Biblical Musings of a Prodigal Son: 05/02/23

The Throne of Grace..Craig Denison Ministries

The Throne of Grace

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Grace is a gift most of us don’t know how to receive. We’ve been so inundated with the earthly systems of give-and-get and work-and-earn that grace is a concept few ever fully grasp. Yet it’s grace alone that has the power to transform lives. Grace alone has the power to bring freedom to the captives. By grace alone we are saved. There could be no better use of our time than consistently and passionately pursuing a greater revelation of God’s grace.

Scripture:“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Devotional:

What do you picture in your mind’s eye when I talk about God sitting on his throne? I always picture a massive throne with tiny little me staring up at a distant face feeling about the size of God’s pinky toe. The idea of a throne makes God seem too large to be near to me, as if he was too big to notice me.

There is Scripture that speaks about how large and majestic God is on his throne, to be sure! Isaiah 6:1 says, “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” And Revelation 20:11 says, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.”

Weekly Overview:

Scripture:“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Devotional:

Seemingly in contrast to the previous ideas, Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” After reading Hebrews 4:16, I get a completely different picture of God on his throne. Hebrews paints for us a picture of a throne of grace rather than a distant ruler. It speaks of a throne from which comes mercy and help for those in need. And it commands us to come before the throne of the King of Kings, Creator and Ruler of all, with confidence. Hebrews 4:16 makes me love how huge God is on his throne because the bigger he is, the more grace and mercy there is.

Your God is full of both power and compassion. His presence brings both fear and grace. He is a God whose voice both commands obedience and is full of the richest kind of love. And he is beckoning you to draw near to him today so that he can offer you grace, mercy, and help.

James 4:8 tells us, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” The same God whose robe fills the temple longs for you as his child to simply get wrapped up in his arms.You can boldly come before the Lord of Lords and tell him all of your needs. David understood this when he wrote in Psalm 40:17, “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” And Jesus teaches us in Matthew 7:7-11:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

So where do you need God’s help today? Where do you need his mercy and grace in your life? Know that he is not a God who is distant but one who is closer than your own heartbeat. He’s a God who knows all and is full of love and mercy. He’s a Father who gives the best gifts to his children. Whatever you have need of today, come before the throne of grace and boldly ask for it. If you hunger for righteousness, you will be satisfied. If you need provision, God has promised to take care of your every need. Your heavenly Father loves you and longs to bless you with every good and perfect gift.

Guided Prayer:

1. Renew your mind to God’s incredible gift of grace.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

2. Ask God for whatever need you have. What do you have need of? Where do you need God’s help?

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7-11

3. Come before the throne of God with confidence and receive the help he desires to give you. Draw near to him, and let his presence satisfy your need for love, forgiveness, and attention.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8

Whenever you need help today you can run with confidence to your heavenly Father’s throne room. Take time throughout your day and ask for his help. If the enemy attacks with temptation, come before the throne of grace and allow God to satisfy you. If you come up against a wall, ask God to show you how to conquer it! He is with you always, and he longs to help you in his limitless grace and love for you. Don’t live your life today as if God wasn’t right there with you. Seek his help in every situation and follow his leadership in whatever way he provides it.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 4

How To Embrace and Overcome Adversity..REBEKAH LYONS

How To Embrace and Overcome Adversity

REBEKAH LYONS

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed …” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (ESV)

My daughter, Joy, is an overcomer of adversity.

She was born with Down syndrome in a country that doesn’t deal well with differences. She was dropped off at the doorstep of a police station. She was moved from orphanage to orphanage.

Though we know we made the right decision, her adoption into our family meant she had to learn a new country and language. She has shown incredible resilience in the few short years she’s been with our family.

Joy has been with us for four years now, and her night terrors have slowly faded. It has taken some time, with relapses along the way, but she has adapted to our family and life in the United States. She plays with friends, attends school and loves church. She embraces new challenges, and though she couldn’t say it quite this way, she allows each of those experiences to change her. Joy is our family’s living, breathing example of resilience.

I’ve found myself challenged by Joy, asking God to put a little of her resilience into my own life. She reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s teaching about the power of the gospel living in us:

“But we have this treasure [the gospel of Jesus] in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9, ESV).

Since bringing Joy home, I’ve contemplated these words, trying to understand what they mean for me in my own quest to cultivate resilience in the midst of chaos.

I’ve discovered that the Bible doesn’t promise we’ll have easy, carefree lives if we follow Jesus. In fact, it teaches quite the opposite. As believers in Christ, we’re bound to suffer even more adversity as we live countercultural lives in a world antagonistic to our faith. We will be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down. Still, Paul promised that if we face inevitable adversity head-on with the power of the gospel and we practice inner renewal day by day, we can cultivate a life of resilience.

Adversity can come as the result of choices we make but can also come in the form of hardship that happens to us. What kind of adversity have you been through? Maybe it's losing a job, a loved one, a marriage. Or starting a job, raising a child, committing to marriage. Realizing you don’t have enough money to pay the bills. Discovering that you can’t bear children or that the child you bore has a life-threatening addiction. Caring for a parent with a disease that requires significant medical attention. Maybe you’re the parent who needs caring for.

And when we face adversity, our bodies freak out. Our anxiety spikes in difficult times, our tempers shorten, and our instinct is to reach for coping mechanisms.

The good news is that we are not locked into our current fears, anxieties or ways of thinking. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind …” (ESV). We renew our minds by doing what Colossians 3:2 says: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV).

We can invite God into our struggle and share our overwhelm, asking Him to reveal what He wants to gift us in this season. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (ESV).

Adversity will try to take you out. But if you allow God to lead you in and through adversity, you can emerge a more resilient person.

Dear Lord, You are such a good Father. Thank You for loving us. You know our hearts; You know our innermost thoughts and our hardest struggles. Some days it’s hard to keep the overwhelm at bay with so much chaos around us. Lord, we invite You into our struggle, and we ask You to reveal how to use the gifts of this season. We love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Taking the Temperature of Our Words..Aaron D’Anthony Brown

Taking the Temperature of Our Words

By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

“Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness or you’ll be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his foolishness or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.” - Proverbs 26:4-5

How Do You Rate Your Words?
How would you rate your words - too hot, too cold, or somewhere in the middle? Would you give your communication score a ten out of ten? Do your words tend to be the uncut truth or a manufactured tale? Can you honestly and objectively rate yourself? In today’s modern and technological era, one aspect of society that has not advanced is communication. If anything, we’ve regressed in ways many people have yet to acknowledge, or at least confront.

Communication today is so delicate, so fickle, that we are expected to be correct and precise all the time. Veering off-course immediately leads to broken relationships, offense, hurt, and an abundance of apologies. There is little to no room for error, lest you wind up canceled. Ironically, most people claim to be good communicators, yet somehow our society looks as it does. Our conversations are shallow. We don't know how to talk to people who disagree with our beliefs. We get offended by every minute thing. Worst of all, whatever problems we have with each other become gossip rather than an opportunity for resolution.

I know an atheist woman upset with her current job environment. By her estimation, none of her coworkers like her, and she has no idea why. Turns out that on different occasions with different people she has lashed out because they called her she when she preferred something else. I also know a Christian guy who would tell you he seeks to embody Scripture in all aspects of life. By his own words, if he were ever mugged, he would give the thief the coat off his back, not just his money. Yet, when he was late to hang out, he didn’t apologize or seem to care. Each of us can pull several different examples of how we’ve fallen short and how we’ve been slighted, leaving us with the question, what’s the solution to this abysmal state of communication?

Intersecting Faith and Life:
There’s no surprise that just as Scripture gives us the formula for loving others, we are also given the formula for effective communication - treating people like ourselves.

“Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness or you’ll be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his foolishness or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:4-5)

In other words, we must moderate ourselves and tailor our communication to match the situation and the audience. If we were the fool in the scenario, what would we want someone to do for us? Examples include instances when we see someone indulging in a particular sin, espousing irreligious beliefs, or responding poorly to conflict. Sounds challenging, and strong communication is, otherwise we would all be strong communicators already. Nonetheless, as the cliché goes, practice makes perfect. Here are some strategies we can all practice today.

1. Avoid Being Too Hot
Saying things just to get people to like you is self-defeating. Rather than appreciating you, they appreciate what you offer. The moment the offering stops so does the appreciation.

2. Avoid Being Too Cold
Saying things just to rile people up is self-defeating. The recipient’s mind or heart is not changed, and the relationship is ruined in the process.

3. Be Honest With People
If you withhold the truth, then you’re being deceitful, or even worse, lying. That’s a sin. And if you aren’t honest with people about their sins, then you are enabling them.

4. Be Honest With Yourself
Sometimes people don’t give us the truth because they are afraid of how we will respond. They don’t think we can handle the truth, and if they’re correct, then that’s a problem. If we recognize ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior, then we must be flawed. And if flawed, then we can and should be corrected.

5. Stop Talking About Yourself
Too many of our conversations start, end, and endure because of the subject matter - ourselves. How many conversations would we have and how long would we bother talking if instead of discussing ourselves, we focused on other people?

6. Change and Mature
No matter how great you believe yourself to be in communication, there’s always some way you can be better. That could include how well you listen, asking questions instead of accusing, or not waiting so long to broach certain topics. Maybe you want to become more confrontational or less. How we’re flawed is ostensibly endless, and thus, there are just as many ways in which we can grow. In the end, on a spectrum between being too hot or too cold, we want our words to be warm, effective, and true.

Further Reading

Who Were Jesus' Friends?..Meg Bucher

Who Were Jesus' Friends?

By Meg Bucher

“You are my friends, if you do what I command.” (John 15:14)

It’s important to consider what friendship meant in Bible times. The NKJV Chronological Study Bible Notes say, “In the Roman world, a ‘friend’ was often a political ally who owed one a favor, or a more powerful patron on whom one could depend.”

But we don’t often think of the friends of Jesus as political allies or business acquaintances. Jesus took a concept familiar to those that surrounded Him at the time, and redefined what it meant to be a friend. “Jesus is our model for love… If believers obey His command to love, they enjoy the intimacy of His friendship. Friendship… is not a once-for-all gift, but develops as the result of obeying Jesus’ command to love” (NKJV Study Bible).

The Twelve
“Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus.” (Matthew 10:2-3)

The apostles held no qualifications to be apprentices of the Savior of the world. They were average men at best. But Jesus saw something in them, as He does in us, unknown even to them. They left everything to follow Him, and with that simple step of obedience, He molded them into fishers of men.

The Big Three
Scripture reveals a lot about Jesus’ friendships with Peter, James, and John. James and John were brothers, and the three of them had been called to follow Christ while out fishing on John’s father’s boat. (Luke 5:1-11)

These three were present for miracles that the others were not. Jesus specifically brings only those three along with him to Jarius’ house, where He raised his daughter from the dead. “He allowed no one to go with Him but Peter and James and John.” (Mark 5:37) They were also taken up the mountain for the miraculous transfiguration of Jesus. “Jesus took with Him Peter and James and his brother John.” (Matthew 17:1)

They all turned out to be leaders of the early church. Though we are all followers of Jesus, not all are called to lead the founding of churches and write Gospel accounts. Perhaps Jesus took the extra care to personalize their apprenticeship, knowing what lay ahead for them.

The One Jesus Loved
The Apostle John referred to himself as “the one Jesus loved” (John 14:13). But John’s loyalty as a friend to Jesus surpassed his speech. He was there for Him in the Garden, and the only one of the 12 at the foot of the cross.

“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-27)

He was called just like the other 12, and witnessed miracles alongside the big three. John, however, was the only apostle that wasn’t martyred. He was given the vision that we study in the book of Revelation. John wrote something particularly touching about Jesus at the foot washing at the Last Supper: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” (John 13:1b)

Perhaps John was the most eloquent with words, among his other gifts. Though we get a very matter of fact view of the Gospel account from Mark, John wrote a palpable picture of what it felt to like to be close to Jesus… an important quality to embrace and understand as we seek our own friendship with Him.

A Prayer to Fight Who the World Tells You to Be..Molly Law

A Prayer to Fight Who the World Tells You to Be

By Molly Law

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” -Psalm 139:13-14

According to a new special report by 60 Minutes, social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are steering young users, some as young as 11, to accounts that promote anorexia and self-harm. While this is very upsetting and unconscionable, studies have also shown that using these social media platforms leads to lower self-esteem and depression.

While social media and this technology are new, the pressures that come with the beauty standards of the world are not. The world tries to tell women they should look like Margot Robbie, Keira Knightly, or Zendaya. The world tries to tell men they should look like Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, or any of the other famous people named Chris. As these archetypes of conventional beauty are lifted up in society, it can be difficult to see and believe there is beauty to be found in everyone. The world will tell you physical beauty is all that matters, the enemy certainly wants you to believe it until you feel depressed, worthless, and hopeless.

The world is very tricky, yet also very transparent. The standards of beauty are fickle and change almost every decade. In the 1940s, the standard of beauty for women was tall, slim brunettes. A fit man in the early 20th century was lean with toned arms and legs. The mechanics of developing pecks and abs had not been invented so they were not the standard for beauty. Yet we see in the 1950s, the standard of beauty for women shifted to curvy, short blondes as reflected in Marilyn Monroe. Even though the pressures of looking a certain way change with the seasons that does not mean their effect on our psyche is any less damaging or intense. We see it reflected in the rising number of depression diagnoses, bullying, and even deaths by suicide in teenagers today.

Whereas the world is a liar and flighty, we know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is always constant, loving, and faithful. We know our Lord looks at the heart as the standard of beauty. Scripture tells us the Lord chose a small, young David out of his physically strong and older brothers to be the King of Israel. God also revealed to David in the Psalms how he created each and every one of us. He told him we are carefully created, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” The fact our souls are the ones that will exist after death and our physical bodies will die and turn to dust shows how much our character, personality, and soul that chooses the Lord for salvation matters above our physical appearance.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord,
I know the world speaks loudly and convincingly that the only thing that matters is how we look, and any other message is patronizing and a lie. But I pray your message about our inner beauty and intricate creation will overcome the lies of the world. I pray everyone knows how beautiful they are inside and out — that the mechanics of human attractiveness is far different than the narrow and shallow narrative of popular culture.

Lord, be with young teenagers and adults who are inundated with images deemed as beautiful and acceptable in today’s society. I pray they know your truth and hope for a better tomorrow that is not dictated by social media. I pray that parents have the right tools to navigate their children’s anxieties, perceptions, and mental health. I pray we all know who we were created by and how we were created. We pray for your guidance and overwhelming presence as the world tries to yell, lie, and manipulate us into looking a certain way to be happy and successful. Help us drown out the voices that come to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). We love and trust you with all of our hearts, our Lord our God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Understanding the Bible..Dr. Charles Stanley

Understanding the Bible

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 2:12-16

“I just don’t understand the Bible.” That’s a comment I hear quite often, even from believers. We can understand why those without Christ are unable to comprehend biblical concepts, but why do those who know Him struggle? Some people think that a seminary education is the answer, but I have met several trained pastors and teachers who didn’t really understand the Word of God. They knew facts, but they had no excitement for the Scriptures or for the Lord.

The key is not education but obedience. As we act on what we read, the Holy Book “comes alive,” and we begin to hear and understand the voice of God. However, if we have not obeyed what He’s previously revealed to us, why would He give us His deeper truths? “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him” (Ps. 25:14), and those who fear Him are the ones who obey His commandments and are promised “a good understanding” (Ps. 111:10).

Living a fleshly lifestyle of disobedience to the Lord clouds our eyes, diminishes our ability to hear, and fogs our thinking. Although we have full access to the mind of Christ, our attachment to our own sinful ways keeps us from tapping into the rich treasures of wisdom that are found in His Word.

As you read the Scriptures each day, look for God’s instructions. Then with reliance upon the Holy Spirit, commit to do what He tells you. When you obey His voice, He’ll reveal deeper truths, and your understanding will grow. Soon your time in the Word will become a delight instead of a duty.

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