Galatians 6:7

Verse of the Day Devotion: Galatians 6:7 

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” – Galatians 6:7 

This verse is often called “The rule of sowing and reaping”, basically a farming analogy.   Paul uses this idea several times in his writings.  First, we see it in his second letter to the Church in Corinth.  “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6.  This is probably the more prevalent verse regarding sowing and reaping, and the one I have heard more often than any other.  The basic idea here is if you sow one acre of corn, you will reap one acre of corn.  Not two or three acres, but one.  If you want to reap three acres of corn you need to sow three acres of corn.  This verse is used, and rightfully so, to say that the more you give the more you will get.  “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.” Deuteronomy 15:7, 10. 

However, our focus verse is not speaking of amounts but crops.  The idea here is that you will reap what you sow, not the amount you sow.  For instance, if you sow wheat, you will not reap barley, you will reap wheat.  If you want to harvest beans, you do not sow cauliflower, but beans.  Whatever a farmer sows is exactly what he will reap. 

Look at verse eight.  “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”  Galatians 6:8. What Paul is saying here is if what we sow in regards to our life style, be it righteousness or sinfulness, we will reap accordingly.  If we sow to the indulgences of fleshly desires, we will reap corruption.  And this corruption will not lead to eternal life.  However, if we sow to the Spirit, meaning we live a life in the Spirit and not in the flesh, we will reap eternal life. 

Now, the first part of our focus verse says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.” Galatians 6:7a.  The idea here is that we are not to be fooled into thinking we can expect eternal life if we sow to our flesh.  We cannot fool God in any way.  Also, we should not be deceived regarding our own character.  Theologian Albert Barnes puts it this way. “It implies that there was danger that they would be deceived in reference to their character. The sources of the danger were the corruption of their own hearts, the difficulty of knowing their true character, the instructions of false teachers, etc.” It is so important that we look at ourselves with honesty and integrity.  If we see issues, then we need to address those issues.  We must not think we can get away with deceiving God.

In conclusion, we must realize the idea of the rule of sowing and reaping is a particularly important point in our Christian walk.  If we sow to our flesh, we will reap corruption.  If we sow to the Spirit, we will reap eternal life.  There are no other options.  Just as only sowing corn will result in only reaping corn, sowing to the flesh will result in only reaping corruption and sowing to the Spirit will result in only reaping eternal life.  Do not be deceived into thinking anything else is possible.

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

Psalm 146:2

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 146:2 

“I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” – Psalm 146:2

“One thing I find sad today is that many people are focused on the negative things occurring, filling their minds with fear and anxiety.  This does no one any good, in fact if has a harmful affect to the human mind and body.  With all this stress that is filling the hearts and mind of people, they become susceptible to illnesses that would in other times never make us sick.  Also, in living a stressful life, we tend to focus our conversations with all this negativity and feeding the anxieties of others as well.  This is not what God wants for us. 

It is important that we turn our minds away from all this turmoil and focus on all the positives in our lives. And the best thing we can do is focus on the one who loves us with an everlasting love.  The one who has promised to take care of us in all circumstances, no matter how bad it gets.  And the verse that tells us how to do this is, “I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Psalm 146:2.

First, “I will praise the Lord while I live” Psalm 146:2a.  We need to praise Him all the time, as long as we are alive on this earth.  He is worthy of any praise that is given, and as much as we can give.  We should take as much time as we can in worship and praise, and the focus of our thoughts are to be always toward Him.  We should lift our voices in praise to our Lord in our quiet times alone and with our brothers and sisters in group worship.  If we open our hearts in praise and worship to Him, we will not have the room to think of our trials and troubles.  They become less important as He becomes more important. 

Also, we are to spend time in fellowship with Him, which in itself is an act of worship.  Every morning when we wake up and every evening when we lie do to sleep should be a time to interact with God, hearing what He is saying and giving our adoration to Him.  He listens to us and knows our very thoughts and will answer our pray requests with again, our best in mind. 

There is so much that can be said about spending time in worship and praise to our glorious God.  We do not have any reason to focus on all the hardships we and many are suffering through.  He wants us to have peace and solace.  He does not want us to be weighed down with fear and anxiety.  And we do not need to be afraid.  Remember to keep focused on God and not our trials and tribulations.  Give Him all the praise and glory for who He is and what He does, and all your troubles will not seem so great.  And remember what Jesus said to us.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7.  Focusing on praising God  will mitigate fear and worry.  And the more we focus on Him, the less the other things will seem all that  important. 

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

Matthew 5:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 5:8 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8            

This verse is part of what is called the beatitudes, which Jesus declared in His sermon on the mount.  This same sense is found in the Psalms.  David declared the following, “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24:3-5.  David states that the one who has clean hands and a pure heart.  By clean hands is the idea of walking upright and working righteousness.  Pure heart has the idea of one who not only does righteous deeds, but whose heart is pure and devoted to God.  He is one who conscientiously fulfils his promises.  In essence, he is more focused on walking with God, spending time with Him, making Him the focus of His life rather than on doing the outward actions of the law.

This beatitude demands from us a deep examination of our hearts.  Is the work we do done out of humble servitude to God, or out of self-aggrandizement?  Is it done to make ourselves look good, or to honor God?  What is our motives for what we do?  If our hearts are pure, it will not be to make us look good, but to serve those who need our help in service to God.  Our prayer and bible reading should focus on  communing with God?  Again, is He the focus?  As stated above, a pure heart understands He is everything and we are to lift Him up in everything we do or say; everything we do should be to bring glory to God.  

So, what is meant here when Jesus said, ‘for they shall see God?’  This can be difficult.  Everyone will see God eventually in the end.  The question then is, who will see God here?  My answer is those who know Him.  Let me give an analogy I think will help lay out what I think this means.  When a non-believer looks into the sky at night, he sees many pinpoints of light.  They see  stars, planets and other bodies out there which, many will say, came into existence without a god.  They do not see God in the sky for they do not believe He exists.  When a believer looks up there, they see the handiwork of God, how He created everything and placed it all into motion, including all life. 

In like manner, those who are devoted completely to God sees Him in everything.  When praying, they see Him on the other side of the conversation.  When they study the scriptures, they see Him teaching them the truth found in them.  When they are going through trials, they see Him by their side, helping them through.  No matter what happens or what they do, they see God in the process.  Now, I would never say God will not give a vision of Himself to anyone.  However, many never see a vision of Him, but they see Him in everything in their lives, the good times and the hard time.     

Remember what Jesus said just prior to His ascension.  “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20.  He sent us out to make disciples of all nations, doing His work here on the earth.  He may have ascended into heaven, but He is with us always.  And if we look at everything with a pure heart and true devotion to Him, we will see Him everywhere we go.

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

James 1:27

Verse of the Day Devotion: James 1:27 

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” – James 1:27           

In our focus verse, we see the word ‘religion’ used, which is seldom used within the scriptures.  The word here generally speaks regarding keeping the external requirements.  This is how the devout Jews of that day saw true religion, especially those who were in leadership.  James here does not see true religion this way.  He sees it as a much deeper idea.  For purposes of clarity, I will use the phrase ‘Christian Walk’ rather than religion going forward.

He starts out with the phrase ‘pure and undefiled’.  This refers to a genuine and sincere walk with Christ. We should strive for this type of walk which is real and sincere.  It should be one that God Himself sees as genuine.  The Jews believed that as long as they fulfilled all the rituals of the Law, then everything was OK.  They saw the outward expression as a picture of what was a true or false type of religion. However, James lays out the premise that there are two ideas regarding a genuine walk with God:  the external and the internal. 

In the verse prior to our focus verse we read the following, ”If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”  James 1:26. There is an external component with a genuine Christian walk.  James uses the words we say as an example; however, it encompasses all of our behavior.  As I heard many years ago, we must not only do the do’s, but we also must not do the don’ts.  Yes, we must focus on both sides.  We must not yell and curse at anyone, but we must also encourage and show others we love them. 

So, in our focus verse, James mentions two things that show a genuine Christian walk.  First, that we are to love and assist others where needed.  “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress,” James 1:27a.  In this we imitate God.  And this is what we should do.  “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.” Psalm 68:5.  In the days of James, the Jewish leadership did not regard the widows and orphans as important.  So, he uses this as a clear example of how we are to act.  We are to help those who have no means to help themselves, and in this we show them the love of God. 

In the same verse we see an internal component.  “and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27b.  Paul put it like this, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.  We must no allow ourselves to act as the world does, no matter what pressure is placed upon us.  We must strive for perfection, not just better.  “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.  Unfortunately, we will not always be perfect.  But when we do sin, then we must confess it to God, and He will forgive us. 

It is important we see that our Christian walk must be lived both internally and externally.  This is the mark of a genuine relationship with God.  That we show love by meeting the needs of those who need us, and to strive to be like Him.  By fulfilling the internal, the external will come naturally.  This is what God desires of us, and He will be with us to help in making it happen.  He wants us to be genuine and real, both in our desire to have our heart changed, and in the love we have for Him and our fellow man.

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

Romans 1:16

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 1:16 

“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           

Paul claims here that he is not ashamed of the gospel.  Why does he think he needs to say this?  He declares in his first letter to the church in Corinth the following.  “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,” 1 Corinthians 1:22-23. 

Regarding the Jews, Adam Clarke writes in his commentary on 1 Corinthians the following, “There never was a people in the universe more difficult to be persuaded of the truth than the Jews: and had not their religion been incontestably proved by the most striking and indubitable miracles, they never would have received it.”  In essence, if the Jews had not seen the miracles, they would never had received the message God gave them.  Remember the parting of the Red Sea. “As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:10-12. They would not believe what God had told them because they saw the Egyptians and they feared.  Then, God parts the Red Sea.  We see this pattern throughout the Old Testament.  And this does not just refer to the Jews in the Old Testament.  “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You. But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;” Matthew 12:38-39.

As for the Greeks, the best example was Paul’s visit to the Areopagus.  They were more interested in wisdom than truth.  Paul gave a compelling argument regarding God, Him being the creator, that He is not in need of us but desires for us to seek after Him. However, when he brought up the resurrection, we read, “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” Acts 17:32.

As we can see, the Jews required a sign, and the Greeks were seeking wisdom.  Paul was ridiculed by the leadership of both, essentially saying that he could not prove to them what he was saying.  They found his declaration ridiculous.  However, he continued preaching the gospel.  He did not stop because they laughed at him or called him silly. The Jews did not see a viable sign that Jesus, a meek, lowly and impoverished man would save the world, and the Greeks saw no wisdom in his words.  Do we not see the same thing today?  Are we strong enough not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, or do we hide our belief from those who may ridicule or despise us because of the gospel?  It is important that we show there is no cost we will not pay to share the truth with anyone, and to share it with boldness and surety.  God is real, Christ is real, and the gospel is real.  Let’s show it by our not being ashamed of declaring the reality of it and not backing down. 

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

2 Timothy 1:7

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 1:7 

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7       

The apostle Paul is writing to Timothy, a young man called to work within the Church in Ephesus.  “To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.” 1 Timothy 1:2-4.  Paul left him there to instruct certain men not to teach heresy. 

In the writing of the second letter, Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain strong and resolute in his faith.  “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”  He grew up in a family of faith, both with his mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois.  Paul knew Timothy had sincere faith, however, as a young man it appears there were things that held him back.  He had some reluctance , no doubt due to the message he was giving to the men regarding false teachings and the feedback he must have received.  Paul though tells him, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6. He must have felt some reluctance in declaring this message, however, Paul tells him to stir up once again the gift of God.  And this gift from God was the Spirit of God. 

Now, Paul goes on to declare that this gift was not a spirit of timidity or fear.  There was no reason to experience this because the Holy Spirit would grant him the power to encounter foes and dangers, as well as to combat those who no doubt came against him as he was fulfilling the calling Paul gave him to declare to those in Ephesus regarding not teaching false doctrine.  He was not to back down, but through the power of God working in him, he was to declare boldly the truth to all, even those who did not want to hear what he was saying.  And also, the Spirit would aid him in doing all this in love.  John explains this in 1 John, where he states, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18.  There is no fear in love, actually, true love casts out fear.  If Timothy truly loves God, which he does, this love  will cast out fear because He will protect him and be there in whatever he is called to do. And the Spirit will guide him such that he will be shown how to do all with discretion and wisdom. 

Now, this promise was not just for Timothy, but it is for us as well.  We must be bold and declare the truth, correcting where necessary, doing the work of the Lord through the power of God’s Spirit, not being timid but with love, declaring the truth.  Paul suffered much during his ministry, but in boldness, preached Christ wherever he went.  We may feel reluctance as Timothy did, but we also must apply the same words that Paul spoke to Timothy.  We must kindle afresh the gift of God in our lives and allow Him to do His work in us.  For as Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. 

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

Romans 8:31

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 8:31 

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” – Romans 8:31   

 Paul starts out this chapter with the following verse, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.  And why is this true?  “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2.  Christ freed us from condemnation by His death on the cross.  This is how He set us free. 

In the gospel of John, we read, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32.  It is the truth of the gospel, if believed that will set us free from the law of sin and death.  The Jews then asked how can you set us free if we have never been enslaved.  Jesus then answers as follows.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36.     

Now, as a result of being free through Christ, we will also be hated.  “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Matthew 10:22.  He also says, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matthew 24:9. We will be hated and persecuted.  We will suffer for the cause of Christ.  It is really showing itself now, what with all the limitations placed on Christianity that is applied to no other, particularly Islam which hates us and shows it openly.  Jesus warned us well ahead of time regarding this. 

However, Paul declares the following in our focus verse, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:32-35. Jesus, who died for our reconciliation who now sits at the right hand of God, intercedes for us.  We may have to go through the trials and persecution, just as many throughout history has.  Look at what Paul suffered.  Look at what many Christians in China, North Korea and the Islamic countries endure.  He may not take away their trials, but He is with them every step of the way.  He gives them the strength to stand strong in the midst of suffering.   “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.  And, “Oh let those who fear the LORD say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting. From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6

We must always remember that God is for us.  He sent His son to die for us for He loves us with an everlasting love.  We can rest in Him no matter our circumstances for there is nothing He cannot do.  “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” Jeremiah 32:17.  If a God who is all powerful and all loving is for us, who in reality can be against us?

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

Numbers 23:19

Verse of the Day Devotion: Numbers 23:19   

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” – Numbers 23:19   

This is part of the passage where Balak of Moab sees Israel and feared them.  “Then the sons of Israel journeyed and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho. Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. So, Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.” Numbers 22:3.  And because of this he sends messengers to Balaam to request that he curse the Israelites.  “Moab said to the elders of Midian, now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” Numbers 22:4-6. 

Now Balaam agrees to do so for a fee.  He was a Midianite, a non-Israelite prophet, otherwise known as a diviner.  Midian was on the east of the Jordan river and when Joshua led Israel to the promised land, He gave this land to the Reubenites  who chose to go back across the Jordan to settle there. “With the other half-tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD gave to them;” Joshua 13:8. And when Israel took the land of Midian, they killed Balaam the diviner. “The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, with the sword among the rest of their slain.” Joshua 13:22. Now, Balaam goes out to speak to the Lord to receive His words. “He said to them, Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me. And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.” Numbers 22:8. Then Balaam hears from the Lord. “God said to Balaam, do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” Numbers 22:12. He then goes back and tells Balak, adding, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.” Numbers 22:18b.

Balaam is then asked a second time by Balak to curse Israel and he returns with these words, “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?” Numbers 23:8. Then Balak asks a third time.  “Then Balak said to him, please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.” Numbers 23:13. Therefore Balaam goes and returns with the words of our focus verse. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19. 

Those words God spoke to Balaam He also speaks to us.  What God says is what we should abide by and proclaim to others.  We should not go to Him thinking we can get another response, for He will never lie to us and He will never reverse or change His mind.  We may not always like, at that moment, what He says, but we must trust Him knowing what He says is absolute truth and will work for our good.  If we know what God has said, we must not be like Balaam and go back to see if He has changed.  We must profess His truth as seen in His word, and only if we need clarification do we go to Him, not if we want to hear something else. 

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