by George Runyan | Jun 14, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
James 1:19-20 – This you know my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
In James’ letter, he writes of the testing of our faith, a need of wisdom and humility to be demonstrated. He writes of the blessing for the one who perseveres under trial. He deals with the subject of temptation and deception. He establishes God’s character in his statement, “All good and perfect gifts come from God, the Father of lights” (James 1:17). God brought us forth by the word of truth and James declares, “This you know.” James reminds us, “We must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
Being quick to speak is a hindrance to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. An evidence of maturity in the life of a believer is the ability to carefully listen to another as they share their perspective. Unfortunately, few are careful listeners. Most are caught up with their own views, rather than carefully listening to another’s perspective. The Holy Spirit will give us the ability to be a good listener if we allow Him to take control of our emotions.
The same is true about speaking. How many times has a word quickly left your mouth that you immediately wanted to pull back? Words are powerful. Note what Solomon tells us by the Spirit of God: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). The Holy Spirit desires to take control of our tongues and causes us to speak only words of life to others. By the power of God’s Spirit, the tongue can become a source of encouragement. “One who prophesies speaks to men for edification, exhortation, and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3).
One who speaks quickly and does not listen to the other person sets themselves up for anger. Anger is a natural part of our human makeup. Anger alone is not a sin. It becomes sin when it gets out of control and evil things happen. Things such as broken relationships, words that become difficult to forgive, rage that can lead to murder.
James focuses the believer in chapter 1:19. To paraphrase James, You know the things I have been sharing. So be a good listener, be slow to speak and don’t let anger get out of control. Beloved, the anger of man never produces the righteousness of God.
Father, I want to produce the righteousness that You have provided in the Lord Jesus Christ. I ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to control my tongue. Please cause me to be a quick listener and a slow speaker. Please protect me from unrighteous anger and demonstrate to others the patience which You have toward me.
by George Runyan | Jun 12, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Matthew 16:15-17 – But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
Peter was listening and the Spirit of God revealed to him this powerful truth that the other men had missed. Our natural mind is great for natural things, but is dull when it comes to spiritual understandings. Another way of expressing what Jesus told Peter is, Peter you did not learn this in Sabbath School, but from my Father. In Jesus’ day, even the teachers of God’s Law had missed that He was the long awaited Messiah. Only by the Spirit of God can one know eternal truth. The Lord is eager to speak if we are eager to listen.
Based on Peter’s confession, Jesus begins to share the greater purpose of God with His disciples. He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, and be killed. Peter, who had heard clearly from the Father, now pulls Jesus aside, and rebukes him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You” (Matthew 16:22). It is hard to imagine Peter saying “no and Lord” in the same sentence. Satan is always standing ready to deceive us, in order to prevent God’s truth from establishing our ways.
Jesus then rebuked Satan who had inspired Peter to resist the will of God and run interference with God’s eternal purpose in Christ. It is amazing that in such a short time, one moment Peter was in tune with God’s will and soon after, speaks for Satan. This illustrates how easy it is to let our rational mind take over, and let the enemy lead. What Peter said made perfect sense to him, but it was foolishness to God’s purpose.
In the next five devotions, we will discover five hindrances to our hearing the Spirit of the Lord. Ask the Father to help you hear His Spirit better. Ask Him to remove every hindrance. Ask to be protected from Satan and his subtle attempts to distract you from the will of God our Father.
Father, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will have complete control in my life. Deliver me from all double-mindedness. Please keep me from ever saying no to You, my Lord.
by George Runyan | Jun 10, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Judges 11:35 – I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.
This is a very solemn portion of Scripture that contains the story of Jephthah’s tragic vow. He vowed to the Lord to sacrifice the first thing that came out of the doors of his house if the Lord gave him victory over the sons of Ammon. He did triumph over the sons of Ammon, for the Scripture says “The Lord gave them into his hand” (Judges 11:32).
Making a vow to the Lord is a serious matter. In today’s vernacular, we might call it a promise. In the emotion of the moment, perhaps because of a stirring message or a crisis situation one may promise the Lord things that have not fully been thought through. A rash promise is a sure way to bring grief into one’s life. The Lord takes our words very seriously.
The story of Jephthah is difficult for many of us to relate to. How could the Lord allow this? How could this man follow through with his rash vow? How could his daughter be so submissive to her father? There probably is no answer that will satisfy the rationale of the human mind. It is an answer that must be heard in one’s spirit.
The Spirit of the Lord must bring revelation to us over such deep questions. The Scripture is clear about the priority the Lord puts on “keeping one’s word.” Even the Lord has “magnified His Word according to His name” (Psalm 138:2). Your word is the most valuable possession you have. It establishes who you really are. If one cannot trust a person’s word, there is no real basis of trust.
Thank God for the cross of Christ that dealt with all our sins. Only Christ could truly fulfill God’s Word and make it possible for us to become keepers of our word. Through daily intimacy with the Holy Spirit and time spent in God’s Word we learn how to regulate our words and be kept from rash promises.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Lord, I ask You, as the Scriptures say “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps 141:3). I am weak, but Your Holy Spirit strengthens me and will keep my heart from evil.
by George Runyan | Jun 9, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Judges 7:22 – When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army, and the army fled.
The seventh chapter of Judges is a wonderful example of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as He directs Gideon and his 300 fellow Israelites fighting against Midian. The wisdom of God is certainly greater than the multitude of counselors that try to understand simply by means of their natural reasoning. God’s people must move by faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The Lord had Gideon send home thousands of his countrymen because there were too many for God to use. The scripture says that Midian’s army was like the “sand of the sea.” The natural man would have said “the more the better”, but the Spirit of God said, “I only need 300 to defeat the enemy.”
Israel failed to enter the land under Moses leadership when the Lord said, “Now.”They took things into their own hands by sending spies into the land of the Canaanites. The Lord simply said “Go in and take the land that I have given you.” He did not instruct them to send the twelve spies. He allowed them to do it their way, but later had to judge that generation for their “unbelief,” produced by not initially obeying the Lord’s command.
Faith is not driven by the rational, but by the Spirit of God. In the New Testament, the Lord confused the enemy’s plans by sending His only begotten Son with the purpose of Christ Jesus going to the cross and dying for the sins of unregenerate man. “God’s wisdom, which none of the rulers of this age have understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8). In the Father’s wisdom, He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand, a man, raised to rule. In His wisdom, those that receive Christ as Lord and God now have authority over the kingdom of darkness in their personal life. God’s people, united, can triumph over the enemy and send confusion into the enemy’s camp. The Lord’s people can do this again and again by simply obeying the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Make it your determination not to reject the Lord’s plans, as foolish as they might sound to your rational mind. Confirm His leadings by the Word of God and walk closely with others that trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Pray always that your spirit may be sensitive to His directions.
by George Runyan | Jun 8, 2015 | Devotional, George Runyan
Judges 7:2 – The Lord said to Gideon, The people are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’
What a powerful story of how God delivered His people from the control of Midian. God gave Midian into the hands of His people. The Spirit of God identified one of the largest issues we contend with, “pride.” It is so human for us to take the credit when we are successful, rather than giving God the glory due His holy name. As revealed here in the story of Gideon, God’s wisdom is given to cause His people to be faced with impossible situations by creating a scenario where only God can be glorified.
We should not trust in our own ability or our circumstances in order to have a testimony of success, but in the power of God. Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, the Holy Spirit has come to indwell each believer. It is by His indwelling presence that we are assured of good success. Our victory, as with Gideon’s small army, is rooted in God’s great power.
God told Gideon to “release those that were afraid and trembling.” 22,000 men returned home, which left 10,000. God said, “The people are still too many”. God tested the 10,000 by bringing them to the water. There, Gideon separated those who drank by lapping the water with their tongue from those who drank by getting down on their knees. Only 300 lapped the water. Those on their knees were not being diligent to watch for the enemy. Those that lapped were able to look around and watch for the enemy as they quenched their thirst.
The Holy Spirit is the one who supplies power through His gifts. The first gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 is the gift of wisdom. God is looking for willing and diligent people to allow Him to work His mighty power through. It is not an issue of “multitudes,” but a willing and watchful people. 32,000 people were too many for God to have success against Midian, but 300 were perfect for the battle because they were vessels through whom God could manifest His glory.
In what ways are you watching and being diligent on behalf of God’s kingdom? Have you come to the water simply to get your thirst satisfied or have you come to drink to be refreshed for the battle?
Pray with me, “Holy Spirit; create in me the spirit of Gideon’s 300 warriors. Cause me to be ready to do Your bidding through watchfulness and diligence. Use me, Lord, to extend Your kingdom reign in the midst of Your enemies.”
