Today's Devotional
“. . . a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” — Titus 1:2
It’s been said that a child doesn’t
know the difference between a broken promise and a lie.
To the parent, a promise is something we strive to fulfill
but, “Hey, one never knows what tomorrow might
bring.” But to the child, a promise is a statement
of fact about future events. Period.
Before there was time, God made a promise
that the people whom he chose, by their faith, would
live forever. But then, no sooner did time begin than
the first rebellion broke out in the Garden of Eden.
It was the first in a long line of reasons for God to
back out of his promise. Who could blame Him for backing
out? I would renege, especially since the promise was
made without a witness. And I would definitely suspend
the promise if the provisions of the relationship were
frequently and maliciously broken, as indeed they were.
But our verse for today says that God
does not lie and that his inability to lie is related
to the fact that he made a promise. The Greek uses the
adjective form saying the “not-lying God.”
To God, a broken promise and a lie are one and the same,
and he can do neither. He does not have the propensity
to alter his character nor his intention toward us.
What he started must be completed. He will not, and
can not, alter what was a part of his being even before
we ever came into existence.
There is a great sense of security in
knowing God’s omnipotence. His inability to lie,
likewise, gives security. Doubts about God changing
his mind vanish when we realize that, unlike us, God
can not break a promise or lie. And in his mind, truth
and promises are the same. Think for a moment what you
believe about promises. What promises have you made
that you can follow through on today?
* * * * *
Father, I take great comfort in
knowing that my sins have no bearing on your decision
to grant me eternal life. Your inability to do otherwise
binds my heart to yours. I love you.
From More Precious Than Silver, April 6, by Joni Eareckson Tada, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998.
Tomorrow's Devotional
“For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” — Hebrews 7:28
Jesus is the perfect Priest who can completely empathize
with our weaknesses. His response to our plight —
especially our grief and pain — is utterly perfect.
This is good news for the hurting widow, the rejected
wife, the abandoned young person, and the stroke survivor
dealing with loss of his ability to think clearly and
walk steadily. It’s good news because sometimes
we think that God is far removed from our heartache.
Yet Jesus — God in the flesh — is never,
ever far removed from our grief.
Consider the grief shown by Jesus in
the gospels. See him with Mary, the sister of Lazarus,
at the tomb of her brother. John 11:35 poignantly observes
that “Jesus wept.” Did only his human nature
weep, and not his divine? No, for Jesus explained, “...the
Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he
sees his Father doing...” (John 5:19). The grief
Jesus showed on earth reflects not only the Father’s
heart, but also the Holy Spirit’s — for
we learn in Isaiah 63:10 of the Spirit’s reaction
to a straying Israel: “They rebelled and grieved
his Holy Spirit...” The entire Trinity is able
to grieve.
“As with his contentment, joy,
and anger,” says Steve Estes, “God’s
grief is a worthy emotion — without weakness,
without impurity, without anything uncomely. It never
paralyzes him, and it did not lead him sentimentally
to ignore justice...” In other words, when God
grieves, he does it perfectly. He does it without reservations
or insecurities. He always knows the right thing to
feel, do, and say. Others may stumble to offer the right
response, but not God. When it is right to grieve, when
grieving is the perfect response — this is what
God does, because he is perfect.
If you know someone who is grieving, gently point him
to Christ. The Lord grieves better, more wisely and
more wonderfully, than anyone can imagine.
* * * * *
Lord, thank you for always having
the perfect response to whatever it is I am going through,
whether grief, joy, pain or contentment.
From More Precious Than Silver, April 6, by Joni Eareckson Tada, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998.
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