Day 10

When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious—that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.—Ps. 68:18

The Psalmist recounts the occasion at mount Sinai when the Levites were separated from among the children of Israel by the Lord and then given back to Aaron and his sons to help serve at the Tabernacle (Nu. 8:6, 11-19; 18:6; cf. Ex. 32:17-26). Numbers records how, while the rest of Israel held to their rebellion and lasciviousness, the Levites rallied to Moses. That day, the Lord took the Levites and set them apart to serve at the Tabernacle—the meeting place of God and Israel.

From the account in Numbers, we should note that ministers:
1. Must stand with the Lord (even against the crowd).
2. Must be first captured by the Lord (the captives are the gifts).
3. Are given wholly to the Lord.
4. Are then given by God as gifts to serve the people.

When describing the ministries that Christ bestowed on His Body to serve it and bring the members into maturity, Paul looks back at this Psalm and its antecedent in Numbers to describe five types of ministers as gifts. This time Paul refers to Christ’s ascension, which the Sinai account prefigures.

“When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”

…It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.—Ephesians 4:8, 11-13

The gifts are the ministers. But how do we treat these gifts? Do we leave them unwrapped and unappreciated? Do we just stare at them and admire the paper and bows? Or do we receive the gifts, unwrap them and allow the gifts to bring us joy?

Further, we must not forget, that the whole purpose for bestowing these grace-gifts was that God “might dwell there” (Ps. 68:18)! Just as the Levites supported the work of the ministry at the Tabernacle in the wilderness—the dwelling place of God, so ministers today serve the Body for the purpose of God dwelling among them.

Unfortunately, many performance-oriented churches today focus on the service as the means of attracting and keeping members, resulting in leaders who are good at entertaining, but not at releasing the Spirit. As a result, the Church has lost the art of discipling and building real community which these gift-ministries provide, thus limiting the movement of God’s presence. But when the Church becomes a business, it prostitutes the Bride.

May God’s ministers never forget that they are grace-filled gifts, captured by God’s heart and then given to lead the people of God into His presence—that they may reach “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Prayer Topics: Presence of God; Ministers of God; Receiving Ministry; Core Values of the Church; Maturity in Christ.

Day 9

“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!”—Isaiah 64:1-2

“The god who answers by fire, he is God!”—1 Kings 18:24

“I have come to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”—Luke 12:49

When God comes—when His presence invades the sphere of our existence—He comes by fire. And it is fire that revives us. In simplest terms, revival is fire. It is an intense, spiritual fire that burns deep and prolonged. It will scorch before it heals. It will ruin us before it changes us.

But fire doesn’t fall on an empty altar. If there is no humility, no brokenness, no prayer and fasting, no conviction of sin, no spirit of expectation, no sacrifice, fire will not fall! But for those who pay the price, His presence will come like fire:

It burns. The fire of God burns away the chaff—the worthless sin-burdens that cling to us, and hinder the pure wheat of God’s Word from nourishing us. We are a culture entertained, but bored; wealthy with materialism, but poor in the true riches; full of knowledge, but empty of truth. It is only the fire of God that can turn this nation around.

It purifies. The fire of God separates the holy from the unholy. It melts away the dross of this world. It refines us into the pure image of Christ.

It softens. The fire of God reduces even the hardest hearts to the soft, pliable material for God’s shaping. When God comes, He softens the hard crust that encases our hearts. Like wax before a fire, God mollifies and tenderizes us for His work.

It warms. The fire of God creates in us such a presence of God that the world will be attracted to us—they are like men and women in spiritual winter—unsaved—who are drawn to the warmth of God’s presence.

It glows. The light of God’s fire breaks into the darkness of this world. Darkness must flee; it can never overcome the light!

It spreads. Just one spark of revival can set a nation on fire. Soon the newly saved will pass the fire of revival from one to another, spreading it across this nation.

It tempers. Through the constant heating and re-heating and watering and hammering of the Spirit, our character is formed and shaped into His image.

How does God answer our sacrifice? He answers by fire!

Prayer Topics: Revival; Fire of God’s Presence; Sacrifice; Applying Spiritual Disciplines; Christlikeness.

Day 8

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
—Psalm 73:2-3, 16-17

It is not unusual for the wicked to prosper in this age. In fact, despite the plethora of laws and regulations to constrain evil, the wicked still seem to find ways to circumvent society’s restraints and exploit others for gain. And they seem to do it with ease, without remorse, without regret—callous in all their ways.

Psalm 73 reveals the struggle of Asaph when he was tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked. At first he recounts how all the outward appearances seemed to confirm their success. They looked happy and prosperous—“free from the burdens common to man.” For a moment the prideful triumphs of the wicked captivated the heart of the psalmist. How his own righteous acts seemed to pale in comparison to the achievements of the wicked!

Until he entered the presence of the Lord.

There is something about the presence of the Lord that brings everything into proper perspective. His presence brings judgment back into view. His presence reminds us that this age is temporary—that it will be engulfed by eternity. His presence reminded Asaph of the wicked’s final destiny.

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

Without His presence, we too may be overcome by the temptations of this age. But whenever our feet slip after the wicked, His presence is there to point us to truth. His presence will cause us to conclude along with Asaph: “Earth has nothing I desire besides you!”

Prayer Topics: Seeking His Presence; Desiring Him Above All Else; Contentment; Final Judgment; Eternity.

Day 7

Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.”—Song 2:9-10

There are times when Christ seems to hide from us—in almost playfulness—watching to see if we are looking—watching to see if we desire Him. Do you see His smile? Does your heart not leap within you?

We erect the walls that separate us from enjoying His presence—walls of rebellion—lattices of selfishness. But He sees right through them. He knows how to get around them!

Could we not find Him? He will find us, taking us by the hand, and drawing us to follow Him. This is the Bridegroom who comes for His Bride. His heart is filled with encouraging words, loving words, reassuring words that draw us into intimacy.

How will we respond on the Day He comes? Will He find us too busy, too self-absorbed, too deep in the things of this world? Like Lot’s wife, our attention is elsewhere. Or do we delight in finding Him? Do we wait at the door with extra oil, knowing the cry will yet be heard, “The Bridegroom comes!”?

Our God is the God who comes. At the intersection of heaven and earth, you can find Him. When the Spirit beckons, you can find Him. Do you see His smile? Then take your shoes off and run after Him. He is your beloved and you are His.

Prayer Topics: Seeking and Finding Christ; Delighting in Christ; Intimacy; Turning Toward God; Bride and Groom; Second Coming.

Day 6

“Woe is me, for I am undone!”—Isaiah 6:5

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken.”—Luke 5:8-9

The Book of Isaiah describes how the prophet is ushered into the Divine Court and witnesses scenes so awesome it leaves him undone. There he is commissioned to prophesy the lawsuits of the court to a recalcitrant people.

Peter witnesses the miraculous catch of fish and falls at the feet of Christ begging Him to leave. There he is commissioned to “catch men” instead.

God shook both men to the core of their being by an encounter with His power and presence. That shaking must precede any commissioning. For the purpose of commissioning is to shake a world hardened by sin. And any commissioning that lacks such an encounter will not long endure the obstinate hearts of humankind, and will, in fact, be blunted and dulled by its constant resistance.

Any true encounter with God will do these two things: it will leave you broken by His power and stirred to do His bidding. You cannot have a real encounter with His presence and remain the same.

Like Jacob wrestling with the messenger of God, you will come away with a limp and a blessing. You arrive as Jacob at Jabbok, but leave as Israel from Peniel.

A bush that burned unending turned aside a different shepherd. But the presence and power of God commissioned him with holy apostolic fire—a fire that ignited a people and seared the heart of Pharaoh.

“Woe is me, for I am undone!” Has an encounter with Christ left you echoing the prophet’s words? Then perhaps it is time to turn aside and wrestle with God.

Prayer Topics: Prophetic Lawsuits; Seeking His Presence; Wrestling with God; Commissioning; Shaking the World.

Day 5

The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”—Exodus 33:14-15

“Bend us, Lord!”—Evan Roberts, Welsh Revivalist

What distinguishes us from everyone else? Moses understood that His Presence in us, leading us, guiding us, changing us, meant all the difference. Whatever the endeavor might be, we need His Presence in it. And if we need His presence in our day-to-day walk, how much more do we need it in our corporate worship!

How often in the West the focus of worship becomes entertainment, or production, or performance! Too often the Church has focused on all the cultural trappings that attract the crowds and too little on what it takes to hear from the Spirit. It has become program based, not Presence based. The Spirit is corralled into time limits, or after-glow meetings, or altar prayers, or anything that doesn’t cause a disturbance. But shouldn’t “Disturb us, God!” be the cry of our hearts? Where is the revived heart that longs to be bent by the Spirit?

It was a great disturbance at Pentecost when the Spirit fell like tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4). It was a great disturbance when the disciples prayed and the place was shaken as they were filled with the Spirit (Acts 4:31). Even in the one record of a service in the New Testament the unbeliever was so disturbed in his heart because of the prophetic word that falling down and worshipping he exclaimed, “God is really among you!” (1 Corinthians 14:25). Instead we pamper visitors.

Where is the prophetic word? Where is the conviction? The power? The challenge? The disturbance?

How greatly Moses understood! “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” If His Presence isn’t in the twenty minutes we worship, why do we stop? If His Presence is driven from the service, why do we even gather? What is more important than His Presence? What have we settled for?

Prayer Topics: Presence; Guidance; Witness of the Spirit; True Worship; Revived Heart; Bending in His Presence; “Disturb us, God!”

Day 4

I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD. “In that day I will respond,” declares the LORD…“I will show my love…”—Hosea 2:19-21, 23

God is a God who responds. He watches over us; He listens to us; He moves on our behalf. The Lord declared, “In that day I will respond.” But what day? Under what circumstances does He respond? It is the day of betrothal for marriage—the day of covenant and intimacy with God. It is His Bride that He hears—His Bride that He dotes over, listens to, caresses, seeks out, longs for.

How interesting it is that God promises on this day to pay a bridal price! What is the bridal price He promises? It is righteousness, justice, love and compassion. It is covenant relationship. When God married His people, the bridal price He paid was a promise of relationship based on these four critically important relational terms: righteousness, justice, love and compassion. For the marriage covenant is not just a contract, nor an agreement involving monetary payment, but rather, it is a deep, abiding relationship. Isn’t it interesting that we think of a bridal price in terms of monetary compensation? But God thinks first in terms of relationship.

If these four terms are essential ingredients in God’s marital relationship with His people, then these four terms are integral to any marital covenant relationship. They demonstrate more than any other terms the way a husband should treat his wife.

Among these four relationship gifts promised by our Bridegroom, one word stands out. It is the Hebrew word “hesed.” This word means a loyal love—a kind of steadfast, devoted love that forms the bond of covenant relationship—an indissoluble relationship no matter the failures or unfaithfulness of the spouse.

Covenant love demands commitment and loyalty. Without that loyal love, there can be no intimate relationship, for covenant relationship requires an unconditional trust. When trust is established through commitment and loyalty, then relationship results. The deeper the commitment and trust, the deeper the relationship becomes.

This is what God means when He says He will show His love. He is eternally faithful. He is eternally loyal. He will never compromise His fidelity to the covenant. In Hosea’s prophetic words, and in the prophetic example of his own marriage, we find the kind of love every bridegroom should emulate!

Prayer Topics: Covenant Relationship; God Shows His Love; God Responds; Righteousness, Justice, Love and Compassion; Loyalty; Marriage.

Day 3

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.—Philippians 3:10

The pursuit of Christ is the goal of every Christian.

That we can come before Him to delight in His presence is guaranteed by the trail He blazed before us into the heavenlies. There we can kneel with Him in quiet intercession or listen as He gently whispers a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge or a prophecy that we might continue His ministry on earth. There we become more like Him—for only as we are with Him do we learn to be like Him.

That we must share in His pain is the duty of every disciple, and the common result of every person who has heard His compassionate heart groan for the lost, suffering and dying.
That we long for the power of His resurrection is right and proper. That we possess it is the inheritance of all who believe—for He is the Resurrection and the Life.

But resurrection always follows suffering and compassion. Even as Christ was about to raise His friend, Lazarus, from the grave, He was twice deeply moved—even to the point of tears. Oh, how we want to be like Him in His power! But how few pay the price to be like Him in His death!

Prayer Topics: Christlikeness; Listen for His Heart; Groaning with Him; Compassion; Weeping.

Day 2

David wrote in one of his Psalms:
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORDall the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the LORDand to seek him in his temple.—Ps. 27:4

David sought the Lord’s glory during his life as the singular cry of his heart. Yet, despite all the majesty that may have emanated from the tabernacle, the glory David gazed upon could not have compared to the surpassing glory revealed to the three disciples at Christ’s transfiguration. The glory of the old—the law, the patriarchs, and the covenants—the glory found on Mt. Sinai—was fading before the glory on the new mount. For each miracle of Christ manifested His glory—veiled though it was in flesh—the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven breaking into this age. And His crucifixion displayed His glory despite such staggering suffering. For herein lies the greatest honor, the greatest demonstration of glory: to sacrifice oneself that the will of the Father may be done.

Shall the disciple’s path not pass through Gethsemane?

“One thing I ask, this is what I seek…” Is it His presence that we seek above all else? Can we like Moses refuse to go any further without His presence? To preach or teach without His anointing? To minister without first having gazed upon His beauty in prayer? Without first worshipping Him in the corporate gathering?

“One thing I ask, this is what I seek…” Has David’s cry become the cry of our hearts? Or are we distracted by “the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches?” What one thing can we declare to be the purpose of our life?

Prayer Topics: Desire for Him; A Singular Heart; Praise during Suffering; The Cares of this Life; Draw Near to God.

Day 1

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me.—Galatians 2:20

George Meuller once wrote:
“There was a day when I died:
- Died to George Mueller: to his tastes, his opinions, his preferences and his will.
- Died to the world—its approval or censure.
- Died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends.
“Since then I have studied to only show myself approved unto God.”

How foreign this is to us today—with all our approval ratings and polls! We boast of only seeking the approval of God, yet we relish the handclapping and pats on the back. Success is measured in numbers!

Yes, Christ had the crowds follow Him, waving the palm branches or eating the loaves and fishes. But more than once He confronted them with hard questions, or drove them away with difficult statements. He didn’t win friends by challenging, “You are looking for me…because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” He only gained enemies by commanding them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. In the end they played the part of all crowds, leaving Him for His offense. Gleeful to turn on Him. Abandoning Him to suffer. Leaving Him alone in the tomb.

Have we really died to the impulse of the crowd? Do we know how to stand when all others moves on? No cry of the crowd, no shout of the multitude, no roar of the throng means as much as these simple words from the only important One, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Is anything as important as the approval of the Lord?

Prayer Topics: Death and Life in Christ; Standing Alone; Approval and Rejection.

40 Day Devotional

One of my goals has been to write a 40-day devotional. I've actually written several individual devotions and collected them with some poems and short stories in a book called A Reed in the Wind. Before I publish this book, I wanted to write and add the 40-day devotional to it. The following postings contain the devotions as I write them. I've tried to focus on the important things.

Your comments and suggestions would be very welcomed.