Press the arrow to listen to Israel Houghton lead “Friend of God” while reading today’s devotion on God’s intimate friendship with you.

Scripture
“All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your descendants with you.” Numbers 18:19

Observation
I’m curious, so the phrase “covenant of salt” grabbed my attention and dragged me through the internet to find out what it means. The words conjured up pictures of holy rituals in sacred cloisters with a salt shaker. I wanted to know more.

I learned that salt is a preservative that makes things last forever. If in doubt, ask a mummy. The Egyptians preserved bodies in natron, a salt compound scraped from dry desert lakes. Salt is to be a symbol of an eternal relationship with God to last forever. Of course this is not us first to him, but him first to us.

It gets better. Salt, apparently, was a key ingredient among friends. Even among the Arabs, close friends say, “There is salt between us.” Salt became a symbol of enduring friendships. At at special meals, friends would make covenants with each other over their meal and sprinkle salt liberally to underscore their covenant.

And it gets even better yet. God gave to the priests of Aaron all of the meat brought to the temple as offerings. He said that this meat was theirs to eat along with salt. Here’s the cool part: it would be for them as if they were sitting at a table with God as their best friend, and the Almighty himself would enter into a covenant of close friendship with them forever.

Application
The thought of God salting some grilled steaks and sharing them with me in intimate friendship is a disarmingly kind thought. That he would stoop to honour me with a salt covenant is more than I deserve. But it is everything that I want from him. And yes, it gets way better yet, because through this meal I become the salt of the earth. I keep my saltiness by keeping my intimate connection with the Father. His friendship savouring me, is what flavours every human relationship that I enjoy. I am the salt of the earth because I’ve received the seasoned meal of friendship with God Almighty. God in Christ has offered himself to me as my very best friend.

Prayer
Father, I hunger for a salt meal with you. I want this friendship with you that you describe here for the priests of old. Peter says I’m in the priesthood now, so surely Aaron’s sons would not have enjoyed more than I can today. So I take every gift from you as a salt covenant, a symbol of your enduring friendship with me. Help me to be something of the friend back to you for all of the unreserved and undeserved friendship that you’ve given to me. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Nichole Nordeman sing “Brave” as you read today’s devotion self-confidence.

Scripture
“We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13:33

Observation
The greatest risk in life is not what we think of ourselves. Nor is it what others think of us. The greatest limitation in life is what we think others think of us.  If we imagine that others think of us as pretty, clever, handsome, athletic, winsome or whatever positive, we will live up to their expectation. If however if we interpret the silence or the body language of others wrongly we will pull ourselves back because we do not think of ourselves as able.

Where does this pervasive human insecurity come from?  All inferiority is based in pride. It seems odd to think of a person with low self-worth as being proud, but they are living a pride based life. Pride is living without a foundation in God’s approval over us. As soon as we try to live life without God’s love we are left to either boasting or bagging ourselves. Both are a form of pride, because they are human attempts to exist without an trusting in what God says about us in his word.

There is power in humility. Humility is not the humiliation of putting down our strengths. Instead, humility is simply walking with God. On the one hand, standing next to God, I know who I am and what I’m not. On the other hand, standing next to God, there is a power to draw from outside of myself.

Application
It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” The purpose of Moses’ spy mission, was not to learn about the land, but to discover what was in the hearts of the people. New challenges can make me feel inadequate. I can misinterpret the giants around me and deprecate my potential. Instead, I’m called to live in what God has said about me. My very favourite spot in the Bible to restore my self-confidence is Ephesians 1. There I find a hearty list of depictions of who I am in Christ:

blessed…with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

He chose us in Him

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself

the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved

in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will…the summing up of all things in Christ

His kind intention which He purposed in Him

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance

we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise

Prayer
Father, today, help me to see myself through the eyes of God and not through the eyes of the giants. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Brian Littrell sing “I Surrender All” as you read today’s devotion about holding life loosely.

Scripture
But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Acts 25:10-11

Observation
Paul was a high stakes roller. He scooped up the dice from the table and rolled them all again, not knowing exactly what might spin out. The option before him was to go back to Jerusalem to stand trial, either to be assassinated along the way or to be trounced in a kangaroo court. So Paul rolled the dice again.

Paul’s decision to appeal to Caesar was not hurried. He had been seasoning in gaol for two long years. He had time to think things through. There had been plenty of time to contemplate the “if/then” scenarios. He knew the political pressure on Festus to appease the Jews. He knew that trial in Jerusalem was a likely outcome. So in his prison cell he certainly must have weighed the options and made the decision to risk it all.

How did Paul make such a tough decision? Easy, for once he considered his life disposable, everything became clear. Had Paul been trying to save his skin, the options would have been worrisome. Paul, however, was composed because he had dropped his need for survival. With surrender Paul could see the promise of God. Jesus had assured him that he would testify in Rome. Paul knew that as a privileged Roman citizen he was entitled to appeal to meet with Caesar himself. After two years of waiting, the option was simple.

Application
Too often my life decisions are fretful because I’m devoted to my own survival. I’ve not been where Paul was with the potential of death. But I have lived on the brink of political or personal suicide. There are tough calls in life that run the risk of the loss of credibility. In some ways death is easier to face than disgrace, for death is short-term pain while disgrace is a constant companion. I want the clarity that Paul had as he stood before a powerful man in a crowded room. That will come only as I consider my own ego expendable.

Prayer
Father, there are times that this surrender is needed. Show me when those times come and show me how to accomplish them. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to Matt Redman sing with Hillsong London “Greatest Gift” while reading today’s devotion on God’s provision.

Scripture
And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.” Acts 23:23

Observation
Four-hundred and seventy soldiers marching with one missionary handcuffed in the middle. It must have been quite a sight to watch Paul being escorted in the dead of night out of Jerusalem and up the highway to the safety of Caesarea.

The Father knows how to care for his own. Paul had a promise from the Lord that he would take the gospel to the centre of the empire, to the city of Rome. God alone would get him there, funded by the Roman taxpayers.

God does have a sense of humour in getting his work done. There were many ways he could have funded this missionary journey. Only the Father could manage to get the Roman government to foot the bill and arrange for a personal interview with the Caesar.

Application
I don’t need a contingent of 470 soldiers at the moment, but there are unfulfilled promises that the Father has made to me. I want to see them accomplished. It’s reassuring to know that God has so many alternatives at his disposal. There are times I try to think up how God can pull of a hoped for answer to prayer. But such fantasies I think must frustrate the Lord. His ways are far more interesting if I’ll just ask and be patient.

Prayer
Father, as you have delivered Paul, so too deliver me and usher me into your purposes. Amen.