Rich

Miller

Ahithophel was counselor to the king; and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. (1 Chronicles 27:33, NASB)

Let the truth set you free! We’ve probably all been there. There are parts of the Bible, if we are being honest, that we endure to get to the areas that speak to us. Genealogy chapters in Numbers, instructions about dealing with skin diseases in Leviticus, and dividing up the land of Canaan in Joshua make this list for many. 

I imagine very few people would choose the above over reading the Gospels, David defeating Goliath or Paul’s encouraging letter to the Ephesians. Yet, the Bible tells us that all Scripture is inspired by God... (2 Timothy 3:16). Yes, that includes the long lists of “so-and-so begat so-and-so.” Even the parts we may not gravitate toward are still food for our Spirit. 

For example, this happened to me recently while reading 1 Chronicles 27. This chapter focuses on King David and the many men assigned as commanders in Israel’s army, various overseers of royal possessions and his counselors. It is a long list and not exactly captivating to read. Yet each of these men was essential in stewarding assignments on the king’s behalf. 

Close to the end of this list of names comes Hushai the Archite. Hushai is named simply as King David’s friend. Out of the many important roles in the kingdom of Israel, God made sure to include that Hushai was King David’s friend. It cannot be overly stated how high an honor it was in ancient times to be known as a friend of a king. As I was reading this chapter, the Father highlighted to me how significant Hushai’s relationship with David was. Being a friend of the king was mentioned alongside military commanders and political advisors.

There is a powerful life lesson for us in this. It is quite easy to focus on working for Jesus, our King. Drawing our identity from the things we are doing for God can be very seductive. Yet, Jesus on the night of His betrayal made sure His disciples knew that He called them friends. And the proof of being His friends would be in how they treated one another. “You are My friends if you do what I command you. ... This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:14, 17) 

Out of the many terms He could have used, Jesus chose a term of relational endearment. In other words, Jesus (our King) still prioritizes friendship over positions of responsibility. God doesn’t need our friendship out of insecurity. And friendship with Him is not something to treat casually. He is still our king to obey and fulfilling the Great Commission is non-negotiable. 

Yet Jesus calls us to know Him as a friend. He wants to share the secrets of His heart with us and invites us to do the same with Him. In doing so we will naturally express His heart to those around us. I encourage you to ask God today to help you walk in deeper friendship with Him. This is a sacred invitation to His heart that He longs to share with us. In fact, it is what you were created for! 

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Scripture is quoted from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. (Matthew 24:1 NASB) 

Ever wonder what life with Jesus was like for the 12 disciples? Yes, we have the four Gospels and other books of the New Testament. But what about the rest of their experiences they didn’t include in their writings? Can you imagine having your mind continually blown by the miracles Jesus was doing while constantly scratching your head as to what He was talking about?  

Take for example all of Jesus’ teachings on the kingdom of God. Understandably, Israel set their hope on a conquering Messiah who would free them from Roman occupation. Instead, Jesus proclaimed a kingdom with no end, ruled through humility. Or the Temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life. Jesus taught that He was the eternal Temple, who came to implement the New Covenant through His blood. Yet the way He would go about it was vastly different from earthly methods. Understandably, the disciples often struggled with being on the same page as Jesus.  

In Matthew 24, Jesus was leaving the Temple after excoriating the Pharisees and grieving over Jerusalem. His attention was elsewhere, and He was heading to the Mount of Olives. His disciples appeared unfazed by His rebuke of the Pharisees’ religious control and instead focused on the natural beauty of the Temple buildings.  

But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” (Matthew 24:2)

Sadly, I can relate to my attention at times being so far removed from what God is focused on. It’s only through abiding in Him that we can produce lasting fruit that won’t need to be “torn down.”  

This reminds me of the first church where my wife and I were youth pastors. I studied youth ministry in college and spent several years planning how to build a thriving youth group. Because I had been part of Christian circles my entire life, these plans revolved around teens from Christian families attending church faithfully. Yet the Lord sent us to a church where only one of the teenagers was from a Christian family. Most came from broken homes and had no grid for what walking with Jesus looked like. 

I’ll never forget when our pastor called our church to an extended fast. One of the teens shared that they felt God wanted them to fast from drugs during that time. I was stunned—both by their sincerity, and the idea that their “sacrifice” was to forgo drugs for a few weeks!  

Needless to say, I was lost in knowing how to relate to most of those teenagers. All efforts to build a thriving youth ministry crashed and burned. Yet God had not sent us to that church to build a program. He had invited us into the sacred honor of getting to love these teens and their families who lived with such brokenness. However, I was like the disciples looking at the earthly Temple, thinking it was what God was focusing on. His attention was elsewhere the entire time.  

Can you relate? God mercifully and continuously draws all of us closer to His perspective. The fact that you are reading this shows you are hungry to be more aligned with the thoughts of His heart. May His Word remind you today that your life is a temple where His glory dwells, one that will never need to be torn down.  

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

“How I thought God would do it and how He actually did it were worlds apart.” If you have followed Jesus any measure of time, you can relate to this common saying. We’ve all experienced our lives taking unexpected detours. Yet, God’s ways are much higher (Isaiah 55:8-9), and many of these ‘detours’ are Him preserving the promises He has spoken to us.

This biblical principle is clear in the life of Jesus, starting during His early years. 

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you … .” … an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel ... .” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel ... . Having been warned in a dream...he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:13,19-23, NIV)

I think it's safe to assume the first few years of Jesus’ life turned out much differently than Mary and Joseph anticipated: from Israel to Egypt (to keep Jesus safe from Herod), back to Israel, then detoured away from Judea to Nazareth. However, this rerouting was God’s perfect roadmap to fulfill what had been promised about the coming Messiah.

God’s directions rarely follow what we think will be a straight line. My wife and I can attest to this as we recently experienced one of His promises fulfilled after 22 years. How we thought He would bring it to pass was light-years away from how He actually did! 

The Lord had caught me off-guard by prompting me to take a large financial step, promising I would see it paid off. Seven years later, God sent us on a major detour—He led my wife and me to take the same step again even though the previous money wasn’t paid off. (Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is clear that we are supposed to avoid debt, if possible. It would have been foolish for us to have made those financial moves if He wasn’t leading!) 

As you can imagine, interest greatly compounded during those years. My wife and I were able to make very little headway in paying down what was owed. Many times, I wondered if I had detoured away from how God had planned to pay it off. Had our unbelief thwarted what He intended? I would be lying if I said the debt had not at times been a source of depression.

A couple of years ago God sent someone with the knowledge of how the balance could be completely paid off. I can’t begin to convey the emotions my wife and I felt when seeing the balance at zero after it had been massive for so many years. God had fulfilled the promise He had spoken, although many unexpected turns over those 20 years had caused us to think we had missed His plan. 

Are there promises in your life that you have been trusting God for extended periods of time to see fulfilled? God is entirely faithful through all of life’s twists and turns. As we see in the life of Jesus, His ways may appear to include extreme measures. Thankfully, what may seem like detours to us fit within His ability to work it all for your good. (Romans 8:28)

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Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION^®, NIV^® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. (Proverbs 4:18 NLT)

Ever known someone whose zeal and passion for life were contagious? Someone who has been relentless through the years in their love for Jesus and seeing God’s promises continually fulfilled? 

For me, this person was my pastor at the church I attended during Bible college. There was a humility in his eyes that drew you to Jesus. His sense of humor was off the charts (even in cheering on the corny pranks I would play on his pastoral staff!) and willingness to take steps of faith continually led the church forward. Yet, it was his commitment to put others first that really impacted me as a young adult.

My pastor would do extended fasts on behalf of other people in crisis, including my own family. He continually dressed a certain way because some members of his congregation saw it as a major issue. The extra layers he wore in the hot sun while everyone else dressed comfortably looked stifling. But he always did it because he loved them.

Personally, he took many opportunities to speak into my life and pray with me during the darkest season I have ever experienced. And I received the sacred call to preach while under his ministry. I’ll never forget the time he asked me to preach for a Sunday morning service. Nervous sounds like a comfortable word compared to the fright I was feeling that morning! Funnily enough, I shared about God taking us out of our comfort zones. The anointing that I experienced in the middle of this terrifying morning left me assured that the Lord led me to this moment. 

Still, I think I have been most impacted by seeing how God has worked through him these last 25 years since I graduated. His life seems to be a constant example of new things that God is doing. The Lord has been continually opening doors for him to impact ministries and business leaders across the nations. And he has endlessly maintained childlike wonder, even during times of intense testing that few of us can relate to, of what God was going to do. 

To me, he’s a great example of shining ever brighter through the years. The admiration I see in the eyes of his wife towards him has never wavered and is proof that abiding in Christ privately leads to Jesus being seen more brightly by others. And while most of us may not be called to impact large multitudes of people in such a public manner, we’re all valuable members of the body of Christ, created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).

If you have walked with the Lord for a long time, I’m sure you can recognize how the Lord has softened your heart over the years to shine ever brighter. He has qualified you with His righteousness and promised to carry out the work that He began in you (2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 1:6). I encourage you to take time today and thank Him for the changes He’s made in you. We are changed from “glory to glory” as we spend this time focusing on Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). And if you are new in your walk with Christ, we pray the Lord would lead you quickly to others whose light will continue to brighten in the days ahead. 

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message. (Acts 15:30-31 NLT)

What does God require of us in our daily lives as followers of Jesus? The early church was no stranger to this question. In fact, their answer in this letter sent to Antioch was one of the pivotal moments in early church history. The issue at hand was whether Gentile believers in Jesus needed to adopt parts of the Mosaic Law, including circumcision. Many of the churches were being challenged by Pharisees who believed in Jesus yet demanded “the Law” still be followed.  

Jesus had given a new commandment to love one another and fulfilled the Mosaic Law to make doing so possible (John 13:34-35). This is the fruit of what it means to “believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). Believing in His finished work will naturally lead to loving others for whom He also finished the work. Jesus did not make heavier a yoke that was already impossible to bear (Acts 15:10). Any attempt to work for Him (like these Pharisees) rather than with Him will never bear fruit.  

The Pharisees couldn’t accept that following Jesus did not include a long checklist. Thankfully, the Council at Jerusalem did not present a new list of rules that God demanded Gentiles to follow. Instead, the Council’s response was for Gentile believers to simply avoid idolatry and unholy covenants (Acts 15:20, 28). I don’t think we can overestimate the importance of the conclusion they came to and how it still impacts us nearly 2,000 years later. (I also don’t think we can overestimate the joy the men of Antioch expressed in learning that circumcision was not required of them!)  

Personally, I can relate to the Pharisees trying to make a relationship with God conditional upon following the law. Jesus has set me free from so much fruitless striving in my relationship with Him. For example, the church I attended as an undergraduate student was raising money to build a new sanctuary. When they were close to going over the goal, I cleared out my bank account and gave it to the pastor. Sounds generous, right? The problem was that this money had been set aside for a tuition payment, and the Holy Spirit was not leading me to give it. I was motivated in my heart by wanting to be commended by the church for putting us over the top and for my good works. You can imagine how unhappy my parents were when I shared what I had done, as they had to send money to pay my tuition a couple of days later! I look back on many of the things “I did for God” and shake my head at how fruitless they were because I was working a checklist. It was basically modern-day circumcision. 

Freedom in Christ means getting to walk in the Spirit, not having to. It means freedom from anything unholy that prevents us from loving one another. This is the message that caused “great joy throughout the church” in Antioch. Be encouraged today that God’s Spirit is flowing through you to love those around you. And if you’re depending on a Christian checklist for God rather than flowing in relationship with Him, He has a letter for you!  

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26 NLT)

Ever have one of those seasons where the Lord seems to be highlighting a Scripture over and over? When God in His creativity causes you to repeatedly “notice” that Scripture as you are going through everyday life? Maybe you hear it in different songs or teachings, see it on something in the mail, notice it as you are scrolling on social media, hear a loved one mention it, etc. Our Father is unendingly creative in the ways He is committed to getting our attention!  

I’ve personally had many of these seasons where God creatively and mercifully reminds me of specific Scriptures He wants me to focus on. 

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)

It had been a season of many responsibilities and God was teaching me not to allow my heart or mind to become frazzled. In addition to quiet time with the Lord, I was being drawn to this Scripture (John 14:27) in so many ways. One morning on the way to work, I even ended up behind a transportation vehicle with a back window sticker that said Peace of Mind Transportation and had two doves representing the Holy Spirit. You can’t make this stuff up! My drive to work was close to an hour, so I had plenty of time to meditate on that verse. 

Having grown up in Pentecostal circles, I was used to viewing the Holy Spirit as the One who empowers and comforts. However, I didn’t always recognize Him as our Teacher who leads us into all truth and reminds us of God’s promises. It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us supernatural understanding and renews our minds through His Word (see Romans 12:1-2).

I’m so grateful for Jesus sending us His Spirit to patiently teach us. One of the defining seasons of my life was when the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to righteousness in Christ and broke the need to try to be perfect in my own works. We all know that never leads to freedom! I’ll never forget that moment (over 25 years ago). Another breakthrough was when the Holy Spirit led me to a revival where they were focusing on God as Abba Father. Up to that point, I had always viewed God on a distant throne, indifferent to anything but our sin. Seeing Him as our true Father who is tender towards us allowed my heart to soften towards Him. 

As I read John 14, I am consistently amazed at the level of commitment Jesus showed to His disciples on the night He was going to be betrayed. He washed their feet, promised to send the Comforter, and even encouraged them not to allow their hearts to become afraid. All of this before leaving to suffer for the sins of the world. What a mighty God we serve!  

I encourage you today to reflect on things the Lord has previously spoken to you. May the Holy Spirit refresh you with the assurance that His promises towards you are just as true today.  

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed. (1 Kings 10:4-5 NIV)

Ever wonder why God wanted all these details included? I can understand the Queen of Sheba being impressed with Solomon’s great wisdom, wealth, and devotion to God. But what was it about Solomon that even the way his meals were structured left someone of her stature in awe? I’m sure the meals they ate were extravagant and the robes of his servants were made of the highest quality. But the seating of his officials? Being impressed with his cupbearers? 

This challenges me in a good way; I believe our Father longs to order our lives so that others recognize Him in even the little things. As part of her response, the Queen of Sheba exclaimed:

“Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” (1 Kings 10:9 NIV)

I have some family members who are a great example of this. Their home is always so organized and peaceful, and a big part of this is how structured they have allowed the Lord to help them become. They are walking in the wisdom of God in their love for Jesus and involvement in ministry, but also in their daily stewardship. I see God’s supernatural hand at work through this as much as any spiritual gifts in operation in their lives.

I believe God loves to manifest His wisdom to each of us (James 1:5). When our loving Father releases daily wisdom to us, it can often seem like our own ideas. Recognizing these thoughts come from Him increases our faith that He truly is “Christ in us” (Colossians 1:27). His order woven through both the greatest and tiniest areas of our lives leads others to stand in awe of His great wisdom.

Personally, I have experienced this so many times. For instance, I’ll never forget a dream I had about a certain vitamin that would greatly improve my health—a revelation that proved true. The difference was night and day. Similarly, at work recently, I “had the thought” to attend a meeting I hadn’t planned to join. It turned out to be a wise choice, as important details were shared, preventing a lot of extra work. I’m so glad I obeyed the voice of His wisdom in both examples. All moments of Spirit-led insight and guidance, big or small, are precious to Him.

Sadly, that doesn’t mean I’ve always followed His promptings. As an extreme example, one summer when home from college at my parents, I decided not to unload my car. I literally kept it packed the entire summer because I didn’t want to have to reload it later. You can imagine how many times I ignored the thought to quit being so lazy and missed out any opportunities to be a servant and give others a ride. 

What about you? I encourage you today to ask our Father what ideas He has to further order your daily life. Then, take time to listen quietly before Him. You just might be surprised at both the big and little ways He plans to intervene.

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Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION^®, NIV^® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. (Luke 6:45 NLT)

This Scripture in Luke 6 follows Jesus’ extensive teaching in vs. 27-44 about extending forgiveness to one another. Good things flow from the heart of a person who walks in forgiveness. They can express joy in ways that the bitter person can’t. Few people enjoy spending time around someone who is bitter—the amount of complaining and negativity can be draining. Hopefully no one specific comes to mind!  

Years ago, when I was in a paid ministry position at a church, a couple of members went to the pastors and tried to get me fired. I remember being so angry and it took me quite a while to forgive them, which was sad. I understand there is a healthy process we can walk through of being angry but avoiding sin (Ephesians 4:26). It’s important not to suppress or live in denial when someone hurts us.

However, the amount of torment I experienced by allowing bitterness in my heart was unacceptable. As a child of God, I knew better and had experienced the poison of unforgiveness before. Unfortunately, I had not allowed the foundation of Christ’s command to forgive to become solidified in my heart. One thing about the brutality of unforgiveness is that it distorts our perspective. We believe others are truly against us, which perpetuates the wounding. 

Thankfully, Jesus patiently walked me through and helped me to forgive. He helped me see that, even though some of the things they shared were not true, this couple was not trying to lie. They truly believed a distorted version of events. Plus, compared to the unending amount of sin that I had been forgiven for—paid for by Jesus—what took place pales in comparison. Painful, yes. But a blip on the radar compared to what Jesus took on the cross. 

I remember seeing this couple years later and was able to hug them and have a great conversation. What was amazing was that I had truly forgotten about everything that had happened—not just able to forgive them but did not even remember! I’ll never forget when the Lord spoke to me the next day and said, See what I did there. You didn’t even remember what took place. I only remembered what had happened once the Lord spoke to me. But the memory was without any sting. 

The Lord helped me give them mercy because He is merciful. How many people through the years has the Lord helped extend mercy to me when I fell short? Jesus is the treasure in our heart and the world will know we are His disciples by how we love one another. He who is forgiven much loves much. (Luke 7:47) The words that we speak are evidence of our posture of walking in forgiveness. Jesus told us that offenses will come. (Luke 17:1) May we keep our hearts soft towards one another when they do. 

Prayer for today: 

Father, help us to receive Your love and extend it to one another. Thank You for forgiving us, help us to extend that same grace to others. May You show us anywhere we haven’t forgiven and lead us into all truth. All things are possible with You. In Jesus name, amen.  

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.