Psalm 11:4

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 11:4

“The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” – Psalm 11:4   

This verse is a picture of how God watches over us.  This is worded so we, being human and not having a full knowledge of God, can have a reasonable understanding.  This starts off saying that God is in His holy temple.  He is seated in the temple of His holiness, and His throne is in heaven. Isaiah gives us this image.  “Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is my footstool. Where then is a house, you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?” Isaiah 66:1. His greatness is exhibited here in that heaven is His throne, the seat by which, as King, He holds His court, where He dispenses His commands and from where He oversees all His work.  Jesus reiterated this thought.  “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.”  Matthew 5:34-35.  Another verse that truly exemplifies how great God is.  “But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.”  2 Chronicles 6:18. He fills the known universe and the high heavens.  There is no place anywhere that He is not.

Proceeding to the second part of our focus verse, we see His eyes see everything within His vast empire, which is everything He has created, and also outside of this created universe.  He see all of our needs and all our desires.   God watches over everything; all we do, all we see, all we experience and all the dangers that may be near us. One thought here is that He is protecting us from whatever the enemy may do.  He is keeping us safe from whatever comes against us.  He knows what the enemy is planning long before he himself knew, for He does know the end from the beginning.  The theologian John Gill puts it this way.  “Knowing all this, we may be assured that he will interpose when it is best that he should interpose, and that he will suffer nothing to come upon us which it is not best that he should permit. When evil befalls us, therefore, it does not come because God does not know it, or because he could not prevent it, but because, seeing it all, he judges that it is best that it should thus occur.”  John Gill from his commentary on the Psalms.

And lastly, His eyelids test the sons of men.  In other words, He searches all men’s hearts, into the very depths of our beings, and knows our thoughts, intentions and designs, our wishes and desires.  He knows our emotional state and all that either brings us joy and peace, or sorrow and frustration.  There is nothing we can do to hide anything from Him.  And what does this tell us?  We can trust Him completely in everything.  We are safe in placing ourselves in His care.  In the next verse, the writer of this psalm adds, “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”  What is intended here is that He hates the ways of this person and takes account of it.  This we cannot hide either.  He knows if our heart is filled with love or hatred, goodness or wickedness.  There is nothing He does not know about us.

In closing, I want to emphasize the idea that we are safe with Him.  We may not like what He allows us to experience, however, we must trust Him because He would never allow us to endure anything that was not going to have a good result.  “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. This is one of my favorite verses in the scriptures.

Take comfort in this focus verse.  It tells us that He fills all the heavens, in fact, the heavens are His throne, and He watches over us, not just in what we do, but the why’s and the how’s.  We can be content in knowing that we are safe and that nothing surprises Him.  And nothing can happen to us that He does not allow because of His great love.  Remember this during times of trial; it will help to brings us through.

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

1 Peter 3:15

Verse of the Day Devotion.  1 Peter 3:15

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” – 1 Peter 3:15 

In Romans, Paul says the following that gives me, and I am sure many others, comfort during difficult times. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. We must always understand this whenever tough times come. We may not see what is happening as good, but we can be assured that during times of difficulty, the ultimate end will be good, for He is always watching over the righteous. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12. So, I ask the following question. If the above statements are true, how can anything work for our detriment if we are truly the Lord’s?  Can anyone bring about ultimate harm to us whom God loves and blesses? Peter puts it this way. “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” 1 Peter 3:13.

Then we read in the next verse, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.” 1 Peter 3:14a. There may be times when we could suffer by the hands of wicked men. The world hates the message of Christ, and ultimately those who profess it. God may have a purpose in allowing it. But at the end of this verse, he states “you will be blessed.” Matthew writes the words of Christ where he wrote, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10. We do not always understand why God permits us to suffer, but He would not allow it except for a specific reason. Someone may be turned from unbelief to salvation by seeing what we endure. Or maybe it is for our good. God knows. But we must understand there is a reason for everything we face and must trust God that this is for our good and/or the good of another. The question here is, do we trust Him in all things? And then looking at the last part of this verse, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,” 1 Peter 3:14b. We are not to fear what man can do to us for we belong to God. “So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6.

Now we come to our focus verse. “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:15-16. If we are convinced from the depth of our soul that the promised help of God is all-sufficient, we shall be most effectually armed against all fear. And through this, we must always be ready not only to profess our faith but be ready to defend what we believe. As Christians, we must become not just readers, but students of the Bible who not only believe the truth but have good reasons for believing it. We must become ones who can meet error with the argument, ‘It is written,’ and maintain the truth in all situations, using weapons taken from, as Charles Spurgeon puts it ‘the armory of God’s inspired Book’.

The idea here is that we do not just read the scriptures, but we study them, do whatever is necessary to understand what is being said. There are many in this world who question the reality of what we believe and need us to explain it to them in a fashion they can accept. We are called by Christ to “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. We can only do this if we truly understand what the scriptures are saying and can present it to anyone who asks us ‘why’ regarding our beliefs.  

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

Psalm 103:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 103:1 

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” –  Psalm 103:1

David starts this prayer with ‘Bless the Lord, Oh my soul’.  The word here translated bless is the Hebrew word baw-rak which is a primitive root meaning to kneel, and by implication to bless God as an act of adoration.  What is implied here is that David went before the Lord God with true humility, kneeling before Him and abundantly blessing and praising His God.  It no doubt also implies a mighty sense of gratitude to Him for all God has done for Him. 

Most of the time, the call to praise and worship is addressed to a worshipping community, such as a church, or to some other group of people.  And to be honest, most worship is done at a church with music and lyrics in the front.  And there is nothing wrong with this for when the Church gets together, and by Church I mean the people, we should always kneel or bow before Him giving thanks, worship, and praise which He absolutely deserves.  However, as we see in our focus verse, David calls on his own inner being to bless the Lord.  This act of worship involves his entire person. Humans bless the Lord by speaking well of him as they complement him publicly. Blessing, or praise, is the natural response to contemplating the Lord’s holy character, which provides an inexhaustible reason for extolling him. The psalmist’s praise of the Lord is intentional, as he focuses on various aspects of his greatness and goodness.   

However, how many of us bow before Him alone, where no one can see us and praise and worship Him privately as well?  How many of us go to Him alone and give Him the glory and praise due Him.  This can give us a wonderful time to praise Him with our own words, our own songs, and our own heart in the way that we feel at that time.  This is a beautiful opportunity to use, as theologian Albert Barnes puts it,  “all our powers and faculties; all that can be employed in his praise: the heart, the will, the affections, the emotions. The idea is, that God is worthy of all the praise and adoration which the entire man can render. No one of his faculties or powers should be exempt from the duty and the privilege of praise.”  

The one value of these opening words is that they show us that worship is not involuntary or automatic. It calls for the coordination of all that we are. We should not restrict our worship to the sanctuary, but we must make everywhere a potential place of worship. We should enter worship and praise with all that we have, dedicated to giving Him all due Him. Then we may render a service of praise that is worthy and acceptable.

In this daily devotion, I want to encourage us all, and I do include myself in this, to take time to get alone with God and offer praise and blessings to Him with all we have and are.  And I encourage everyone in these times to not only offer praise to Him but pray to Him as well and then sit quietly and hear what He has to say back to us.  There is nothing like a two-way conversation with God.  I have experienced it and I never want to miss this time again.  This may be difficult at first, but once it becomes natural, I believe you will find this time as important as anything else you do.

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

Matthew 4:5

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Matthew 4:5 

“Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple.” – Matthew 4:5

Over these three days we will be looking at, in Matthew, the temptation of Jesus.  There were three specifically mentioned in Matthew 4, which we will address. God sent Him out to be tempted. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1. These three testings’ were not for God to see what happens, for God knows all things. Isaiah said the following regarding this idea. “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9-10.  God also is showing the contrast between Adam and Eve and the Christ.  Jesus proved Himself by not giving into Satan’s temptation as Adam and Eve did, which was not to God but to the world.  Also showing that temptations itself is not a sin, but our response may be.

The second temptation regards testing God. Jesus had thwarted Satan in the first temptation, so now Satan moves on to another.  In our focus verse we read, “Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple.” Matthew 4:5.  Jesus is now taken to Jerusalem, the Holy City.  The word pinnacle refers to an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. It  looks like a small spire. Many believe the highest point was the ‘wing’ or ‘portico’, but it is unknown as to the exact place.

Again, Satan uses the conditional statement found in the first temptation. “If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.‘” Matthew 4:6.  This time, in using the ‘if you are the Son of God’, Satan is now quoting scripture, just as Jesus had done in the first one.  The scripture quoted is, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11.  He misused this scripture in his attempt to mislead Jesus.  The psalm speaks of times when we find ourselves in difficult times, God is there to help us.  This does not mean we should deliberately put ourselves in these situations, but this is what Satan was telling Jesus.  In essence, ‘go ahead and jump off this building, nothing is going to happen to you.’  However, we are not to test God by manufacturing a difficulty, which is what voluntarily jumping off the building would be.  Jesus said this by quoting another verse in Deuteronomy.  “YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” Matthew 4:7b.  Jesus quoted a verse as well, though His was accurate in His rendering and meaning. 

As the verse in Deuteronomy says, we must not put the Lord our God to the test.  We see this clearly in Exodus. “And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” Exodus 17:7. We must not go to Him seeking proof from Him via some miraculous sign.  If a miracle is necessary, He will make it happen.  But to do something to make a miracle necessary, such as jumping off the temple, is not good and is simply putting God to the test.

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

Revelation 3:7

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 3:7 

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens, and no one will shut, and who shuts, and no one opens, says this:” – Revelation 3:7

Over seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

Next, Jesus writes to the sixth Church in this list, the Church of Philadelphia.  This was located southeast of Sardis. It was founded by Attalos II, the king of Pergamum in the second century B.C. Philadelphia’s population was mixed and included people from Lydia and Mysia, along with Macedonians and Roman businesspeople. During this time, the city was the administrative center for many of the nearby towns, although the judicial center was in nearby Sardis.  The soil was very fertile and wine production flourished.  Some of the industries were textile and leather goods.  The city had a good relationship with Rome, and as Sardis when their city was devastated by the earthquake of 17 C.E., Emperor Tiberius granted tax exemptions along with workers for the following five years while the city was being rebuilt.

The principal deity of Philadelphia was Anaitis, a goddess of  Persian origin.  Her identity blended with that of the Anatolian mother goddess Meter as well as the Greek god Artemis.  Philadelphia had its own local cult of Augustus and Rome by 27–26 B.C.  There was also a Jewish community in Philadelphia as in many other Asian cities. 

This starts with our focus verse, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens, and no one will shut, and who shuts, and no one opens, says this:” Revelation 3:7.  It declares two attributes which Jesus is known by; He who is holy and He who is true.  These attributes are essential attributes of God in the Old Testament.  “Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him.” Isaiah 1:4. And, “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;” Exodus 34:6.  Also, to have the ‘key of David refers to having control and authority:  therefore, having the Key of David would give one control of David’s domain, i.e., Jerusalem, the City of David, and the kingdom of Israel. 

Next, we read, “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:8.  The open door means access to God. Readers already have access to God through prayer, and in the future, they have the hope of resurrection to life in God’s presence. The idea is that the Church in Philadelphia need access to God’s presence because Christians are being heavily pressured to deny their faith. If Christians at Philadelphia had been questioned by a Roman magistrate, they might have been pressured to deny Jesus’ name to escape punishment.  However, they have stayed true to Christ and were unwilling to deny their Lord and Savior. 

Then He follows this with, “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” Revelation 3:9. The idea here is like what we see in Isaiah.  “And the sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, and all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14. This verse speaks of the adversaries of Christians eventually to bow at their feet. Note, this is not their idea.  ‘I will make them to come and bow down at your feet.” They will be forced to bow in subjection before them, in humility before those they despised, those who were followers of the God they hated, and declare them the people of God.  And because of this, they will know that the Lord loves them.

Next in verse ten, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour, which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.” Revelation 3:10.  This is like a verse found in John’s gospel, and I feel they communicate the same basic idea. “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15-16. The related expression can also mean protection from evil for those living in the middle of evil.  And this is promised because they fervently kept His word that was the cause of their suffering and persecution.

He then finishes this letter with words of encouragement. “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.” Revelation 3:11-12. The word ‘crown’ comes from the Greek word for ‘laurel wreath’. A laurel wreath was given to those who won a victory in an athletic contest or military battle, as well as those honored for public service. Here, it is given to those who win victory through faithfulness to God and Christ in the face of opposition. It signifies resurrection to life in the New Jerusalem. As for the pillar, this metaphor is based on the image of a temple with pillars in it. Revelation uses pillar imagery to show that the faithful constitute God’s temple and have a permanent place in God’s presence, which was a great blessing in the first century. And as for the writing of His name and the New Jerusalem, this was something done often in this time. Readers would have been familiar with the practice of inscribing pillars and monuments with the names of donors, gods, and cities. For example, a first-century inscription on a column at Ephesus commemorated the building of the imperial temple during Domitian’s reign. It named both the city of Teos and the emperor. Columns in the temples of Artemis at Ephesus and Sardis were inscribed with the names of donors, and similar practices are attested in other cities. This was done in honor of the one who’s name was written.

This Church had no negativity written about them.  They stood strong for Christ and did not turn from God.  So, those who struggled with weakness Jesus makes everlasting pillars in the house of God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Jesus’ words of comfort certainly would have been a blessing to the Philadelphians who had faithfully stood for Christ in their pagan culture. His words continue to serve as an encouragement to faithful believers today.

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

Exodus 20:8

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Exodus 20:8

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” –  Exodus 20:8

In the last Daily Devotion, we looked at not taking the Lord’s name in vain in our conversations or actions.  Today we will look at the fourth commandment which states, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 10:8.  The Israelites under the Mosaic Law were to remember that no work could be done on the seventh day of the week, which falls on Saturday. It covers the time period of sundown on Friday until sundown Saturday.  And this requirement not to work applied to all in Israel, men, women, children and servants.

The reason and basis for this is found in verse eleven.  “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:11.  The word Sabbath has the meaning ‘day of rest’ or ‘intermission’.  Because God finished His work of creation in six days and rested, or took a day of intermission, on the seventh. And He blessed this day upon completion.  “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:3.  This was a day in which he took delight and pleasure, having finished all his works, and resting from them, and looking over them as very good.  And looking at the focus verse, He commanded the Israelites to ‘remember’ the Sabbath Day.  God conferred on the seventh day a specific honor and gave special privileges above those of the other six, being separated from common use and dedicated to sacred service.

The four-word phrase, ‘to keep it holy’ is actually a single word in Hebrew meaning ‘consecrate’ or ‘sanctify.  As stated above, this day was to be dedicated to the Lord.   The priests were to double the daily sacrifices on the Sabbath.  “Then on the sabbath day two male lambs one year old without defect, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering: This is the burnt offering of every sabbath in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.” Numbers 28:9-10.  This marked the day with increased sacred activity.  The rest of the Israelites were to mark the day with decreased activity—no work at all—in honor of the Lord. 

And finally, later in the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath Day is also a sign between Israel and God of a covenant between them.  “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” Exodus 31:13.  And then a couple verses down, “So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.” Exodus 31:16. 

As Israel kept the Sabbath set apart, they were reminded that they were also being set apart.  As believers today who are under the New Covenant, we are not bound to keep this sign of the Old Covenant.  However, we are also set apart to be holy.  “As obedient children do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1:14-16.  We may not be called to keep the Sabbath, but we should remember it and  keep in mind that we are called to be holy as He is for it is a sign to us of our relationship with God and it is He who calls us to holiness because He says to us as well, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”.

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

Colossians 3:12

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Colossians 3:12 

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12

Paul starts with telling the Colossians they have changed from the ways of the world to the ways of God.  “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:9-11.  They are not the same persons they were prior to becoming Christians.  They have put on the new self, ones who have abandoned the ways of the world with all the evils that were the norm of their old lives.  For they have put on the new self that comes with accepting the salvation Christ presented and have become a totally different person.  They are not who they used to be.

Paul then moves forward with this idea by saying, in our focus verse, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12.  The idea of the word “So” is “Therefore”.  He is telling them they have been saved and are now Christians, they should therefore live as such.  Because they have chosen to accept Christ as Savior, have put on Christ, it is essential that they show forth the attributes that signify this change.  They cannot put on the new life without living it, because this change is not by name only, that is they are Christians as opposed to not being a Christians.  Paul is laying out what putting on the new self actually means.  He lists five attributes that show the reality of this change in how they deal with their fellow men and women, whether they be Christians or not.

First, there is compassion.  This is an inward, tender and real mercy shown to all men.  It is doing good in  providing for the real needs we see, either in providing goods or in showing love and encouragement to them.  Next is kindness, showing love and mercy with cheerfulness to all men.  Third is humility, in essence looking at others more highly then ourselves, putting others before ourselves.  Then gentleness, or meekness, which shows itself in not being envious of what others have or what they can do.  And finally, patience.  This is probably the most difficult of the five.  This is bearing the evil words or actions of another and is not easily provoked to wrath or anger themselves.

He them goes on in verse thirteen with, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3:13.  These are important qualities that go along with our focus verse in showing how Christians should be.  All of these acts in verses 12 and thirteen, should be expressed no matter what has occurred.  They should be universally acted out, no matter what has occurred by whoever.  This is especially true though in  our interactions with fellow Christians.  Note the words in the above verse, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, just as the Lord forgave us.  Paul told the Corinthians the following, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1.  Paul was saying, follow my ways where I follow Christ’s ways. 

This should be our focus in this life, do as Christ did.  And the only way we can do this is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit that resides in us.  It is hard sometimes to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient with others.  It can also be difficult to bear with another and forgive when a serious wrong is done against us.  However, this is our calling in Christ.  Nobody ever said this life was easy, but it is what we are called to.  We are to reach out to a lost world, and how better to do that than to be loving to them, showing them the better life God has promised us by our actions and words of grace.  And no matter how difficult it gets, God will be with us, just as He was with the Israelites while journeying to the promised land.  And these words Moses spoke to all of Israel as he tells them He will not be crossing the river Jordan with them are applicable to us today.  “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. No matter what God calls us to do, He will be with us all the way.  And He is calling us to live a pure and holy life as outlined in Colossians 3:12-14.  And also the word of Paul to the Colossians to comfort them, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body: and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:15-17,

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

1 Peter 1:15

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 Peter 1:15

“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” – 1 Peter 1:15

Peter, in our focus verse, is calling all God’s people to be Holy.  This is a calling that God has placed on everyone who is to follow Him.  In Leviticus we read, “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44-45.  Also, “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine” Leviticus 20:26.  And in Deuteronomy.  “Since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you.” Deuteronomy 23:14.  In all three of these, God is calling the Jewish nation to be Holy as He is. 

And now, we as Christians are called to be holy as well.  The writer of Hebrews put it this way.  “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.  We are called by God to live a holy and sanctified life.  Paul, in his second letter to the Church at  Corinth, wrote the following.  “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. ” 2 Corinthians 6:17-18.  Paul is saying that God has called us out of the world, out of our previous life apart from God.  And when we do this, He shall be our father and we shall be His sons and daughters.  These are promises God has given us.  And next comes the “Therefore”.  “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1. 

As Christians, we are to strive with all we are to live a life of holiness.  We are to dedicate our life completely and totally to God, honoring Him in everything we do.  Holiness means to separate.  We need to separate from our old life and ways, our thoughts and desires.  How can we do this?  First, “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.  We need to become less like the world and focus on God and His ways.  Second, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22.  We must not give in to evil desires but pursue righteousness in all ways.  And third, as our focus verse states with the requirements of the above two, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” 1 Peter 1:15.  In all our ways, we should pursue the first and second items with all we are.

Paul in his letter to the Church in Ephesus wrote, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;”  Ephesians 5:1.  God is holy, and He wants us to be holy as well, and this should be the focus of our life.  Let us strive in all we do to live a sanctified life to the glory of God.  For, it is what He desires of us.

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

Psalms 3:4

(Editor’s Note: Christiaan here still, William is in the hospital still, and your continued prayers for his speedy and complete recovery are appreciated).

Verse of the Day Devotion – Psalms 3:4 (Alter)

“With my voice I cry out to the Lord, and He answers me from His holy mountain. (Selah) – Psalms 3:4 (Alter)

The third psalm holds a unique place in biblical literature. It’s the first psalm with a title, and one of only a few that gives us a setting for the psalm. While we will, more than likely, never be in his exact situation, we can learn a lot from David’s response in his unique situation. The title of the psalm is, A David psalm, when he fled from Absalom his son. Absalom murdered his brother (David’s other son), rallied the armies of Israel against David, so much so that David had to flee the palace with his servants and his personal bodyguard. An emissary from the nation of Gath had a group of six hundred men that accompanied David. Absalom wasn’t content with the throne, he wanted his father, David, dead and to those ends he mobilized the entire army of Israel to hunt David down.

On the run David cries out to God, telling him of the sheer number of enemies he has (in the final battle between David and Absalom twenty thousand soldiers died) and how they taunt him telling him that “God will never rescue him” And David affirms the truth of our verses of the day. In Robert Alter’s translation and commentary, he paints the picture, “The palpable strength of this psalm resides in its sheer simplicity and directness. The speaker, a man beleaguered by bitter foes, is first mocked by them when they tell him no god will rescue him. Ignoring the mockery, he cries out to the Lord for help sure he will be answered. Surrounded by enemies, he can sleep undisturbed.”

We will probably never have our children murder their sibling and then hunt us down to murder us. But there are times in our lives where we will feel overwhelmed with what’s going on in our lives. People will tell us that God can’t help us, or we’ll think that our problem is too small or not important enough for God to help us. Health issues, job issues, family issues, whatever issues pop up, David is testifying that when he cried out to God, God moved.

Kinda like with my But God verse of the day eight months ago, I want to look at how God responds to our cries.

God moves when we cry out to him.
He proved it throughout the old testament.

When the Israelites cried out to God:
He gave them Moses and liberated them.
He raised judges to liberate them.
He turned the tide in battle for them.

Throughout the psalms David continually reminds us that when we cry out, God acts here are just two examples:

In Psalm 61, David cries out to God, again, for help. He tells God that his heart is overwhelmed, this could also be translated to become weak or sickly. His prayer is that God will, “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” and mentions that God is a strong tower and refuge to him.

In Psalm 34, David tells those who are helpless (the Hebrew word Anaw means to be suffering, oppressed, emaciated or tormented) to “take heart… let us exalt his name together [for when] I prayed to the Lord… he freed me from all my fears… in my desperation (same Anaw word) he saved me from all my troubles.” He continues later on in the psalm, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.”

God is unique to every other deity in all of time and space.
At his core is the fact that God always hears the cries of his people.

Often times however we don’t know how to pray. We don’t know what to ask for. Sometimes we may not even know that we’re oppressed or in need, but as believers we have Holy Spirit living inside us. Paul writes in Romans 8, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness…. the spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words… the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

While Holy Spirit does pray on our behalf, it’s important for us to continue to cry out to God ourselves as and when we’re able. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the Parable of the Persistent Widow, she keeps asking an unjust judge for justice eventually because of her persistence the unjust judge grants her cries for justice. Jesus ends the parable by saying, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

So, may you not feel ashamed or concerned in crying out to God. May you be attentive to Holy Spirit’s intercessions, and may you find freedom from your fears, and rescue from your troubles that only God can give.