Braden Condray, Author at Devotionals

Daily Devotional-June 21

June 21, 2020

We are going to spend the next two weeks together as a church reading Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount! The Sermon on the Mount is the first of Jesus’ major teachings recorded in the gospel of Matthew. In it, Jesus explains the ethics and values of the kingdom of Heaven as opposed to the ethics and values of the world. The values and principles that are to govern our lives as followers of Jesus and citizens of the kingdom of Heaven are wildly different from those that govern the various cultures of our world, including the culture in which we live.

Over the next two weeks, allow the words of the Lord Jesus to challenge the way you think, expose the worldly and idolatrous values and desires of your heart, and transform you to live in the new way that He has laid before us!

This last section of chapter five records Jesus’ explanation of two last commandments. The first of these concerns justice and retaliation, and here Jesus calls those who follow Him to not seek vengeance or retaliation when they are wronged, but to instead turn and be a blessing to those who wrong them. In the second commandment, Jesus corrects the misconception that we should love our neighbor but hate our enemy. On the contrary, Jesus calls His followers to love their enemies and to pray for their good, since in doing so they are demonstrating to them the grace which God shows to all people.

Jesus ends this section of His sermon by saying “You must therefore be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v.48). Living as a citizen the kingdom of heaven means being a picture of who God is to the world in darkness, and our lives should reflect what He is like!

This seems like an impossibly high calling, but we see in Jesus the perfect example of these ethics lived out: when He was unjustly abused, reviled, mocked, tortured, and killed, He did not retaliate in kind, though it was well within His power to do so. He loved those who were His enemies to the extent that He willingly suffered and died on a criminal’s cross for them. He put the perfection of the Father on display to us perfectly. Let us look to Him as we seek to put these kingdom ethics into practice!

Matthew 5:38-48

Retaliation

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴²Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Family Discussion Question:

How can we be people who, like Jesus, love those who are our enemies? What can that look like in our lives?

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Daily Devotional-June 20

June 20, 2020

In this passage Jesus takes two more commandments from the Old Testament and explains the implications for our lives that lie beneath the surface. The first of these commandments has to do with divorce; although God had made allowance for divorce in the Old Testament law, Jesus explains that this is only permissible in the case of sexual immorality.

Jesus would later go on to explain that God’s original intent in creation was that marriage should be a lifelong covenant, and that therefore God’s will is and always has been opposed to divorce (see Mark 10:2-12). Jesus calls His followers to hold the marriage covenant in the highest regard, and to refuse to allow anything less than a serious defilement of it by means of sexual immorality to dissolve it.

The second command Jesus seems to modify in this passage is that all who swear an oath to the Lord are to keep it. Jesus explains the original intent behind this law was not merely that the people of God should always keep their word; they should, but even more than that they should be people of such integrity that they don’t need to swear an oath at all. We need to be people whose “yes” or “no” can be trusted, to the point where we don’t even need to strengthen it with a promise or an oath!

Matthew 5:31-37

Divorce

³¹“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³²But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

³³“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ ³⁴But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.³⁶And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Family Discussion Question:

What does it mean to be a person of integrity? How does that play into the way we use our words?

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Daily Devotional-June 19

June 19, 2020

Like yesterday’s text, Jesus is exposing the sinful heart which lies behind a sinful action in this passage. Today Jesus exposes how the act of adultery is merely a symptom of a heart filled with lust. He goes so far as to say that merely looking at a woman with lust is equivalent to committing adultery with her in one’s heart!

Jesus is not saying that lusting after someone is just as bad as committing adultery with them, just like being angry at someone is not just as bad as murdering them. What He is saying is that, behind the explicit command to not commit adultery is an implicit command to not lust at all, because lust is what leads to adultery. So truly obeying the command to not commit adultery means keeping one’s heart pure from lust as well!

Jesus then goes on to explain the severity and extremity we should go to in fighting sin. Jesus makes clear here that the end of sin is death and condemnation; we have to understand just how deadly and dangerous it really is and, consequently, fight it with the most uncompromising seriousness!

Matthew 5:27-30

Lust

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Family Discussion Question:

How do the sinful actions we do expose the sin that is in our hearts? What are some ways we can be fighting against sin with the level of seriousness Jesus describes in this passage?

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Daily Devotional-June 18

June 18, 2020

This passage begins a pattern which will carry through the rest of chapter 5 in which Jesus states “You have heard that it was said ‘(Old Testament commandment)’, but I tell you (something else)”. What Jesus is doing in these sections is going beyond the surface of the Old Testament Law in order to expose the heart which lies behind it. Today, Jesus tackles the issue of anger.

Jesus explains that the outwardly sinful act of murder is the direct result of a heart overcome by anger. Jesus says that it is sin whenever we allow anger to move us to lash out at others. The extreme example is murder, but Jesus also points to insulting or cursing others as examples of this sinful attitude of the heart.

Jesus is calling His followers not only to refuse to be overcome by anger, but to be about reconciliation and making peace (see verses 23-24), and He warns us that the consequences could be rather severe should we fail to do so. Jesus calls us to master our anger rather than being mastered by it!

Matthew 5:21-26

Anger

²¹“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²²But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Family Discussion Question:

What are some ways that anger can move us to act in ways that do not honor God? How can we instead choose to be people of peace?

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Daily Devotional-June 17

June 17, 2020

In these verses Jesus confronts some misunderstandings concerning His teaching ahead of time and sets up some of what He will be teaching about for the remainder of His sermon. He says that He has not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets (i.e. the Old Testament Scriptures), but to fulfill them!

This is important because, as we will see over the next few days in Matthew 5, at a cursory glance it seems as though Jesus is redefining the Law and the Prophets to mean something else! Jesus is reassuring His audience, and us, that He is not reinterpreting the commands of the Old Testament Scriptures; He is rather explaining their original intent.

In verse 20 we see the crux of what Jesus is talking about: the scribes and the Pharisees were the most outwardly pious, religious observers of the Law. They followed the commands of Moses to the extreme, yet Jesus says that, in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, our righteousness must exceed even theirs.

In the next few sections of this chapter, we will come to understand what Jesus means by this: our obedience to God must not be merely outward, but inward, from the heart. Our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees when we obey God not out of a desire to appear moral or religious, but from a truly transformed heart which seeks and honors and treasures and worships Him above all!

Matthew 5:17-20

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

¹⁷“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Family Discussion Question:

Have you ever done something good out of a desire for others to think highly of you? Why is this kind of “righteousness” not acceptable in God’s eyes?

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Daily Devotional-June 16

June 16, 2020

In today’s passage Jesus describes His followers as the salt of the earth and as the light of the world. Both of these descriptors refer to the way in which followers of Jesus are meant to interact with and influence the world around them!

In the 1^st century salt was used in two ways: to preserve and enhance flavor. Jesus could have had either or both of these uses in mind when he called us the salt of the earth! As disciples of the Holy One, we are meant to preserve the world from spiritual and moral decay as well asenhancing the world. Our presence in our neighborhoods, our communities, and our culture should work to stave off the advance of darkness and evil as well as to bring about light and goodness and beauty and truth!

Jesus’ reference to His followers as the light of the world means that, because we have. Been. Inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit, we are now empowered to put the glory, holiness, love, and goodness of God on display through our good works! When people look at our lives, they should see a picture of who God is and give glory to Him!

As we step into a world that remains in the darkness, confusion, and chaos produced by sin, may we ever stand against the darkness, adding beauty and light and life to the world around us by our lives, and pointing others to who Jesus is through the good works that we perform!

Matthew 5:13-16

Salt and Light

¹³“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Family Discussion Question:

What are some of the good works we can do that would make others give glory to God? What are some specific ways you can “shine your light before others” this week?

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Daily Devotional-June 15

June 15, 2020

Today’s text is known to us as “the beatitudes”. Right off the bat in this sermon, Jesus completely flips the value system of our world on its head. The audience Jesus is addressing (as well as our own culture!) would have associated wealth, power, influence, and health with God’s blessing. Jesus reveals that those who are truly blessed by God are not necessarily the materially prosperous; they are those who are meek and lowly, the poor in spirit, those who are pure in heart and hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Jesus goes on to say that those who are truly blessed by God are those who are hated and reviled because of their faithfulness to the Lord. This seems so backwards to us, yet it is the kind of life to which Jesus calls His followers! See how this list Jesus gives of blessedness compares to the way you actually live.

Matthew 5:1-12

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Family Discussion Question:

Which of the beatitudes stands out the most to you? What are some things you can do this week to put these values into practice?

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Daily Devotional-June 14

June 14, 2020

The book of Proverbs is a collection of short sayings in the Old Testament meant to instill wisdom in God’s people. As we read, it is important to remember that a proverb is a statement which is generally true in principle, not a universally true promise. Let’s dig into the Word together and allow the Lord to shape our hearts, our minds, and our lives in his wisdom over the next month!

The author of Proverbs 31 is identified as King Lemuel. We do not know who this king was, but his words reveal a great respect and appreciation for his mother and his wife. While he receives the wisdom his mother taught him, and admires the character of his wife, the qualities cited can be characteristics seen in anyperson seeking the heart of God. This means that the example of the “Proverbs 31 woman” is one that you should seek to put into practice too men!

The king’s mother gave him three things to practice. First, she warned him against using his authority and power to engage in immorality or to seek the demise of other kings. Secondly, she warned him of the dangers of drunkenness and the inherent risks of trying to rule under the influence of strong drink and the harm and suffering he could cause. Thirdly, she urged him to always come to the aid of those who are suffering or oppressed.

The king praises his wife and her noble character. He considers her to be a virtuous woman of excellence who has his heart and deepest trust. She is wise, discreet, industrious, supportive of her husband and cares deeply about his good reputation. She not only rises early to serve her husband and family, but also those who attend to her needs. She has a healthy self-respect and is admired by those who know her. Every day she models a life worthy of imitation!

Proverbs 31

The Words of King Lemuel

31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

²What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?
    What are you doing, son of my vows?
³Do not give your strength to women,
    your ways to those who destroy kings.
⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    or for rulers to take strong drink,
⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
⁶Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress;
⁷let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.
⁸Open your mouth for the mute,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.
⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously,
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

¹⁰An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹²She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷She dresses herself with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
²²She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹“Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.

Family Discussion Question:

Do you find the king’s mother’s instructions apply to your life in any way? Do you see any of the character qualities of the king’s wife in your life? What areas of your life do you still need to submit to God?

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Daily Devotional-June 13

June 13, 2020

The author of this proverb wants to be a righteous person but admits that he has failed to learn wisdom and has acted foolishly. He is tired and weary. But when a person perceives and understands more of God’s ways, they become humble enough to realize how much they still don’t know, and they can experience greater intimacy with the Creator of all things!

God is great and every word of his ultimately proves to be true. When one draws close to him, he will experience God’s safety and peace (v.5). The writer warns a person to not add to, take away from, or distort God’s word, and to not lead a self-enlightened life because it is foolishness. We learn that joy and integrity is found in the balanced life—not too many riches that might lead one to falsely believe they are a self-made person who doesn’t really need God, or poverty that might lead one to steal and dishonor God.

We see lists of three and four things that Agur observes in life that contrasts righteousness and wickedness, wisdom and foolishness, compassion and cruelty, and life and death. Life has signposts along way that reveal the wisdom and truth of God. The question is, will we have the heart and humility to see them and respond in kind to the Spirit of God?

Proverbs 30

The Words of Agur

30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.
²Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.
³I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
⁴Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
    Surely you know!

⁵Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
⁶Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

⁷Two things I ask of you;
    deny them not to me before I die:
⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
    give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is needful for me,
⁹lest I be full and deny you
    and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
    and profane the name of my God.

¹⁰Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

¹¹There are those who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers.
¹²There are those who are clean in their own eyes
    but are not washed of their filth.
¹³There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
    how high their eyelids lift!
¹⁴There are those whose teeth are swords,
    whose fangs are knives,
to devour the poor from off the earth,
    the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵The leech has two daughters:
    Give and Give.
Three things are never satisfied;
    four never say, “Enough”:
¹⁶Sheol, the barren womb,
    the land never satisfied with water,
    and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

¹⁷The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be picked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸Three things are too wonderful for me;
    four I do not understand:
¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a virgin.

²⁰This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”

²¹Under three things the earth trembles;
    under four it cannot bear up:
²²a slave when he becomes king,
    and a fool when he is filled with food;
²³an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
    and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

²⁴Four things on earth are small,
    but they are exceedingly wise:
²⁵the ants are a people not strong,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;
²⁶the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
    yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
²⁷the locusts have no king,
    yet all of them march in rank;
²⁸the lizard you can take in your hands,
    yet it is in kings’ palaces.

²⁹Three things are stately in their tread;
    four are stately in their stride:
³⁰the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
    and does not turn back before any;
³¹the strutting rooster^, the he-goat,
    and a king whose army is with him.

³²If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
    or if you have been devising evil,
    put your hand on your mouth.
³³For pressing milk produces curds,
    pressing the nose produces blood,
    and pressing anger produces strife.

What do you do about the regrets and past failures of life? Do you find it easy to confess sin to God and to turn from sin? Do you find it easy or difficult to learn from failures of the past?

Family Discussion Question:

Why is it so important that, as we seek the Lord, we do so in humility? What truths about God should cause us to approach Him in humility and reverence?

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Daily Devotional-June 12

June 12, 2020

Life is hard without some degree of discipline. Anyone who resents or rejects discipline is headed for a difficult road ahead. Our reading today speaks to the heart and character of a person, and the consequences suffered by those who are irreconcilable and rebellious.

When a person rejects God’s discipline, they suffer personally. However, those that they associate with can also experience the dire consequences of their wicked actions and attitudes. When a leader lives a life contrary to God, the whole community and even a nation can suffer.

In contrast, the righteous learn from discipline. They are attentive to the needs of the suffering (v.7) and replace unneeded and unhelpful rhetoric in a community with calm and peace (v.8). A child left to his own devices without the seasoned and loving discipline of parents brings heartache to themselves and those that love them (v.15). If people are not given hope and vision from God’s word, they scatter in every direction (v.18).

The person who welcomes the discipline of God, the truth of his Word, and keeps God’s law not only experiences the blessings of God in their own life, but they are also a blessing to others!

Proverbs 29

29 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
    will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
²When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
    but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
³He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
    but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
⁴By justice a king builds up the land,
    but he who exacts gifts tears it down.
⁵A man who flatters his neighbor
    spreads a net for his feet.
⁶An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,
    but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
⁷A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;
    a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.
⁸Scoffers set a city aflame,
    but the wise turn away wrath.
⁹If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
    the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
¹⁰Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless
    and seek the life of the upright.
¹¹A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
    but a wise man quietly holds it back.
¹²If a ruler listens to falsehood,
    all his officials will be wicked.
¹³The poor man and the oppressor meet together;
    the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
¹⁴If a king faithfully judges the poor,
    his throne will be established forever.
¹⁵The rod and reproof give wisdom,
    but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
¹⁶When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
    but the righteous will look upon their downfall.
¹⁷Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
    he will give delight to your heart.
¹⁸Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
    but blessed is he who keeps the law.
¹⁹By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
    for though he understands, he will not respond.
²⁰Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.
²¹Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
    will in the end find him his heir.
²²A man of wrath stirs up strife,
    and one given to anger causes much transgression.
²³One’s pride will bring him low,
    but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
²⁴The partner of a thief hates his own life;
    he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
²⁵The fear of man lays a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
²⁶Many seek the face of a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.
²⁷An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

Family Discussion Question:

How do you receive correction or discipline? Is it something you resent, or do you welcome constructive criticism and correction? Do you willingly receive God’s discipline?