Category: Devotionals

Is your prosperity getting in the way of praising God for His provision?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Ps 30:4–12)

Context

These verses indicate that David was well off. After all, he was the king of Israel. His kingdom was rich and blessed in many different ways. The things his hands touched prospered. In his life of ease, he forgot about the Lord. He thought his possessions, money, kingdom, and military was all he needed for success. But this was not so. The reason he had what he had was because of the hand of the Lord.

Pride = The Lord’s Discipline

As a result of his pride, David faced the discipline of the Lord (Ps. 30:7). God hid His face from him. In other words, He removed His blessing and protection. Eventually, through the Lord’s discipline, David realized his sin, repented, cried to the Lord for mercy, and was restored (Ps. 30:8-10).

For Us

David teaches us a valuable lesson, especially those of us that live in Western Christendom. We are a prosperous nation and people by all account. Many of us don’t want for anything. We are successful. Live in nice houses, drive nice cars, and have a good paying job that provides well for our family. We are able to take vacations every year, entertain our families every weekend, and enroll our children in extracurricular activities throughout the year. We are a prosperous people.

While it is okay to enjoy the Lord’s blessings, we go wrong, just like David, when we begin to trust in our prosperity instead of the Lord. When things are going well, it’s easy to forget God is the One who provides everything we have. Sometimes it takes God removing His hand of blessing from our life in order for us to realize that He is the One who prosperous us instead of ourselves.

May we always remember the reason we have what we have is because of the Lord’s blessings on our lives. When we forget that all important trust and begin to trust in ourselves, may we be quick to repent of our pride and turn to worship the Lord for His abundant grace, mercy, and provision.

Question for Reflection

  1. Is your prosperity getting in the way of praising God for His provision?

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What are the Benefits of Those Who Fear the Lord?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals2 Comments

We are told in Proverbs 1:7 that:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; 
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

What does it mean to fear the Lord?

Fearing the Lord means that we have a certain awe and respect for God, which arises from recognizing our place in the universe. No matter what psychology says, we are not the center that everything and everyone should revolve around. God is at the center because He is the Creator and subsequent owner of all creation. We are His.

When we recognize God’s power, glory, and creative genius, we should be driven to wonder, amazement, and a deep respect for God. Instead of worshipping self or creation, we should worship the Lord. Instead of trying to do things on our own, thinking we know best, we should seek the Lord and His Word because we know He knows best, and when we live according to His design things go well.

The Benefits of those who Fear the Lord

The Psalmist, building on the idea from Proverbs, enumerates the benefits of those who fear the Lord in Psalm 25.

(1) His guilt is pardoned, and he no longer has to fear the Lord’s wrath (11).

(2) He receives the Lord’s instruction, telling him how he should live (12).

(3) His soul is at ease. Worry, stress, and, at times, even the hardship of life are not present (13a).

(4) His children will inherit the land promised by the Lord because the father’s actions don’t result in discipline. By the hand of the Lord, He dwells securely in the land and his children are able to inherit that same land (13b).

(5) He will receive the counsel of a friend from the Lord (14a).

(6) God’s covenant faithfulness is made known to him (14b).

(7) He will be rescued from his enemies by the strong hand of the Lord (15).

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you fear the Lord?
  2. Do you recognize the benefits of fearing Him?

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Preach the Gospel for a Changed Nation

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” (Ps 24:1–2)

The Sovereignty of God

The Psalmist tells us that God is sovereign over all creation. God’s sovereignty stems from His ownership. The heavens, the earth, and all that dwell within were created by God and are now sustained by Him.

Foreign Concept

God as Creator and sovereign Lord is a foreign concept for most. One that is rejected by our culture, which is why our nation is in the state it is in. When we reject the Creator and His design for how we are to live, we will suffer the consequences (Rom 1).



What’s Needed for Change

A revival of the idea that God is Creator and Sovereign Lord over all is what is needed for this nation to get back on track, not the right political candidate or governmental program. I say that because recognizing those things about God will cause us once again to live according to His design and plan, which is what our country was founded on, and it is what our country needs to be great again. So instead of preaching your favorite political candidate or governmental program, preach the gospel to your neighbor. It is the only thing that will change their heart and mind. It is the only thing that will cause them to see God for who He is – Our Creator and Sovereign Lord. So preach the gospel, it is the only thing that will bring about the change we desire.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you believe the gospel has the power to change our nation?

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Praise the Lord’s Deliverance

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.” (Ps 22:25–28)

When the Lord delivers us in some way, whether it be from an enemy, financial or health crisis, or a difficult time, we should praise the Lord. One way we can praise this Lord is by proclaiming His name to those in our own church, neighborhood, work place, and to the nations, calling all peoples to worship and seek Him.

The Lord is a loving and powerful God. He cares for His children and He desires to answer their prayers. Not only does the Lord desire to answer your prayer, but He is powerful enough to actually answer them. He is the King over all the nations.

Turn to the Lord in your time of need. Call out to Him. When He answers your prayer, praise His name to those around you so that their faith in the Lord will grow as well.

Question for Reflection

  1. When is the last time you praised the Lord for prayer He has answered?

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This World is Heaven to the Non-believer

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O Lord, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.” (Ps 17:13–14)

Those who don’t follow the Lord only have this life. There is nothing better for them. The world in which we live now is their heaven because the world to come will literally be their hell.

Our World

When we consider the world in which we live, we know that this is not heaven. Murder, rape, war, genocide, disease, and death occur every day somewhere in this world, if not in our own backyard. As we witness these atrocious acts, everything inside of us screams for something better. The secularist tries to bring that better world into existence by exercising political power, social pressure, and legislative change. But the world for which we long can’t be brought about in these ways. In fact, the world for which we long will never exist this side of Jesus’ return because the world in which we live is corrupted by sin.

Our Hope

At Jesus’ return, however, He will deal a final blow to sin, and He will eventually usher in the new heavens and new earth. Then, and only then, will this world be free from sin, and, subsequently, free from the corruption of sin (Rev 21). Because Jesus is reconciling all things to Himself through the blood of His cross we can experience the world for which we long (Col 1:20).

Only for the Christian

But the world for which we long is only for the Christian. It is only for those like David who submit themselves to God and live according to God’s will (Ps 17:3-5). It is only for those who have turned to Jesus as Lord and Savior. If that is not you, then this world is your portion, it is your heaven, it is all you have to look forward to.

Question for Reflection

  1. Have you repented of your sins and turned to Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

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How to Continue as Salt and Light in a Corrupt Society

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

“In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” (Ps 11:1–7)

David wrote this Psalm when Saul was seeking his life (1 Sam. 19). Knowing that Saul had a hit out on David, led David’s friends to tell him to flee to the mountains. It was his only hope of safety. The society was corrupt. The judges in the king’s pocket. Everyone was against David and out for his life. If he wanted to survive, he needed to leave and never come back.

Against all odds and in the face of great danger, David did the opposite. He didn’t leave, instead, he stayed. The reason was because he took refuge in God, trusting that His righteous judgment would prevail.

We too should trust in the Lord, even though our society is trending more and more liberal and anti-Christian. Even though the foundations are being destroyed (becoming lawless under lawless leaders), we can stay and not flee. No matter what men do, our God still sits on His throne in heaven and judges the evil in our world. We don’t have to flee or hold up by ourselves. We can confidently be salt and light in a godless society, trusting the Lord to care for us even if men are out to get us.

Admittedly, this is easier said than done, but our God is great. He is the Creator of the heavens and earth. He is the just Judge who reigns over all, and nothing happens outside of His control. We should, then, place our faith and trust in Him, running to Him as our refuge.

Question for Reflection

  1. Is God your refuge?

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