by George Runyan | May 14, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Psalm 51:12 – Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
As we consider the life of David and his revelation concerning his depravity and his desperate need for God’s Holy Spirit, we also observe that he confesses he had lost his joy and a willing spirit. Very few people live in joy. There is a difference between being happy and being joyful. Happiness depends on things going well in life. Joy is an inward feeling that is there whether all is well or not. Our salvation in Christ is the fountain of our joy. I had a fellow employee ask me this question one day as I entered the shop, “What gives you the right to be happy all the time?” He did not know the difference between “joy” and “happiness.” It gave me opportunity to tell him of the source of my joy that he saw as happiness.
I love how David ties together his request for restoration of the “joy of God’s salvation” and “a willing spirit.” David recognized that true salvation comes from the willingness of his inner man. A willing spirit is the foundation of true submission to the will of God. Many times people say they are willing to serve God, no matter what, in the emotion of the moment. To serve God takes “a willing spirit”! It is the health of the spirit of a person that will sustain. A willing spirit comes from God Himself.
Over many years of ministry, I have found that the root of people’s struggles can be located in “a broken spirit,” The hurts of life and the hurts caused by others can break an individual’s spirit to cause them to give up trying. God’s Holy Spirit wants to heal the broken spirit, but it begins in taking personal responsibility. First, acknowledging one’s own sin against God. Second, one must release others who have hurt them. The Holy Spirit will then begin the process of healing the “broken spirit” and creating a “willing spirit,” which will become the key to sustaining the individual. The Holy Spirit will restore the joy of God’s salvation and sinners will be converted as a result (Psalm 51:13).
Thank You, Lord, for what You did for David. For the joy of Your salvation, which is my portion as well. Heal my brokenness and sustain me with a willing spirit. Let me see sinners converted as a result of Your mighty work in me.
by George Runyan | May 13, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
Psalm 51:11 – Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51 is one of the most hopeful and encouraging passages of Scripture. David, out of his own sin and brokenness, reveals what a truly repentant heart looks like. Beginning in verse 5, David identifies the root of our human problem. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin my mother conceived me.”
Many times, people are convicted over a sin, but do not identify the root of the issue as David has done. Our basic nature is one of lawlessness, which is the meaning of “iniquity.” The reason the Law of God, which is perfect, could not save us is in the “weakness of our flesh” (Romans 8:3).
David confessed to God that his conception was rooted in sin. His appeal to God was the full recognition of his absolute depraved condition. One cannot express more sincere humility than the position David took in this Psalm. David appealed to God in verse 11, asking “not to be cast away from God’s presence.” He knows the only real thing that matters is a life lived in the presence of God. David also understood that this life is a life lived in the Spirit: “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me.” David knows that he is in danger of losing that presence and favor of God because of his sin. This is why David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He recognized his absolute lost condition without God and his absolute dependence upon God.
When one comes to Christ, one needs to take the same posture as David in recognizing their true condition. A true confession of our need of Christ must contain these two components: recognition of my utter depravity and my desperate need for God’s Holy Spirit. A shallow confession of faith will lead to a life full of challenges and frustration, because it is not wholly dependent upon God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit led Christ to the cross. He is also leading us to our own personal cross of self-sacrifice and surrender to the Father’s will.
Today, ask the Lord to reveal your true depraved condition and to give you a desire for an absolute dependence upon His Holy Spirit. Ask for the grace to freely take up your cross and follow Him.
by George Runyan | May 12, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 16:1 – These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.
It should be no surprise that the “world” hates true believers. The system of the world is against all that God has established. The three major systems of the world that resist God’s plan and purposes are Governments, which are driven by ego and pride to control people, Economics, which is driven by greed and separates classes of people, and Religion, which seeks to oppress the masses through fear and domination. God the Father has His plan, called “The Kingdom of God.” The Kingdom of God is ruled by a benevolent Father through His Son who is full of grace and truth and the Holy Spirit from whom flows righteousness, peace, and joy.
What a contrast between God’s kingdom and the world’s systems dominated by the kingdom of darkness under Satan’s control. Jesus defeated those systems through His overcoming life. He sent His Holy Spirit to overcome those systems through “Spirit-filled and Spirit-led believers.” The world will persecute us as they did the Lord and the early church. Jesus warned His disciples concerning the times in which they lived. His word of truth rings true in our day as well. Those disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, squared off against the powers of hell manifested through the systems of men and overcame even unto death.
Many of God’s people stumble when affliction and persecution comes, because they have not read or have not believed the words of Jesus. Our Lord wants to keep us from stumbling, but we must accept His word and be filled with His Holy Spirit in order to stand. Paul expressed it this way, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13-14). We live in an evil day, but the enemy’s time is short. His complete defeat is near. Jesus judged him in His victory on the cross and overcame Satan in the power of His resurrection. His church is commissioned with the assignment of cleaning up the mess. As His servants, we are to declare to the world the freedom Christ has made possible from the kingdom of darkness. The Holy Spirit makes available to every believer overcoming power to live above the system of this world.
Believe the words of Jesus as given to His first disciples. Be prepared to be persecuted for His Name’s sake. Be filled with His Holy Spirit and stand firm, resisting in the evil day. Lord, grant me grace to stand and not stumble. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit every day. Use me to demonstrate Your overcoming life in the power of Your Holy Spirit and lead others to Your victory.
by George Runyan | May 11, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
John 15:26 – When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also.
We must always remind ourselves of Jesus’ words, “when the Helper comes.” As He was pointing His disciples to the soon future event of the coming of the Holy Spirit, He was establishing the thought that they would never be alone. Jesus is clear in this passage that both “the Helper” and His disciples would testify of Him. The Helper is here with us as He was with them. Nothing has changed in the purpose of God. The Spirit testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ by filling us with boldness to open our mouths and declare the Lord’s presence to save and deliver. He testifies with mighty acts of power, but He chooses to work through weak beings. It is in weakness that the grace of our Lord is revealed. Consider the Lord’s word to His servant Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Holy Spirit always bears witness to the truth, for He is the “Spirit of truth”! Jesus tells us the Spirit of truth “proceeds from the Father.” He is the “Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son.” The Holy Spirit in us is how the Father and the Son have taken up residence in our being. They are with us in the Holy Spirit. This too, is how we are with them and why Paul could say, “He raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). The Father already sees us seated with Christ. For Him, it is a done deal. For us it should embolden us to testify of what the Lord has accomplished.
Our testimony is not theoretical, but is a reality because of this presence of the Helper. Believers believe in the Holy Spirit as stated in the Apostles Creed, “I believe in the Holy Ghost.” It is more than believing He is the “Third Person of the Trinity.” We are called into a vital relationship with the Spirit Himself. Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is revealed through a joint cooperation of His testimony and our testimony. He is not on the outside, but on the inside of every believer. He is there to bear witness to the Son through us. He desires, on a daily basis, a working relationship with each believer. Out of that relationship He reveals to an unbelieving world the power of Jesus’ victory at the cross and an overcoming life because of the resurrection.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself more and more to you as the Helper. Ask Him to reveal truth. Ask Him how He desires you to cooperate with Him in testifying of the risen Christ.
by George Runyan | May 10, 2016 | Devotional, George Runyan
1 Thessalonians 4:3 – For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality.
Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonians in their faith. Paul was concerned that they would be hindered from following Christ because of the afflictions they were suffering. The opposition was coming through their own countrymen from the very beginning of their service for Christ. Paul was concerned that they would grow weary and give opportunity for Satan to hinder their growth. In their culture, as with ours, there was much immorality. Satan uses affliction and difficulties to discourage us and draw us back into fleshly desires. Fleshly gratifications only last a short time. Paul wanted them to understand the true purpose of affliction. God uses affliction to help complete what is lacking in our faith.
Each time a believer chooses to trust God in the times of affliction by going through the difficulties and their faith becomes stronger and stronger. Paul is contrasting two opposite sides of the struggle. First, God’s will is our “sanctification.” This addresses our separation to His kingdom and to His kingdom purpose. It begins in the spirit, but is always tested in the flesh. God is seeking to raise us up as a people of sanctification and honor. This is what living above reproach really means. If we are ridiculed for a righteous lifestyle, it brings honor and praise to God. If we choose to walk in the flesh, we become a reproach to God’s kingdom purpose.
The Father sent the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name to be our Helper. We must draw from His almighty power to be sustained when afflicted. He is the one who supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This is not just material needs that so many are claiming, but our need for His holiness, His character, and His strength when we feel like giving up. Resist the broad road of just living for the flesh and the feel-good moment. The life separated to God is the life filled with fruitfulness and fulfillment.
Lord Jesus, I know that You gave Your all for me. You lived above reproach and totally honored Your Father. Help me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit whom You have sent, to live above reproach and honor the Father by faith in Your precious blood.
