Tag: grace and truth

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Exodus Devotions

Angry

And (Moses) went out from Pharaoh’s presence fiercely angry. (Exodus 11:8)

Those words struck me today.

Why was Moses angry?

He was angry at Pharaoh’s hardened heart. He was angry at how Pharaoh had treated God’s people.

Was Moses’ anger purely righteous?

It’s hard to say. He was human. And his anger did get him into trouble more than once. (Exodus 2:11-12, Numbers 20:10-12)

There is room for anger in a Christian’s life. When we see people’s hardened hearts. When we see injustice in this world.

Jesus got angry. (Mark 3:5, 11:15-17)

The question is: what do we do with our anger?

Paul wrote,

Be angry and do not sin., Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

I think the thing to remember is that when we see the hardness of people’s hearts and the injustice that’s in this world, God still has a plan in it all.

And ultimately, it’s a plan to save.

We see that with Pharaoh and the Israelites.

We also see it when because of the hardness of the Jewish leaders’ hearts, Jesus was crucified for our salvation.

So what do we do?

Be angry. But do not sin. Don’t give the devil an opportunity to use your anger in wrong ways.

Rather, join in with God’s work of salvation.

Salvation does not come by arguing politics, railing at the falling standards of morality in society, or screaming at the hardened hearts of people.

It comes by taking the love of God into the lives of the people around us.

And we do that by following Jesus’ example of grace and truth.

Jesus never compromised on truth. He pointed out people’s sins (John 4:16-18).

He pointed out when they were ignorant of or twisted God’s word (Matthew 5:43-44, 22:29).

And yet, he was the friend of sinners. (Matthew 11:19)

Can the same be said of us?

What are we more known for? Our anger? Our political positions?

Or for being the friend of sinners?

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Proverbs Devotionals

God’s loyalty and faithfulness

Iniquity is atoned for by loyalty and faithfulness,
and one turns from evil by the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 16:6)

That first line made me think, “By whose loyalty and faithfulness is our sin atoned for?”

Is it by ours?

We’re in bad shape if it is.

After all, how loyal is our love for God? And how faithful are we to him?

But it is because of God’s loyalty and faithfulness to us when we were disloyal and unfaithful to him that our sin is atoned for.

When we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

We were facing the Father’s wrath because of our sin and deserving of death. (14)

But by dying on the cross, Jesus appeased the Father’s wrath. And now, when the Father sees us, his face lights up. And his favor toward us is like a cloud with spring rain. (15)

Through Jesus, we see God’s loyalty and faithfulness, or as John translates those words, we see God’s grace and truth. (John 1:17)

So let’s meditate on these things today. Meditate on God’s grace and truth.

Meditate on his loyalty and faithfulness to us. Meditate on the favor we have received because of what Jesus did for us.

And let us stand in awe of God and rejoice in his goodness to us.

Categories
Proverbs Devotionals

Looking for Jesus in the Old Testament

One thing I always tend to do when I read the Old Testament is look for Jesus.

Why?

Because Jesus himself said he was there. (John 5:39, Luke 24:25-27)

And so whenever I see the combination of the words “steadfast love” and “faithfulness” (ESV), I always, always think of Jesus.

Why? Because these words, which are used to describe God time and again in the Old Testament, are used to describe Jesus in the New Testament.

Specifically, John takes those Hebrew words from the Old Testament and translates them “grace and truth” when he says,

for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

What is God like? He is the God who is full of grace and truth. And he expressed that grace and truth in Jesus.

In today’s passage, Solomon says this,

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4, ESV)

Steadfast love and faithfulness, grace and truth characterized Jesus’ life. And as a result, Luke tells us that he found favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)

So this is my prayer for the day,

Father, as grace and truth characterized Jesus, let it characterize me.

Let your grace and truth shine through me and touch my family, my friends, my coworkers, and everyone I come into contact with today.

Lord Jesus, I want to be like you. In your name I pray, amen.

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Psalms Devotionals

God’s grace and truth

Psalms

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

Grace and truth. These two words are the Greek equivalent to two words often found in the Old Testament. In the CSB, they are translated, “faithful love” and “truth.”

The ESV translates them “steadfast love” and “faithfulness.” (The CSB also translates “truth” as “faithfulness” at times).

However you translate these words, they came to us through Jesus Christ and his cross.

Even so, these things were present for God’s people in the Old Testament, because God’s people were looking forward to the day when their Messiah would come.

All that you see in the tabernacle and the tabernacle sacrifices and rituals pointed to him.

And so David could sing about God’s grace and truth, which he did quite often.

God sends his faithful love and truth. (Psalm 57:3)

For your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches the clouds. (57:10)

God in his steadfast love will meet me.  (59:10, ESV)

But I will sing of your strength
and will joyfully proclaim
your faithful love in the morning. (59:16)

Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him (the king, that is, David himself). (61:7)

God indeed has sent his grace and truth to us in Jesus.

His grace toward us is as high as the heavens and his faithfulness to the clouds. And God in his grace meets with us.

So let us sing of his grace every morning of our lives.

And let us ask that he would appoint his grace and truth to guard over us each day.