Proverbs 15:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Proverbs 15:1

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
Very few of us, if any, agree with anyone else on everything.  This is natural.  Based on our background and history, we will see some things differently.  However, no discussion on these differences should descend to intense arguing.  Solomon states in this verse that a harsh word stirs up anger. Let’s say I am having a discussion with someone regarding the type of music to be used in the church.  I am not critical of any kind of music, as long as it is doctrinally correct and gives true praise and worship to our loving God, however, there are music styles I do not particularly care for.  And I am discussing with someone regarding this topic who only believes hymns should be sung, for all others are unorthodox and sinful.  If, in trying to change their mind, I was to speak harsh words to this person regarding their belief, they would probably shut down, return even harsher words and eventually walk away.  What have I accomplished?  No doubt I lost the ability to speak into their life.  Aldo, they have become much stauncher in their belief.  Now, this topic is not an essential, but my approach has likely killed any chance in the near future of another discussion with them. Now let’s look at an essential.  You meet someone who has been convinced that truth lies inside a cult which believes that Jesus is just one way to heaven, and they have chosen a works-based approach.  You get into a discussion with them, and you ask something like, “How can you be that stupid?”  In this example you have probably made them mad, but worse, they are probably more intrenched in their cult then they were prior to your comment.  It will be much more difficult in the future for their beliefs to be changed.  Note:  The question above may not have been said in a harsh way, but no-one can deny the question itself was harsh.  Harshness can be in the words, our tone or both.  We need to watch what we say and how we say it. It is much better to speak gentle words in these situations.  First of all, it will, in most cases, prevent the discussion from descending into an angry argument.  Second, we can continue the discussion and hopefully change their mind.  In the case of the song types, this is not as critical.  However, in the case of the cult member, you may have an opportunity to change his/her view of the truth and actually become saved.  Everything we do must be done in love.  This includes discussions as well.  “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  This is how we are to approach all things.  When, in our discussions with others regarding differing views, approach the matter in the light of 1 Corinthians 13.  I believe our impact will be much greater and we will bring many to God and strengthen the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Christ. In closing, let us remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians regarding this subject.  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32.  This is our calling in Christ.  Let’s all work toward this being the modus operandi of everything we do.  Not only will we be more effective, but we will also be pleasing God with our love and patience toward others. William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Psalm 51:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 51:10

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10
This psalm, chapter 51, was written by David and deals with his heart when Nathan the prophet came to Him after he had gone into Bathsheba.  This is written from a penitent heart, asking God to remove his sins from him.  “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” Psalm 51:1-3 David has incredibly strong feelings of remorse for what he had done.  In fact, he knows the depth of his iniquity.  “Against You, you only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.”  Psalm 51:4. Of course, we know that David sinned against Bathsheba in lusting after her from the rooftop.  And he sinned against Uriah in that he not only took his wife and committed adultery with her after which he took her for his wife, but he also put Uriah into a position where the only outcome was his death.  David’s heart was broken by what he had done, and he recognized that this sin had overtaken him.  We know this because when Nathan made known to David what he had attempted to keep secret, he did not try to cover it up, but said “…I have sinned against the Lord…” 2 Samuel 12:13.  It was not that he denied that he sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah and others.  It was that he saw sinning against God was the worst and hardest to deal with. He continues his prayer “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.” Psalm 51:7-8. His sin is so heavy upon him that he alludes to broken bones to describe how great the weight is on him.  He then asks God to look not upon his sins but remove them from him.  “Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.” Psalm 51:9. Up to this point, he has asked God to forgive him, remove his iniquity, wash him so that he shall be whiter than snow.  He has prayed here for sanctifying grace and forgiveness.  However, in our focus verse he takes this to another level.  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10. This is a very powerful verse, for here David is asking God not to just cleanse his heart but to completely remake it.  His great request here was that his corrupt heart should be done away with, and a new, clean heart replace it.  The Hebrew word translated ‘create’ in verse 10 is the same word translated ‘created’ in Genesis 1:1 where the idea is a new thing, an actual act of creation where something begins to exist where there was nothing there before.  David felt that cleansing his heart was not enough, it needed to be replaced with one not corrupted by the lust and sin which he succumbed to.  And with this, he prayed that this new heart would be strong and steadfast so that he would never succumb to the lusts and sins he had in regard to Bathsheba and Uriah. I can say that I have felt this way, where my remorse over sins committed has caused me much heartfelt sorrow.  However, what we must remember is that God knows our hearts, and if we are truly saddened by transgressions He will know and forgive us.  He will not hold them against us but will totally absolve us of our guilt.  However, we must desire with all we are to never succumb again to these sins.  We must, as David did, cry out that our corrupt heart and nature be removed from us and be replaced with one free of the desires of the flesh.  This should be our heart in this matter. William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Isaiah 58:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Isaiah 58:10

“And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.” – Isaiah 58:10 

This verse compels us to show compassion on those who are hungry and has nothing to eat.  This is the example expressed in this verse however, I would say that any of the three needs found in Matthew 6 are to be included.  “For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”  Matthew 6:25.  In this verse, Jesus is telling His followers not to worry about food, drink and clothing.  He will supply them for us.  However, He often uses us to make it happen.

The idea here of giving yourself to the hungry is not simply to hand them food and then walk off. It is showing them compassion and letting them know you care.  Often, this will be accepted more heartily than the food.  Too many feels no one cares about them.  We, as Christians, should show how much we care with both our words and our deeds.  Take the time to comfort them while meeting their physical needs.  And when we provide for those who have needs, our light will shine into their darkness.  We can show the light of Christ into their darkness, and even their darkness will be as bright as the midday sun.

It is important to remember that mere words are not enough.  James said that faith without works is dead.  Look here at what he says, “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” James 2:14-16 How does this meet their need?  How does this show the love of Christ?  It does not.

And when we do give to the needy, look what the writer of proverbs says, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.”  Proverbs 19:17. You will be repaid in this life, or the life to come.  Of course, this should not be the reason we do it, it should be totally out of love for God and people.  God never asks anything of us that He is not willing to give us more for our willingness to sacrifice.

And one more thing.  Remember the parable of the sheep and the goats.  Here is how Jesus put it.  “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?  The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.  Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.  Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?  Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.  These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46.

For all He has done for us, should we not meet the needs of those we come across?  He says if we do, it will be as if doing it for Him.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Proverbs 27:17

Verse of the Day Devotion: Proverbs 27:17

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

Iron is a hard metal.  If we have a dull iron knife and wish to sharpen it so that it becomes sharper and can be used for the purpose it was designed, trying to sharpen it using wood will not work.  The knife would have an effect on the wood, but there would be no effect on the knife except possibly to dull it even more.  Whatever you use to sharpen the knife, it must be at least as hard as the knife itself.  And the same is true of the metaphorical meaning; those who are not as knowledgeable in the word, the dull, should be assisted by the more knowledgeable, the sharp.

This is why it is important for Christians to gather together and support each other.  The writer of Hebrews is very clear on this subject.  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25.  We are called to come together regularly in order to encourage each other to stand firm in our faith.  This was the practice of the early church.  “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42.  Note the wording “continually devoting themselves”.  This was not a “once in a while” thing.  Luke uses the word ‘continually’, and this should be our model as well.

Discipleship is a very necessary component in our Christian walk.  As Christians, we are to teach everyone what the truth of this Christian walk is while being open to be taught as well.  “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”  Titus 2:1. There is a lot of false teachings permeating our culture today.  We see this in a lot of our churches.  A big one is focusing on what we can get from God as opposed to what we can give to God.  Another is that we cannot be perfect, so why try since all our sins are covered.  We who know better need to be on the watch for heretical beliefs and counter them so they can know the truth and not be deceived by these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Too often, Christian fellowship is resigned to a couple hours on Sunday and another couple of hours on Wednesday.  And much of it is for entertainment purposes rather than actual fellowshipping, encouragement, and discipleship.   We have so many young Christians in our churches, and this is a primary group that needs sharpening, using the metaphor as stated in our focus verse.  Discipleship does not have to be a scheduled event but could be just discussions among friends.

It is so important that we take every opportunity to sharpen each other in our Christian life.  Let us discuss areas that we find difficult and help each other live it out in our daily lives.  What better way is there to show how much we love God then to ensure we all are clear about the reality of this life?  And what better way to show our brothers and sisters we love them by helping them clear up wrong beliefs or ambiguities that hold them back from a true understanding? And we need to show through the scriptures why what you believe is truth.  And one more thing.  If our Christian life is the most important thing, should this not be seen in the amount of time we spend talking and focusing on it?

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Micah 6:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Micah 6:8

“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you.  But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8

In verses 1 and 2, Micah is appealing to the people to hear Yahweh’s revelation to them, God’s grievance against them.  God is laying out a case like one of a legal nature.  This could be called “Yahweh” vs “Israel”.  He was basically initiating the legal proceedings.

This grievance can be seen in verses 3-5.  “My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer Me.  Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.  My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, So, that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD.”  Micah 6:3-5.  They appear to have grown tired of God.  He then lists several events in history to show His goodness to them.

Moving into verses 6-7, we see that Israel saw that they were wrong and began to call out, one man after another, what they need to do to make things right.  One asked should he come before Him with burnt offerings of yearling calves, this being one of the choice offerings within the law.  Another asked are thousands of rams to be offered and rivers of the oil offered with the sacrificed.,  One asked should he offer his first borne.  Some of these things were acceptable sacrifices, other were not.

Micah then tells the people, in our focus verse, that God has told them what was good and what He desired of them.  We see this in the following verse  “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?”  Deuteronomy 10:12-13.  They have heard this before; however, they had forgotten, and God brought it back to their minds.

So, let’s examine these three points found in our focus verse, which apply to us as well.  First, to uphold justice.  We are to judge righteously with no favoritism.  To judge fairly without improperly favoring any side in the judgement.  Jesus put it this way, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7:24. Something may look wrong; however, it may not be wrong.  We must investigate any situation and ensure that what we declare is righteous.

Next, to love kindness.  Other translations say love mercy.  We are to show our love by being kind and merciful.  We are to be kind to one another, not using severity toward our brothers and sisters, but being compassionate to others, especially when we are wronged.  Show everyone that we love them and desire God’s best for them.

And lastly, to walk with God in an attitude of humility.  Keeping a constant and loving relationship with our loving God.  Remembering that it is God’s will to be done, not our own which is the picture of arrogance whereby we believe our ways are better.  Keeping His commandments which is the proof of our love to Him.  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  John 14:15.

What God requires of us is love, toward others through upholding justice and loving mercy.  Then toward God by walking continually and humbly with Him.  Works done based on following rules is not what He desires.  He requires our love.  He showed us His through Jesus’ death for our sins to reconcile us with Himself.  Showing Him our love as Micah 6:8 tells us is not asking too much from us.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Psalm 119:11

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 119:11

“Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” – Psalm 119:11

Anyone who is a true Christian will desire not to sin, but to walk in the law of the Lord.  Jesus said it this way, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15. Unfortunately, continually following His law is an extremely difficult thing to do.  We often fall to the temptations that the enemy attacks us with.  And when we do sin, we have an advocate before the Father.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

However, our focus verse defines how we can have victory over the sin and the temptations that cause us to fall.  It is by treasuring God’s word in our inner being and following what it says.   Let’s look at verse 9.  “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9. The intent of his verse in that in order to not sin against God, we must follow His teachings found in His word.  I would say this is rather obvious.  However, there is a very important phrase found in verse 11.  “Your word I have treasured in my heart,” Psalm 119:11a.  And the key word here is Treasured.

Often, we read God’s word as we read any other book.  For instance, we read a chapter, then put it down and move on to other things.  Or, after reading a chapter, we lay the book down and ponder it’s meaning for a short time.  Sometimes we even take a few notes.  However, what we must do is not only read, ponder and take a few notes, we must treasure what we read, make it something that changes who we are.  Reading His word should never be just reading it, or adding to our intellectual knowledge, but it should be stored away in our innermost being as a treasured piece of jewelry is stored in a safe.  It should become a part of who we are, and then let it guide us in all things we do.

In Psalm 37, we read a few verses that describe a righteous man.  “The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.” Psalm 37:29-31.  The righteous speaks wisdom and of justice.  And how can the righteous do this?  Because God’s word is in his heart, as a treasure as stated in Psalm 119.

We read and hear many things in the course of our lives.  I have read many books in my time, I have listened to various speakers and have watched many movies, shows and lectures.  Some books I do not even remember reading, there are movies I have totally forgotten about, and some lectures I do not even remember the key points.  However, there are many of the above I remember very well, and some I can recall very explicitly.  Why the difference?  Because those things we ‘treasure’ are the things we remember; the things we believe and the things we follow.

Is God’s word the most important thing we read?  Do we treasure the words and make them a part of who we are?  If we truly do, then we shall grow in our walk with Him, and we shall grow closer to God moment by moment.  If we do not, then it is important to figure out why and make the changes that will cause us to treasure His word in our hearts.  He is the Almighty God.  His ways must be more important than ours.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Psalm 1:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 1:1

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!” – Psalm 1:1  

Psalm chapter 1 to me is a wonderful read.  This looks at the differences of those who follow God, and those who do not.  This verse says how blessed the man is who does not follow the ways of this world but follows the ways of God.  And what are the ways of the world?  First, by walking in the counsel of the wicked rather than the righteous.  He gives ear to the advice of the wicked. He is not at peace with His relationship with God and listens to that which is contrary to His word.

I have seen too many people who niche out their lives, some to their Christian walk, and some to the ways of the world.  I know because I did it myself.  There was my church life, then there was my regular life.  If there was a decision to make, many times I would take the wrong advice down the wrong path.  I would listen to worldly people, and this often did not turn out well.  However, when I became a true Christian, one that lived it as well as professing it, I stopped listening to the world, and I found I was much more at peace.  I did not have to worry about being caught or having to answer to my wrong decisions.  I was truly at peace.

We are not to go and linger in places where ungodly things happen and focus our attention on what is going on.  If we come across a place like this, or people who live in ungodly ways, we should be willing to present the truth of the gospel to them and help them turn their lives to God.  But we should not go somewhere and participate in their worldly ways.  This destroys the light we want to shine in the darkness, and our witness to the unsaved.

And we are not to participate in mocking or derision of others.  Especially where we do it regarding people who are leaders in the church.  We can differ in what we believe, and we can counter those beliefs.  However, we should never deride or mock the people involved.  We are to love them, and how can we say we love them if we speak evil of them?  And why would they listen to us when endeavoring to help them understand the truth when they see our mocking?

We must not listen to the wicked, participate in the activities of sinners or join in mocking of those we disagree with.  Aside from these activities being wrong or sin, we can instead live a blessed life which is pleasing to God, where we can be at peace because we are living a life of love and not animosity.  “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15. We can do this only by following the words of the psalmist in our focus verse.  “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”  Psalm 1:1

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Daniel 3:18

Verse of the Day Devotion: Daniel 3:18

“But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” – Daniel 3:18

This particular verse was spoken by Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.  These were the three Hebrew young men taken into Babylon to serve in the same place as Daniel.  At that time, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon made an image of gold that he was requiring all in Babylon to worship.  The order was, “that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.” Daniel 3:5. He also set up the rule, “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”  Daniel 3:6. There was a death penalty in affect and the method of death was cruel, being burned alive in a furnace.

So, at the time that the music calling for golden image worship was to occur, all the people in Babylon, of all nations and languages fell down and worshipped the image except three; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  Note, Daniel was not in Babylon at this time.  Some Chaldeans observed the three not worshipping the statue, and let Nebuchadnezzar know.  I am sure they did this to hopefully earn favor from the king.  They told the king, by name, the three who did not worship it.  They knew the names because these three were over the administration of Babylon.

Well, this infuriated the king and he demanded that they be brought before him.  He questioned them by saying, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?”  Daniel 3:14b Then he gives them another chance.  “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”  Daniel 3:15. This is a very arrogant statement.  However, he will soon learn about that God who can.

Instead of answering the king’s question, they told him that if we end up in the fiery furnace, our God is able to deliver you out of your hand and out of the furnace.  However, even if He chooses not to deliver us from you, let us make it clear that we will not serve you gods or worship your golden image.

Well, the end of the story is that they were thrown into the furnace, and God delivered them.  However, what I want to focus on here is their answer to the king.  Whatever happens, we will never worship any god but the true God.  No matter how awful or painful the punishment, no matter what it is, we will not give our worship to any of your gods.

There is coming a day, and in some ways is here now, when today’s Christians will need to make a similar decision.  In African nations like Nigeria, Boko Haram kidnaps Christians and if they do not convert to Islam, they are killed.  In North Korea and China, if they determine someone is a Christian, they will be sent to Concentration Work camps, known in China as re-education camps to be forced by torture, starvation and slavery work until they either convert or die.  Here in the United States, Christians are persecuted in our public schools and colleges.  Christian monuments are under threat of being destroyed and businesses are being attacked for upholding Christian beliefs.  It is only a matter of time, if things continue to get worse, until it will be illegal to be a Christian and live those beliefs in public.

I have one question, do we have the courage of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego to stand strong and not compromise, or will we be like the other Jews taken into Babylon who bowed and worshipped the golden image?  It is time for us to prepare for extremely difficult times.  We must draw closer to God and yield entirely to Him.  We must decide that no matter what, we will not deny the living God by worshipping idols and other false gods.  If we truly believe that Christ is our savior and that there is no other God but ours, then we must stand strong and unwavering.

We must start preparing now, for who knows when we will have to make “that” decision.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Psalm 55:22

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 55:22

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” – Psalm 55:22

I am sure everyone who reads this has been through times of extreme difficulty.  For myself, I can definitely remember multiple times I have been in situations where I was not sure what I was going to do.  But these times have showed me that I do not have to go through it alone.  God wants to be there for us, and He always is.

In today’s verse, God is speaking to David and encouraging him.  David has cried out to him.  Note these words of David.  “Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.  Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.”  Psalm 55:3-5.  He was going through a great deal of fear and anguish.  He cried out with the above words, then David declared in our focus verse, “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

As David learned that God would bring him through his trials and bear his burdens, Paul shows us this truth is for us as well.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7.  If we find ourselves burdened down and anxious because of our situation, lift it to God in prayer.  He will gladly walk with us and lighten our load.

However, the greatest burden we have carried in our lives is our sin. “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.  For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.“  Psalm 38:3-4.  God knew we would be unable to bear this burden of sin, nor would we be able to rid ourselves of it.  Christ bore our sins in His own body on the cross to bring forgiveness to all who believe.  He bore this burden so that we would not have to.  And if this burden has been removed because of His great love for us, we can trust Him to bear any other burden we carry.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Isaiah 6:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Isaiah 6:8

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, here am I. Send me!” – Isaiah 6:8 

In the year King Uzziah died, around 754 B.C., Isaiah is outside near the alter and he had a vision, one of the more well-known visions in the Old Testament.  “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.  Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”  Isaiah 6:1-3.  What an incredible vision.  Very explicit vision of the Lord God on His throne, the seraphim above Him crying out ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’.  Further, “And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.”  Isaiah 6:4.

Isaiah upon seeing this vision called out saying, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5. He had seen the God of all creation, the eternal one, and was filled with immense conviction of his sin and cried out of his unworthiness.  Then one of the seraphim came to him with a burning coal (also could be translated stone), touched his lips and declared his iniquity gone and his sin forgiven.

Then, as we reach our focus verse, God is asking the question, “whom shall we send?”.  This is not to say that God did not know, for He knows everything.  I tend to see this as an invitation shrouded in a question.  Then Isaiah calls out, with hardly any delay based on how this scripture is worded, “Here I am, send me.”

If we look in Matthew, we see we are called to go out and deliver God’s message to our world, in the same way Isaiah was to the Jews in his time.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.  This is of course known as the Great Commission where Jesus called His disciples to go out and spread the news.  Who will tell Jesus, “Here I am, send me.”

This is why we are here.  Jesus told His discipled to go out and share the gospel, help them understand what it is, give them the opportunity to accept Christ as Savior, and then train them to live this Christian life as it should be lived.  And we who are Christians are a part of ‘the called’ who are to go out.  There are many people who have never heard the gospel, or have not understood it, or have been told a false gospel.  It is our job to go out there and let everyone know of the love of God, how Jesus, the Son of God, came and died who never sinned, to make a way for us who have to be forgiven and declared righteous.

God has already answered the question of “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” to this present generation.  It is now up to us to say, with the full intention of, “Here am I. Send me!”

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.