SPEAKING THE TRUTH

Daniel 11:1–12:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:1–18; Job 42:10–17 “And now I will reveal the truth to you” (Dan 11:2). How much better would our world be if more of us were willing to take this kind of stand—to make these kinds of statements? The truth Daniel refers to are the prophecies foretelling what will happen in the Persian Empire. Great power and wealth are coming, and with them comes the fear of how that power and wealth may be used. If we read between the lines of the prophet’s statements in Dan 11, we can feel the trepidation. He is concerned that wickedness will once again sweep over the land. Such was the case for Paul: “Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may progress and be honored … and that we may be delivered from evil and wicked people, for not all have the faith” (2 Thess 3:1–2). Paul was aware that unbelievers would seek his life. He wasn’t sure what the future would look like. We can imagine the fear that he must have felt, wondering, “What is next? What is coming? Who is my friend? Who is my enemy?” If you have ever been in a situation where it seems you have more enemies than friends, you know that speaking the truth becomes increasingly difficult over time. The prophecies in Dan 11 suggest a time like this, and Paul’s words tell us that life for the early Christians was uncertain. Many Christians today lead relatively safe and easy lives. For Christians in some parts of the world, though, Paul’s situation is far too familiar. But no matter our present situation, we must boldly speak the truth. What is God asking you to say? JOHN D. BARRY John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

PREVENTING DESIRE

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4–5 So many things in our evil society attempt to capture our attention: movies, television, books, music, clothing, advertisements, and now the Internet—all designed to capture the emotions. For example, advertising executives know that buying is ultimately an emotional decision. Few people know or even care about the mechanics of the car being advertised, yet they are impressed if it looks like a race car, or if a pretty girl is behind the wheel, or if other kinds of emotional bait are included in the ad. We need to guard our minds, emotions, and wills. We need to seek God’s will by meditating on His Word and letting His will become ours. An unprotected, uncontrolled, and unyielded mind is going to be filled with evil desires that will result in evil deeds. We must control how our emotions and minds respond to the tempting bait they encounter. John MacArthur, Truth for Today : A Daily Touch of God’s Grace (Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2001), 326.

THE BIRTH OF SIN

When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, brings forth death. JAMES 1:15 Most people think of sin as an individual act or behavior. But today’s verse says that sin is not an act; it is the result of a process. Sin starts with desire, which is related to emotion. It begins when you desire to be satisfied by acquiring something, when you have an emotional longing to possess what you see. Temptation then affects your mind through deception. You begin to justify and rationalize your right to possess what you desire. Your mind is deceived into believing that fulfilling your lust will satisfy you and meet your needs. Next, your will begins to plot how you’re going to get what you want, and when lust is seduced (so to speak) by the baited hook, it becomes pregnant in the womb of a person’s will. Finally, the act of sin occurs. Knowing how sin is born should help you in avoiding temptation. John MacArthur, Truth for Today : A Daily Touch of God’s Grace (Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2001), 324.

RECOGNIZING THE TRAP

Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. JAMES 1:14 Temptation doesn’t come from God but from within. The term drawn away was used in hunting contexts to describe animals being lured into traps, and enticed is a term used to describe catching fish with bait. Every person is tempted when the trap of sin is baited with that which appeals to his lust. A person’s lust responding to enticing bait deceptively draws him away to the point where he is trapped. What pulls us so strongly to the bait? It’s not God. And it’s not Satan, his demons, or the world’s evil system that entice us to sin, although they bait the hook. It is our lustful nature that pulls us to take hold of it. Our flesh, our fallen nature, has a desire for evil. From a spiritual perspective, the problem is that even though we’ve been redeemed and have received a new nature, we still have an enemy within. The resident passion of the flesh, not God, is responsible for our being tempted to sin. John MacArthur, Truth for Today : A Daily Touch of God’s Grace (Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2001), 323.

GOD IS NOT TO BLAME

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. JAMES 1:13 Although some believe in the ancient idea that God is responsible for our temptation and sin, James forbids such a thought in today’s verse. James warns against rationalizing our sin and blaming God in the midst of our battle against temptation. When you are fighting temptation and near to yielding, don’t make the excuse that God is tempting you. Assuming that no one would accuse God of directly causing him to sin, James is saying that we should not even think of God as the ultimate cause of our sins. Most people don’t go as far as to see God as the direct tempter, but they do believe God is indirectly to blame by having permitted the situation and the possibility of failure. But God is not the near agency of temptation, nor is He even its remote cause. Don’t ever look at yourself as a victim of God’s providence. John MacArthur, Truth for Today : A Daily Touch of God’s Grace (Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman, 2001), 322.

TO DO LIST: FEAR GOD

Reflections on Proverbs From the time I was old enough to work an after-school job, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I had a game plan. Star student and valued employee, I closely identified with the Proverbs 31 woman; she embodies the modern-day linchpin concept: goal-setting, prioritizing and productivity. But it wasn’t until I was put out of work due to major surgery that I realized what I didn’t have in common with her. Without a title or task list, I felt all my strength and dignity had been stripped away. But the woman in Proverbs 31 is fearless. She laughs confidently at the days to come. Why? It’s not immediately apparent, but by examining the surrounding context of the passage, I get a sense that her identity isn’t tied to her ability to do. The key to understanding her isn’t found in her multitasking skills or her ability to make a profit (31:18). Rather, it’s found in the closing verses of the chapter: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Prov 31:29–30). “Fearing the LORD” isn’t fear in the way we usually think of it, and it’s not merely obedience. It marks a profound reverence for God that includes knowledge of who he is (1:29; 8:13; 14:26; 19:23). The book of Proverbs begins and ends with this theme, making the Proverbs 31 woman the climactic example of fearing God. I also found that I identified with another biblical woman. Eve is the scriptural antithesis of the Proverbs 31 woman. She sought wisdom and had goals. However, when she was tempted to eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Eve chose to be “wise in [her] own eyes,” something Proverbs warns against (3:7). Rather than depend on God for wisdom, Eve chose wisdom through “pride and arrogance and the way of evil” (8:13). She desired knowledge, but it came from the one she chose to rebel against. Her resulting identity crisis was catastrophic. During those long days after surgery, I recovered more than my health. When I took an honest look at myself and realized I had let my work and accomplishments define me, I recovered my identity as well. I learned more from the Proverbs 31 woman when I didn’t look at her accomplishments or even her wisdom; instead, I looked at the source of her confidence and wisdom, our ultimate example: God. SHERILYN GRANT ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN BIBLE STUDY MAGAZINE MAY–JUNE ‘12 BIBLICAL REFERENCES FROM ESV Sherilyn Grant, “To Do: Fear God,” in Moment with God: A Devotional on Every Biblical Book, ed. John D. Barry and Rebecca Van Noord (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

INCHING TOWARD GOD

Reflections on the Psalms I have had seasons of great joy and delight in God, as well as seasons of unrelenting sorrow—times when God seemed silent and hidden in the midst of distressing circumstances and loss. We would love to think that following God is nothing but going from one degree of glory to the next (2 Cor 3:18), but this often does not feel like the case. For those of us with access to the Bible, God is never truly silent or hidden. Even when our hearts tell us that he is nowhere to be found, his Word tells us otherwise. When we feel distant from God, we can meditate on Psalms 120–134; making it our guide. These psalms can lift us to higher ground (Psa 61:2). These fifteen chapters are called the “Psalms of Ascents” in modern translations, or “Songs of Degrees” in the King James Version. I appreciate both descriptions, because each speaks of a deliberate process of moving further up towards God and further in our relationship with him. Rather than promising a fast fix, these psalms provide a script and context for the journey of patiently pursuing God. For me, emerging out of a season of despair often begins with a fifteen-day-long contemplation of the Songs of Ascents, one chapter for each day. Beginning day one with Psa 120, I find myself relating to the writer at Ground Zero: “In my distress” (Psa 120:1 ESV). Regardless of the writer’s exact circumstances, distress is a universal human condition. We have all been there. “I called to the Lord” (Psa 120:1 ESV). The psalmist invites us to come before God with raw honesty: “Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue” (Psa 120:2 ESV). I am reminded each time I read this passage that there is no point in coming to God any other way. Sometimes we just need to say to God, “Too long have I made my dwelling among those who hate peace” (Psa 120:6 ESV). Psalm 120 is an invitation to dump our burdens, grief, sorrow and distress on God. And “he answered me” (Psa 120:1 ESV). What a beautiful assurance. When we cry out to God, He answers us. When God answers it is not like getting a phone call and immediately recognizing the caller’s voice. Sometimes discerning God’s voice requires patience and faith. On day two, I move onto Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and the earth” (Psa 121:1 ESV). Meditating on the magnitude of God diminishes my problems. God created the heaven and the earth; he can handle this, whatever “this” is. It is a simple truth, but an effective word against my propensity toward soul-sickening anxiety. “My help comes from the LORD.” Period. Sometimes I simply repeat this phrase throughout the day. It always helps. For the two weeks that follow, my days begin with subsequent Songs of Ascents. As I read, I find one phrase to focus on. I jot it down in a journal and then brainstorm around that phrase. My faith is slowing restored as I become immersed in these passages. Perhaps there is no immediate deluge of tears, and maybe I am not thrust into spiritual revival overnight, but day-by-day and chapter-by-chapter, this collection of psalms never fails to help me inch closer to God. CHRISTY TENNANT ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN BIBLE STUDY MAGAZINE SEPT–OCT ‘09 BIBLICAL REFERENCES FROM ESV Christy Tennant, “Inching toward God,” in Moment with God: A Devotional on Every Biblical Book, ed. John D. Barry and Rebecca Van Noord (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).