Esau, of course, was free to live whatever life he wanted to live, but he was not free to choose the consequences of his lifestyle. So when he realized what he had losta"ahis fatheras blessingaa"and went after it with abitter tearsa (Heb. 12:17), he became deeply embittered. While he subjected his parents to situations which were bitter for them, he became embittered when the things that he had brought on himself came full circle.

His arepentance,a however, was unavailing. What had been done was done and could not be undone. Life is like that! Sin has consequences, and they can be bitter. Moreover, it appears that Esauas abitter tearsa were not tears of repentance for sin but of sorrow about consequences. This is not at all uncommon. Men are often very sorry that they have to bear the bitter consequences of their actions without being willing to call their sin what it isa"sina"and turn from it with a deep desire ato live a clean and holy lifea (Heb. 12:14).

An embittered, unrepentant Esau can become aa bitter root of unbeliefa which can leave many acorrupted by its poisona (12:15). A bitter root is a disaster because it spreads its bitterness, affecting the perceptions of others, destroying relationships, sowing disharmony, and creating rancor.

The warning here is awatch outa (12:15), because the bitter root may be you!

June 29

TO READ: Hebrews 13:1-7

Money, s.e.x, and Power

Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. G.o.d will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For G.o.d has said, aI will never fail you. I will never forsake you.a . . . Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of G.o.d. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do.

Hebrews 13:4-5, 7

In the early days of the Christian church, it was not uncommon for believers to suffer intense hardships, even martyrdom, for their faith. Roman emperors such as Diocletian, became incensed with the burgeoning church and inflicted great pain, harm, cruelty, and death on the defenseless followers of Jesus. But then, in A.D. 312, Constantine became emperor and embraced Christianity. Very soon, Christians, instead of being a persecuted minority, became a decidedly mixed-bag majority. Dedication to Christ became watered-down, and the church became corrupt. The answer for many was to flee into the desert, where they became not only separated from the world but also from the worldliness of the church. They took three vowsa"poverty, chast.i.ty, and obedience. They saw the abuse of money, s.e.x, and power as the root problems in the church.

It has been said that time marches on but things never change. And to some extent that is true. It is certainly a fact that problems in the modern church are usually related to the abuse of money, s.e.x, and powera"the same problems that appeared in the early days of the ascetics. But we should note that these were the problems confronting the writers of the New Testament as well!

aGive honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. G.o.d will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adulterya (Heb. 13:4). This is a statement about the divinely ordained sanct.i.ty of marriage and the sinfulness of s.e.xual activitya"whether heteros.e.xual or h.o.m.os.e.xuala"outside marriage.

aStay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you havea (13:5). This is a warning against getting so absorbed with money and all that it can provide that you fall in love with getting it and spending it, h.o.a.rding it and wasting it.

aRemember your leaders who first taught you the word of G.o.d. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they doa (13:7). This is not only an admonition to those who follow but also a challenge to those who exercise the power of leadership. They are to remember that the privilege of leadership is not to be abused but must be applied to provide direction and encouragement to others, so that they will grow in G.o.dliness through teaching by word and example.

As long as there are men, there will be money, s.e.x, and power. As long as there are Christian men, there will be those who know how to usea"not abusea"all three. It is our calling to do so.

June 30

TO READ: Hebrews 13:8-16

Jesus Christ Is the Same

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

Life can take alarming twists and turns in a matter of moments. An automobile accident takes a life, a doctoras appointment identifies a critical sickness, a call to the manageras office heralds a dismissal, a downturn in the stock market signals financial ruin, a phone call announces an arrest. Suddenly and without warning, life is turned irrevocably upside down.

There is a special charm in the terse but powerful statement, aJesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevera (Heb. 13:8). Of course, while the statement is complete in itself, it also should be seen in its context. aYesterday,a Jesus Christ was the one whom the leaders of the church in its infancy trusted. The writer of Hebrews insisted, aThink of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they doa (13:7). As the readers remembered the early church leaders and their G.o.dly lives, they could see something of the faithfulness of Jesus as he had proved himself trustworthy throughout their experience. So in their present trials, the writer said, Christians should recognize that Jesus would be everything to them that he had been to the previous generation of their leaders.

As a result, they must aTodaya avoid being aattracted by strange, new ideasa (13:8). If Jesus was all that was necessary for powerful living in a bygone time, nothing had changed. He would be adequate for the present day, too. So the anew ideasa that were being propagated were not only unnecessary, but they also were unacceptable if they in any way diminished the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus in the lives of believers. Moreover, this situation would never change. aForever,a Jesus would be the same.

Life is made up of uncertainties. In the midst of uncertainty, there is one who is certain, unshakable, immovable, solid as a rock, reliable, constant, and totally trustworthy. Henry Francis Lyte probably had Hebrews 13:8 in mind when he wrote in his famous hymn, aAbide with Mea: Change and decay in all around I see, Oh Thou who changest not, abide with me.

There is always a certain fascination with new ideas. For many people, novelty is an antidote to boredom. That which has become predictable and permanent loses its charm, and people look to be excited, invigorated, and freshened by something new. What they need is to be excited and renewed daily in the knowledge that the all-sufficient Christ is with them. This way, when change comes, Christ will be front and centera"unchanging. And in a changing scene, they will be found trusting and thrivinga"unchanged.

July 1

TO READ: Hebrews 13:17-25

Spiritual Leadership

Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to G.o.d. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

Hebrews 13:17

There are many dimensions to leadership, but one of the most obvious is that leadership requires afollow-ship.a If no one is following, then it is clear that no one is leading. The key, then, to all leadership is relationshipa"between those who exercise leadership that others want to follow and those who are eager to follow such leaders. It is a relationship where the leader generates in others a desire to follow, and the followers gladly and willingly respond to the leaderas initiatives.

The task of aspiritual leadersa is to awatch over . . . soulsa and to model a lifestyle that produces much good and which others will wish to emulate (Heb. 13:17). The care of souls requires a heart filled with compa.s.sion and concern, a servant spirit, an ability to teach by both precept and example, and a willingness to tell people what they do not want to hear and to direct them where they do not wish to go when necessary. All this comes out of a genuine desire to see people nourished and nurtured in their walk of faith. Or as the author of Hebrews explained it: aMay the G.o.d of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his willa (Heb. 13:20-21). This should be the objective of the spiritual leader.

The spiritual well-being of spiritual leaders is, of course, extremely important. It springs first from their personal relationship of atrusta in the aLorda (13:7). Second, it arises from the fact that athey know they are accountable to G.o.da (13:17). Leaders who are so self-confident that they sense no need to trust the Lord in order to accomplish their work are bound to fail. The care of souls requires integrity, insight, discernment, and the spiritual dynamic necessary to effect change. And leaders who forget that those they minister to belong to the Lorda"they are his sheepa"may begin to abuse them or to use them for their own ends. Moreover, leaders who ignore their own ultimate accountability to the Lord may lapse into carelessness, callousness, or carnality.

Followers need to be reminded, aObey your spiritual leaders and do what they saya (13:17). Obedience does not come easily for many people. They prefer independence to obedience. They resent anything that demands something. And should they claim to follow with that att.i.tude, they make leadership a nightmare if not an impossibility. But willing followers give leaders reason to lead ajoyfully and not with sorrowa (13:17). And this is to everyoneas advantage.

July 2

TO READ: Psalm 67:1-7

G.o.d Bless Us!

May G.o.d be merciful and bless us. May his face shine with favor upon us.

Psalm 67:1

According to Jewish custom, Psalm 67 is recited at the termination of the Sabbath, the day set aside each week specifically for rest, reflection, worship, and thanksgiving. At the end of this time, the people pray, aMay G.o.d be merciful and bless us. May his face shine with favor upon usa (Ps. 67:1).

The request of the psalm writer and those who, to this day, recite this psalm is clearly based on the ancient blessing p.r.o.nounced by Aaron and repeated down through the centuries: aMay the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peacea (Numbers 6:24-26). The exact nature of the requested blessing was spelled out by Moses in detail. G.o.d would bless their atownsa and acountry,a achildrena and afields,a aherdsa and aflocks,a abasketsa and akneading bowls.a In fact, G.o.d would bless everything a.s.sociated with their acoming and goinga (Deut. 28:3-6). All these blessings were physical, but spiritual blessings were promised, too. It was as the Israelites contemplated their physical blessings that they recognized the spiritual dimensions of their blessedness at the hand of a merciful and gracious G.o.d. In the material blessings given to them they could see the way in which the Lord was making ahis face shine with favor upona them (Ps. 67:1).

But the prayer of the worshipers went far beyond a concern for personal blessings. Beyond the boundaries of their own lives lay apeoplea and anationsa who also needed the blessing of G.o.d on their lives. So, having sought their own blessing, the worshipers then added, aMay your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywherea (67:2). Those who know the blessings of G.o.d upon their lives should never become so enamored of their blessed condition that they ignore a world outside that lacks what they enjoy in abundance.

What enlarges the vision of the recipient of divine blessing? It is the recognition that the Lord adirect[s] the actions of the whole worlda (67:4). Ingrained selfishness precludes a vision that stretches beyond the borders of oneas self. But the reminder that athe whole worlda is precious to the Lord serves to redress such imbalance. Those who taste G.o.das blessings begin to feel his heartbeat, and their heart cry becomes, aMay the nations praise you, O G.o.da (67:5).

There is no better way to end a day of worship and blessing than to seek the blessing of the world that lacks it! And what blessing there is in being a blessing!

July 3

TO READ: Deuteronomy 8:1-20

The Perils of Plenty

When you have eaten your fill, praise the LORD your G.o.d for the good land he has given you. But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your G.o.d and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws.

Deuteronomy 8:10-11

Thereas an old saying: aIave been poor, and Iave been rich. Rich is better.a Those who have experienced both poverty and plenty would probably agree, and those who have only experienced poverty certainly believe that plenty is much more appealing. But there are perils in plenty. This was fully understood by the writer of Proverbs, who said, aGive me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, aWho is the Lord?a And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult G.o.das holy namea (Prov. 30:8-9). A remarkably maturea"and rarea"att.i.tude!

The Lord told Moses to warn the children of Israel about the unique perils they were facing as they prepared to enter a land filled with promise and plenty. In their wilderness journeys, they had been severely tested by the Lord in order to ateach [them] that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lorda (Deut 8:3). aFeeding on every word of the Lorda means, among other things, trusting his promises and obeying his commands. Because of the peopleas extremity in the barren wilderness, they had no alternative but to trust the Lorda"he alone provided food for thema"and they had been forced into obedience because of the strict discipline imposed upon them on their journey. But once they entered the Promised Land, life would be different. Moses told them, aIt is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lackinga (8:9). So they were told, aWhen you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your G.o.d for the good land he has given youa (8:10). They were also warned, aThat is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your G.o.d and disobey his commands, regulations, and lawsa (8:11). After the years of poverty when they had learned obedience and dependence, they were now being introduced to plenty when they were to respond in praise and thanksgiving. But sometimes plenty provokes pride rather than praise. The people of Israel were forewarned against thinking that it was their aown strength and energy that made [them] wealthy,a because the Lord gives apower to become richa (8:17-18).

The more successful men become, the more self-sufficient they tend to be. The wiser men become, the more thankful they are to the Lord who gave them success.

July 4

TO READ: Deuteronomy 11:1-17

Habits of the Heart

If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the LORD your G.o.d with all your heart and soul, and if you worship him, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons so you can harvest crops of grain, grapes for wine, and olives for oil.

Deuteronomy 11:13-14

On May 11, 1831, a French sociologist named Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in New York for an eight-month visit to the fascinating young United States of America. On his return home, he wrote Democracy in America, which first appeared in French in four volumes. He was greatly impressed with much that he saw in the United States, although he worried about aindividualismaa"a new word in those days. He was particularly interested in what he called the ahabits of the hearta of the American people. By this he meant the opinions and ideas that ashape mental habits,a and form the amoral and intellectual dispositions of men.a27 Moses didnat use the same terms, but he was clearly concerned about the ahabits of the hearta among the Israelites. He told them, aIf you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your G.o.d with all your heart and soul, and if you worship hima (Deut. 11:13), then the result would be a blessed experience in the Promised Land. On the other hand, he warned, aBut do not let your heart turn away from the Lord to worship other G.o.dsa (11:16). The consequences of letting their hearts turn away from the Lord would be severe.

Habits of the heart are formed as the mind embraces certain principles, the emotions respond to these principles, and decisions are made based on them. So in the case of the Israelites, it was necessary for them to acknowledge what they knew of G.o.d from his dealings with them. They needed to respond appropriately to his gracious provision and care for them, and they had to enter into a covenant of trust and obedience with him. As time went on, these understandings, feelings, and decisions would become habitual, and their lifestyles would reflect their heartfelt love for G.o.d and would be demonstrated in wholehearted worship. Conversely, if they allowed opinions and desires based on the religions that honored other G.o.ds to formulate in their hearts, their habits and their lifestyles would become incompatible with their professed allegiance to the Lord. In other words, everything was related to the habits of their hearts.

Modern believers need to be conscious of the habits of their own hearts. We should take the time to explore the sources of our opinions and to evaluate the nature of our own desires. We should be willing to ask hard questions about the reasons for our decisions and check carefully the outcomes of our actions. The habits of a manas heart profoundly affect the world he inhabits and the inhabitants thereof.

July 5

TO READ: Deuteronomy 11:16-32

Educating Children

Commit yourselves completely to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Teach them to your children . . . so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19, 21