Isaiah 41:10

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Isaiah 41:10  

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah here in this verse is speaking to Israel regarding primarily those Jews who were exiled in Babylon, and as stated by theologian Albert Barnes, “during their long and painful captivity in Babylon; and the idea is, that they who had been selected by God to be his special people had nothing to fear.” God, through Isaiah was telling His people not to fear Babylon and what they are doing to them and how they could be affected by them.  And why should they not fear?  God, through Isaiah, tells them “for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10b. 

This is a wonderful promise God gave to His people, the Jewish nation.  However now we, as Christians, are His people.  Paul said it this way. “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.”  2 Corinthians 6:14-16.  The highlighted phrase comes from Leviticus where He tells the Israelites, “I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” Leviticus 26:12.   So, God’s people are those who believe in the Christ as the Messiah and have accepted Him as their Lord and God.  These include both Jews and Gentiles.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16. So, our focus verse applies to all people, both Jews and Gentiles who are Christians.   

So, let us see this promise in relation to out time today.  There is no need for us to be afraid no matter what comes our way.  We should not fear anything because God is our strength and He will always help us.  Whether is be an illness such as Corona Virus or Flu or any type of sickness.  He can protect us and heal us from any sickness.  Therefore, we should place our trust in Him no matter what illness comes our way.  “and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”  James 5:15.  If we are in need of anything, no matter what it is, God will provide it.  “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. 

Closing, we must not let anything that happens to us make us afraid.   We know that there is nothing that God cannot do for He can do all things.  If we are sick He can heal us.  If we are hungry He can provide us food.  If we are thirsty He can provide us drink.  He will never leave us of forsake us.  And remember what Jesus said to us.  “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or What will we wear for clothing?  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34.  And even if He is ready to call us home, He has a tremendous promise as well given through Paul, where he said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.  Therefore, do not be afraid of anything, for as I like to say, God has this.  He is in control and He wants the absolute best for us.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Romans 3:31

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Romans 3:31  

“Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” – Romans 3:31

Paul here in Romans three is telling the Christians in Rome, which many were former Jews, that salvation comes not from the Law but by faith.  “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:21-23.  God showed His grace by providing a means of salvation apart from man’s works, for no man is perfect, but all have sinned.  This salvation is not restricted to only some, but to all who believe, either Jew or non-Jew.  And because it was the Jews who believed in the strict adherence to the Law, the Jews would push this adherence as a necessity. 

However, salvation does not come through works, but through faith.  Paul addresses this is the following verses using boasting as an example.  “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Romans 3:27-28.  There is to be no boasting because man has done nothing to bring about his cleanliness.  Adherence to the Law does not make us righteous, for then only Jews who are perfect in keeping the Law would be the only ones saved.  And he counters this idea in the next two verses.  “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?  Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” Romans 3:29-30.  He provides salvation for all mankind, not just the Jews through the following of the Law.

Now, we get to the crux of this section in our focus verse.  “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” Romans 3:31.  First, the Law is not nullified for those who do not accept Christ for they will be judged according to the Law, for they have rejected the one who would pay for their sins.  And because all have sinned, the Law cannot save us because it cannot do away with sin, it can simply show us our sin.  “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, You shall not covet.” Romans 7:7.  We cannot be saved by the law, but we can see where we are in sin by the law, and therefore repent and ask forgiveness.  Further on in Romans we read, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Romans 13:8-9.  Love fulfills the Law because if we truly love someone, we will never do them wrong.  And this includes Christ, and ultimately God.  Jesus put it this way, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15.  Showing love to another is the fulfillment of the Law.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:36:40. 

By truly accepting the love God showed to us through Christ by accepting the work He did on the cross and devoting ourselves totally to Him, we show our love for God.  Through our love for Him, we choose to do all He commands of us; not in order to save us, but to show our love for Him.  Therefore, the Law was not nullified or done away with, it is fulfilled when we truly show our love for God and our fellow man.  Just as Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 24:11

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Matthew 24:11  

“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” – Matthew 24:11

Jesus, at the beginning of this chapter, said the following to His disciples regarding the Jewish Temple.  “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” Matthew 24:2. He said this after He came out of the temple and the disciples came up to Him.  This probably was a surprise to them, so they asked Jesus a question. “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:4b.  “And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” Matthew 24:4-5. I actually experienced this one time back in the late 1970’s.  I was walking in an avocado orchard in South Florida and this young lady came up to me and asked me if I wanted to meet Jesus. I saw him dressed as we would expect him to be, and he was leading a group of ladies as he did spoke to many he came across. I spoke with him for just a few minutes before they left the field.  He tried to convince me that he was The Christ, but since he could not convince me he left, followed by the several ladies that were with him.  There has been many claiming this. One well known person who claimed to be the last prophet, the son of God, the lamb was David Koresh back in 1983. 

However, there are many who claim to be a prophet of the living God, not necessarily the Messiah yet teaching a false message.  I remember when one of these false teachers were on television and declared that there were three God the Fathers, three God the Sons, and three Holy Spirits.  He then yelled out, “there were nine of them.”  When told by the host he had never heard that before, the false teacher said, and I am paraphrasing, “I do not come to tell you the same old stuff, but things you have not heard before”.  What a sad statement.  And because of this idea, many have been deceived and mislead. 

Jesus speaks of this using a tree and its fruit as an example.  “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 7:15-19.  Jesus tells the disciples that many will come looking like sheep but are actually only in a sheep costume and are actually wolves, seeking to destroy sheep.  And He finishes with the next verse, “So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:20. Prior to verse 20 Jesus tells them, “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:16-17.  A false prophet gives false teachings while a true prophet gives true teachings. 

Now, Paul gives us an answer as to how we can be sure we are not deceived.  He speaks of the believers in Berea who were careful about the teachings given them.  “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11. Notice what they did.  They checked out the teachings with the scriptures.  This, along with prayer, should be our focus if we hear anything possibly could be false teaching.  We should not accept a teaching just because it came from a well-known preacher and/or it is something we have never heard before.  We need to check these things out so we are not led astray.

And one more thing.  If a pastor preaches something and you check it out and find it questionable, bring it to their attention.  They may not know it is wrong, so by doing this you are assisting him in his teaching. I remember this happened to me once where I heard a weird teaching and I asked him about it and he realized his error, which he ultimately cleared up with the congregation.  Another time I found out I mis-understood him so it can go both ways.  However, the important thing to remember is that we must check out what we  and others are taught and ensure it is truth so we do not find ourselves deceived and going down a wrong path that does not lead to the truth. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 143:10

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 143:10  

“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” – Psalm 143:10

David here in this Psalm is asking God to help him.  “Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous.” Psalm 143:1-2.  He starts off by asking God to hear Him, and then follows it with a request not to be judged, knowing that in His sight, no man is righteous, and therefore He is asking for mercy.

After having requested assistance from God, he then gives the reason for his cry for help, which were the afflictions and persecutions by the enemy.  “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me.” Psalm 143:3-4.  David is saying he is covered completely with grief and weighed down with sorrow.  He is overwhelmed by all these trials and He is crying out for help. 

He then says he remembers the times in the past where God came to His people who trusted in Him.  “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands.” Psalm 143:5.  He then, based on the ways of old mentioned in the previous verse calls out to God to help him.  “I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah. Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I take refuge in You.” Psalm 143:6-9.

Then we see David, in our focus verse, calling out to God, asking Him to teach him His ways.  “Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10.  And then following, “For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am Your servant.” Psalm 143:11-12.

We all run into difficult times in our lives, times which we wonder why this is happening, and then crying out to God to help us.  We do not know what to do, and we need His guidance as we go through these times.  David had reached this point and notice what he did.  He asked God to help Him get through it all.  It appears he may have felt his deeds may have been a factor in all these trials where the enemy was weighing him down.   So, David asked the Lord to teach him to do His will, to guide him through these rough times by leading him to level ground, that which is easier to traverse.  David did not tell God what he wanted, but asked God to teach him His ways, for He is God. 

This looks like a good way for us to work through difficult times.  We should get on our knees and ask God to show us the way.  Many times, we will pray like, ‘God, deliver me from this difficulty’.  However, it may be God’s will for us to go through it so that we can learn from Him.  Francis Schaeffer put it this way, and I paraphrase.  ‘Sometimes we pray that God will deliver us from a situation when we should be praying for God to help us through it’.  We do not know all that God has for us to do, and sometimes it may be a training session.  Paul, writing to the Church of Corinth said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  God has callings on all our lives, and who are we to say that these callings are not for us to suffer so we can comfort someone in the same way as God does comforted us? 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 107:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 107:1  

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” – Psalm 107:1

This verse is a call to mankind to give thanks to God for His amazing mercy He has bestowed upon us.  And not just mercy regarding certain things we may be going through, but everything that God has done for us, whether we find it personally pleasant or not.  We must always remember that we may not have chosen certain outcomes in our lives, however, God does everything for our good.  We have no idea how to pray explicitly for our needs and trials, so we must rely on God to do what He knows is best.  “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26:27. We must trust that God knows everything, from the beginning of all things to the end of all things. “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” Isaiah 46:8-10. Because of this knowledge that God has, He knows exactly how to  help us in our times of troubles because of this infinite knowledge as He searches our hearts and intercedes on our behalf. 

And because of this incredible God we serve, the one as stated above, who has infinite knowledge regarding what is and what shall be, and also what should be, ensures that we Christians will always experience what we can trust is good.  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.  And this is not just in this life, but for eternity; never to end.  “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30.  God knew us, who have accepted Him, from the beginning of time.  And it promises that we shall be conformed to the image of His Son.  We have been called by God, are justified by Him, and we are also glorified.  And because of all that God has given us, comforted us in times of trial, and prepared us for an infinite life, how can we not give thanks to our God.  “When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him.” Isaiah 64:3-4.  We cannot even imagine what we have to look forward to in eternity. 

So, back to our focus verse.  He has given us so much that we cannot begin to know and understand. He does everything for our good, even though we may not see it that way. He has prepared an eternity that we cannot even comprehend.  And He is always with us, for as He has told us through Moses, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.  In all of this and so much more, how can we not be thankful for all His goodness.  “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 107:1.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Lamentations 3:40

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Lamentations 3:40   

“Let us test and examine our ways and return to the LORD!” – Lamentations 3:40

Let us start this with the verse just before our focus verse in order to understand what is being said.  “Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?” Lamentations 3:39.  What he is saying is, if a man sins why should He gripe and complain about what happens to him.  The writer of Proverbs put it this way.  “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.” Proverbs 19:3. The writer is basically saying that when a man gives into the sinful ways and desires of his heart, it causes him to go astray from the ways God has called him to go.  And when things do not go well for him, he places all the blame upon God and not on the one who actually caused this to happen, himself.  Thus, the writer of Lamentations is saying, why should someone complain about what God allows to happen because of their sins?  I like the way Theologian Adam Clarke put it.  “He who has his life still lent to him has small cause of complaint. How great soever his affliction may be, he is still alive; therefore, he may seek and find mercy unto eternal life. Of this, death would deprive him; therefore let not a living man complain.” 

So, going back to verse 39, why should a man complain about the outcome of his own behavior?  At least he is still alive and can make adjustments in his ways.  And if he still lives, what should he do rather than sit around and complain?   The answer lies in our focus verse.  “Let us test and examine our ways and return to the LORD! “ Lamentations 3:40.  This is a more reasonable and profitable thing to do rather than complaining to and about God.  We should look within ourselves and see whether our ways have been good or bad.  Do we have things we do which are not good?  Do we think badly about others who may be more happy and  content than we are?  When we look inside, do we see areas which we know God is not happy with? 

The main idea here is that God is calling us to look inside ourselves and look deep within and see if there is anything we need to ask forgiveness for and repent of.  And ask God to help us see these things.  David called out to God and asked Him to assist in seeing what was in his heart.  “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!”  Psalm 139:23-24. 

This should be our desire as we walk on the earth in the Lord.  We should want to see any wrong thing we do or desire and work toward wiping them out.  We should, with the Lord’s help, examine our heart and our ways, looking deep into what drives us  and what our focus is on.  And we should pray that God will take these desires away and lead us back to Him. 

This can be a difficult endeavor.  We may not want to know where our hearts are, what we desire in our lives, and where our thoughts lead us.  However, God wants us to do this and more, for He wants a great and loving relationship with us.  He has amazing grace for us and will forgive us when we repent of these things and give our all to Him.  So, take some time to make the same requests David made.  “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:23-24.  In doing this, we will test and examine our ways, and by making the necessary changes, we can return to the Lord and have a much more wonderful relationship with God than we ever had.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Galatians 6:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Galatians 6:1

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” – Galatians 6:1

Paul is laying out here how to address fellow brothers and sisters in Christ when they fall into sin.  Now this could be by surprise or ignorance, not realizing they were sinning, or out of the stress of temptation where they gave in to a sinful action.  Paul lays out how, as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to respond to those who find themselves in this predicament. 

He starts out by stating “we who are spiritual”. What is meant here are those who have not given in to these temptations but continued to live as they ought.  Theologian Joseph Benson says it like this.  “Who have received the Spirit of truth, grace, and wisdom, and who continue to live and walk by and in the Spirit.”  This is our responsibility while here on earth.  The more truly spiritual we are, the more we are to help our brothers and sisters in Christ to grow more in their walk, and in this instance, to help them understand the error of their ways and guide them back to where they ought to be.  And this is to be done in love and gentleness.  We are not to yell at them, embarrass or ridicule them, but we are to work to restore them in love and compassion.  We are to address the issue with them in an attitude of meekness and humility.  Yes, we are to correct them.  However, this must be done in love and not in arrogance and hurtfulness.  Our ultimate goal is not to shame them, but to bring them to repentance.

And taking this one step further, we must look at ourselves so that we will not be tempted.  We must be careful we do not allow ourselves to be tempted in the same manner or tempted to come across as other than gentle and loving.  This is a distinct warning that we look at ourselves as to carefully observe our own spirit and conduct, lest our eyes be fixed not on ourselves, but exclusively on those of their brother.  And Satan can and will work against us in order disrupt our work for God.  

Jesus said it like this, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”  Matthew 18:15-17.  It is important that we do all we can to bring correction to a sinful brother or sister and bring them to repentance.  We cannot force the issue, but in love we must do what we can, being in prayer the whole time.

And finally, Paul wrote the following to the Church in Rome.  “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” Romans 15:1-3. Our focus as strong Christians are to take the responsibility to build up the weaker members of this body and not focus entirely on ourselves.  This is what Paul is saying in this focus verse, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Galatians 6:1.  Just as Jesus did not please himself but accepted the roles of dying for us.  This, we also should die to ourselves for the sake of the body.  “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 11:30

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Matthew 11:30  

“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:30

In Matthew 11, we read where Jesus presents His thanks to God , “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Matthew 11:27.  The Father has placed all things under the authority of Christ.  “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:35-36.  Everything regarding our relationship with God is in the hands of Jesus.  If anyone does not believe in the Son of God does not have eternal life. But those who do believe have eternal life.  The “all things” of Matthew 11:27 and John 3:35-36 is referring to the kingdom of grace and on all things referring to the salvation of mankind.  Which also means over the church.  “And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:22-23

And because all authority has been given to Him, He continues with, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.  This is the idea found in John 3 above.  “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36.  Note here the above highlighted words.  Salvation is based completely on Christ.  All this was given to Christ and was put under His authority.  Looking deeper in verse twenty-eight, we see the phrase “weary and heavy-laden”.  This metaphor is speaking of those who are bearing a great and heavy load on their backs.  And every step they take renders the load even more oppressive.  However, the person continues, using great exertions to get to the point where it can be laid down. 

Now, in order to bring clarification, lets look at the next verse. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.” Matthew 11:29.  This speaks of two types of yokes.  The yoke we need to get rid of is the yoke placed on us by man, and in the case of the first century, the Pharisees and the Scribes.  These two types of teachers placed such a heavy burden upon their disciples that they were, as Jesus said, weary and heavy-laden.  They place such a burden upon them they became exhausted in trying to follow these rules and laws in all ways.  But Jesus told them to take His yoke upon them, His teachings and become His disciples.  And if they did, they would not become weary, but they would find rest for their souls.  And we find rest for our souls because we are not alone, but the Holy Spirit will help us.  “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17. 

And finally, because the Spirit of God lives in us, and we believe in Jesus and He is the reason for our salvation and Jesus is our teacher, we do not live under the yoke of man’s teachings or oppression, but we are to be taught and led by Christ, and His yoke is easy and the burden incumbent upon this yoke is light. As our focus verse states, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:30.  His is a yoke that is comfortable and a light burden upon us.  The lightness of His yoke depends not only on His personal character as described in verse 29 (for I am gentle and humble in heart), but also on His new interpretation of the Torah, which, in contrast with the scribal concern for detailed regulation, enables a person to see beyond the surface levels of dos and don’ts to the true underlying purpose of God.  Which is loving God and your fellow man.  “Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him. And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable than is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:9-12. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

1 John 3:17

Verse of the Day Devotion:  1 John 3:17  

“But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” – 1 John 3:17

This verse brings out in a clear way just what true love is.  The verse just prior to our focus verse shows us that love, as described here, is not an emotion but an action.  I am not saying emotion is not a part, for that is very true.  However, if it is only an emotion with no actions associated with it, then is it truly love?  James had this to say about it, focusing on faith.  “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” James 2:15-16. 

In our focus verse, we see a similar idea, however, it is a stronger position taken here.  “But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” 1 John 3:17.  In James, he is saying that our faith is worthless, in fact it is dead.  However, in our focus verse, John’s statement is much stronger.  “But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” 1 John 3:17.  He is not just saying their faith is worthless, but that the love of God does not reside in them.  This is a very strong message. 

Let us look at the verse just prior to this.  “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16.  John is essentially saying that Jesus showed His love to us by meeting the major need we had in our lives.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.   This salvation was not a possibility without the work Christ did for us.  Jesus sacrificed His life for our good.  He gave everything for us.  He did not close His eyes, heart or mind against us.  He saw our need and met it completely.  This is a picture of what real love is. 

So, do we have this kind of love within us?  This is the idea found in this verse.  He did not have to come here, but He did because of His great love for us.  His death was horrible and without any legitimate reason but to meet our great need.  But because of His love He endured it all.  If we would not divide our bread with the hungry, then do we really have the love of Christ in us?  If we would not be willing to share our water with the thirsty, then does the love of Christ truly reside in us?  This is the heart of the matter.  He sacrificed everything for us.  Are we willing to make sacrifices for others? 

In closing, John writes in verse eighteen, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:18.   If we only declare our love through words, and neglect showing people through our actions, then according to our focus verse, God’s love does not abide in us.  We are only doing what James says, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” James 2:16b.  They do not have the means to eat or stay warm,  but we tell them to anyway.  Does this really provide for their needs? 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 23:6

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 23:6   

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” – Psalm 23:6

This is the last verse in Psalm 23, where he wraps up these thoughts on God’s goodness to Him.  David declares all the good things God provides for him.  He says that whatever His needs are, God provide them for him.   He take him to green pastures to rest in, and to quiet waters to quench his thirst.  When he was weary or sinned against the Lord, God will forgive him and strengthen him.  No matter where Gid leads him, he does not fear, for the Lord is with him all the time.  The Lord blesses him in the presence of his enemies because God’s rod and staff comforts him because He is protected. 

Now, in verse six we read, “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” Psalm 26:6a.  God has promised those who live their lives for God, just as David did, goodness and lovingkindness.  And this will be his life all the days of his life.  Another verse says something very similar.  “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4.  What he is asking for is that he can spend time in God’s house in worship and devotion to Him.  This was very important to him, for worship and praise was an essential part of his life.  He loved being in the temple, meditating on God. 

David trusted that for the rest of his life goodness and lovingkindness would be a part of his experience.  We read in Lamentations the following, “ Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. The LORD’S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:19-23.  His lovingkindness and His compassion never fails.  In fact, they are new every morning.  The beauty of this is that His love is always with us, and we can trust this with no questioning.

Now, the last past of our focus verse says, “And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6b.  In my research, many have stated that this does not mean eternal, but the rest of life.  However, I tend to disagree with this.  Here is the focus verse again.  “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6.  There are two time periods mentioned.  “all the days of my life” and ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.  All the days of my life, and forever.  These must be two different periods of time because of the distinction.  So, in this last part of the verse, it is saying that forever, I will spend in His house.  If this was a temporal idea, then we would be living forever here.  We know that is not the case.  Also, look at what is said in the book of Revelation.  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,” Revelation 21:3.  You may be asking, how would David know of this?.  There are many verses where God reveals the future to David, so this is not necessarily out of the norm. 

And what David was promised in this verse, is ours, as Christians, as well.  Think about this verse in relation to you.  “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6.  And I must say I look forward to these days.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.