Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. 

—Psalm 119:2–3

Scripture:

Psalm 119:2–3 

When Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt Joseph, it was his love for God that functioned as a deterrent. It kept him from sinning. Joseph said, “How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God” (Genesis 39:9 NLT).

When we keep God’s commandments, we should keep them with all our hearts because we love God. We should want to keep them.

Of course, the devil will try to stop us from walking according to God’s commands. He will set traps for us and try to trip us up. He wants to keep us from living holy and happy lives.

Some people see God’s laws as restrictive, as things that prevent them from really enjoying life. However, His commands protect us from the things that can harm us. And keeping His commands is the way to live life to its fullest. Therefore, the law is something that we should want to keep.

The psalmist wrote, “Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts” (Psalm 119:2 NLT). A few verses later we read, “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word” (verse 9 NLT).

I think we all recognize that young people today are facing some serious temptations. But this principle also applies to every Christian. If you want to live a clean life, you must obey the Word of God.

This means not just reading the Bible but doing what it says. As someone pointed out, “It is not how you mark your Bible; it’s how your Bible marks you.”

Read God’s Word with a desire to apply it to your life. It’s attention with intention. If you will apply yourself wholly to the Scriptures and apply the Scriptures wholly to yourself, it will have an impact on your life.

Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? 

—Psalm 85:6

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:11 

No country lasts forever. Rome once was the reigning superpower on earth, with the most powerful military anywhere. But before Rome collapsed externally, it collapsed internally.

In The Complete Story of Civilization Historian Will Durant said of Rome, “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential causes of Rome’s decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars.” 

The difference between Rome and the United States is that we initially built this nation on a Judeo-Christian foundation. But we have strayed dramatically from the original vision of our Founding Fathers that produced this place we call the United States of America.

I think we would do well to look at the soul of our nation right now. What once was freedom of religion seems to have become freedom from religion. Our society has succeeded in getting God out of our schools, out of our sporting events, out of our public places, and out of our workplaces.

But here’s what we need to remember. The freedom we enjoy today is built on the foundation of absolute truth. And when you remove that foundation, this freedom actually can turn into anarchy.

People in our nation are saying they don’t like the idea of things that are right and things that are wrong. They don’t want to live by those standards anymore. Instead, they want to live according to moral relativism so they can choose their own truths.

The United States of America, like every other nation on earth, has its days numbered. We need divine intervention. We need God’s help. My belief about the future of our nation is that we have two choices before us: one is judgment and the other is revival.

If we do not have revival, then I think judgment is inevitable.

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 

—Hebrews 12:11

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:11 

I’ve flown in a lot of different planes, from big ones to very small ones. And something that all planes have is a warning system that alerts the pilot when something is going wrong.

In the same way, if you’re a child of God, then you will sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit when you begin to cross a line. Your conscience is the warning system God has built within you.

We find the infrastructure for our beliefs in the pages of Scripture, and God’s Holy Spirit works through our conscience to give us a sense of what is right and wrong. Thus, when we begin to do something that isn’t right, the Holy Spirit, through our conscience, tells us that it’s wrong.

Additionally, because we’re God’s children, the Bible says that God will discipline us. So, when we start to go astray, when we do something that is wrong, the Holy Spirit is there, lovingly yet firmly saying, “Don’t do that.”

But here’s the problem. If you’re not a believer, then you won’t sense any conviction at all. You will go out and do whatever you want to do, and your heart will be so hardened that you won’t even care.

Here’s what the Bible says about this: “If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all” (Hebrews 12:8 NLT).

If there is something you’ve been doing that you know is wrong, if God’s Holy Spirit has been telling you to stop but you’ve found a way to justify it, then I have one word for you: repent.

To repent means to change your direction. Stop doing what you’re doing, because if you don’t stop, your heart will grow more and more hardened. God is warning you for your own good.

‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 

—Matthew 22:37–38

Scripture:

Matthew 22:37-38 

When the Pharisees were trying to set a trap for Jesus, they asked Him this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” (Matthew 22:36 NLT).

Jesus told them, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (verses 37–38 NLT).

In our culture when we speak of the heart, we’re generally referring to our emotions. For instance, we might say, “My mind is telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me another.”

So, what did Jesus mean when He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind”?

Is this saying that we should merely do this from our emotions and disengage our intellect? No. In the original language, the heart refers to the core of a person’s being. The soul refers to what we would call emotion. And the mind refers to intellectual vigor and determination.

Therefore, our love for the Lord should be intelligent, feeling, and willing. Notice that God wants all three.

However, some may love the Lord with all their minds but not with all their souls. They believe certain things to be true, but they are not emotionally engaged. There are others who love God with all their souls but not all their minds. They relate to God emotionally, but they don’t fill their minds with God’s Word.

The Bible calls for balance. It’s telling us to love God with every fiber of our beings. We love Him with our intellectual ability, our emotional passion, and our strength. We should love God with everything we have.

 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. 

—Psalm 119:1

Scripture:

Psalm 119:1 

When it comes to spiritual pursuits, many people put in the bare minimum. They will engage in spiritual things only when it’s necessary, generally during a crisis.

When everything is going well, when the sky is blue, the sun is out, and the birds are singing, they don’t really have a thought about God. But when a crisis hits, when the storm clouds gather, suddenly they are calling on the Lord out of necessity.

Some people pray only in a time of crisis or when they think of it. They read the Bible only when they have time. But that is not the way to live.

The Bible says, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1 NLT). God’s commands are not something we should fear or shun. Yet some Christians say, “I’m not under the law; I’m under grace.”

In a sense that’s true. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer under the curse of the law, which we are unable to keep in our own strength. But let’s also remember that Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose” (Matthew 5:17 NLT).

We don’t keep the law to earn God’s approval. But it also doesn’t mean that we disregard it. It doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want. The principles of the law certainly still apply in our lives.

Instead of being a list of rules that were basically unobtainable for us in our own strength, God’s laws are now written on the fleshly tablets of our hearts, as Scripture says (see 2 Corinthians 3:3). They become our delight. They become our joy. And we obey them because it’s our desire to do so.

Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. 

—Psalm 119:2

Scripture:

Psalm 119:2 

Before I committed my life to Christ, I thought that Christians lived the most boring lives on earth. I saw Christianity as a list of things that you could not do. My perception was that Christians hung out with dull people and spent their time praying and singing songs. In a nutshell, I thought Christianity was no fun.

When a lot of people think about the way of following Jesus Christ, the way of obedience, they foresee misery and restrictions. Most nonbelievers view the Christian life as one of gloom and, worst of all, boredom.

However, after becoming a Christian, I discovered the opposite was true. My priorities changed. And I found that the holy way—the godly way, the way of obedience—is in reality the happy way.

We see in Psalm 119, as well as in other places in Scripture, that happiness is always connected to holiness. And we also find that happiness is not something that we should seek outright. Pursuing happiness, in and of itself, generally is a futile search. Rather, happiness is a result of seeking something else.

Speaking about God, the psalmist wrote, “Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts” (Psalm 119:2 NLT).

There are two ways that we can live our lives: the right way and the wrong way. There are two paths that we can take: the narrow road that leads to life or the broad way that leads to destruction (see Matthew 7:13–14). And there are two foundations that we can build on: the solid rock or sinking sand (see Matthew 7:24–27).

As a result, we will live either the holy and happy way or the miserable and unholy way. Everything we need in life to be happy, everything we need to be fulfilled, is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 

—Galatians 6:9

Scripture:

Galatians 6:9 

In many ways, people mock us and deride us for our beliefs as Christians. They accuse us of things that simply aren’t true because we stand up for our principles.

Just remember that we are not home yet. One day Jesus will welcome us home, and we will hear the words “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 5:21 NLT).

That is why the Bible reminds us, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

I remember hearing the late Alan Redpath talk about a message he heard many years ago when he was a young accountant. The speaker was talking about having a saved soul but a lost life. In other words, it is possible for us to be saved and forgiven of our sin yet waste our lives by not serving the Lord.

Redpath kept thinking about the words “saved soul, lost life,” and he ultimately made a commitment to the Lord. He prayed, “Lord, I want to serve You. I don’t bring a lot to the table, but what I have is now Yours.”

Some Christians are basically throwing their lives away and living for themselves. Maybe that describes you. And maybe you think it’s too late and that God could never use you.

It isn’t too late for you to recommit your life to God and say, “Lord, I want my life to make a difference. You have given me something to do. You have given me certain abilities and talents, and I want to serve You. Whatever role You have for me, I want to be a part of what You’re doing.”

Don’t waste your life. If you will step forward and make yourself available, God will help you do what He has called you to do.

The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 

—1 Corinthians 3:8

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:8 

In the Old Testament we find an account of David and his men who were returning home after God gave them success in battle. Some of the men had stayed behind and watched their equipment and supplies, and the men who had engaged in the fighting didn’t want to share the spoils with the others.

However, David told them, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment” (1 Samuel 30:23–24 NLT).

Whether God has called you to a ministry where people see you or to a ministry where you support others who are seen, God will bless you and reward you in that final day.

Maybe you think that your life isn’t really making a difference or that what you have offered to God doesn’t mean much. But you will be in for some surprises in Heaven because what seems of little value on earth will be of great value in Heaven.

I read about a man who was cleaning out his attic and found an old blue-and-white vase. He decided to take it to an auction and sell it, thinking he might get, at best, perhaps $100 for it. But to his utter amazement, the vase sold for $324,000. The buyer recognized it as an original piece from the Ming dynasty.

What may not seem to be valuable now will be worth more later. We all have gifts that God has entrusted to us. What we need to do is be faithful with what God has called us to do.

 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 

—1 Corinthians 12:27

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:27 

When Pastor Chuck Smith was helping our church start our ministry of large-scale evangelistic events, he was willing to take the role of a servant to help it happen.

I remember saying to him, “It’s a great quality that you have always given an opportunity for others to be used by God, and you were willing to stand back and let that happen.” He was always willing to push others forward because his goal was to see God glorified.

Think of what can happen if every Christian were to take that attitude. We should be able to rejoice when God is working in another person’s life.

Yet we may see God bless someone in a tangible way, and we don’t think it’s fair. Maybe God begins to bless and use a certain individual, and we say, “Lord, wait a second. I have faithfully served You all these years. But this Johnny-come-lately pops up, and You’re blessing this person instead of me. It isn’t fair! I’m so much godlier than they are. I’m more committed than they are. And most of all, I’m humbler than they are.”

However, we should rejoice that God is being glorified and that the gospel is being preached.

Speaking about the body of Christ, the church, the apostle Paul wrote, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:26–27 NLT).

We need to guard against the petty jealousy and rivalry that we can so easily fall into. If God lifts up one of us and blesses us, we should rejoice. It doesn’t have to be you or me. What’s important is that God is the One who’s receiving the glory.

So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind. 

—Ecclesiastes 1:17

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 1:17 

J. Robert Oppenheimer, a brilliant physicist, was head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, which developed the atomic bomb. He also directed the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

Yet the year before he died, he said this about his accomplishments: “They leave on the tongue only the taste of ashes.”

We celebrate our dramatic advances in science and technology, and they are breathtaking to say the least. We live in a technologically advanced age, and we truly have become a global village. Still, it seems that all this technology has numbed our souls a little bit more. That’s because we have pursued knowledge without God.

Solomon came to the same conclusion. He wrote, “So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind. The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 1:17–18 NLT).

If intellectualism alone were the key to purpose and fulfillment, then our college campuses would be bastions of peace and purpose. However, on the campuses of secular universities today we can find the most bizarre, aberrant ideas available. We also can see the emptiness of academic pursuit without God.

I would even say this lack of belief in God, which comes from many of our colleges and universities, has led to the moral breakdown in our country today. Now our young people are taught they are not created in the image of God. And then we’re surprised when people who believe they have evolved from animals go out and act like them.

Of course, the pursuit of knowledge and a good education is noble and valuable. But if in that pursuit we leave God out, then it indeed will be an empty one.

 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 

—Romans 8:20–21

Scripture:

Romans 8:20–21 

Some people dedicate their lives to acquiring possessions. Others dedicate their lives to getting the finest education available. And still others dedicate their lives to romantic relationships.

But ultimately they will discover that if they forget about God in their pursuits, it will result in something called emptiness. Take it from an expert, Solomon, who wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Solomon knew about these things firsthand. He went on a quest, almost treating it as a research project. He decided to try everything the world had to offer. He wouldn’t merely read about it or take someone else’s word for it. He would experience it personally. He was on a search for truth.

Really, all of humanity is on a quest as well. We’re searching for that something more in life. When God created us, He wired us that way.

The Bible says that God “has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT).

This simply means there is something in the heart of every person, uniquely created in the image of God, that knows something more is out there.

Romans 8:20 tells us, “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse” (NLT). Or, as the New King James Version puts it, “The creation was subjected to futility.”

Benjamin Disraeli, a nineteenth-century British prime minister, concluded, “Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.” There is something in us that this earth can never satisfy. That is why there are so many miserable successful people.

As Solomon so wisely observed, just as death and destruction are never satisfied, human desire is never satisfied. We are designed to know God and live above the mundane existence that we call life. The answer to all our questions is found in a relationship with God.

 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 

—Deuteronomy 6:7

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:7 

When my son Christopher was born, I remember thinking, “How am I going to be a father?” My mother had been married and divorced many times. I never had a real father in my life, though a man named Oscar Laurie adopted me. He provided as much of a fatherly relationship as he could in the relatively short time that we spent together.

So when I became a father myself, I had to look to Scripture. And I sought out other fathers to learn from.

Fathers are a visible link between their children and the Father in Heaven. Many of the attitudes children develop toward God will be connected to the attitudes they have toward their fathers. The potential impact of a good and godly father is almost immeasurable.

But fathers, you cannot lead your children any further than you have come yourself. Pastor and author Andrew Murray wrote, “The secret of home rule is self-rule, first being ourselves what we want our children to be.”

First we must develop our own relationship with God.

Moses, speaking to the Israelites, said, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:5–7 NLT).

This is a picture of parents who are spending a lot of time with their children. We need to teach our children not only by what we say but by how we live.

Are you walking as closely with the Lord as you could? Is there room for a deeper commitment? Then I encourage you to make it before this day is through.

 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

—Ephesians 5:15–16

Scripture:

Ephesians 5:15-16 

It’s difficult to be a father these days. In fact, I think it always has been difficult. But a man who stands by his wife and children today is, in my book, a true hero. And I thank God for him.

We men cannot, even for a moment, consider bailing out on the commitment we’ve made to our wives. Nor can we turn our backs on our children. To do so would be the same as deserting in the face of battle and being branded a traitor.

Tragically, we live in such a selfish culture in America. And most marital problems can be traced to simple selfishness, nothing more and nothing less. Additionally, researchers have traced many of the social ills in our country today directly to the breakdown of the family and, more specifically, to the absence of the father in the home.

Certainly fatherhood comes with many pressures. Some of us feel ill-equipped. We don’t think we’re up to the task. But it’s better to be an okay but learning father than to be an absent one.

If you’re a dad, chances are you’re not perfect. Maybe you haven’t done everything in just the right way. Learn from your mistakes. Be there for your children. They can be very forgiving when you’re making an effort on their behalf.

How important it is for us as Christian men to try and be the men God has called us to be, even in our later years, even when our children are adults and have their own children.

Maybe you’re thinking, “I failed as a father.” Well, you still have time. You can still change your behavior and attitudes toward your children and try to make up for some of the time you lost. Do what you can while you can still do it.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. 

—Psalm 68:5

Scripture:

Psalm 68:5 

I don’t know what kind of earthly dad you have, but you have a Father in Heaven who is perfect. He’s flawless. He has no limitations whatsoever.

What is He like? Jesus answered that in what we call the parable of the Prodigal Son. We could just as easily call it the parable of the Loving Father, because it’s a story about a father who has two sons.

One of the sons went astray, left home, and blew all the money that his dad gave him as his inheritance. Afterward he came to his senses and returned home. And according to Jesus, when that father saw his boy in the distance, he ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. He welcomed him home again.

God the Father is like the father in that story. He’s a Father who loves you, a Father who longs for a relationship with you, and a Father who is brokenhearted when you sin and are away from Him.

I would also add that God’s heart goes out to fatherless children. I understand how hard this can be because I was basically raised by a single mom. In fact, the Bible tells us that God is a “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5 NLT).

Honestly, there are times when parents blow it. They abandon their children, or they’re harsh or even abusive. But regardless of what your parents did or even what your grandparents did, God can change your story. When Jesus Christ enters the narrative, He can change your future. But you need to ask Him to come and take control.

If you’re a prodigal child, you can come back home. Or if you never have believed in Jesus, then you can believe in Him and be forgiven of all your sin. There’s a place at the table for you in the family of God.

 The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. 

—Psalm 19:8

Scripture:

Psalm 19:8 

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He included this one: “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12 NLT).

God tells children to honor their parents, even when they say those four words that no child likes to hear: “Because I said so.” This statement is usually followed up with something along these lines: “You’ll understand one day.”

Sometimes God says the same to us. We might say, “Lord, I don’t really get all these things You say in Your Word, and I don’t like all those commandments You’ve written down. Why are they even there? Why do I have to follow them?”

And God replies, “Because I said so.”

One day we’ll get it. One day we’ll understand. And we don’t even have to wait until we’re in Heaven. After we’ve lived a few years, we see how human lives unfold. We see what happens when people obey God’s Word, and we see what happens when they disobey it.

As the children of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses stood before them and made this statement: “Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways” (Deuteronomy 30:15–16 NLT).

Then he added, “If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy” (verse 16 NLT).

God was saying to them, “Follow My commands and your life will be blessed.” If we will read God’s Word and do what it says, then we will ultimately discover how much better life goes.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. 

—Ephesians 6:4

Scripture:

Ephesians 6:4 

A while back I was at a restaurant with my wife, and we were enjoying the view as the sun began to set. Then I glanced at a table nearby where a young family was sitting.

The dad was on his phone, the mother was on her phone, and the baby was on a tablet—in fact, there was a tablet holder in the stroller!

I thought, “What are we doing to these kids?” We put them in front of devices and bombard them with information, and I wonder whether their brains are forming properly. Are they even learning to read social cues and communicate?

What concerns me is that a lot of parents are leaving their kids to themselves. Yet it’s the parents’ job to raise their own children. God created the family, and He loves the family. And as someone has pointed out, a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family.

Ephesian 6:4 reminds us, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (NLT). The phrase “bring them up” means “to nourish.”

We should protect our children, watch over them, and help them process what they’re being exposed to.

Moses said to the Israelites, “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7 NLT).

As a parent, nothing can happen through you until it has first happened to you. You cannot take your children any further spiritually than you have gone yourself.

 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 

—Ecclesiastes 3:1

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

I don’t know about you, but I constantly look at my watch throughout the day. What time is it? What time are we supposed to be there? How much time will it take?

Time is a part of our lives. It’s inescapable. That is what Solomon was talking about when he wrote, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT).

We find two important words in this verse: “season” and “time.” The Hebrew word for “season” refers to a fixed, definite portion of time, while the word for “time” refers to a beginning or a starting period.

When we put those words together, we see that Solomon is telling us that God has appointed everything that comes into our lives for a specific purpose. God knows just when to bring things in, and He knows how long they should last.

The things we experience are not random events that float in and out of our lives. Rather, they are specific events that God has chosen, and they are timely and purposeful. This includes the good times that we experience and the bad times we experience.

And in retrospect, we’ll see that many of the bad times will turn out to be good times. That’s because it is through those so-called bad times that we learn some of life’s most important lessons.

We also will recognize that we’re not in charge of our lives. God is. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we come under His protective care. This means God is fully aware of everything that happens to us.

God is always paying careful attention to the smallest detail of our lives and is in complete control of all circumstances. There’s a season for everything. We’re not victims of fate or dumb luck. God is guiding and directing our steps.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 

—2 Corinthians 3:18

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:18 

I wasn’t raised in the church. I grew up in an alcohol-dazed world, and I saw what it did to the adult generation. So, I detoured myself into the drug culture and tried a lot of things. And I tried enough to know that it all was empty.

When I heard about Jesus Christ, I thought, “I would like to know God. That idea sounds really good.” The idea of having a relationship with God held great appeal for me.

But I also noticed that the Christians on my high school campus were sweet and nice and loving. I thought, “I’m not that way. I’m cynical and sarcastic. In fact, I can be kind of mean. I don’t know if I can become one of those people.”

However, after I became a Christian, God started working in my life. Now, I’m not saying that I don’t have a little bit of cynicism still. I’m not saying that I haven’t been sarcastic since my conversion. But I am saying that God changed my heart.

In fact, when I told people that I was a Christian, they didn’t believe it. They thought I was joking. And later when I became a preacher, they laughed even harder. It was the last thing anyone envisioned for me.

But God had a different plan for my life. And who knows what kind of plan He has for you?

Maybe you have tried to get your life together. Maybe you’re still searching for answers. You’ve been trying to fill the void in your life with anything and everything, but nothing satisfies.

God holds the missing piece. You won’t find it in your pursuits or in anything this world has to offer. But you will find it in a relationship with God. The missing piece is a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. And He will change you from the inside out.

Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 

—Romans 13:13

Scripture:

Romans 13:13 

Shortly before he died, Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, recorded a song called “Party.” Here are some of the lyrics: “We were up all night, singing and giving a chase… the next morning everybody was hung over.”

In the refrain he repeatedly implores his party mates to “come back and play.”

Don’t be pulled into the illusion that drinking and partying will make you a happy person. Christians should live apart from that.

Romans 13 tells us, “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living” (verses 11–12 NLT).

Here’s how the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it: “The present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God’s salvation nearer. The night is nearly over, the day has almost dawned. Let us therefore fling away the things that men do in the dark, let us arm ourselves for the fight of the day!”

That is good advice. Don’t chase after those things. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise” (NLT). Eventually the party will be over. Then where will you be?

I’m reminded of the great hymn of the church that says, “On Christ, the solid Rock I stand—all other ground is sinking sand.”

This world offers you cheap thrills that never will meet your deepest needs. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon arrived at the same conclusion: life is empty without God.

I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. 

—Ecclesiastes 1:14

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 1:14 

It isn’t that unusual anymore to hear about another rock star who overdosed or another Hollywood celebrity who has checked into a drug rehab unit—or, tragically, has committed suicide.

It’s hard for us to understand how people living in a Tinseltown world could be miserable. But they have the same problems we have. The difference is they have a lot of the things that we dream of, yet they see the emptiness and futility of it all.

Solomon saw this as well. He wrote, “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new” (Ecclesiastes 1:8–9 NLT).

It’s the conclusion that everyone will come to eventually. Of course, we can discover it the hard way, or we can discover it the easy way. We can take God’s word for it, or we can foolishly chase after all the things that, in the end, will leave us empty.

And some people who go down that road will lose their lives in the process.

You don’t have to find out the hard way. You can come to God, and He will fill the void in your life. We all were born with an emptiness inside. No earthly relationship will fill it. No amount of sex or possessions will fill it. Nor will knowledge or morality or even good, clean living.

We were designed to know God. And until you come into a relationship with Him, you will keep coming up empty, time and again, just as Solomon did.

When you turn to God in faith and let Him forgive your sins, He will fill the void in your life—a void that only He can fill.