December 25th Devotional (Day 93)

In these nine meditations, we will focus on the wonder of Christmas as revealed in Luke 2:1-20.

 

Passage to Ponder: Luke 2:1-20

“While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” -Luke 2:6-7 (NASB)

  Merry Christmas! I pray that you wakened to this glorious day filled with joy, hope, and peace—that your heart is merry in the love of Jesus. I have often found deep meaning in the Scriptures by meditating on some of the phrases surrounding the text’s main idea. Obviously, the chief point of Luke 2:6-7 is that Jesus was born. Yet, let’s not miss the phrase “the days were completed.” Take a moment and think about the full meaning of those few words. I’ll wait while you wonder…

Ready to continue? When I give attention to “the days were completed,” my mind starts doing some word associations…destiny, fulfillment, accomplished, achieved, and realized are the words that pop into my head. The birth of Jesus was not a happy accident in a series of random events. Mary wasn’t the only one who was giving birth that night in Bethlehem. From eternity past, all of history was pregnant with the promise of a Savior. The long-awaited moment had finally arrived. Eternity future would count the arrival of Immanuel, God with Us, as the most important event in the span of perpetuity. Long before the creation of the first atom and the first Adam, God had been planning this moment. The word “completed” is the Greek word pletho which is often translated as “fulfilled” elsewhere in the New Testament. Jesus is the “fulfillment” of the promised Messiah.

Earlier, the angel told Joseph to take Mary as his wife in Matthew 1:21, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All our hopes for being saved from our sinful nature are completed, fullfilled in Jesus. Humanity no longer was waiting for that distant day…the tomorrow for which the world yearned had now become today! Like children awakening on Christmas morning with excitement to see the presents under the tree, humanity can rush to another tree—the cross of Christ—and find the greatest present ever given.

Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room! Sing along with all of Heaven and nature to praise the Father for sending His only Son on this special day. Merry Christmas!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click HERE to View Dec 24th Livestream

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

December 24 Devotional Day 92

It has been six months since I stopped writing these daily devotions during our journey through the 2020 pandemic. The last one was on June 14 and was number 91. Since we have continued to deal with COVID-19 through the summer and fall months, I feel my devotional writing is unfinished business nagging me for completion. So, let's close out the remainder of the year together and start 2021 with the 100th devotion. In these nine meditations, we will focus on the wonder of Christmas as revealed in Luke 2:1-20.

Passage to Ponder: Luke 2:1-20

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. -Luke 2:1-5 (NASB)

  So, you think you had a difficult year in 2020? As the old saying goes, “If you think you have it bad, remember there’s always someone who has it worse than you!” That adage would have been true in the days of the first Christmas. While many people were struggling, they could have looked at young Mary and Joseph and said, “Wow! I’m glad I’m not one of those two!” When you read the first five verses of Luke 2, words such as “hardship,” “challenging,” “difficulties,” and “trials” come to mind. Two poor people are facing an unexpected pregnancy, a crazy government command to travel in the ninth month of pregnancy just so they could get counted to pay a tax they could little afford.

And here they are…on the rocky road to Bethlehem because forces beyond their control require it. There was no logical argument that would change the bureaucratic conundrum. Life was blowing hard against them like a slow-moving hurricane. Yes, when I read these words from Luke’s Gospel, my heart breaks for Mary and Joseph as they head down the bumpy southern road. The Bible doesn’t tell us if Mary rode a donkey, rode in a wagon, or walked. But whatever the mode of travel, it was slow and torturous. But aren’t you glad Mary and Joseph had to go on the trek to Bethlehem?

The trip may have seemed like too much of an inconvenience. After all, didn’t this unplanned travel result in Jesus being born in an animal stall? However, we have the blessing of hindsight to see that God was fulfilling the prophecy: The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5). Do you see how this may apply to you? Is it possible that God is orchestrating the events of your life and those you love to bring about His purposes in this world? Could the current hardships you endure be designed to bring Him glory? God loves you just as much as He loves Mary and Joseph! If He can use Mary and Joseph to change the world, He can surely use you in mighty ways!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click HERE to View Dec 20th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 25

Passage to Ponder: 1 Samuel 4:1-22

After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” -1 Samuel 4:3 (NLT)

  In the last devotional I wrote that trust is “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, and truth of God.” Do you remember the truth I asked you to file in your heart? “Trust is based upon who and what you know, not what you feel.” You are always trusting in someone or something, even when you think you are not! Some people trust themselves—their health and intellect. Some trust their possessions and money. Some trust false gods. Some trust the Lord. Who or what are you trusting?

  There is another thing in which people trust that I didn’t mention in the preceding paragraph. That thing is religion. We need to be careful we really are trusting in God, not religion. There was a wicked man named Eli who held the office of high priest in Israel. He was very religious but corrupt to the core. His sons were just as bad. God had even warned Eli to repent and turn back to Him. If Eli and the boys didn’t start trusting the Lord, they were going to die. Yet, these men would not listen to God’s call. They loved their religion which gave them the appearance of doing good, appropriation of good things, and an alibi for their sins. That’s the allure of religion…appearance, appropriation, alibis. None of those things are of God. 

 We see their religion on full display in one of the darkest days of Israel’s history. The Israelites had just been defeated in battle against the Philistines. They were dismayed because they thought defeat was impossible since they were God’s chosen ones. In verse 3 we see religion in action. The elders of Israel ask, “Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then someone had this idea: “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”  

 Eli and his sons seem to agree because they allow the Ark of the Covenant to be taken from the Tabernacle and carried into battle. I hope you noticed this little part of verse 3: “…it will save us…” They were trusting “it” instead of the God who gave “it” to them. In the end, they lost “it” as the Philistines won the battle and took the Ark. 

 Religion leads you to trust in relics…whether it be the Ark or your good deeds. There was nothing wrong in the ancients having the Ark. And, it is fantastic to do good things. But don’t put your trust in doing good things. When you do that, you are trusting in yourself. Put your assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, and truth of God. Don’t carry your Ark into battle. Let God go before you and fight the battle as you rely on His character, ability, strength, and truth! Then you can be assured of the victory!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click HERE to View April 5th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 24

Passage to Ponder: 2 Timothy 1:1-12

“That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” -2 Timothy 1:12 (NLT)

  I spoke with my father in Texas on the phone last night. He called to see how his wayward son who moved his daughter-in-law and grandchildren away to Wisconsin were doing. As we spoke, he said my mother was watching the news. We had a little chuckle as we both agreed that taking a break from the news right now is good for our mental health. The constant news cycle causes us to focus on the circumstances and become overwhelmed with fear, doubt, and despair. Spend too much time with that kind of “stinking thinking” and you begin to believe the lying whisper from the enemy that God is deaf or uncaring. This leads to feeling vulnerable and alone.

  How do you get through distress when God seems to be silent? You do it just like the Apostle Paul did while he was in prison. He used trust as his weapon of choice. “…for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” A good definition of trust is “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, and truth of God.” With the onset of trials, you can anchor yourself in the truth of who God is for you. God aches for you to know Him and truly trust Him as Abba, your Daddy in Heaven. When your troubles cause a war of doubt to rage in your mind, you can draw on the deep well of who God is for you (Abba, Heavenly Daddy) and His promises to you.

  Now here is a truth you need to file in your heart: trust is based upon who and what you know, not what you feel. Look at what Paul wrote in verse 12 again, “…I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him…”  Trust thrives when you know the One in whom you trust loves you. Trust leads you to believe the best about God and His plan for you--love always trusts (1 Cor 13:7). To trust is to live in expectation of seeing God come through, even when circumstances are hard. Trust is to anticipate the goodness of God. Trust seeks the evidences that your Father is at work even when you can’t see what He is doing.

  After I got off the phone with my father, I received a text message from my mother-in-law in Texas asking if I had seen the pink hue of tonight’s full moon. I stepped outside and looked up at the sky. Clouds. No moon to be seen. I didn’t panic thinking someone has stolen the moon! (The movie “Despicable Me” wasn’t a documentary!) I have a lot of experience looking up and seeing the moon. I know the moon well even though I have never touched it. So, from experience, I know the moon is still there shining bright when it can’t be seen. No need to worry that it has abandoned its orbit…it is still there behind the clouds.

  As well as I know the moon, I know God even better! I haven’t ever touched the moon, but God has touched me. His Spirit is within me. I have heard His voice in the past. I have experienced His goodness and grace. He is working when I can see Him and when troublesome clouds block my view. 

  Whether it is dealing with this pandemic or other personal issues, you may be facing hardships where answers seem scarce and the end is not in sight. God is inviting you to lean into Him and trust His “moon” is still there.

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click HERE to View April 5th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 23

Passage to Ponder: Psalm 119:129-136

“The teaching of Your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.” -Psalm 119:130 (NLT)

 I had the blessing and privilege to sit in classes taught by many wonderful Bible scholars, theologians, and biblical languages teachers when I was seminary. Those opportunities have continued over the past few decades in various conferences and trainings I have attended. I am thankful for what I learned from these experts in their academic fields and have valued their counsel in pastoral ministry. But the scholar I learned the most from wasn’t any of these men. This greatest Bible scholar I ever met and was one of my early mentors, imparted a deep love in me for God’s Word. Sadly, this Bible expert would have never been allowed to teach in a seminary or speak at a conference. It is not because it wasn’t a man. It is because she never finished high school. The greatest Bible teacher I have ever known held no official position in my home church. She was the widow of the founding pastor of Beacon Baptist Church. Her name was Ruby Hedge. 

  Picture a short, wide lady with white hair and horned rimmed glasses. She always wore a plain dress and, if she wasn’t at church, an apron. We all just called her “Miss Ruby.” I have never met someone who was so “simple” yet possessed so much wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of people and God’s Word. Her heart was bigger than the homemade cinnamon rolls she often brought for the Texas A&M students who went to our church. Let me tell you, she had a BIG heart! The reason her heart was so big was because her first love was God and she delighted spending hours each day reading and meditating on God’s love letters to her—the Bible. While she has been with Jesus for over 30 years now, I still treasure what I learned from her sitting in small group Bible studies in her home when I was a high school and college student. She often would teach quoting entire chapters from her King James Bible without ever looking at the page open on her lap. Like Elisha prayed for an extra portion of Elijah’s spirit and power in the Old Testament, I sometimes find myself asking God to let me have half the understanding of Miss Ruby because I would be much wiser than I am now with only half of her wisdom!

  It is important that you go to church and learn from your pastor’s sermons. There is great benefit in reading the works of doctrinally sound Bible scholars. Small group Bible studies are a great way to increase your knowledge, too. But if you want the “light,” the wisdom from God, you must be able to agree with the psalmist who wrote, “I pant with expectation, longing for your commands” (Psalm 119:131). Ask God to give you a thirst which can only be quenched by His word. May God give us more Miss Ruby’s today!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click HERE to View April 5th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 22

Passage to Ponder: James 4:13-17

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? -James 4:13-14

 Palm Sunday was a challenging day in my family. The quarantine blues and sense of helplessness engulfed several members of the household. I must admit I am feeling some of those same emotions. I wonder if we will be able to freely travel again by summer. Normally, I already have summer vacation travel plans, family visits outlined, and lodging reservations in place by this time. Am I going to spend a few days rejuvenating my soul while my feet soak in the warm Gulf of Mexico waters on the Texas coast? That is a place where I can be alone with God and allow my soul to “get grounded” again. 

  I know we aren’t the only ones cancelling plans and struggling with all of this. But, at this moment, I particularly feel the weight of it all. I have known all through this quarantine that I can’t fix these problems. Now, the helpless feelings drive home the reality that I can’t fix these problems. As a husband and father, I want to protect my family and step in front of the bullets—but I can’t. Are you as depressed reading these things as I am writing them? Now, here is the turning point. I’m not supposed to stop the bullets. I’m not supposed to fix these problems. That is God’s job!

  James, the brother of Jesus, wrote that our plans can be overruled by God’s plans. He writes in verses 15-16, “What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.” The 17th verse just seems to dangle there at the end of James 4 as an afterthought: “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” Yet, this last verse is the key to applying all that James is saying. 

  Let me give you my own paraphrase from the LGV (Larry Griffith Version), “Don’t you think it is a bit arrogant to think that you control your plans? You need to realize that God’s plan trumps your plan. Now you know to think you are in control of the future is wrong. You also know you ought to trust in God’s perfect plans. If you know you should trust the future to God and won’t do it, that is a sin. So, start trusting God like you are supposed to!”

  Will you pray with me?

 “Lord, this quarantine stuff is more challenging than I thought. Forgive me for thinking and acting like I have this under control. The reality is that I don’t, but You do have all this under control. I need You to help me and my family be at peace in You and to stop worrying about the future. Your plans are better than anything I could come up with if I could see the future like You can. So, help me to trust You. Help me to lead my family to trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click HERE to View April 5th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 21

Passage to Ponder: 1 Corinthians 10:1-11

These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.” -1 Corinthians 10:11 (NLT)

 Have you ever studied the label on a jar of peanut butter? I noticed that other day that there is a warning label that says, “Caution: May contain peanuts.” Well, duh? I would hope so! I like to think that my peanut butter may contain peanuts. Now, I know that if you are allergic to peanuts it can be a matter of life and death. I get that. But, are we so dense that if the label tells us it is “Peanut Butter,” that we can’t figure out it may contain peanuts? (You’re probably thinking that Pastor Larry needs this quarantine to end soon.)

  Hear me out on this. Think about this…every warning label on a product has a backstory! Somebody allergic to peanuts ate peanut butter thinking it didn’t have peanuts in it…ignored the big print on the front label that said “Peanut Butter” and didn’t read the ingredient list on the back label that begins with “peanuts.” That warning is there because someone was hurt and sued the maker of the product because there wasn’t a specific warning about a danger on the label. 

  Did you know there is a product warning label in your Bible? When you read about the history of Israel in the Old Testament, a pattern is easily seen. God calls His people to walk with Him. The people follow God for a little while and then stray. Hardship and misery fall upon them, just as God had warned. Eventually, things get so bad the people turn back to God. Things are good again for a little while. Then, the people stray again. On and on goes the cycle through the centuries. Generation after generation can’t seem to get it through their heads. The ingredient list for a blessed life is there for all to read. Yet, we keep ignoring it and do our own thing.

  Finally, God included the “Caution: May contain peanuts” warning label in the New Testament. It is found in 1 Corinthians 10. Paul quickly recaps the history of the people of God. Read the first few verses of this chapter and note the common experiences the people of Israel shared. Paul uses the word “all” five times. Yet, most of the people kept going astray. Isaiah 53:6 points out, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own…” The warning label of 1 Corinthians 10:11 is clear. “These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.”

  All of us are allergic to sin and need to heed the warning! Yes, we all are sinners. Just like the people of Israel, we have “strayed away.” The good news is that God welcomes you back in the forgiveness found in Jesus through His sacrificial death in your place on the cross. But, why intentionally put yourself through the trial that comes in straying?

Love,
Pastor Larry

April 5th Message Stream Goes Live at 10:25 a.m.

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 20

Passage to Ponder: 2 Kings 13:14-20

But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.” --2 Kings 13:19 (NLT)

 These are the last words of the great Prophet Elisha, words spoken to King Jehoash of Israel. The Arameans were invading the land and the king sought the man of God for a word from the Lord. On his deathbed, Elisha told the king to open the window in the prophet’s room which was facing east. He told Jehoash to take his bow and notch an arrow. Then Elisha placed his hands over the king’s hands which were holding the bow. He commanded the king to shoot the arrow eastward out the window. Then Elisha said in verse 17, “This is the LORD’s arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek.” 

  The arrow flew, but Elisha wasn’t finished. In verse 18, he then went on to say to Jehoash, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.”  That verse goes on to record, “So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times.” From the response of anger in Elisha noted in verse 19, we get the idea that Elisha commanded the king to strike the arrows on the ground a bunch of times with a lot of force. King Jehoash must have been very timid and only gently brushed the ground just three times with his arrows. Do you understand why Elisha was so frustrated with the king?

  The king’s actions demonstrated his uncertainty in God’s promise to give victory over the enemy. He had no confidence that God was going to grant a favorable outcome in the battle. God kept His promise, but there would only be three victorious battles instead of the complete destruction of the enemy. In other words, there would be future battles against the Arameans because the king was going to allow them to hang around instead of getting rid of them completely. 

  Do your actions of faith match your words of faith? You can pray for rain, but unless you take an umbrella with you, do you really believe God is going to answer your prayer? Jesus said in Matthew 21:22, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Pay close attention here: God answers prayer in accordance to His will; if you ask outside of God’s will, for selfish reasons, then your request to God is not going to be granted—that is a topic for another day. This is what I want you to carry in your heart from this devotional today…when you pray, ask God to keep His promise; believe the God has already done it; and, your actions will show if you really believe. 

  I am not advocating you “tempt the Lord your God” by being foolish in this pandemic. Taking precautions and being careful is NOT a lack of faith…it is being wise! Don’t run around thinking you are bullet proof saying, “God will protect me, my family, my church from getting sick and we are not going to have any problems because I believe God.” You may very well not get sick nor have any problems from this virus. Then again, God may put you through the fire so that you will have an even greater faith. 

  You are simply being encouraged today to believe God for the victory over this unseen enemy and to let your actions match your words of faith in God. Words of faith without actions to back them up are simply words of false bravado…whistling a tune of self-assurance as you stroll past the tombstones in a cemetery at night. Backing up your words of trust in God with confident action demonstrates the reality of your faith in God.

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click to View March 29th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 19

Passage to Ponder: Exodus 20:1-20

“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” --Exodus 20:12 (NLT)

 What did you have for breakfast this morning? I pulled out the milk from the refrigerator to put on some cereal and saw that the expiration date was today. There was more milk than I would use in a bowl of cereal. During this time of minimized shopping, we are being extra careful to not let food go to waste. My brain immediately went to WWMD?—what would Mom do? How would my Mom salvage this milk from spoiling? So, I found myself reaching for the cooking oil, flour, salt, and pepper. I had bread with cream gravy for breakfast a few minutes later. Thanks, Mom, for teaching me how to cook! My wife cooks just fine, but I learned to cook from a lady that could have her own television cooking show themed on southern comfort food. I learned the lessons well. All you need do is look at me and you know I can cook! It is generally true that you can’t trust a skinny cook!

  I have made some jokes about hunting for squirrels in my yard if things get too tough. Squirrels are excellent table fare and I grew up eating them. Yet, the reality is that I would be able to feed my family with hunting, fishing, and gardening skills my father has taught me. I think it was their common sense that helped me make sure my family was supplied weeks before most people began panic buying. The point I am trying to make is that my mother and father passed along their skills and knowledge to me. I am very grateful for that!  All that is of any value in me is due to their love and nurturing.

  The 5th of the Ten Commandments is to “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” There are many ways you can honor your parents. First (and easiest), is to simply tell them how much you appreciate what they have done for you. If your parents are still alive, you need to do that! Second, if your parents are in need it is time for you step up and do what you can to take care of them! Third, whether your parents are still alive or have passed on to the next life, all of us can honor our parents by carrying their legacies to the next generation. And fourth, we honor our parents when we heed their wisdom and advice. They are ahead of us on life’s road and can see our blind spots. This 5th commandment even comes with a promise: you will live longer if you listen to your parents!

  Now, let me make an extension of this commandment to honor your parents. I think we ought to treat all the older people in our lives with love, respect, and dignity—even those who may not deserve it!  This coronavirus is a great threat to those who are senior citizens, especially ones with underlying health conditions. We can honor our parents and all the older people in our lives by making it a personal mission to watch out for them. Ask yourself… “How can I help them limit their exposure to this virus? Are they doing well? When was the last time I checked on them? Do they need any supplies I can get? While I am plugged in to various social media platforms, are they unfamiliar/intimidated with the technology causing them to feel even more isolated? Are they lonely during this quarantine? What can I do to show my love and care?”

  We owe this to our parents, grandparents, older church family, older neighbors, and the stranger down the street. How will you honor them during this crisis?

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click to View March 29th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 18

Passage to Ponder: 1 Samuel 17:32-50

“He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.” --1 Samuel 17:40 (NLT)

  I am confident that if you are reading today’s devotional you are at least a little bit familiar with the Bible story of young David slaying the mighty Philistine giant Goliath with a stone launched from his sling. God has assured David that the taunting tree of a man was going down. David said to Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:47, “And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” If David was so confident that the Lord was going to win the battle that day, why does verse 40 tell us that David took his shepherds staff? Why did he gather five stones instead of just getting one from the creek bed? Was David afraid he might miss and need to reload? Was the staff there as a last resort in case he ran out of ammunition?

  Let me assure you that David was not afraid of missing! When the Bible says he took his staff and gathered five stones you are not seeing David’s lack of faith in the promise. What you see is David’s preparation for God’s keeping of His promise. For David, who wrote the 23rd Psalm (“The Lord is my Shepherd…”), the staff was a reminder of God’s faithfulness to him all those years tending sheep. Earlier in 1 Samuel 17 David tells King Saul of how God was faithful in protecting the sheep by giving David the strength to take down lions and bears with a club. The staff was symbolic of God’s presence.

  But what about those five stones? Again, if you investigate what the Bible reveals, you will find the answer. 1 Chronicles 20 sheds some light on this question. Goliath was not the only one of his kind. Goliath had brothers plus there were other descendants of gigantic men from Gath, the same place from which Goliath had come. David was preparing for God to keep His promise and drop Goliath with the first stone. The other four were ammunition in case Goliath’s giant brothers and cousins joined the battle. David made provisions for the future and was ready for any trouble in advance, but he still relied on and trusted in God to fight the battle for him.

  Here is the application for you. As you shelter at home trusting God to remove this pandemic from our land, make provision that the battle may be longer than you expect, and the pandemic might have some “brothers and cousins” join the fight. Some of the pandemic’s kinfolks might be things like unemployment, running out of supplies and medications, personal challenges (body, mind, and emotions), etc. God will give you the victory, just be sure to make preparation for God keeping His promise in ways you don’t expect! Get your shepherd’s staff and your stones ready!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click to View March 29th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 17

Passage to Ponder: Joshua 1:1-9

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.” -Joshua 1:6 (NLT)

Be strong and courageous! Such powerful words the Lord gave to Joshua as he prepared to lead Israel across the Jordan to possess the Promised Land after the death of Moses and the end of the 40 years of walking in the desert. A close reading of the first chapter of the Book of Joshua reveals that God said these words to him three times (verses 6, 7, and 9). After Joshua shares with Israel’s tribes God’s plan to defeat their enemies, the officers and leaders of the army and the 12 tribes of Israel encourage Joshua in verse 18 to “be strong and courageous!” So, four times Joshua is told to be “strong and courageous” (three times by God and once by the people he is leading).

  If God brought those words to Joshua four times in one chapter of the Bible, isn’t it logical to assume that Joshua must have needed those words? When Joshua led the people across the river, he was not just leading them into a new land, he would be leading them into the fight for their very lives and existence as a people. God had promised in verses 3-5 that He would be with Joshua as He had been with Moses. That everywhere Joshua stepped in faith that God would win the victory, the battle would be won, and Israel would possess the land. But if the outcome was assured by the Lord, why did Joshua still need to be told four times “be strong and courageous”?

  I believe with all my heart it is because God knew Joshua was about to lead the people through a great and fearful time. War is messy—people die, grief is real, all are affected. It doesn’t matter if you’re a soldier, commander, citizen at home: all suffer and sacrifice in times of war. Uncertain days can be long and dread-filled nights even longer. Not only did Joshua need to “be strong and courageous,” Israel needed Joshua to “be strong and courageous.”

  What I am about to write is not meant to scare or depress you. The words I am about to write are to prepare you. They are also meant to encourage you to “be strong and courageous.” In the next few weeks, sooner or later, you are going to know people who get sick in this pandemic. Some of us (I am included in this) are going to get sick, too. We are going to know people who die—friend, coworker, neighbor, church member, even family member. I pray desperately that I am wrong! I want to be wrong! I want you to be able to come to me after this is over and remind me how wrong I was! I am not Joshua. You aren’t Joshua. But you and I both are called to “be strong and courageous” for the people who need us. Remember, while the times ahead may be difficult and painful, the outcome is sure. God’s people will possess the promised land in victory!

Love,
Pastor Larry

PS-I wish this were an April Fool’s joke! Yet, I can promise you the sound of laughter and joy will be heard in the land again!

Click to View March 29th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)

Quarantine Devotional – Day 16

Passage to Ponder: Psalm 34

Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing. Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD.” -Psalm 34:9-11 (NLT)

A few days ago, I asked you to pray for some real-life heroes, our healthcare professionals. They need our prayers every day! Now I ask that you pray for educators. My children started online classes on Monday. I am so glad I’m not a teacher right now! Not being one who is technologically savvy, I would be lost. And my students would be even more messed up! Students ought to be so glad I’m not their teacher, too! Let’s remember to pray for these wonderful people who are investing their lives for our children’s future. In fact, stop reading right now and say a prayer for our teachers and school administrators.

Now that we have prayed for the teachers, let me ask a question related to education. What is the most important thing that parents need to make sure their children learn? If you read Psalm 34, you know the answer. If the answer didn’t pop into your mind instantly, you need to go back and take a slow attentive walk through that Psalm again. “Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD.”

So, what does it mean to “fear the Lord”? The main Hebrew and Greek words translated fear in the Bible can have several shades of meaning, but in the context of the fear of the Lord, they convey a positive reverence. The Hebrew verb yare can mean “to fear, to respect, to reverence” and the Hebrew noun yirah usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. This fear acknowledges God’s good intentions (Exodus 20:20). The Bible tells you this positive reverence is produced by God’s Word (Psalm 119:38; Proverbs 2:5) and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). At the heart of the fear of the Lord is a desire to love God (because He intends the best for us in all He does) and to obey the Lord’s commands (because God has placed joyous guidelines for us to live productive and meaningful lives).

It is good to make sure your children (or grandchildren) get a good education. A good education is a wise investment that will bless a family for generations. But teaching them to fear the Lord is a blessing that can last a thousand generations. I can hear some thinking, “A thousand generations? Really? How can you make such a claim?” I can make this claim because God has promised this to us! In Exodus 20:6 the Lord said this, “I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

Love,
Pastor Larry

Click to View March 29th Livestream Message

(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to the coronavirus.)