March 3 – Put Your Hope in God

        Psalm 43:5 – " Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

        There are a myriad of answers to the question above. Your situation could be as serious as being a refugee, fleeing a war-torn nation. It could be as frustrating as trying to land a decent-paying job, after applying for hundreds of them. Whatever your disappointing situation is, there is hope to be found - and not just mental hope that is conjured by your own psychological workings to ease a troubled mind – although that is part of the solution.

        King David had his many troubles throughout his life, despite the great victories that God wrought for him. The Psalms are strewn with lines such as this: "I cry aloud to God. Deliver me from my enemies!" Psalm 42 and 43 are actually one Psalm in the original Hebrew writings, which is easily seen after reading both. The theme is a vacillating conversation with oneself, which asks the retorical question above, then answers with the encouragement to self.

        When the details of life do not go my way, I find myself asking God, "What's the deal?" Then I cry out for deliverance, like David does. The last step, then, is to stop my complaining and whining, and to remember to praise God for the good things he is doing in my life. Praise and thanksgiving to God is one remedy to our frustration. He is our savior in this world – not just from our sins – but from all kinds of evil, unfortunate events, wicked men, and bad attitudes, to name a few things.

        So when the anger comes to the top, take a few moments to pause, and remind yourself to put your hope in God, and in the fact that he wants to give you victory. He is your strong tower, your Savior, and the all-powerful one who is on your side (Romans 8:31).

October 2 - Love Not The World – Part 2 (Follow-up to October 1)

        James 4:4 – "You adulterous people! Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

        This verse supplements the theme already laid down in Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2:12. These are very strong words from James, the half-brother of our Master Jesus! He doesn't mince words about the seriousness of our devotion, allegiance, and love for God. 

        James uses the word "friendship" to describe this loyalty. However, he is not referring to friendships with persons; on the contrary, he is talking about friendship with the world's patterns, which are sinful and against the ways of God. Paul goes into detail about this apparent confusion in 1 Corinthians 5:9. He states, "I have written to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or greedy, or swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." Paul is referring in context here to believers in the Corinthian body, who were practicing sexual immorality as if it were acceptable behavior – believers who should know better. The people of the world do not know better; they are blind to the truths of God's ways. How will they ever see the light if believers do not shine it upon them?

       Jesus also iterates this idea. In John 17:15, Jesus says to the Father, "My prayer is not that you remove them from the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." The upshot is that believers are in the world, but not of the world. We live among unbelievers, but we are no longer stuck in their sinful patterns. We have been given birth into a new way of thinking and acting – one that learns to please God and to enjoy his ways.

        I used to be God's enemy as Romans 5:10 states. Why would I want to continue living as his enemy, as James 4 states, after I received his forgiveness and adoption into his family? I can be someone's "friend" without conforming to their pattern of living, because my allegiance is with the ultimate Friend, who is still conforming me to his pattern. Let's be the light and truth to those we call friends in this dark world.