Quick Note – John 11:43-44 – Change Your Clothes

John 11:43-44 – When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”  The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 

Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Most people change their clothes every day, or at least, every time their clothes get dirty.  The clothes are taken off and washed, so that the next time they are worn, they are clean and presentable.  This usually happens when a person takes a bath or a shower, then a new set of clothes is used, because you don’t want to put dirty clothes on a clean body.  It completely defeats the purpose.  If clothes aren’t changed often, they accumulate dirt and grime, begin to smell like sweat, and make the person wearing those clothes unpleasant to be around.  That is why it is important to keep your clothes clean – to change them when necessary, especially when they are dirty, and you are clean. 

But why don’t many Christians change their spiritual clothes when they get saved?  Why do they continue to wear the clothes associated with their flesh, their sin, and their lusts?  Why do they continue to live worldly lives than to put on the armor of Christ?  Shouldn’t we be wearing the new garments we are given in Christ? 

In John 11, Jesus Christ raised His friend Lazarus from the dead.  Lazarus had become gravely ill and died.  He had been buried for four days, when Jesus Christ came into Bethany and performed this miracle.  Most certainly, those cloths that were used to wrap his dead body, smelled like rottenness and death.  So it made sense that after Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus told the people to “Unbind him, and let him go.”  He told Lazarus’ friends to remove the dirty grave clothes and to set him free.  This is a lesson for all of us who have been saved from death and sin.  We are called to remove our old grave clothes.  To put on new clothes that match our new state in Christ.  No longer wearing the clothes associated with death, with sin, with the world, but new clothes associated with those who have been given new life in Christ. 

In Isaiah 61:10, we are told that God has given us new garments of salvation, a robe of righteousness.  When we come to know Him as our Lord and Savior, we trade in those dirty grave clothes for beautiful garments of salvation and righteousness.  We are given pure white clothes that are reflection of our Savior.  We are given new lives in Christ.  That is why in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are told, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  We are new creatures, clean, washed in the blood of Christ, so why put on those old grave clothes again?  Instead, let us wear the new armor, the new robes associated with the Spirit of God.  If you wonder what that means, read Ephesians 6, where we are told what characteristics that armor represents.  Change your grave clothes for new robes of life. 

Quick Note – Jonah 1:4-5,15 – Finding Calm in the Storm

Jonah 1:4-5, 15 – But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.  Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.  And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.  But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep…So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

Your sin will surely find you out.  The consequences and punishment of sin will always come whether it be immediately or later, but there is never an escape.  People often react differently when their sin catches up to them.  Some, whose hearts have grown so hardened, will not even notice the consequences.  Some will panic and try to solve the problems that arise out of their own strength.  Others will choose to just ignore it and pretend that it isn’t happening.  However, the best way to react is to turn to God in repentance and to get one’s heart right with Him again. 

In our passage today, Jonah ran away from God’s calling to preach to the people of Nineveh.  He didn’t want to give them a chance to repent, so rather than obeying God’s command, he tried to run from His presence.  Obviously, that didn’t work.  Running from God can never work, since God is ever present.  Because of Jonah’s disobedience, God sent a storm to batter the ship in which Jonah was trying to run in – this storm was the consequence of his sin. 

When the storm came, you can see two different responses to the trouble that was happening.  The first was Jonah’s response, whose heart was so hardened, that he didn’t even notice the storm.  The captain of the ship found him sleeping through it as if nothing was happening.  Jonah’s response is an example of those whom God is trying to reach because of their sin, but whose hearts have gotten so hard that they don’t even notice His calling.  Jonah represents sinners who do not care about restoring their relationship with God but blatantly choose to continue to live in their sin.  It is a sad day when you can’t hear God’s voice. 

The second response was those of the crewmembers of the ship.  When the storm came, they did everything in their own power to try to solve the problem.  They threw out the cargo, they lightened the ship, they even tried to row back to shore.  However, none of it worked.  They were still caught in the tempestuous storm.  Their response is an example of those who try to solve the problems that come with sin in their own strength.  They represent the people who try to find salvation in their own way, through their own works, and through their false religions.  But just like with these mariners, they will never find a way out, because the only One who could deliver them is the LORD God. 

The response we do not see until the end of Jonah 1 is the response that everyone should have to the storms and difficulties that come with sin and that is the response of obedience.  Eventually, Jonah told the seamen that to solve this problem, they needed to throw him out of the ship.  That was the solution that God was providing.  After trying to row hard against the storm one more time, the mariners decided to listen to the command, and they threw Jonah out of the ship.  The storm was then immediately calmed.  It was when they decided to do what God had told them to do that peace came.  This response is the response that we should have.  Rather than becoming so hard that we do not notice our sin, rather than trying to solve the problem of sin in our own strength, we instead should trust in God and follow His way of salvation.  God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.  He promised that all who would call on His name would be saved.  We must only place our faith and trust in Him. 

So when the storms of this life come because of our sin, when we are suffering the difficulties and consequences that come with our bad choices, we should stop trying to respond like Jonah, ignoring the problem, or the seamen, trying to solve it in our own strength.  Instead, we should call to God in repentance and give our lives to Him.  That is the only way to find peace in the midst of a storm. 

Quick Note – Amos 9:1-4 – Always in God’s Presence

Amos 9:1-4 – I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said:  “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.  If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, form there I will bring them down.  If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.  And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”

God is always watching.  He has knowledge of what you are doing and where you are doing them.  You cannot hide from Him.  You can climb to the top of Mt. Everest, and He is there.  And you can dive into the bottom of the Marinas Trench, and He is still there.  You can travel to the farthest corners of the East or West, but you cannot run from God.  God can reach you no matter where you are.  The question I have for you is “What will He do with you when He finds you?”

In our passage today, Amos warned the people of Israel that they could not escape God’s judgment.  Whether they climbed up to heaven or hid themselves on top of a mountain, whether they dove into the bottom of the sea or went into captivity, they could not run or hide.  God would punish them for their sin.  No matter where they were, God was watching them to bring upon them the penalty they deserved. 

This passage has a lot of similarities to Psalm 139:7-12 – “Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” 

In Psalm 139, David describes how God is also everywhere and also watching.  However, what makes this passage different than Amos 9 is that here David describes how God is constantly watching over him for good.  God is there to lead and guide him, to protect and hold him, no matter where David was.  David could be on the top of the mountain or the depts of the sea, in the brightest day or the in the darkness night, God was always there to watch over him. 

Depending on your heart, God is watching over you either for judgment or blessing.  For David, who followed God’s ways and obeyed His commandments, God was always there for protection.  For the Israelites, who were sinning and abandoning God’s statutes, God was always there for judgment.  So in your life right now, what is God’s role?  Is He there as a punishing judge or a merciful Father?  Is He fixing His eyes on you for evil or for good?  It’s your choice.  It’s based on your decision to follow Him.  You cannot run from His presence.  It is not too late to change your fate, to stop trying to run, and to submit to Him. What you must decide now is whether you will be rejoicing at His coming or living in fear. 

Quick Note – Joel 2:23a – My Favorite Verse

Joel 2:23a – And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved…

My favorite verse in the Bible comes from Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  This is my favorite verse, because when I was a young Christian, I always had doubts about my salvation.  I was always worried that maybe I didn’t mean it when I asked God to come into my heart, maybe I did something wrong and didn’t truly believe, and maybe I just wasn’t saved.  So whenever I meditated upon that verse, I would be reminded of God’s faithfulness and how He promised to save anyone who called to Him.  By memorizing and reflecting on that verse I found peace. 

Today’s passage in Joel is likely where that verse came from, because it is almost word for word exactly the same – “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”  After speaking of the destruction and punishment that was coming for their sin, God told the Israelites that if they repented He would show them mercy.  This verse was a final reassurance that if they were to return to Him, then He would be merciful and save them.  Just like it was for me an assurance of my salvation, it was an assurance for them.  Let’s just take a few moments today to break down this verse and understand its wonderful guarantee. 

EVERYONE – The verse clearly states that everyone is included.  It doesn’t matter what type of sin you committed.  It doesn’t matter how unrighteous you are.  It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, black or white, born into a Christian home or raised in an atheist’s background.  This verse applies to you.  God is opening the door for anyone and everyone to experience His salvation.  There is no restriction and no pre-existing requirements.  The opportunity is open for all. 

WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD – The only action that is required on our part is to call unto God, to place our faith and reliance upon Him, to trust Him as our Lord, Savior, and Faithful God who will do what He says.  The verse doesn’t tell us to climb up to a mountaintop and declare His name.  The verse doesn’t tell us to do so many good things that it outweighs all the bad we have done.  NO!  All it says is to call upon Him – to lean on His mercy and grace.  Earlier in Joel 2, God is described as “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…”  God wants to forgive us.  God wants to restore our relationship with Him.  God wants to save you from the sin and hell and destruction that is awaiting everyone who refuses Him.  So call upon Him.  Trust Him.  Lean on Him in Faith, trusting the finished work of Christ on the cross, when He died for you.  You do not call on your own name.  You do not lean on your own works.  You call on the name of the LORD.  It is in Christ our faith will stand. 

SHALL BE SAVED – This is the promise.  This is the guarantee.  No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, if you place your faith in God, in Jesus Christ, then you will be saved.  You will be saved from what?  From your sin, no longer a slave to the wickedness and evil of this world.  You will be free to follow God and do what is right and not a captive of your lusts.  From hell and destruction, no longer heading to the Lake of Fire without God, but instead, you will be able to spend an eternity in Heaven with Him.  From the Devil, no longer following his deceptions and temptations, but free to do what God has commanded and what is best for your life. 

Joel 2:23 is the precedent to my favorite verse in the Bible – Romans 10:13, and I hope after you have read this devotional, it will become one of your favorite verses as well. 

Quick Note – Hosea 11:1-4 – Realizing God’s Goodness

Hosea 11:1-4 – When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.  The more they were called the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.  Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.  I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaw, and I bent down to them and fed them. 

We often do not know the sacrifices that our parents make for us.  It is only years later after we have already said words that hurt and cannot be taken back, after we have acted ungratefully and complained, and sometimes even after they have passed away that we realize all the things they did for us.  We fail to perceive these loving acts.  And because of that lack of discernment, we rebel with disrespect and disobedience.  If only we realized earlier, how much they did for us? 

The people of Israel had the same problem when it came to God.  God had done so much for them.  He took them from nothing and formed them into a nation.  He delivered them from their captivity in Egypt.  He conquered and placed them into the Promised Land.  He provided them a land of milk and honey – a land of abundant grain and wine.  He protected them from all the surrounding nations that would seek to destroy them, and He even raised them up as glorious among them all.  Yet, they still disobeyed His commands.  They did not realize that these blessings came from a God who loved, cared, and provided for them.  So instead of worshipping Him, they turned to the Baals, these false idols, and gave them their worship.  Because of this idolatry, God spends most of Hosea describing the punishment that He would bring upon Israel.  However, God still loved them and interspersed throughout Hosea, He shares about His mercy, love, and grace.  It is easy for us to forget, to not even realize, all the things that God has done for us.  He has given us the breath of life each day.  He has given us the health that allows us to work and play.  He has provided us protection as we drive and travel from place to place.  And most importantly, He has given us His Son Jesus Christ as a way of salvation.  Because we forget these things, we are often discontent, seeking for more from this world instead of trusting and worshipping God.  Take some time to reflect on all that God has done for you throughout your life and praise Him for His goodness.