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It is surprising that things which are clearly stated in the Bible are now up for debate among Christians. In addition, we live in an age that social media has given opportunity for millions of people to have a platform to share their ideas and opinions regardless of their validity and helpfulness to the masses.
We live in a time that it is very difficult to know who is really following Christ or who just has a form of godliness but denying His power to change lives. So how do we respond to people?
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15
The above scripture tells us that the Pharisees derided Jesus.
Deride (Webster’s Dictionary): to talk or write about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way: to say that (someone or something) is ridiculous or has no value
Jesus was derided by the Pharisees; they ignored and criticized His teachings. They also justified themselves among men.
When I look at the landscape of Christianity right now, it seems to me that we can all be guilty of deriding other believers and justifying our own positions. This is a dangerous path that can lead to the disintegration of the unity in the body of Christ and securing a self-righteous position.
I am not for compromise whatsoever. Without the doubt anything that the Bible states clearly, we have not been given permission to dilute or sugarcoat it. However, in some instances it is the issue of how we apply the Word of God rather than the actual scriptures.
In applying the Word of God, we all should be students in the laboratory of life. If we remain teachable and humble, we can learn from each other and from those that we are trying to reach.
As a teacher, I need to know how my students absorb the material and should make an attempt to reach students with different learning modality. One size doesn’t fit all! We all can learn what makes people more receptive to the truth.
Jesus told the Pharisees that they were too busy justifying themselves. We as Christians cannot operate like carnal lawyers whose main goal is to be right. We can win the battle but lose the war. In the process we may gain a momentary satisfaction but lose a relationship with a person because we were too busy justifying our position.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Luke 1:21-25
Zacharias remained mute and his wife became pregnant after the angel’s announcement. After Elizabeth became pregnant, she hid herself for five months. Why now? God had taken her reproach by allowing her to get pregnant. Why would she need to hide herself now!?
When we look at the accounts of various individuals in the Bible, it seems that after God delivered a prophetic word to them, they were sent into hiding for a season. Moses was hidden a couple of times. Joseph was sold into slavery. Esther’s identity was hidden for a purpose. Jesus was hidden by being taken away from danger of being slaughtered as a baby boy.
The season of hiding has a great purpose. This is the season of provision, protection, and preparation. In the season of hiding, we shut the door to distractions, doubt, and opinions of others that are harmful to the work of God!
This reminds of the story of the Elisha and the widow where God’s provision came in a unique way. For details see 2 Kings 4: 1-7. The prophet of God told the widow how she was going to get her provision. She was going to borrow jars from the neighbors and fill them with oil. This caused her to have enough oil to sell, pay off debt, and live off of it.
The widow had to shut the door and do what the prophet told her. She was shutting the door to the naysayers and to doubt. It would have been easy for a neighbor or a friend to stop by and wonder what she was doing with the jars. That provision didn’t make any sense naturally.
Sometimes we need to shut the door to the doubts in our heads. At other times we need to shut the door to trying to explain to others what God is doing. Sometimes we try to defend our promise or provision from God. It is best to just get alone with God and continue to do what He has asked us to do even when it doesn’t make sense.
Elizabeth remained in hiding for five months and during this time the baby grew. After this period of time, she was able to physically show that she was really pregnant, and it was not just a weight gain or wishful expectation. In those five months, the door was shut to doubt and unbelief until the word of the Lord took root in her and showed to the world that God’s promise was true!
Sometimes our environment causes discouragement. Our family members and friends may not have the clarity or the conviction about what God is doing in our lives. Has the Lord asked you to shut the door to anything that denies His work in you? Let’s choose today to shut the door and remain in faith. We can choose to continue to nurture and trust His word in us regardless of who/what is around us.
How would you respond if the Lord spoke to you today about something you had been praying about for years!? Would you receive it with hope and expectation or doubt and uncertainty?
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” Luke 1:11-20
Zacharias was met by the angel Gabriel while burning incense at the temple.The angel told him that God had heard his prayer. The angel announced that he and his wife were going to have a son. This child was going to be the forerunner to the Messiah. However Zacharias didn’t believe the angel because he and Elizabeth were old.
We have a tendency to pray like Zacharias did. At first we have great faith, and we are hoping and believing God for it. However, over the years, our prayers change faces a few times. We eventually come to the place that we either stop praying about it or our prayers are monotonous and obligatory. Over time, we lose hope that anything is going to change. Truth be told, at the beginning we saw ourselves capable of helping God, so we were more hopeful. Now that the years have passed, our faith in this area has gone by the wayside right along with our ability, energy, and stamina.
Zacharias became mute at one of the most crucial times in his life because he didn’t believe. The people were waiting outside to hear the news of his special experience of burning incense, but he could not speak to them at all. Zacharias lost the opportunity to tell people of the greatness of God and his amazing angelic visitation!
When we begin to doubt, we become mute in the spirit. We can’t speak boldly for God. Our faith can’t stir up someone else’s faith. We may even say the right words, but the power and the passion aren’t there because we don’t believe the words we are sharing with others.
Praise God that Elizabeth’s conception didn’t depend on Zacharias faith level; it only depended on God, and so she conceived. We have faith in a God who is unchanging and faithful. His promises are yes and amen. Our faith doesn’t make Him faithful; it just causes us to have peace and joy in times of uncertainty.
The Lord is blowing fresh winds of change, and He wants us to believe that things are going to change. Let’s partner with Him today and take Him at His word!
Thank you Lord for the change of seasons, and for your plans and purposes. Forgive us when we have doubted you. We choose to believe you and remain faithful to you!
What is your response to barrenness?
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. Luke 1:5-7
The scripture tells us that both Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth were righteous people and walked with God blamelessly. However, they had no children, and now they were advanced in years.
I wonder if Zechariah and Elizabeth had stopped praying for children because they were now too old. The scripture doesn’t state that God had promised a child to them as He did to Abraham and Sara. What would have been the point of hoping for something that was not necessarily promised to them!?
Children have always been considered a blessing and a reward for a righteous person especially in that era and culture. Elizabeth must have felt the shame of being barren while living righteously.
People, generally have different reactions/thoughts to these tough situations. One response could be, “Why has God cursed this couple for not having children? What did they do wrong? Do they have secret sin?”. Another response could be, “Is God just and fair? Will He bless them somehow? Is He trustworthy?”.
Are there areas in your life that are barren? Have you wondered, “What is wrong with me?”. Have you stopped hoping or praying because it seems too late? Do you believe God for others but not for your own situation?
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. Joel 2:26
I love this scripture! It is full of hope and expectation for all of us regardless of the areas of barrenness in our lives! The best response is the response of hope in the midst of not having an answer for all the “why”s.
I have some beautiful friends who have served God faithfully for decades, and they still hope to be married and/or have children. Sometimes, it’s hard to know how to pray for them. The good news is that they have not stopped serving God and walking faithfully with Him. God will still be God. We will not understand everything, but He sees all things including the longing of our hearts.
I will continue with this subject and the life changing experience that Zacharias and Elizabeth encountered in the next devotional.
Zecharias’ life was about to change abruptly. While he was about to do his once in a lifetime priestly duty before God, the Lord had a special meeting planned for him!
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. Luke 1:5-12
Zacharias came from the Levitical priesthood from the line of Abijah. The priesthood was separated into 24 divisions (See 1Chronicles 24:7-17). “A priest served once or twice a year at the temple, and Zacharias may have been one of 18,000 priests who served in a year. However burning incense was something a priest could only do once in his career.” (See Thomas Nelson Study Bible)
How would you like to be used by God or by your church only once or twice a year!? I wonder if that would make ministry more appealing or less appealing!
Burning incense was a once in a lifetime moment for Zacharias. People stood outside while he was in the presence of the Lord (verse 10). Family and friends must have gathered for this special occasion. Besides one’s wedding, what other occasion can be so momentous in one’s life!? There must have been a great sense of wonder and awe in the heart of those who were watching this. Most Israelites and all women would not have experienced this privilege in their entire lives.
The good news is that Jesus’ shed blood did away with all the ceremonial Levitical practices. Now, all of us are called kings and priests to our God. We can come into His presence at any moment of the day and bring our offering of praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to him at any time.
Sometimes because of ease of access, we forget the value of what has been given to us. Do we appreciate coming to the house of God? Do we value serving God? Do we, as an altar worker, recognize the privilege of praying with someone and leading them to Christ? Are we thankful for being used by God to set the captives free?
The Kingdom of God happens in those small and powerful moments that are always available to us! Praise God!
Who will speak up for the right of an unborn baby? Who will stand up for the child whose parents may be at the verge of divorce? Who will support a single mother who needs a place to live but doesn’t have good credit to rent a place? Who will stand up for the man who has been falsely accused? Who speak out against injustice?
Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 (NKJV)
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV)
Speechless (According to Strong’s Dictionary): mute, silent, dumb, unable to speak
There are times in life that God allows us to be speechless. Sometimes we are speechless out of fear of a situation. At other times, we are so appalled by seeing something. If we were to speak about the situation, words of death would come out of our mouths. Sometimes, we are speechless because we have been touched by the majesty of God to such a depth that there are no words to describe it.
There is another type of being speechless which is a state of being. It is the place where someone doesn’t have the power, the position, or the ability to speak for themselves. The above scripture is about King Lemuel ‘s mother instructing her son to handle his kingly duties well.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2
King Lemuel’s mother is encouraging her son to be a righteous king. If he ruled well then people can feel safe and rejoice in their king. If he ruled with cruelty then people would be oppressed to the point of groaning. Kingship is a powerful position which can bring life or death. How it is stewarded is the key to the health of the environment created.
We are called to be kings and priests to our God (Revelation 5:10). As kings we have the privilege and the responsibility to speak up for those who are voiceless and are appointed to die. They may die physically, emotionally, spiritually, or their reputation may be at stake.
Throughout history the leaders who stood out among all others were those who were willing to fight for injustice and the oppressed and not cave in to the status quo of the system.
Jesus spoke up in His time and stood up for those mistreated. An average Israelite was under oppression from both the Roman government as well as their own religious leaders. Many times Jesus challenged the religious establishment because they should have known better.
Who is oppressed among you? Who is poor and needy? Who needs to be reached out to? Whose need should be taken into account when a decision is made that will impact someone greatly? Who needs compassion and empathy instead of judgment? Who has been pushed aside that needs to be reached out to? Who needs to be defended who has been falsely accused?
Self perseveration will cause to be more concerned about being part of the system, and it will lead people to groan. However, if we are willing to stand for the voiceless we may internally groan for a while, but it pleases God and it blesses the people who are oppressed.
Are you willing to speak up for the speechless/voiceless? Count the cost. You will lose some things or people but God is pleased!
Please begin with Part I to see the full picture of this devotional.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:7-8 (KJV)
Sin caused man to run from God rather than to God
Adam & Eve hid behind the trees in the hopes that God would not find them. Did they forget who God is? Didn’t He reach inside Adam and made a woman out of his rib? Is there anything hidden from His sight!? As a result of sin, Adam & Eve’s perspective of God changed, and He was not as powerful in their eyes as He used to be.
Adam & Eve decided to hide themselves amongst the trees which was prophetic of what was to come. God was going to use another tree in the form of the cross to hide man’s sin! The cross made out of a tree was a tool that God used for the punishment and judgment of sin paid in full by Jesus! Thank you Lord!
Sin caused loss of fellowship
Sadly, sin not only made Adam & Eve run from God, but it also made them lose the desire to be in God’s presence and enjoy walking with Him. We may have many aspirations to accomplish things in life, but it in His presence that we gain clarity about our purpose.
When we sin or others sin against it, it seems that our first reaction is to run from God. This is a battle we have to fight and overcome. We need to learn to run to God rather than from God despite of the pain and shame.
Regardless of whether we have sinned or God’s people have sinned against us, it is only in running to Him that we gain clarity about ourselves and our situation. If we run from Him, we will become confused about the truth, and it will lead us to cover our sin or pain with our own ideas. Running to God is always the best strategy!
Concluding this series
In conclusion , the main lesson of the above scriptures is that sin opened man’s eyes to more than he could handle on his own. He realized how much he lacked and tried to compensate for it by self-improvement.
There have been thousands of self-help books written over the years. Self-improvement can take us so far, but it will not give us the most important things which are eternal life, purpose, peace, and joy. Self-improvement never satisfies the inner lack until we receive God’s work through Jesus.
How is your internal world? Would you openly and honestly share your needs with the Lord and wait for His answer to your needs?
Please begin with Part I to see the full picture of this series of devotional.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:7-8 (KJV)
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21 (KJV)
Definitions of words from above scripture according to Strong’s Concordance:
Made themselves: to do, fashion, accomplish, to work, and to produce, to perform
Aprons: girdle, belt
False Identity led to cover up
In order to cover the shame of lack, Adam & Eve made a covering that was like an apron or a belt. The scripture in Ephesians 6:14 tells us:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Truth was their guard, and provided true identity until sin entered the world. Now, they didn’t have the protection of truth guarding their intimate parts, so they had to cover up their new-found false identity!
If we align ourselves with the lies of the enemy, we move away from the protection that truth offers us. Then we are left to fend for ourselves with half-baked ideas, philosophies, and strategies that come short of God’s plan and purpose for our lives.
When the society raises eyebrows against an aberrant behavior, some people choose to call it their identity. They conclude that if they are born with it or their family raised them that way, then they don’t have to take responsibility for their actions. This is just like the apron made by Adam & Eve which was useless to cover their shame and lack.
God, on the other hand, clothe them with skin of an animal signifying of what was to come as a covering for their sin. Sin did a damage that went to the bones and the sinews of man. We are not capable of fixing this terrible condition on our own. That’s why we need Jesus to free us from this terrible and fatal condition and clothe us with His righteousness!
Is there a shame that you have been carrying? Jesus is the one who carried the shame of sin and lack to free us from its bondage. Have you received Jesus’ forgiveness in your life? If you have never made this decision before, today is a good day to do it. At the top of this website, there is an option titled, “Salvation Prayer”. It will give you the prayer and the scriptures you need to make the most important decision of your life!
If you have already received Jesus but are still struggling with shame and lack, sit at His feet today. Let Him show you where you have tried to cover up your shame instead of allowing Him to heal those areas in your life. Sometimes we need a deeper surrender and restoration in our lives.
Please begin with Part I to see the full picture of this series of devotional.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:7-8 (KJV)
Definitions of words from above scripture according to Strong’s Concordance:
Open: open, fountain, or well.
Knew: to become acquainted with
Naked: utterly naked and helpless
Made themselves: to do, fashion, accomplish, to work, and to produce, to perform
Aprons: girdle, belt
Their eyes opened to lack
Adam & Eve’s nakedness became apparent to them when sin entered the world, and now they had to find a solution to their shame of inferiority. Their eyes opened to lack which they were not designed to handle on their own. As a result, they went to work to accomplish and produce something that would make them feel better about themselves and silence the voice of shame and inferiority in their minds.
Sin produced performance
God created Adam & Eve to produce and be fruitful. However, making aprons had nothing to do with God’s purpose and design for them, and it had everything to do with their feeling of inadequacy. Isn’t that what we do?
When we feel inferior, we try to cover it up with doing extra work and performing more, so we can feel good about ourselves. Some hide behind their degrees, others are hiding behind their wealth, titles, fancy clothing, or unhealthy relationships just so they can quiet the inner voice that screams so loudly on the inside.
Sin marred God’s image
In addition to finding out about their inadequacy, Adam & Eve’s view of God changed. Now they were afraid of Him not out of honor but out of fear of punishment and harm. Sin marred their view of God, and it brought a great level of insecurity in their hearts. As a result they had to hide themselves.
Sin caused distrust and animosity between God and man. Man was so insecure that he didn’t believe that a powerful God could remain loving and good towards him, so it was best to run from God. Sin marred the image of God before man, so man had to flee for fear of this wrong perspective!
What are the areas that your performance has more to do with feeling less rather than being led by God?
Feelings of inadequacy can mar the image of God and others for us. Would you examine your perspective of God and others according to truth rather how you feel about yourself?
Don’t you love it when you get a fresh revelation from a scripture that you have read many times before? When the Lord reveals truth about a scripture in a fresh new way, it’s awesome and powerful!
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Genesis 3:7 (KJV)
The above scripture is one that I have read quite a few times, but today God gave me a new revelation of it.
It started out with talking to a friend about her adult daughter . My friend shared that her daughter is struggling with feelings of lack and inadequacy about herself. As I began to pray for her, the Lord dropped the above scripture on my heart for her. I knew there was more to this scripture that I needed to study and meditate on.
Definitions of words from above scripture according to Strong’s Concordance:
Open: open, fountain, or well.
Knew: to become acquainted with
Naked: utterly naked and helpless
Made themselves: to do, fashion, accomplish, to work, and to produce, to perform
Aprons: girdle, belt
When Adam and Eve fell in sin, their eyes opened to something they had never experienced before. They tapped into a new fountain or well that was poisonous to their soul and spirit! They became knowledgeable about their true state without God. They realized that they are truly helpless, and this brought fear in their hearts.
This scripture reminds me of newborn babies. When a baby is born, he/she is utterly helpless and cannot exist without the sustaining nurturing of the caregivers. The good news is that the baby has no awareness of this for a long time. All they know is that when they cry, someone is there to help. Can you imagine a baby having the cognitive ability to realize that they are not able to walk, talk, go to the bathroom, or do anything for themselves!?
The parents are well aware of their baby’s helpless situation, and they are willing to lovingly and joyfully tend to every need. It’s actually a precious time when you can embrace your baby and nurture him/her. However, if the baby knew the reality of his/her situation, they could go into panic mode. Because they are not aware, they can enjoy being a baby and eat and sleep peacefully.
In a similar way, we were designed to not be aware of our helpless and lacking condition. We were designed to rely on our relationship with the Lord and let Him meet all our needs. However, when sin entered the world, we became well acquainted with our lack, which caused great insecurity and inferiority in our hearts.
Adam & Eve became aware that they were naked for the first time. Their lack produced shame and insecurity in their hearts. God had created them naked and had seen them naked all along. He didn’t have a problem with their nakedness. That was not an issue for Him, and it didn’t need to be an issue for them. However, the self-knowledge brought such a shame that caused them to do something about it.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. There is more to the story. Stay tuned!
