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Battered but Not Broken

Posted on Jul 3, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Psalms |

Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”

There are two promises from God here. First, the righteous will endure many afflictions. Not maybe the righteous will be afflicted a little bit on the rare occasion. No. The afflictions of the righteous are many. BUT the Lord delivers the righteous from every one of them. Praise Him for the second promise! There could be no greater comfort than this. Expect many troubles. Trust God for deliverance from all of them. Those who trust in the Lord will be battered, but not a bone will be broken (v. 20). The Lord comes through every time.

Kansas was Wrong

Posted on Jul 2, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Psalms, Sovereignty, Time |

Psalm 31:15, “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.”

Don’t have all the answers? Don’t even know all the questions? Ever wonder: Where is my sanity and security? The first six words of Psalm 31:15 provide the answer. All we are is not dust in the wind. Our times, short or long, rich or poor, sad or happy, sick or healthy, are in God’s hands. There is no cause to be anxious about tomorrow if you trust and rest in the Father’s hand. We are invited to lay down all our burdens, fears, anxieties, heartaches, disappointments, and victories before the Father. Take advantage of that opportunity. Live underneath His sheltering hand and discover true and lasting rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Trust God the Father. He knows best.

True Tone

Posted on Jun 30, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions |

James 5:12, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

Plain talk is the best talk. Like Jesus (Matthew 5:37), James calls God’s people to be straightforward, honest, and plain in their speech. This does not mean rude, contentious, or mean. Simply say what is right, in the right manner, and at the right time. Too much talk leads to sin (Proverbs 10:19). None of us are bound to always say something. Silence often is golden. When the time to speak does arise, however, be sensible. Be decisive. Be biblically consistent in word and tone. Trust God for the doing of this and with the results.

Trust for the Rescue

Posted on Jun 29, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Psalms |

Psalm 22:4, “Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.”

Remember what you know. Follow that course of action when the press of hard days continues to squeeze your life. Psalm 22 is a lament and a Messianic psalm, quoted by Christ during the depth of His sorrow on the cross. Suffering is real and it hurts, and in its midst the only spark of hope we often have is what we already know to be true. God has delivered others (including me) in the past because they trusted Him. Since God is good and He does not change, we should trust Him to deliver us now. Remember what you know. Trust the God you know. He is the only lifeline that will deliver.

Give it a Rest

Posted on Jun 26, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Jesus Christ, Rest |

Hebrews 4:3, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

Rest is peace. Jesus is our rest. Trust the work accomplished by His crucifixion and resurrection, and you will be at peace with God (Romans 5:1). Trust Jesus daily with the major issues of your life, as well as the minutiae, and you will enjoy the peace of God (Philippians 4:6-8). Just as we must choose to trust Christ as our Savior and Lord, we must choose to daily trust Him and enter into His rest rather than stewing in our stress. Have you given your problem to Jesus? Then get your hands (and your mind) off of it. Give it a rest, and rest yourself in the God who is in control.

Dug Down Deep

Posted on Jun 25, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, God's Promises, Trust |

Luke 6:48, “He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”

Dug down deep is how Jesus described the person who trusts and obeys His Word. The person who learns and lives the Bible has a foundation dug down deep. So when the water rises and the wind blows and the storm beats against that house, it stands firm. Pretty houses on weak foundations are disasters waiting to happen. The foolish man builds his house upon the sand, but the wise man builds on the Rock. How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! Trust God’s Word, and stand steady on solid ground.

Life is God’s Gift

Posted on Jun 23, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Glorifying God, Happiness |

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, “Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.”

Life is a gift from God. Your life is to be enjoyed not merely endured. Embrace your life, the strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities and abilities, the highs and the lows that God has given to you. Trust God with all of it. The purpose for which man was created is to glorify God. God is most glorified by you when you are most satisfied in Him. Trusting in and living for Christ is always serious business, but it must not always be somber. In fact, the lives of those who trust God should be joyfully lived. Life is a gift from God. Appreciate and enjoy it.

Spread It Out

Posted on Jun 22, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Prayers |

2 Kings 18:30, “Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

Not only does the fool say in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1), but he seeks to ruin the trust that others have in the Lord. The only thing more foolish is to be persuaded by such nonsense. When confronted with the blasphemous boasts and threats of the Assyrian Rabshakeh, Hezekiah went to the Temple and literally “spread it before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14). It is better to trust in the Lord than put confidence in man, even one with a massive army and thousands of chariots. Hezekiah and his people trusted Jehovah. Their enemies were defeated. They were saved. God was glorified. Trust Him today!

Saturday with Spurgeon

Posted on Jun 20, 2020 by Steven Renner in C.H. Spurgeon, Devotions, Happiness, Holiness |

Happy and Holy

“Remove far from me vanity and lies.” – Proverbs 30:8

“O my God, be not far from me.” Psalm 38:21

Here we have two great lessons—what to deprecate and what to supplicate. The happiest state of a Christian is the holiest state. As there is the most heat nearest to the sun, so there is the most happiness nearest to Christ. No Christian enjoys comfort when his eyes are fixed on vanity—he finds no satisfaction unless his soul is quickened in the ways of God. The world may win happiness elsewhere, but he cannot. I do not blame ungodly men for rushing to their pleasures. Why should I? Let them have their fill. That is all they have to enjoy. A converted wife who despaired of her husband was always very kind to him, for she said, “I fear that this is the only world in which he will be happy, and therefore I have made up my mind to make him as happy as I can in it.” Christians must seek their delights in a higher sphere than the insipid frivolities or sinful enjoyments of the world. Vain pursuits are dangerous to renewed souls. We have heard of a philosopher who, while he looked up to the stars, fell into a pit; but how deeply do they fall who look down. Their fall is fatal. No Christian is safe when his soul is slothful, and his God is far from him. Every Christian is always safe as to the great matter of his standing in Christ, but he is not safe as regards his experience in holiness, and communion with Jesus in this life. Satan does not often attack a Christian who is living near to God. It is when the Christian departs from his God, becomes spiritually starved, and endeavours to feed on vanities, that the devil discovers his vantage hour. He may sometimes stand foot to foot with the child of God who is active in his Master’s service, but the battle is generally short: he who slips as he goes down into the Valley of Humiliation, every time he takes a false step invites Apollyon to assail him. O for grace to walk humbly with our God!

Daily Decisions Rather Than One-Time Experiences

Posted on Jun 19, 2020 by Steven Renner in Devotions, Trust |

2 Kings 18:24, “How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?”

How we have walked does not determine how we will walk. Past victories do not guarantee future wins. King Hezekiah had led Judah in a great reformation. Idols ground to dust. Pagan places of worship destroyed. Temple worship of the One True God restored. Then Assyria besieged Jerusalem, and battle rather than blessing was on the horizon. Nevertheless, God calls His people to daily walk by faith not by sight. The purpose of battles in God’s economy is to build character in the lives of His people. Trust Christ ALONE for victory. Any other source is just a broken reed, unable to hold your weight. Trust Christ alone ALL THE TIME. This is a daily decision, not a one-time experience. This is always the right decision, even when the blessing doesn’t seem to come. Trust Him. Every day.