Daily Devotionals

1 John 3:16–18

Yesterday we began talking about the legal swamp—the tendency of people, and even professing Christians, to march headlong into the mire of courtroom battles, often without any attempt at personal reconciliation.

And the longer we’re in the swamp, the more our attitude starts to stink. This is especially true when we choose to press the issue from a strictly legal standpoint. Even if we win the case, we don’t walk away humble and grateful. We walk away proud—and even bitter. Why? Because we “got what we had corning to us...we got what we deserved.”

1 Corinthians 6:1–8

Law never fails to turn me off.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t think we need it...it’s just that it leaves me cold. It frowns and demands. It requires and warns and threatens. With a grim glare, it dares us to forget its rules or even think about disobeying its regulations.

Colossians 3:17

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Somebody said that to me the other day. It helped...momentarily. I needed reality’s nudge. Being casual on the outside but a fairly thorough and disciplined soul within, I sometimes need to be reminded that few people will even notice the thing I’m camping on. Or care, for that matter. So? So sweating the small stuff can occasionally be a drag.

Matthew 18:6

1 Peter 1:24–25

God’s Word is infallible; people are not. Yesterday, we noted that this point is particularly underscored in the realm of leadership. We naturally seek after ministers we can respect and follow. And then—glory!—we come across some whose lives are admirable, whose leadership seems to be blessed of God, and whose instruction is biblical, wise, and dynamic. Everything’s great until one such individual teaches something that is different from another minister who is equally admired. That never fails to leave groupies in a confused tailspin.

Psalm 119:89–96

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

One of the toughest assignments in life is to communicate clearly what happened during a time when emotions were high. People who “fall in love” can hardly describe it. Those who endure a calamity or experience a sudden loss often convey the information in a confused manner. The same is true in car accidents.

The following is a series of actual quotes taken from insurance or accident forms. They are the actual words of people who tried to summarize their encounters with trouble.

Exodus 25:1–9

Yesterday, I mentioned my disgust with the prevailing notion in many evangelical churches that elegance and class have no place in the landscape of spirituality. But, even the ancient places of worship were stunningly beautiful. The tabernacle was a veritable golden tent that had within it fabulous works of art: sewing, tapestry, woodworking, and craftsmanship. Mouths must have dropped open. Check it out for yourself—Exodus 25–40.

Psalm 84:1-2

It’s gone on long enough. The pigsty in the landscape has to go. If we expect the tourist traffic to increase and the visitors to return to Lake Evangelicalism, we’re gonna have to do something about the ugly ducklings. Some changes are long overdue.

Hebrews 13:4

In Part One, we acknowledged that our society has embraced a subtle lie about affairs, believing that not only is the grass greener on the other side, it’s acceptable to hop the fence. What’s more, believers are just as likely as nonbelievers to do the hopping. But infidelity isn’t an “affair,” remember; it’s adultery. And it’s deadly to a marriage.

Robert J. Levin and Alexander Lowen noted three specific ways.