May 6, 2016

Posted on May 8, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

I have written and even preached on this verse, because it expresses an essential part of my lifestyle. Right now the wording of the Japanese translation particularly impresses me. Expressed in English, the second half of the verse comes out as, “At dawn I make preparation (make an offering) for You and am on the lookout.” Getting up early to spend time with God can indeed be a sacrifice. I am reminded of David’s words at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite: “I will not sacrifice to God that which cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) We tend to give to God only what is convenient, or what feels good at the moment. The focus of society is on making things easy, but sometimes the sports training motto is true: no pain, no gain. The widow’s offering also comes to mind. (Luke 21:1-4) Our gifts to God are far more meaningful when they really cost us something, in time, effort, or what have you. The flip side of that is knowing that we don’t do such things in a vacuum; God pays attention and will respond. The NIV captures that with “wait in expectation.” Sometimes God surprises us when He speaks to us, but we are more likely to hear Him accurately when we are expecting it. Making time every morning to pray and get into the Bible isn’t an obligation, it’s a privilege, and the benefits are beyond expressing in words.

I have had morning devotions as the cornerstone of my lifestyle for many years now, and I am deeply grateful. It is especially when I feel least like doing it that I know I need it most. Sometimes I have to sit quietly before the Lord for a while before I can even muster the presence of mind to pray, much less focus on the Bible to read it. Those are my times of greatest need. I have to prepare my heart and mind to fellowship with my Lord and receive what He has to say to me. However, all my years of experience have taught me without question that He is absolutely faithful, though I am not. I mess up more times than I like to think about, but He never misses a beat. I can indeed approach Him every morning with full expectation that He is going to meet with me, and that is glorious indeed.

Father, thank You for Your grace toward me. Thank You for loving me despite my failures and my petty rebellions. Thank You for preparing the way for me to come to You through Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. Help me be more effective in drawing others into Your way, so that they too may walk with You in the light of life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 5, 2016

Posted on May 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Psalm 4:2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

I think God is saying this even today. In a footnote the NIV gives “lies” as an alternative to “false gods,” and that is the way the Japanese translates it as well. That broadens this considerably and makes it even more applicable to current events. Americans are demonstrating in droves that they are seeking lies, supporting politicians who ridicule God and His Word by their words, actions, and lifestyles. Such things are lies, and come from the father of lies. (John 8:44) It is some comfort to read the passage where Jesus described the devil that way, because after all the horror of Jesus’ arrest, trial, scourging and crucifixion, resurrection happened. America, and indeed the world, seems determined to go to hell, but God is still God. Like Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, we need to repent of the sins of our culture and nation, recognizing that we have had a part in them, through inaction at the very least, and seek Him for what we are to do and how we are to live now. Light shines brightest when the surroundings are dark, and every child of God needs to take seriously Jesus’ words about light and salt. (Matthew 5:13-16)

I told my wife this morning that I felt like I woke up but the nightmare was still going on. It was a real gut punch yesterday to read that the one presidential candidate whom I felt I could vote for in good conscience had dropped out. I certainly don’t blame him, but I see the circumstances that brought him to that decision as evidence the judgment of God is coming on America, and that grieves me deeply. At the same time, I am not to stop praying and trusting God, knowing that He can and does use horrible circumstances for good, and for His glory. (Romans 8:28) I am to continue to be active in seeking to draw as many people as possible into God’s family, into a strong and active relationship with Jesus as Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” I am not dependent on anything temporal. I was not and am not fearful for myself personally, but I grieve indeed for what America is doing to itself. I am not to focus on that grief, but on the One who will wipe away every tear. (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, 21:4)

Father, thank You for still being God. I continue to pray for Your mercy on America and on the world. Thank You that we have the assurance in Revelation that You are going to sort everything out in the end. Keep me from being anxious about how You are going to do that, but rather be active in my obedience to You in whatever part You have for me to play, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 4, 2016

Posted on May 7, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.

The way I read this, Job had to forgive his friends before God could/would restore him to full prosperity. There was ample opportunity for Job to hold a grudge, considering all that his friends had said to him, but holding grudges is poisonous. Job also had to forgive God, but God had taken care of that in the interchange that preceded this. Nothing blocks the flow of God’s blessings more quickly or thoroughly than unforgiveness. Jesus said essentially that it can even block our salvation. (Matthew 6:14-15) The world is full of sayings like, “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” but someone who lives like that has already poisoned themselves. Much of the violence in the world comes from this very thing, as individuals and nations “pay each other back” for wrongs real or imagined. The thing is, if that is our attitude, then we will indeed imagine wrongs done to us so that we will be “justified” in our actions toward others. That is evident in the news every day, with every imaginable form of violence. The incredible thing is how many of those perpetrating the violence seem to feel no remorse, because the devil has told them they only “gave the other person their due.” The thing is, the devil is a liar, and he only wants to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) We need to be like Jesus, who forgave incredible, and very real, wrongs done to Him, even as He hung on the cross. (Luke 23:34) If we will do that, we will experience unimaginable blessings.

I am constantly dealing with the issue of forgiveness because it is such a thorny one in Japanese culture. The Japanese have glorified revenge in such stories as The 47 Samurai. (The Japanese title for that is The Storehouse of Faithful Hearts.) The language itself clouds the meaning of forgiveness, because the word is a homophone for one that means permission. The average Japanese doesn’t even know the character that means “forgiveness,” and instead uses the one that means “permission” for everything. I teach on the issue at every opportunity and have written a brief tract on the subject, but the issue is far deeper than intellectual understanding, and the truth takes time to sink in. For that matter, people in other cultures get deceived on this issue as well! I am never to give up, but keep speaking the truth in love, as well as demonstrating it in my daily life, so that the Holy Spirit may use that truth to set people free.

Father, You know what bondage this issue brings to the Japanese. I ask You to pour Your Spirit out on this nation so that people may understand their own sin and Your forgiveness that is available to them, and so choose to forgive those around them, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 3, 2016

Posted on May 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 33:29-30 “God does all these things to a man—
twice, even three times—
to turn back his soul from the pit,
that the light of life may shine on him.”

Elihu is an interesting character in the Book of Job. He is not among the three friends, and so does not come under God’s words of correction at the end. What he says is similar, but in a number of ways subtly different from what they say. Some interpreters/theologians feel he is a representation of authentic truth, in contrast to the platitudes expressed by the three friends. In any case, this particular monologue is a striking one, expressing God’s motivation for allowing trials in our lives. It is confirmation that God is never mean, however rough our circumstances might be. The Book of Job does not speak directly of eternal life, but in several places, including this one, it may be taken that way. After all, the “light of life” in Christ is indeed eternal! From the New Testament we understand that the trials we endure include physical death, but that is far from the end. We need to so live that our physical death is a graduation, a release into the glory that God has prepared for us in Christ. Those without that hope very reasonably fear death very much, and many try to mask that by saying that death is purely a negation, and there is nothing at all afterward. That’s easier to face than full accountability for how we have lived! The Gospel states that we indeed have an Intercessor, as even Elihu refers to. That intercessor is Jesus Christ, who took on our human form so that He could also take the weight of our sins on Himself, so that those who believe in Him could have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This is of course the message that I try to communicate to everyone. I have experienced the Lord’s correction a few times myself, and as the Bible says, that’s not much fun at the time. (Hebrews 12:11) However, I have also experienced peace and joy, even in the middle of the hard times, to a level that those who don’t know Christ find remarkable. Such times are the best validation of the Gospel I speak, so I don’t draw back from them. I desire to take as many people as possible with me to heaven. After all, people are all I can take! I am not to “kick against the goads,” (Acts 26:14) but allow God to guide and correct and use me, so that all of His purposes for me may be fulfilled, for His glory.

Father, thank You for all You allow me to experience. Thank You for the little irritations that I so often fail to release to You. It is much easier to recognize big things as trials and learn from them! Help me be a good student, learning and applying all that You teach me, so that people may see Christ in me and be drawn to You for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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May 2, 2016

Posted on May 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 22:21 “Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.”

The biggest problem with this passage is that it was spoken by one of Job’s friends, and so is suspect. It isn’t that it’s not generally true, it’s that it’s a truism, a pat answer that doesn’t deal with all the variables. It’s the kind of passage loved by “name it and claim it” people. This passage isn’t wrong, but life isn’t so cut-and-dried. That’s why it’s so important to be submitted to the Holy Spirit any time we read the Bible, to let Him speak into our hearts what God is saying to us, rather than trying to force some desired scenario. That actually is the point of the whole Book of Job: not all suffering is our fault, and things are not necessarily as they seem to human eyes. Humility is an essential component of a genuinely successful life. It is conspicuously absent in many public figures who are generally looked on as successful, but their “success” is an empty shell, and their collapse is inevitable. It is genuinely dangerous when we so adulate them as to make them our leaders, because as the Bible states so clearly, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) The fear of the Lord is inseparable from humility before Him. That is why atheists are ultimately very foolish, regardless of their IQ. (Psalm 53:1) Even many “religious” people are actually ignoring God as they go through their rituals, and so don’t know Him at all. (Matthew 7:21-23)

This is an issue I need to be very careful about. I have countless Scriptures on the tip of my tongue, but if I spout them simply as I see fit, rather than under the direction of the Holy Spirit, they do neither me nor the people who hear me any good. I must not let God’s truth descend into the area of truisms by using it lightly. I have been like Job’s friends more often than I like to admit! I am to speak God’s truth in love, letting the Holy Spirit guide me not only in what to say but how to say it, so that the words that come from my mouth may bring conviction but not condemnation, healing rather than wounding, light and not darkness.

Father, thank You for pointing out my similarity to Job’s friends. It’s painful, but important to remember! Help me be gentle with others because I’m humble before You. May I exhibit Your strength and Your wisdom, not to inflate me but to bring Your good will to pass in the hearts and lives of those around me, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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May 1, 2016

Posted on May 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 21:14-15 “Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We have no desire to know your ways.
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
What would we gain by praying to him?'”

This is a remarkably accurate portrait of an awful lot of people today. They literally see no benefit to themselves to serving God, so they have nothing to do with Him. They forget that life on this earth is just a prelude to eternity, and their eyes are blinded to their fate. Paul tells us clearly that it is the devil who has blinded them, (2 Corinthians 4:4) but he has done so with their full cooperation. They are self-centered, which means flesh-centered, and they don’t want to face anything that confronts them with the foolishness of that attitude. In counseling I frequently tell people that selfishness never leads to true happiness, but many of them don’t want to hear it. The best that selfishness can give us is momentary pleasure, but with the devil’s encouragement, people plunge into it anyway. Reading the account of creation in Genesis, everything God created was good. The first time that’s not the case is when God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) We isolate ourselves when we look at everyone on the basis of what they can do for us, what benefit we can get from them. That is the attitude toward God that Job is talking about here, and nothing good can possibly come of it.

I too have a decidedly self-centered streak, and it has proved to be quite stubborn. I know from experience that my greatest joy, peace, and happiness come when I am closest to God and relating rightly to others, but my flesh doesn’t want to admit that. To answer the rhetorical question that Job says evil people pose, the benefit I get from serving God and praying to Him is fulfilling the purpose for which I was created, and that is by definition the greatest of benefits. I am not to give up on myself when selfishness rears its head in my heart, but rather confess it and repent, accepting God’s strength to replace my own, so that I may walk in His way. (Isaiah 40:31) I have plenty of opportunities to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Christ. (Luke 9:23) However difficult that might be at the moment, I know that the eternal rewards will be more than worth it. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Father, thank You for all You allow me to go through to wean me away from being self-centered. Thank You for the joy of being a channel of Your grace to others. I pray that in the service today I would be an open channel indeed, allowing Your grace to flow through me unhindered, not just in words but in attitude and action. May I proclaim Your truth in love so that people may receive it and be set free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 30, 2016

Posted on May 1, 2016 by jgarrott

Job 16:19-21 Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as a man pleads for his friend.

One of the most remarkable things about the whole Book of Job is Job’s conviction that he had an intercessor on his side in heaven. After all that happened to him, and then his friends heaping pious platitudes on him instead of providing real comfort, he is still convinced that he’s got someone on his side in heaven. That had to be a divine revelation, because nothing else makes real sense. It’s not until Jesus’ resurrection and ascension that we have clear theological basis for such a conviction, but now we know that Jesus is at the Father’s side interceding for us. (Hebrews 7:25) Even if we go through trials that rival those of Job, if we have that assurance we can make it through. The hymn, It Is Well With My Soul expresses that beautifully, and it indeed arose from just such a tragic situation. That hymn perfectly illustrates Paul’s words of encouragement to the Corinthians: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) God doesn’t waste anything, and His ultimate motive is always love, even in trials such as Job’s. If we can get that truth down into the depths of our being, then we can make it through anything.

Objectively speaking, my trials have been pretty light, however they felt at the time. They have never come close to what my brothers and sisters in Muslim countries endure for their faith. That said, all suffering is subjective, to the point that it is only as bad as we think it is. That is to say, having a pity party actually makes my suffering worse! I recall people’s reactions when I was hospitalized for surgery for a fairly good-sized skin cancer. They expected me to be all distraught, and I was like, “It’s just a basal cell carcinoma, so cutting it off is all I need. I won’t even need radiation or chemotherapy.” For me, it was something of a vacation, really, and interesting interaction with former nursing school students. I have found that the more I am aware of how blessed I am, the more I am able to enjoy those blessings and get through the rough spots.

Father, I deal with people all the time who are convinced their problems are terrible, and they suffer proportionately. Help me speak Your truth, Your comfort to them without putting them down, so that they may see themselves and their situations from Your perspective and rejoice in You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 29, 2016

Posted on May 1, 2016 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 6:9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

I like Nehemiah! Prayer was such an integral part of his life that he didn’t bother with formalities at all. The NIV supplies, “But I prayed,” in brackets, but that’s not part of the original text. I get the impression this book was written somewhat like a diary, with him recording day by day what had gone on. As he wrote down the efforts of their enemies to stop them, his immediate response was to ask God for strength. He was operating in the style of people of God down through history, people who have been totally aware that God is present, He is interested, and He is in control. We tend to slip up on one or more of those points a great deal of the time. When we don’t feel God, we tend to think He isn’t there, but that’s a mistake. Any failure there is on our side. Psalm 139 is a magnificent exposition of this point by David, who certainly knew it first hand. But then, many people are so wounded by their life experiences that they have trouble believing God really cares. Such people are never to be condemned, but they need people around them to be “Jesus with skin on” to demonstrate God’s concern in ways they can recognize it. Finally, practically all of us, at one time or another, have trouble believing God really has the power to deal with everything that is going on. God has had to deal with that in His people countless times throughout history, from Abraham (Genesis 18:14) to Moses (Exodus 4:10-12) to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:27) to Mary (Luke 1:37) and many more. It is only when we get those three factors firm in our hearts and minds that we can walk in the peace and joy that God intends for us.

This is my struggle as well. Like Nehemiah, I pray at all sorts of times in all sorts of ways, aware that God hears everything I say, either verbally or in my heart. I enjoy that, and wouldn’t give it up for a moment. However, I still have times of distress and even depression, when I look too hard at the temporal world around me. For example, I very strongly want a candidate for president that I can vote for in good conscience, but from a human perspective that is looking less likely. Letting that depress me is foolish, because God is still God! In her devotions just yesterday my wife wrote a Word from the Lord for me, about keeping my focus on the Lord rather than on human newscasters and analysts. My concern is the very real possibility that America is under God’s judgment, and so will receive again the leader they are asking for, as they did eight years ago. I pray that is not the case, but even if it is, God is still God, and I need to trust Him. There are other issues closer to home, but there too God is still God, and I must never forget it. He has made it clear to me that He wants me to rest, relax, and rejoice, so failure to do so is disobedience.

Father, I ask Your forgiveness for my anxious heart. You have given me every reason to trust You, and yet I waver. Thank You that You don’t waver! Help me keep growing in faith and obedience, to be and do all that You desire and intend, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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April 28, 2016

Posted on May 1, 2016 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 4:9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

In some ways the Book of Nehemiah reminds me of the Letter of James in the New Testament, because it is both spiritual and intensely practical. The focus is on God, but human responsibility and activity are clearly stated. In this particular case, people who ignore God would have just set a guard, and people who over-spiritualize would have just prayed. Nehemiah did both. It’s like James asking what good faith is if it doesn’t lead to action. (James 2:26) We tend to make things into either/or questions when actually they are both/and. A major rift in the Church down through the centuries has been social action versus evangelism. Today there are evangelistic organizations that tend to ignore physical needs, and there are social welfare organizations that are strictly non-religious. One shining example of an organization that combines the two is Samaritan’s Purse. They have one of the highest ratings in the world of converting donor funds into actual aid, and they do it unapologetically in the name of Jesus Christ. Muslim countries would like to exclude them because of the second factor, but often accept them because of how very good they are at getting physical help where it is needed. I have no doubt that many in that organization are going to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” when they stand before God’s throne. However, the matter of combining the physical and the spiritual applies to every area of life, and not just disaster relief. If we are genuinely spiritual, then we will be actively obedient to God in practical ways. In God’s economy, there is no dichotomy.

I feel like I tend to lean to the spiritual side to the detriment of the practical at times, and that’s not good. At the same time, the pleas for money for this and that “good cause” are literally endless, to the point that I tend to delete email the moment I hit any mention of money. That’s not good either. I need to make the use God intends of all that He places in my hands, without being whipped around by various humanistic motivations. That calls for more wisdom than I have! However, if I will be active in my obedience to God, He will manifest His wisdom through me in spite of myself, and people will be blessed and He will be glorified.

Father, thank You for this Word. Thank You for making it clear that I’m to preach from James 2 on Sunday! Help me be more and more accurately and effectively a representation of my Lord Jesus Christ, not just on Sundays but every day of the week, so that more and more people may be drawn to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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April 27, 2016

Posted on April 28, 2016 by jgarrott

Nehemiah 2:4-5 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.

I have heard this particular incident described as a “telegraph prayer.” However, in current society it might be better called a “Twitter prayer,” since many people have never encountered a telegram in their lives. It was an emergency prayer, more emotion than words, but very focused on the reality that if God didn’t help out, he was in deep trouble. Nehemiah was obviously a liked and trusted member of the court, but Artaxerxes was an absolute monarch, and displeasing him was often fatal. As the Bible records, the results of this prayer were very good indeed. God gave Nehemiah the words to be clear and bold, and he softened Artaxerxes’ heart to respond well. The point is, our prayers don’t have to be long and involved all the time, but they need to be real. It is a blessing to be able to spend a long time in prayer, but length is no guarantee of either sincerity or success. When Jesus taught specifically on prayer He said, “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8) That’s why Nehemiah’s prayer was so effective. Probably it was along the lines of, “Lord, help!” We don’t have to spell things out because God already knows what we need. At the same time, specific prayer often crystallizes in our hearts and minds what it is we need. That’s why Jesus so famously told us to ask, seek, and knock. (Matthew 7:7-8) All of this comes down to recognizing our dependence on God and being active in our submission to Him. If you think you can do it on your own, you aren’t going to pray in the first place.

As I am grateful to remember, I was raised in a home where prayer was as natural as breathing. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve been 100% in relation to prayer ever since. Sadly, at times I have prayed more to be heard by the people present than by God. Jesus said that was empty. (Matthew 6:5) At times I have failed to pray, trusting what I’d already been given rather than asking for a fresh supply. That too is a recipe for disaster. I seek to lead others into a vital prayer life, but I tend to take it for granted myself. How foolish! I need to make full use, as called for, of emergency prayers, detailed prayers, and simply resting in my Father’s presence. Particularly, as I try to get across to others, I’ve got to remember that prayer isn’t a monologue; I need to listen to what He says to me even more than I rattle to Him. One of the very few times I have heard Him in what might have been an audible voice, He told me to shut up! I had been asking Him, nonstop, to speak to me, and He said, “Well then, shut up.” I was flabbergasted, but then I laughed at my own foolishness. I am to make full use of the privilege of prayer, and even more use of hearing what God has to say to me.

Father, thank You indeed for prayer. It defies all reason that You would want intimate communication with me, but Your Word and my experience both proclaim that very clearly. Help me never take that lightly or for granted, but operate always in full gratitude and obedience, so that Your will may be done in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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