daily devotions Archives - Biblical Principles of Faith

Getting Wisdom

Getting wisdom.

James 3:17
¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (NIV)

The Bible says to get it even if it costs you all you have. How do we go about getting wisdom?

It flows out of God. There is no other source. God has set things into motion according to His plan and design. Any thought working against God’s plan and design cannot be wise. It will not work any more than using a blender without the top. We might think we are being wise, but once things begin to turn, we realize what we missed as our life explodes all over the walls. The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a man but only leads to destruction.

The difficulty is that we have intelligence. We think we know what is best. We are often wise in our own eyes, but what we first believe to be perfect astuteness will sometimes leave us covered in our own splatter. For this reason, God gives us these characteristics to help us discern actual wisdom from perceived wisdom.

It is pure. If our motives are not Godly, it ain’t wise!

It’s peace-loving. The word means to reconcile those involved not to avoid conflict. What is wise has the goal of helping people find peace with one another. It is foolish trying to avoid conflict. This allows grudges to settle in.

It is considerate and submissive. The deeper meaning is persuasion. Foolishness forces people.

It is merciful giving kindness where it may not be deserved.

It is full of good fruit. Actions done in wisdom will bring sweetness to the moment.

It is impartial. The root of impartiality is a desire to be loved or get positive attention from a person. Wisdom never treats one person better than the other to capture another’s affection.

It is sincere without any hidden agenda.

It is not always knowing what is right but knowing how to handle being right with a pure motive, gentle disposition, positive attitude, and striving for peace. These come from the Holy Spirit. There is no wisdom without communion with the Spirit. Wisdom is more than knowing. It is knowledge blended together with heart purity without forgetting to put the top on. It comes from communion with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit not only gives knowledge but also purifies our hearts to handle our knowledge with wisdom. Knowledge without the Spirit creates arrogance. When you pray for wisdom, expect an attitude adjustment from the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom in all that I do. Amen.

Support this ministry.

On May 19, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

God is Not Unjust

God is not unjust.

Hebrews 6:10
¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (NIV)

We have all struggled with anger and bitterness because of the unfairness and injustice we have seen and experienced. So, how do we reconcile the truth that God is not unjust? How can we see God as just in a world so messed up?

First, we must understand that God’s justice comes partially in the immediate while the fullness of justice is delayed until the end.

It is easy to see that when we live in obedience to Christ by loving Him and our neighbor as ourselves, for the most part, we receive a reward from people’s responses. When we are kind, people mostly respond with kindness. When we work hard, we most often get recognition and promotion. When we love, we are loved most of the time. God rewards us but His justice is partial. Sometimes, we can do all God has called us to do and still be the victim of injustice, unfairness, and hatred. This is what happened to Jesus after all.

If God’s reward came to us fully right now in this world, we would be tempted to live as God commands, not out of love, but to get something from God. We would not be loving God, but manipulating Him. His partial justice in the here and now gives us the opportunity to honor Him knowing we may not be rewarded. This reflects a true love for God beyond manipulation.

God’s justice for bad behavior is also partial now. Wickedness doesn’t get what it deserves. The Bible reminds us that God is patient with everyone giving them time to turn back to Him. We must frame God’s mercy to the wicked in a way that increases our confidence in His patience with us, and forgiveness of our sin. If God can be patient with those who are not even trying, how much more patient will He be with us who are trying even though we still fail?

In the end, His justice will be complete. The Bible reminds us those who live a life of faith in Christ will receive their reward in full and those who reject Christ will receive their punishment in full.

When we miss this truth, we can become embittered by what we perceive as God being unjust then we try to become the purveyor of justice ourselves. And that is not a good place to be.

Prayer: Lord, let me not get stuck in my head about the unfairness of life, but help me to see your mercy now and trust your full reward will come later. Amen.

Help Support my writing ministry with Patreon.

On May 18, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

He is Unsearchable

He is unsearchable.

Romans 11:33
³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out! (NIV)

There is a word in theology that stresses a definition of God based on what we know God is not more than what we know God to be. It is called apophatic theology. Apophatic theology reasons that even our greatest human minds cannot conceive the nature of God, His wisdom, and His perfection. To imagine what God is or who He is will never be enough because the human mind is too small to conceive thoughts so great. The Bible says it like this: His ways are higher than ours. He is unsearchable.

I can say God is love, but the essence of the agape love of God is beyond human comprehension. We can do our best, but even the greatest description is bleak. To know God loves me is a wonderful truth, but we must also remember that our definition of love that we apply to God can never match the true glory that it is.

Whatever plans you imagine God has for you, there is so much more than exceeds your greatest imagination. How you imagine God to love you will never come close to how He actually loves you. The forgiveness He has given to you will never feel to us as grand as it actually is.

We might ask why this is this kind of theology good? To fully grasp this notion that God is too wonderful for our thoughts keeps us seeking Him and trusting Him. We tend to lean on our own understanding, but to know that I cannot wrap my head around the immensity of God’s wisdom should lead me to trust God more. I am reminded that even on my best day, I am like a cricket trying to understand Einstein. Even this analogy doesn’t give enough contrast. To know His ways are so far above my understanding should lead me to trust Him in obedience.

Also, Scripture teaches us that God has given us the Spirit so that we might have the mind of Christ. Never fully, corrupted by sin, yet an increased capacity to know Him. If His love is greater than I can imagine, yet knowing He wants me to know Him more, should move me to an intentional pursuit of God so that I might know more of Him and experience greater glory of Him.

Prayer: Lord, help me to trust You more than me and let me seek You more that I might know You more intimately. Amen.

Partner with me in this ministry

On May 17, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

He Rejoices in Song

He rejoices in song.

Zephaniah 3:17
17 The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIV)

As a pastor, I so often hear from people about their inability to attend church when they have sinned greatly. For whatever reason, God has been taught as an angry God who despises us when we have sinned. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no anger, but He rejoices in song.

Zephaniah was a prophet who first tells of the consequences of Israel’s idolatry. They have begun to worship a false god called Baal and, in their sin, they had moved further from God and He had allowed other nations to come against them. However, it is clear from the beginning that God is not angry with Israel as much as He loves them and wants them back in communion with Him.

He ends his prophecy revealing the heart of God who rejoices over the nation returning to Him with singing. Can you imagine the Lord so wonderfully thrilled to have His children home that He rejoices in song? The Lord spontaneously bursts out in song because He is filled with joy. This is not the heart of an angry God.

The sinful nature has separated us from the knowledge of who God is leaving us without a choice but to see God through our sinful perspective. We assume God must feel the same way we feel about our sin. However, the sinful nature is not working toward our redemption, but our total destruction. The sinful nature does not console us in sin with forgiveness but condemns us as horrible people encouraging us to give up on trying to be anything but a nasty human being.

Stop looking at God through the eyes of your own sin. He has revealed Himself to us in Scripture. We see the love of God and the joy when those who have sinned horribly against Him repent and come home.

Other people will also see our sin through their eyes and if our sin hurt them, they may respond in the sinful nature, even if they are a professing Christian. It’s easy to do. But they are not God and God is not them. God will not rub it in your face, chastise you, embarrass you, or do anything but celebrate your return to Him.

If you have sinned today, there is no need for fear. God has not come to judge or condemn, only to love, forgive, and rescue us from our sin.

Prayer: Lord, help me never to project our viewpoint to your character. Instead, let us block out any thoughts of who You are that do not align with Your Word. Amen.

Become a ministry partner for free books.

On May 16, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

From Loneliness to Intimacy

From loneliness to intimacy.

John 14:1-2 (NIV)

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

In Biblical times, when a man wanted to marry a woman, he first had to give some kind of monetary gift to the family. In essence, he would redeem the woman for himself. At this point, they used a word we don’t hear much anymore. They were betrothed. This means they were legally married, but not allowed to be together or to consummate the marriage. Instead, the husband was tasked with going back to his father’s house to build a place for him and his future bride.

During the betrothal time which could last for years, adultery was not uncommon. The desire and anticipation of being together combined with such a long period of absence would easily lead to unfaithfulness.

Jesus uses these words to comfort His disciples who are about to struggle with this same kind of loneliness when He is gone.

God is letting us know there are going to be many times when our Beloved Savior is absent or so it will seem. We will go through dark days as if we are by ourselves. We will wonder where our God is? We will cry out and hear no response. a sense of abandonment might overwhelm us.

We cannot trust what we feel. Our own heart is deceptive beyond cure. We may feel abandoned, but the truth is that He is preparing our future. He is working for our good. His faithfulness does not waver. And His command to us is this, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

How can we keep our hearts, our emotions, in check when we go through the valleys of loneliness?

In the end, either my love for the Lord will remain faithful or my desire to alleviate the struggle will lead me to adulterous acts with illicitus sin. Its in these times we must remember the reference to the wedding gift. Would the lover of our soul give such a gift only to abandon us? This season will not endure and when we come to a new season of intimacy, will He have found us faithful?

We must learn to place our affection on Him so that our hearts will grow stronger in love as we yearn for His return. Soon enough, the feelings of abandonment will give way to our abandonment to Him in worship. We will realize that He was working for our good the whole time. Then we will move from loneliness to intimacy.

Prayer, Lord, help me to set my affection on You when I feel the most alone. Amen.

Partner with me and get free books.

On May 13, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

To be Noble is Rare

To be noble is rare.

Proverbs 31:10

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. (NIV)

To be noble is to be free. The Bible says a noble man makes noble plans. A free man makes plans that are virtuous. They plan to do good things for those around them. They set out each day to be a blessing not wondering suspiciously who will bless them. But virtue goes so much deeper.

The depth of this word noble also translated virtuous that is used to describe an illusive wife has much depth. Not only is it a desire to do good, but the word insinuates a willingness to writhe in pain to do good for others. It is not unusual to find someone who will do a good thing, but only when it is easy. It is rare to find a man or woman ready to suffer within to do good for the others in life.

When we realize the pain inflicted upon this person more often than not is coming from those they are trying to do good for. It is a strange world that we are so quick to decline what is good and those who wish to give it for that which will run us into the ground. There is a way that seems good to us and we go after it, but it ends in destruction. A virtuous person is willingly to keep giving even as they are rejected for the hope that one day those they love will accept the gifts they bring.

This is to be like Christ. He came in absolute goodness, but we esteemed Him not. Yet, He did not return to Heaven defeated but poured out His life for us anyway in the hope that one day we might accept His gift. No wonder this proverb warns us that this type of person is hard to find.

This is who we should aspire to be. The proverb draws out the beauty of this person in the context of marriage. Marriage is a place where few are willing to suffer for the good of their spouse. Retaliation and condemnation are common. Holding our tongue, going the extra mile, writhing in pain to let them know we love them at their worst is uncommon.

What kind of spouse do you want to be?

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a spouse worth more than rubies. Give me a love willing to suffer when necessary to open their heart to mine. Amen.

Support this ministry with only $3/mo

On May 12, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

Be Kind and Compassionate

Be kind and compassionate.

Ephesians 4:32

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (NIV)

We live in a world where the minimum is acceptable. Unless we are getting paid for it, the minimum is acceptable. To be kind to another could be as simple as general etiquette, politeness. However, the root meaning of the word means to ‘be useful’ to another.

The Lord has not called us to be polite though even politeness has gone the way of the typewriter. We are servants of the Most High God assigned to serve those around us.

In one of the most beautiful moments of Scripture, the King of Glory pushed back away from the dinner table, removed his outer clothing, put a towel around his waist, got on his knees, and washed the dirty feet of the disciples. This is the kindness we are called to. This is Godly politeness. To be useful is to help another wash away the filth of this world from the hearts of others.

Jesus’ kindness coalesced with His compassion. In our vernacular, the word ‘passion’ has melded into romance. There is a deeper meaning when we see this word used in reference to the crucifixion called the Passion of Christ. Passion is a willingness to suffer for another out of love. Jesus suffered his reputation, humbling Himself to the feet of His disciples, then His body to the cross at Calvary for His creation. This is passion

Compassion is that passion that erupts from within because we identify with the suffering of others. Christ lived as a man for this very reason. He experienced our life, our pain, our struggle to expand the depth of His love as if that were possible. If we want to have a Christ-like kindness for others, we must remember they have their own pain. Perhaps, we know it, perhaps not. But the one thing every soul has in common is the pain and suffering of life.

When we see others, regardless of their facial expression, the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the color of their skin, the dialect of their speech, we are united in suffering. Out of our own pain, understanding they have their own, comes a compassion that moves us to servanthood. To judge others or to assume our pain is unique robs us of the privilege of serving others.

Prayer: Lord, never let me let the exterior appearance blind me to other’s pain that I might be a compassionate servant as You are to me. Amen.

Partner with me and get free books/counseling

On May 11, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

Dealing with Drama

Dealing with drama.

Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV)
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

It’s important to note the Scripture in another place says that a wise man overlooks an offense. Wisdom is not wholly contained in confrontation. Sometimes, it means just letting things go. To call out people for everything they do wrong, even if our intentions are good, will only produce feelings of being judged in them. Pointing out sin too quickly ruins our witness and does not reflect the love of Christ.

At the same time, drama is destructive even to the one causing it. To always let things go is not loving. There are times when people need confrontation. Jesus confronted the rich, young ruler. He confronted the woman at the well. He confronted Peter. Each was confronted differently. Jesus’ response to each was different. Zacchaeus offered to give back half of his possessions to the poor, but Jesus’ demand of the rich, young ruler was to give all of his money away. Confrontation looks different in each situation.

So when should you deal with destructive drama in others?

The key is our confrontation must be motivated not by our own personal offense, but out of our love for the other person whose behavior is ruining their own life. It’s not just that what they did was hurtful and harmful to us or those we love. Our motive must be to see them find a better way for themselves. If our motivation is our own self-protection, our heart is not in the right place to confront anyone. First, we must have the spirit of Christ who said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Once we have moved our heart into a place of love for them, we are ready. If we find ourselves pointing out everything someone is doing wrong, more than likely, our heart is not in the right place. We are in self-protection mode either to keep them from hurting us directly or to keep them from hurting our reputation because we somehow have attached their behavior to what people think about us.

Dealing with drama, confronting sin must be an act of selfless love. If we are not there yet, it is wise to overlook the offense.

Prayer: Lord, I ask Your Holy Spirit to give me the heart and wisdom to know when and how to confront others and when to let it go. Amen.

Partner with me for free books and/or counseling

On May 10, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

Graceful Conversation

Graceful conversation.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

More and more Christians walk with targets on their back. Evangelicals in particular have been labeled as mean-spirited and hateful. There is a spiritual war going on as the world moves more secular in its religious disposition. This is on top of the not-so-Christlike behavior of those who have taken the name of Christ. Never before is there a need for Christlike discourse.

Paul reminds us that our conversation should always be full of grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. The gifts of God dispersed to all peoples whether they have lived a life worthy or not. And let’s face it. None of us have lived a life worthy yet the Lord has lavished His love and goodness upon us. Our conversation when dialogue becomes strained must be graceful.

However, the Biblical concept of grace is more than the goodness of God. It is also the power of God. We are saved by His grace. It is a kindness that carries with it great power. When we form our words in grace, the Spirit of Living Water flows through us with power to effect change. Grace will change situations. It will change relationships. It will change hearts.

Often, in difficult situations, we have a knee-jerk reaction to become defensive or to shut down emotionally. This response is self-protective. We must let God be our Protector as we position ourselves as His ambassador.

The amazing grace of God will accomplish what we cannot. To resist self-protection to love those who may be trying our patience will release the power of God not only to effect their heart, but in the process, the Lord will also protect us, embolden us, and anoint us with power to not shrink back.

I want to throw this last little thing in for today though it is not little. Paul says then we will know how to answer everyone. You will see the key here is not what you say, but how you say it. You don’t have to know the right thing to say. You only need to have the right spirit. When our heart has the right attitude, it will overflow with the right words to accomplish God’s will in that moment.

To be graceful in speech, we must trust the Lord with our safety, our reputation, and our fear. But He will be faithful. And what miracles might He do through you when you choose graceful conversation.

Lord, help me in every difficult conversation to let Your Spirit guide my heart that I might choose graceful conversation. Amen.

Be a partner to help Pastor Lee get the Word out there.

On May 9, 2022 • By Pastor Lee

Older Posts