Foundations: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel and Obadiah - Day 5

Read: Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk made two complaints to God in chapters one and two and now in chapter three it seems that he finally understands that God has a much bigger picture in mind than he did.   In verse 2 Habakkuk prays for renewal.   Knowing that they don’t deserve revival he prays for mercy.  The basic ideas is, “Lord, I know that we deserve your wrath but in the midst of your judgment remember mercy and send revival.”  In verses 3-15 Habakkuk speaks of the power of God on behalf of His people.  As Habakkuk prays for revival he begins to praise the God who brings revival speaking of His glory and splendor (v. 3-4) and deliverance (v. 13).  The chapter concludes with a statement of the prophet’s faith.  Habakkuk shows the proper response, recognizing his own weakness and low standing before God.  The Babylonians are coming with God directing their invasion.  He speaks of a vision of the desolate countryside yet in the midst of this devastation Habakkuk can still rejoice (v. 18).   The prophet finally understands that the power and majesty of God does not diminish during tough circumstances.  He is no longer questioning God’s ways.  There is no joy in the fig tree or the vines or in the fields or in the flock yet Habakkuk can still find joy in His unchanging God, who is greater than the calamity to come.  Habakkuk rightly claims that he would not put his trust in fig trees or vines or fields or flocks but only in the Lord.  He demonstrates this trust by praising God. 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   How does Habakkuk’s prayer inspire you to endure tough circumstances?

2.   Even though ruin and disaster is coming to Judah, Habakkuk realizes that God’s judgments are merciful, which brings strength and joy.  Ask the Lord to reveal to you 2-3 things about His character that you can hold on to in the tough times.  Thank Him for each one of them. 

3.   Re-read Habakkuk 3:16-19.  What lessons does God want to speak into your heart today through these verses? 

Foundations: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel and Obadiah - Day 4

Read: Habakkuk 1:12-2:20

Habakkuk was confused that God seemed to be doing nothing about the wickedness in the nation.  But when God told Habakkuk that He would do something about it through the wicked Babylonians Habakkuk became even more confused.  God would use an ungodly nation to execute judgment on His own people.  Habakkuk had been praying to God, pleading for society to get better but God’s answer shows that things are only going to get worse.  God tells His people to wait patiently and live by faith – trusting in His Sovereignty (2:4).  The evil ruler to come will be puffed up (2:4), arrogant and greedy (2:5) but God will have the last word!  Five woes are pronounced against Babylon (2:6, 9, 12, 15, 19).  But we shouldn’t think that they apply to them alone, these same woes could easily be applied to modern day societies. 

Woe 1 (2:6-8) – theft and extortion/lust for control

Woe 2 (2:9-11) – greed and unjust gain

Woe 3 (2:12-14) – violence

Woe 4 (2:15-18) – drunkenness, lust and corrupting others

Woe 5 (2:19-20) - idolatry

The woes in this chapter speak of difficult times for Habakkuk’s generation and even more so for our generation as we lead up to the return of Christ.  Habakkuk had initially complained of how God seemed to ignore injustice but now he is finding out that God is going to do something about it after all! 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   In 2:3 God says, “The revelation awaits for an appointed time”.  God is telling Habakkuk that he needs to take a long-term view and warn the people of what will come.   Is there something in your life where you need to take a long-term view?  Ask God about this, what does He want to say to you about this situation?

2.   Re-read each of the five woes in chapter two.  Ask the Lord to show you how you can pray for our society in each of these areas.  This may include repentance and intercessory prayer. 

3.   Read the promises in Habakkuk 2:14, 20.  God is not blind to injustice or human suffering nor is He powerless to do something about it.    Spend some time thanking and worshipping Him for this. 

Foundations: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel and Obadiah - Day 3

Read:  Habakkuk 1:1-11

Habakkuk is a unique book in that it is a dialogue between the prophet and God.  This prophet insisted on getting answers from God!  In fact Habakkuk actually argued with God over His ways in the first two chapters.  Their dialogue shows how the godly can struggle to comprehend the ways of God.  The first chapter focuses on the question – why does evil go unpunished?  Habakkuk noticed that the innocent suffered and the guilty seemed to go free.  What is God doing in the world?  Habakkuk was one of the good guys who feared God and obeyed Him but it was getting him nowhere.  God answered Habakkuk and told him that He was raising up a foreign nation, Babylon, to bring judgment.  This nation was so evil and powerful that nothing would be able to stop them.  We’ll see tomorrow how this answer did not satisfy the prophet.  God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we would expect.  Often we pray with an idea of how we would like Him to answer and when He responds differently we can become frustrated.  This book encourages us to trust in God’s ways even when we don’t understand them. 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   What were some of the injustices that enraged Habakkuk?  Do you ever feel that God doesn’t care about the injustices in your life or in the lives of your friends and family members?

2.   God answered Habakkuk’s prayer for justice but not in the way the prophet would have expected.  Have you ever questioned what God is doing in your life?  Do God’s ways sometimes not make sense to you?

3.   Thank God for being in control of your circumstances even when you don’t understand.  Pray for a heart that is unoffended by God and His ways, even when you can’t understand them. 

Foundations: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel and Obadiah - Day 2

Read: Zephaniah 2:4-3:20

In the second chapter Zephaniah addresses the nations that are threatening Judah on all sides.  He prophesies against Philistia to the west side of Judah (2:4-7), Moab and Ammon to the east (2:8-11), Egypt and Ethiopia to the south (2:12) and Assyria to the north (2:13-15).  Each nation is told that they will be punished by the Lord who is Judge of the whole world.  The third chapter reveals the future of Jerusalem.  The people are not responding to the message of coming judgment with repentance, instead the leaders, rulers, prophets and priests have forsaken their role of preserving society and are instead destroying society with their rebellion.  If these people don’t change soon there will be a national disaster!  Verses 8-20 of chapter three conclude with a message of hope, love and mercy.  God will purify the nations and restore the scattered remnant (3:9-10) bringing justice and peace in the land (3:11-13).  There will be great rejoicing because at that time no one will be proud, do wrong or tell lies (3:12-13).  Zephaniah even says that God will take great delight in His people and rejoice over them (3:17).  God is full of justice but also grace, gladness and tenderness.  He will remove their idolatry, pride, deceit, fear and enemies restoring to them safety, prosperity, purity, worship, trust, and joy.   

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Re-read Zephaniah 2:4-15.  How many times do you see references to pride, mocking, taunting, arrogance, etc.?  What Does God want to say to you about pride in your life?  What impact does this pride have in your personal relationships? 

2.   Ask the Lord to show you ways that you can embrace humility and be dependent on God this next week. 

3.   Re-read Zephaniah 3:14-17.  What do these verses tell us about God and the relationship that He has with His people? What does God want to say to you today through these verses?

Foundations: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel and Obadiah - Day 1

Foundations:  The Books of Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel and Obadiah 

9 Day Devotional

God used prophets to warn the people of His coming judgment and that restoration and blessing would come through repentance.  Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Joel and Obadiah all preached to the nation of Judah (Southern Kingdom) before the Babylonian captivity.  We can learn much about the character of God and what living for Him looks like through the writings of these prophets. 

Zephaniah 2:3 (NIV) “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.” 

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Day One

Read: Zephaniah 1:1-2:3

This book begins by telling us a little bit about Zephaniah’s heritage.  He was an ancestor of King Hezekiah, the last good king in Judah.  In the generations before Zephaniah ministered the people had drifted away from God.  Child sacrifice, idol worship, fertility cults and many sexual sins had become the norm.  The key theme of the “Day of the Lord”, which is mentioned 23 times, is central to his message.  This does not refer to a literal “day” but rather of a time when God would judge.  Our response to this message should be one of repentance.  In the first chapter, Zephaniah is concerned with the foreign religions which have saturated Judah.  The people had drifted away from the Lord, abandoning Him for other gods (v. 4-6).  In the next verses Zephaniah warns the people that the day of their punishment is close at hand (v. 7-9) and then describes how brutal the judgment will be (v. 10-18).  The merchants will be wiped out, the complacent will be punished with their wealth plundered and their houses demolished.  It will be a day of wrath, distress and anguish which will bring distress on the people because of their sins against the Lord (v. 17).  Zephaniah then offers them the possibility of deflecting the coming judgment through seeking God and doing what He commands.  If the people seek righteousness then perhaps they will be sheltered on the day of punishment (2:3).  This is the same message that most prophets preach, calling the people to humble themselves through repentance so that God will forgive them and show mercy towards them. 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   We often look back at Biblical times and think that we are much better than they are, but are we?  Our society is filled with so many sins – abortion, human trafficking, prostitution, rape, drug use, greed, lust, abuse, apathy, murder, theft, gluttony, paedophilia, blasphemy, fornication, and the list goes on.    The message of the coming judgment of the Lord is for us too!  Take a moment to repent on behalf of our region, our province and our nation.  We have rebelled against the Lord, we have turned from His ways and we have acted wickedly.

2.   Ask the Lord to show you 2-3 areas of personal sin in your life.  Spend some time in personal confession for those sins. 

3.   Thank the Lord for His forgiveness and pray that many more believers and unbelievers would turn to Him with repentant hearts and walk in His ways. 

Foundations: Micah - Day 7

Read: Micah 7

This chapter begins with Micah lamenting over the moral degeneration of his society.  Looking for godly people was like trying to find summer fruit after the harvest had ended.  Evil had gotten so bad that it wasn’t just one hand but BOTH hands that were doing evil (v. 3).  The day that the watchmen had warned them about had arrived (v. 4b).  Micah watches the family unit disintegrating (v. 6) and waits and hopes for deliverance (v. 7).  Even though Jerusalem has fallen, she will rise.  She will suffer for her sins but will be brought from darkness to light (v. 8-9).  God will punish her enemies (v. 10).  Israel will be blessed through expansion of her borders (v. 11) and people will migrate there (v. 12).  God will not forget His people.  They will be shepherded by Him (v. 14) and will experience miracles and wonders (v. 15) that testify to the nations who will be ashamed (v. 16) and will fear the Lord (v. 17).  Here we see that God’s ultimate purpose for Israel to be a light to the nations will be fulfilled as the nation’s turn to God.  God will pardon their sin and forgive their transgressions.  He delights to show mercy and will have compassion on His people.  God is faithful to His covenant and will keep the promise that He made to Abraham. 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Micah mourns the moral degradation of society.  Ask the Lord what He wants to say to you about the moral degradation of our society.  Then, pray for our nation.  Pray that you would learn to lament the sins of our culture the way that Micah lamented the sins of his.

2.   Even though Micah saw judgment coming his hope was in the Lord (v. 7).  What does God want to say to you today about finding hope in Him through tough circumstances? 

3.   Read verses 18-20 and turn them into a thanksgiving prayer.

Foundations: Micah - Day 6

Read: Micah 6

This chapter depicts a courtroom scene where God is building a lawsuit against Israel.  Micah begins by asking the people to listen to the Lord’s accusation.  God asks a rhetorical question, “What have I done to you (v. 3)?” and recounts His faithfulness to them including their deliverance from Egypt (v. 4), how Balaam blessed Israel instead of cursing them (v. 5a) and how they crossed the Jordan on dry land between Gilgal and Shittim (v. 5b).  The people respond by trying to bribe God with sacrifices, they are not repentant (v. 6-7).  Micah then tells them in verse 8 what God wants:   “…O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  God wants justice, mercy, loyalty and love!  Israel was far from Him and because of this God could declare them guilty.  They had cheated people with dishonest scales and false weights (v. 11).  They are a people of violence, lies and deceit (v. 12) therefore they will be punished.  They will eat but experience hunger, they will store but save nothing, they will plant but not harvest, and they will work and get nothing in return (v. 14-15).  They will be given over to ruin and be the scorn of nations (v. 16). 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Verses 3-5 speak of God’s faithfulness to His people.  How has God recently shown you His faithfulness?

2.   Sometimes Christians reduce Christianity down to simply following a bunch of rules or doing certain things like going to church or having regular devotions and avoiding other things like sin.  What does this chapter teach about these things? 

3.   Ask the Lord to show you how you can better live out verse 8.  Pray that you will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live according to His Word.   

Foundations: Micah - Day 5

Read: Micah 5

Chapter five is a continuation of chapter four but adds the promise of the future Messiah.  As Micah was writing the Gentiles were sieging Israel.  In the depths of judgement a great promise is given - a future king will be born in Bethlehem (v. 2). Israel will be abandoned until the Messiah is born (v. 3).  This Saviour will be a strong shepherd and the people will be delivered (v. 6b).  The remnant of Jacob will experience a divine source of existence (v. 7), irresistible power (v. 8) and divine promise (v. 9).  In order for these amazing things to happen God would first have to take away a few things such as human weapons and fortification (v. 10-11), the occult (v. 12), and idolatry (v. 13-14).  They will be cleansed!  Finally, God restates how He will deal with their enemies.

Prayer and Journaling

1.   In verse 5 Micah says, “And He will be their peace” meaning the Messiah.  How has Jesus brought and kept peace in your life?

2.   Verses 10-15 describe the destruction of anything that Judah might depend on instead of God.  Ask the Lord to show you the things that we, in our society, depend on.   What does the Lord want to say to you today about these things?

3.   Thank the Lord for the things that He has been showing you in His Word.  Thank Him for the light that His Word provides to us.  What are 2-3 other things you can thank Him for today in regards to His Word?   

Foundations: Micah - Day 4

Read: Micah 4

Micah now changes his focus and turns to what God intends to bring about in the future.  The chapter starts with the phrase, “in the last days” which tells us that this is an end times prophecy.  The following characteristics will be seen at that time:

• Jerusalem will become the centre on which nations converge (v. 1-2a)
• Jerusalem will be the centre on which God’s word goes forth and there will be peace (v. 2b-4)
• The nation will be gathered (v. 6)
• The nation will be transformed (v. 7)
• Jerusalem will be established as the capital of the world (v. 8)

Micah foresees the collapse of the monarchy (v. 9) and the impending exile (v. 10a) but he also sees that they will be redeemed (v. 10b).  Their enemies will gloat (v. 11) but they will be defeated (v. 12-13). 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   The future that Micah speaks of includes all nations coming to Jerusalem to worship.  This is a peaceful time when spears will no longer be needed so they will be turned into plowshares (v. 3).  Thank the Lord for the coming hope that we have for a great future in eternity!

2.   Re-read chapter four writing down all the blessings that we will experience in eternity!  How does this build desire and excitement in you for eternity?

3.   Even though there will be pretty tough times ahead, the prophet Micah tells of future victory.  What does God want to say to you about this today in relation to where we are at right now in human history?

Foundations: Micah - Day 3

Read: Micah 3

In this chapter the rulers are condemned for their wicked practices.  Instead of ruling with holiness and righteousness they abuse their power and seek personal gain instead of ensuring justice for all.  Three specific groups of rulers are mentioned:  princes (or leaders/rulers), priests and prophets.   The princes are metaphorically tearing skin off of the people, in other words, they are ripping them off.  They were only concerned about money.  Their punishment will be that in their time of trouble, God will ignore them and not answer them (v. 1-4).  The sin of the Prophets was prophesying peace when they were paid well and prophesying doom when they were not paid well.  For lining their own pockets God would bring darkness so dark that they would not be able to see and He will take away their dreams and visions (v. 5-7).  This is in contrast to Micah, who is a true prophet (v. 8) exposing the people’s sin.  Verse eleven gives a good summary – the princes, priest and prophets are all filled with greed!  They care more about money than they do about truth and are deceived into thinking that they falsely trust the Lord will protect them!  Because of their sin Jerusalem will be destroyed and the temple will be left in ruins (v. 12). 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   In verse 8 Micah says that he will stand up for what is right and proclaim the truth!  How is this a model for you to follow?  Ask Jesus to show you what this should look like in your life? 

2.   Greed is a common theme in chapter three.  Greed can have many faces, many of which we can be blind to.  Re-read the chapter, asking the Lord to show you His definition of greed.  Ask the Lord how you can apply what He has shown you in your walk with Him.

3.   The actions of the princes, priests and prophets have a direct effect on the nation.  Ask the Lord how you can pray for our nation’s leaders and church

Foundations: Micah - Day 2

Read: Micah 2

This chapter begins with Micah describing the depths of the sins of the people.  They are so evil that they stay awake at night scheming ways that they can take advantage of the poor (v. 1-2).  Therefore, God will have a stronger nation come in and do the same to them.  They will experience calamity, the rich landowners will fall and they will be cut off from the Promised Land.  In verses 6-7a Micah mimics the false prophets who keep telling the people that everything is going to be fine.  This sounds familiar in our day as many Christian leaders and churches say that everything is going to be fine.  Some even go so far as to teach that final judgment and eternal damnation does not exist.  Then there are others that teach a false health and wealth Gospel.  Verse 11 shows what kind of prophet the people wanted to listen to - one that promised what they wanted to hear.  Is that what we hear when we seek the Lord?  Even though the people are headed for captivity God promises deliverance!  There is the hope of restoration in the midst of this terrible message of judgment.  After the exile God will gather the remnant and bring them back (v. 12). 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Micah speaks of the rich who are exploiting the poor.  What does this look like in our world today with our global economy?  Ask the Lord to show you ways that you can take a stand against this. 

2.   Verse 11 speaks of how the people wanted to listen to someone who would tell them what they wanted to hear.  Meditate on this verse for a moment, asking the Lord to bring clarity on what this looks like in your life.

3.   The chapter closes with a marvelous promise for those who would experience oppression.  Ask the Lord to speak a promise to you today about an issue that you are facing.  Thank Him for what He shows you.   

Foundations: Micah - Day 1

Foundations:  The Book of Micah 

7 Day Devotional

The book of Micah alternates between oracles of judgment and oracles of hope.  God hates idolatry, injustice, rebellion and empty ritualism but delights in restoring His people when they return to Him. Micah also depicts the future glory of Jerusalem as well as including many prophecies about Jesus.

Micah 6:8 (NLT) “…O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” 

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Introduction to Micah

Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah.  Although Isaiah was born into the upper class and had wealthy connections as a cousin to the king, Micah lived in a poor region of Judah and was an ordinary country man.  Micah saw the exploitation of the poor firsthand and was deeply sensitive to the social ills of his day.  His ministry was during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.  At that time Israel was split into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah).  While Micah and Isaiah were preaching to the region of Judah, Hosea was preaching concurrently to the region of Israel before the exile by the Assyrians. 

King Jotham and King Ahaz of the Southern Kingdom led the country astray.  Even though Jotham was basically considered to be a good king he failed to remove the high places and so the worship of pagan gods continued.  Ahaz, on the other hand, was a bad king and failed in keeping the people from following other gods.  Evil practices spread from the Northern Kingdom to the Southern Kingdom and from the cities to the countryside.  The nation was becoming filled with corruption, exploitation, greed, cheating, violence and cruelty.  Social and political power was abused to gain wealth as the poor were oppressed.  Micah was passionate about social justice and was horrified that such things were happening among God’s people.  

Read:  Micah 1

Micah begins by pleading for the people to hear and listen (v. 2).  Judgment is coming for Samaria, the capital city of Israel (Northern Kingdom) and for Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah (Southern Kingdom).  God is not staying in His holy temple but He is coming down to the earth to bring judgment (v. 3).   It is God who is bringing this judgment upon the people because of their sin.  The people have not obeyed the covenant that God made with them; they have not obeyed His commands.  Verses 6-9 focus on the condemnation of Samaria.  The nation was full of idolatry therefore God would break their idols.  They had even degenerated so far that they had temple prostitutes; even Baal worship had become rampant.  Micah mourns for Samaria’s fall in verses 8-9.  History reveals that the Northern Kingdom was exiled to the Assyrians as punishment for their sins.   The sin of Samaria did not just infect their region but had spread to Judah, a wound that was incurable.  In verses 10-15 Micah uses poetic language to explain what would happen in various cities.  He speaks to Gath, Beth-le-aphrah, Shaphir, Zaanan, Beth-ezel, Maroth, Lachish, Moresheth-gath, Achzib, Mareshah and Adullam, describing to each of them the downfall that they would experience.  If Micah was writing to Canada he would include Canadian cities such as Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, etc.   The chapter ends with a final lamentation in verse 16, “Shave your heads in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourselves as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.”

Prayer and Journaling

1.   What does this chapter tell you about God (see vs. 3-4) and how He intervenes to deal with sin?

2.   Micah has a strong emotional response to the coming judgment (vs. 8).  What does this say to you about how believers should respond to the sins of their nation?  Ask the Lord to show you how you can pray for our nation.

3.   How would the children be affected by the people’s sins (vs. 16)?  Ask the Lord to show you how the children in our society will pay as the result of the sins of our nation, then turn that into a prayer of protection for the children. 

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 7

Read: Ephesians 6

Ephesians 5 closed with a description of how we can honour God in marriage. Ephesians 6 opens by describing how we can honour God in two other types of relationships: parent-child and master-slave. While marriage is designed as a relationship between two partners on an even playing field, these relationships have a clear hierarchy. The general principle for those with lesser influence (children and slaves) is to serve and obey from the heart, not just in outward action (v 1-3, 5-8). The fact that Paul addresses children, slaves and women, acknowledging that they have a choice in their heart about how to behave is empowering. At the time Paul wrote, these groups would never be acknowledged by society, much less given a choice about their lives. God loves everybody and demands obedient hearts for all, regardless of social status. For those of greater power in relationships (parents and masters), Paul simply says to treat others well, “knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality in Him” (v 4, 9).

Paul closes his letter to the Ephesians with an acknowledgement of reality. He knows the Holy Spirit has set the bar high for believers. He also knows that we are in a spiritual battle for our lives. If we ignore this battle, we will fall prey to our enemy. However, if we fight with courage and the Holy Spirit’s help, we will win (v 11). The armour of God refers to a set of tools God has given us to help us in this battle (v 13-17). Our strength comes from Him (v 10), but we must actively use His strength.

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Ask God to speak to you about your relationships. How do you act when you have greater power or influence in a relationship? What is the condition of your heart? What about when you are in a position where somebody had power or influence over you? What is God saying about this?

2.   The armour of God is such a common passage of Scripture that we often skim over it, not pausing to apply it to our lives. Spend some time thinking about each of the pieces of armour listed in Ephesians 6:13-17. Ask God how He wants you to use this armour in your life.

3.   Pray for your family today. Ask God to reveal specific tactics that the enemy is using against your family. Pray that God would empower you to battle on behalf of your family. Ask God to protect and strengthen your loved ones in the fight. Pray that Jesus would gain ground in your family, and ultimately have victory in their lives. Pray for people in your family by name, that they would come to know Him and love Him more.

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 6

Read: Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5 picks up where Ephesians 4 left off, describing what a life filled with the Holy Spirit will look like. The first sentence sums up Paul’s focus for the entire letter: Because we have such a great, loving Father, we should try to become like Him. Imitating God is our purest form of obedience. On the contrary, choosing to live in sin is putting our own desires and standards above God’s. It is saying we know better and God is not worthy of our obedient love. It is therefore no surprise that “no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ” (v 5).

Just as we must be on guard against sin, we must also be on guard against deception (v 6-15). One day all things will be exposed (v 13). On this day our lives will either prove faithful to Christ or rebellious against Him. We have little time on earth. We live in an evil age, with an enemy always prowling like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We must be on guard, using our precious time for good, to the advancement of God’s kingdom, rather than giving our enemy free reign.

From this warning, Paul moves into instruction. He tells the Ephesians to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v 18). Paul describes what some practical outworkings of this filling will be: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (v 19a); singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord (v 19b); always giving thanks (v 20a); and submitting to one another (v 21). Translated properly from Greek, the passage would read, “Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. Wives, to your husbands... Husbands, to your wives.” God cares deeply about marriages because they are a picture of Christ and the Church. Husbands and wives are to deny themselves and put their spouse’s needs first. In the same way “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (v25). The Church’s response is to serve Christ with everything we have. When husbands and wives love and serve one another in obedience to God, it declares the work of Jesus to everyone they encounter.

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Let God speak to you about how you are his “dearly beloved child” (v 1). Write down what He shows you.

2.   Meditate on Ephesians 5:22-33. “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (v 32). Ask God to speak to you about how godly marriages bring Him glory.

3.   Godly marriages are worth fighting for. Intercede for marriage in the Church today, knowing that God’s heart breaks over the condition of many marriages. Pray that He would strengthen marriages. Ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit in marriages, that husbands and wives would be empowered to love and submit to one another. Ask God to teach spouses how to practically serve and respect each other. Pray that Jesus would receive much glory because of marriages in His Church. Pray that, because of godly marriages, many people would come to a greater understanding of Christ’s work.

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 5

Read: Ephesians 4

God wants His Body to be holy and mature. He desires that we would “walk in a manner worthy of the calling we’ve received” (v 1). Once we have knowledge of the truth of Christ is and what He has done for us, we are responsible for how we handle that knowledge. Once we have experienced God and known His saving power, we must live out of this knowledge. We cannot claim to know Christ and continue living in sin. This is hypocritical and self-deceiving. The life that has met Christ must be the life that is submitted to Christ. His holiness demands this of us.

While God demands that we do our part to live a holy life, He understands that we are imperfect humans. Our sin nature prevents us from fully living in holiness. Because of this, He gives us His grace to help us live rightly. In this passage of Scripture alone, we see three key ways God helps believers live lives of holiness. First, He empowers people with gifts. God appoints people to the different roles of the fivefold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers) “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church” (v 11-12). We can grow in holiness with the help of the ministers God places in our lives. Second, God provides us with warnings against falling back into our former lives (v 17-24). The enemy would have us forget the ugliness of a sinful life. Sometimes we need to be reminded of how things were without Christ in order to be motivated to continue our pursuit of Christ. Third, God helps us grow in holiness by giving us specific guidance (v 25-32). He uses Scripture to give us practical instruction on how to make our lives pleasing to Him.

Prayer and Journaling

1.   God wants you to “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (v 22-24). Are there any areas of hidden sin in your life here you haven’t put off your old self? Confess these to God. Receive His forgiveness and ask for His grace to change.

2.  Re-read Ephesians 4:25-32. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through this passage. What verses or thoughts stand out to you? Ask God to show you how you can live out these words.

3.  Pray for Christians in the marketplace. Their character is a huge factor in how people in their spheres of influence view Christianity. Pray that God would empower them to live in a manner worthy of their calling. Pray that they would see that their greatest calling in life is to bring God glory.

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 4

Read: Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3 contains one of the most well-known prayers in Scripture (v 16-21). Unfortunately, when we are extremely familiar with one passage of Scripture, it can be easy to skim past the lesser-known sections to get to the familiar passage. Careful study of the surrounding passages reveals an important piece of information: why the Holy Spirit chose to include this prayer in Scripture. Verse 14 says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father”. This phrase indicates that Paul’s reason for praying is found directly before the prayer itself.

The first half of Ephesians 3 describes Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles.  The prayer in the second half of the chapter, therefore, comes out of His heart for the Gentiles to know “the unfathomable riches of Christ” (v 8). The first three chapters of Ephesians are dedicated to deepening the readers’ understanding of the Gospel. It is interesting to note that this section is bookended by prayer (1:15-19, 3:16-21). If we desire to know Christ on a more intimate level it is crucial that we spend time seeking Him in prayer.

Prayer and Journaling

1.  God’s plan was always for Christ to save both the Jews and the Gentiles. However, He waited until the timing was perfect to reveal that the Gospel was for everyone, not just the Jews (v 10). Worship God for His wisdom. He knows all things and His timing is perfect. Think of a difficult situation in your own life. Thank God that He is wise, sovereign, loving and powerful in this situation.

2.   Take stock of your prayer life today. What does it look like? How are you growing in prayer? Is prayer a vital lifeline for you or do you only pray (begrudgingly) when you are prompted to do so? Ask God to show you how you can grow in prayer.

3.   Intercede for the children of our church today. Pray that they would grow to become mighty prayer warriors. Ask God to protect their childlike faith from the evil tactics of the enemy. Pray that their closeness with God would influence many, including their own families.

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 3

Read: Ephesians 2

Life with Christ is abundant and purposeful. We were once dead in our trespasses and sins, but now we are alive in the righteousness given to us by Christ! God saves us that we might know His mercy and great love. Part of His love for us is revealed in His desire to partner with us in spreading His kingdom. He created every single human being with specific gifts and characteristics, so that we could do the specific good works He has prepared for us (v 10).

Before we submitted ourselves to Jesus’ leadership, we lived according to the desires and passions of the sinful nature. As Christians it is easy to forget that many of the people we interact with daily are still slaves to sin. Our friends, family, neighbours, co-workers and loved ones are living apart from Christ, not part of God’s people and not knowing His promises. They live in this world without God and without hope (v 12). This is one of the saddest statements in Scripture and it is a true description of our world. Our world is lost and desperate. We must become urgent for Christ to restore people’s lives and give ourselves to shine His light in the darkness.

Prayer and Journaling

1.   How has your life has changed as a result of knowing Christ? How have you moved from death to life, from despair to hope? Thank God for these things.

2.   God made you in a specific way, and wants to use you to advance His kingdom. Ask God to show you how He made you: what gifts, abilities, characteristics, personality traits, etc. did He choose to give you? How does He desire to use these unique things about you to advance His kingdom?

3.  God does not discriminate. He desires all people to be saved (v 14-17). Are there any individuals or groups of people that you avoid ministering to? Confess and ask God to reveal why you struggle with these particular people. Ask God to give you His love and compassion for these people. Where our love for people is never enough, God’s love for people is always more than enough.

4.  Pray that the Church in Canada would grow in our burden to reach the lost. Pray that we would not be happy playing church, but that our eyes would be opened to the broken, hopeless state of the people around us. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of many in our nation, in anticipation of a great harvest. Ask God to begin or strengthen strategic relationships that He desires to use to lead people to Him. Pray for boldness and grace on the part of believers. Pray that our love for God would burn so strongly that we could not help but desire for all to know Him more!

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 2

Read: Ephesians 1

Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians to encourage them and to strengthen their faith. Paul begins the letter by giving a lengthy list of the blessings God gives us through Christ. God has not merely given us some blessings, or many blessings, He has given us every spiritual blessing. In the North American Church, we often have a distorted view of what “blessing” is. We think that God should display His love by giving us worldly comfort, removing any troubles from our path, and giving us financial success. This denies God’s ability to bless us and grow us through difficulty. Surely the blessings listed here are the truest blessings on which we should focus. God is a generous, loving Father. He lavishes these blessings on us that we might be empowered to love Him and fulfill His mission on earth.  Trusting in God’s promises is vital to our Christian walk. If we cannot trust His promises, we cannot trust His character. If we cannot trust God’s character, certainly we will not live in full submission to Him. Thus, attacking our belief in God’s promises is a tactic commonly used by the enemy.

The second section of Chapter 1 consists of a prayer. Paul provides a wonderful model for us here. Instead of merely telling the Ephesians he is praying for them, he actually prays for them! Prayer minister to hearts in an extremely powerful way. Imagine the fruit that would grow if, instead of constantly seeking human advice, we asked our brothers and sisters to pray with us. There are five key points in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.  First, he genuinely thanks God for them (v 16). Second, he prays that God would give them wisdom (v 17). Third, he prays that God would reveal Himself to the Ephesians, that they would know Him better (v 17). Fourth, he prays that the Ephesians would understand the hope found in following God’s calling (v 18). Finally, Paul prays that God would reveal “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (v 18). Having these revelations planted firmly in our hearts will help us navigate any situation that comes our way in a manner that is pleasing to God.

Prayer and Journaling

1.   A large portion of this chapter is dedicated to describing some of the spiritual blessings God gives us through Christ (v 3-14). Re-read this passage and make a list of as many spiritual blessings as you can see here. Meditate on each of these blessings and thank God for them.

2.   Are any of the promised blessings in this passage hard for you to believe? For example, many people struggle to believe that God truly loves them or that He wants them to be holy and blameless (v 4). Ask God to show you why you have a difficult time believing this specific promise. When He shows you something, pray that He would heal this area of your heart and ask Him to speak truth to you. If believing God in this area is a big struggle, consider signing up for Personal Ministry at the church.

3.   There are many powerful prayers found in the Bible. Praying the words of Scripture is a beautiful tool we are given in intercession. When we simply do not know what to pray, we can open up the Bible and begin to pray God’s words.  One such prayer is in Ephesians 1:15-19. Spend some time praying these things for your family today. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight into how you can pray each verse over your family’s unique situations.

Foundations: Ephesians - Day 1

The Epistle to the Ephesians

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gives us a brief, practical guide to Christianity. It centres on what Christ has done for us and how we are to live as a result. Christ came to bring new life to all, both Jew and Gentile. He saves, changes and empowers us so we might live in a manner that spreads His kingdom on earth.

Ephesians 5:1-2“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

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Read: Acts 19-20 and the Introduction to Ephesians, if your Bible has one

During his third missionary journey, the Apostle Paul spent three years in Ephesus. When he first arrived there were a handful of men seeking God. At their first meeting, Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus to these men and they received the Holy Spirit. Paul spent the next two years sharing the Gospel in Ephesus, “so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the words of the Lord” (19:1-10). During his ministry in Ephesus, Paul witnessed miracles, great waves of repentance and riotous uproars from opponents. He built strong relationships with the Ephesians, and especially so with the Church elders. We are witness to a moment of intimate friendship when Paul says his final farewell to the Ephesian elders (20:13-38).

Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while he was imprisoned in Rome. It was likely intended as a cyclical letter – one that would be passed around between many churches in the area. Chapters 1-3 focus primarily on what Christians should believe. Chapters 4-6 describe how a Christian’s beliefs should be displayed practically through their lifestyle. This format – beginning with right belief and then moving into right action – is common of Paul’s letters to the Church.

Prayer and Journaling

1.  Why is it important that believers balance right belief with right action? Do you practice this in your own life?

2.  Pray for the Canadian Church today. Pray that we would grow in our beliefs, seeking the full truth of the Gospel. Pray that we would not be complacent, but that we would have a constant desire for deeper revelation of God’s truth. Pray also that this knowledge of truth would produce a harvest of righteousness in the Canadian Church. Pray that believers in our nation would be set apart from the world. Pray that our actions would reflect God’s character to those around us.

Foundations: Galatians - Day 7

Read: Galatians 6

Galatians 6 contains further instruction about how the Christian life is to look. First, Paul addresses how we relate to other believers. Our sinful nature is tempted to become prideful when we catch people in sin. Instead, we are to humbly help our brothers and sisters regain their footing in their walk with Christ (v 1-3). The Church is Christ’s body. We are the practical means He uses to do ministry in our world. We must serve one another in love (v 3).

Paul also discusses the principle of sowing and reaping. We must all live with the results of our actions. No farmer would plant corn and expect to grow a harvest of wheat. That would be ludicrous. In the same way, if we invest our resources (time, energy, money, etc.) in sinful pursuits, we cannot expect to gather a harvest of righteousness. Along with a warning about investing in the flesh, this illustration carries a promise. If we sow into the Spirit, we will gather a harvest of the Spirit. The time we spend in prayer will produce fruit. The choices we make to deny sin and follow righteousness, even when it is difficult or costly, will result in Christlike character. The sacrifices we make on behalf of others will result in reward in heaven. How wonderful it is that our struggles and sacrifices today will produce a massive harvest in eternity!

 

Journaling and Prayer

1.  Reflect on your life. Do you typically sow into the Spirit or into the flesh? Ask God to show you how your view of eternity affects where you sow.  

2.  Look back over your thoughts about the Law of Moses from Day 1 of this devotional. Has anything changed as a result of studying Galatians? If you still have questions regarding Mosaic Law, Southland has many wonderful resources including a message series (“The Law and the Old Testament”) and a doctrinal paper (“The Law is still applicable, good and indispensable”), which are available for free on our website.

3.  Paul closes his letter to the Galatians by praying that Jesus would give them grace (v 18). The Holy Spirit had used this letter to call the Galatian church to higher standards. They would fail if they strived for these standards by human effort alone. Ask God to highlight some people in your life who earnestly desire to grow in their walks with Him. Pray for His grace to empower them. Also pray for a filling of grace in your life!

Foundations: Galatians - Day 6

Read: Galatians 5

Christ has set us free. We are no longer obligated to fulfill the entire law in order to please God (v 1). What good news for imperfect people like ourselves! We must choose to remain in this freedom daily. This means fully placing our trust in Him by acknowledging that we can do nothing to make ourselves blameless. Paul illustrates this truth with the example of circumcision (v 2-6). By making salvation dependent on our work, we deny Jesus’ power to fully liberate us from bondage to sin and death. Christ demands our entire hearts. By denying His power in one area, we effectively deny His power in our entire lives.

Now that he has hammered against legalism, Paul addresses people on the other side of the matter. People, by nature, overcorrect. When we learn that one extreme is bad, we often swing to the opposite extreme. Paul addresses this tendency when he writes this: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” (v 13). To say that we are released from the Law does not mean that our actions do not matter. We are still called to deny sin and practice love (v 13-23). However, the motivation behind our actions changes when we live under freedom. Previously, we tried to live well in order to make ourselves right before God. Now we are obey not out of fear, but out of love. We obey because we are grateful for what Christ has done and we want to give our lives back to Him as a gift. We obey as children wholly loved by our Father. When the Holy Spirit is alive and active in our hearts, we begin to obey not because we have to, but because we eagerly desire to!

Journaling and Prayer

1.  Reflect on the nature of your obedience. Do you seek to obey God? Why or why not? Ask God to show you why an obedient life is pleasing to Him.

2.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (v 23). Ask God to show you where these traits have been evident in your life. How have you grown in these lately? Receive His encouragement – these characteristics are tangible evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in your life!

3.  People who live in repeated, unrepentant sin “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (v 21b). Spend some time in confession today on behalf of the Church in Canada. Jesus is returning for a pure bride. Reflect on our sins and the broken nature of Christ’s bride in our nation. If you need a place to start, you can begin with the sins listed in Galatians 5:19-21. Acknowledge that the Church has displayed both legalism and outright sin, but has forgotten the power of Christ’s grace. Ask God to help us to do what we can: denying sin because we love Him and He is worthy of our praise. Ask Him to help us trust Him to do what we cannot: making us wholly pure and blameless before Him.

Foundations: Galatians - Day 5

Read: Galatians 4

Galatians 4 begins with a summary of Paul’s message in Galatians 3. Life under the law was similar to being an heir and a child: you have been promised an inheritance, but have not yet received it (v 1-2). Life under Christ can then be compared to life as an adult heir: you have been promised redemption since God first spoke to Abraham and because of Jesus have been able to receive that redemption. What a glorious gift this is for those who love Christ (v 3-7)!

Now that he has fully laid out the truth, Paul makes a passionate plea to the Galatians. “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God – or rather are known by God – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” Paul reminds the Galatians of the fire that once burned in their hearts (v 13-15). He warns them against becoming so caught up in observing Jewish customs, such as festivals, that they lose the heart of the Gospel (v 10-11).

Paul closes his plea with yet another illustration of what it means to be a slave vs. a free person. The Holy Spirit guided Paul to use Hagar and Sarah (Genesis 15-21) to represent the slave and the free person. Ishmael was born to Abraham and Hagar. He was the result of taking God’s promise (Genesis 12) and trying to fulfill it by human effort. In the same way, when we live by the law we are trying to receive salvation by human effort. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. He was the miraculous result of God’s power, as Sarah was barren. When we receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, we are allowing God to miraculously fulfill His promise in the way only He can.

 

Journaling and Prayer

1.  Passion is a wonderful thing, “provided the purpose is good” (v 18)! God is passionate! He gave us the ability to feel passion so that we too would be motivated to fulfill good purposes. What are you passionate about? Ask God if your passion is directed at good purposes. Ask Him if there is anything He wants you to grow in passion for.

2.  Paul first preached the Gospel to the Galatians because he was sick (4:13). God often allows negative circumstances in our lives because He desires to use them for eternal purposes, bringing Himself glory. Ask God is He desires to use anything negative in your life to build His kingdom.

3.  Paul passionately fought for the hearts of the Galatians. He cared about their salvation deeply (v 19). There is a battle raging for the hearts and minds of the Church today. There are many false doctrines being spread by demons. Pray for truth to reign over the Church. Pray that Christians would saturate themselves in Biblical truth, so they would know false doctrines from true ones. Pray that the Holy Spirit would pour out the gift of discernment, a tool greatly needed in our world.  Pray especially for young people, who are forming their core beliefs in an age when Christianity is becoming increasingly marginalized. Pray for boldness for believers to stand for truth.