But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.   1 John 2:1

“If anyone does sin, we have an advocate.” Yes, though we sin, we have Him still. John does not say, “If anyone sins, they have forfeited their advocate,” but “we have an advocate,” even though we are sinners. All the sin that a believer ever did or can be allowed to commit cannot destroy his interest in the Lord Jesus Christ as his advocate. The name given here to our Lord is suggestive. “Jesus.” He is the kind of advocate we need, for Jesus is the name of one whose business and delight it is to save. “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”1 His sweetest name implies His success.

Next, it is “Jesus Christ”—Christos, the anointed. This shows His authority to plead. Christ has a right to plead, for He is the Father’s own appointed advocate and elected priest. If He were our choice He might fail, but if God has laid help on one who is mighty, we may safely place our trouble where God has laid His help. He is Christ, and therefore authorized; He is Christ, and therefore qualified, for the anointing has fitted Him fully for His work. He can plead in such a way as to move the heart of God and prevail. What words of tenderness, what sentences of persuasion will the anointed use when He stands up to plead for me!

One more aspect of His name remains: “Jesus Christ the righteous.” This is not only His character but His plea. It is His character, and if the Righteous One is my advocate, then my cause is good or He would not have represented it. It is His plea, for He meets the charge of unrighteousness against me by the plea that He is righteous. He declares Himself my substitute and puts His obedience to my account. My soul, you have a friend perfectly fitted to be your advocate—He cannot but succeed; leave yourself entirely in His hands.

1Matthew 1:21

Family Reading Plan      Ezekiel 37       Psalm 88

Psalm 143:5-12

What do you think about when you wake up? Are your thoughts instantly focused on the day ahead, or are they centered on the Lord? Although most of us have busy lives that consume much of our time and attention, the most important and time-saving part of each day is that spent in quiet solitude with God.

Yet many believers feel so rushed that they don’t think there’s time for the Lord. They immediately jump onto the treadmill of life and then wonder why they’re so frustrated, confused, and dissatisfied. Even if their desire is to follow God, they don’t know where He’s going since they haven’t stopped to get directions for the day. There’s also a disconnect because they’ve ignored their relationship with Him. No one can have intimacy with Christ without daily communication.

Perhaps the problem is our own human logic. We think spending time reading the Bible and praying each morning will result in having less time and lower productivity. However, when we seek Christ’s direction and wisdom for the day and invite Him to control our lives, He’ll accomplish more through us than we can do by ourselves. He’ll give us wisdom for good decisions, increase our strength and energy, and free us from time-wasting anxiety.

Are you too busy for the Lord? If so, you’re denying yourself the blessing of an intimate relationship with Christ. When you make time for Him, He’ll fill you with peace and joy, guide your decisions, grant you wisdom, empower you to obey, make you more productive, and comfort you with His love.

Reading an online newspaper the other day, I ended up, as I often do, on the religion pages. My attention was first caught by a long list of various world religions, followed by the descriptions of the beliefs and practices of each one. Interestingly, I thought, atheism was among the many religions listed. And yet in describing the beliefs of atheists, the first sentence declared, “Atheism is not a belief.” Can a belief-system accurately be defined as the absence of belief? Its very inclusion as a belief-system among alternative belief-systems seemed to negate its first belief.

In a very real sense, atheism is a belief. Though it contends disbelief in God, it is rightfully placed among the many belief-systems that inform life. Moreover, as the atheistic worldview offers certain perspectives about the world, like Christianity or Hinduism, it requires certain faith assumptions: that the world exists in ordered, knowable nature, that our senses and intellect are reliable in discovering truth, that there is a uniformity to nature extending from past to future. At the foundation of every worldview, a number of interconnected beliefs are held in faith. The question then becomes, which faith provides the most coherent foundation for understanding the world?

As one author points to the tensions of incoherence in the atheist’s insistence of reason as the foundation of non-belief, “[R]easons require that this universe be a reasonable one that presupposes there is order, logic, design, and truth. But order, logic, design, and truth can only exist and be known if there is an unchangeable objective source and standard of such things….Like all non-theistic worldviews, Darwinism borrows from the theistic worldview in order to make its own view intelligible.”(1) In other words, the very foundation of atheistic faith allows for an unstable structure of interpretation.

Either arrogantly or boldly, Jesus proposes himself as a foundation. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7:24-26). It may sound to some archaic or egotistical. But to hear a psychologist speak of moral accountability as a necessary qualifier in understanding human behavior, or a cultural analyst proclaim the effectiveness of setting aside one day out of the workweek for rest is to hear vital remnants of this bold and arrogant foundation, whose thought and life surrounds us.(2)

At the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. there is a large wooden altar from a synagogue that was vandalized by Nazi soldiers who had come to remove the Jewish citizens of the city. Across the altar is a single phrase of Hebrew carved deeply into the wood. Though it bears the hack marks of axes that attempted to delete the words, the phrase is still decipherable. It simply reads: Know before Whom you stand.

We can attempt to eradicate the name of God; we can begin without Christ at the foundation of our belief systems. But it will never negate his presence.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 130.

(2) Cf. Hobart Mowrer, “Sin, the Lesser of Two Evils,” American Psychologist, 15 (1960): 301-304) and Douglas Rushkoff, “Remember the Sabbath: An Argument in Favor of a Day Off,” December 1999.

 Morning    “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who

shall be heirs of salvation?” / Hebrews 1:14

Angels are the unseen attendants of the saints of God; they bear us up in

their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. Loyalty to their Lord

leads them to take a deep interest in the children of his love; they rejoice

over the return of the prodigal to his father’s house below, and they welcome

the advent of the believer to the King’s palace above. In olden times the sons

of God were favoured with their visible appearance, and at this day, although

unseen by us, heaven is still opened, and the angels of God ascend and descend

upon the Son of man, that they may visit the heirs of salvation. Seraphim

still fly with live coals from off the altar to touch the lips of men greatly

beloved. If our eyes could be opened, we should see horses of fire and

chariots of fire about the servants of the Lord; for we have come to an

innumerable company of angels, who are all watchers and protectors of the

seed-royal. Spenser’s line is no poetic fiction, where he sings–

 “How oft do they with golden pinions cleave

 The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant

 Against foul fiends to aid us militant!”

 To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant courtiers of heaven

become their willing servitors! Into what communion are we raised since we

have intercourse with spotless celestials! How well are we defended since all

the twenty- thousand chariots of God are armed for our deliverance! To whom do

we owe all this? Let the Lord Jesus Christ be forever endeared to us, for

through him we are made to sit in heavenly places far above principalities and

powers. He it is whose camp is round about them that fear him; he is the true

Michael whose foot is upon the dragon. All hail, Jesus! thou Angel of

Jehovah’s presence, to thee this family offers its morning vows.

Evening   “He himself hath suffered being tempted.” / Hebrews 2:18

It is a common-place thought, and yet it tastes like nectar to the weary

heart–Jesus was tempted as I am. You have heard that truth many times: have

you grasped it? He was tempted to the very same sins into which we fall. Do

not dissociate Jesus from our common manhood. It is a dark room which you are

going through, but Jesus went through it before. It is a sharp fight which you

are waging, but Jesus has stood foot to foot with the same enemy. Let us be of

good cheer, Christ has borne the load before us, and the blood-stained

footsteps of the King of glory may be seen along the road which we traverse at

this hour. There is something sweeter yet–Jesus was tempted, but Jesus never

sinned. Then, my soul, it is not needful for thee to sin, for Jesus was a man,

and if one man endured these temptations and sinned not, then in his power his

members may also cease from sin. Some beginners in the divine life think that

they cannot be tempted without sinning, but they mistake; there is no sin in

being tempted, but there is sin in yielding to temptation. Herein is comfort

for the sorely tempted ones. There is still more to encourage them if they

reflect that the Lord Jesus, though tempted, gloriously triumphed, and as he

overcame, so surely shall his followers also, for Jesus is the representative

man for his people; the Head has triumphed, and the members share in the

victory. Fears are needless, for Christ is with us, armed for our defence. Our

place of safety is the bosom of the Saviour. Perhaps we are tempted just now,

in order to drive us nearer to him. Blessed be any wind that blows us into the

port of our Saviour’s love! Happy wounds, which make us seek the beloved

Physician. Ye tempted ones, come to your tempted Saviour, for he can be

touched with a feeling of your infirmities, and will succour every tried and

tempted one.

He himself has suffered when tempted.   Hebrews 2:18

 It is a common thought, and yet it tastes like honey to the weary heart—Jesus was tempted as I am. You have heard that truth many times, but have you grasped it? He was tempted by the very same sins into which we fall. Do not separate Jesus from our common humanity. If you are going through a dark room, remember Jesus went through it before you. If you are engaged in a sore fight, remember that Jesus has stood foot to foot with the same enemy. Let us be encouraged—Christ has borne the load before us, and the blood-stained footsteps of the King of glory can be seen along the road that we travel at this hour.

There is something sweeter yet—Jesus was tempted, but Jesus never sinned. My soul, it is not necessary for you to sin, for Jesus was a man, and if one man endured these temptations without sin, then in His power His followers may also flee from sin. Some new believers think that they cannot be tempted without sinning, but they are mistaken; there is no sin in being tempted, but there is sin in yielding to temptation. Here is comfort for those who are greatly tempted. There is still more to encourage them if they recall that the Lord Jesus, though tempted, gloriously triumphed; and as He overcame, so may His followers also, for Jesus is the representative man for His people.

The Head has triumphed, and the members share in the victory. Fears are unnecessary, for Christ is with us, armed for our defense. Our place of safety is the embrace of the Savior. Perhaps we are tempted just now in order to drive us nearer to Him. Blessed be any wind that blows us into the harbor of our Savior’s love! Happy the wounds that make us seek the beloved Physician. Tempted ones, come to your tempted Savior, for He can sympathize with your weaknesses and will comfort every tried and tempted one.

Family Reading Plan    Ezekiel 36  Psalm 86

 Nehemiah 2:1-10

After Nehemiah heard about the desperate condition of the Jews who had returned from exile to Jerusalem, his heart was burdened (Neh. 1:3-4). By getting his attention in this way, the Lord could reveal what He wanted Nehemiah was to do. Scripture doesn’t spell out the man’s reaction on realizing that he was to be a part of the solution, but we can imagine a sense of inadequacy probably engulfed him. How could he possibly help? He wasn’t even near Jerusalem, and as a servant of the king, he didn’t have the freedom to pack up and leave.

But whenever God puts a burden on our hearts, He will open a door to accomplish His will. In this case, the Lord used Nehemiah’s sad expression and desperate prayer to prepare a pagan king to send him on his mission.

How do you respond when you sense the Lord is calling you to a task that seems beyond your abilities? Do you list all the reasons you can’t possibly do it? God already knows everything about you and the situation. He’s not asking your permission to proceed; rather, He is calling you to move forward with faith and obedience. He didn’t make an error in choosing you for the task, but you will make a huge mistake if you refuse to do it.

God will equip you for whatever He calls you to do. Because the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, we have all we need to fulfill the Lord’s mission. Instead of letting inadequacy hinder you from obeying, let it drive you to your knees so you can arise with renewed insight and power

“The story I have to tell is the history of the next two centuries….For a long time now our whole civilization has been driving, with a tortured intensity growing from decade to decade, as if towards a catastrophe: restlessly, violently, tempestuously, like a mighty river desiring the end of its journey, without pausing to reflect, indeed fearful of reflection….Where we live, soon nobody will be able to exist.”(1)

Friedrich Nietzsche penned these words as he looked out onto a world devoid of God. His vision casts a bleak view of humanity and paints a frightening portrait of atheism. Nietzsche’s vision directly contrasts with the optimistic musings of a world without God penned by John Lennon:

Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace.(2)

In fact, the twentieth century told a far different tale than a life of present bliss and peace without God. Under atheistic regimes like Stalin in Russia or Pol Pot in Cambodia millions of people were slaughtered. Indeed, Nietzsche offers a healthy critique of the optimistic atheism of Lennon or the more recent British slogan that there is probably no God so we should stop worrying about it and enjoy life. In reality, there is great cause for worry if Nietzsche’s picture of a world without God is allowed full sway. That world is a very grim place filled with darkness, amorality, and despair.

Nietzsche’s vision in and of itself helps the theist formulate a healthy offensive to the typical onslaught of the atheist’s critique of religion. But it also provides an impetus to ask additional questions of those who see a positive view of atheism. If there is no God, for example, “the big questions” remain unanswered. Where did everything come from and why is there something rather than nothing? Why is there conscious, intelligent life on this planet and is there any meaning? Does human history lead anywhere or is it all in vain since death is merely the end? How does one come to understand good and evil, right and wrong? If these concepts are merely social constructions or human opinions, where does one look to determine morality?

Second, without belief in God we not only have a crisis of morality, we have a crisis of meaning. Without God, as Nietzsche articulated, meaning becomes nothing more than one’s own self-interests, pleasures, or tastes. Without God, the world is just stuff, thrown out into space and time, going nowhere, meaning nothing.

In addition, the problems of evil and suffering are in no way solved without God. Where does one find hope for the redemption of suffering and evil? Suffering is just as tragic, if not more so, without God because there is no hope of greater meaning. Without God it is neither redemptive nor redeemable, since no interventions in this life or reparations in an afterlife are possible. It might be true that there is no God to blame now, but neither is there a God to reach out to for strength, transcendent meaning, or comfort. There is only madness and confusion in the face of suffering and evil.

Moreover, without God or any sort of transcendent standard, how can atheists critique religions or religious people in the first place? Whose voice will be heard? Whose tastes or preferences will be honored? Without God, human tastes and opinions have no more weight than we give them, and who are we to give them meaning anyway? Societies might make things “illegal” and impose penalties or consequences, but human cultures have at various times legally or socially disapproved of everything from believing in God to believing the world revolves around the sun, from slavery to interracial marriage, from polygamy to monogamy. Human taste or opinion, societal laws or culture are hardly dependable arbiters of truth.

Finally, if there is no God, we don’t make sense. How does one explain human longings and desire for the transcendent? How do we explain human questions for meaning and purpose or inner thoughts of unfulfillment or emptiness? Why do humans hunger for the spiritual? How can we understand these questions if nothing exists beyond the material world? How do we get laws out of luck or predictable processes out of brute chance? If all that makes us different from animals is learning and altruism, why do the brutish still widely outnumber the wise in our world?

Nietzsche argued that the death of God would bring the upheaval of all morality and meaning and not its preservation. At these questions, atheists who see the possibility of morality, meaning, and hope without God are reminded of their own prophetic heritage.

Margaret Manning is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington. 

(1) As quoted by Erich Heller in The Importance of Nietzsche (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988), 5.

(2) John Lennon, Imagine (September, 1971).

Morning   “The hope which is laid up for you in heaven.” / Colossians 1:5

Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the mainstay of our
joy here. It will animate our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we
can desire is promised there. Here we are weary and toilworn, but yonder is
the land of rest where the sweat of labour shall no more bedew the worker’s
brow, and fatigue shall be forever banished. To those who are weary and spent,
the word “rest” is full of heaven. We are always in the field of battle; we
are so tempted within, and so molested by foes without, that we have little or
no peace; but in heaven we shall enjoy the victory, when the banner shall be
waved aloft in triumph, and the sword shall be sheathed, and we shall hear our
Captain say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We have suffered
bereavement after bereavement, but we are going to the land of the immortal
where graves are unknown things. Here sin is a constant grief to us, but there
we shall be perfectly holy, for there shall by no means enter into that
kingdom anything which defileth. Hemlock springs not up in the furrows of
celestial fields. Oh! is it not joy, that you are not to be in banishment
forever, that you are not to dwell eternally in this wilderness, but shall
soon inherit Canaan? Nevertheless let it never be said of us, that we are
dreaming about the future and forgetting the present, let the future sanctify
the present to highest uses. Through the Spirit of God the hope of heaven is
the most potent force for the product of virtue; it is a fountain of joyous
effort, it is the corner stone of cheerful holiness. The man who has this hope
in him goes about his work with vigour, for the joy of the Lord is his
strength. He fights against temptation with ardour, for the hope of the next
world repels the fiery darts of the adversary. He can labour without present
reward, for he looks for a reward in the world to come.

Evening “A man greatly beloved.” / Daniel 10:11

Child of God, do you hesitate to appropriate this title? Ah! has your unbelief
made you forget that you are greatly beloved too? Must you not have been
greatly beloved, to have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, as of
a lamb without blemish and without spot? When God smote his only begotten Son
for you, what was this but being greatly beloved? You lived in sin, and rioted
in it, must you not have been greatly beloved for God to have borne so
patiently with you? You were called by grace and led to a Saviour, and made a
child of God and an heir of heaven. All this proves, does it not, a very great
and superabounding love? Since that time, whether your path has been rough
with troubles, or smooth with mercies, it has been full of proofs that you are
a man greatly beloved. If the Lord has chastened you, yet not in anger; if he
has made you poor, yet in grace you have been rich. The more unworthy you feel
yourself to be, the more evidence have you that nothing but unspeakable love
could have led the Lord Jesus to save such a soul as yours. The more demerit
you feel, the clearer is the display of the abounding love of God in having
chosen you, and called you, and made you an heir of bliss. Now, if there be
such love between God and us let us live in the influence and sweetness of it,
and use the privilege of our position. Do not let us approach our Lord as
though we were strangers, or as though he were unwilling to hear us–for we
are greatly beloved by our loving Father. “He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?” Come boldly, O believer, for despite the whisperings of Satan and the
doubtings of thine own heart, thou art greatly beloved. Meditate on the
exceeding greatness and faithfulness of divine love this evening, and so go to
thy bed in peace.

Man greatly loved.    Daniel 10:11

Child of God, do you hesitate to appropriate this title? Has your unbelief made you forget that you are also greatly loved? Surely you must have been greatly loved, to have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot? When God crushed His only Son for you, what was this but being greatly loved? You lived in sin and rioted in it; surely you were greatly loved for God to have been so patient with you. You were called by grace and led to a Savior and made a child of God and an heir of heaven. Doesn’t this all prove a very great and superabounding love?

Since that time, whether your path has been rough with troubles or smooth with mercies, it has been full of proofs that you are greatly loved. If the Lord has chastened you, it was not in anger; if He has made you poor, still in grace you have been rich. The more unworthy you feel yourself to be, the more evidence you have that nothing but unspeakable love could have led the Lord Jesus to save a soul like yours. The more disapproval you feel, the clearer is the display of God’s abounding love in choosing you and calling you and making you an heir of heaven.

Now, if such love exists between God and us, let us live in the influence and sweetness of it and use the privilege of our position. We should not approach our Lord as though we were strangers or as though He were unwilling to hear us—for we are greatly loved by our loving Father. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”1 Come boldly, believer, for despite the whispers of Satan and the doubts of your own heart, you are greatly loved. Meditate on the exceeding greatness and faithfulness of divine love this evening, and then go to your bed in peace.

1Romans 8:32

Family Reading Plan    Ezekiel 35    Psalm 85

 Nehemiah 1:1-11

Nehemiah was a man who lived on his knees. Whenever he needed guidance, strength, provision, or protection, his first response was prayer. Because of Nehemiah’s humble dependence, God was able to use him greatly to achieve His purposes.

This principle is still true for believers today. God can use us in the most awesome fashion if we’ll seek Him and make ourselves available. He has a calling for each of us and doesn’t want us wasting the opportunities He provides.

To follow Nehemiah’s example of dependent prayer, we must first recognize God as the sovereign Ruler of the universe (v. 5). Although He’s our loving Father and loyal Friend, we must never forget that He is also our high and exalted Creator whose holiness is beyond our comprehension. Never think of the Lord as “the man upstairs” or come into His presence in a frivolous manner.

Because Nehemiah respected the awesome holiness of God, he approached Him with confession, admitting not only his sin, but his father’s and Israel’s as well (vv. 6-7). We cannot hide, deny, or cherish sin and expect the Lord to hear and answer our prayers. Purity of heart and the power of God are linked. We need the sensitivity to instantly recognize when we’ve strayed, and the willingness to deal with sin immediately.

The reason Nehemiah stood so tall and strong was not due to his natural abilities, but because he developed a relationship of dependency on the Lord through prayer. The same can be true for you. Don’t rush into your day without taking time to enter God’s throne room to seek His guidance.

Swedish chemist Alfred Bernhard Nobel was once largely known as a maker and inventor of explosives. In 1866 Nobel invented dynamite, which earned him both fame and the majority of his wealth. At one point in his life he held more than 350 patents, operated labs in 20 countries, and had more than 90 factories manufacturing explosives and ammunition. Yet today he is most often remembered as the name behind the Nobel Prize, the most highly regarded of international awards for efforts in peace, chemistry, physics, literature, and economics.

In 1888 a bizarre incident occurred, which seemed to have afforded Alfred Nobel an unlikely opportunity for reflection. Many believe it was this event that ultimately led to his establishment of the Nobel Prize and subsequent change in his reputation. Alfred’s brother Ludvig died while staying in Cannes, France, but the French newspapers mistakenly confused the two brothers, reporting the death of the inventor of explosives. One paper’s headline read brusquely: “Le marchand de la mort est mort”—the merchant of death is dead.

I can’t imagine reading the headlines of my life written at the hands of my harshest critic, but I do remember laboring over an assignment in middle school in which I was required to write my own obituary. Some of the class was given the task of writing it as if they died well in their eighties; others had to write as if they died that year. The assignment was meant to incite reflection, and in most of us it did—particularly those of us who were designated early deaths. As in the case with Alfred Nobel, my premature obituary suggested headlines I did not want to live with; that I was the one writing them made this all the more sobering.

In a very real sense, I am still (as is each of us) the writer of my own obituary. But I am no longer thinking about the words and headlines in the way I was thinking about them in middle school. As I struggled to find the words, it seemed I had so little with which to work—no graduations, no family, no accomplishments worth mentioning, no overarching purpose for my life. I was imagining all the things I had not done and feeling quite insignificant about the things I had. At that point in time, it seemed clear that a few more years were necessary in order to make a meaningful headline.

Today I realize that a life well lived is not about time at all. The writers of Scripture seem less concerned with the reputation we leave behind as they are with the reputation we are moving toward. “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness” before people, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). There is the sense that our hearts hold the words of an obituary that no one here will fully see. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

The headlines we write on earth are printed on pages that will eventually fade and crumble. But there is one who reads the words imprinted across our hearts, engraved on the lives we have affected, stored up as treasures in a greater kingdom. As he stood with his tempter high on a mountain taking in the kingdoms of the world and all of the splendor that was being offered to him, Jesus considered the reputation of God and not his own. As he hung on the Cross, scorning its shame, he took death instead of glory; he bore the disgrace of man instead of the splendor of God.  His obituary was insignificant to all but a few.  And then he rose from the grave, forever rewriting the headlines of all who would believe.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Morning  “Pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” /
Song of Solomon 7:13

The spouse desires to give to Jesus all that she produces. Our heart has “all
manner of pleasant fruits,” both “old and new,” and they are laid up for our
Beloved. At this rich autumnal season of fruit, let us survey our stores. We
have new fruits. We desire to feel new life, new joy, new gratitude; we wish
to make new resolves and carry them out by new labours; our heart blossoms
with new prayers, and our soul is pledging herself to new efforts. But we have
some old fruits too. There is our first love: a choice fruit that! and Jesus
delights in it. There is our first faith: that simple faith by which, having
nothing, we became possessors of all things. There is our joy when first we
knew the Lord: let us revive it. We have our old remembrances of the promises.
How faithful has God been! In sickness, how softly did he make our bed! In
deep waters, how placidly did he buoy us up! In the flaming furnace, how
graciously did he deliver us. Old fruits, indeed! We have many of them, for
his mercies have been more than the hairs of our head. Old sins we must
regret, but then we have had repentances which he has given us, by which we
have wept our way to the cross, and learned the merit of his blood. We have
fruits, this morning, both new and old; but here is the point–they are all
laid up for Jesus. Truly, those are the best and most acceptable services in
which Jesus is the solitary aim of the soul, and his glory, without any
admixture whatever, the end of all our efforts. Let our many fruits be laid up
only for our Beloved; let us display them when he is with us, and not hold
them up before the gaze of men. Jesus, we will turn the key in our garden
door, and none shall enter to rob thee of one good fruit from the soil which
thou hast watered with thy bloody sweat. Our all shall be thine, thine only, O
Jesus, our Beloved!

Evening  “He will give grace and glory.” / Psalm 84:11

Bounteous is Jehovah in his nature; to give is his delight. His gifts are
beyond measure precious, and are as freely given as the light of the sun. He
gives grace to his elect because he wills it, to his redeemed because of his
covenant, to the called because of his promise, to believers because they seek
it, to sinners because they need it. He gives grace abundantly, seasonably,
constantly, readily, sovereignly; doubly enhancing the value of the boon by
the manner of its bestowal. Grace in all its forms he freely renders to his
people: comforting, preserving, sanctifying, directing, instructing, assisting
grace, he generously pours into their souls without ceasing, and he always
will do so, whatever may occur. Sickness may befall, but the Lord will give
grace; poverty may happen to us, but grace will surely be afforded; death must
come but grace will light a candle at the darkest hour. Reader, how blessed it
is as years roll round, and the leaves begin again to fall, to enjoy such an
unfading promise as this, “The Lord will give grace.”

The little conjunction “and” in this verse is a diamond rivet binding the
present with the future: grace and glory always go together. God has married
them, and none can divorce them. The Lord will never deny a soul glory to whom
he has freely given to live upon his grace; indeed, glory is nothing more than
grace in its Sabbath dress, grace in full bloom, grace like autumn fruit,
mellow and perfected. How soon we may have glory none can tell! It may be
before this month of October has run out we shall see the Holy City; but be
the interval longer or shorter, we shall be glorified ere long. Glory, the
glory of heaven, the glory of eternity, the glory of Jesus, the glory of the
Father, the Lord will surely give to his chosen. Oh, rare promise of a
faithful God!

Two golden links of one celestial chain:

Who owneth grace shall surely glory gain.

The Lord bestows favor and honor.    Psalm 84:11

 God is wonderfully generous by nature; to give is His delight. His gifts are immeasurably precious and are given as freely as the light of the sun. He gives grace to His own because He wills it, to His redeemed because of His covenant, to the called because of His promise, to believers because they seek it, to sinners because they need it. He gives grace abundantly, seasonably, constantly, readily, sovereignly; the value of the blessings is doubled by the manner in which it is given.

Grace in all its forms He freely supplies to His people: Comforting, preserving, sanctifying, directing, instructing, assisting grace He generously and constantly pours into their souls, and He will always do so, whatever may happen. Sickness may come, but the Lord will give grace; poverty may descend on us, but grace will definitely be supplied; death must come, but grace will light a candle in the darkest hour. Reader, how blessed it is as years roll on, and the leaves again begin to fall, to enjoy this unfading promise, “The LORD bestows favor and honor.”

The little conjunction “and” in this verse is a diamond rivet binding the present with the future: Favor and honor always go together. God has married them, and no one can separate them. The Lord will never deny a soul honor to whom He has freely granted favor; indeed, honor is nothing more than favor in its Sunday best, favor in full bloom, favor like autumn fruit, mellow and perfected. How soon we may have honor none can tell! It may be that before this month of October has run out we will see the Holy City; but if the interval is longer or shorter, we shall be honored before long. The honor of heaven, the honor of eternity, the honor of Jesus, the honor of the Father—the Lord will certainly give all this to His chosen. What a wonderful promise from a faithful God!

Two golden links of one celestial chain:

Who owns favor shall surely honor gain.

Family Reading Plan    Ezekiel 34   Psalm 83

 Jonah 1:1-17

When Jonah ran away from the Lord, he probably thought he’d escaped an undesirable assignment. But rebellion never makes life better–or easier. Before long, he found himself in an even less pleasant situation: taking a wild ride inside a fish. Two things stand out in this story.

Jonah’s determination to get away. The reluctant prophet boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. Perhaps you’ve had the same problem he had: God’s plans don’t match yours. We can coast along with the Lord in sweet fellowship until the day He asks us to do something we don’t like. That’s the point at which our devotion to Him is tested. If you resist, He will allow a storm to rage in your soul until you submit to His authority.

God’s persistence in going after Him. As a prophet, Jonah was to speak for the Lord. That’s a commitment God takes seriously. When you read through today’s passage, you’ll notice certain actions the Lord took to help Jonah fulfill his obligation–though they’re not the kind we want to experience. He “hurled a great wind on the sea”(v. 4) and “appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah” (v. 17). When we resist God, He will put pressure on us to get our attention and bring us back to Himself. That’s how important we are to Him.

Rebellion carries a high price tag. We lose not only peace and joy but also future opportunities to serve God. Consequences can even reach into eternity. You wouldn’t want to stand before Christ, knowing that disobedience led to loss of eternal rewards. Begin now to obey quickly and fully.

I was on hold the other day trying to schedule an appointment for a hair cut. As I waited for the receptionist, I half-listened to the obligatory recordings. The announcer asked me to consider scheduling a make-over with my upcoming appointment and to make sure I leave with the products that will keep up my new look. (Apparently, when you have a captive audience of customers “muzak” is hardly strategic.)  But I was then caught off guard by a question: “What do the local communities of Chad, Africa, mean to you?”  The answer he offered was as immediate as my inability to think of one:  “Chad is a leading producer of organic acacia gum, the vital ingredient in a new line of products exclusively produced for and available at our salon.”

In a culture dominated by consumption, the commodification of everything around us is becoming more and more of an unconscious worldview. Thus, when we think of Chad, we can think of our favorite shampoo and its connection with our hair salon. The land where it came from, the conditions of its production, and the community or laborers who produce it are realities wholly disassociated with the commodity. Like soap and luggage, the nation of Chad can become just one of the many commodities within our consumer mindset.

As I put down the phone, I couldn’t help but wonder about Amos’s description of those who are “at ease in Zion.” How at ease do you have to be to begin to see the world in commodities?

In fact, at the time of Amos’s words, Israel itself was at one of its most opulent junctures. They had expanded their territory in more than one direction. Their winter palaces were adorned with ivory and their feasts were lacking nothing. They could be heard singing songs to the sound of the harp and seen anointing themselves with the finest of oils. It was in such affluence that the shepherd Amos proclaimed indomitably: “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria” (Amos 6:1).

Though unpopular words to voice, Amos’s omen is far from isolated in ancient Scripture. While Amos compares the drunken women of Israel to the fat cows of Bashan, Micah describes the rich as men full of violence, and Jeremiah cites those with wealth and power as those who grow fat and sleek. Likewise, in the book of Revelation, the church that God wants to spit out of his mouth is the one who has “acquired wealth and needs nothing,” the one who has not realized that they are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

As G.K. Chesterton once noted, “Alas, it is impossible to have any sort of debate over whether or not Jesus believed that rich people were in big trouble—there is too much evidence on the subject and it is overwhelming.”(1) The pervasiveness of this evidence makes for a rough entry into the ongoing debate about the morality of affluence among Western Christians. Like Chesterton, I am at times uncomfortably aware at whom the words of Christ were aimed: I am the rich Christian to whom Jesus speaks bluntly.

I am also among the crowd he takes the time and care to caution. Among his many words about money, Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

How then might we live in a world of affluence? How might we fight the all-pervading atmosphere of consumerism and the attitude of commodification around us? How might we learn again to see our neighbors when they have become invisible behind our mountains of stuff? There is good reason for unrelenting words against the greed that turns communities into commodities and souls into consumers. There is similarly good reason that Christ has called the poor in spirit blessed, for those who cling to the Father know it is God alone they can eternally hold. We were not made to be at ease in Zion any more than we were made in the image of commodity. We were made in the image of God.

This God we now faintly resemble never sleeps or slumbers, perhaps in part because the suffering among us never sleep or slumber. It is this God who calls us to follow and to deny ourselves, to consider the “treasures” that might block our vision of God—as well as our vision of our neighbor. There are none seen as commodities in the eyes of the Creator; there are but children with the eyes of their Father.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) As quoted by Arthur Simon in “What Was That About the Rich Man?” Books & Culture, March 1, 2004.

Morning “The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.” / Psalm
33:13

Perhaps no figure of speech represents God in a more gracious light than when
he is spoken of as stooping from his throne, and coming down from heaven to
attend to the wants and to behold the woes of mankind. We love him, who, when
Sodom and Gomorrah were full of iniquity, would not destroy those cities until
he had made a personal visitation of them. We cannot help pouring out our
heart in affection for our Lord who inclines his ear from the highest glory,
and puts it to the lip of the dying sinner, whose failing heart longs after
reconciliation. How can we but love him when we know that he numbers the very
hairs of our heads, marks our path, and orders our ways? Specially is this
great truth brought near to our heart, when we recollect how attentive he is,
not merely to the temporal interests of his creatures, but to their spiritual
concerns. Though leagues of distance lie between the finite creature and the
infinite Creator, yet there are links uniting both. When a tear is wept by
thee, think not that God doth not behold; for, “Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Thy sigh is able to move
the heart of Jehovah; thy whisper can incline his ear unto thee; thy prayer
can stay his hand; thy faith can move his arm. Think not that God sits on high
taking no account of thee. Remember that however poor and needy thou art, yet
the Lord thinketh upon thee. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose
heart is perfect towards him.

Oh! then repeat the truth that never tires;

No God is like the God my soul desires;

He at whose voice heaven trembles, even he,

Great as he is, knows how to stoop to me.

Evening “Go again seven times.” / 1 Kings 18:43

Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have
pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, it is not possible that
the Lord should be deaf when his people are earnest in a matter which concerns
his glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, and
never for a moment gave way to a fear that he should be non-suited in
Jehovah’s courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word
was spoken but “Go again.” We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our
faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from
Carmel’s brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again. So far
from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is animated to plead more
fervently with her God. She is humbled, but not abashed: her groans are
deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or
stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy
answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good
to wait for as well as upon the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart
searching itself, and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: deadly
blows are thus struck at our corruption, and the chambers of imagery are
cleansed. The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing.
Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. At
last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, and
even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, and you shall rise
as a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man of
like passions with us: his power with God did not lie in his own merits. If
his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood
with unceasing importunity, and it shall be with you according to your desire.

And he said, ‘go again,’ seven times.   1 Kings 18:43

Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of response, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when His people are serious about a matter that concerns His glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God and never for a moment gave way to the fear that he would not be suited for Jehovah’s courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but “Go again.”

We must not dream of unbelief but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel’s peak, and if nothing is seen, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is quickened to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled but not crushed: Her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive and to find it good to wait for as well as upon the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: Deadly blows are then struck at our corruption, and the sinful images are cleansed. The great danger is that men should faint and miss the blessing.

Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue to watch and pray. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain; and even so with you, the token for good will surely be given, and you will rise as a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man with passions just like us: His power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing persistence, and it will be with you according to your desire.

Family Reading Plan   Ezekiel 31   Psalm 79

John 1:35-42

Andrew is the disciple known for bringing people to Jesus. Immediately after meeting the Lord, he introduced his brother Simon to the Messiah. Another time, when a great multitude was hungry, he found a boy with five loaves and two fishes and brought him to Jesus (John 6:8-9). When some Greeks wanted to meet Christ, Andrew and Philip made the introductions (12:20-22). This disciple never lost his enthusiasm for the Savior.

Andrew’s own conversion experience motivated him to let others know about the One who’d changed his life (1:36-37). How about you–have you lost the joy of your salvation? If your Christian life has become stale and musty, it’s time to remember what Christ has done for you and to ask that He restore your excitement.

In addition, Andrew longed to know the Savior and spend time with Him (vv. 38-39). The disciple’s example is a good reminder that sweet fellowship with the Lord isn’t supposed to end with devotional times. It should also stimulate a desire to share with others the joy we find in our relationship with Christ.

Finally, Andrew was motivated by his conviction that Jesus was the Messiah (v. 41). He’d found the answer for a lost and hurting world and wanted others to know.

When Andrew answered the call to discipleship, Jesus told him he’d be “catching men” instead of fish (Luke 5:10). Since we, too, are followers of Christ, we have this same assignment. Our styles and opportunities vary, but we’re each responsible to develop a lifelong habit of bringing others to Jesus.

Every culture or era has its own way of defining issues that invoke shame and guilt. These are connected, but different. Guilt is a feeling associated with things done or not done. Shame has a much deeper and wider impact. It is, in a sense, a deep embarrassment about who we are. It is an almost visceral contempt for some act or behavior that leaves you feeling disgust, contempt, or humiliation…at yourself.

 In 2 Timothy 1:8, the Apostle Paul tells the young Timothy, not to be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus. The apostle understood the pressure against telling others about Jesus, the cultural dynamics that militate against boldness, and the real dangers and threats from militant traditional Jewish audiences or hostile Roman Imperial authorities. The dangers were many, and as we know from the history of the early church, they were real.

 One danger, however, that I’m fairly sure they did not face was the pressure to be “nice.” What do I mean? In our time, we have lived through the expansion of the market, the explosion of media influence, and what Philip Rieff of Chicago University calls “the triumph of the therapeutic.” We are immersed in values and visions of the good life, which we inculcate with almost every breath that we breathe. It is a cultural moment where looking good and feeling good are paramount, and anything that threatens, disturbs, or challenges the cultural value-setters is ruled out of court.

 I am not suggesting that following these values is a conscious choice for many, but I would propose it is the default setting of most lives in our comfort-driven, convenience-laden moment. Our internal radar system is fixed on the maximization of pleasure and the minimization of pain. We simply “know” that certain things, difficult things, and yes, even some good things, are just too much to ask in our context.

 For instance, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel…” Well, maybe for some people. “Be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you…”  But they may think I’m a fanatic, or worse, some kind of religious nut. Anyway, the doors of the church are open and we have a special speaker on Sunday. They can come if they want to (or not). I can’t jeopardize my status, my peace, my equilibrium, and thereby risk becoming not “nice.”

 I must confess it is hard for me to envision the apostle Paul worrying excessively about not being “nice.” It is equally difficult if I consider others who risked reputation or safety to speak of the God they found. They were not rude, belligerent, ugly, or unnecessarily aggressive. They were clear, confident, compassionate, and courageous. At stake were some key issues for all of the above, the importance of truth, and the necessity of obedience. The Christian story is not advice, a set of ideas, or a moral exhortation for those who happen to like such things.

 Perhaps you’ve never reflected on whether your sincere desire to be “nice” undermines any expression of belief or disbelief. If you are effectively stopped by an internal dialogue that insists the need to be nice trumps all other goods or needs, perhaps it is time to seek afresh, resist that voice, break the hold of bad ideas, and step out in faith and obedience and do or say what is needed.

 There are worse things in life, after all, than not being nice! Perhaps being without Jesus is one of them?

Stuart McAllister is vice president of training and special projects at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Morning “Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord!”
/ Deuteronomy 33:29

He who affirms that Christianity makes men miserable, is himself an utter
stranger to it. It were strange indeed, if it made us wretched, for see to
what a position it exalts us! It makes us sons of God. Suppose you that God
will give all the happiness to his enemies, and reserve all the mourning for
his own family? Shall his foes have mirth and joy, and shall his home-born
children inherit sorrow and wretchedness? Shall the sinner, who has no part in
Christ, call himself rich in happiness, and shall we go mourning as if we were
penniless beggars? No, we will rejoice in the Lord always, and glory in our
inheritance, for we “have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
The rod of chastisement must rest upon us in our measure, but it worketh for
us the comfortable fruits of righteousness; and therefore by the aid of the
divine Comforter, we, the “people saved of the Lord,” will joy in the God of
our salvation. We are married unto Christ; and shall our great Bridegroom
permit his spouse to linger in constant grief? Our hearts are knit unto him:
we are his members, and though for awhile we may suffer as our Head once
suffered, yet we are even now blessed with heavenly blessings in him. We have
the earnest of our inheritance in the comforts of the Spirit, which are
neither few nor small. Inheritors of joy forever, we have foretastes of our
portion. There are streaks of the light of joy to herald our eternal
sunrising. Our riches are beyond the sea; our city with firm foundations lies
on the other side the river; gleams of glory from the spirit-world cheer our
hearts, and urge us onward. Truly is it said of us, “Happy art thou, O Israel;
who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord?”

Evening  “My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.” / Song of Solomon 5:4

Knocking was not enough, for my heart was too full of sleep, too cold and
ungrateful to arise and open the door, but the touch of his effectual grace
has made my soul bestir itself. Oh, the longsuffering of my Beloved, to tarry
when he found himself shut out, and me asleep upon the bed of sloth! Oh, the
greatness of his patience, to knock and knock again, and to add his voice to
his knockings, beseeching me to open to him! How could I have refused him!
Base heart, blush and be confounded! But what greatest kindness of all is
this, that he becomes his own porter and unbars the door himself. Thrice
blessed is the hand which condescends to lift the latch and turn the key. Now
I see that nothing but my Lord’s own power can save such a naughty mass of
wickedness as I am; ordinances fail, even the gospel has no effect upon me,
till his hand is stretched out. Now, also, I perceive that his hand is good
where all else is unsuccessful, he can open when nothing else will. Blessed be
his name, I feel his gracious presence even now. Well may my bowels move for
him, when I think of all that he has suffered for me, and of my ungenerous
return. I have allowed my affections to wander. I have set up rivals. I have
grieved him. Sweetest and dearest of all beloveds, I have treated thee as an
unfaithful wife treats her husband. Oh, my cruel sins, my cruel self. What can
I do? Tears are a poor show of my repentance, my whole heart boils with
indignation at myself. Wretch that I am, to treat my Lord, my All in All, my
exceeding great joy, as though he were a stranger. Jesus, thou forgivest
freely, but this is not enough, prevent my unfaithfulness in the future. Kiss
away these tears, and then purge my heart and bind it with sevenfold cords to
thyself, never to wander more.