May 26

Cleaning House

Jesus Christ will judge everyone’s secret life.

Romans 2:16b (NLT)

That [God] may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:16-17 (RSV)

I was born a sinner … But you desire honesty from the heart so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being…. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me…. A broken and repentant heart you will not despise. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.

Psalm 51: 5-7,10,17,12 (NIV)


In his booklet, My Heart Christ’s Home, Robert Boyd Munger describes his believing heart as a home with many rooms. He has invited Christ into his life and soon, one-by-one, the rooms are transformed. First, the study and all that goes on in one’s mind. Then, the dining room, the place of appetites and desires. The living room, the workroom, the rec room and even the bedroom follow. In each case, Christ comes alongside the believer and puts each place in order. The change is good. The change is revolutionary, but there remains one area—a secret place yet easily identified by the horrible stench oozing out from under its door.

It is the closet—kept under lock and key. It hides that stinking dead thing from the past—that dreadful thing we refuse to part with. It is the one thing, which, if offered to and abandoned for Christ, will bring such healing and freshness to our hearts the change will be more than internal—it will be noticeable. And our relationship with Christ will be washed thoroughly in His joy.

Is there something lingering in one of your closets? If so, why not confess it and renounce it? Let Christ cleanse you right now and feel His joy!


Lord, search my heart; open every door; cleanse me and make me whole. Bring life to this heart of mine and fill me with Your love. Amen.

May 25

Rich or Richer?


How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ…. Furthermore because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God … and I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people.

Ephesians 1:3,11,18b (NLT)

Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day … If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward.

1 Corinthians 3:12-14 (NLT)

I recently read of a baseball pitcher whose salary negotiation went to arbitration. He had submitted a huge salary figure to the arbitrator. The team submitted their offer as well. After the professional ball player lost his case, he mused, “No problem. I was either going to wake up tomorrow rich or richer.”

I sense many Christians have the same attitude toward eternity. They know they are saved, they have received God's free gift of salvation. They know they will enjoy heaven, and the thought pleases them, but if they don’t get a reward, or a crown from Christ, their attitude seems to be, “No problem. At least I‘ll be there.” In a sense, it’s good to have security, but in a more serious sense, it’s a shame we've lost our passion to do what God has called us to do. For, unlike the baseball player coming out of arbitration, the rewards we fail to receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but could have received, will be missed. God has left His work in our hands. The choice to perform in His power is ours.

Do we want to be rich or so much richer?


Father, motivate me to do the work you call me to. Help me to build wisely on Your solid foundation of salvation. Help me to run this race well. Amen.

May 24

One Thing

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

James 1:19 (NLT)

Let the wise listen and add to their learning….

Proverbs 1:5a (NIV)


T. Suzanne Eller in her book, Real Issues Real Teens, asked hundreds of teenagers some simple, direct questions. Their answers were sometimes expected, sometimes eye opening. When she asked the question, “If your parents could do one thing to impact you, what would it be?” the answers essentially came to the same point: “Please listen to me.”

Whether you are a salesperson helping a customer, a parent dealing with your own family, or just trying to discern God’s will for your life—listening is important. Listening becomes especially critical when it comes to helping our youth make that steady transition from childhood to adulthood.

Ms. Eller points out many communication obstacles, but a primary means to overcome them all is to listen—just listen—without commenting, without judging or reacting, and without trying to fix problems. By listening, we show we care, we earn trust, and we learn things we never knew.

It all starts when we stop talking and open our ears.

Father, help me pursue others with a listening ear. Help me not to judge but to listen. Amen.

May 23

A Satisfying Schedule.

Be sure to do what you should for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well….

Galatians 6:4 (NLT)


I sit at my desk this morning and I feel like putting my head in my hands. I look at my to do list and I want to groan. The list is full of urgent tasks, pressing needs, things that warrant my attention … and soon!

Certainly, a sense of priority is needed, but I have to remind myself, God’s ways are not my ways. I need to look to him and His priorities before I rack and stack my daily agenda. As I consider kingdom priorities, I have to ask, first, what activities have eternal merit, and second, how will this help someone else?

I look at my potential lineup with a fresh perspective, and it’s amazing how quickly items drop off my list. What remain are truly important. Here then is where I will focus my time, energy, and thoughts.

By prioritizing and acting in faith, you and I stand every chance of hearing those treasured words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”


Lord, help me remember, urgent things are not always the important things. Help me to focus my time on You and on others. Amen.

May 22

Have a Great Life!

… you must love the Lord your God with all your heart …

Mark 12:30a (NLT)

Study this book … continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you, be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:8,9 (NLT)

… whatever you do … do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31b (NLT)


My oldest son is a senior in high school, and this year he brought home some pictures of his friends. One of them wrote on the back, “Have a great life!”

That’s an encouraging statement. Most everyone wants to be a success in life, and it’s something we all hope our children will achieve … a great life … success. But what is success? How do you measure it, and how do you get it? .

The world has many answers to that question, but the Lord has one. To become a success in God’s eyes, we must become passionate people. That passion needs direction though, and God tells us where to focus our attention: on Him, on His word, and on His work … whatever and wherever it may be.

By living passionately for Him, we define the good life; we discover success. It’s what God wants for us, and in a very real sense, He has spoken these words too: “Have a great life!”


Lord, I do want to love You with all my heart! Guide me as Your word suggests that my life may be great in Your sight. Amen.

May 21

The Inhospitable Heart

When you enter … say, ‘Peace be with you.’ ... if they don’t welcome you it will be better for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the people of that town.

Matthew 10:12,13,15 (NCV).

Wow! There seems to be a subtle message in Jesus’ words to His disciples. In that day, everyone knew of God’s fire and brimstone judgment on the vile and wicked individuals of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this passage, Jesus is relaying that the people with inhospitable and hardened hearts will suffer more on Judgment Day than the grossly unrighteous.

Who were these people who would not welcome the Son of God’s disciples? Try the religious crowd—the Pharisees and their followers. They were too good for this. They had no need for Jesus, or repentance, or the kingdom He offered. They liked their unforgiving, critical, petty version of holiness better. The harder judgment will fall on them for believing they were better than everyone else.

It gives me pause. I have to ask, do we look down our self-righteous noses at others—the imperfect, the ugly, the underperformers? Do we think our sins are less offensive to God? That the gross sin of a child molester or someone who sells their body cheap to buy drugs, or the person who steals from the weak and elderly is so much worse than our small errors when compared with the absolute majesty and holiness of our All-knowing God? Are we so quick to judge others but not ourselves? ... Am I like this?

Jesus has made it all too clear: the speck of dust in the sinner’s eye is nothing compared to the log protruding from the eye of the self-righteous.

It makes we want to get on my knees and beg God’s forgiveness.


Search my heart, O God. Fix my thoughts, my attitudes, that I may be more helpful, more forgiving, a man after Your own heart. Help me Lord, to live in peace with others. Amen.