The word world can have at least three meanings in the New Testament. It can refer to planet Earth and all it contains. It can refer to the people in the world. And it can refer to the world system—the underlying principles and assumptions that stand in opposition to God and His purposes and programs.
When we are told not to love the world (1 John 2:15), it obviously does not mean that we are not to love God’s creation or the human beings made in His image. Rather, we are not to love the system of values and priorities that manifest in ungodly actions and behaviors. Pride, greed, selfish ambition, immorality, spiritual idolatry, anger, violence, and the like are all characteristics of the world we are not to love. God redeemed us out of that world system, and we are no longer to have affection for it (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Colossians 1:13-14).
Thank God today that He has introduced you to a Kingdom that you can love and desire to be part of!
Identification with the world and its needs is one thing; imitation of the world and its foolishness is quite another. Warren Wiersbe
“You have to be careful about the snakes, insects, jaguars and everything else,” said archaeologist Ivan Šprajc. Wielding chainsaws and machetes, he and his team slashed through thick jungle to try to reach the lost city of Ocumtún. The ancient metropolis had disappeared along with the rest of the once-vibrant Mayan civilization on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. No one knows why.
“The study of history is, in large measure, the study of ruins,” says author George Will—an apt testimony to our human inability to do things that last.
In the Bible, we read a prophecy about a thriving city. “They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers,” God said through His prophet Ezekiel (26:4). “Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets” (v. 5). Tyre had been “a power on the seas” who put “terror on all who lived there” (v. 17). They’d also celebrated Jerusalem’s fall (v. 2). A companion prophecy says of Tyre’s destruction, “The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor” (Isaiah 23:9). Tyre fell because of its pride.
Working hard to create new things is one way we reflect God’s image. But beware the fatal trap of pride. Whatever we do, let’s do it for our eternal God and in His strength. He promises us “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28).
Reflect & Pray
What city or civilization do you admire and why? How do you think of it when you consider that one day it will no longer exist?
Dear God, please help me serve You well as a citizen of Your kingdom, which can never be shaken.
Today’s Insights
Ezekiel pronounces judgment not only against Jerusalem but also the nations who celebrated the downfall of God’s people. Chapters 25-32 include prophecies against seven nations, including Tyre (26:1–28:19). Judgment would be thorough; for instance, Egypt would go down “to the earth below . . . to the pit” (32:18), a reference to the place of the dead. And Tyre, a preeminent naval power (26:17), would disappear beneath “the ocean depths” as they also would go “down to the pit” (vv. 19-20). Pride inevitably leads to a fall. Serving God ultimately leads to peace (28:26). Today, God can help us serve Him in His strength.
If you’re a sports fan, October is a premier month on the calendar. Football is back in full swing. The baseball playoffs provide nightly drama. And even hockey, basketball, and European soccer are all revving up a bit. It’s a most wonderful time of year. Yet, as it turns out, October can also be a bit dangerous for viewers.
During just the first quarter of a football game recently, I sat through several political ads smearing opponents, multiple trailers for two disturbing horror movies, and at least six gambling ads, three of them featuring essentially a naked woman walking around the entire time. I caught myself almost shamefully looking over my shoulder each commercial break, wondering if my five kids were going to see what I was watching on the television.
But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
In this week’s devotions, we’re going to talk about facing and managing your fears. And we’re going to start by talking about how to anticipate fearful situations.
As a Christian, it’s not a matter of if you’ll face circumstances that unsettle or even frighten you; it’s a matter of when. The apostle Paul wrote, “You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:11–12 NLT).
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. There’s no avoiding that reality. So, as believers, we can either live in fear of the inevitable persecution we’ll face, or we can prepare for it.
We can prepare for it by rethinking our response to persecution. Instead of giving in to our fears and doing everything we can to avoid or end persecution, we can embrace it for what it is. That’s not to say we need to welcome it or seek it out—or to pretend that it doesn’t hurt and frighten us. But we mustn’t ignore the fact that persecution identifies us with Christ.
Jesus explained to His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18–19 NLT).
Living in a place where you’re hated is a scary proposition. Being able to turn to Jesus—who knows exactly what it’s like to live in such a place—makes it less scary.
And that’s what these warnings of inevitable persecution are intended to do: make us turn to the Lord. The good news is that we don’t have to wait for fear to get a foothold in our life before we do something about it. We can be proactive in dealing with it.
We can pour out our hearts to God in prayer. We can tell Him what makes us uneasy. We can ask for His comfort and courage.
We can come to grips with what to expect as followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His disciples, “Don’t begin until you count the cost” (Luke 14:28 NLT). The cost of following Jesus includes facing some frightening experiences. Acknowledging that reality is a key step in preparing for it.
We can arm ourselves with comforting and encouraging truths from Scripture. For example, God promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (NLT).
You can’t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God’s help.
“For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” (Acts 17:28)
“The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man” was a religious cliché promoted for many years, especially by religious liberals in the period between the two world wars. However, continuing hostilities between and inside most nations now make the idea of universal brotherhood in this present world almost farcical.
The fact is, however, that God truly is the Father of all men in the sense that He created them all. “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?” (Malachi 2:10). That was the rhetorical question posed to Israel in the last book of the Old Testament. In the New Testament the apostle Paul confirmed the same great truth to the pagan Gentiles. “[God] hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth,” and “we are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:26, 29).
The sad fact is, however, that most men and women have actually become “children of the wicked one” because of sin (Matthew 13:38). We can only become spiritual children of the heavenly Father by being born again through faith in Christ. But we then truly “become the sons of God,” as assured to all those who “believe on his name” (John 1:12).
Now we believers can all rejoice in the wonderful truth that we have the same heavenly Father. We have been “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew . . . but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:10–11).
May God help those of us who are (or will someday become) fathers on Earth to truly be children of our Father in heaven and thereby be genuine models of the heavenly Father to our human children here on Earth. HMM
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)
Today’s scripture speaks of our “high priest,” and this refers to Jesus. He experienced every emotion and suffered every feeling you and I do, yet without sinning. Why didn’t He sin? Because He didn’t give in to ungodly feelings. He knew God’s Word in every area of life because He spent years studying it before He began His ministry.
Luke 2:40 (NIV) says that as a child, Jesus grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. By the time He was 12 years old, He thought He was old enough to go to the temple in Jerusalem and be about His Father’s business (Luke 2:41–52). But He still had years of learning before He entered His full-time ministry.
You and I will never be able to say no to our feelings if we don’t have within us a strong knowledge of God’s Word. Jesus felt the same feelings we feel, but He never sinned by giving in to them.
When I feel hurt, angry, or upset, it’s such a comfort to me to be able to go to God and say, “Jesus, I’m so glad You understand what I’m feeling right now and that You don’t condemn me for it. Help me, Lord, to manage my emotions and not feel condemned, thinking I shouldn’t feel this way.”
Because we’re human, we have emotions. Sometimes they are intense. But we can be honest with God about them, knowing Jesus understands how we feel, and we can ask for and receive His help to manage them in a godly way.
Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to become human and to understand the emotions I feel. Help me manage my emotions in ways that please You.
Jesus’ disciples went down to the lake where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark. Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. The disciples were too far from the shore, too long in the struggle, too small against the waves. And Jesus was nowhere to be seen.
Have you ever encountered a dangerous, ominous, seemingly God-forsaken storm? Storms overtake us, and it sometimes seems they will never end. But then the unimaginable happens. John gives no details, just this economical statement. “They saw Jesus walking on the water” (John 6:19). That’s all we need to know. Before Jesus stills the storms, he comes to us in the midst of our storms. And he’ll come and meet you in yours. Remember friend, you are never alone.
A simile is a comparison using “like” or “as.” We use similes all the time. For example, “It fits like a glove” or “I’m feeling like a fish out of water.” Similes are often found in the book of Proverbs; for example: “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf” (Prov. 11:28).
Jesus also used similes in His teaching, including: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed” (v. 31). What did He mean by this comparison? This statement is followed by a single sentence of explanation: “Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches” (v. 32). There is a very small start but a very big finish here. “Tree” is a bit of an exaggeration, but the mustard plant can grow to more than ten feet tall. This is unexpected, even surprising. Birds nesting in the branches paint an image of safety and security.
In the same way, the kingdom of God might appear small at first, like a mustard seed, but it will grow to be impressively large. God has designed all seeds to do something like this, so we know the principle even if we’ve never seen a mustard seed. Jesus’ listeners weren’t looking for a “mustard seed Messiah” but rather the final “tree.” Even so, since Christ’s first coming, the kingdom has been ripening across history, though we can’t necessarily see the big picture. When He returns, the process will be complete, and we’ll be able to see it. Since the kingdom is God’s, its ultimate triumph is assured. Though it began as an apparently insignificant movement in first-century Judaism, it will one day be a worldwide kingdom ruled by Christ.
Go Deeper
In what way is the kingdom of heaven like a mustard seed? Have you seen examples of this growth happening from one small seed planted?
Pray with Us
Father, You delight in using humble beginnings to accomplish Your grand plan. Give us eyes to see the beautiful things You are making from the small beginnings in our lives.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.Matthew 13:31
