Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for December 4

WHEN WILL WE HAVE A JUST KING?

From: December 4, 2024

“By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down” (Proverbs 29:4 ESV).

This proverb of Solomon speaks of two types of kings, one who builds up and one who tears down. The one who builds up is rare. For he leads by “justice.” He leads with discretion and wisdom, submitting himself and others to a standard above himself. His reign provides national stability that creates the potential for prosperity and growth.

The one who tears down leads with self-interest. He seeks to enrich himself, rather than building up his people and land. His door is open to special interest groups that tempt him with bribery. He only seeks justice when it’s convenient or when it improves his position. Such a king is common throughout human history. Such leadership creates instability and eventually leads to the decline of a nation.

Our desire for a just king is on display with every election. In some rare instances, one approaches such a standard. Yet our desire is always disappointed by reality. Even the most promising leader falls short in the end. When will we ever have a just king?

This desire for a just king can only, and will only, be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. For He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our desire for a king who reigns by justice and builds up rather than tearing down can only be fulfilled by King Jesus. Therefore, let us pray, “Thy Kingdom come” prayers until His soon return.

PRAYER: Our Father, we pray for Your kingdom to come in us and in our world. We pray for Your will to be done. Strengthen us to live in this world as Your kingdom citizens, following the banner of King Jesus in all things. In His name we pray, amen.

THREE PROOFS OF SALVATION

From: December 4, 2023

“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us” (1 John 4:12-13 NLT).

The apostle John gave several “proofs” of new birth for the believer’s assurance. The first proof he gave is that we love each other. For love comes from God. If we don’t love, we don’t know God. The second proof is that God has given us His Holy Spirit “as proof that we live in him and he in us.” And the third proof, is that “we declare that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 4:15).

John’s purpose for writing his first epistle was clearly given: “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:13).

He wanted us to “know,” to be sure of our salvation. Do you have this assurance of salvation today?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we give thanks for the assurance of salvation. Yet, we ask that You continue to strengthen us by Your Spirit to love one another even more and to declare Jesus as the Son of God to the nations. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10 NLT).

From: December 4, 2022

THIS IS REAL LOVE

If we have any claim to love, it originates with God, who first loved us. This love is most fully demonstrated in the sending of His Son, Jesus, as the “sacrifice” for our sins, dying on the cross for us. For in the cross we see the intersection of God’s love demonstrated and God’s justice satisfied. Our sin called for death, but God’s love answered the call, sending Jesus to die in our place.

That God sent Jesus shows that real love is giving. That He offered Jesus as the propitiation for our sins shows that real love is sacrificial. Propitiation is about covering and satisfaction. Christ’s sacrifice both covers our sin and satisfies the proper demands of a righteous God for judgment on sin. God’s righteousness required that He judge sin. God’s love moved Him to send His Son to pay the price for our sin.

The Greek word for this kind of love is “agape.” It is unconditional love. It loves because of who God is, not because of who we are. It is God’s kind of love. For as the apostle John wrote, “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

This is real love–– not that we loved God, but that He loved us. This is real love–– that Christ willingly lay down His life for us.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for loving us and sending Your Son as a sacrifice for our sin. Help us to show Your love, Your real love, to this world by loving You and loving our neighbor with the unconditional love You have poured out in us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, then rise to your destiny at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13 HCSB).

From: December 4, 2021

WHAT WAY ARE YOU FOLLOWING?

This is the last verse of the last chapter of Daniel’s prophetic book. It is the final word given to Daniel by the “man clothed in linen,” who appears to be the preincarnate Christ. He had revealed many things to come in the last days, even the time of tribulation. But when Daniel continued to ask for more detail, He made it clear that Daniel would not live to see those days. Yet, he would rise again at the end.

Let us consider the instruction Daniel received from the Lord.

“Go your way to the end.” The Lord told Daniel to keep on the path God had called him to follow until his earthly life ended. Not the “end” of days, but the “end” of Daniel’s life. We too, are called to go our way, following our Lord Jesus until He calls us home.

“You will rest.” This rest is a prequel for resurrection. For rest implies a period without work, but also a return to activity after a time. The Lord told Daniel that he would be at rest when all of those difficult days of tribulation came in the last days. His body would rest in the grave and his soul would find rest in the bosom of the Lord.

“You will…rise” The Lord told Daniel that he would arise to his “destiny.” Daniel’s body would be resurrected, receiving a new and glorified body that would live eternally with the Lord. He would also receive his inheritance, his spiritual reward for his faithfulness in following the Lord.

“End of the days.” This life is not circular as some would say, but linear. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. There will be an end to these days. This time of human rebellion against their Creator will come to an end. Those who have rejected Christ will be judged. Those who have believed will receive their heavenly inheritance. And a new age will begin.

What way are you following? Your way will determine your end. Will you choose to follow Jesus? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have chosen to follow Your Son, Jesus. He is the Way we have taken. Strengthen us to go Your way until the end. We want to finish well for You. We look forward to that Day when Jesus shall return. It is in His name we pray, amen.

“But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:13 NKJV).

From: December 4, 2020

WHAT WAY ARE YOU FOLLOWING?

This is the last verse of the last chapter of Daniel’s prophetic book. It is the final word given to Daniel by the “man clothed in linen,” who appears to be the preincarnate Christ. He had revealed many things to come in the last days, even the time of tribulation. But when Daniel continued to ask for more detail, He made it clear that Daniel would not live to see those days. Yet, he would rise again at the end.

Let us consider the instruction Daniel received from the Lord.

“Go your way till the end.” The Lord told Daniel to keep on the path God had called him to follow until his earthly life ended. Not the “end” of days, but the “end” of Daniel’s life. We too, are called to go our way, following our Lord Jesus until He calls us home.

“You shall rest.” This is the kind of language used by one who believes in the resurrection. For rest implies a period without work, but also a soon return to activity after a time. The Lord told Daniel that he would be at rest when all of those difficult days of tribulation came in the last days. His body would rest in the grave and his soul would find rest in the bosom of Christ.

“Will arise.” The Lord told Daniel that he would arise to his “inheritance.” Daniel’s body would be resurrected, receiving a new and glorified body that would live eternally with the Lord. He would also receive his inheritance, his spiritual reward for his faithfulness in following the Lord.

“End of the days.” This life is not circular as some would say, but linear. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. There will be an end to these days. This time of human rebellion against their Creator will come to an end. Those who have rejected Christ will be judged. Those who have believed will receive their heavenly inheritance. And a new age will begin.

What way are you following? Your way will determine your end. Will you choose to follow Jesus? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have chosen to follow Your Son, Jesus. He is the Way we have taken. Strengthen us to go Your way until the end. We want to finish well for You. We look forward to that Day when Jesus shall return. It is in His name we pray, amen.

“All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” (1 John 4:15 NLT).

From: December 4, 2018

THREE PROOFS OF SALVATION GIVEN BY JOHN

The apostle John gave several “proofs” of new birth for the believer’s assurance. The first proof he gave is that we love each other. For love comes from God. If we don’t love, we don’t know God. The second proof is that God has given us His Holy Spirit “as proof that we live in him and he in us” (1 Jn. 4:13). And the third proof, is that “we declare that Jesus is the Son of God.”

John’s purpose for writing his first epistle was clearly given: “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:13). He wanted us to “know,” to be sure that we are saved.

Do you have this assurance of salvation today?

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NKJV).

From: December 4, 2017

If we have any claim to love, it originates with God, who first loved us. This love is most fully demonstrated in the sending of His Son as the “propitiation for our sins,” dying on the cross for us. For in the cross we see the intersection of God’s love demonstrated and God’s justice satisfied. Our sin called for death, but God’s love answered the call, sending Jesus to die in our place. That God sent Jesus shows His love. That He offered Jesus as the “propitiation for our sins” shows His righteousness. As the apostle Paul wrote of Christ, “whom God set forth as a propitiation… to demonstrate His righteousness” (Rom. 3:25).

Propitiation is about covering and satisfaction. Christ’s sacrifice both covers our sin and satisfies the proper demands of a righteous God for judgment on sin. God’s righteousness required that He judge sin. God’s love moved Him to send His Son to pay the price for our sin.

“But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.” (Daniel 12:13 ESV)

From: December 4, 2016

God gave Daniel great insight into the future, yet his understanding was only partial. No matter how much he studied these future prophecies, much was left cloudy for him. So, the Lord gave Daniel three insights on how to respond to His end times prophecies:
1) “Go your way.” In other words, get busy doing what I’ve called you to do in the present.  2) “You shall rest.” Physical death would come for Daniel long before the end. Death for the believer is not the end, but merely rest from physical labor. Daniel would not see all that God had revealed. He would rest (“sabbath”). 3) “You shall stand at the end.” God told Daniel that he would rise again at the end of days. This speaks of the bodily resurrection of the saints. This instruction is good for today’s reader of prophecy too. We may not know all that the future holds, but we can know the One who holds the future.

“And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end'” (Daniel 12:9 NKJV)

From: December 4, 2015

God revealed many details about Israel’s future to Daniel. Some of what was revealed pointed to Christ’s first coming and has already been fulfilled. But there is much that remains in Daniel’s prophecy that still awaits the “time of the end.” Daniel, like many of the other prophets, wrote of things that he himself didn’t fully understand. We can study these “end times” prophecies, but must admit, as Daniel did (Dan. 12:8), our lack of comprehension. Yet, as the “time of the end” draws closer, the opaqueness of these prophecies will grow steadily more clear to those who have the wisdom to understand (Dan. 12:10). In the meantime, Daniel was to “go his own way.” In other words, he wouldn’t see the fulfillment of this prophecy in his lifetime, so he should get back to living for today.

“And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us” (1 John 4:13 NLT)

From: December 4, 2014

What the apostle John here calls “proof,” the apostle Paul calls a “guarantee (deposit, earnest, pledge)” (Eph. 1:14). Paul spoke of how the Holy Spirit seals our salvation, giving us inward assurance of salvation. But John is more concerned with what this mutual abiding looks like outwardly. He says that the one who lives in the Spirit and has the Spirit living in him, will testify that Jesus is the Son of God with his lips and have the love of God for others in his actions. The outworking of the Spirit living in us is evidenced by our testimony about Jesus and our love of others.