Satan Hinders Us

Satan hindered us.

1 Thessalonians 2:18

Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience that Satan hinders us. From all points of the compass, all along the line of battle, in the advance party or in the rear, at the dawn of day and in the midnight hour, Satan hinders us. If we work in the field, he seeks to break our implements; if we build a wall, he tries to cast down the stones; if we are serving God in suffering or in conflict—everywhere Satan hinders us. He hinders us when we are first coming to Jesus Christ. We had fierce conflicts with Satan when we first looked to the cross and lived. Now that we are saved, he tries to prevent our growth in Christian character. You may be congratulating yourself: “So far I have walked consistently; no one can challenge my integrity.”

Beware of boasting, for your virtue will soon be tested; Satan will direct his energies against the very virtue for which you are most famous. If you have to this point been a firm believer, your faith will soon be attacked; if you have been meek like Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips. The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines.

Satan is sure to hinder us when we are faithful in prayer. He hinders our persistence and weakens our faith in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing. Satan is equally vigilant in obstructing Christian effort. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah began to work, Sanballat and Tobiah were stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hinders us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord’s side and are doing the Lord’s work, and in His strength we will win the victory and triumph over our adversary

The Key to Life’s Good Things PSALM 34:1-10

Most men and women desire “the good life,” which they picture as a measure of material success, a minimum of troubles, and a degree of happiness. To achieve this dream, some people live simply in a quiet setting, while others work long and hard to amass financial security. Yet, satisfaction and contentment remain elusive for many. That’s because the real key to the good life is to seek hard after our heavenly Father.

In pursuing the Lord, we are to have a relationship-oriented goal—that is, to grow in intimacy with Him. Increasing our knowledge and understanding of His character will deepen our connection to Him.

As we study God’s Word, His Holy Spirit will open our minds and hearts so that we can comprehend the Lord’s beauty and perfection. That will lead to our rejoicing over His kind, compassionate nature and the depth of His love for us (Eph. 3:17-19). Our minds will be in awe of His just and merciful character that enables Him to be both a righteous judge and our all-sufficient advocate (Job 16:19).

The better we know the Lord, the closer we will want to draw near. What’s more, studying His commands and implementing them in our life will also strengthen our relationship with the Creator.

The key to the abundant life is found in pursuing God. He wants us to know Him in increasing measure, give Him first place in our lives, and do what pleases Him. Then He will give us the good things of life—namely, everything that fits into His plan and purpose for us.

No Exemptions

May the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen!

Psalms 72:19

This is a large petition. To intercede for a whole city needs a stretch of faith, and there are times when praying for one man is more than we can handle. But how far-reaching was the psalmist’s dying intercession! How comprehensive! How sublime! “May the whole earth be filled with his glory.” Not a single country is exempt even if it is crushed by the foot of superstition; this does not exclude a single nation however uncivilized. For the terrorist as well as for the civilized, for all places and races this prayer is uttered: It encompasses the whole circle of the world and omits no one. We must be up and doing for our Master, or we cannot honestly offer such a prayer. The petition is not asked with a sincere heart unless we endeavor, with God’s help, to extend the kingdom of our Master.

Are there not some who neglect both to pray and to work? Reader, is it your prayer? Turn your eyes to Calvary. Look at the Lord of Life nailed to a cross, with a crown of thorns upon His brow, with bleeding head and hands and feet. What! Can you look upon this miracle of miracles, the death of the Son of God, without feeling within your heart a marvelous adoration that language never can express? And when you feel the blood applied to your conscience and know that He has blotted out your sins, you are not a man unless you jump from your knees to cry, “May the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen, and Amen!”

Can you bow before the Crucified in humble adoration and not wish to see your Monarch Master of the world? You only pretend to love your Prince if you do not desire to see Him the universal ruler. Your piety is worthless unless it leads you to wish that the same mercy that has been shown to you may bless the whole world. Lord, it is harvesttime; put in Your sickle and reap

The Good Life PSALM 100

We all know of people who suffer from deteriorating health, financial reverses, and other troubles. How are we to process such situations in terms of what Scripture teaches about God’s goodness and the expression of His benevolence towards us?

First, God’s character is perfect, and everything He does is right (Deut. 32:4 NIV). He is “compassionate and gracious, . . . and abounding in lovingkindness” (Ps. 103:8). By His very nature, God is good. Second, our heavenly Father expresses His goodness based on His purpose of conforming us to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). From the Lord’s perspective, everything that fits into His plan is beneficial for us.

The greatest demonstration of the Lord’s goodness is seen in His Son’s life and death. Jesus left His heavenly home, took on the form of man, suffered, and died in our place so we might be forgiven (Phil. 2:6-8). Because of what our Savior endured, we have been adopted into God’s family, and heaven is our eternal home.

At the time of Christ’s crucifixion, the disciples could not see anything beneficial in it. They knew only great sorrow. But we understand that God gave His own Son so that He might accomplish our salvation (Rom. 8:32).

Our definition of the good life would probably include material success, good health, and the absence of trouble—things that make us happy right now. But God has an eternal perspective, and He always works to fulfill His long-term plan for us. We can trust in His goodness, even in dark times.

An Obligation of Testing

Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here?

Numbers 32:6

Family brings its obligations. The people of Reuben and the people of Gad would have been unbrotherly if they had claimed the land that had been conquered and had left the rest of the people to fight for their portions alone. We have received great benefits as a result of the efforts and sufferings of the saints in years gone by, and if we do not make some return to the Church of Christ by giving her our best energies, we are unworthy to be enrolled in her ranks. Others are bravely combating the errors of the age or excavating the dying from amid the ruins of the Fall, and if we fold our hands in idleness we put ourselves in danger. The Master of the vineyard inquires, “Why do you stand here all day doing nothing?” What is the lazy man’s excuse?

Serving Jesus becomes the duty of all because it is cheerfully and generously rendered by some. The toils of devoted missionaries and fervent ministers shame us if we continue to sit in laziness. It is the residents of “easy street” who are tempted to run from trials: They would like to escape the cross but still wear the crown; to them the question for this evening’s meditation is very relevant. If the most precious are tested in the fire, are we to escape the crucible? If the diamond must be cut and fashioned on the wheel, are we to be made perfect without suffering? Who has commanded the wind to stop blowing because our ship is on the ocean? Why should we be treated better than our Lord?

The firstborn endured suffering, so why not His younger brothers? It is a cowardly pride that would choose a soft pillow and a silk couch for a soldier of the cross. Far wiser is the one who first resigns himself to God’s will and then as he grows in grace learns to delight in it. So he picks berries on the path of duty, gathers lilies at the foot of the cross, and like Samson discovers honey in the lion.

Growing in Faith HEBREWS 5:12-14

Our Father in heaven desires that we grow spiritually from infancy to maturity. He puts us in a school of faith, so to speak, teaching us to follow Him. Yesterday, we talked about the discipline of listening to God. Today, let’s look at four more practices necessary for living a life in Christ.

First, the Lord desires that we obey Him. Some of His teachings are easy to follow, while others are difficult. Choosing our own way might feel good at first, but the end result is always regret. On the other hand, every act of obedience builds faith.

Second, the Lord teaches us to depend upon Him. In fact, He sometimes calls us to action in areas that seem humanly impossible. For instance, forgiving an atrocious act feels beyond our ability. But when we cannot achieve what He requires, we rely upon His strength to enable us.

Third, our heavenly Father wants us to wait upon Him. We want everything to happen according to our preferences and timetable, but manipulating circumstances only makes a mess. God’s way is best, and He desires for us to trust and be patient.

Fourth, Scripture teaches us to confess failures, repent, and learn from them. God doesn’t expect perfection, but He does want to see a healthy response to shortcomings.

The heavenly Father wants His children to have abundant, meaningful lives. For this reason, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell, equip, and empower believers so they can reach their God-given potential. We can choose to cooperate with this plan or to live independently of His best.

Lessons From the Field

I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail.

Haggai 2:17

How destructive is the hail to the standing crops, beating out the precious grain upon the ground! How grateful we should be when the corn is spared so terrible a ruin! Let us offer to the Lord thanksgiving. Even more to be dreaded are those mysterious destroyers—fungus, rust, and mildew. They turn the ear into a mass of soot or render it putrid or dry up the grain, and all in a manner so beyond all human control that the farmer is compelled to cry, “This is the finger of God.” Innumerable, minute fungi cause the mischief, and if it weren’t for the goodness of God, the rider on the black horse would soon scatter famine over the land. Infinite mercy spares the food of men, but in view of the active agents that are ready to destroy the harvest, wisdom teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The curse is everywhere, and we are in constant need of the blessing. When blight and mildew come, they are chastisements from heaven, and men must learn to deal with them accordingly.

Spiritually, mildew is not an uncommon evil. When our work is most promising, this blight appears. We hoped for many conversions, and instead we find a general apathy, an abounding worldliness, or a cruel hardness of heart! There may be no blatant sin in those for whom we are working, but there is a deficiency of sincerity and decision that is sadly disappointing. We learn from this to depend upon the Lord and the necessity of prayer so that no blight will fall upon our work. Spiritual pride or laziness will soon bring upon us the dreadful evil, and only the Lord of the harvest can remove it. Mildew may even attack our own hearts and shrivel our prayers and dampen our zeal. May it please the great Gardener to avert so serious a calamity. Shine, blessed Sun of Righteousness, and drive the diseases away

The Requirements of Faith GENESIS 12:1-8 The moment we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, we enter into a life of faith. That is, we live by the assurance that God is all He claims to be and will do all He promises. Salvation is instantaneous, but it takes a lifetime to learn and understand what that entails.

So as soon as we are saved, God begins the process of sanctification, teaching us to be like Him. This is a process, as it takes time to learn to walk by faith, trusting what we cannot see.

Even with God’s Holy Spirit living inside of us, we nonetheless battle our “flesh.” We desire to do what God says and to see as He sees, but because we have behavior patterns left over from our old sinful nature, we will falter and do things in our own strength, according to our own rationale. We must choose daily to follow His way.

One of the most important ways to grow in godliness is by learning to listen to our Father. Since doing so is not a natural tendency, self-discipline is needed. It is best to set a specific time each day to meditate upon God’s Word. Eagerly expect Jesus to speak to you, and listen to what He is saying. Write notes in your Bible with the date and what the Lord has impressed upon you. Then, apply the truth you learn, and observe the results.

Hearing God’s voice and being in tune with His Spirit are a vital part of walking in faith. But these things don’t just happen; they require determined persistence. As with physical exercise, the more we strengthen our spiritual “muscles,” the more the process becomes part of who we are

Extravagant Goodness

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.

Luke 8:42

Jesus is passing through the crowd heading for the house of Jairus, so that he might raise the ruler’s dead daughter. He is so extravagant in His goodness that He works another miracle on His way there. It is enough for most of us, if we have one purpose, to go immediately and accomplish it, without impulsively expending our energies on the way. Rushing to the rescue of a drowning friend, we cannot afford to use up our strength upon someone else in similar danger. It is enough for a tree to yield one sort of fruit and for a man to fulfill his own peculiar calling.

But the Lord Jesus is not limited in His power or restricted in His mission. He is so prolific in grace that, like the sun that shines as it rolls onward in its orbit, His path is radiant with loving-kindness. He is a swift arrow of love that not only reaches its ordained target but perfumes the air through which it flies. Virtue is always going out of Jesus, just as sweet fragrance exudes from flowers; and it will always be emanating from Him, like water from a sparkling fountain.

What delightful encouragement this truth affords us! If our Lord is so ready to heal the sick and bless the needy, then, my soul, do not be slow to put yourself in His path so that He may smile on you. Do not be lazy in asking, since He is so generous in giving. Pay careful attention to His Word now and at all times, so that Jesus may speak through it to your heart. Pitch your tent wherever He is so that you can obtain His blessing. When He is present to heal, may He not heal you? Be certain that He is present even now, for He always comes to hearts that need Him. And do you not need Him? He knows the extent of your need; so turn your gaze, look upon your distress, and call upon Him while He is near

Getting In God’s Way MATTHEW 16:21-23

Believers are called to be compassionate, (Col. 3:12), but we must show discernment even when practicing kindness. At times, stepping into another person’s life puts us in God’s way. I learned this lesson the hard way. In times past, I have: met a need when the Lord was trying to draw someone into a life of spiritual dependence; offered comfort when our Father intended that a heartbroken believer seek His solace; and bailed a desperate person out of trouble before he learned God’s lesson. (The fellow from this last example was shortly in the same bad situation again.) Nowadays, I pray before acting upon sympathetic feelings.

Peter once allowed feelings to cloud his discernment too. Attempting to interfere in the divine plan for Jesus Christ was an experience that he likely never forgot.

Though Peter knew exactly who Jesus was—namely, the Messiah and Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16)—he also held common Jewish misconceptions about the Messiah’s mission. Many Israelites awaited a king who would overthrow Roman rule. Consequently, Peter refused to accept Jesus’ warnings of the judgment, mistreatment, and death He anticipated. After trying to convince the Lord that such an end was attempting to subvert God’s will.

Peter had a narrow view of God’s plan. The Lord’s priority was to liberate hearts from sin rather than bodies from tyranny. Peter’s wrong perceptions led him into open rebellion. Do not make his mistake. Seek God’s will before offering compassionate aid, lest you block His unfolding plan.

One at a Time

So she gleaned in the field until evening.

Ruth 2:17

Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I set out for the fields of prayer, meditation, the ordinances, and hearing the Word to gather spiritual food. The gleaner gathers her portion ear by ear; her gains are little by little: So I must be content to search for single truths, if they come just one at a time. Every ear helps to make a bundle, and every gospel lesson assists in making us wise for salvation.

The gleaner keeps her eyes open: If she stumbled dreamlike among the stubble, she would have no load to carry home rejoicingly at evening. I must be careful in religious exercises in case they become unprofitable to me; I fear I have lost quite a bit already. I need to estimate my opportunities properly and glean with greater diligence.

The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and I must do the same. Proud minds criticize and object, but humble minds glean and receive benefit. A lowly heart is the key to profitably hearing the Gospel. The soul-saving Word is not received except with meekness. A stiff back makes for a bad gleaner. Pride is a vile robber and must not be tolerated for a moment.

What the gleaner gathers, she keeps: If she dropped one ear to find another, the result of her day’s work would be but meager; she is as careful to retain as to obtain, and so at last she makes great gains. How often do I forget all that I hear; the second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing end in much ado about nothing! Do I understand the importance of storing up the truth?

Hunger helps to make the gleaner wise; if she has no corn in her hand, there will be no bread on her table; she works under a sense of necessity, and consequently she moves swiftly and her grasp is firm. My need is even greater, Lord; help me to feel it, that it may urge me onward to glean in fields that yield to diligence a plenteous reward.