“Be strong and of good courage …”

— Deuteronomy 31:6

I admire people who display great courage. One man in history known for his courage was Alexander the Great. One day, Alexander held court in Nebuchadnezzar’s great palace in Babylon. He sat upon the great golden throne, pronouncing sentences for the crimes charged to his soldiers. The sergeant-at-arms brought in one soldier after another and read their crimes. No one could deliver them from Alexander’s severe judgments.

Finally, the sergeant-at-arms brought in a young Macedonian soldier and read aloud his crime: fleeing in the face of the enemy. This cowardice Alexander could not tolerate. But as he looked on this young soldier, Alexander’s countenance changed from stern to soft. Smiling, he said to the lad, “Son, what is your name?” The boy said softly, “Alexander.” The smile left the king’s face. He said, “What did you say?” The young man snapped to attention. “Alexander, sir.” The king turned crimson and shouted, “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” The boy began to stammer and said, “Al … Alex … Alexander, sir.” The king burst out of his chair, grabbed the young man by the tunic, stared him in the face, then threw him on the ground and said, “Soldier, change your conduct or change your name!”

All of us have a name from our royal lineage. What is that name? Christian! And we need to live our lives in a manner worthy of that name. Dear friend, I encourage you to be strong. Be courageous. Obey the Lord. Allow God to give you courage in Him—courage to do what God has told us to do, courage to avoid the things God has told us not to do, courage to stand up for Christ. Let us not cower under fire but stand firm in the Lord’s name, living up to our calling as Christians.

“Courage is the virtue that makes other virtues possible.”
Winston Churchill

“Where there is no vision, the people perish …”

— Proverbs 29:18, kjv

Do you have a great vision for your life? Do you have a purpose in mind, a purpose in heart that comes from a vision that inflames your heart with a blue-white flame? Or do you simply live your life because every morning you wake up again and there you are, having to endure just one more miserable day?

I believe we need to have vision for our lives, dreams to reach for, goals to accomplish. As we develop vision, we discover purpose for our lives. If we lack vision, says the Bible, we perish. Though we may not die physically, we become part of the walking dead who view life as having no meaning.

Vision gives significance, value, and meaning to our very existence. If we want our lives to have significance, then each of us needs to take hold of a vision and pursue it. And as Christians, we need to seek God’s vision for our lives. We are not free to choose our own; we have been bought with a price. We have a Master and Lord to serve. And our Lord has clearly described His vision for us: reaching the world for Christ. How does God envision fulfilling that goal through you?

If you lack vision for your life, pray that God would reveal to you His vision for you. Ask Him to show you how you fit into His overall purpose: to spread the Gospel to those who need to hear it. Then adopt His vision for you as your own.

“The poorest man is not he who is without
a cent, but he who is without a dream.”
Pennsylvania School Journal

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

— Psalm 91:1

What is your greatest fear, the one thing above all others that makes your eyes widen and your heart race? Some fear death the most. Others fear public speaking even more than death. And still others fear dental exams. Newspaper counselor Ann Landers reports receiving about ten thousand letters each month from people with all kinds of issues that can be reduced to one common problem: fear.

When our faith in Christ disappears, fear takes its place. The Bible says that in the Last Days people’s hearts shall fail them for fear. Shakespeare puts it this way: “Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once.” The Bible exhorts us to courage, saying, “Fear not,” “Be not afraid,” “Be of good cheer,” “Be courageous and very strong.” This is not advice; it is a commandment.

If you find yourself feeling fearful, Psalm 91 can help you ward off your fear. This psalm was the invocation of the early Church during a time when the disciples suffered great trouble and persecution. Many a young person has gone off to war leaning heavily on its promises. Psalm 91 promises to protect those who “dwell” in God’s presence. Someone once said that there are two kinds of people: those who dwell in God and occasionally visit the world, and those who dwell in the world and occasionally visit God. When we dwell too long in the world, fear can overcome us. To experience God’s strength and peace, we must abide in Him.

The secret dwelling place of God is His Word. In His Word, God reveals the wonders of His grace and love. Dwelling with God means hiding His Word in our hearts by memorizing it and meditating on it. We also dwell with God when we commune with Him in prayer and seek His purpose in our lives.

Do you often live in fear? If so, begin now the practice of abiding in God’s presence. Read His Word, and spend time with Him in prayer. Draw near to Him, and He will grant you His courage.

“The emotion of fear is, in itself, no sin.
It is the act of cowardice that matters.”
C. S. Lewis

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

— Philippians 1:21

If someone asked you what you live for, how would you respond? Some people seem to live for their next vacation. Others live for their retirement. Still others live for the weekend. But Paul expresses the best way to live. He declares that to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Too often, people want to rewrite the verse, replacing “Christ” with “pleasure.” “For to me, to live is pleasure,” cry a whole host of voices today. But pleasures fade quickly, and this lifestyle leads to ceaseless striving for one more thrill, one more good feeling.

Others would replace “Christ” with “money.” “For to me, to live is money.” These people spend most of their waking hours, energy, and thoughts trying to make money. Some of them desire to be truly wealthy, while others want just a little bit more than they presently have. A reporter once interviewed a fantastically wealthy man and asked him, “How much do you want?” The wealthy man replied, “Just a little bit more.” Do you live to gain wealth? If so, may I say that at the end of your life, your wealth will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you’ll find that the great deceiver has deceived you.

Others would say, “For to me, to live is fame.” They give their whole lives to accomplishment. Perhaps they rise to the top of the ladder. But then where are they? Many people who “make it” find themselves saying, “Is this all there is?” Like many who have risen to the pinnacle of success, they find nothing but the same emptiness that hounded them from the very beginning.

“For to me, to live is Christ.” This is the secret of life. Furthermore, it is the secret of consecration, the secret of commitment. I do not believe that you could take the meaning of consecration and commitment and express them more succinctly than Paul has in those seven words. Today ask God to show you how to live so that you can say, “For to me, to live is Christ.” Then follow the way He shows you so that you may live a life consecrated and committed to Him.

“Our business is to do the will of God.
He will take care of the business.”
Anonymous

“… learn from Me …”

— Matthew 11:29

Would you like to know a great spiritual secret? You can find it in three of Jesus’ words: “Learn from Me.” When we learn from Him, He will change us from the inside out. Let’s consider the example of a great heroine of the faith who submitted to and learned from her Savior.

Mary Slessor, originally from Scotland, is considered one of the first female missionaries. According to her own testimony, she had lived as a “wild lassie” until, by God’s grace, she entered the kingdom and eventually traveled to faraway lands to spread the Gospel. Barely over five feet tall, Mary was nevertheless a giant among people, a woman of tremendous courage and faith.

In her passion to share the Good News with those who desperately needed to hear it, Mary set off to Calabar, the ghetto of Africa. Calabar comprised the worst of nature, both environmental and human. The people who dwelt there were bloody, savage, and cruel. They were fetish worshipers, headhunters, and cannibals. Nonetheless, Mary proclaimed to them the Gospel, and, astoundingly, God opened up their hearts. They became willing to hear. One after another they yielded their lives to Christ. And as they did so, they abolished the horrible customs that had plagued them for years.

Mary Slessor gave of herself to Africa for forty years. When she died, thousands of former fetish worshipers, headhunters, and cannibals mourned, saying, “The mother of us all is dead.” What was the secret of Mary’s life? She had learned from Christ. She had learned of His compassion and His concern for souls. She had learned of His courage. Mary Slessor prayed to and trusted God, saying that prayer was the greatest power God has given into our hands for service. She believed that by God’s power she could do all things.

I hope you, too, take this great secret to heart. As you learn from Christ, rely on Him, and seek to do His will, He’ll make His power available to you for whatever challenges you face.

“Jesus Christ is the center of all,
and the goal to which all tends.”
Blaise Pascal

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

— 1 John 5:13

Do you know for sure that when you die, you will go to Heaven? If you’ve given your life to Christ, you can know that you’ll have eternal life because the Bible promises that to you. His Word is true, and it has greatly comforted those at death’s door, the great and wise as well as the poor and humble.

When Sir Michael Faraday, the brilliant scientist who discovered magnetism, was on his deathbed someone asked him, “Sir Michael, what speculations do you have about life after death?” And he replied in astonishment, “Speculations! Why, I have no speculations! I’m resting on certainties! ‘I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.’”

An elderly Scottish lady lay at death’s door. Her pastor asked her, “Sadie, suppose that after all God has done for you, when you die He should still allow you to perish; what then?” She said, “Well, that’s up to Him. He will do what He will. But if He does allow me to perish, then He will lose more than I. For though I lose my soul, He will lose His honor. He has promised me in His Word, ‘He that trusteth in Me shall never perish.’”

An old fisherman who lived by the sea also came to the end of his days. A friend asked him, “John, do you believe you’re going to heaven?” John replied, “Look out the window. Are the seven great stones still there?” The friend said, “Yes.” “Is the old mountain crag there?” He said, “Yes.” “Are the Three Maidens [a set of mountains] still there?” He said, “Yes.” John leaned back and said, “The mountains shall disappear and the hills shall be cast down, but My Word shall last forever.”

Today praise the Lord that His Word is true, and thank Him for the assurance you have as you rely upon His Word—that you will live in Heaven for eternity.

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!”
Fanny Crosby

“Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”

— Romans 3:31

Now that we’ve spent the past few days looking at the Ten Commandments, we need to clarify the relationship between the Law and the Gospel. Many people don’t understand this relationship, but unless we do, we will live our faith on false pretenses.

The Law reveals to us our need for the Gospel. It shows us our sinfulness; for no one, except the Savior, has kept the Law fully. The Law doesn’t save us; it condemns us. It shows us our need for salvation. We can gain that salvation only by believing the Gospel, the good news that God sent His only Son to die in our place.

This relationship between the Law and the Gospel distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. We could boil all those belief systems into a single two-letter word: “do.” This is the essence of every pagan religion’s message: “Do this; don’t do that.” Even distortions of Christianity base salvation on that one word.

But the basic message of Christianity is not “do,” but “done.” “It is finished” were the last words Christ spoke before He died. It is done. Finished. Christ paid the full penalty for our sins. And now, all who trust in Him may freely have eternal life.

We’re not saved by good works. We’re saved to them. When God’s grace touches our lives, we naturally desire to do good works. As you continue to meditate on the Ten Commandments, remember their rightful place; in obeying them you thank God for that which He has done through the Gospel.

“The world has many religions; it has but one Gospel.”
George Owen

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

— Matthew 22:37-38

Can you imagine someone commanding love? We can understand how God can command certain actions or even tell us how to speak or think. But to go into that innermost closet, into the depths of our hearts, and to command us to love, seems a breach of our free will. Yet God commands us to love Him.

Why is this the case? There are several reasons. God knows that we’re built to love something supremely. If we don’t love God, we’ll adore something less honorable, less exalted than He. And whatever we love most, we’ll inevitably resemble, just as we become like that which we worship. This is why God says that He is a jealous God and that we should have no gods before Him—not for His sake but for ours. God doesn’t need our love, nor does He need our worship. In fact, He doesn’t need anything from us. But we most definitely need Him. We need to worship and love Him so that our lives might be purified by that love.

If anything can ever lift us from the mire of our sin, it’s the power of love. As we love God and others, we will resist breaching our relationships with sinful thoughts and actions.

Today fix your gaze on Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, and His love for you, His bride. Let God’s love for you kindle in your heart and spirit a greater love for Him.

“Oh, how I love Jesus . . .
Because He first loved me!”
Frederick Whitfield

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house . . . your neighbor’s wife . . . nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

— Exodus 20:17

We’ve all done it, and yet it has been called the sin no one commits. One priest declared that in fifty years of hearing confessions, not one person had ever confessed to committing this sin. Another minister declared that in decades of leading prayer meetings, no one ever mentioned it.

What is this sin? It’s covetousness: desiring another’s possessions, eagerly wishing for what we don’t have. Covetousness is a root sin, a sin committed in the heart that can lead to sins committed outwardly, such as stealing. Covetousness is linked to greed, and the apostle Paul said greed was idolatry.

You can see covetousness everywhere in our culture, including messages that pour out of Madison Avenue. Advertisers prey on our lack for their financial gain. Even bumper stickers often appeal to covetousness, such as the ones that say “Born to shop” or “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.” (I prefer the bumper sticker that says, “He that dies with the most toys wins—nothing.”)

One day Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street in Springfield, Illinois, holding the hands of his two little boys who were wailing and crying. A neighbor stepped out of his doorway and said, “Mr. Lincoln, what’s the matter with the boys?” Answered Lincoln, “Just the same things that’s the matter with the whole world: I have three walnuts and each boy wants two!”

So what’s the cure for covetousness? The Bible has the answer. Covetousness, essentially, is fixing our hearts and desires upon the things of this world. But the Bible says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). We need to replace covetousness with contentment, our greed with gratitude.

Today ask God to show you whether covetousness is an unconfessed sin in your heart. Then ask for His grace to give you contentment with, and gratitude for, the gifts He has given you.

“Greed has poisoned men’s souls.”
Charlie Chaplin
(On The Eve Of World War II)