Luke 6:5

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 6:5 

“And He was saying to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5

Starting in verse one we read, “Now it came about that on a certain Sabbath He was passing through some grainfields; and His disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.” Luke 6:1. 

This is interesting because the picking of grain from someone else’s field was permitted according to the Law. “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket. When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.” Deuteronomy 23:24-25.  Therefore, the issue was not picking the grain but doing so on the Sabbath, as the next verse makes clear. “But some of the Pharisees said, why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Luke 6:2. Note that they were accusing Jesus and not His disciples, because they said, “why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”.

Jesus then answers their question.  “Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?” Luke 6:3-4.  Luke’s use of the verbal form “answering said” indicates that Jesus assumed the responsibility of his disciples’ behavior in answering the criticism of the previous verse.  Jesus recalled an event in David’s life when due to hunger he and his men ate the consecrated sanctuary bread, the bread of the presence. The account in 1 Samuel 21:1–6 does not mention that this took place on a Sabbath, but the issue was not so much the day or the need but Jesus’ authority, which extends over even the Sabbath. If David was free of the restraints of the law on that occasion, how much more is the Son of Man.

And now to our focus verse.  “And He was saying to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5. By what authority does Jesus violate the prohibition or order of Sabbath convention and presume to redefine it? The answer is given in the pronouncement of our focus verse.  True lordship over Sabbath is invested in the Son of Man. If, as we have seen in Genesis, Sabbath was grounded in creation and was the most distinctive characteristic in Judaism, it is inconceivable that Jesus or any other rabbi would declare human supremacy over it. It is not given to a mere human to supersede an order of creation.  This can only be done by God Himself, the one who instituted the Sabbath. “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 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 2:1-3. 

God instituted the Sabbath, and Jesus expressly claims preeminence over Sabbath!  We read what the Sabbath is and how it is to be observed in Exodus. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 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 20:8-11. The purpose of the Sabbath, as originally intended by God, cannot be understood by Moses, and especially not by the rabbinic tradition subsequent to Moses, but only by Jesus, the Son of Man and ultimately the Lord of the Sabbath.

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

Luke 4:12

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:12 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” – Luke 4:12  

Now we move on to the final temptation Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve”, Satan led Jesus to Jerusalem. “And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU, and, ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.” Luke 4:9-11.  Satan starts this temptation as he did the first of the three here in Luke with, “If you are the Son of God”. He was again trying to get Jesus to fall for this idea of showing who He actually was.  However, it is a bit different from the other two because in this one, Satan quotes scripture to Jesus.  “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, Lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12. 

Theologian Robert H. Stein says this about Satan using these verses.  “Even the devil can quote Scripture, and here he sought to support his challenge to Jesus from the Scripture itself. Defeated by Jesus’ use of the Word of God in the previous two temptations, the devil sought to use the Scriptures for his own purposes. There is no evidence that which the devil quoted was interpreted messianically in Judaism; but if the psalm states a truth concerning any believer, how much more is this true of the Messiah. Yet knowing Scripture is not enough; one must interpret it correctly.”

Now Jesus’ response is strong with this reference of Himself as The Lord your God. “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” Luke 4:12.  Jesus here is quoting from Deuteronomy, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16. And what happened in Massah? 

“Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Exodus 17:1-2. They were thirsty, and they wondered why no water was provided to them.  In fact, in verse 7 we read, “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.  Jesus uses the example of when Israel was camping at Rephidim and was thirsty for there was no water to drink.  So, they tested the Lord by asking if He was with them or not.  The test was that if He was there among them, why is He not providing for their needs.  And because they put God to the test, the name of this place became Massah, meaning ‘temptation’ because it was there Israel tempted God.

I have heard people do this on many occasions, saying ‘If God truly loves me He will do this”, or “If He exists He will keep me from all trials”.  He never promised we would not have trials, but He did promise great things if we persevere. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. Therefore, I call on everyone reading this not to test Him, but to trust Him.  He said He would always be with us who are believers. “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. And He always keeps His promises.

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

Luke 4:8

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:8 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” – Luke 4:8

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at another mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Now we move on to the second of the final three temptations Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan that man does not live on bread alone, he proceeded to the next temptation. “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:5-7. In this temptation, Satan seduces Jesus to worship him, and if He does He will give Him all the kingdoms of the world to reign over.  He essentially promised Him authority and power over all this world.  He claims he has the authority to give it to Jesus for it was given to him thus giving him the right to give it to anyone he wants to. 

Now there are various references to Satan having authority over this world.  Jesus declares him at one point to be the ruler.  “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” John 12:31. However, there is something interesting about this verse.  Satan is the ruler, but only because man has rejected the true ruler, and God has been patient in this matter.  But a time will come when he is ‘cast out’.  His kingdom will be destroyed and his reign will cease. And the one who will reign will be Jesus.  And this leads us to another interesting thought.  What Satan was offering Jesus was something Jesus would attain anyway, but with one caveat. He must die for the sins of the people.  Therefore, what Satan was offering was what Jesus would attain anyway, but He would receive it then, without the need to die.  All He would need to do was worship him. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:7.

However, Jesus replied with the following in our focus verse.  “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.“ Luke 4:8.  We see this verse also in the Old Testament. “then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13.  In this verse, Moses was telling the people that when they enter into the promised and they into great cities they did not build, where they have all good things,   where they have vineyards and olive trees they did not plant, but God provided for them.  When all these things happen, they must remember this is a gift from God, and they must remember and worship Him only in all things.   

What Jesus was telling Satan was that no matter what He was offered, He would not agree to this horrible proposal.  Only the Lord God, His Father was to be worshipped, no matter what anyone or anything offers.  And no other thing or person is to be worshipped because He is God Almighty. Theologian Peter Lange put it this way. “The Lord does not only publicly express the monotheistic principle, but shows at the same time that He will rather dispense with all the kingdoms of the world, however by right they belong to Him, than obtain them in an unlawful way.”

And this should be our way as well. Satan can and does offer us things if we, not necessarily worship him, but turn our worship and devotion away from the true God of the Heavens.  If we see anything in our life as more important or desirable than God, have we not done the same thing?  In today’s world, people and organizations are enticing us to turn to them and away from God to meet our wants and needs.  They promise much but we must not give in.  God has promised us eternal life with Him in a new heaven and earth.  All they can offer is something in this life, but in the end may deny us the eternal life promised by God.  I want to encourage us all to look to God for our needs and good desires, for He is the source of life, both now and in eternity to come.  “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34.

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

Psalm 100:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 100:1 

“Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.” – Psalm 100:1  

The key theme of Psalm 100 is that the Lord’s great and good attributes and actions deserve joyful worship by all humans. This psalm calls on the universal audience of people in the whole earth  to serve the Lord as their God because he has created them and he cares for them with his faithful love and faithfulness. Isaiah has a similar idea in chapter 56. “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, everyone who keeps from profaning the sabbath, And holds fast My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Isaiah 56:6-7.

God is calling all people to worship Him.  Note the last three words in our focus verse, ‘all the earth’.  The Lord here is presented as the only God worthy of worship not just by Israel, but all nations; everyone on the earth.  The first two verses are a call to praise the Lord, which in the Hebrew is yehôvâh, which does not refer to any god but the true God, Jehovah, or Yahweh.  “A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.  Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.” Psalm 100:1-2.  When we serve Him, which has the meaning of worship, it should be done exuberantly, with great joy and gladness.  The Hebrew word for gladness here is śimchâh which has the idea of joy, mirth, pleasure, and gaiety. We can also worship Him as we see in Psalm 2. “Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”  Psalm 2:11-12.  But here in our focus verse, it is with joyfulness and thanksgiving.

Then, in verse 3 we see the reason for this praise. “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3.  Our God is the only God.  He made us, not ourselves or anything else.  And we are His people.  It is evident that the Lord who created humans also cares for them as his flock and that what the Lord has done in shepherding Israel he also does for all the earth, because he has always had a mission that encompasses the whole earth. “For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice.” Psalm 95:8.  And He will bless those who bless His people. “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3.

We are called to praise and be thankful to Him.  “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.” Psalm 100:4.  God has given us so much.  He meets all our needs and we are, therefore, to give Him honor and give ourselves completely to Him.  And the reason for this praise and worship due Him?  “For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:5.  We are called to give Him all praise and glory we can muster.  For He is good, and He loves us beyond our understanding.  He is a faithful in all things, to all generations. This is essentially Hesed, which denotes the limitless nature of grace and divine mercies. There is no limit to His goodness and mercy, and there is no way we, as His children, cannot be thankful for the mercy and grace He has shown to us.

And because of all this in Psalm 100, we must show our gratefulness to Him because He has provided a way for us to be His children, for He sent His Son Jesus to die for us to pay the penalty for our sins.  C.S. Lewis put it so well in his book ‘Mere Christianity’, where he said, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”  Without this, our fate was sealed in eternal torment.  He provided a way for all to have a glorious and beautiful eternal life with Him, and all we need to do is believe and accept this work He did for us.  And this is why He deserves joyous and exuberant praise and worship from all the people on earth.

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

Psalm 2:7

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 2:7 

“I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.” – Psalm 2:7 

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies which foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

One title given to Psalm 2 is “The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed”.  And I like this title, for it speaks of the reign of the coming Messiah.  Starting in verse one we read, “Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed: Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” Psalm 2:1-3. God here is essentially asking a rhetorical question, for the answer was clear.  The nations have no reason to rage against God, but they do.  They desire to live as they want, not the way God desires them to.  They desire complete control and want nothing to do with the Lord or His Anointed. They wish to break the bonds, those being the laws and requirements of God.  Total control and power for themselves was their goal, as pointed out by God.

Then in verses 4-5 we see God’s response.  “He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury:” Psalm 2:4-5.  He laughs because He sits in the heavens and rules over all creation, which basically is all that exists. There is nothing they can do to stop His plans.  But they desire not to be under His authority.  And then He says that He has already set up a king to rule overall, and He has established Him in Zion, which is  Jerusalem. Then we hear the words of the prophesied Messiah, where He declares the words of the Father, “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.” Psalm 2:7.  Here, the Father has declared that the Messiah would enter the world.  And we see this coming to pass in the Gospel of Luke as spoke to Mary by an angel. “And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:30-33.

And the final verses speak of the Father giving the nations to Him and will do what is necessary to punish those who do not follow Him. And He will call on the nations to submit themselves to Him.   “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware. Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:9-12. 

This is the King that was born in Bethlehem and the reason for our celebration of this wonderful day.  There is nothing wrong with exchanging gifts while gathering with friends and family to eat together.  But look at the reason for this.  The birth of the everlasting King who will reign for ever with no end.  And He provides the means for us to be citizens in this kingdom through His death, burial, and resurrection.  Take time this Christmas to thank Him for doing what we could not do.  And contemplate what this eternal life will be like.  “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, these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.

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

Isaiah 29:13

Verse of the Day Devotion Isaiah 29:13 

“Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.” –  Isaiah 29:13

In Isaiah 29, Isaiah is prophesying against Jerusalem and, by extension, the rest of Judah. He predicts judgment on the kingdom due to their sin, judgment that will come through invading armies.  “And I will camp against you encircling you, And I will set siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you. Then you shall be brought low; From the earth you shall speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate, Your words shall come. Your voice shall also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech shall whisper from the dust.“ Isaiah 29:3-4. However, the prophet also affirms that God is incredibly graceful and will restore Judah after bringing justice upon their enemies. “But the multitude of your enemies shall become like fine dust, And the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; And it shall happen instantly, suddenly.” Isaiah 29:5.

In the middle of Isaiah’s prophecy, he diagnoses Judah’s problem of hypocrisy, which is bringing about their judgment: “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,” Isaiah 29:13. In essence, while the Israelites were saying the right things, their hearts were far from God.

And unfortunately, they continued this during the time of Jesus.  “And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”  Mark 7:6-7.  Jesus, here, quotes this verse in an important confrontation with the Pharisees. They, too, had hearts far from God. The Pharisees pretended to care about God’s law by following outward acts like handwashing, but they did not care about God on the inside. When they met God in the person of Jesus, they tried to kill Him!  Then Jesus scathingly summarized their heart condition: “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mark 7:8. The Pharisees still did religious things but had forgotten the reasons behind their actions. They said the right things, but their hearts were far from God.

As Christians, we are tempted to do the same as the hypocritical Israelites. Sometimes, it is easy to maintain the outward appearance of obedience to God by following a set of rules yet lack any real relationship with God in our hearts. We can sing the worship and praise songs without focusing on who we are worshipping and praising. We end up going through the motions without growing in love for God or for others. We might faithfully go to church every Sunday but ignore God the rest of the week. Like the Pharisees and the ancient Israelites, faking it is not spiritually healthy, and it will eventually catch up with us.  The idea is that it is more important why we do something rather than what we do.  Two people can be singing at the same time with clapping and joy, but only one may be glorifying God while doing it.

Our focus verse is a stark reminder that rules and rituals, by themselves, cannot please God. God wants true righteousness and with that, true worship. God wants us to love Him and our fellow man with everything we are. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:30-31.  And finally, God tells us what He desires from us.  “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6.  Therefore, we must examine why we obey God.  Is it because we want to follow the rules, or that we want to show are love to Him.  If it is the latter, then our heart is part of our time with God.

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

1 Corinthians 15:57

Verse of the Day Devotion 1 Corinthians 15:57 

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” –  1 Corinthians 15:57

Through this week we will be looking at verses in the scriptures that speak of thankfulness to our God that is due to Him.  And our focus verse today is, “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Paul here in this chapter describes the greatest thing we have to be thankful for.  Paul starts here with the truth regarding the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.  He died for us because we could not save ourselves. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:8-10.

Now this resurrection has proof through the many who saw Christ after His death on the cross and His ultimate burial.  Paul states He first appeared to Peter, then to the other disciples.  Afterwards, He appeared to five hundred other brethren.  And finally, after His ascension He appeared to Paul and his companions on the road to Damascus. And at this time, only to Paul for those with Paul only heard Him. Then Paul asks a very important question, for there were many who did not believe in a resurrection. “Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” 1Corinthians 15:12-14.  Paul is saying here that if there is no resurrection, as some preach, then Jesus Himself has not been raised.  Thus, our faith along with the words we preach, would be worthless.  But he adds to this, “Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.” 1 Corinthians 15:15.  He tells them anyone who preaches the resurrection would be considered false witnesses of the truth of the Christ.  And what is the ultimate ending if there is no resurrection? “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:18-19.

But there is a resurrection. “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.  And what is incredible is, eventually all of us who believe Christ and are true Christians and have died, will experience a resurrection as well. What God has for us will be amazing and bring us unimaginable joy. “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-56. 

What he is saying here is that not all of us, true Christians, will die and experience the resurrection, but we all will be changed from perishable to an imperishable people. And when this happens, we will see the saying that is found in Isaiah “And the LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering, which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:6-9.  The basic idea written here in Isaiah is that when He comes back, He will have a time of celebration with His people by way of a lavish banquet.  He will remove the coverings which is expressive of, as said by Theologian Albert Barnes and others, “the ignorance, superstition, crime, and wretchedness that covered the earth.”    He will swallow up death eternally and will wipe tears away from all the faces of His people, as well as the reproach of His people from all the earth. And note what the people say. “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9.

This is what is denoted as the victory of the saints in our focus verse. “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57.  All true Christians will rejoice when this day comes. The victory is over sin, death, and the grave. God alone is the author of this victory. He formed the plan; he executed it in the gift of his Son; and he gives it to us personally when we come to die. We should now give thanks to God for this victory which we did not earn but is a free gift from God who provided it to us who believe in Jesus and what His death, burial, and resurrection provided. Christ died for us, to pay the penalty for ‘our’ sins, and thus be as one who did not sin.  This is definitely a reason to give Him all our thanks and adoration we can.  So, let us give Him, during this time of Thanksgiving, all the thanks and glory for His love for us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should 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.

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

Psalm 136:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 136:1 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” – Psalm 136:1  

Through this week we will be looking at verses in the scriptures that speak of thankfulness to our God that is due to Him.  And our focus verse today is, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136:1. 

Psalm 136 is an interesting and unique chapter in that all twenty-six verses end with the same phrase: ‘For His Lovingkindness is Everlasting’.  To give thanks because God’s steadfast love endures forever is to render joyous praise to God because we are forever supported and held by arms that are both loving and faithful, because in what matters most, our future is not at all unknown. We are kept by God’s goodness tor us, by God’s enduring, unfailing love, and that can be counted upon. 

Then in the next two verses we see statements of the greatness of this God we are to give thanks to.  He is the ‘God of Gods’, meaning the supreme God; the God superior to all that is called God, or that is adored by the nations of the earth; above all to whom the name God is ever applied.  And He is the ‘Lord of Lords’, The Lord or Ruler of all in authority – all kings, princes, and rulers. He is supreme overall. This is an attribute of Divinity, which is also ascribed to the Lord Jesus, thus proving that he is divine. Jesus is referred to as Lord of Lords.  “And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” + “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Revelation 19:11, 16.

Now, the cause for praise begins by extolling the acts of the Lord in creation.  Remember, at the end of each verse David says, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

  • “To Him who alone does great wonders,” Psalm 136:4.
  • “To Him who made the heavens with skill,” Psalm 136:5.
  • “To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,” Psalm 136:6.
  • “To Him who made the great lights,” Psalm 136:7.
  • “The sun to rule by day,” Psalm 136:8.
  • “The moon and stars to rule by night,” Psalm 136:9.

Then David moves to God’s acts in History.

  • “To Him who smote the Egyptians in their first-born” Psalm 136:10. 
  • “And brought Israel out from their midst” Psalm 136:11.
  • “With a strong hand and an outstretched arm” Psalm 136:12. 
  • “To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder” Psalm 136:13. 
  • “And made Israel pass through the midst of it” Psalm 136:14. 
  • “But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea” Psalm 136:15. 
  • “To Him who led His people through the wilderness” Psalm 136:16. 
  • “To Him who smote great kings” Psalm 136:17. 
  • “And slew mighty kings” Psalm 136:18. 
  • “Sihon, king of the Amorites” Psalm 136:19. 
  • “And Og, king of Bashan” Psalm 136:20. 
  • “And gave their land as a heritage” Psalm 136:21.
  • “Even a heritage to Israel His servant” Psalm 136:22.

And finally, David moves to God’s acts in in recent experiences.

  • “Who remembered us in our low estate,” Psalm 136:23.
  • “And has rescued us from our adversaries,” Psalm 136:24.
  • “Who gives food to all flesh,” Psalm 136:25.

Let us read through these incredible works God did for His people.  But also make a list of what God has done for people today, and more specifically what God has done for us.  Give thanks to Him for everything, including those things He has not done, for He knows what is best for us all, which means what we desire may not be what is best for us.  And always remember the last verse in this chapter.  “Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136:26.

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

Psalm 7:17

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 7:17  

“I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” – Psalm 7:17  

Through this week we will be looking at verses in the scriptures that speak of thankfulness to our God that is due to Him.  And our focus verse today is, “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17.

We read in verse one the following. “A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite. O Lord my God, in Thee I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, lest he tear my soul like a lion, dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.” Psalm 7:1-2.  First, let us look at what a Shiggaion is.  This denotes a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion; a song of impassioned imagination accompanied with suitable music; a wild and passionate writing. 

He is under strong persecution by those who pursue him which speaks of his enemies.  And he cries out to God saying that he takes refuge in Him asking that God would save Him.  He then goes on to say, “O LORD my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands, If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.” Psalm 7:3-5.  It appears that he was falsely accused of something he did not do. He then cries out to God saying if He did do what he was accused of then let his enemy overtake him. 

Then he prays that God will vindicate him for he is innocent.  “Arise, O LORD, in Thine anger; Lift up Thyself against the rage of my adversaries and arouse Thyself for me; Thou hast appointed judgment. And let the assembly of the peoples encompass Thee; And over them return Thou on high. The LORD judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.  let the evil of the wicked come to an end but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.” Psalm 7:6-9.  David calls on God to arise and make it known what really happened. He is saying Your own people who compass your  altar, the faithful of the land, are full of gloomy apprehensions. They hear the charges against me; and see how I am persecuted. Their minds are divided; they know not what to think. For their sakes, return and ascend to the judgment-seat; and let them see, by the dispensations of your providence, who is innocent and who is guilty. David feared not to make this appeal to God; for the consciousness of his innocence showed him at once how the discrimination would be made.

He then states that he lays everything in God’s hands. “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.” Psalm 7:10.  He trusted in God, knowing He would protect him and deliver him from his troubles. And because of all this, He gives thanks in our focus verse.  “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17.  David says that because of all this, he will give thanks to God. That is, particularly as manifested in the treatment of the righteous and the wicked, protecting the one, and bringing deserved punishment upon the other. The purpose of the psalm is to show this. In the course of the psalm the author had declared his full conviction that this was the character of God, and now, in view of this, he says that he will render to him the praise and glory which such a character deserves. He will acknowledge him by public acts of praise as such a God; and will at all times ascribe these attributes to him. 

And I want to encourage all Christians to be thankful in all times, no matter how difficult things appear to be.  Nothing is too difficult for God; therefore we need to trust Him. “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. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”  Romans 8:28-30.

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

Isaiah 55:8

Verse of the Day Devotion Isaiah 55:8 

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.” – Isaiah 55:8

Our focus verse addresses the idea that we as mankind are absolutely different from God.  This, along with verse nine show just how much we differ, in everything.  Let us go back one verse and take a look at our major difference. “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7. Here we see the distinct difference between the two: man’s sinfulness and God’s compassion.

Just how different are God’s thoughts and ways from those of people on earth?  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9. Notice the link here.  His thoughts are above our thoughts, and His ways are above our ways.  And this contrast between God and mankind is compared to the distance between the heavens and the earth.  Just to give some context Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our solar system is located 25 trillion miles away.  It takes light just over four years to reach earth.  Now this may seem like a large distance, however, the next closest sun-like star is actually three times farther then Alpha Centauri.  Thus, it would take twelve years to arrive.  And these are but two stars.  When we look into the sky at night, we see an incredible number of stars which are but a tiny percentage of all the stars in the heavens.  And many of the stars are so far away we will never see the light from them.

Now this is a huge distance between the heavens and the earth. Such a comparison might make one wonder if there is anything that is similar between the thoughts of God and the common man. Surely there are few similarities between God and the wicked, but there are some similarities between the righteous believer who reads or hears about God’s thoughts and ways and attempts to live a life consistent with God’s instructions. Nevertheless, even with these few similarities with the righteous, it is not hard to accept the idea that God’s plans and purposes are exceedingly higher than anything the smartest righteous person has ever thought or imagined. But is this text referring to all God’s thoughts and plans or to a specific topic? Since nothing specific is mentioned, one could suggest that this is a broad principle that applies to all areas of life and thinking. Yet the contextual reference to God’s compassion and forgiveness of sins as seen above in verses 6-7 indicates that the divine plan of redemption is the supreme example of God’s higher thoughts and ways. Some people have a hard time being compassionate toward good people, and most find it hard to be merciful to extremely wicked people. Most people have difficulty truly forgiving those who wrong them, but God is willing to love the most unlovely and ungodly, even forgive those who do unforgivable evil against others and blaspheme the name of God, if they come to Him and truly repent.

We who are followers of God must strive to live as He desires us to live.  We will never, in all ways, think like He thinks or make His ways our ways.  Yes, the point here is to assert that the ways of iniquity and wickedness are to be rejected precisely because they are not God’s ways does not rule out the recognition that forgiveness and pardon are not normally human thoughts and ways either.  “Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not right. Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. But the house of Israel says, The way of the Lord is not right. Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?” Ezekiel 18:25-29. 

But we can, and must, make it our goal to move in that direction.  When we are truly saved it is important that we make His ways our ways.  “The one who says, I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” 1 John 2:5-6. Let us all strive to walk as He walked, loving all people no matter how they treat us, and do all He has called us to do.  We may fail at times but knowing He will forgive us gives us the opportunity to grow in His ways and become more like Christ day by day.  

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