Victory In Jesus
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57 RSV
The victory is yours. Claim it! It is your birthright. Browning said, “The best is yet to be.” This doesn’t mean the Christian can never suffer defeat or experience low periods in life. But it does mean that the Savior goes with you no matter the problem. The peace comes in the midst of problems and in spite of them.
From the old Gospel Herald comes this appropriate story:
Haydn, the great musician, was once asked why his church music was so cheerful, and he replied, “When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap, as it were, from my pen, and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.”
The strength for our conquering and our victory is drawn continually from Christ. The Bible does not teach that sin is completely eradicated from the Christian in this life, but it does teach that sin shall no longer reign over you. The strength and power of sin have been broken. The Christian now has resources available to live above and beyond this world. The Bible teaches that whosoever is born of God does not practice sin. It is like the little girl who said that when the devil came knocking with a temptation, she just sent Jesus to the door.
Our Father and our God, thank You for giving me victory through Jesus Christ my Lord. Thank You for the glorious peace I feel, even when times are tough. I have such amazing joy and calmness about life, and I know it comes only from You and through Your Son, Jesus, through whom I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Come Home
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15:53–54 NIV
What this means is that once we have reached heaven, we will no longer be troubled or inhibited by physical or bodily limitations. Can you imagine that? The crippled, diseased, wasted bodies will be strong and beautiful and vigorous.
Once there was a widow and her son who lived in a miserable attic. Years before, she had married against her parents’ wishes and had gone with her husband to live in a foreign land.
He had proved irresponsible and unfaithful, and after a few years he died without having made any provision for her and the child. It was with the utmost difficulty that she managed to scrape together the bare necessities of life.
The happiest times in the child’s life were those when the mother took him in her arms and told him about her father’s house in the old country. She told him of the grassy lawn, the noble trees, the wild flowers, the lovely pictures and the delicious meals.
The child had never seen his grandfather’s home, but to him it was the most beautiful place in all the world. He longed for the time when he could go there to live.
One day the postman knocked at the attic door. The mother recognized the handwriting on the letter he brought and with trembling fingers broke the seal. There was a check and a slip of paper with just two words: “Come home.”
Someday a similar experience will be ours—an experience shared by all who know Christ. We do not know when the call will come. It may be when we are in the midst of our work. It may be after weeks or months of illness. But some day a loving hand will be laid upon our shoulder and this brief message will be given: “Come home.”
All of us who know Christ personally need not be afraid to die. Death to the Christian is “going home.”
Our Father and our God, I know I am often a prodigal child, going my own unruly way, ignoring Your wisdom and advice, falling into trouble. But please forgive me and welcome me back, Father. I look forward to coming home and being with You forever. In the name of Christ, my brother and friend. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Death: Not Just A Mystery
Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51 RSV
Paul did not describe death as a mystery. He was quite open about death and the fact that Christ had defeated it, so that we would have nothing to fear. What Paul described as a mystery was the transformation of these mortal bodies we now inhabit into immortal bodies that will be precisely like Jesus Christ’s resurrected body. This transformation is a mystery because it transcends human thoughts, scientific inquiry, and even human understanding.
How can a miraculous process be reduced to mere language? It cannot and that is why Paul referred to it as a “mystery.”
Yes, the dead in Christ shall rise first (talk about a mystery!) and then those of us who remain (after witnessing this incredible event) will be changed in a moment, “in the twinkling of an eye.” We will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever. Talk about flying first class!
God wanted Christ to be first in everything, so He preceded us in death and into a resurrected life to show us what it would be like. As we trust Him to save us from the penalty of sin, which is death and eternal separation from God in a literal hell, we can also follow Him in newness of life, through the grave, without fear, comforted in the knowledge that He waits on the other side of a very short journey to take our hand and welcome us into His (and our) dwelling place where the mansion He has prepared for us stands in readiness.
Mystery? Yes, but God has given us enough facts so that we might trust Him for the rest.
Our Father and our God, thank You for Christ, who showed us the way through death to life everlasting. Give me spiritual confidence to follow Him all the way to heavenly rest. Even so, hold my hand, Lord, as that time comes. I face death as I face life, all in the name of Jesus, through whom I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Last Enemy
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:26
The Bible speaks of death as a departure. When Paul approached the valley of the shadow of death he did not shudder with fear; rather he announced with a note of triumph, “The time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6).
The word departure literally means to “pull up anchor and to set sail.” Everything which happens prior to death is a preparation for the journey. Death marks the beginning, not the end. It is a solemn, dramatic step in our journey to God.
Many times in my ministry I said farewell to my wife and children as I have departed for a distant destination. Separation always brought a tinge of sadness, but there was always the high hope that we would meet again. In the meantime the flame of love burned brightly in their hearts and in mine.
So is the hope of the believing Christian as he stands at the grave of a loved one who is with the Lord. He knows, as did Paul, that “He is able to keep that which [he has] committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). He says “Good-bye,” but only until the day breaks and the shadows flee away.
Our Father and our God, like a helpless lamb I follow my Shepherd wherever He leads me. Even through the valley of the shadow of death, I know I can follow Him safely to heavenly pastures on the other side. Help me always to hear His voice clearly and to follow willingly. Through Christ, my Lord, I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Paul Knew For Sure
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
1 Corinthians 13:9–10 NIV
Things didn’t always work out according to his own plans and ideas, but Paul did not murmur or question. His assurance was this: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:8 NIV).
When his tired, bruised body began to weaken under the load, he said in triumph, “We know that if the earthly tent [our bodies] we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV).
The world called him foolish for his belief that men could become partakers of eternal life through faith. But he realized exultantly, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (2 Timothy 1:12 NIV).
Every one of these triumphant affirmations rings with the note of hope and the assurance of life immortal. Though the Christian has no immunity from death and no claim to perpetual life on this planet, death is to him a friend rather than a foe, the beginning rather than the end, another step on the pathway to heaven rather than a leap into a dark unknown.
For many people, the corrosive acids of materialistic science have eroded away their faith in everlasting life. But let’s face it—Einstein’s E=MC2 equation is no satisfactory substitute for Faith + Commitment = Hope.
Paul believed in Christ and committed his all to Christ. The result was that he knew Christ was able to keep him forever. Strong faith and living hope are the result of unconditional commitment to Jesus Christ.
Our Father and our God, I believe in You and Your Son. And I am convinced that You are able to guard and protect me against the evil one until Jesus comes again. Until then, increase my faith as I pledge my firm commitment to Him. And help me to live so that others will find Him too. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010.)
Different Is Not Enough
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2
We Christians should stand out like a sparkling diamond against a rough and dark background. We should be more wholesome than anyone else. We should be poised, cultured, courteous, gracious, but firm in the things we do or do not do. We should laugh and be radiant; but we should refuse to allow the world to pull us down to its level.
The greatest need today in Christendom is a revival within the church of dedicated, separated, disciplined living. The people in our country’s military academies are living separated, dedicated, and disciplined lives in order to be officers in the armed forces. They are being trained for future leadership and service. Certainly we Christians can do no less in order to serve in the army of Jesus Christ.
The Bible says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1–2).
Christ meant that His followers are to be different. But merely being different is not enough. We are to be the cleanest, the holiest, the kindest, the most unselfish, the friendliest, the most courteous, the most industrious, the most thoughtful, the truest, and the most loving people on earth. Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the great missionary doctor and statesman, told Christians why we’re here: “To be glad instruments of God’s love in this imperfect world is the service to which man is called.” We’re called to serve.
In your life is there a time and place for serving God?
Our Father and our God, Captain of the heavenly hosts, enlist me in Your army to conquer the world in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Let me learn to conquer the lost with laughter, kindness, courtesy, gentleness, compassion, and the message of Your grace that came through Christ on the cross, through whom I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
A Goal For Goodness
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
Romans 15:14 NIV
Thoreau wrote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” As Christians we have no alternative but to march to the drumbeat of the Holy Spirit, following the measured steps of goodness, which pleases God.
We can do good deeds, and by practicing principles of goodness can witness to those around us that we have something “different” in our lives—perhaps something they themselves would like to possess. We may even be able to show others how to practice the principles of goodness in their own lives. But the Bible says, “Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away” (Hosea 6:4). True goodness is a “fruit of the Spirit,” and our efforts to achieve it in our own strength alone can never succeed.
We should be careful that any goodness the world may see in us is the genuine fruit of the Spirit and not a counterfeit substitute, lest we unwittingly lead someone astray.
The immortal John Wesley gave us a goal for goodness that puts all this in perspective for me:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
Our Father and our God, You have made each of us unique and special. Show me how You want me to use the special talents You have given me to glorify You, Lord. Help me to hear and march to the heavenly drumbeat of Your Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus my Lord. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Joy In Believing
May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 TEV
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled . . . Believe . . . in me” (John 14:1). When faith is strong, troubles become trifles.
There can be comfort in sorrow because in the midst of mourning God gives a song. God says in Job 30:9, “I am their song.” In Job 35:10 Elihu asks, “Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night?” His presence in our lives changes our mourning into song, and that song is a song of comfort. Sometimes it must be night to have that song.
This kind of comfort is the kind which enabled a devout Englishman during World War II to look at a deep, dark hole in the ground where his home stood before the bombing and say, “I always did want a basement, I did. Now I can jolly well build another house like I always wanted.”
This kind of comfort is the kind which enabled a young minister’s wife in a church near us to teach her Sunday school class of girls on the very day of her husband’s funeral. Her mourning was not the kind which had no hope—it was a mourning of faith in the goodness and wisdom of God; it believed that our Heavenly Father makes no mistakes.
I often think of the two shortest verses in the Bible in this connection. “Jesus wept” is the shorter of the two. But in the original Greek I understand this “shortest” verse has three words whereas the verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (“Rejoice evermore”) has only two. However, it is easy to see the lovely connection between the two verses. The Christian’s joy flows from the sympathy and grace of his Savior. Jesus wept—we rejoice evermore.
Our Father and our God, help me to hear Your songs in the dark night of my soul. Reach through the blackness and ignite a spark of hope and joy in my heart. Teach me to sing through my sadness, to laugh through my tears, and to feel Your compassion when I am covered over with concerns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010.)
A Beacon Of Hope
That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope . . . the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:4, 13
When I referred to the future that God is planning, a student at the University of Hawaii asked me, “Isn’t this a form of escapism?” I said, “In a sense, yes; and before the devil gets through with this world, we are all going to be looking for the exit signs.”
C. S. Lewis, in his remarkable little book Christian Behavior, said,
Hope is one of the theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not, as some modern people think, a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. it does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. aim at earth and you will get neither.
In the midst of the pessimism, gloom, and frustration of this present hour, there is one bright beacon light of hope, and that is the promise of Jesus Christ: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again” (John 14:3).
During the years of the World War II, the words of General Douglas MacArthur echoed in the ears of the people of the Philippine Islands while they were under enemy occupation. He had promised, “I shall return,” and he kept the promise. Jesus Christ has also promised, “I shall return,” and He will keep that promise.
Our Father and our God, fill me with Your joy and peace through the Holy Spirit, who lives in me. Renew my confidence for living in this world. Let me be a positive influence on people, the environment, politics, and those I work with every day. Help me to shape my world in a positive way by applying the message of Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Is IT Wrong To Ask Why?
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Romans 14:7–8
Most of us know what it means to be stunned by the sudden passing of a dedicated friend, a godly pastor, a devout missionary, or a saintly mother. We have stood at the open grave with hot tears running down our cheeks and have asked in utter bewilderment, “Why, O God, why?”
The death of the righteous is no accident. Do you think that the God whose watchful vigil notes the sparrow’s fall and who knows the number of hairs on our heads would turn His back on one of His children in the hour of peril? With Him there are no accidents, no tragedies, and no catastrophes as far as His children are concerned.
Paul, who lived most of his Christian life on the brink of death, expressed triumphant certainty about life. He testified, “To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21 NIV). His strong, unshakable faith took trouble, persecution, pain, thwarted plans, and broken dreams in stride.
He never bristled in questioning cynicism and asked, “Why, Lord?” He knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that his life was being fashioned into the image and likeness of his Savior; and despite the discomfort, he never flinched in the process.
It was Sir Walter Scott who asked, “Is death the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.”
Our Father and our God, sometimes my physical self cries out, “Why, O Lord?” But at the same time, my spiritual self shouts, “Yes, Lord!” I pray for spiritual peace, no matter what physical stress I may encounter. I know Jesus is with me all the time, just as He promised He would be. I pray in His name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Family Of Faith
Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 13:14 NIV
Christ must be vitally real to us if we are to remain faithful to Him in the hour of crisis. And who knows how near that hour may be? The wheels of God’s judgment can be heard by discerning people in the assembly of the United Nations, in the conferences of political leaders, in the offices of the editors of great newspapers or television networks around the world—and among the people throughout the nations. Things are happening fast! The need for a turning to God has never been more urgent.
The words of Isaiah, whom God used to confound an ancient godless aggressor, are appropriate for us today: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (55:6–7 NIV).
In his encounter with Goliath, David proved that outward armor is not nearly so important as the man within the armor. Unless men of purpose, integrity, and faith stand together in unswerving loyalty to Jesus Christ, the future of the world is dark indeed.
To prepare ourselves for the suffering and persecution which seem so inevitable, we need also to foster and strengthen the small group movement, the concept of “Christian cells.” One obvious area where this process should take place is in the family. In the United States today, as well as in other parts of the world, we are witnessing the breakdown and erosion of the family unit. Divorce is rampant, and “living together” without the formality of a wedding ceremony is increasingly common. It is only the strong Christian family unit that can survive the coming world holocaust. And only as Jesus Christ is vitally real to us as family members can we build strong families!
Our Father and our God, have mercy on me, a sinner and unworthy servant. Pardon my offenses against You, Holy Father, and freely forgive my every sin. Draw me nearer to You in every area of my life. Never let me stray from You and Your Son Jesus, in whom I pray. Especially help me do all I can to strengthen my family, and to honor you in all my relationships.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Becoming A Disciple
So no one can become my disciple unless he first sits down and counts his blessings—and then renounces them all for me.
Luke 14:33 TLB
Do you know what it means to be a disciple? A disciple is, literally, a scholar, a learner, especially one who believes in the doctrine of his teacher and follows him. A disciple acknowledges there is one who knows more than he does. A disciple is a person who realizes he needs to learn more than he knows now—and the more he learns the more he realizes he needs to learn.
A disciple must spend time with his teacher in order to gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He knows he cannot get it by osmosis or any other way. It would be like trying to graduate from college without ever attending classes. It is impossible to do. One must interact with one’s professors, asking questions, receiving answers, and studying the assigned material.
All of us who belong to Christ are (or ought to be) His disciples. Unlike the original disciples, we cannot physically spend time with Jesus. But we can hear Him speak and learn from Him just the same by reading what He said when he was here, by speaking to Him through prayer, and by determining to be obedient to His teachings. This is the ultimate proof that one is a disciple: if he follows the commands of his teacher.
Jesus said that he who keeps God’s commandments is the one who truly loves God. Are you a disciple of the Lord Jesus?
Our Father and our God, You sent Jesus to be the Master Teacher, and I want to be His disciple. I want to learn from Him, learn about Him, and learn about You and Your will for me. Give me insight, Father. Give me wisdom to use what I learn well. In the name of the Master. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
A Living Sacrifice
Present your bodies a living sacrifice . . . your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world.
Romans 12:1–2
We Christians are not to be conformed to the world physically. These bodies of ours are intended to be temples of the Spirit of God. We are not to prostrate them before the temples of Baal. We are to present them wholly to God as a “living sacrifice.” Our dress, our posture, our actions, should all be for the honor and glory of Christ. We are to be “holy” in the deepest sense of the word.
God’s purpose for us is that we ought to be conformed to the image of His Son. The world may exert its pressure to deform us, but we are told, “Be ye transformed . . . that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
On the cover of your Bible and mine appear the words, “Holy Bible.” Do you know why the Bible is called holy? Why should it be called holy when so much lust and hate and greed and war are found in it? I can tell you why. It is because the Bible tells the truth. It tells the truth about God, about man, and about the devil. The Bible teaches that we exchange the truth of God for the devil’s lie about sex, for example, and drugs, and alcohol, and religious hypocrisy.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Furthermore, He told the truth. Jesus said that He was the truth, and the truth would make us free. It is in this freedom that we are to “present our bodies a living sacrifice.”
Our Father and our God, change me from self-serving to self-sacrificing. Teach me how to present myself daily in full surrender and service to You and Your people. Freely You have given Your Son to me; freely let me give His grace and love to others. In His strength and power I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
See Beyond The Mysteries
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33
As we look at the world in which we live, there are many confusions, bewilderments, and mysteries that seemingly have no solution. Man, however, has always been bewildered and confused by things which are beyond his understanding.
Primitive man, like modern man, probed the universe for its secrets and looked up at the night sky in awe and wonder at the mystery of the black space with its myriads of inexplicable light.
It was the mystery of gravitation which challenged Sir Isaac Newton in 1685 to explore the reasons why objects heavier than air were attracted to the center of the earth.
It was the mystery of lightning that prompted Benjamin Franklin to attach a key to the tail of a kite during a thunderstorm, to prove the identity of lightning and electricity.
It was the mystery of the latent power of the atom which challenged Einstein, Fermi, and others to probe into the dormant energy in matter. Atomic energy is now a household phrase.
Some of the mysteries of the past have been fathomed by science. Others still puzzle mankind. This fact remains: all of the garnered wisdom of the ages is only a scratch on the surface of man’s search for the knowledge of the universe.
For the most part, God retains His secrets, and man, standing on his intellectual tiptoes, can comprehend only a small fraction of the Lord’s doings.
This inability fully to comprehend the mysteries of God does not in any way curtail the Christian faith. On the contrary, it enhances our belief. We do not understand the intricate pattern of the stars in their courses, but we know that He who created them does, and that just as surely as He guides them, He is charting a safe course for us.
Our Father and our God, I stand in awe of Your majesty and brilliance. I admit that I do not understand the mysteries of Your universe. Your knowledge and wisdom overpower me and leave me in wonder. Thank You, though, for revealing the one secret I most need—the secret of salvation through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Joyous Christian’s Secret
We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 RSV
The sick room can become a “spiritual gymnasium” where one’s soul is exercised and developed. Sickness is one of the “all things” which work together for good to those who love God. Don’t resent it. Don’t be embittered by it. You who are lying on hospital beds realize today that it is the love-stroke of a loving Heavenly Father who loves you so much He will not pamper you but will bring all things for your ultimate good.
Christ is the answer to sadness and discouragement.
This is a world of thwarted hopes, broken dreams, and frustrated desires. G. K. Chesterton said, “Everywhere there is speed, noise, and confusion, but nowhere deep happiness and quiet hearts.”
But Christ can take the discouragement and despondency out of our lives. He can put a spring in one’s step and give one a thrill in his heart and a purpose in his mind. Optimism and cheerfulness are products of knowing Christ.
The Bible says, “A merry heart doeth good, like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
If my heart has been attuned to my God through faith in Christ, then its overflow will be joyous optimism and good cheer.
The joy of the Lord is my strength! Do you feel God’s joy? It only comes when we spend time with Him.
Our Father and our God, I know You will use everything that happens in my life for good. Help me not to resent the hard times and not to be embittered. Help me to see with an eternal vision the blessings You have in mind for me. I pray, through Christ, my Lord. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Earnest Prayer
For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:26
This kind of prayer can span oceans, cross burning deserts, leap over mountains, and penetrate jungles to carry the healing, helping power of the Gospel to the objects of our prayer.
This kind of mourning, this quality of concern, is produced by the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives. That “the Spirit itself maketh intercession” indicates that it is actually God pleading, praying, and mourning through us. Thus we become co-laborers with God, actual partners with Him: our lives are lifted from the low plane of selfishness to the high plane of creativeness with God.
John Knox spent much time in prayer, and the Church in Scotland expanded into new life. John Wesley prayed long and often, and the Methodist movement was born. Martin Luther prayed earnestly, and the Reformation was under way.
God desires that we Christians be concerned and burdened for a lost world. If we pray this kind of prayer, an era of peace may come to the world and hordes of wickedness may be turned back. “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8).
How much do you pray? If someone were to examine your prayer life, would he find that you are more excited about watching football or visiting a friend than talking to God?
Our Father and our God, make me a partner with You, a co-laborer in the Gospel of Christ to take Your Word to the lost and dying world. Send me where You will; use me as You will. Teach me also to pray for Your work in this world. Glorify Yourself through me, Father, as a servant, as was Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010
Teaching By Trials
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 NIV
Affliction can be a means of refining and of purification. Many a life has come forth from the furnace of affliction more beautiful and more useful. We might never have had the songs of Fanny Crosby had she not been afflicted with blindness. George Matheson would never have given the world his immortal song, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,” had it not been for his passing through the furnace of affliction. The “Hallelujah Chorus” was written by Handel when he was poverty-stricken and suffering from a paralyzed right side and right arm.
Job, who was called upon to suffer as few men have suffered, said, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
Affliction may also be for our strengthening and Christian development.
Some time ago a doctor told me that the man who had fought disease all of his life would be better able to resist it than the man who had never been sick a day in his life. “It’s the fellows who have never been sick who die in a hurry,” he said.
David said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67). We learn through the trials we are called upon to bear.
Our Father and our God, thank You for the trials and troubles of my life, for I know they make me strong and more useful to You. Help me suffer with grace and patience. Give me courage and faith in the face of my many frustrations and stresses. Through Christ I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Children Of God
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
Romans 8:16
We have three great enemies: sin, Satan, and death. Because Christ rose from the dead, we know that sin and death and Satan have been decisively defeated. And because Christ rose from the dead, we know there is life after death, and that if we belong to Him we need not fear death or hell. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25–26 NIV). He also promised, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2–3 NIV). We know these words are true, because Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead. What a glorious hope we have because of Jesus’ resurrection!
No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those
who love him.
(1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV)
Our confidence in the future is based firmly on the fact of what God has done for us in Christ. No matter what our situation may be, we need never despair because Christ is alive. “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. . . . For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:8, 23 NIV).
Our Father and our God, I can’t begin to imagine what heaven must be like, but I am full of joy in the knowledge that with Jesus I will be living there someday. Thank You for adopting me as a child and giving me a mansion all my own. I am an heir with Jesus Christ, through whom I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
Of Fear And Faith
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15 NIV
When I understand something of Christ’s love for me as a sinner, I respond with a love for Christ—and love has feeling. But love for Christ is a love that is above human love, though there is a similarity. There is also feeling. But feelings come and go. Commitment stays. We who have committed ourselves to Christ have feelings that come and go—joy, love, gratitude, and so on. But the commitment remains unchanged. Feelings are important, but not essential. The Bible says, “Perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). And those who love Christ have that confidence in Him that raises them above fear. Psychologists tell us there is destructive fear and healthy fear. Healthy fear is instructive, causing us to care for our bodies and our loved ones—Jesus told us to fear Satan.
When I understand that Christ in His death gained a decisive victory over death and over sin, then I lose the fear of death. The Bible says that “He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14–15). It is not the feeling of boldness and confidence that saves us, but it is our faith that saves us, and boldness and confidence result from our having trusted in Christ. The Bible says that we are to fear the Lord. This is reverential fear. It is this kind of fear of the Lord that puts all other fears in proper perspective.
Old John Witherspoon, the only cleric to sign the Declaration of Independence, had this to say on the subject: “It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man.”
Our Father and our God, hear Your child’s reverent prayer of thanksgiving and praise. You have given me confidence for living in this world of darkness and fear. I know I am protected by Your love and by Your angels. I rejoice in Your amazing love that exhibited itself in Jesus’ death on the cross. In His blessed name. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).
The Secret Of Submission
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Romans 7:15 RSV
Paul himself spoke of his struggle. He spoke of desiring to please God, but in himself he found no strength to do so. The things he did not want to do he sometimes did; and the things he wanted to do he did not do.
Many of us ask these questions: “Why do I, as a Christian, do some of the things I do? Why do I, as a Christian, leave undone the things I ought to have done?”
Many name the name of Christ but do not dwell in Him. They have unclean hands, unclean lips, unclean tongues, unclean feet, unclean thoughts, unclean hearts—and yet claim to be Christians. They claim Christ, attend church, try to pray—and yet they know there are things in their souls that are not right. There is no joy in their hearts, no love for others. In fact, there is little evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. The fire in their souls has been quenched.
Yet as we look around, we do know some people who are living different lives. They bear the fruit of the Spirit. But some get only snatches of victory. Once in a while they will have a day that seems to be a victorious day over temptation, but then they slide right back into the same old rut of living, and hunger and long for the righteousness of daily growth.
Self-analysis can lead to depression. We need to keep our attention focused on Christ.
Our Father and our God, like Paul I find myself in a constant struggle. I don’t do what I’m supposed to do, and I do many things I shouldn’t. Rekindle the fire within me that purifies my heart and my motives, O Lord. Give me victory over sin through Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).