Key Verse:  “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15 CSB)

Every day, from the moment we wake up, we are faced with a series of decisions that need to be made. Will we hit the snooze button or get out of bed when the alarm first goes off? What will we wear? What, if anything, will we eat for breakfast? And on it goes from there.

Some of the decisions we have to make aren’t that big a deal. But others carry much more significance, as they affect our relationships, our physical and emotional health, our financial stability, and ultimately our future.

Joshua’s farewell speech to the people of Israel culminated with him calling the people to make a choice. He essentially drew a line in the sand for them. Each one of them, young and old, had a decision to make. Would they “fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth”? Or would they choose to worship the gods that their ancestors “worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites” (v.15) in whose land they were now living? It was the ultimate choice for them to make, the one that mattered most. It was about worship. Who or what would they choose to worship?

For Joshua, his mind was already made up. “As for me and my family,” he said, “we will worship the Lord” (v.15). The people of Israel appeared to share the same conviction. They responded to Joshua by saying, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods!” (v.16).

It seems like a fairly straightforward decision, doesn’t it? The right answer of course is to choose to worship the Lord rather than anyone or anything else.  But if you know the rest of the story, you’ll remember that despite their good intentions, this wasn’t necessarily how it played out moving forward for the people. Even though at this moment their choice to worship was directed at God, there would be many times down the road when they chose otherwise.

This is how it goes when it comes to our worship. It’s not simply a one-time decision. While it’s a choice that needs to be made initially at the moment, it is also one that needs to continue to be made moving forward in every circumstance.

In many ways, our choice when it comes to worship is what sets the direction for our life in Christ. Every day, in every situation we find ourselves in, we have a decision to make. Will I choose the ways of this world, or will I choose God’s ways? Will I choose to pursue my selfish desires, or will I seek to live according to God’s will? Will I allow Jesus to take His rightful place in my life, or will give that up to someone or something else? Will I worship the Lord?

Consider the object of your worship today. Which will you choose? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord!

Prayer: Father God, I choose today to worship you. In whatever I will face today, help me by the power of your Spirit to turn away from everything else to you alone. Teach me what it means to fear the Lord and worship you in sincerity and truth. Amen.

Key Verse: “The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” (John 1:35-37a)

What are you looking for? This is the question that Jesus posed to the two disciples who were following Him down the road. Up until this point, they had been disciples of John the Baptist. But when John pointed to Jesus as He was passing by and declared, “Look, the Lamb of God!” the men turned and followed Jesus. As Jesus noticed that they were now following Him instead of John, He asked them, “What are you looking for?”

Their answer is interesting. “They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” (v.37b). Evidently, whatever these men were looking for from Jesus, they were planning on sticking around with Him, and wanted to know where He was heading next. “Come and you’ll see,” Jesus replied. So they went and stayed with Him for the day.

Put yourself in the shoes of these two men. If were walking down the road and Jesus were to turn to you and ask the question, “What are you looking for?” how would you respond? What is it that you are seeking from Jesus?

Often times, it is outward circumstances that cause us to stop and look toward Jesus – an unexpected health diagnosis, a financial crisis, or a breakdown in a relationship. Sometimes the driving force is something that is happening within – a crisis of belief, a sense of purposelessness, or a lack of joy or peace in our lives. All of these are real and legitimate reasons for why we may turn and look to Jesus.

In Mark chapter 2, four men carried their friend who was paralyzed and brought him to where Jesus was. What were they looking for? They wanted Jesus to physically heal him, and believed that He had the power to do so. “Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven”” (Mark 2:5), and then He healed the man of his paralysis. In this man’s case, there was an immediate need that they were seeking to be met by Jesus. But in the end, he also had a much more important and deeper need met. He encountered the spiritual healing power of Jesus.

Whatever it is that you are looking for from Jesus, He wants to meet you where you are at. Jesus is the only place to find true peace, joy, purpose and freedom. But in the end, what Jesus wants to give you is ultimately Himself. It is about more of His presence in your life each and every day through the Holy Spirit.

“Who do I have in heaven but you?” the Psalmist wrote, “And I desire nothing on earth but you. My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26). What are you looking for today? What are you seeking from Jesus?  Look to Him for more of His presence in your life. Make Him your portion today.
 

Prayer: Jesus, I want more of you in my life today. Everything else that I look to will fall short compared to you. Help me today, by the Holy Spirit, to turn my eyes to you alone. May you be my vision and portion forever. Amen.

Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.

Key Verse: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24)

Self-help books have been popular for some time, and they are still popular. There are general self-help books and focused self-help books for men and for women; for those who want to be rich, powerful, popular, or successful; or for those who want good health or an optimistic outlook or simply good feelings.

Let me recommend an alternative. No, let Jesus recommend it: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. . . . But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” These are some of the words He uses to close what we call the Sermon on the Mount (although it’s more a body of teaching than a sermon).

In Matthew 5-7, Jesus lays out in a series of concise and pointed lessons how we should relate to God, the Scriptures, our enemies, our neighbors, our possessions, our own hearts, and true and false prophets. And if we build our lives on these teachings, He says we will be like someone who built his house on a rock. By calling this a self-improvement plan, I don’t mean to limit it to that, but I do mean it in this way: as a human race, we have gone far astray; God made us to function in a certain way, and the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount are key to getting us back to the right way. These pages are central to God’s improvement plan for us.

Every day we see around us the evidence of worldly values, but in the beatitudes Jesus gives us heaven’s values. We hear of people tangling with the law, but He teaches us to get our hearts right and the law will not be an issue. We see hypocrisy, but He leads us to a genuine faith without show. We see the pursuit of riches, but the Savior charges us to store up treasures in heaven. We see worry, but He calls us to trust God. We see judgmentalism, but He charges us to judge ourselves. We see around us people building on a foundation of sand, but the Lord of the universe invites us to build on the rock.

In the rest of the New Testament we will be given more details on how to build our lives to maturity, both as individuals and as part of a church. Jesus will continue His teaching through the Holy Spirit so that His followers can write it down for us: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:25-26). These early chapters of Matthew are where this all begins. These pages are the foundation rock of the new era.

If we are to have God’s help with our self-improvement plan, we can begin at no better place. Are you building on the rock? When the rains of life come, will your building stand?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this rock on which to build. Please guard my heart from building my life on the sand of this world’s outlook and philosophy. 

Teach me your way, O Lord, teach me your way! 

Your guiding grace afford, teach me your way! 

Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight; 

Lead me with heavenly light, teach me your way!

Author: Lindsay Hislop was raised in southern Scotland and southern Ontario and now lives in the southern United States. He worked in the engineering field for 15 years (mostly in Canada) before pursuing an academic career. He has taught for over thirty years at Columbia International University. He also serves as an elder in his church, where he teaches and preaches regularly. He is married to a wonderful wife Pam and has two terrific children, Holly, who lives in Canada, and Doug, who lives in Columbia. His four grandchildren, Isaac, Madeline, Lindsay, and Dolan, are also pretty special. He likes doing carpentry and odd jobs around the house.

Key Verse: “In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.  The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14 CSB)

 In the opening of his letter to the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul outlined some of the “spiritual blessing in the heavens” (v.3) that are ours in Christ Jesus. Our blessing in Christ began in eternity past when God “chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him” (v.4). It also continues into the present, namely through the forgiveness that God offers to us based on Jesus’ work on the cross (v.7). But the spiritual blessing that is ours also has a future sense. Because Jesus is God and our lives are now found in Him, no matter what happens next, our future is secure in His hands.

How do we know for sure? How can be so confident about what awaits us down the road? The security of our future is rooted first in the sovereignty of God. Paul wrote, “In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will” (v.11).

Paul reminds us that God is completely sovereign. He holds all the power. Whatever He chooses to do will always happen. His purposes and plans cannot be thwarted. Those whom He has chosen and adopted into His family are now secure in His hands. No matter what our circumstances, God is working it all out according to His sovereign will. That is amazing, isn’t it?

But it doesn’t stop there. The sovereignty of God is not the only reason why we can rest assured about our future. We also have the Spirit of God. Prior to His ascension into heaven, Jesus had told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). This would be the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made to them earlier when He spoke of the One whom the Father would send in His name afterward (John 14:26).

Thankfully, God’s Spirit is for all of us who have trusted in Jesus. Paul wrote that on the day of your salvation, the point at which “you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you also believed” (v.13), something incredible occurred. On that day, you were “sealed in him with the promised Holy Spirit” (v.11).

Why is that so significant? Paul continued by saying that the Holy Spirit is “the down payment of our inheritance” (v.14). Just as a parent passes on his possessions as an inheritance to his children, the Holy Spirit is the first installment or deposit from God serving as His pledge to us of what is to come. God has “put his seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:22) of our future.

One of the amazing realities of being a Christian is that, although we don’t know the future, we know the One who does. He holds it secure in His sovereign hands. He has given us His promised Spirit as the guarantee.  So until that day, when we go from this life into the next and see Jesus face to face, we can walk with confidence. No matter how hard it may get now, we can rest assured of what awaits us.

Prayer: God, I thank you that you have sealed me with the Holy Spirit as a promise of what is to come. No matter what happens to me today, I know that because of Jesus my future is secure in your hands. Fill me with faith and hope as I look forward to that day. Amen.

Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.

Key Verse: “ I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:15-17 CSB)

The few times I’ve had the privilege of traveling to the developing world, I have been struck by the affluence of North America. In comparison to so many, we live very comfortable lives, having much more than we would ever need.

The church in Laodicea found themselves in a similar situation. Situated at a key point along the trade routes, Laodicea was a very prosperous and affluent city, and a hub of industry in commerce, clothing and medicine. When Jesus wrote to them through the Apostle John, He had some of the hardest things to say to the believers there. He described them as “neither cold nor hot” (v.15), but rather “lukewarm” (v.16).

What exactly was Jesus trying to say to them? Interestingly, Laodicea was situated approximately six miles south of Hierapolis, and ten miles west of Colossae. Hierapolis was known for its hot mineral springs, and Colossae for its cold drinking water. With no water source of its own, the people of Laodicea had to pump water in from these neighboring cities. But when the water arrived, it was no longer hot or cold, but rather lukewarm, and in some cases undrinkable, depending on the amount of minerals it contained.

Playing off these local realities, Jesus said to them, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth” (v.16). The water wasn’t making Jesus nauseous. The believers in Laodicea were!

Why? What was the problem? Jesus went on to say, “For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked” (v.17). The problem with the church in Laodicea was that they had become way to comfortable enjoying the lavishness and luxury of the world around them. As a result, it had dulled their spiritual senses and diminished their fervency for the kingdom mission. They had become blind to their spiritual reality.

Out of love for them, Jesus rebuked the church and called them to “be zealous and repent” (v.19). He was standing at the door knocking and waiting to be invited back into the center of their lives where they could enjoy renewed spiritual life in fellowship with Him. He was inviting them to drink of the living water that He could give them so that “they would never get thirsty again” (John 4:14).

The problem facing the church in Laodicea remains a prevalent threat to us today. We me be careful not to get too comfortable. While there is nothing wrong with having wealth, we must always be on guard from being deceived by it, and falling into the trap of greed and self-indulgence. Ultimately it will cause us to turn our backs on Christ and shut him out of our lives, just like those in Laodicea had done.

True wealth is not measured by what we have physically, but rather by our spiritual blessings. Those who are truly rich are not those who say, “I have become wealthy and need nothing” (v.17), because they enjoy the luxuries of this world. Rather, it is those who say, “I have become wealthy and need nothing, because I have Christ.”  Jesus invites us today to enjoy the riches of knowing Him in a deeper way. May this be the pursuit of our lives more and more.

Prayer: Jesus, keep my heart from being lured by the riches of the world around me, and getting too comfortable. Help me to see more clearly today the surpassing value of knowing you. Fill me with a renewed passion and zeal for you above all else. Amen.

Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.