enormous building still stands leaning and abandoned in the very spot where it had been hastily built by leaders who refused to take the necessary time to ensure it was built properly. Instead of becoming the pride of the city as they had hoped, today it is a permanent reminder of how buildings should not be built.

In the apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, he used the illustration of buildings and building materials to urge his readers to build their lives carefully and with materials of character that were long-lasting. He explicitly pointed out the need to construct their lives in such a way that they could survive the fires and tests that come with life. After speaking to them passionately on this subject, Paul asked them, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Notice that Paul said, “Know ye not.…” The word “know” in Greek is oida, which carries the idea of perception, understanding, or comprehension. By using the word oida at this juncture, Paul was asking his readers:

• “Don’t you understand what I am telling you?”
• “Don’t you grasp what I am trying to say to you?”
• “Don’t you get the picture I am trying to get across to you?”
• “Don’t you comprehend what I am saying?”

However, the word “know” — the Greek word oida — is preceded by the word ouk, which is the strongest negative in the Greek language. This means that after everything Paul had told the Corinthian believers thus far, he was still concerned that they weren’t getting the full impact of what he was trying to tell them. So in conclusion, he pleaded with them, “Don’t you get it? Don’t you understand?”

As a Christian leader, I have counseled vast numbers of people throughout the years of my ministry, and I can confidently tell you that most people do not think on a long-term basis about their lives. Most live for today with no long-range planning for tomorrow. A simple proof of this is the large number of people who spend every dollar they make and put no money in the bank or invest nothing for retirement. When the age of retirement comes, they have nothing more than their Social Security pay to live on, and they struggle financially. Their claim that there was never enough extra money to save is usually not true. There was extra money, but it was spent on “other things” that brought fleeting, temporary pleasure. Now those “other things” are gone; the bank account is empty; and there is not enough money to live life normally. Although it’s not always true, a person’s experience of lack at retirement age is often a matter of shortsightedness and lack of long-term planning.

Let me bring this point right to your home in order to make it clearer. What are your financial plans for your future? Are you building a financial base with savings or investments that will help you live a normal life after you retire and you no longer have a monthly paycheck coming to you? What about your children or grandchildren? When you look at the way they’re living their lives and spending their money, do you see that they’re living only for the present, or are they thinking about their future?

I know I’m hitting a sensitive issue, but addressing people’s personal finances makes the point very clear that the majority do not think long-term about what they are doing with their lives. For example, think how many people decide they must buy a new TV set because they saw one they like better than the one they already have, even though their current one works fine. To satisfy that fleeting “want,” they quickly run to the store to purchase that new TV — and if they don’t have the money, they charge it on their credit cards. Now they have a new TV sitting in their living room, but that money could have been invested in their future if they had opted to put it into a savings account or investment plan. This is all the result of short-term thinking.

Living for today with no thought for tomorrow is a flaw in human nature. In 2,000 years, people haven’t made much progress in this area. Just as I am pleading with you today to assess your life and the way you are building it, Paul pleaded with the Corinthian believers when he asked them: “Don’t you know? Don’t you get what I’m trying to tell you? How could it be possible that you still don’t understand what I’m trying to tell you?”

Building your life is very similar to constructing a big building. A building must be constructed correctly and with good materials. It can’t be built too quickly, or the integrity of the structure might be compromised. Likewise, to build your life, your family, your business, your education, your church, your ministry, or anything else that is precious to you — and to build it wisely and strong enough to endure the tests of time — requires time, energy, patience, and careful planning. Remember, you are building your life and your future, and what you do today will have a direct impact on your tomorrow. Mistakes made today will show up tomorrow, so it is wise to move slowly and deliberately and to think before you act. Never forget that hasty decisions are usually wrong decisions.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God.…” This statement is so very important, because it tells us that we are not only building our personal lives and things that personally affect our future, but we — that is, our lives, our bodies, and everything that we are — are in fact the “temple” where God resides in this earth. This word translated “temple” that Paul used in this verse is the Greek word naos. It is a word used 46 times in the New Testament, so its meaning is very clear. It denotes a temple or a highly decorated shrine. (For a deeper study on this word naos, see Sparkling Gems 1, February 25.)

When we hear the word “shrine,” our minds immediately evoke images of a building with arched, vaulted ceilings; marble, granite, gold, and silver; hand-carved etchings; and lots and lots of smoke from incense being burned as a part of worship. Shrines are impressive with all their ornamentation. In Russia where my family lives, there are many huge cathedrals that fit this description — and they are very impressive. However, in the New Testament, the word naos doesn’t describe only shrines such as these. It is also the word most often used to depict the Holy of Holies, that special room in the Jerusalem temple where God’s glory dwelt.

Please take heed to what I am about to tell you. Life is busy, and there are many things that occupy our thoughts and schedules. In the rush of it all, we are tempted to forget who we are and who lives inside us. We tend to think of ourselves as mere human beings, but the Bible plainly teaches that we are much more than that. According to Paul’s words in First Corinthians 3:16, you and I are the “temple” of the Spirit of God. Let the realization sink into your heart that God’s Spirit actually lives in us. This means we are His dwelling place, His residence — the place where He continually abides.

God lives in you! That’s why as you build your life and future, you must be careful to build it gloriously and not shabbily, for it is the place where God lives. That’s also why it’s good to regularly evaluate yourself. Are you building your life wisely so that you survive every season of life, every attack of the devil, every period of hardship, and every fire that comes to you in life? Are you building your life in a way that demonstrates your respect for the One who lives inside you? Are you building your life so carefully, wisely, and honorably that the Spirit of God who dwells inside you is honored that you are His place of residence? If you were God, would you want to live inside you?

I realize that time is precious and that we are all tempted to do things as fast as possible. But some things are worthy of taking extra time to make sure they are done correctly. You don’t want to build so quickly that you build incorrectly, in a way that ultimately forces you to abandon the project or to tear down what you’ve built and start all over again. I promise you that it will cost you more than it would have if you had done it right in the right place. Building correctly from the beginning usually takes more time, but it pays off in the end.

As you make your plans for today, seriously consider how your actions may affect your tomorrow. You may be tempted to take shortcuts to speed things up, but do all you can to resist that temptation so you can be sure you’re not adversely affecting the quality of what you are building with your life. And as you examine what you have already built, ask yourself:

• Have I built my life strong enough to survive every test? Or have I built it so shabbily that much of what I have achieved will have to be torn down and started all over again, ultimately costing me much more than if I had done it right from the start?
• Will my current decisions and actions make a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit that is glorious, or will my actions create a place unbefitting of His residence in my life?

These are important questions to ask as you consider what you’ve already done with your life and the future actions you’re about to take. Don’t forget that what you do today will affect your life tomorrow, so determine to build carefully and wisely. Never forget that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that what you do with your life brings Him either honor or disrespect.

In light of what you’ve read in this Sparkling Gem, do you hear the Holy Spirit pleading with you to make a change in the way you are building your life, your family, your business, your education, your church, your ministry, or anything else that is precious to you? Do you hear Him saying:

• “Don’t you know?”
• “Don’t you get what I’m trying to tell you?”
• “How could it be possible that you still don’t understand what I’m trying to tell you?”

Before you do anything else, why don’t you take few minutes today to get on your knees and ask the Spirit of God to help you assess what you are constructing with your life? It is far better to ask now and let Him tell you what you could be doing better than to never ask and later regret that you didn’t. James 1:5 promises that if you ask God for wisdom, He will answer you. If you’ll take time to ask, He will take time to help you see everything that is needed to build your life so well that it can pass all the tests of time.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I want to thank You for speaking to my heart today about the things I am building both correctly and incorrectly in my life. In retrospect, I realize that I have built many things in my life that I now wish I had done differently. I no longer want to live my life in regret for making wrong decisions. I confess that much of what I have built, I have built hastily and with no regard for the wisdom of long-term thinking. As a result, I am reaping the consequences of my past decisions. I ask You to forgive me for not thinking more soundly in the past, and by faith I receive Your forgiveness. Now as I look to the future, I ask You to speak to my heart and show me how to bring correction to what I have done so that I will not repeat the same mistakes. Holy Spirit, I look to You for counsel and direction. I thank You in advance for Your help as I begin to build a life that will bring honor to You and that will gloriously survive all the tests that come in life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare by faith that I build my life according to the wisdom of God, with forethought and sound planning. God lives in me — and because I respect His presence in my life, I build my life in a way that brings honor and glory to Him. I give place to the counsel of the Holy Spirit who helps and directs me in such a way that I build orderly, not hastily. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I carefully build my life in a way that honors His presence in me. I repent for my carelessness in the past. Today I choose to be careful, thoughtful, and prayerful about building my life and my future. I ask for wisdom from above and God answers me — providing me with all the answers I need to build a life that lasts and a life that brings glory to His name.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. When you look at your life and the things you have built with it, are you satisfied that you have built your life correctly, or do you see areas where you know you could have done better? What are those areas that you wish you had built more wisely? Can you correct them? If so, how will you go about that task?
2. What has been the long-term affect on your life from building too hastily and without thought of tomorrow? If you had it to do all over again, what types of changes would you make in the way you have built your life?
3. In order for you to build the rest of your life wisely and strongly, what changes do you need to make in the way that you think? What habits do you need to change? What plans do you need to incorporate concerning your family, your relationships, your job, your education, your finances, and the way you spend your time?
4. As you assess what it’s going to take for you to make these significant changes, can you honestly say you’re willing to do what is required? If not, are you willing to ask the Holy Spirit to give you the desire to change?

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man….
— 1 Corinthians 10:13

Have you ever noticed that the more you focus on a problem, the bigger and more intense it seems to become? In fact, if you don’t get a grip on your emotions in these situations, your mind will try to blow that problem far out of proportion. Even if you’re facing a real crisis, you have the power to get your mind under control with help from the Holy Spirit. However, if you let your emotions have their way, they will play the worst-case scenario over and over in your mind until it finally manifests as a reality in your life.

That’s why it is so important to decide beforehand how you’re going to respond to negative situations! Instead of blowing them out of proportion, you can make the decision before anything bad even happens that you and the Holy Spirit are bigger and stronger than any problem that will ever come your way. The two of you together, armed with the all-powerful name of Jesus, can tackle and overcome anything that ever comes against you! Plus, if you are blessed to have one or two friends who can encourage you in the Word or with agreement in prayer, you have everything to shout about!

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The principle is precisely the same when dealing with temptations. All temptations begin as thoughts in the mind. They might appeal to your flesh, but each one of them first takes form in the mind and emotions. In the beginning, those thoughts are manageable, conquerable, and even rejectable. If you’ll just change your focus, get out of the situation, and minimize it in your mind by refusing to focus on it, you can leave that temptation in the dust.

Or if you feel that you’re losing the battle alone, you can open your heart to a faithful friend and ask for help. With the power of the Holy Spirit and a dear friend at your side, every temptation can really be downplayed, minimized, and conquered!

I like how the apostle Paul taught about this in First Corinthians 10:13. He said, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.…” The word “temptation” is very fierce in the Greek language. It’s the word peirasmos, and it depicts that moment when we feel seized and squeezed by eternal or internal forces that are designed to take us down. But these feelings are momentary and relatively powerless according to Paul. It’s all a masquerade of flesh merely trying to act powerful. Paul described these as being “common to man.”

The phrase “common to man” is a translation of the Greek word anthropinos, which describes things that are normally experienced by human beings and are therefore not exceptional. Rather than blow these temptations out of proportion, Paul downplayed them as being commonplace. Furthermore, he continued by saying that God “…with the temptation will make a way to escape…” (1 Corinthians 10:13). If these temptations were truly overpowering, they would be inescapable. However, Paul clearly stated that we can easily escape them.

The word “escape” is the Greek word ekbasis, which is a compound of the words ek and basis. The word ek simply means out, and the word basis means to step. When these two words are compounded, the new word ekbasis means to step out. In other words, you can walk away from or step out of a temptation just as easily as you walked into one.

It’s all a matter of what you believe.

The devil will always try to convince you that you are a tiny, powerless being with no authority to withstand his lies. If you take his bait, you’ll have a very difficult time walking away from the temptations that assail your mind. Instead, you can choose to think like Paul and say, “These silly temptations are nothing special that human beings haven’t faced many times. There is nothing powerful or special about them, and I will walk away from these emotions.” As you do, you’ll find your stance of authority in Christ has increased in strength, and the mental drama you used to experience from those negative thoughts will become negligible!

Decide beforehand how you’re going to respond to negative thoughts! You have to make the decision to believe that you and the Holy Spirit are bigger and stronger than any problem that will ever come your way. With Jesus on your side, you can look at those temptations and declare, “You do not have authority over me! You are nothing more than a simple human temptation that has affected millions of people through history before me, and there are legions of people who have resisted and defeated you. And today I am being added to the number of those who say NO to you! I refuse to let this temptation become a drama! I am picking up my feet and walking away from your voice. In the name of Jesus, you have no more authority over me!”

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for the truth of Your Word. I allow it to transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. Anytime I feel seized and squeezed by eternal or internal forces designed to take me down, help me remember that there is no temptation that is not common to man. With every temptation that presents itself, You also present the way of escape from it.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that I make the decision to leave temptation in the dust. I choose to magnify the Lord and minimize every attempt to lure and appeal to my flesh through temptation in any form. I am not powerless or without authority and strength. I stand strong in the boldness, authority, and strength of God by the power of His Spirit within me. Because I am born of God, I am an overcomer in this life! Knowing that Jesus Christ Himself and countless others have resisted and defeated the very same temptation, I choose to walk away from these silly temptations and the emotions that surround them! The Holy Spirit in me is bigger than any temptation that tries to come against me — I can simply walk away from it!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a temptation or thought that has tried to habitually keep you down and depressed? What do you think about it now after reading today’s Sparkling Gem? Do you still think this thought or temptation holds power over you, or do you think that you’ve just been hoodwinked by the devil in this respect?
2. You’ve said no to many things in the past — what is keeping you from lifting your voice and exercising your authority right now? Is it that you enjoy the sin? Be honest!
3. Can you honestly say you’re facing something more insurmountable than the power of God can overcome? Why don’t you dig your heels in the ground, tell the devil to hit the road, throw up your arms, and start rejoicing that this particular temptation has no right to exercise itself over you any longer?

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
— Colossians 4:5

When a Christian has done something so unethical or revolting that it discredits the testimony of Jesus Christ in front of unbelievers who are watching, that Christian has a responsibility to do what is necessary to “redeem the time” and consequently regain his testimony. It is absolutely vital that he make things right with those individuals. It may be necessary for that Christian to swallow his pride, admit he did something wrong, and apologize so that he can restore his testimony.

If you are the one who has done something wrong and have thereby marred your testimony, it’s not too late for you to turn your testimony around! Thank God, the apostle Paul told us that we can “walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5).

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The word “redeem” is from the Greek word exagoridzo, and it is the old Greek word used to depict someone purchasing a slave out of the slave market. The word exagoridzo is a compound of the words ex and agoridzo. The word ex is a preposition that means out, and agoridzo is the Greek word most notably used to describe the slave market — a disgusting place where human beings were bought, sold, and traded like animals. This market was officially called the agora, and from this, we get this Greek word agoridzo.

When these words ex and agoridzo are compounded to form the word exagoridzo, it pictures a buyer who has gone to the market to purchase a slave so he can set free and restore him to the freedom he formerly possessed. Therefore, the word exagoridzo — translated as the word “redemption” in the King James Version — actually pictures permanently removing a slave from slavery in order to return him to the status of freedom he enjoyed before he was enslaved.

But in Colossians 4:5, the word exagoridzo isn’t used in its normal sense to describe redemption from sin. Instead, the apostle Paul used it in the phrase “redeeming the time.” This means time that is lost can be redeemed! If you are willing to do whatever is needed to make it happen, God will enable you to regain and recoup time that was previously squandered. He can give you another opportunity that is so wonderful that it makes up for what you previously lost!

In fact, when Paul wrote of “redeeming the time,” the word “time” is the Greek word kairos, which would be better translated as the word opportunity. This means God will help you recoup, recover, regain, and retrieve lost time and opportunities!

One way that this phrase could be paraphrased is to buy back time. Considering that the word “redemption” (exagoridzo) is used here, an expanded interpretation of this phrase “redeeming the time” could read: “Do everything you can to make up for lost territory! Buy up all the time you can and make the most of every opportunity.”

• Can you think of opportunities you have lost along the way in life?
• Have you ever squandered an opportunity that God tried to set before you?
• Did God try to increase you, but as a result of negligence on your part, the increase went to someone else?
• Can you think of a possibility that God designed to be yours, but it never happened because you were too lazy to put forth the effort to make it happen?
• Did you lose opportunities to enjoy your children when they were younger because you didn’t take advantage of the time you were given to be with them?
• Have you forfeited your testimony in front of non-Christians because you did something unethical or ugly in front of them?

The truth is, we’ve all lost opportunities along the way in life for various reasons. Some of it was due to our own stupidity or ignorance. Some of it was due to hardships or difficulties in life that prevented us from doing what we wanted to do. But regardless of the reason, Paul told us that if we’re willing to go the distance to do whatever is necessary to “redeem time,” we can turn things around and end up with a lot of brand-new, wonderful opportunities that make up for any lost or wasted time in your past. I can hear the Holy Spirit crying out to us, “Do everything you can to make up for lost territory! I’ll enable you to buy up all the time you can and make the most of every opportunity.”

This brings us back to the subject of your influence on non-Christians. If you have damaged your testimony for some reason in front of non-Christians, that is truly unfortunate. Losing influence as a result of a lack of integrity or bad behavior will hinder your ability to represent Christ to the people around you. However, with God’s grace, even this can be changed and turned around. If you are willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it, He will help you redeem that lost time and damaged testimony.

For you to redeem the time and recover your testimony, God may require that you apologize to someone, admit you were wrong, or perhaps make a correction in some area of your life. If you are willing to swallow your pride and to do what is right, God will miraculously enable you to buy back a lot of missed opportunities and recover a testimony that had been lost.

Time is precious — and it is a fact that you cannot turn the clock back. Time, once you spend it, is gone. But if you are willing to repent and put forth the effort to correct your mistakes, God’s grace will go a long way in enabling you to buy back a lot of time, opportunity, territory, or testimony that you previously lost. The Holy Spirit can, and will, help you “redeem the time.”

The last part of Colossians 4:5 could read:

“Do everything you can to make up for lost territory! Make the most of every moment you have right now, and do everything you can to recover those precious moments and opportunities that you thought were lost forever.”

By choosing to repent, we are able to buy back our testimony and once again begin to make a right impression on the non-Christians we may have negatively influenced with our wrong actions in the past.

We must never forget that people are watching us! They see our walk; they hear our talk; and they notice what we say and what we do. We must live our lives wisely and prudently, especially for the sake of the non-Christians who are observing what we say and how we act. Time is a sacred and precious commodity that we must use carefully and not waste.

If you have damaged your witness, now is the time to let the Holy Spirit help you turn your testimony around so you can represent Jesus with honor before the unbelievers who are watching you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I ask You to help me make up for time and opportunities I lost or wasted along the way in my life. You have been so good to give me many possibilities for success, to witness, and to advance in life, but I have not taken advantage of everything You have tried to give me. Please forgive me for not being more serious or thoughtful in the past. I ask You for wisdom to know what I need to do to regain the things I’ve lost. Without You, I know that lost opportunities are gone forever; but with Your grace helping me, I can regain the things I lost and buy back the time I squandered. Thank You for helping me as I set my heart to do the things that will enable me to recoup what I lost earlier in my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God can miraculously help me regain time and opportunities that I lost or squandered in the past. Because I am repentant and willing to do whatever I must to make it happen, God is helping me recapture moments, open doors, possibilities, and relationships that seemed forever lost. Time is spent and the clock cannot be turned back, but God’s grace is so powerful that it will give me a new opportunity to do what is right. This time, I’ll not fail, for I am determined to please Jesus Christ with my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of opportunities that God planned just for you, but for some reason, you forfeited those opportunities and they passed to someone else?
2. It may be painful to remember, but can you think of a time when you should have been a beacon of light to a non-Christian, but because you did something that was wrong, you lost your witness with that person?
3. To recapture those lost opportunities, what do you need to do? What correction do you need to make? What apology do you need to make to someone? What changes are required for you to recover your testimony and regain an opportunity to be an example of Jesus Christ to those who are watching you?