Jeremiah 17:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Jeremiah 17:10 

“I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” – Jeremiah 17:10 

The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah spoke much in their prophetic writings regarding the sins of Israel and Judah.  Isaiah began his role as prophet a couple years after the death of King Uzziah, around 740 BC.  Jeremiah began as a prophet in Judah around 627 BC in the 13th year of the reign of King Josiah.    Isaiah wrote in chapter six of his writings about the future of Israel where they would be taken captive by both Babylon and Assyria, and ultimately Rome.  Jeremiah speaks out against the sins of Judah, and in chapter 17 where he addresses their idolatry.  “As they remember their children, So they remember their altars and their Asherim By green trees on the high hills.” Jeremiah 17:2. This speaks of the children remembering the worship of idols and continuing the practice, showing that this sin has been passed down and is firmly engraved on Judah’s heart and altars.  

Then in verses 7 and 8, he writes of the blessing extended to them that trust in the lord.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8.  Blessings follow those who trust in God, and not the world or their false gods. 

Therefore, because of this truth, Jeremiah asks the Lord the following. “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”  Jeremiah 17:9. First, the heart here refers to the mind, the ultimate source of his thoughts and actions.  He is essentially asking God, if trusting in you results in blessings, and Judah is not trusting you but is following idols, how can this be?  Who can understand this?  This is a good question posited by Jeremiah.  If blessing come only from trusting God, how can you not trust God and expect to be blessed?  How can we allow our heart to lead us astray?  We cannot understand it, but there is one who can.  And God gives him that answer.

“I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10. He says He searches the heart of man; He tests their minds.  The idea here is that only He can do this.  We cannot.  This is shown by Jeremiah’s question.  He cannot understand why Judah would follow their own ways, that being the ways of idolatry, and expect to be blessed.  It appears that the people did not believe God had made any promises to them or would keep the promises. Or nothing was said to them about their going after idols, for Jeremiah says “Look, they keep saying to me, “Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come now!” Jeremiah 17:15. They would not believe what the Lord had said, no doubt due to the span of time that passed from the prophetic statement to the present.

Today, we see the same thing.  Peter said very similarly the following.  “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.” 2 Peter 3:4-6.  Just as the people in Judah did not trust God’s word regarding the blessings of God, figuring they had other options to attain blessings from other so-called gods, we are seeing a world which sees the attainment of power and wealth more desirable than understanding and following God’s Word.  Man’s heart is becoming more deceitful as the days go by, being more interested in personal gain than obedience to God.  Let us not become complacent, but always seek after God and His word to and for us.  We must always humble ourselves, knowing that God’s way is the only way, regardless of what our heart and desires speak to us. 

Like Jeremiah says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. We must never let our thoughts and desires take precedence over God and His will and ways, not trusting ourselves and what we believe is right.  Israel chose to follow their heart and it cost them greatly.  God knows our heart and how it can draw us away.  We must put our complete trust in Him, and when we do all will go well.  Remember what Paul said.  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2. It truly is the only way.

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

John 14:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 14:1

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” – John 14:1

Just before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knew His time to leave was coming.  “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1.  And because of this, He was preparing them for His departure.  Therefore, after Judas left to betray Jesus, He lets the remaining eleven know.  “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.” John 13:33.  This was very difficult for the disciples to accept.  Think about this, for the past three years He had spent almost all His time working with the disciples training them for the work He was calling them to, which was making disciples of all nations.

But Peter was confused.  “Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later. Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” John 13:36-37.  He first asks Jesus where He was  going, and after receiving the answer He follows up with another.  “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” John 13:38. Peter asks Jesus if he could go along.  Notice it was can I follow and  not can we follow.  He was obviously asking this in an impetuous manner, not thinking about it before asking.  However, Jesus follows this with a question.  “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.”  John 13:38. 

Jesus understood this conversation left them unsettled.  They obviously did not like what they heard.  But Jesus, seeing this is the case, said the following. “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1.  However, Jesus does not stop there.  “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”  John 14:2-3.  He lets them know that He will be going away and they cannot immediately follow.  However, He adds that one day He will come back and bring them to where He resides. 

I know for myself that there are times I wonder why things have to be the way they are, just as the disciples did when they were told this good friend and teacher was going away and they could not follow.  And I feel confident that many times you also have experienced these times as well.  Ours is a little different in that Jesus is not physically here as He was with the disciples.  However, this does not negate the fact that His response to them is the same for us.  We should not let our hearts be troubled by the many things that we encounter, for our time here is just as temporary as theirs.  Jesus told them that He would come again and take them with Him, so that where He is they will be also.  And this promise applies to us as well.  In fact, it applies to all who have given their lives completely to Christ and have accepted the work He did on the cross.  This is the future for all Christians, eternity with Christ.  Remember this when difficulties come, that not only is He here to help us through these difficult times but when our time here is over He will take us home to be with Him forever.

So, as Jesus told His disciples, do not let your heart be troubled.  Believe in Him and be comforted with the fact that He will always be with us, both here and in heaven, our eternal home.  He is coming back.  Let you mind and heart always focus on this.

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

Psalm 14:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 14:1 

“For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.” – Psalm 14:1      

This is a verse where, if it is read in the way our modern society understands it, we would miss the true meaning.  The Hebrew word fool has the idea of a wicked, vile, or contemptable individual: one who has an unclean heart and who rejects the idea of a loving, infinite, and all powerful being.  They do this by claiming, ‘There is no God, and only a fool or ignorant person would think there is.’    

Now, the word fool is not to be used in the same way we use the word atheist.  For it has a broader meaning than this.  An atheist is one who denies the very existence of God.  There are some who totally deny He exists, and this is the main thought communicated here.  However, there are other ways to look at this.  For instance, there are some who acknowledge the existence of a god, but not the true God.  The idea here is that they do not necessarily deny an infinite God, however they do not believe He has any role in their lives. They do not accept it as having anything to do here.  This is the idea of deism, which rejects revelation from God as a source of religious knowledge, for He simply created everything and then left it alone.  They assert that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to establish the idea that God exists.  However, there is no communication with God.  Then, there are those who choose a god with attributes that are more pleasing then the attributes of the true God.  Basically, they accept the idea there is a god, but they pick or create it based on what makes them feel good, or what they can accept.   

Isaiah states the following regarding the fool or unbeliever.  “For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty.” Isaiah 32:6.  According to Isaiah, the vile person speaks of things that can be labeled nonsense.  He tends toward ungodliness, speaking falsehoods against the true God, and does not help those who need their assistance, but ignores their plight. 

Going back to our focus verse, David ends by saying ‘There is no one who is good.’  And he is correct.  Paul essentially quotes this verse in his letter to the Romans.  “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;”   Romans 3:10.  None of us are perfect.  Paul again says it better than I can.  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”  Romans 3:23.  But Christ paid the penalty for our sins, and by accepting what He has done and living our lives fully devoted to Him, we are no longer a fool as David said above, but we are His handiwork.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.  And one of the good works God called us to and prepared us for, is to live in such a way that we can be a witness to those who, in our focus verse were denoted as fools, so they can become His handiwork as well. 

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

Psalm 112:7

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 112:7  

“He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” – Psalm 112:7      

One of the things we need to always remember, as Christians, is that we have nothing to fear when we trust in the Lord.  Lets look at the verses prior to this to fully understand the context by which our focus verse is written.  For if we understand and apply its message, we can live in peace no matter our circumstances. 

The author starts with, “Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.” Psalm 112:1-3.  He is saying here that blessed, or happy, is the one who fears the Lord, who love to obey His commandments and delights in His ways.  We see this same idea in psalm one, where the writer states, “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!  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2.  Those who fear God and follow His ways are blessed of the Lord. 

Next, we read, “Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. For he will never be shaken; The righteous will be remembered forever.”  Psalm 112:4-6.  When hard times come, which they will, God will save him through the difficult times, not necessarily from them.  The righteous may still get sick or be bereaved by the loss of someone close.  Or they may lose property either by  theft or legal issues.  However, all will work out to those who trust in the Lord.  Paul put it this way in his letter to the Romans.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  And also, the righteous will be gracious and helpful whenever needed, with God providing the means of the assistance he will provide.

And because of all this, if we delight in Him and His laws and commands, the fact is we are blessed by God almighty, He will be with us and protect us no matter what happens.  And even though things do not look good, we must go beyond how we perceive our situation and trust God has it under control.  As our focus verse states, “He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” Psalm 112:7.  We have no reason to fear evil that comes our way because God has this.  Our hearts should be steadfast in the reality that we can trust Him that He is taking care of us, no matter what it looks like.  We should do as the writer of Proverbs put it.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

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

Proverbs 4:23

Verse of the Day Devotion: Proverbs 4:23 

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

When we think of the word ‘heart’ we have several things in mind.  First, a muscle in our chest that pumps blood throughout the body.  However, there are several other ideas we use regarding the word heart.  You have heard the expressions “from the bottom of my heart”, or “with my whole heart”, and lastly “what a heartwarming movie”. These are, of course, not speaking of the pumping of blood.  It is using the term heart to define the very core of who we are.  One example is,  “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  This same basic wording was used by Jesus in Matthew 22:37.  When the scriptures speak of the heart, it is not referring to the physical organ but the real us.

The ancient Israelites did not refer to the brain because, to them, intellectualism was an activity of the heart.  In fact, they did not have a word for ‘brain’, for all observable activities now attributed to the brain was then a heart activity.  As for the Hebrew prophets, the only true redemption was the renewing of the heart.  “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:6.  And in our focus verse, we see how the biblical Hebrews saw the heart: it is where we experience feelings, think thoughts, and also make decisions based on our desires.  Moving on to the New Testament, in ancient Greek, ‘kardia’, the word for heart in scripture does not refer to the physical organ in any instance, but rather to the center of who we are.  It is the center of the personality and it includes the center of our intellect, emotions, and will.

So, based on the above, what he is saying is we need to watch over everything we think about, feel and desire.  This is important because from the heart flows our true self.  If we hate someone, it will eventually be manifested by our actions.  We may be able to cover up negative feelings for a season, but eventually they will be seen by others.  And the same can be said for love.  If we genuinely love someone, they will see it through our words and deeds.  If we desire things we should not, it may come out in the form of acting it out, simply talking about it with others, or focusing on it in your thoughts and dreams. 

What we need to do in order to watch over our hearts was written by Paul.  “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5.  What he is speaking of here in the first part of this verse is to destroy reasonings or opinions that are contrary to God’s truth.  The Greek philosophers valued the powers of reasoning which appeared to be profound and conclusive, but actually led them to ideas that either did not exist or were false in themselves.  We need to discard these ideas and focus on the truth as found in God’s word.  We need to firmly plant God’s truth in our hearts and thus make this what drives our behavior: what flows from our hearts as the spring of our lives. 

And he closes with the following words on how to keep yourself from evil.  “Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:24-27.  As Christians, we are to be truthful and loving in the words we speak.  And we are not to look away, to the right or the left, from the destination we seek, but rather be fixed on the destination we long for.  “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“ Philippians:12-14.  Let us watch that our hearts ore focused on our love and devotion to Christ, and that we become so devoted to Him that it shows in every area of our lives.  

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

Psalm 27:14

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 27:14 

“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” – Psalm 27:14 

This idea is found throughout scripture, both in the old and new testaments.  Throughout the scriptures, we see examples of how God has promised and fulfilled all that He has said.  Here the psalmist is saying there is no reason for us to fear.  He may not come to us when we would like, but he tells us to wait patiently anyway. 

We must always remember He is with us and by our side.  Isaiah puts it this way.  “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:28-31. God does not ever grow weary, and if we grow weary, He will renew our strength.  Also, when we do grow tired and do not see a way out, we tend to become afraid.  Isaiah speaks to this as well.  “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, Surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.

As I said earlier, He may not come as quickly as we would like, or even as we would like.  Sometimes we desire Him to do things in a way that will make things easier for us.  Then, we look for things to happen as we would like them to.  However, we must always remember that He knows infinitely more than we can ever understand.  He knows all things that have happened, is currently happening, and will ever happen.  Again, Isaiah puts it better than I ever could.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9. 

Could it be that what God allows to happen is for our best, and what we believe is best is actually not?  I think this happens more times than we want to admit.  Let’s look at one of my favorite passages in all of scriptures, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.   So, this begs the question, and I have asked myself this on several occasions.  Do I want what I think is best, or what God thinks is best?  I have decided after many situations that the latter is far superior to the former. 

And one last thing.  Maybe these times are not necessarily for us.  Maybe, He wants to train us for a future ministry opportunity He has for us.  Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 1 Corinthians 1:3-4

Therefore, when we go through trials and difficult situations, be strong and wait patiently for His help.  He knows better than us what we need, and when best to come to us.  We do not know what He has in store for us through this.  But if we can learn from God how to comfort those who suffer in the same way we have in the past, is it not worth it so we can provide comfort to them?   

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

Psalm 62:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 62:8

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” – Psalm 62:8

Who do we trust in this life?  Who do we go to first in difficult times?  We all know people who help us when difficult times come.  It could be family or friends, or an agency that specializes in what we are struggling with.  It is good to seek help from good people we know and trust.  However, the first place we should go is to the one who can help us no matter the situation, who knows everything about us, past, present, and future.  And the one who loves us more than anyone else could ever love us.  And that person is our Almighty God. 

King David saw Him as that one person who He went to in times of trouble.  “My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2.  David here is expressing his absolute trust and confidence in God.  He waits patiently for Him, the one who has promised him salvation from all trials.  He understands that by placing his trust in God, he will not be greatly shaken.  Notice the word greatly in verse two.  He may feel some consternation due to what the enemy does, however he trusts that no matter what happens, he is never alone.

He then calls out his enemies.  “How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah.” Psalm 62:3-4.  How long will you come against me in your hatred?  You are ready to destroy others, however, in this you will be destroyed.  His faith was strong in the protection of God.  Then he declares that no matter what happens, it is only God he will go to.  “My soul; wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.  On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” Psalm 62:5-7.  David makes it very clear that his trust lies completely in the Lord.  He will only place his trust in Him, for no one else can provide the safety and peace he needs and desires.  Note the end of verse six.  ‘I shall not be shaken’.  See the difference in this and verse 2. 

Then he calls out to those who may read this.  “Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Psalm 62:8. He tells his readers that it is imperative that they trust fully in God no matter the situation they find themselves in.  And not just at certain times, but in all times.  And tell Him everything, hold nothing back.  He knows everything about everything, but you show your trust by giving Him everything.

I want to encourage everyone reading this to do as David did, to wait in silence on God to work on your behalf.  We must trust in Him completely, for He is our rock and our salvation.  Be patient and meditate on His goodness and love, as well as His promise that He will never leave or forsake us.  I also want to remind everybody what my favorite verse in the scriptures, and it is extremely relevant in all situations. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. He has promised this for us, and He always keeps His promises.  Be at peace, for He is our Prince of Peace, and this is His desire for us.

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

John 14:27

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 14:27 

“Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” – John 14:27     

The words ‘peace I leave with you’ or various similar phrases, were used by the Jews to open and to close a letter, conversation, or any form of communication.  In this instance, it was used as a closing statement, however, not just regarding this conversation.  His time here was drawing to a close and He began preparing them for His departure.  Note the next few verses.  “You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” John 14:28-29.  However, in the next sentence, He becomes more clear regarding His leaving.  “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;” John 14:30. 

Jesus here is preparing His disciples for His departure, and I am sure they understood this and thus were becoming anxious.  “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.” John 14:25.  In this statement He is alluding to the idea that He is preparing to go.  Note ‘have spoken while abiding with you’.  However, the next phrase makes it clearer.  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26.  The Holy Spirit will come after He departs and will remind them of His words. 

Then He gives the customary salutation, ‘Peace I leave with you.’  He wants them not to be troubled by this, for this is what He has been preparing them for.  He then reiterates this by stating it is His peace He gives them.  Jesus wanted them to have the same peace He had, which came through His friendship and fellowship with the Father.  It is what He wanted to give them before He leaves.  He then adds, ‘not as the world gives do I give to you.’  Many times when the Jews either opened or closed a conversation, they would simply say it because it was customary and polite.  These would be empty words they did not actually mean.  However, He was telling them He meant what He said.  Therefore, He urged them not to let His leaving, and ultimately their ministry He called them to, trouble their hearts or make them afraid.  For the Holy Spirit will be sent to them to be with them.  Again, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” Paul urged His brothers and sisters in Christ also to remain at peace, and he also showed through living accordingly.  “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 4:6-7.  Jesus would provide this peace to them for He never spoke empty promises.   

Jesus here was speaking directly to His disciples; however I have no doubt He is speaking to us as well.  He wants us to have peace in this life just as He had peace during His time on earth. Through His word He speaks to us just as clearly as He did to the twelve.  So, let us accept and live the peace He gives us.  And the way we do that is by not allowing ourselves to be anxious about anything, knowing He is with us.  “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.  Trust Him in everything.  There is nothing anyone can or say against us that God has not known from the beginning.  And He is already doing what is necessary to help us through.  If we genuinely believe this with everything we are, and live accordingly, then we have nothing to be concerned with.

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

Matthew 5:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 5:8 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8            

This verse is part of what is called the beatitudes, which Jesus declared in His sermon on the mount.  This same sense is found in the Psalms.  David declared the following, “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24:3-5.  David states that the one who has clean hands and a pure heart.  By clean hands is the idea of walking upright and working righteousness.  Pure heart has the idea of one who not only does righteous deeds, but whose heart is pure and devoted to God.  He is one who conscientiously fulfils his promises.  In essence, he is more focused on walking with God, spending time with Him, making Him the focus of His life rather than on doing the outward actions of the law.

This beatitude demands from us a deep examination of our hearts.  Is the work we do done out of humble servitude to God, or out of self-aggrandizement?  Is it done to make ourselves look good, or to honor God?  What is our motives for what we do?  If our hearts are pure, it will not be to make us look good, but to serve those who need our help in service to God.  Our prayer and bible reading should focus on  communing with God?  Again, is He the focus?  As stated above, a pure heart understands He is everything and we are to lift Him up in everything we do or say; everything we do should be to bring glory to God.  

So, what is meant here when Jesus said, ‘for they shall see God?’  This can be difficult.  Everyone will see God eventually in the end.  The question then is, who will see God here?  My answer is those who know Him.  Let me give an analogy I think will help lay out what I think this means.  When a non-believer looks into the sky at night, he sees many pinpoints of light.  They see  stars, planets and other bodies out there which, many will say, came into existence without a god.  They do not see God in the sky for they do not believe He exists.  When a believer looks up there, they see the handiwork of God, how He created everything and placed it all into motion, including all life. 

In like manner, those who are devoted completely to God sees Him in everything.  When praying, they see Him on the other side of the conversation.  When they study the scriptures, they see Him teaching them the truth found in them.  When they are going through trials, they see Him by their side, helping them through.  No matter what happens or what they do, they see God in the process.  Now, I would never say God will not give a vision of Himself to anyone.  However, many never see a vision of Him, but they see Him in everything in their lives, the good times and the hard time.     

Remember what Jesus said just prior to His ascension.  “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  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 28:18-20.  He sent us out to make disciples of all nations, doing His work here on the earth.  He may have ascended into heaven, but He is with us always.  And if we look at everything with a pure heart and true devotion to Him, we will see Him everywhere we go.

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

1 Corinthians 2:9

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 Corinthians 2:9 

“But, as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9           

This is an intriguing verse.  The idea is that God has plans for His people, things we have absolutely no idea about, for we have not seen or heard about all He has in mind.  I love the way Paul lays it out this idea.  “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11. No one can know what I am thinking unless I tell them, because they cannot read my mind.  In the same light, we cannot know what God has prepared for us unless He tells us.  Now he has told us some, and we can know them if we choose.  Unfortunately, there are some who close their minds to these truths, refusing the understand. We see an example of this above.  “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:8. This verse speaks of the Jewish leadership, who had read God’s word, but did not understand because they felt they already knew.  And because they did not truly know, they crucified the promised Messiah.

Now, there are two ways we can look at this passage, and I believe both are valid.  The one does not negate the other.  First, that God prepared a way of salvation through His Son.  The Jews at that time only understood and followed the law.  They had seen it at work in the temple worship, ceremonies and traditions.  They were not focused on totally understanding the old testament, for if they were, they would have seen Jesus as the Messiah.  However, they chose not to.  And because they did not, unbeknownst to them, they killed the one sent to save them.  They chose not to see, hear or think in this way.

And second, our glorious eternal future.  All we have seen is what is here in this life.  For me, a wonderful and glorious life would be living in a cabin in the woods next to a creek where I can relax for eternity in peace with family and friends.  However, He has so much more for us.  Yes, my idea is great for me.  But His kingdom is so much greater than anything down here.  The Spirit has revealed certain pieces to us in His Word, however, there is infinitely more than we can imagine.  His mind is infinitely greater than ours, we cannot even begin to understand.

The main thing that combines both of these ideas is the love of God.  Because of this He sent His only begotten Son to pay the penalty for our sins through a completely righteous and sinless life ending in the perfect sacrifice, the only way we could be saved.  We see this, but unfortunately there are those who close their minds and hearts to this eternal truth.  They refuse to see and hear what God has done for them.  And because we, as Christians, understand and accept the work done on the cross, we have a future promised to us that goes well beyond what we could ever imagine.  Both ideas can be seen in our focus verse, “But, as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9

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