Scripture
Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” Mark 4:21-25

Observation
The message of these words of Jesus is this: if I become a bright light bulb the Lord will put me in a useful place to shine as far as possible.

How do I become a higher wattage follower of Christ? By paying close attention to what I hear. And how can I hear? I must read the word and let it affect me. I listen to some after they read a Bible passage and squirm as they argue against hope and question the book. I have come to a conclusion. To gain true insight, I must not read the Bible, I must let the Bible read me. The scripture is living and active and it probes through my soul like pruning shears. The more I let the word of God have its way in my hidden areas the candlepower of my heart will increase.

If my light is bright, will the Lord put me in a cupboard? Well look to history.

Take an obscure preacher who spoke to a handful of bible college students in a now defunct institution and who spoke to dying men as an army chaplain. He was cut down from an appendicitis attack and his widow returned home to London. But she took with her folders of shorthand dictation that recorded every word her husband had spoken. Ten years later she published a book of his thoughts called My Utmost for His Highest.

Take another story of a missionary to Japan filled with burning zeal to touch every household in Japan with the gospel. But declining health sent him as an invalid back home to be nursed by his faithful wife until his death. Wanting to change the world, the missionary could not change his own clothes. His wife nurtured her own soul through the ordeal with books, magazines, scriptures and kept clippings of the encouragements that the Lord sent her way. The result was a devotional called Streams in the Desert.

Application
Jesus does not make it clear who brings the lamp out into the open and places it on a stand so that all will see its light. One could take his words to suggest that we should put ourselves forward to position our story of Jesus in the most accessible place possible. But I think more often it is the Lord who gives us a lamp stand and it is he who pulls us out of ineffective places and puts us in a place where our light is useful. The one thing we have control of is the brightness level of our light. The Master puts us where he wills, but it is up to us to be sure we are the highest wattage bulb possible.

Prayer
Father, somehow it is comforting to know that all of this is not up to me. You place the lamp on the lamp stand it is mine just to shine. I trust you in that. Amen.

Michael Card “The Poem of Your Life”

Scripture
And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” Colossians 4:17

Observation
Pastor Archie was the lead pastor of a tiny little church plant in a small town called Colosse. The best the leader of such a postage stamp sized church could hope for would be junk mail from a megachurch leader. But Archippus received his own sentence in the Bible.

Archippus had probably never met Paul, because his church sprang up on its own. But the great man took time to remember the leader.

Did Archippus write that sentence on a wall plaque and hang it on his study wall? If I were him I would. That one sentence could have a life-time of power because an experienced leader took time to invest in a learning leader.

Application
We need men like Paul who always take time to remember. We need leaders like Archippus who remain faithful when no one notices.

Prayer
Father I want to be like Paul and I want to be like Archippus. Help me to be faithful. Amen.

By the way for those who don’t know IKEA, it is a Swedish self-assemble furniture store, not to be missed when visiting Atlanta or LA.

The Bible Says

When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land….Nehemiah 9:8And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you… Nehemiah 9:32

My Mind Thinks

Our track record is significant to the Lord. Our history of obedience and the chronicles of our heartaches all have bearing on the choices he makes with our lives.There are job interviews for doing God’s work. These employment interrogations do not take place around long board tables. Instead God examines the resume of our daily activity. Every moment we are under review. When we face the steep grades of life challenge how we perform under pressure makes a difference in what God has us to do next. Abraham went through just such an extensive candidacy to be the father of many nations. The encouragement of his story is that he was human with doubts and setbacks, but he kept moving on. After 25 years of job interviews, a head hunting team of three angels came to visit Abraham and Sarah and within a year Isaac was born.

There are also promotions for pain. No life pain is meaningless if we wrap it with faith. If the Lord puts our tears into a bottle, then our hardships do matter. The hardships mentioned in Nehemiah are actually all the result of the sin of the people and their just punishment. Yet even that matters to the Lord. He does not punish forever but he comes to remember us in mercy. The record of our punishment and the change of heart it brings does cause him to move our lives into better days.

My Heart Responds

I have courage to believe that all of my life matters to God and that all of it counts in what he will do next with me. He has seen my faithfulness mixed with the sawdust of my mistakes. He has seen the hardships of my life and the improvements they have brought to me. I believe God will open a door and it will be somehow connected with the track record of my life.

My Spirit Prays

Father, remember my track record and open a door for me. Amen.

Press the arrow to listen to a song that underscores the message of today’s devotion.

Sanctus Real We Need Each Other

Scripture
“Once again he Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his rescue and killed the Philistine. After that, David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle again! Why should we risk snuffing out the light of Israel?” These four Philistines were descended from the giants of Gath but they were killed by David and his warriors.” (2 Samuel 21:15-17).

Observation
David had started his warrior life with a fight with a giant, and he ended his battle career in a fight with a giant. In some ways the second giant battle was more significant than David’s first. The first showed what kind of a man David was. The second showed what kind of men he had.

Several interesting things happened.

First his cousin Abishai rescued David when he was whooped. There are men, a few men in life, who will fight along side of a leader but it isn’t until a crisis moment that their real value is known. Abishai saved David’s life and such an act of bravery and loyalty is the greatest gift a leader can receive.

Second the leaders around David matured to the point hat it wasn’t necessary for them to have the King leading the charge as a PR stunt. They were made of better stuff. A change had come and they adapted well to that. They would step up to the battle line even if he was not there and still fight as if he were.

Third, because David had the humility to rest on the strength of his loyal leadership team they finished a job that had waited a lifetime to complete. All of Goliath’s brothers were killed. David had selected five smooth stones. One killed Goliath, the rest were intended for his brothers. But it was not David who finished that job. It was his mighty men. The excellence of his leadership was proved not in the battles he fought and won but the loyal leaders who were released to fight and win.

Application

Who can a leader trust? Many at the beginning of the journey swear loyalty. But many wander off to follow their own interests. Others will betray. Some will turn on the leader and become his fiercest enemies. Who can a leader trust? Those who are still fighting for him at the end are the warriors he can trust. I want to be that kind of man.

Prayer

Father, help me to be like Abishai… like one of the men around David who proved faithfulness not with words but in action. Amen.