“Yahweh-Jireh” –The Lord Will Provide

“So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The Lord will provide,’ as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’” –Genesis 22:14 (ESV)

Yesterday’s devotional examined the call of Moses and God’s proclamation to him as to whom Moses should say sent him to be the deliverer of the Israelites in Egypt.  Moses was to say, “I Am sent you.”  God, the One Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the One who is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent—all knowing, ever-present, all powerful. 

In other places in the Old Testament, God filled out or completed the name “I Am” to give his people a greater understanding of His name “I Am.”  Today we will look at the Hebrew words “Yahweh-Jireh” which mean “I Am the Lord who provides.”  The occasion was Abraham being called upon to offer Isaac, his son whom he loved more than life itself, given to him and Sarah in their old age by “the Lord who fulfills His promise and provides.”  But now Abraham had been commanded to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice.  It is very hard for us to understand this concept.  Why would God, who gave Isaac to Abraham ask him to offer him as a sacrifice?  Was it a test of Abraham’s faith?  When the young son questioned his father, saying “Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”  Isaac was old enough to realize an important element of their worship was missing—the lamb for sacrifice.  Can you not imagine the fear and sadness Abraham felt when he calmed his son by saying, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8).  But we know the story.  God did provide. God’s voice stayed the hand of Abraham before he slaughtered Isaac who was already strapped to the altar.  We can only imagine the tenseness of that time on the mountain and the relief of both Abraham and Isaac as the ram, caught in the thicket, replaced Isaac on the altar.  Then came the reinstatement of God’s blessing on Abraham:  “Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.  And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:16b-18). 

Many scholars see in the account of Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac a foreshadowing of God’s offering His only begotten son on Calvary.  But in that sacrifice  on Calvary there was no substitutionary  ram caught in the brambles.  Instead, the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus, His only Begotten Son, became the sacrifice for all.  “Yahweh-Jireh”—the Lord provides.  And in and through Jesus, God is providing all we need.  Salvation is the greatest gift of all.  And beyond that, life abundant while we dwell upon this earth, for He promises us:  “”Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about our body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 7:25).  “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Today and every day thank Yahweh Jireh, our Lord Who provides.

The True Foundation for Building a Life

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been found on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell , and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.  And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teachings, for He was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes.” –Matthew 7:24-29 (ESV).

In completing the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a memorable parable of building on the right foundation to tell His hearers that those who heard and heeded His words would have a firm base for living a good and righteous life.  The evidence of whether one is truly a believer is the way he practices the teachings of Jesus.  The bedrock on which to build a life is the teachings of the Lord.  To illustrate and draw His point to a memorable close, Jesus gave the parable of the wise man building a house on a rock.  Whatever came to buffet that house, it still stood because it was erected on a solid foundation.  But if the building is not on a solid foundation, if it is built upon the sand, it will shift about and fall in the storms.  If a believer follows unsound doctrine and does not build on solid foundations, he cannot stand when pounded about by various “isms” and faulty religious beliefs.

The sandy soil around the Sea of Galilee was solid on the surface, but it was not good for building upon unless the builder dug down until he struck bedrock to set his foundation.  Only then could he erect a building that would withstand the strong winds and storm squalls that came erratically across the waters and beat upon whatever was built upon the land.  Likewise, in building a framework for our belief system, we must not build upon superficial pretense and unstable religious foundations.  Only the bedrock of truth will suffice to weather our faith through all sorts of stormy life situations.  Again we are reminded of Jesus’ firm statement: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father except through me”  (John 14:6).  When some who had been following Jesus turned away and followed Him no longer, He asked the twelve, “Will you also go away?”  Peter said:  “”Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69). 

Notice something unusual as we end our thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount.  As he began this teaching, Jesus took his disciples apart from the crowds and began to teach them (we assume, the twelve).  But recorded here as He ends the discourse, Matthew tells us that as He concludes these sayings, “the crowds were astonished for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”  Evidently others, “crowds,” joined that inner circle as Jesus continued through His teachings that we call the “Sermon on the Mount.”  Is that not indicative of how the truth of the gospel attracts people?  And as we live out the gospel in our own lives, as our foundation is established firmly and we build our own lives upon it, people are attracted to what we have as our stabilizing influence and they will ask us what we have.  We can then say:  “Come to Jesus and learn of Him.  What He has given to me, He wants to give to you, likewise.”

Judgment Is Coming

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”-Matthew 7:21-23(ESV).

Jesus is about to finish His Sermon on the Mount.  The teachings He has propounded have been many, varied and different.  His principles for the Christian life that have been beyond what had been taught before.  And here He comes with a strong warning about the final judgment. He leaves no doubt that all must face it.  Will all pass the test?  Will all enter heaven?  The answer to these questions  is clearly declared by Jesus:  “the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”  Not all who speak in the Lord’s name, not all who prophesy, cast out demons, do mighty works will pass the judgment.  Some will hear the condemnation: “depart from Me; I never knew you!”

How then can we prepare for the final judgment?  “By doing God’s will.”  Obedience to the Father is the test of faith in Christ.  It is more than saying, “Lord, Lord!”  It is more than following the ten commandments.  We call it “the new birth.”  It is having the Holy Spirit within the heart to guide, motivate and direct.  Paul explained it this way in Romans 8:11:  “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  The Spirit of God within the individual’s heart makes that person eligible to pass judgment.  The Spirit also leads the believer to obey God and to do His will. 

Strong teachings in both the Old and New Testaments show us plainly how we can do God’s will.  There are many, but I cite these:  “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).  And in James 1:22-25:  “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” Grounded, then, in ‘the law of liberty’—which is accepting the Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, Who came to fulfill the law of God and make His way known to us, and then perseveres and obeys, and becomes “a doer who acts” in accordance to God’s will and way, such is the disciple who will be recognized in the judgment and will enter into his reward.  God’s love in the heart motivates the disciple to obey God and serve others: “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). Followers of Christ have no need to fear the judgment day.  They belong to God.  The Holy Spirit within them bears witness to God’s spirit that they are the children of God. This seal was imparted to them at conversion.  Praise be to God!  We rest in the assurance of being known by Him both now and in the judgment!

Beware of False Prophets and How to Detect Their Fruits

“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” – Matthew 7:18-20 (ESV).

The subject of this teaching is that we be aware of false prophets (preachers, teachers, spiritual leaders)   They can come to us meekly and as gentle as lambs, but inwardly they can be as hungry wolves, greedy for power, prestige and selfish gain.  Jesus gives us a metaphor by which we can recognize and assize false prophets.  “By their fruits you shall know them.”  We therefore have a means of detecting “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” to use the old adage to describe the situation.

Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:1-7 not to judge.  But we are to practice discernment and be alert to what is false and misleading.  A wise teacher has said that there is a difference between judging and being a fruit inspector.  In the latter, the product is there awaiting scrupulous examination.  In this passage and also in Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus is referring to the words spoken, the teachings propounded.  Words express one’s beliefs.  They either vindicate or condemn the speaker.  Our job, then, is to have enough wisdom and insight to see signs of false fruit in the teachings we hear (or read).  False prophets magnify themselves.  They exploit people.  To follow a false prophet will not lead to a changed life.  We discern them not necessarily just by their teachings, for oftentimes their teaching can sound and even be orthodox.  But their works—their fruit—must stand the litmus test of genuineness.  Is the prophet self-seeking and covetousness?  Then beware.

Perhaps Jesus saw a fig tree or a grape vine near by when he was giving this teaching.  “Figs do not grow on thistles,”  he said.  “Neither do grapes come from thorn bushes.”  These are reasonable observations.  We could liken the comparison of apples not coming from pecan trees.  Beware of those who pretend holiness with their words and teachings, but their actions and deeds are contrary to what they proclaim.  Another adage applies here:  “Your actions speak so loudly I cannot hear what you say.”  The orchard owner is aware of unproductive fruit trees, culls them out, cuts them down and throws them into the fire.  This is a dire warning of the future judgment of false teachers.  In the meantime, we who hear and are prone to follow their enticing words have some standards by which we can beware of them.  The life of the prophet and the results of his influence on others are the fruits we examine.  The fruits will indicate whether or not his message is consistent with the kingdom life of righteousness.  That is why we need to be rooted and grounded in the truths of God’s Word.  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” –Psalm 119:105 (KJV).

The Narrow Gate

“Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:12-14 (ESV).

In Luke’s account of the “narrow door” we read:  “He (Jesus) went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.  And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’  And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door.  For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’  Then you will begin to say. ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and You taught in our streets.  But He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from.  Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves cast out.  And people will come from east and west and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.  And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:22-30).

“Do you want to go to heaven when you die?”  It would seem that any who have heard of heaven and its glory would answer yes to that question.  But Jesus taught that “the gate is narrow…the way is hard” that leads to (eternal) life and ‘those who find it are few.”  Jesus also taught, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:8).  Our modern day of errant teaching has not been the only time when people sought a different way to heaven than through faith in the one and only way, Jesus Christ.  We have only to consider how many religious systems have been and are taught and practiced to see why Jesus would give this teaching on the narrow gate.  The way to eternal life is narrow in that it is through Jesus Christ and Jesus alone.  Peter in his powerful sermon on the day of Pentecost stated: “”This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which became the cornerstone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 11:11-12). 

How do we find the “narrow” gate to life abundant here and life everlasting after death?  We find the way by turning to God, turning away from our sin (an action which we call repentance, genuine sorrow for our sin), believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as the revelation of God and the only way to personal salvation.  Following this deliberate choice on our part, we have then entered through what Jesus called the “narrow gate,”  the way to God and His forgiveness and His restoration of us to His favor.  We are then ready to launch upon the way of growth in godliness and holiness. We will want to take on the characteristics of Jesus and walk in this life as He taught us to do.  We do not create salvation by our actions, nor do good works save us.  But our actions and way of life reflect the change that has come in our life because we know and love Jesus and want to follow Him.  We might say that salvation is past, present and future.  The Christian has been saved from the penalty of sin (death and separation from God), is being saved from the power of sin (by living a victorious Christ-led life in the present), and we will be saved (completed, glorified) when God calls us to be forever with Him.  This is God’s plan of salvation, and it is available for anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Way.

The Golden Rule

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” –Matthew 7:12 (ESV).

We know this statement from Jesus as the Golden Rule.  It stands as a summary of the Law (Torah) and Prophets (the remainder of the Old Testament).  And Jesus had said already in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.  I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  How do I want to be treated?  With respect, with love, with dignity?  Then I must treat others in that same way.  Behavior and human interaction are reciprocal.  If we are “nice” (a word we use to cover acceptable, respectable conduct) in our behavior and interaction with others, we can expect to be treated in that manner.  However, if our conduct toward others is undesirable, then how can we expect to be treated well?

“But,”  I hear arguments beginning to arise.  “In this day in which we live, it’s a ‘dog-eat-dog’ society.  People have forgotten how to treat each other with respect and dignity.  I can’t treat people with respect or they will run all over me.  It’s a cruel world in which we live!”

Yes.  We hear these negative evaluations of our times on every hand, as if this mind-set allows us—Christians—to conduct ourselves in the same manner as those who do not believe in the Lord Christ.  We forget that He told us, “You are light.  You are salt.  You are yeast.  You are My children.”  These metaphors Christ used to describe His followers indicate that we are to make a difference where we are.  We initiate Christ-like behavior.  In that way, the Golden Rule takes on a new and very purposeful dimension:  “Whatsoever you wish that people should do to you, do you to them,” for this is the Lord’s way.  The Christian is responsible for initiating the good and respectable treatment of others.  This should be practiced deliberately as a way of life for those who love the Lord God with all their  “heart and soul and mind and strength and their neighbor as themselves” (see Mt. 22:37-40 and Luke 10:27).  In the book of Tobit, a popular Jewish writing, the Prophet Tobias teaches his son, “What you hate yourself, do not do to any man.”  This gets near to the heart of the Golden Rule, a tenet we find not only in Jewish and Christian teachings, and pronounced by the Lord Himself, but in other writings as well.  In fact, many of our laws are based on the premise in the Golden Rule.  And certainly our Christian conduct should be grounded in a good understanding of it.

The term “Golden Rule” does not exist in the Bible.  It is the name designated by scholars to denote Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:11 and Luke 6:31.  It is found in many religions, sometimes stated a bit differently.  But Jesus’ wording of it, and His command that we practice it, makes it special and unique, and of extreme importance in how we conduct our human relationships.  Pray that we may be more conscious of the truth of the Golden Rule and begin this very day to put into practice its positive approach to human relationships.  Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe has this comment:  “Remember that practicing the Golden Rule means paying a price.  If we want God’s best for ourselves and others, but others resist God’s will, then they will oppose us.  We are salt, and salt stings the open wound.  We are light, and light exposes dirt.” (New Testament Commentary.  Matthew.  2007, p. 26). Are we up to praying the price to follow the Golden Rule?

Keep on Asking, Seeking, Knocking

“Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”  Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV).

Jesus used three strong verbs in this teaching about persistence in prayer:  ask, seek, knock.  And in the Aramaic language in which Jesus spoke, the commands are in the aroist tense, which is more understandably written, “Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.”  By definition, aroist means an inflectional form of a verb which denotes simple occurrence of an action without completion.  In other words, it is an action that continues.  As a substantiation of the admonition of continuing to ask, seek and knock, Jesus gave two parables to undergird persistence in prayer.  One is of the importunate widow as recorded in Luke 18:2-5.  In it a poor widow came repeatedly before a judge to ask for protection against an opponent.  At first the judge was reluctant to make the order necessary for her protection, but because of her insistence, the protection was finally granted.  The second parable is sometimes termed “the three loaves,” or “a friend’s request at midnight.”  This story, recorded in Luke 11:5-8 tells of a friend who, because unexpected guests arrived from a long journey and he did not have bread to feed them, went at midnight insisting that his neighbor share bread.  Because of his insistence, the neighbor got up and gave bread to the one who asked it.  Then Jesus continued in Luke’s account to give the teaching on persistence in prayer:  “Ask, seek, knock.”

God always answers urgent prayer.  But the answer may not come as the asker, seeker, knocker expects.  Just as good, responsible earthly parents seek to give good gifts to their children, sometimes as they, God must be discretionary in His answer.  To grant everything children ask of parents would be what we commonly term “spoiling”  (or over-indulging) them.  This practice is not good in the character-building process, because it teaches children that things come easily and there is no need to work for or wait for results.  To obtain what we ask for, we must first conform our will to God’s will.  Oftentimes in this process of God’s granting our prayers, His answer is even greater and more rewarding than what we asked for in the beginning.  Personal testimony is often helpful to others in showing the truth of scripture.  In retrospect, I remember how God answered prayers of mine so many times in ways beyond what I asked or imagined.  I always liked school and enjoyed studying.  My mother died when I was only fourteen years of age, I had unprecedented responsibility in a farm family to assume duties of housework, cooking, looking after a younger brother.  The tasks seemed formidable and endless, and could I continue my high school education—and even go to college—with the responsibilities that were suddenly upon me?  Not only was I able to continue school, but even the added duties were working to grow me into a resilient and determined person, and at the same time one who daily went to the Lord for needs (and I will admit sometimes petty requests in prayer).  But in God’s omnipotence and omniscience, He answered. These characteristics about my powerful heavenly Father I didn’t know as a teenager, but I was learning about a powerful God who was ever with me. He was laying foundations not only for the immediate accomplishment of high school but of college and graduate school and beyond.  He knows what we need, even before we ask, but like the loving heavenly Father He is, He wants us to keep on asking, seeking, knocking.  He delights in answering our prayers in ways that are always best for us.  God is so good; to God be the glory!

Judging Others

“Judge not that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.  Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” –Matthew 7:1-6 (ESV).

In this lesson from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus moves from personal temptations to interpersonal temptations.  Here he warns against judging inappropriately.  Jesus’ teaching on judgment shows that we must be very discriminating, because with whatever measure we use to judge others, we will be judged by that particular standard.  Yet judging is necessary.  In the Christian life, we cannot blindly accept all that has the aura of spirituality.  A good deal of discernment is necessary when we judge what is right and what is wrong.  When I study carefully Jesus’ teachings I find how cleverly and with wisdom He used appropriate literary devices to teach truth.  In this passage He uses the figure of speech called hyperbole, or intentional overstatement.  He may also have drawn on his experience as a carpenter when He talked about our judging the speck (particle of wood dust) and wanting to remove it from our brother’s eye, while at the same time we are blinded by the ceiling beam (log) that is in our own eye.  How often do we observe and criticize (judge) the small faults of others, while at the same time our faults are as weighty as a log!  In fact, we may be blinded by our own faults and therefore cannot see those of others in proper perspective.  It has been said that we often see and judge in others those faults of which we ourselves are most guilty.

Jesus carries the hyperbole further by saying we should not give dogs what is holy or throw pearls before swine.  In Jesus day, there were no leash laws in effect for dogs, and they roamed the streets, roads and countryside, hungry, mangy and predatory.  These dogs were a pest and despised by most of the citizens.  Likewise, Jews held hogs as “unclean.”  They would not eat pork, and they also despised hogs.  To misjudge would be like casting pearls—precious gems—before the scavenging dogs and hogs that roamed about the countryside.  Therefore, Jesus was teaching discrimination in our judgments.  We would not stand down on a street corner and preach the unsearchable riches of the kingdom of God.  It would be disregarded by the populace and be made of no value—just as the hogs would not recognize the value of precious pearls cast before them to root about and cover with mud.  We are to pray and wait until people show a desire to hear the truths of God.  And then we are to bear witness to the truth to the best of our ability.  Here Jesus was giving a helpful lesson to would-be witnesses of His truths and missionaries who carry the message to those who have not heard.  While people are as dogs and swine—rapacious and uncaring—what is offered to them of the truths of God will only fall on deaf ears.  I had not thought of judging others in exactly this light until I studied several commentaries on this passage.  Among them were those by the Rev. J. R. Dummelow (Commentary, 1958, pp. 649-50) and W. R. Wiersbe (Commentary, New Testament, 2007, p. 25).  Wiersbe states:  “Christians must exercise discernment, for not everyone is a sheep.  Some people are dogs or hogs, and some are sheep in wolves’ clothing!  We are the Lord’s sheep, but that does not mean we should let people pull the wool over our eyes.   The reason for judgment, then, is not that we might condemn others, but that we might be able to minister to them…It is a wise Christian who first assesses the condition of a person’s heart before sharing the precious pearls of the gospel.”  And so we see a wise assessment of judgment, from Jesus and from Christian scholars.  Let us beware and practice sound Christ-centered judgment.

Jesus Teaches on Prayer

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret...And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” –Matthew 6:6-8 (ESV).

Prayer is one of the most intimate practices of the Christian’s spiritual life.  Think how amazing prayer is:  We can approach our Heavenly Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, sustainer and keeper of the Universe, and He knows and hears us individually.  To think of this relationship with the Heavenly Father through prayer is more than awesome. Jesus gave us some very good instruction on how not to pray and how to pray.  First, don’t be hypocritical when you pray.  He is speaking mainly here of public prayer, if we are called upon to pray in our church assemblies or in the presence of others.  Don’t be like the hypocrites—the mask-wearers—who pray to be heard of men and are noted for their pious-seeming and loftily-worded prayers.  The rewards of such praying are that they are heard and adulated for their beautiful words. Be sincere when you pray, even in public.

True praying is in secret, with only the one who prays and God hearing.  Then we can empty our deepest longings, express our fears and shortcomings, confess our sins, seek God’s face, exalt in His presence, and ask Him whatever we need to talk to Him about without fear of ridicule or reprisal from others.  Like child to Father, our secret-place prayers are on a personal and intimate level. Jesus gave a marvelous promise with this kind of praying:  “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Jesus’ next admonition about our praying can apply equally to our public and our private prayers:  “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Do not be like them.”  Sometimes we grow into lazy habits in our prayers. Prayers become routine and repetitive.  Jesus is warning us against such unthoughtful praying and prayers that repeat  the same patterns of speech, much like a broken record.  Remember that God knows what we have need of even before we ask Him.  Yet when we are sincere and earnest in our praying, and from our heart we truly seek God, He hears and answers.  We can be assured of that.  Scholarly commentary says about prayer, God always answers.  Sometimes He says “yes,” to our pleas, sometimes “no” and sometimes “wait awhile.”  A little later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches this about prayer:  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.”  (Matthew 7:7-8).  Prayer is an important daily discipline and privilege of the Christian.  Alfred Lord Tennyson, great English poet, wrote:  “More things are wrought through prayer than this world dreams of.” 

[Note:  These devotionals examined the Lord’s Prayer, day-by-day from Matthew 6:9-14 on the dates of June 17-22, seven days.  Because these verses have already been used in this series , tomorrow we will go to Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness and fasting, which come immediately after what we call the Lord’s Prayer.]

Two Contrasting Ways: of the Righteous and of the Wicked

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he mediates day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.  The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away..Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”-Psalm 1 (NKJV).

Psalm 1 provides a timely introduction to the whole Psalter.  A wisdom psalm, its theme is the blessedness of the righteous compared to the character and destiny of the wicked.  It is fitting that this Psalm is a beatitude.  It begins by describing the condition of the blessed man and listing his characteristics.  He does not take advice (counsel) from the ungodly.  He does not associate (stand) with sinners.  He is not scornful of others.  His delight is in God’s law.  A striking simile likens him to a strong tree beside a water supply that bears fruit in season and does not wither or fade away.  Furthermore, the righteous knows success in his undertakings.

Compared to the righteous man, the wicked man is like chaff and is easily influenced to evil, just as the wind drives the chaff away.  When the Psalmist says that “the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,” he does not mean that he will not receive judgment in the final reckoning of God’s time of separating the good from the evil.  Rather, the meaning is that when that judgment comes, the ungodly and his works will not stand—will not pass the test.  At the last judgment, Jesus will say to the wicked, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23, NKJV).

On the farm when I was a child, my father grew wheat and rye.  The threshers would come to our farm when the grain was ripe and harvested to thresh it, leaving a large pile of fragrant straw.  The grain was gathered into bins, but before it was stored, because the old threshing machines could not get all the chaff out of the grain, we would have to allow the wind to help with separating the chaff from the wheat.  I can see my father and other adults, with the thick threshing sheet on the ground, holding a vat of grain tilted on their shoulder and allowing it to fall slowly onto the sheet.  As the wind blew, the chaff would separate from the grain and blow away.  The grain was then ready to store and would be used to take to mill for our own flour, or some of the grain would be fed to animals on the farm.  The separation of the wheat from the chaff was a necessary procedure, one that took care and attention from the farmer.  Likewise, in the judgment, the godly and ungodly will be separated, as the chaff was separated from the wheat. 

The righteous are blessed.  The ungodly will perish.  This is as clear a statement as we can find of the destinies of the good and the evil.  The word “knows” as used in verse 6:  “the Lord knows the way of the righteous” is used in the sense that God has chosen to enter into a covenant relationship with people and only the righteous have responded to and reciprocate that covenant bond.  Because the godly have responded to God, He knows, cherishes, and allows the righteous to stand. The relationship is offered to all, but only those who choose to enter into it can be saved.  We need to be sure “our calling and election are secure.  Moreover, we need to witness to others to help them come into this godly relationship with the Lord.

Believers Pray for Boldness

“And now Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” –Acts 4:29-31 (ESV.  Read Acts 4:23-31).

We learn much about how to pray from the early church.  We could say the believers were close to God in thought and prayer.  They had been charged by the Jewish authorities not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.  Peter’s bold declaration must have gone out as a clarion call of the apostles’ intentions and mission:  “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Peter and John returned to the gathered Christian community and reported that the Sanhedrin had ordered them not to preach further in Jesus’ name.  A major prayer meeting was in order. They had to break through the barriers of opposition.  They knew already that their mission was to  proclaim the word.  They sought through prayer to gain the boldness and strength to do what they had been assigned by the Lord. We can learn much about prayer from this prayer given in Acts.  They approached God by calling His name in reverence, recognizing His sovereignty.  They quoted a portion of God’s Word that applied to their situation:  “”Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against His Anointed” (in Acts 4:25-26, quoting from Psalm 2:1-2).  They saw this as a Messianic prophecy and claimed God’s word spoken through their father David as forth seeing their present situation. A valuable lesson learned here about prayer is that praying the Scripture to God is commendable.  When we use Scripture to pray, as someone has said, we are speaking to God in God’s language.

Their prayer recounted the situation they were in and then made their petition:  “And now, Lord,  look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed, through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29).  Here they were following the instructions Jesus had given them about prayer.  “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).  They were certainly praying according to the will of God and the teachings of the Lord.  With prayer and petitions offered in this manner, it is sure to be pleasing to God.  They did not plead for circumstances to change or for God to destroy their enemies.  Instead, they asked God to accomplish that which He had already planned.  The Rev. Phillips Brooks advised:  “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men and women.  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.  Pray for power equal to your tasks.” And what was the result of this prayer for boldness?  The Holy Spirit came in mighty power and the apostles continued to speak the Word of God with boldness!  Their prayer for boldness was answered.  Dr. R. A. Torrey, a great Christian leader, gave us this sound advice about prayer:  “Pray for great things, expect great things, work for great things, but above all—pray!”  All that we do should begin in prayer, be motivated by prayer, be bathed in prayer, be accomplished through prayer.  This is God’s way.

How Can we Cast Cares on the Lord?

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” –Psalm 55:22 (ESV). “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” –I Peter 5:6-7 (ESV).

We have so many admonitions in Scripture to cast our cares upon the Lord. The two verses cited above urge us to let the Lord bear our burdens. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV). We probably know these verses, can quote them, or at least know where to find them easily in our Bibles. But how easy is it for us to follow their teachings? How can we truly cast our cares upon the Lord?

Acrostics are a favorite way of mine to make something I should really learn and follow stick in my mind. Let us consider an acrostic for cast, and in particular in casting our burdens upon the Lord:

C – Commit your worries, situation, circumstances into the Lord’s hands. He knows about the situations already, and knows why they have come your way. He knows in advance how you are to be made strong through them. “He will sustaqin you.” “He cares for you.” Herein lie two good reasons for committing circumstances to Him. He has already promised to sustain us, and He definitely cares for us and has our best interests at heart. Commit the situation to God. He can handle it. And do this as humbly, unpretentiously as you possibly can, knowing that He (not yourself) has the answer. Following church Sunday morning, I had a brief moment of prayer with a young Christian lady and we asked the Lord that she commit her concerns fully to the Lord, trusting that He already knows the solution and is providing a way to work it out for good (Romans 8:28).

A – Ask God for His guidance, strength and understanding. Claim His promises that this is what should be done: “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matthew 7:7).
S – Surrender the situation to God’s will. “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34).
T – Trust Him. Don’t take your burdens to Him and then take them upon yourself again. Really believe Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (ESV). Following church on Sunday night, I was able to talk to a fine young Christian man who hopes to transition soon from “a job” (honorable though it is) to a Christian career, and so far no openings have come. We agreed to continue to pray, to cast the burden upon the Lord, and in particular to trust Him. Commit, ask, surrender, trust; these are four positive actions toward victorious Christian living as we cast our cares upon the Lord.

Beware of Hypocrisy

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” –Matthew 6:1-2 (ESV). “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”-Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV). “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” –Matthew 7:16-18 (ESV).

A very degrading name to be called is a hypocrite. What does the term mean? Warren McWilliams writing in The Holman Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Holman Publishers, 1991, p. 682) defines hypocrisy as “Pretense to being what one really is not, especially the pretense of being a better person than one really is.” Our English word hypocrite and hypocrisy are what we call “transliterated” from the Greek word hypokrites and hypokrisis which meant one who speaks from a stage, an actor, or, as a verb, one who is pretending.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned that we should be honest (not play-acting) in our righteous living. Don’t do what you do to be seen of men. Ostentation is completely out of place in the Christian’s life.

When we pray, we should not be conscious of those hearing us voice our prayers. It is best to pray in secret, just God and the pray-er. “But what if I am asked to lead prayer in church or in a small group?” someone asks. We discussed this very question recently in prayer meeting at our church as we are trying to become more sincere and earnest in our praying. If you pray in public, try not to be conscious of people around you and of “sounding pretty.” Be honest and sincere. Don’t seek the favor of people with your words. If you do, alas, Jesus warns: that seeking adulation will be your reward for such praying. Remember in praying, you are talking to God. It is serious business; not to be taken lightly or an action to gain applause.

The third area in which to guard against pretension is when fasting. “But my church does not fast, nor does it call us to individual fasting,” you might say. If you fast, if it be in a group or singly, don’t call attention to it. You are denying yourself from food for a purpose, and that is to draw closer to God. Some tasks you face in life, Jesus said, require “prayer and fasting.” Perhaps you have had a time in your life when you fasted for a purpose and it became a deeply spiritual experience for you. Don’t make your face to look terrible to announce the fact that you’re fasting. This is how the hypocrites fast—to be seen of men. Fasting—and its accompanying spiritual examination and prayer—is a secret pact between you and God. It is not to draw attention to your “deep spirituality.” Read Matthew 23 to learn of a series of woes Jesus declares on those who practice hypocrisy. He addresses his warnings to the multitudes in 23:1-7; to the disciples in verses 8-12, and to the scribes and Pharisees in verses 13-36. Hypocrisy is a serious sin in that it is focused on the person and his/her motives rather than on God. Sincerity is a key in overcoming hypocrisy.