First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Psalm 69:1-29

Today’s passage: Psalm 69:1-29

Helpful thoughts:

  • Though David wrote this Psalm about himself, it points toward Christ.  This is a Messianic psalm and is referred to several times in the New Testament.
  • In this instance, David was innocent.  But, he was not entirely innocent.
    • Christ was entirely innocent.
      • There is injustice in this world, but Christ has overcome the world.
  • There is purpose in suffering.  And that purpose reaches far beyond just you and me.

Questions to consider:

  1. What elements of this psalm point us to Christ?  What parts sound familiar to you from the New Testament? (If you have a reference or study Bible, use it!)
  2. According to verse 7, for whose sake was David’s/Christ’s suffering?  How was God glorified by the cross?
  3. How could God be glorified in our suffering?
  4. Why is it right and best to turn to Him in times of injustice?

Devotional: Psalm 68:20-35

Today’s passage: Psalm 68:20-35

Helpful thoughts:

  • A reminder of the theme from the first 19 verses of this psalm: The Lord helps the helpless and He leads captives to freedom.
  • Our God is a God of salvation.
  • Our God is a God of justice.
  • Our God who is awesome, powerful, and a giver of strength, will be worshiped and served by the nations of the earth.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is God not going to “strike your head”?  How is God your God of salvation?  Why are you no longer an enemy of the Lord?
  2. How does the promise of God’s victory and the global worship of the King of Kings give you rest from your anxiety/fear?  How can it help you to be bold as your share the Gospel with others?
  3. If someone isn’t interested in the Gospel, if they don’t want to hear or repent, what part are they going to play in this psalm?  How can we kindly but boldly communicate the truth of God’s command for all people everywhere to repent? (Acts 17:30)

Devotional: Psalm 68:1-19

Today’s passage: Psalm 68:1-19

Helpful thoughts:

  • The old adage “God helps those who help themselves” and Psalm 68 don’t go together.  “God helps the helpless” is a much more biblical statement.
  • Our adversaries may seem daunting to us.  But before God, they are like smoke in the wind or like wax in a fire.
  • Verse 18 is quoted in Ephesians 4:8.
    • All people are captive in their sin, and God the Son descended to purchase our freedom! (Romans 5:8)

Questions to consider:

  1. What keeps us from wanting to acknowledge that we are helpless?  In what ways are we helpless?  How do these truths increase your joy in the Lord?
  2. How would viewing those who want to hurt us or oppose us through the lens of the truth of Scripture allow us to actually seek to help them and show them kindness? (Romans 12:14-21)  What do they need the most?  Do they deserve to hear the Gospel any less than you or I did?
  3. How often does God “bear us up” (Verse 19)?  When does God let you out of his hand (John 10:27-29)?

Devotional: Psalm 67

Today’s passage: Psalm 67

Helpful thoughts:

  • Verse 1 refers back to the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:22-27.
  • This psalm gives a reason for this blessing on Israel…the fruit that should come from Israel’s receiving of this blessing.
  • This psalm reveals that this “yielded increase” is God’s doing from beginning to end.  God is the giver grace, salvation and gladness.

Questions to consider:

  1. In what way has the prayer of this Psalm already been answered?  Why do you know of the saving power of God?  Where are you?  Who are you?  How did these truths and blessing and salvation come to you?
  2. In what way does the prayer of this Psalm continue on today?  Why should we continue to pray that the nations be glad and sing for joy?
  3. When is the work of the church done?  Once you become a Christian, what do you automatically also become (Matthew 28:19-20)?  From whom must the nations hear of God’s saving power through Jesus Christ?

Devotional: Psalm 66

Today’s passage: Psalm 66

Helpful thoughts:

  • David encourages Israel (And all the earth) to sing praises to God because:
    • He brought Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
    • He brought Israel through the times of trouble and testing and into a time of abundance.
    • He heard and answered David’s prayers.
  • When we sing to God, we should seek to sing of His glory, and seek to sing gloriously (Verse 2).  God is worthy of our best.
  • We have in this psalm an example of God allowing trials and testing, and then the right response of following up with worship.  God rules by His might forever, on our good days and on our bad ones.  Resolution is coming.

Questions to consider:

  1. What does true thanksgiving and gratitude do to our conversations with others throughout the day?  How might our sincere praise of God result in opportunities to share with others?
  2. If you were to say, “Come and see what God has done,” what would you be most excited to share?
  3. David needed to remember his vows (Verse 13) after God had provided.  Are there ways that God has been faithful to you and answered your prayers that perhaps you have forgotten as new challenges have come?  How can remembering those times encourage you and build your faith in God’s promises?

Devotional: Psalm 65

Today’s passage: Psalm 65

Helpful thoughts:

  • It is only right to praise the Lord.  It is wrong to not praise Him.
  • God’s powerful display of common grace (Depicted in verses 6-13) requires every person on the face of the earth to come to Him for help and provision, whether they admit it or not.
  • All benefit from God’s kindness in the things of the earth.  Some are chosen, atoned for, and saved to fully enjoy and be satisfied with the goodness of God.

Questions to consider:

  1. How does this Psalm turn the argument of God not being loving toward those who are not saved on its head?  How patient is our God with all people?  How many of us deserve salvation?  How many of us deserve rain, sunshine, the harvest, breath in our lungs, etc.?
  2. What is the hope of the people of Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, North America, Australia, etc.?  Who is their only hope?
  3. How gracious is God to hear our prayers, atone for our sins and allow us to enjoy and be satisfied in Him forever!?

Article: The Fruit of the Spirit

In Sunday School, our adult class has been studying through the doctrines of our church.  Most recently, that study has brought us to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  We have discussed this doctrine under these two trains of thought:

  1. Who is the Holy Spirit?
  2. What does the Holy Spirit do?

In going through all that the Bible teaches us about the Holy Spirit, we wanted to spend a little extra time learning about the spiritual gifts and also what the Bible says about the sign gifts.  However, one thing we didn’t take as much time to consider, giving occasion for this blog post, is spiritual fruit.

In Galatians 5:22-23 we learn that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.“

How can I know the Spirit is working in me?  What would be great evidence in my life that I am truly a follower of Jesus Christ?  How about things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.!

And while we’re at it, what do those words mean?

  • Love – Giving of myself for the benefit of another
  • Joy – A deep abiding happiness and thankfulness
  • Peace – An inner calm or tranquility
  • Patience – Enduring composure
  • Kindness – Considerate generosity
  • Goodness – Morally virtuous
  • Faithfulness – Loyalty, commitment
  • Gentleness – This word is also translated as meekness.  John MacArthur’s Biblical Doctrine defines it as “Controlled strength expressed by a humble heart”
  • Self-control – An ability to hold back our fleshly desires

Though this list of “fruits” is probably not exhaustive, it is certainly helpful and encouraging to read through the list and to consider the meaning of each term (Of course…it’s the Bible!).  However, the list can also become very discouraging if we forget what environment this fruit needs to grow.

Apples grow the best on apple trees when the winters are cold, the summers are moderately warm, and the humidity is medium to high (Like, in Michigan!).  If you plant an apple tree in the environment that is best for it’s growth, you will see the best and most fruit.  Make sense?  So, how can that apply to our spiritual fruit?

And this is where it is crucial that we understand…where we can be the most encouraged or discouraged.  If I think that the environment I need to develop love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is only where I can find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…I am completely right!  But if I think I am going to find that environment anywhere on this planet, with any of the people on this planet, I am going to be disappointed and discouraged.  (And, if anyone tries to use me or you as their “environment”, they too will be left without all the help they need.)

  • “If my kids would just be quiet, I could grow in peace!”
  • “If my co-workers would stop messing everything up, I would be able to stay patient!”
  • “If I could get more sleep, I would be able to show kindness.”
  • “If my wife just loved me more, it would be so much easier to love her back.”

Remember, the environment matters, and all the people around you, your spouse, kids, neighbors…everyone, are just as perfect and flawless as you and I.  Yikes!  But that’s OK, because God didn’t call this fruit, the fruit of a great family or the fruit of a great night’s sleep…it’s called the fruit of the Spirit.

It’s such good news that this fruit listed in Galatians 5 comes from the Spirit and not from a perfect earthly environment.  Especially because we are prone to go the wrong way whether things are going “terribly” OR when things are going “well”.  That’s why it says in Proverbs 30:9, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say. ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”

The fruit of the Spirit then, being produced by the Spirit in and through us, can be ready for harvesting whether the humidity of this life is high or low, whether the winter was frigid or mild, because we have a shelter in Christ.  In Psalm 62, for instance, David writes, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.  He alone is my rock and my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

So, let’s consider how we might redefine our fruit shall we?:

  • Love – Giving of myself proactively and sacrificially for the benefit of another
  • Joy – A deep abiding happiness and thankfulness that can cut through times of adversity and still remains fixed on the highest joys of Christ when other things around me go “well”
  • Peace – An inner calm or tranquility that can remain intact through the ups and downs of life because the Lord never changes
  • Patience – Enduring composure made possible in the knowledge that only God will make all things new
  • Kindness – Considerate generosity with no strings attached
  • Goodness – Morally virtuous toward those who would count themselves my enemies and toward those who would count themselves my friends, in order to point them all to Christ, their greatest need
  • Faithfulness – Loyalty, commitment, motivated by the mercies of God toward me that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24)
  • Gentleness – Controlled strength expressed by a humble heart that neither retaliates in vengeance after a “loss” nor taunts in order to brag after a “victory”
  • Self-control – An ability to hold back our fleshly desires because we have come to value fellowship with God more than we value the elimination of our hardships or the furtherance of our life of ease

Praise God for his gracious fruit-producing work in our hearts and lives!

See you in Sunday School!

Devotional: Psalm 64

Today’s passage: Psalm 64

Helpful thoughts:

  • Mankind in his wickedness is convinced he is making progress and accomplishing something worthwhile, while he is bringing judgment on himself.
  • God’s judgment will seem as though it came suddenly, out of nowhere.
  • The role of the righteous (Those who are in Christ by the grace of God) is to wait patiently and expectantly.
    • No man or political party will ever be able to make everything right.
    • God can… and will.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is it so good and right to cry out to God when it looks like the wrong side is prevailing?
  2. When things aren’t going well, what do I tend to rejoice in?  Where do I tend to seek refuge?  Whom do I desire to exult?  If those things are not God, how effective have they been? Did they bring me joy?  Were they worthy of exultation?
  3. When will God, once and for all, fulfill the hope of this psalm?  How can you remember that we win, even when it looks like you are losing?

Devotional: Psalm 63

Today’s passage: Psalm 63

Helpful thoughts:

  • God is beyond worthy of our every desire, longing and interest.
  • This truth does not automatically result in our pursuit of Him.  David had to choose.  He resolved to praise, be satisfied, remember, meditate on and cling to God.  The fruit of this resolve gave David even more reason to continue in his endeavor!
  • David’s enemies’ sinful conduct and end are given as a contrast.
    • David gave himself to beholding the glories of God and was satisfied.
    • Others gave themselves to selfish ambition, and they were consumed.

Questions to consider:

  1. How could this Psalm be compared with 2 Corinthians 3:18?  Does considering/meditating on the glories of God and the truth of the Gospel produce growth and fruit in believers?  How?
  2. How could this Psalm be compared to John 4:13-14 and the story of the Samaritan Woman?  If we try to quench our thirst with other earthly things, what will always result?
  3. How do God’s holiness, righteousness, power, love, and Christ’s sacrifice (among many other attributes) compel you to love and obey Him with joy?