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. 

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. 

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 20:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 20:1 

“May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!” – Psalm 20:1 

Today is New Years Eve, and I want to wish everyone a wonderful 2021.  And because we are moving into a new year, ending one of the more difficult years we have seen in a long time, I pray that everything goes well with you in every way.  This  psalm is a prayer for David who is preparing to go to war.  However, the requests in this prayer can be offered for our sake also, for we are no doubt going into difficult times as we move into the new year, and closer to the day of Christ’s return.  Therefore, this prayer I offer up to God on our behalf.

“May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! May He send you help from the sanctuary And support you from Zion!!” Psalm 20:1.  May God defend us during any trials and hard times which may come our way in the coming year, and may we understand You are always with us, and will never leave us or forsake.  May we always have confidence that nothing can happen that You cannot address for our good.  “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.  

“May He remember all your meal offerings And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.” Psalm 20:3. May You, God, be pleased with all the offerings we present to You; all the labor we do within the church and the light we shine on a world that so needs to hear the truth, all the worship we humbly offer to You, and the life we live in obedience to your will and in assistance to all in need. “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” Deuteronomy 16:17. 

“May He grant you your heart’s desire And fulfill all your counsel!” Psalm 20:4.  May our heart’s desires be met in a way that helps us do the work You have called us to do.  May our desires be those things that please You and helps us to be strong during difficult times and also helps others work their way through trials as well.  “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.

“We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.” Psalm 20:5.  May our hearts be filled with joy over all you do for us, and may we declare to all what you Oh Lord have done for us.  May we rejoice and be glad for all of your loving help in all things.  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.” Philippians 4:4-5

“Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.” Psalm 20:6.  Lord, we thank you for saving us and answering us from your heavenly abode.  That your mighty right hand is always there to protect us from all the enemy’s attacks and ways, and we thank you for the peace this gives us.  “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me, declares the LORD.” Isaiah 54:17,

“Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright.” Psalm 20:7-8.  Lord, may we put our trust in you and not in anything else.  Help us to stand strong and upright because of the trust we have in you that there is nothing that can defeat us with you on our side.  Let us not boast in ourselves but boast in you because you work all things through us for good.  “Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.

“Save, O LORD; May the King answer us in the day we call.” Psalm 20:9.  Lord, we ask that we hear your answer when we pray and come before you, for you are our king and you provide all the help we need.  We thank you for all the answers you have and will provide us in the coming year.  “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” 1 John 5:14-15.

May this coming year be one where we continue to grow in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  May we always continue to grow closer to Him in all ways, and consistently trust Him that He can bring us through anything that can come our way.  God Bless you all.

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

Mark 12:24

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Mark 12:24 

“Jesus said to them, is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?” – Mark 12:24

This verse was spoken by Jesus to the Sadducees because of their wrong understanding of the scriptures.  They asked Jesus a question regarding the resurrection.  The Sadducees denied there were angels and spirits, as well as the immortality of the soul.  They also believed when the body died the soul did as well.  They did not believe there was any future state of mankind or a resurrection.  Therefore, this was essentially a trick question to get Jesus to stumble in giving an answer, thus exposing a weakness in the doctrine. 

The Sadducees were an aristocratic class connected with everything going on in the temple in Jerusalem.  They tended to be wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priest.  They also held the majority of the seats in the Sanhedrin.  Some of their wrong beliefs were  1. They were self-sufficient and therefore denied God’s involvement in everyday life. 2. Denied the resurrection and the afterlife as stated above, 3. They denied the existence of a spiritual world; angels, demons, etc.  They were essentially a political sect rather than a religious sect; however, they took this role as well and when  Jesus came, they feared He would create issues the among the Jewish people.

The question they asked was,  “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Mark 12:19-23.  Jesus responded in the words of our focus verse, essentially insinuating they did not know the scriptures.  He then goes on to say, “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” Mark 12:25-27.

They, as well as the Pharisees taught the people about God and what it meant to serve Him and do His will.  Unfortunately, they did not understand what the truth was, and because they were in a top position within Judaism, they taught what they believed and not necessarily what was reality.  They expected the people to just accept what they said with no questions.  And unfortunately, we see the same thing today, and I see it becoming more prevalent as time goes by.  Many preachers teach what they want to believe and ultimately what they want us to believe. 

Therefore, there are two things we need to do in order to ensure we understand what God is saying in His word.  First, we must study the word ourselves so that we can learn as much as we can about Him and what He expects.  Paul wrote this to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”. As we pray and study, we will be prepared to help others who are working to understand what His word says.  And secondly, check what others teach and ensure it is truth.  Paul said it was a good thing to do this.  “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”  Acts 17:11.  If something seems odd or not quite right, check it out.  And if it is wrong, go to them who taught this and discuss it with them.  It is important that everything taught from the Word of God is accurate and helps us all grow in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

The Bible is far too important a document not to understood it as meant by the authors.  It helps us  to truly understand God and His great love for us and how we can show our love for Him.  Jesus told us “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.“ John 14:15.  And the best way for us to keep His commandments is to know what they are and how best to keep them.  That is why we need to spend concerted time in the study of His word, and also check out anything taught that seems off base.  And by doing this, we will be able to answer questions that may come up or defend the truth when it is questioned.  “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:15-16.

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

Psalm 73:25-26

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 73:25-26

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:25-26

Psalm 73 was written by Asaph.  Asaph was a Levite and as a Levite he ministered in the Tabernacle of Meeting – in the Sanctuary of God.  From what we know he was only one of three Levites specifically asked by King David (I Chronicles 6: 31, 39) to be in charge of the singing in the house of God.  He was keenly aware through his experience in this ministry of the hypocrisy that took place within the house of God at times as well as, the vanity of vanities of a man seeking refuge, peace, and fulfillment through the riches of the world.  Not unlike a true believer in our Lord and Savior today, at times we cannot

comprehend why the wicked and ungodly in this world prosper materially and have an abundance of earthly wealth and pleasures seemingly without any consequences.  It was not just the outsiders of the camp that Asaph is writing. It was the unfaithful within the encampment of Israel that he is referencing as well.  “Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches” (VS 12).  In contrast, Asaph saw that there are true, faithful, and righteous-living believers who are oppressed and do not have much in the way of material/earthly blessings.  This caused a conflict within his heart and within his ministry.  But Asaph writes: “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me – until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (VSS 16,17).  

If you are a true believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross; His burial and His resurrection, you very well might be experiencing at times what Asaph did.  Maybe concerning earthly wealth and prosperity and/or the ease that appears to come with riches has never been at your doorstep.  Maybe you have said to yourself: “I’m doing everything I can to live rightly but why do those who don’t live rightly have more than me?  And like Asaph within the house of God, should I listen and believe the many prosperity and faith teachers of today’s church that I have a ‘right’ to expect material and earthly blessings and wealth as a believer in Christ?”  No.  Do not!   As new creations in Christ through faith, you have been placed into the Body of Christ.  Your blessings so abundant come to you by being ‘in Him’, not by being ‘in the world’ nor receiving from the world’s abundance.   “And blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,…” (Eph 1:3).   Does our Lord care about what we have materially to meet our needs?  Absolutely.   But to demand or expect God to be indebted to give us riches and wealth and obey our prayers or commands (prayers) for what we seek materially is wicked to the uttermost.  Those that solely grind after this world’s wealth to satisfy their needs are on a slippery slope (Ps 73:18) that will lead to destruction and desolation – like living in a dream and then suddenly awakened to reality (vss 18-20).   Therefore, what can we learn from Asaph’s experience?  In VSS 25-26, there is an encouraging summary of Asaph’s heart-felt prayer. 

#1.  “Whom have I in heaven but You?”  Technically, the phrase ‘but You’ is italicized which means it is inferred but not in the original text.  The question can read: “Whom have I in heaven?”   You do know that there are other created beings of God ‘in heaven’.  Angelic beings of all different roles and ranks are there.  There are beings that are evil in the ‘heavenly places’ and there are beings that adhere to the Word of God.  As believers our fight is not first and foremost against flesh and blood (the human realm), “…but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).  So’ to answer Asaph’s question “Whom have I in heaven?”, the answer hopefully is clear to you as it was to Asaph.  It should ONLY be God. 

#2.    Not only is God our answer when looking toward the heavenly realm, He is our answer in our earthly realm as well.  “And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You” (VS 23b).  Oh, that you and I can have this kind of perspective, longing, and reality in our hearts.  Ironically, our Christmas season is here.  I desire that my heart would be like Asaph’s during this season; that I ultimately only desire Him – not the presents I might get or anything else offered from this world to try and fulfill only what He Himself can fill.  Be reminded that every TV commercial you will see this Christmas season will offer you the peace, prosperity, ease, comfort, and abundance that the world can give.  But while on this earth, there is none besides Him.  See, Asaph was a real man with real life before him.  Just like you today.  He expresses what many of us might feel at this very moment.

#3.  “My flesh and my heart fail;…” (VSS 26).   Asaph does not say ‘My flesh and heart MIGHT fail at times’.  No.  As a human being and even as an assigned singer in the house of God serving the One Living God, Asaph humbly admits to his readers of this Psalm that in his own strength (his flesh) and through his own efforts deep within his heart to do it right, he fails.  All ‘your’ efforts will fail you.  All ‘your’ self-determination within your own heart will come short of what you really, really need.   There are hundreds if not thousands of methodologies and self-help philosophies available in the world or within religious systems that promise to meet your most inner needs.   Listen here to the Word of God.  What you deeply need will not come from your own strength and your own heart-felt determination.   The answer once again is God Himself.  The Person. The Person is Jesus Christ.  “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:10).  It is worthy of repeating.  What you deeply need will not come from your own strength and your own heart-felt determination.   The answer once again is God Himself. 

#4.    “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (VS 26b).   Do you need a measure of strength to get through whatever phase in life or challenges or questions you are experiencing now?   When you see the world around you, even within the church on some occasions, seemingly prosperous people who are at ease and at comfort within their riches, and you ask that question: “How am I supposed to live as I view these things around me?”    Let your answer be the same as Asaph.   ‘BUT GOD…..’.  But God is the strength of MY heart – not the material world around me, not some angelic spiritual beings. No way.  God is MY strength and MY portion forever!!    Call out to Him.  Cling to Him.  He is right here.  As believers in the Lord Jesus, thank God that we can instantly turn to Him for real comfort, strength, peace, and hope that will deeply satisfy our most challenging times.   Thank you, Lord!

Jaca Kier, Board Member, True Devotion Ministries, Inc. 

Isaiah 9:6

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Isaiah 9:6

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas Eve.  This is the day before the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  Our focus verse is the prophecy of this great event as given by Isaiah.  This verse tells us the reason for the great things that will come in the future.  “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.” Isaiah 9:1-5. 

In our focus verse we see several beautiful things that describe this child.  First of all, it speaks of the government being upon His shoulders.  This statement may be referring to the idea of a key that is placed on the king showing his control over the throne room and house of the king.  “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.” Isaiah 22:22.  Note the phrase, when he opens no one will shut, and when he shuts, no one will open.  This designates control and authority over the kingdom of which he rules.  This very well could be what is referred to in Isaiah 9 where he says, the government will rest on His shoulders.  He will rule and the government will be vested in Him; He will be king.

He is called Wonderful Counselor.  He always gives good counsel to His people, in both temporal and spiritual matters.  His wisdom surpasses all others because it comes directly from the Father, and because He is God Himself knowing all things past, present and future.

And He is the Mighty God, as I stated above.  The language here is, God The Mighty One.  He was not just sent by God, He is God, with all the attributes associated with God.  However, He will be in the form of a man.  John put it this way.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3.  And we know this is referring to Jesus because of what John says later on, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.  And the next verse clarifies Him as the promised one when He says, “John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” John 1:15.  John the Baptist was conceived in the womb before Jesus, but John says He existed before him.  The meaning is clear here.  He was God who came in the flesh.

He is the everlasting Father.  There is but one Father in the Godhead, however, how this all fits together is beyond our understanding.  But what we do know is that Jesus and the Father are one.   He made this clear in John when He said, “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:30.  If Jesus Christ were not God, could he have said these words without being guilty of blasphemy?  He could not be referring to His earthly father, for this would not have been worded “the Father” but “my Father”.  He is God, not “a God” or a messenger of God, He is God Himself.

And He is the Prince of Peace.  According to theologian Albert Barnes, this is a Hebrew mode of expression denoting that he would be a peaceful prince.  That the tendency of His administration would be to restore and perpetuate peace.  This was in sharp contrast to the mass of kings and princes who have delighted in conquest and blood.  In contradistinction from all these, the Messiah would seek to promote universal concord, and the tendency of his reign would be to put an end to wars, and to restore harmony and order to the nations.  And this refers to all forms of peace.  In a prophecy regarding the new kingdom, Isaiah writes, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.  Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9.

These attributes describe completely who this child is that will be born to us, as stated in our focus verse.  He came to us a little over two thousand years ago; a baby born of a virgin in a manger in a small and virtually overlooked town of Bethlehem.  Who He is goes beyond our understanding, but it does show us what we have been given.  A loving and mighty God who provides perfect counsel to those who seek it,  one who is our Father for all eternity who’s reign is defined by perfect peace.  And we have this now in our relationship with Him.  “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.”  Isaiah 26:3-4.  And then, “The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.” Isaiah 26:7. 

This is our relationship with the promised child born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem so many years ago.  Rejoice and be glad as we celebrate this wonderful time of Christmas Eve and then Christmas day.  And remember, our time here is but the beginning.  “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.  Oh the beautiful and amazing things we have to look forward to.

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

Isaiah 40:3

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Isaiah 40:3 

“A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” – Isaiah 40:3

At this time period, God’s people were divided, part of them had been carried off to Babylon and many others were left behind, living in the ruins of Jerusalem.  In Israel, the temple had been destroyed and the walls of the city were decimated.  It is a very difficult time in Israel’s history.  However, God is calling out to the leaders of Israel and her prophets to encourage them.  “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD’S hand Double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1-2.  The sins Israel was chastised for were addressed, discharged and forgiven.  This discharge could be through the suffering they endured from Babylon.  However, what is important is that they would receive a double portion of God’s grace, not His punishment.  This is a picture of His compassion for Israel.  The theologian J. L. Koole argues as such when he says this phrase forms a positive climax of God’s comfort by announcing that the people will receive a double portion of God’s grace. 

This verse is referring to John the Baptist.  Prior to  John’s birth, an angel came to Zechariah and appeared in the temple on the right side of the altar of Incense and told Zechariah about his child.  He was troubled by this and became afraid.  “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Luke 1:13-17.

Now, when we get to our focus verse, we see a prophetic statement of a much greater blessing that will occur in the future.  “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3.  We find the fulfillment of this prophecy in John’s gospel where John the Baptist is answering the questions of the Pharisees.  “This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?  And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.  They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not.  Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No. Then they said to him, Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” John 1:19-22.  These Pharisees were probably sent out by the Sanhedrin when they heard of the success of John’s preaching.  They were confused and wanted to know all about him and especially who He professed himself to be.  John then answered their question, probably in a way they did not expect.  “He said, I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.” John 1:23.

Therefore, this prophecy is declaring that his job was to prepare the way for the Lord to come to Israel.  He was to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, just as heralds go out before kings to announce their coming.  When these heralds went out, they did not speak of themselves, but of the one they were announcing.  They never put themselves above the king with the proclamations of his coming.  And neither did John.  Notice what John starts with.  “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This is the only thing he speaks about himself, and it says that his job has been done, and now Jesus will do what He has come to do, while he steps aside and diminishes.  He is not the important one, but the King he is proclaiming is.

And here is his proclamation.  “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:31-36.  This is beyond question that he is  proclaiming the coming of a King.  In fact, to be more specific, the coming of the King who would reign forever.  “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.

In Conclusion, Isaiah 40:3 is prophesying about John the Baptist.  Isaiah is telling Israel that one is coming who will go before a King, who is also promised, this King being God Himself, for Isaiah’s words say making straight the way for our God.  The picture is getting clearer.  Next we will talk about a prophecy that discusses Christ’s coming and what He will do to the enemy.

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

Colossians 3:12

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Colossians 3:12 

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12

Paul starts with telling the Colossians they have changed from the ways of the world to the ways of God.  “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:9-11.  They are not the same persons they were prior to becoming Christians.  They have put on the new self, ones who have abandoned the ways of the world with all the evils that were the norm of their old lives.  For they have put on the new self that comes with accepting the salvation Christ presented and have become a totally different person.  They are not who they used to be.

Paul then moves forward with this idea by saying, in our focus verse, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12.  The idea of the word “So” is “Therefore”.  He is telling them they have been saved and are now Christians, they should therefore live as such.  Because they have chosen to accept Christ as Savior, have put on Christ, it is essential that they show forth the attributes that signify this change.  They cannot put on the new life without living it, because this change is not by name only, that is they are Christians as opposed to not being a Christians.  Paul is laying out what putting on the new self actually means.  He lists five attributes that show the reality of this change in how they deal with their fellow men and women, whether they be Christians or not.

First, there is compassion.  This is an inward, tender and real mercy shown to all men.  It is doing good in  providing for the real needs we see, either in providing goods or in showing love and encouragement to them.  Next is kindness, showing love and mercy with cheerfulness to all men.  Third is humility, in essence looking at others more highly then ourselves, putting others before ourselves.  Then gentleness, or meekness, which shows itself in not being envious of what others have or what they can do.  And finally, patience.  This is probably the most difficult of the five.  This is bearing the evil words or actions of another and is not easily provoked to wrath or anger themselves.

He them goes on in verse thirteen with, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3:13.  These are important qualities that go along with our focus verse in showing how Christians should be.  All of these acts in verses 12 and thirteen, should be expressed no matter what has occurred.  They should be universally acted out, no matter what has occurred by whoever.  This is especially true though in  our interactions with fellow Christians.  Note the words in the above verse, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, just as the Lord forgave us.  Paul told the Corinthians the following, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1.  Paul was saying, follow my ways where I follow Christ’s ways. 

This should be our focus in this life, do as Christ did.  And the only way we can do this is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit that resides in us.  It is hard sometimes to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient with others.  It can also be difficult to bear with another and forgive when a serious wrong is done against us.  However, this is our calling in Christ.  Nobody ever said this life was easy, but it is what we are called to.  We are to reach out to a lost world, and how better to do that than to be loving to them, showing them the better life God has promised us by our actions and words of grace.  And no matter how difficult it gets, God will be with us, just as He was with the Israelites while journeying to the promised land.  And these words Moses spoke to all of Israel as he tells them He will not be crossing the river Jordan with them are applicable to us today.  “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. No matter what God calls us to do, He will be with us all the way.  And He is calling us to live a pure and holy life as outlined in Colossians 3:12-14.  And also the word of Paul to the Colossians to comfort them, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body: and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:15-17,

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

Romans 5:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 5:1 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ” – Romans 5:1

All of us can look back and see our lives the way they were prior to accepting the salvation offered to us through Christ Jesus.  Speaking for myself, I can see the many ways I did not follow God’s ways but my own.  The truth is, all of us did not follow His ways, for as Paul says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23.  And because of this, we were all declared guilty and subject to punishment, and there was nothing we could do to erase this guilt.  However, what we could not do, God did for us.  It was required that a perfect sacrifice be made on our behalf.  This is where Jesus comes in.  As expressed above, our salvation comes through accepting the gift of salvation offered to us because of the perfect sacrifice made on our behalf: the sacrifice of the perfect Son of God, Jesus the Christ.

Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, we all have the opportunity to be justified, pronounced and treated as righteous.  And through our acceptance of this work on the cross we are justified, and justification is the act of God not only forgiving the believer’s sins but imputing to him the righteousness of Christ.  And according to our focus verse, it is only through faith.  It is not earned through anything that we have or can do.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9,  And also, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” Titus 3:4-6

Remember, this is not anything we can earn or buy.  It is strictly a free gift from God.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23.  We can do nothing to earn justification.  But the sad truth is, many people believe that they must earn salvation.  In practically every religion, including some churches who falsely claim Christianity as their foundation, man is working his way to God and His approval.  They are being taught that man must do all the right things in order to be saved.  However, the truth is that only God can provide this, and all we need to do is accept it.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day we can spend time with family and friend giving thanks for the salvation as well as all the other blessings God has provided for us.  It is also a time where we can spend time in prayer to our God who loves us so much, He gave His only begotten Son to address our sins through a merciful act of justification.  Without this, we would be eternally separated from God in a horrible place. 

So, I want to encourage all of us to spend time giving thanks to the one who provided our salvation which we were unable to provide ourselves.  And also, throughout the year, help those who still do not understand that God did all the work for we were unable to do anything regarding our salvation;  that Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, accepted by us through faith, is the only way to have peace with God.  Our thankfulness should be the impetus for us to help others be saved and present this same thankfulness to our Almighty God.

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