Danny Panter

The Righteousness God Desires

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day six)

Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper- it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:8

Human-centered anger rarely accomplishes much good. Pastor James goes as far to say, anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. It begs the question, what righteousness does God desire?

Anger often masquerades as strength.If unrestrained it blows up or shuts down, intimidates, separates, abuses and destroys. It doesn’t require strength for any of those things, only pride, self-centeredness, and carelessness. Implicit in PJ’s command is the kind of person who even when offended, seeks to understand before drawing conclusions, and never acts out of self-interest but pursues the good of the other, even at great cost to themselves.

That person embodies restraint, gentleness, tenderness, patience, forgiveness, and compassion-or the kind of righteousness God desires..

Ally

Re:Verse passage – James 1:13-18 (day six)

¹⁴Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. ¹⁵These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. ¹⁶So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father… James 1:14-17 (NLT)

While we may be our own worst enemies, God is most certainly not; he is for us not against us. That’s the message James desires his readers to know. In this new life of faith in Jesus, we will face plenty of challenges, including our own sinful desires, but God in no way aims to throw us curveballs, or trip us up.

In fact, he desires to give us good gifts; to be our wisdom and refuge in time of need, after which, we will be strong and radiant and immovable. That’s why James encourages us not to shy away from trouble, but to face it head on knowing God will not leave us or forsake us, but help us become who he always intended us to be.

Waste Not

Re:Verse passage – James 1:1-12 (day six)

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:4

Pastor Bryan is absolutely right, there is nothing trite or trivial about the sentiment in these verses. The hopefulness in these verses does not only point to what is on the other side of suffering, but also to the goodness of trials themselves. James is not asking us to grin and bear it, but to understand that in God’s economy he does not waste anything; for even in the moments that seek to rob us, God intends to give.

Fat

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2–8; 1 Samuel 3:1-11 (day six)

“…you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel.” 1 Samuel 2:29 (NLT)

Their hearts are fat and gross, but I delight in your law. Psalm 119:70 (NRSV)

Eli. What was it about Eli that was so grave? 1 Samuel 2:29 gives us two reasons. He honored his sons more than he honored God, and he got fat off the portions of meat his sons took from the people’s offerings. Furthermore, he did not take their desecration of the Lord’s offerings and the tabernacle seriously. While Eli knew the extent of his sons’ sins, he did very little to stop them. He issued them a warning, but no more.

Although Eli was nearly blind, he enabled his sons sin with his eyes wide open. His heart had become fat and gross; rather than being jealous for God’s holiness and glory, he minimized their sin.

This account gives me pause. Do I minimize my sin? Do I enjoy the promises of my sin, more than the promises of God? Have I grown fat from the glut of my own sin?

Invite the Holy Spirit to examine your own heart.

Appearances

Re:Verse passage – Judges 8:18-34 (day six)

I don’t know Gideon’s intentions in commissioning the making of the ephod, or how it was used, but its affect was clear. Rather than seek God, the people coveted this religious garment. It was a step down the road towards full blown idolatry.

Sometimes a thing or practice can have the appearance of godliness, but really only serves to boost our own own ego and self-reliance. This usually happens when we fail to obey God’s Word, and take matters in our own hands (like Gideon).

Even the best intentions, if not led by godly wisdom and discernment, can result in destructive outcomes. Real godliness doesn’t come from looking the part, but by looking to him.

Graceless

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:23-24, 8:1-9 (day six)

Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. ³³Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Matthew 18:32-33

When given the opportunity, Gideon failed to extend the same kind of grace God had extended to him. When he was uncertain and lacking in faith, God was gracious in providing him the encouragement he needed.

Yet following his successes, instead of understanding and grace, Gideon was quickly offended after being rebuffed by leaders in both towns. And rather than recounting the story of God’s call and successes in battle, he quickly resorts to threats and condemnation of his very own people.

Sound familiar? Too often we are just as easily offended, and can be quick to condemn rather than seek understanding. Like Gideon we can be grace-less

Benefactor

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:12-22 (day 6)

Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. 1 Peter 4:11

God is the greatest benefactor. No one gives like God gives.

Gideon (and his men) were the beneficiaries of God’s extravagant generosity. Like a father longing to give good gifts to his children, so God gave to Gideon. It is in this moment we come to realize, God is not some distant deity pulling strings, but a compassionate Heavenly Father who seeks our good.

Victory is Sure

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:1-11 (day six)

By the numbers there simply is no way. We look at the odds, we realize the deck is stacked against us, and we wilt in the face of the enemy.

And the Lord says,

I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
making a dry path through the sea. Isaiah 43:16

As God whittled down Gideon’s number of warriors, God’s victory was never in question. Deliverance was as certain as the rising sun. It didn’t matter the number of warriors, one or a million, God’s victory was sure. He is the way maker; he makes a dry path through the sea.

What did Jesus say?

I am the way…

Take heart, I have already overcome the world.

Christian, your victory is sure.

God Nutures

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:36-40 (day six)

So, that night God did as Gideon asked. Judges 6:40

God doesn’t punish doubt, he nurtures faith.

Gideon was on a hero’s journey, one that required a growing faith in God. Along the way, we see God graciously nurture his faith in midst of uncertainty and doubt. God could have ignored Gideon’s request, or chastised him for his lack of faith, but he didn’t. He profoundly and graciously did what Gideon asked.

Now, we know that doesn’t mean God will always do what we ask, but what it does mean is God is eager to nudge our faith along. We all are at different places on our journey of faith. Rest assured God wants to help you, not hurt you.

Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find…” (Matthew 7:7)

God’s answer to Gideon, is what I think Jesus meant. So, when facing doubt, don’t be hesitant to go to God out of fear you are disappointing him. He wants to reassure you and nudge you along your journey.

The Undoing of Incongruity

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day six)

The narrator gives us a closer look into their idolatry; at just how incongruous their lives were. While they were the people of God, he did not even enter into their thinking when they awoke to find their altar to Baal destroyed. They were too caught up in their anger and hatred to even discern why Gideon erected an altar to their ancestral God.

Jesus had a lot to say about incongruity. He said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)

Practically speaking, isn’t the Christian life the gradual undoing of incongruity by God’s grace through Jesus? Destroying our altars to false gods, so that we can live unshackled, fully devoted to him? That’s our best life.

What altars is he taking down in yours?