Monday, September 29,
2025
BEGINNING TODAY, AND FOR
THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, I MUST BRIEFLY TAKE A BREAK FROM THESE DEVOTIONALS. I AM
HAVING A KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY AND WILL RESUME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN THE
MEAN TIME, YOU MAY ACCESS OVER 3,000 CLASSIC DEVOTIONALS AT THE LINK BELOW.
http://backsideofthepulpit.blogspot.com
Sunday, September 28,
2025
UNWORTHY
Gen_32:10
I am not worthy of the
least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy
servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two
bands.
Jacob the ‘heal catcher’ or supplanter felt as he
truly was, undeserving, and unworthy. I think that to be truly thankful a
person must feel the smallness of self and embrace the enormity of God. We must
leave hubris behind and embrace humility.
UNWORTHY
Unworthy am I of the
grace that He gave,
Unworthy to hold to His
hand;
Amazed that a King would
reach down to a slave,
This love I cannot
understand.
Chorus
Unworthy, unworthy, a
beggar;
In bondage and alone;
But He made me worthy and
now by His grace,
His mercy has made me His
own.
Thank
you, Lord, for an abundance undeserved. AMEN
Saturday, September 27,
2025
THREE
GOALS OF MINISTRY
2Timothy
4:2
Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine.
Some of my followers are so accustomed to
these daily devotionals that they assume something dreadful has happened if I
should miss one or two but life has plenty of interruptions and I apologize for
any that are tardy or absent. Having said that, I want you to know that I have three
goals for my devotionals. They are as follows.
To Evangelize! The Great Commission has but one challenging verb
and that is to “make disciples.” To reach the lost and to win souls for Christ
is the foundational goal of preaching. If your Christianity is not outreaching
then it has forgotten its mission.
To Educate! When Paul said, “I would not have you to be
ignorant,” he was addressing believers who needed instruction. Delivering pure doctrine
and correcting false notions is a major part of pastoral ministry because it promotes
both evangelism and encouragement.
To Encourage! Because believers are strangers and pilgrims in a
world that is now foreign to them, we are admonished to encourage one another. The
words of Fanny Crosby’s old hymn Rescue the Perishing confirm these three
goals.
Rescue the perishing,
care for the dying,
snatch them in pity from
sin and the grave;
weep o’er the erring one,
lift up the fallen,
tell them of Jesus the
mighty to save.
Down in the human heart,
crushed by the tempter,
feelings lie buried that
grace can restore;
touched by a loving
heart, wakened by kindness,
cords that are broken
will vibrate once more. [Refrain]
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus
will save.
Lord,
mold my life around these three goals. AMEN
Friday, September 26,
2025
THE COMFORT OF HIS PRESENCE!
Ps 35:22
O LORD: keep not silence: O
Lord, be not far from me.
Acts 17:25-28
…he giveth to all life, and
breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood
all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the
Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be
not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and
move, and have our being…
The most difficult times for me are those times when God
seems far away. Oh, I know with my mind that He is everywhere and that He is
near, even in my heart, but there are times when I need Him so badly to be
within reach. I need to sense His presence and I need to hear his voice. Like a
child who pillows his head on his mother’s breast I need to feel His breath on
my cheek. Many are the times when my soul cries out to God; for the comfort of
His presence.
Many are the songs that have been written and sung about our human
longing for the divine. “Abide with me” is one and “Nearer my God to Thee” is
another. These songs remind us of the great gulf that sin has now fixed between
us and our God. Yet our very soul was made for the same fellowship with Him
that Adam enjoyed in the cool of the evening.
Job deeply felt the absence of God although God was every moment
observing his calamity. It may seem cruel to us, but God had set in motion a
test for Job that would put Satan to open shame. Job was required to remain
faithful to an absentee God. So it seems often with us. We feel that we must
walk the trail of tears alone yet God is there and He will arrive just in time.
Ps 56:3
3 What time I am afraid, I
will trust in thee.
Dear Lord, I know with my head
that Thou art there but my spirit needs Thee now. Be not far from me. AMEN
Thursday, September 25,
2025
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!
Ps 138:8
8 The LORD will perfect that
which concerneth me:
Comfortingly, the Hebrew word translated “perfect” here is
the word gamar (gaw-mar') and means “to end.” The idea is
that God will bring all that concerns us to a successful completion.
The New Testament confirms this thought in the following verse.
Phil 1:6
6 Being confident of this very
thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ:
The Greek word for “will perform” is epiteleo
(ep-ee-tel-eh'-o) and means to fulfill further (or
completely), i.e. execute; by implication, to terminate, to bring to a
full and satisfying end.
God will keep working on me until He is satisfied with
the finished product. He will keep on working in spite of my ignorance
until wisdom begins to develop in me. He will keep on working in spite of my
weakness because His strength is made perfect. He will keep on working
in spite of my stubbornness because He is a firm but loving
heavenly Father. He will bring me to maturity.
God will keep on fine tuning
His purpose for me. He
will bring into my life those who can influence me for good even if the
circumstances of these encounters seem bad at the time. He will shut down some
of my pet projects because they do not fit His purposes for me. He will lead me
through hard paths because they end in the accomplishment of His greater
purpose. He will allow pain and restrain pleasure so that I may become mature.
Rom 8:28
28 And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose.
Dear Lord, thank you for not
giving up on me. Thank you for seeing value in me that I cannot see. Thank you
for changing my good plans for your better plans. AMEN
Wednesday, September 24,
2025
HEALER
OF BROKEN HEARTS
Exodus15:26
And said, If thou wilt
diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is
right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have
brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
In 1975 Georgia Stiffler wrote a song entitled Healer of Broken Hearts. I
share it with you today because I know that all of us need healing.
He's the healer of broken
hearts
He'll mend your broken
dreams
He'll pick up the threads
Of your broken life
And He'll weave them
together again
To your soul, He'll bring
peace and joy
A friend in need He'll be
The healer of broken
hearts
Is Jesus of Galilee
To your soul, He'll bring
peace and joy
A friend in need He'll be
The healer of broken
hearts
Is Jesus of Galilee
John
5:15
The man departed, and
told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
Lord,
let thy healing be applied to those who need you today. AMEN
Wednesday, September 24,
2025
I
SHOULD EXPLAIN
Rom
8:28
And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
There was no devotional yesterday and I should explain. I
was away from the computer because I saw my knee surgeon and pre-registering
with the hospital for a knee replacement next Wednesday, October 1st.
Additionally, my wife has been formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s
disease. It has advanced to stage 2, whatever that is. She is the love of my
life and has been for 57 years. She is hard to deal with, but it is not her, it
is the illness. Alzheimer’s can be very disruptive for everyone. This is not an
excuse, it is a reason.
I don’t ask for sympathy but understanding. My Morning Devotions
may be late or not at all, but we are fine and things are working together for
good.
Philippians1:3
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Monday, September 22,
2025
NO MORE TEARS!
Rev 21:4
4 And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.
Perhaps you remember the old commercial for
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. It showed a mother shampooing baby’s hair with lather
all over. The happy baby helped to reinforce the selling point of “No More
Tears!”
Heaven, the eternal state of the
redeemed, will have no more tears! My first thought this morning was “But this
is how I worship!” In the presence of the Holy, some folks shout but I
just cry.
I weep for my unworthiness. I weep for my ignorance and
stubbornness. I sob at His love and generosity toward me. I just cry. I can’t
help myself.
I can only conclude that, in Heaven, the former
things will have passed away. My unworthiness will be replaced by guaranteed
acceptance. My ignorance will be replaced by full knowledge of the Holy. My
stubbornness will have been both subdued and surrendered. My tears will be
wiped away by the very God Himself.
Ps 30:4-5
4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye
saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a
moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh
in the morning.
O Lord, even now I can’t help
but weep at the thought of it all. Take thy gentle hand and brush away my tears
and replace them with joy. AMEN
Sunday, September 21,
2025
The phrase “that ye might have life” was spoken three times
in the King James Version of the Bible; all three times it was used by John!
It was John’s mission statement and life purpose that others might
have life through Jesus the Messiah. However, each of the three times, John
also speaks to a different powerful force.
1. THE POWER OF MAN’S WILLFUL REFUSAL!
John 5:40
40 And ye will not come to me,
that ye might have life.
There is a mighty power in
man’s ability to freely choose. In John’s fifth chapter Jesus spends
considerable time defending himself against unbelieving Jews who “sought the
more to kill him because He had once again relieved human suffering on the
Sabbath and because He had made himself equal with God.”
Those who were thoroughly
unconvinced mingled with those who were nearly convinced but the decisive
result was that they refused to come to Jesus that they might have life.
To put it another way, a horrible way,
they did not have and would not have life. It was a momentary decision
with eternal results.
Throughout our lifetime this
awe-inspiring gift of choice remains ours. In a thousand opportunities we must
choose wisely.
2. THE POWER OF SATAN’S SINISTER SCHEME!
John 10:9-10
9 I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but
for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly.
The scriptures say of Jesus
that “in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5) and John might here say of
Satan “in him is no light whatsoever.” Satan’s total focus is to steal – to kill—and to destroy. The
opposite is true of the Savior. He has come to give – to give life in abundance – and to repair and restore.
3. THE POWER OF THE WRITTEN WORD!
John 20:30-31
30 And many other signs truly
did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that
ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name.
Why would a rugged fisherman,
a “son of thunder,” chronicle the life of a carpenter and itinerant preacher
named Jesus? He answers for himself when he says that he wrote so that his
readers might be convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of
God, and that in believing they might have life, eternal life, through his
name.
Our own powerful gift of free and willful choice will
either doom or deliver us! Satan will influence and manipulate that choice, if
he can, to accomplish his purpose of stealing, killing and destroying but God
has given us a living Word that we should read and heed…that ye might have life.
Dear Lord, may your Holy Spirit guide me and protect me
today as I make life altering choices. AMEN
Saturday, September 20,
2025
Phil 4:6-9
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received,
and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Peace that passes
understanding comes from God; it exists despite the
circumstances that should quench it. It is unsinkable, indestructible, and
unfathomable. It creates a strong thirst in the anxious, yet it does not exist
in calm but rather in trouble. We think that if we could only eliminate clamor
peace would come and rest on our shoulders, but it is just the opposite. God’s
peace floats upon the stormy winds and not the gentle breeze. It passes
understanding!
1. BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING! (v.6)
Do not allow your confidence in God to be replaced by
earthly concerns. Certainly, we need to give appropriate care to daily
responsibilities but do not allow those things to crowd out the assurance that
God is both good and in control.
Matt 6:31-34
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for
your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow
shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof.
2. PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING! (v.6)
Will Rogers is supposed to have said: “I’ve suffered a
great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened!”
3. DEVELOP DISCIPLINED THINKING! (v.8)
The phrase “think on” is the Greek word logizomai
and means “to take an inventory” but it is not an inventory of troubles
that have not yet happened. It is an inventory of blessings readily at hand.
Literally we should “count our blessings!” Take an inventory of the true
things, the honest things and the things that are of a good report.
4. PRACTICE IN DEEDS WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE! (v.9)
The most important word in verse 9 is the word “do.” We can
sit by and work out all the details in our mind but until we apply the hammer
to the nail the plank is not secured! Stop measuring and “nail it!”
Ps 34:14 KJV
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue
it.
Dear Lord, grant unto me your peace today. AMEN
