Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for April 6

THE SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT WAS CHRIST

From: April 6, 2024

“He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers” (Psalm 78:16 ESV).

According to the inscription, Psalm 78 was written by the Levite priest, prophet, poet and singer, Asaph, who was appointed chief of the worship leaders by King David (1 Chron. 16:5). In Psalm 78, the Lord inspired Asaph to write an account of the lessons of the past, so that future generations might not forget what God had done for the people of Israel. The psalm focused on the way God led Israel out of Egypt and provided for them through the wilderness years.

In Asaph’s recounting of God’s miraculous provision, he paid particular attention to the rock from which God brought forth water in the dessert This was the “rock at Horeb” which God told Moses to strike with his staff, so that water would come forth (Ex. 17:6). This water flowed in such great quantity that it flowed like a river!

Inspired of the Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote of this rock saying, “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:6). Consider the ways in which this “Rock” points to Christ:

1) It was singular, “the rock at Horeb.” Christ is singular and unique. There is no other like Him.

2) It was struck. As Moses struck the rock, so Christ was stricken for our sins. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4).

3) From it flowed a river of water. The apostle John wrote that he saw a sudden flow of “blood and water” pour forth from Jesus’ side when pierced by the Roman soldier.

4) Those who drank from it, lived. Jesus told the woman at the well that if she asked Him, then He would give her “living water” that welled “up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Those who drink from the Rock that is Christ, will live forever.

Have you drank from the Rock that is Christ?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for your provision through Christ. May we always remember to drink from him for life and sustenance. And may we always offer his living water to those who are thirsty. In Jesus’ name, amen.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE NEXT GENERATION

From: April 6, 2023

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders” (Psalm 78:4 NLT).

The psalmist instructed the people of God not to hide the testimony of faith that had been handed down to them by their forefathers. Instead, they must tell the next generation all that God had done for them.

The truth is, we are always only one generation away from losing our spiritual heritage. It only takes one generation failing to pass the baton of faith to the next for the race to be lost. Therefore, let us endeavor to firmly hand off the testimony of faith to the next generation. Tell your children and your children’s children what God has done for you!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for those generations who have gone before us that told us about You and declared their testimony of faith to us. We have believed. Yet, strengthen us to pass on this testimony to the next generation that they may know the joy of being right with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2 NLT).

From: April 6, 2022

CONFESSION IS BETTER THAN COVER-UP

After warning his disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus warned that ultimately all things that people have sought to cover up and hide, will be exposed.

Eventually, every public persona will have its mask removed. As the Lord warned the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num.32:23). Hidden sins are not hidden from God’s sight.

Ever since Adam and Eve tried to cover up with fig leaves and hide from God in the Garden, humanity has been playing the hypocrisy game. We can cover-up and hide from others and even from our own selves. But God is not fooled. He sees us as we truly are.

Better to confess and repent of all sin, willingly exposing it to the light of Christ, so that you no longer walk in darkness. As the apostle John taught, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Confession is better than cover-up because sin loses its power when brought into the cleansing light of Christ.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Therefore we willingly confess our sins to You, knowing that You are faithful and just to forgive us because of Christ’s payment for our sins on the cross. We look with eyes wide open at the mirror of Your Word, unafraid to have Your Spirit expose and convict us, knowing that You are our Father who loves us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“We must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the Lord, His might, and the wonderful works He has performed” (Psalm 78:4 HCSB).

From: April 6, 2021

OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FUTURE GENERATION

The psalmist instructed the people of God not to hide the testimony of faith that had been handed down to them by their forefathers. Instead, they must “tell a future generation” all that God had done for them.

The truth is, we are always only one generation away from losing our spiritual heritage. It only takes one generation failing to pass the baton of faith to the next for the race to be lost. Therefore, let us endeavor to firmly hand off the testimony of faith to a future generation. Tell your children and your children’s children what God has done for you!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for those generations who have gone before us that told us about You and declared their testimony of faith to us. We have believed. Yet, strengthen us to pass on this testimony to a future generation that they may know the joy of being right with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2 NKJV).

From: April 6, 2020

NO MORE COVERING-UP AND HIDING

After warning his disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus warned that ultimately all things that people have sought to cover up or hide, will be exposed.

Our public “Facebook” persona will have its mask removed. As the Lord warned the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num.32:23).

Ever since Adam and Eve tried to cover up with fig leaves and hide from God in the Garden, humanity has been playing the hypocrisy game. We can cover-up and hide from others and even from our own selves. But God is not fooled. He sees us as we truly are.

Better to confess and repent of all sin, willingly exposing it to the light of Christ, so that you no longer walk in darkness. As the apostle John taught, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Therefore we willingly confess our sins to You, knowing that You are faithful and just to forgive us because of Christ’s payment for our sins on the cross. We look with eyes wide open at the mirror of Your Word, unafraid to have Your Spirit expose and convict us, knowing that You are our Father who loves us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river!” (Psalm 78:16 NLT).

From: April 6, 2019

THE SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT WAS CHRIST

According to the inscription, Psalm 78 was written by the Levite priest, prophet, poet and singer, Asaph, who was appointed chief of the worship leaders by King David (1 Chron. 16:5). In Psalm 78, the Lord inspired Asaph to write an account of the “lessons of the past,” so that future generations might not forget what God had done for the people of Israel. The psalm focused on the way God led Israel out of Egypt and provided for them through the wilderness years. In Asaph’s recounting of God’s miraculous provision, he paid particular attention to the rock from which God brought forth water in the dessert This was the “rock at Horeb” which God told Moses to strike with his staff, so that water would come forth (Ex. 17:6). This water flowed in such great quantity that it flowed “like a river!”

Inspired of the Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote of this rock saying, “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:6). Consider the ways in which this “Rock” points to Christ:

1) It was singular, “the rock at Horeb.” Christ is singular and unique. There is no other like Him.

2) It was struck. As Moses struck the rock, so Christ was stricken for our sins. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4).

3) From it flowed a river of water. The apostle John wrote that he saw a sudden flow of “blood and water” pour forth from Jesus’ side when pierced by the Roman soldier.

4) Those who drank from it, lived. Jesus told the woman at the well that if she asked Him, then He would give her “living water” that welled “up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Those who drink from the Rock that is Christ, will live forever.

Have you drank from the Rock that is Christ?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for your provision through Christ. May we always to remember to drink from him for life and sustenance. And may we always offer his living water to those who are thirsty. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world— from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation” (Luke 11:50-51 NLT).

From: April 6, 2018

WHY THIS GENERATION WAS HELD RESPONSIBLE

Jesus told the religious leaders of his day that their generation would be held responsible for all the prophets that God had sent them since creation. Why would God hold this generation responsible for all the prophets before them being murdered?

Jesus summarized the list of prophets killed beginning with Abel, whose murder was recorded in the first book, Genesis, and ending with the murder of Zechariah, whose stoning was recorded in 2 Chronicles, the last book according to the order of the Hebrew Bible. The first murder victim, Abel, was killed by his brother because he had “by faith offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain” (Heb. 11:4). Abel brought the firstborn of his flock as a sacrifice of blood, which in effect prophetically pointed to its fulfillment in Christ. God accepted Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s. And Cain murdered his own brother out of jealousy.

The last prophet recorded as being murdered in the Hebrew Bible was Zechariah, the son of the high priest, Jehoiada. King Joash conspired to have him stoned to death in the Temple courts because he had prophesied against him for forsaking the daily sacrifices and turning to idolatry (2 Chron. 24:15-22).

God had delayed His judgment against the Jews, so that the coming of the promised Seed, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, might be given to them and through them to the whole world. But this generation would reject and murder the very One to whom all the murdered prophets had pointed. And upon them God’s accumulated wrath would be spent. Indeed, this generation saw the fall of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, so that those that remained were dispersed among the nations.

“For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2 NKJV).

From: April 6, 2017

After warning his disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus warned that ultimately all things that people have sought to cover up or hide, will be exposed. Our public persona will have its mask removed. As the Lord warned the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

Better to confess and repent of all sin, willingly exposing it to the light of Christ, so that you no longer walk in darkness. As the apostle John taught, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

“…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV)

From: April 6, 2015

Moses reminded the Israelites as they stood on the border of the Promised Land of the importance of choice. Would they choose life or death? The Lord had given Moses instructions and he had faithfully delivered them to his people. What would they choose? Today, what will you choose: life or death? For life is in Christ Jesus for all those who have chosen to trust in His Name.

“You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life” (Deuteronomy 30:20 NLT)

From: April 6, 2014

Moses gave final instructions to the Israelites before his departure. He told them that they all had to make a choice between life and death. Both paths are clearly marked, yet few choose life. Here, Moses said that the “key to life” is to love, obey and commit yourself to God. Yet, the only One to really accomplish this is Jesus, who alone expressed love, obedience and commitment to the Father fully. When we “choose” Jesus (who has already chosen us), we choose life.