Composure When Criticized

Have you experienced criticism? Have you been unduly criticized for doing something you knew to be right? How did you feel? Were you able to defend yourself? Were you able to convince those who criticized you that you were right in doing what you did?

Being criticized by others can make us feel small, inadequate, and unappreciated. However, when we are certain we are right, it can make us feel frustrated, angry, and even vengeful. We may want to strike back, proving we were right by whatever means possible.

The Apostle Peter was criticized for doing what God had told him to do. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem asked him, in our modern language, “What were you thinking?” Their perspective was that God was only the God of the Jews. That meant that Jesus came only for the Jews as well. They thought the mission was to convince all Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah.

Peter had spent three years with Jesus. He knew what Jesus had taught and the mission He had sent the disciples on. Peter also had received a vision from God. He had properly interpreted the vision with the help of the Holy Spirit, which he had received at Pentecost. Peter knew exactly what he had to do when three men came knocking on his door.

But Peter did not get angry at those who were critical of him. Rather than being angry, Peter patiently explained what happened. He described his vision. He even pointed out his own initial perspective concerning the eating of unclean foods in the vision. He explained that he had also once thought the way the other Jewish Christians had thought.

We will finish this story in tomorrow’s devotional.

I pray we all stay calm when we are criticized. I pray we stand our ground when we know we are right. I pray each one of us will patiently explain how God is working in our lives. Stay calm. Do not be angry. Stand on God’s Word. Be patient with others. Explain how God is working.

Acts 11:1-3 Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”

Praise the Creator

Who deserves our praise? Who do we honor? Who do we put on a pedestal? Who do we hang medals around their neck? Who do we award with trophies and plaques? Who do we sing the praises of? Who do we praise for their accomplishments? Who should we praise?

We honor and praise many different people for many different reasons. We are amazed at performances in athletics and music. Our minds are blown away by accomplishments in science. We award people for their accomplishments, both big and small.

But we should praise God for all his creation. He not only created us but everything we see and experience. The Psalmist in chapter 148 provides a list of things that should praise God. He includes, angels, sun, moon, stars, the heavens, the earth, fish, hail, snow, frost, wind, mountains, hills, trees, animals, birds, kings, and all people.

God deserves our praise. Even the list the Psalmist lists is incomplete, even as extensive and general as it is. Saying God created everything is true, but it is so general that we often overlook it. It is not until we take time to think about each little flower, each insect, each bird in our yard, each squirrel that climbs a tree that we begin to get a glimpse of God’s amazing creation.

If for no other reason, we should praise God for all his creation. But when we make a little more personal, we should praise him for the intricate creation of our bodies. God created each piece of our body so that we can walk, talk, pick up and carry, eat, drink, and think. Our very own body is an amazing creation. Therefore, praise God for having created you.

I pray we all open our eyes to see God’s amazing creation. I pray we blown away by what God has created. I pray each one of us praise God for how he amazingly created our very own bodies. See God’s creation. Be awed by creation. Praise God for creating you. Praise God for all creation.

Psalm 148:5

Let them praise the name of the Lord, 

for he commanded and they were created.

Creation and Creator

Have you ever thought about how everything got its beginning? How was the earth created? How were the stars and other planets created? How are ideas created? How do thoughts come to mind? Do you know there are answers? Do you want to know them?

If we take a few moments to think about how the earth was created, we will likely be baffled by enormity of the task. Wrapping our minds around what it would take to create matter from nothing is simply mind blowing. But even if we start with rock and soil, the task is still too big to comprehend.

If we ponder how our thoughts come to us, we start explaining how the various parts of our brains store information. We may speak of neurons firing, sending electrical signals. We may be able to explain a process by which these electrical signals are translated into words. But when we dive deeper and try to explain how the brain was initially created, we fall short.

When we start thinking about how everything was created, we quickly find we do not have the capacity to comprehend it. But God tells us he created it all. When he says he is the beginning and the end, he is telling us that he has always existed and will always exist. Again, this is a concept we cannot fully understand. In this life, we know things have a beginning and an end. Each person, as far as we can explain, starts with conception and ends when they take their last breath. But God does not live by our timeline. He is eternal.

I pray we all take time to ponder creation. I pray we are in awe by all that God has created. I pray each one of us understand that we may be finite in this life, but God is infinite. Ponder God’s creation. Be awed by God’s creation. Know that God is infinite. Know that God is creator of all things.

Revelation 21:6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”

All Things New

What do you think eternity will be like? Do you have the false belief that eternity is spent in heaven? Or do you realize there will be a new earth and a new heaven? Do you know there will be a new Jerusalem where God will be among his people?

Many have foretold the end of the world. Yet, all of them to this point have been wrong. There are also many who are wrong about where we will spend eternity. Many believe we spend eternity in heaven. Yet, that is not what we read in God’s Word.

John tells us in his revelation there will be a new earth and a new heaven. Though he does not explicitly state the current earth and heaven will be restored. He states there will be a new heaven and earth. This may very well mean the current earth and heaven is renewed, made new, and becomes what God originally intended it to be.

John also states there will be a new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven. God will be in the new Jerusalem. He will come to live among his people. All the nations will come to worship God in the holy city.

Finally, John states the sea will be no more. There will be no more threat of world flooding. There will be no more threat of destruction. And all of this has been foretold in multiple places throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments.

I pray we will look forward to eternity spent with God. I pray we know there will be a new earth and new heaven. I pray each one of us look forward to worshiping God in the new Jerusalem. Spend eternity with God. There will be a new earth and heaven. There will be a new Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:1-2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Trials Increase Faith

Have you felt you were forgotten? Have you felt as though you were purposely left out? Have you felt abandoned? Did people you thought you could count on turn their back on you? Have you thought that God no longer cared for you?

Feeling abandoned is difficult for us. We may have people close to us turn away and leave us. We may think there is no one who cares. We can get depressed and feel helpless due to these thoughts. Yet, God has not turned his back on us, but will never leave us.

Naomi thought she had been cursed. She thought she had been abandoned by God. She had fled with her husband from a famine. He later died. Her two sons, who were sustaining her, died. She decided to return to Bethlehem in her despair. She encouraged her two daughters-in-law to stay with their families. Ruth refused and traveled with Naomi to Bethlehem.

Naomi would realize later that God had not abandoned her. Instead, God had used her situation, dire as it may have been, to bless her in a magnificent way. She is the grandmother of Obed, who is the grandfather of David, the greatest king of Israel. Naomi is the mother-in-law to Ruth, who gave birth to continue the lineage that would ultimately result in Jesus coming to earth.

No matter how dire our circumstances, God has not abandoned us. He is still at work and will bless us. We are to continue in our faith, trusting God has something greater in mind for us. After all, it is often in the trials of life that we grow the most. So face those trials with 

confidence that growth is coming as well as God’s blessing.

I pray we all trust God is always working. I pray we face our trials with confidence, seeking growth. I pray each one of us hold onto our faith during times of trial, believing our faith will be strengthened. Trust God is working. Gain confidence during trials. Seek growth. Hold onto your faith.

Ruth 4:16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse.

None Are Lost

Have you ever felt as though you were adrift? Have felt untethered, like boat bobbing on the water? Are you feeling that way now? Are you seeking to set your feet on solid ground? Do you desire to hear positive news? Will you listen, if you are given the best news of all?

There can be times in our lives when we feel like we have no anchor, there is nothing solid for us to hold on to. Those are troubling times. Our minds wander. We feel unstable. We may even think we will never be stable again. But we simply need to remember the best news of all.

Jesus tells us that no can be snatched from the hand of the Father. Therefore, if we have committed our lives to Jesus, we will always be held by the Father. Those feelings we have are false feelings Satan is using to attempt to pull us away. Yet, Jesus says he cannot. The strong and comforting hands of the Father will continue to hold us.

Here is the other amazing thing Jesus says, He and the Father are one. We may be able fully grasp that, but we can believe it to be true. Why? When we look at Scripture, everything else Jesus said was true. His witness has proven true over and over again. So, even if we do not understand how two (or three) can be one, we can trust that Jesus spoke the truth.

Being in Jesus is the same as being in the Father. Being in God is being in the most stable place we can be. Even during times of unease, we can trust God is working. We may not see him working. We may not feel him working. It may be some time before he reveals the work he has been doing. Yet, we can trust that it will all work out to our good.

I pray we all choose to be in Jesus. I pray we trust that Jesus and the Father are one. I pray each one of us knows that God is always working on our behalf and continue to hold on to him. Choose Jesus. Trust Jesus. Know Jesus and the Father are one. Know God is working. Hold on to God.

John 10:29-30 “My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Listen Well

Have you experienced people not listening you? Have you told them something of importance and they pay no attention? Have you ever had someone say something to you and you did not listen? What were the repercussions for not listening? Were they significant?

We, as humans, often have a bad habit of not listening, especially if it is not the news we want to hear. Someone speaks a truth to us that we do not like, and we question them. We have done it to others. Others have done it to us. Yet, we know we should listen.

Parents can especially relate to having their children not listen to them. It seems as though from the time they are in their mid to late teens until they reach thirty years old, they go through a phase of thinking they know it all. That is when the parents realize what a pain they had been to their own parents and realize why they made some of the mistakes they made.

Jesus faced the Jewish leadership who were not listening to Him. Though He had not explicitly stated He was the Messiah, through His teachings, healings, and raising people from the dead, He had stated He was the Messiah. They simply did not want to nor were they listening. They certainly did not believe Him.

Perhaps we should evaluate how well we are listening to Jesus. We need to evaluate how well we are obeying Jesus. Otherwise, Jesus may say the same thing to us He said to the Jewish leadership. We need to realize that Jesus came to do the Father’s will and to testify about God’s plan for all of us. If we believe Jesus, we are His sheep.

I pray we all listen to Jesus. I pray obey Jesus. I pray each one of us will evaluate how well we listen and obey Jesus, choosing to follow Him and be one of His sheep. Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus. Be a follower of Jesus. Be one of Jesus’ sheep.

John 10:24-26 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep.”

Demonstrated Love

How do you show your love? Or do you only voice your love? Is your love demonstrated through your actions? Or do your words ring hollow? Do you think love is shown by giving gifts? Or do you make an effort to show your love by serving others?

Love can be challenging for some people to show. Some believe telling someone they love them is enough. Others may rarely say they love someone yet will demonstrate their love through action. We all like to hear someone loves us and also want to see it in their actions.

Tabitha, or Dorcas as she was also known, was a woman who demonstrated her love for people through her actions. She was a follower of Jesus. Her love for God shown through in what she did for others. In her good works and giving to others, she demonstrated her love for others and for God. She was a seamstress who made both inner and outer garments. We can reasonably assume that she gave some of the clothing she made to those in need. She likely also used the money she made from her business to help in other ways.

Though Scripture does not state she was a widow, she may have been since we are told those who took care of her when she died were widows. There may have been a group of widows who had banded together to take care of one another. Their care for her and weeping over her indicates how much they loved her.

We are called to love others as Jesus loves us. Jesus tells us He loves us but also demonstrated His love for us through His actions. We may only think of His love demonstrated on the cross. Yet we need to look at how He treated people when He walked this earth. He showed His love by forgiving them, feeding them, healing them, and even raising some from the dead. As a follower of Jesus, we are to demonstrate our love for Him by serving others. Just as Jesus served in many ways, we can serve in many ways.

I pray we all take a deeper look at how Jesus served. I pray we understand all the ways Jesus showed His love for us. I pray each one of us chooses to show our love by serving others. See how Jesus served. Understand how Jesus shows His love. Demonstrate your love by your actions.

Acts 9:36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.

I Shall Not Want

Psalm 23 is one of the best-known passages in the Bible. We often hear it read at funerals or memorial services. Many people will read it or recite it when facing difficult situations. It is used to provide strength, comfort, and peace when we feel weak and troubled.

Yet, we can read, recite, and remember Psalm 23 at any time in any situation. It is a Psalm we can wake up with every morning to start our day on the right foot. Starting our day with reassurance that God is with us can make each day a better day than it otherwise would be.

The first line of the Psalm says it all. It speaks volumes. It states God is our shepherd, which implies many things. A shepherd cares for his flock. He ensures they are properly fed and watered. He protects them from attackers who seek to kill and destroy them. He protects them from being stolen by thieves. The flock knows that as long as they follow the shepherd’s voice, they will be safe and cared for.

The second half of the first sentence speaks to trust. In stating that we will not want, we are putting our trust in God to provide all that we need. Our trust in God puts us at ease. We trust God to guide us on the path he would have us take. We trust him to provide us with a mate, a job, food, clothing, and shelter. It also means that because of our trust in God’s plan we do not frivolously desire the trappings of this world.

Yes, the first line of Psalm 23 says it all. Even if we do not memorize the entire Psalm, we should memorize the first line, recite it every morning, and live our life believing it to be true. Doing so will eliminate fear, stress, anxiety, frustration, and unhealthy desire. Living by this one sentence will free us to become the people God wants us to be.

I pray we all know that God is our shepherd. I pray we put our trust in him and his plan for our lives. I pray each one of us live our lives free of the trappings of this world, becoming who God wants us to be. God cares for you. God will provide. Follow God’s path. Become the person God intended.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

A Great Testing

Have you been through testing? Have you had to pass testing to be included into a specific group? Was the test you endured an especially difficult test? Do you feel like you are being tested every day? Do you know there will be a great testing that will come in the future?

We all face tests. Some are relatively simple as we progress through school. Others are more difficult, specifically professional tests required for certain jobs. Some of those professional tests can be very challenging, requiring a deep knowledge of the specialty we are pursuing.

The testing referenced in today’s passage refers to a trifold test—physical, mental, and spiritual. Many translations interpret the “great ordeal” as the “great tribulation.” Regardless of the translation, the original Greek refers to a significant test. This testing likely includes persecution and may include martyrdom. This testing is believed to come during the end-times. Jesus referenced this great testing in Matthew 24:21.

Though I have not experienced a trifold testing of physical, mental, and spiritual, I have experienced significant testing including physical and mental. Having went through Marine Corps bootcamp and later through Drill Instructor School, there are times during those training schools when you are tested physically and mentally. You can begin to feel as though the testing will never end and wonder if you will survive it.

In the case of the great ordeal or great tribulation, we are told it will last for seven years. Throughout those seven years, many will die, either from a natural death or martyrdom. Those are taken to heaven and given a white robe will be those who hold onto their faith regardless of the ordeal they must endure. It will require a deep faith rather than a superficial one. It will require enduring ridicule, physical pain, and mental torture. The only way to survive it will be to be spiritually strong in our belief that Jesus is the Son of God and believe in His promises.

I pray we all seek to increase our faith in Jesus. I pray we grow in both knowledge and belief that Jesus is the Son of God. I pray each one of us prepare ourselves for a great testing and hold onto Jesus’ promises. Increase your faith. Increase your knowledge. Believe in Jesus. Prepare yourself for testing. Hold onto Jesus’ promises.

Revelation 7:13-14 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”