Jesus First for Men (eBook)

JANUARY 1

DO THE WORK

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is

finished.”

1 CHRONICLES 28:20 NLT

Having courage and taking action often go hand in hand. In today’s verse, David tells Solomon to “do the work.” He has to live the virtues of strength and courage in order to gain them. The greater the measure of possible failure, the greater the measure of courage required. This is why David promises his son, “He will not fail you or forsake you.” We need not fear failure as long as God is doing the work through us; he will uplift us if we fail.

All God asks is that we do the work. We take initiative, listen for the Lord’s plan, and do what he asks. As long as we have his strength, we need not fear being crushed by our failures. God’s plan remains in place. He planned to build the temple, and he did. He plans to work mightily in our lives, and he will.

God, please give me strength and courage to meet this day. Give me the heart to do the work with great faith in what you can do.

JANUARY 2

BROKEN STRENGTH

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength.

ISAIAH 30:15 NIV

The road to Christ is a narrow, steep one. It is a path of humility that crafts into us the qualities of our Savior. It teaches us to acknowledge God through repentance of our sins and to trust in his plans. We can’t repent if we believe ourselves to be right, and we can’t rest if we rely on ourselves to provide. Repentance, rest, quietness, and trust teach us dependance on Christ.

These virtues teach us to acknowledge God as our source of strength instead of ourselves. According to Isaiah, these meek virtues are our salvation as well; God rejects a proud heart but exalts the humble (James 6:4). Culture pushes men to desire posterity, strength, and respect. These are good things to desire, but God wants us to desire them as gifts from him for his glory.

Dear Lord, give me your strength for this day. Teach me to depend on you for my provision, salvation, and peace.

JANUARY 3

OUR THOUGHTS

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

PSALM 145:5 NLT

This psalm is a beautiful picture of devotion. The psalmist’s mind is where God desires it to be: centered on him. He gives his Lord glory through adoration and meditation. What our minds focus on often dictates our spiritual health. If we focus on God’s “glorious splendor” and all we can be thankful for, our souls and hearts fill with light. If we focus on sexual satisfaction, earthly gratification, or anything that is not God, our minds and spirits darken.

We might drift away from the image of God and his purpose for us. We are made for heaven, but the distractions of this life try to convince us that our focus should be on earth. However, the things around us only find their significance in Christ. Our career goals, physical health, relationships, and everything in between are fruitless if not seen through the eyes of heaven. Even while on earth, our meditation is on the eternal.

God, focus my mind on your glory and wondrous works. Remind me why I breathe; give me your perspective for the day.

JANUARY 4

UNSHAKEABLE FOUNDATIONS

Let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him with respect and fear.

HEBREWS 12:28 NCV

How often do we truly consider the omnipotence of God? Can any fear, anxiety, or failure stand in the face of God’s unshakeable nature? We meet disappointments every day and sometimes every hour. God has planned it. We confront difficulties and heartbreak; we are pushed beyond our limits. God has planned it.

No experience can shake the kingdom of God. We are members of this kingdom, and as members, we have access to the promise of security. With this in mind, the writer of Hebrews cries out, “Let us be thankful.” Those who control earthly kingdoms and nations question whether they will live to fight another year, but it is not so with God. Out of this deep well of security, this appreciation for an unshakeable kingdom, we have no other recourse but to worship God with respect and reverence.

Lord, you stand strong in the heavens, and you founded a kingdom to last beyond every generation. Give me a heart of praise for what you have done.

JANUARY 5

PRAISE

Praise him for his mighty works;

praise his unequaled greatness!

PSALM 150:2 NLT

As men, we often catch ourselves comparing our “greatness” and “mighty works” to others’ deeds and stature. The moment we achieve something, we are tempted to compare our success. Two traps present themselves. One, we might compare to those below us and consider ourselves greater than we are. Two, we can compare ourselves to those greater than us and be filled with unneeded shame and frustration. There is always the possibility of meeting someone greater. There will always be someone smarter, stronger, or further along in life.

God is the answer to the temptation of comparison. Unequaled is the word the psalmist uses to describe God’s greatness. He is the greatest one, and his mighty works are the mightiest. There is no use doing anything for the sake of comparison; God will always have unequaled greatness. For this, we praise him. It is his right.

Dear Lord, I praise you because you are the greatest in all you do. You are the humblest and the most righteous. You have removed my temptation to compare because you are unequaled.

JANUARY 6

PLANNED

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart.”

JEREMIAH 1:5 NIV

God desires his children to be prudent and wise, but he also wants them to remember he is the one planning. His plans have existed longer than us and will continue after our time on earth is done. In this passage, God says through the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” He knows us better than we know ourselves. He sees us without the blinding effects of human emotion, bias, and idealization.

God also says he “set you apart.” He decided our purpose far before we could think. Rather than including God in our plans, we have the honor of being included in God’s plans. In light of God’s surpassing knowledge and foresight, what is our anxiety? How can we worry in light of his steadfast purpose for us? Even if we question it, God still has a plan for our lives that transcends our ability to understand it.

Lord, may my every care and worry be banished by the thought of your knowledge and purpose for me. Help me trust in the plan you have founded.

JANUARY 7

LAVISH GOODNESS

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

PSALM 31:19 NLT

It is within God’s rights to withhold comfort and blessing from us. Many of God’s children experience lives of continuous hardship and persecution, but to them, lavish goodness is no foreign concept. We are blessed “before the watching world” and not just in the ways people assume. We are given eternal blessings. We rest in the spiritual protection of the Lord knowing he will guard us from all evil and earthly destruction as long as he has something left for us to do. The greatest blessing is looking forward to eternity with God. No one can earn a fraction of such a blessing.

We can truly say to God, “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.” Upon our devotion and faith, God gives us peace while on earth and peace for eternity. He gives us the fruit of the Spirit to set us apart from the watching world, and he transforms us into our best selves.

Lord, thank you for your great goodness. Thank you for all the blessings, both eternal and temporary, you have given me. I praise your name!

JANUARY 8

BEING A BLESSING

Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!

GALATIANS 6:10 TPT

The difficulty in following Paul’s advice in this verse has less to do with willingness and more to do with creativity. Between working and sleeping, it’s difficult to find time and ways to bless others. We may be willing, but we don’t always see the opportunities around us. We have to be creative like the people who delivered the paraplegic to Jesus through the roof.

Being a blessing is more than giving; it’s serving. Letting others go before us in line, sharing our meals, mowing lawns, and doing things we would not do by default are all manifestations of being a blessing. According to Paul, these opportunities are especially valuable when they bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our fellow Christians understand the meaning of our actions and are often persecuted by the world.

Lord, make me a blessing today. Open my...