JULY DAILY DEVOTIONS
DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF JULY
Below are daily devotions for each day of the month. They include a quote from a famous individual with my personal comment and a scripture passage with my personal comment. I hope you find these quotations, scripture passages and my personal comments helpful in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
July 1
“Nobody ever became a Bible scholar on one sermon a week. Nobody ever became agile with the sword of the Spirit simply by listening to somebody talk about it. Nobody will ever become useful with the scriptures minus a real desire to know the Word of God.”
Alistair Begg
We can’t live on one meal a week and we can’t live spiritually on one sermon a week. You don’t become an expert driver by listening to someone explain how to drive and you don’t live the Christian life by just hearing someone preach the Word. You will never become useful and productive with the Word of God until you desire to know Holy Scripture in a detailed way. This comes about when we develop an intimate relationship with God and love Him with our whole heart. When this takes place, we will seek to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. The result will be a filling of our lives with His Spirit as the Word takes deep root in all aspects and areas of our life.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Ephesians 5:21
We often find it difficult to submit to one another as followers of Christ. Possibly it is our desire to be independent. Maybe it is because submission to another irritates our pride. Whatever the case, in this verse from Ephesians we are told, no we are commanded to submit to one another. The main reason is out of reverence for Christ because God commands it. The other reason is that it builds interdependence between Christians and it builds Christ’s church. Submission to one another comes out of our love and respect for God. If you can’t submit to another believer in a godly fashion, then you will have problems being submissive to God. This doesn’t mean we are to obey everything that another believer tells us to do. It means we listen with respect, balance it with wisdom from God’s Word and respond in Christian love. The main issue being addressed in Ephesians was unnecessary conflicts between Christians because they were not letting Christ rule in their lives. Let us submit to Christ and therefore to each other in love.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 2
“Little strokes fell great oaks.”
Benjamin Franklin
Often we think that it is the big sins that do us in, when in reality we are letting the little ones whittle away at us over time. Then we wake up one morning and say, “How did I get into this sinful mess!” It is the constant little decisions for righteousness in life that build a mountain of spiritual maturity. Often the big decisions that have big consequences are easy to decide. It is those tiny small issues of life that we waffle on that grow into huge monster sins without us noticing. Small sins pull down mighty men and women of God when allowed to exist in ones life.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:1-2
A major issue we face as followers of Christ is not to let this world distract us from the fact we are really citizens of heaven not of earth. We too often let our flesh dictate our thoughts and actions because we believe the lie that this world is all there is. We forget that we are only here for a brief period of time. We are aliens, strangers, travelers that are simply here for a brief season. Our true home is in heaven. We are told here in Colossians to set our hearts and minds on things above. This means our main attention and desires are to reside in heavenly things. This does not mean we ignore this life on earth, but when our hearts and minds are set on things above we are better able to serve God and others here on earth. The choice we have is to let our hearts and minds be set on earthly or heavenly things. When we choose the former we stumble and fall into sin. When we choose the latter, we overcome sin, move forward in obedience, bring God glory and receive great joy.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 3
“There is a vast difference between forgiveness and trust.
Forgiveness is given. Trust is earned.”
Dr. John C. Maxwell
We are commanded to forgive one another. We struggle with this commandment at times because we feel that this means we must give the offender our trust. Forgiveness is showing Christ’s love to someone who has hurt or wounded us. It is a gift we give because Christ forgave us. Forgiving someone does not necessarily mean we can trust them. It simply means we turn the other cheek and seek to make peace. Trust must be earned. Forgiveness is simply opening the door for reconciliation to take place. Trust is entering the room for a deeper relationship. We should be quick to forgive, but trust requires wisdom and a time of evaluation.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”
2 Timothy 2:23
We have a tendency to become involved in all forms of foolish gossip and mindless arguments. There is something about human nature that attracts us to conflict. It is a product of the sinful flesh that we gravitate to controversy and turmoil. It can excite us and it appeals to our sinful nature. The results are quarrels that degrade our Christian witness and wounds that are inflicted on others. The follower of Christ is called to be a peace maker. A Christian knowledgeable in God’s Word and led by the Spirit will discern when an argument is brewing and will seek to calm the storm of words to avoid a quarrel. Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.” When we do this our lives and the lives of others will be free from quarrels.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 4
“Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God. Faith puts God between us and our circumstances.”
F. B. Meyer
We have many difficult experiences and circumstances that plague our lives at times. When we fail to believe in God and His Word we have allowed our circumstances to degrade our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Responding with faith in God, to hardships, trials and storms of life will always keep God closer to us than our difficulties. With God by our side we can face anything. Once we let trials to drive a wedge between us and the Lord, we begin to not only erode our relationship with Him; we put ourselves in danger of becoming overcome with grief, anxiety and shame. Seek to have faith in our all-powerful, all-knowing and loving God. He is sufficient for all your needs.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians12:9
Here Paul is illustrating how we are to seek godly humility so we might be greatly used by God. Fleshly pride desires attention and promotion. It is easy for us to boast about our strengths and skills. It is much more difficult to boast about our weaknesses. When we boast about our weaknesses we are not seeking to obtain self-centered humility, we are attempting to witness of how great our God is. We are recognizing that without Him we are nothing and that it is only by His mercy and grace we can accomplish anything. We are giving God the credit for any good work in our lives. We are recognizing that any good we do is reflective of how God is working in and through us. We are vessels through which God works His will to bring Himself glory. When we seek to claim fame for ourselves we are removing God from the throne of our lives and replacing Him with ourselves. Let us seek to live humbly but with great power because we promote Christ and not ourselves.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 5
“Every man should keep a fair-sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends.”
Henry Ward Beecher
People are human and even our close friends can make a mistake at times. Such situations are opportunities where we have the chance to grant forgiveness because the friendship is of great value to us. Sometimes before we can grant forgiveness we must remove the log out of our own eye for we are definitely not perfect. Having a good understanding of our own failings will go a long way in giving us a perspective in forgiving the failings of our friends. True friends put up with our shortcomings so we should do likewise with them. True friends are hard to come by and should be treasured and treated with respect and honor. When we bury the faults of our friends let us not return to dig them up ever again.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear.”
John 18:10
Peter was often rash in his actions. Thinking before he acted he often got into trouble or caused a disturbance. We can do this as well when we fail to let the Holy Spirit lead us. Do we consult Him when we need advice? Do we seek out the scriptures when we need direction? Do we ask for wise counsel from a mature Christian friend when making an important decision? When we are rash in how we act it is proof we have not thought things out, that we may be catering to our flesh and that very likely some problems will result that may cause hurt and discord in those around us. Let us pause before acting rashly and consult our Counselor who is always with us. Let us consider the Holy Scriptures and the wise guidance they can give. Let us listen to our mature Christian friends and the advice they offer. Problems prevented prove patience in people.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 6
“Life is a long lesson in humility.”
James M. Barrie
I do believe we would all agree with this quote by James M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan. It seems that when we begin to be full of ourselves, God provides a way to deflate us. It is good to have a good self-image and self-confidence in ourselves, but usually we do not stop there and continue to let our ego go to our head. God usually must intervene many times to pull us off our pedestal or remind us that we are not the king of our kingdom. The Holy Spirit and God’s Holy Scripture are often the best sources of wisdom to learn humility and God always provides circumstances and situations to put into practice what we have heard from His Spirit or read in His Word. Probably the most humble times of our life are when we discover how human and imperfect we are in errors or mistakes we make. At those horribly humbling moments, God is by our side to comfort and console us and make sure we know that He loves us more than anything. May we seek humility and acquire it without being aware we have, for when we claim we have achieved humility, we have lost it.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.”
Proverbs 23:12
Here Proverbs is telling us to uncover our ears and apply them to words of knowledge and the best knowledge that can ever be obtained is from God’s Holy Book. After we have heard such godly wisdom the next step is to apply our hearts to this godly instruction for our heart is the source of our actions and behavior. Because we attentively listen and comprehend words of godly knowledge and apply our heart to consider and live by it, we can then go about the business of living the Christian life as Jesus Christ would have us live it. When there is a breakdown in hearing God’s Word or applying our hearts to it, all manor of discord, sin and dysfunction can result. Listen, apply and live godly is the intent of this passage’s message.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 7
“History belongs to the intercessors—those who believe and pray the future into being.”
Walter Wink
God works His will and often intervenes to make it come to pass, but He also waits for us to be intercessors in prayer for much of it to take place as well. Prayer is a critical holy habit. Why else would Jesus spend so much time praying to His Heavenly Father? If Jesus, our Savior and King, thought it such an important action to practice on a regular basis, shouldn’t we follow His example and practice it as well. There are so many people and situations that need our prayer let us seek to be passionate intercessors in prayer so that God’s will for the future will be manifested.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me…”
Psalms 49:5
Fear is a common emotion we have all experienced. Life is full of situations and circumstances that can quickly cause us to fear the worst possible outcomes. Often we can feel like we are surrounded by events or people that wish to do us harm. But the question asked in this verse is “Why should I fear?” If we know the Creator of the Universe on a personal basis, Jesus Christ as our Savior and that the Holy Spirit lives within us, fears can be faced and dealt with in a godly fashion. We do this not in our own strength, but by the power of God’s Word and His Spirit. As we move closer to the second coming of Christ the days will become full of reasons for us to fear, but let us remember the mighty God we serve and gladly anticipate the return of our Savior with the courage of a warrior of God.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 8
“My greatest strength is that I have no weaknesses.”
John McEnroe, Tennis Player
It is obvious that we see in this quote from John McEnroe that pride is a dominant characteristic in his life. Whether you call him full of himself, deluded or just down right egotistical it is obvious that he feels he is adequate on his own to tackle any obstacle. The problem is that Proverbs 16:18 tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” This is an old quote from Mr. McEnroe when he was a world class tennis player. Today he is now old news and is no longer on the top of the heap. When we make such prideful statements we are simply lying to ourselves and letting our sinful flesh speak untruths. We must always remember any physical skills, intelligence and/or wisdom we might have were given to us by God. We can’t claim anything for ourselves that was given to us by the Lord. That is why it is always wise to give credit where credit is due and thank God for how He made us in order to give Him glory. A humble spirit is a valuable thing to possess.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:27-31
There are two extremes that we lean towards in life when viewing ourselves. Either we are boastful and take all honor for who we are for ourselves or we beat ourselves up and degrade ourselves dishonoring the God who made us. This scripture passage is a great comfort to us because it communicates to us that while we are often weak, lowly and even despised by others at times, as a child of God we have great honor in the Lord because we are His tool to shame the world’s wisdom and the world’s strength. The great honor we have as weak frail creatures is that we can boast loudly, not in ourselves, but in the God who created us, saved us and uses us to bring Himself glory. Can you wrap your mind around that? The all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present God of the universe chose to create you and me2013-07-12 to bring glory to Himself. What an honor and privilege to serve a great and loving God.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 9
“Joy is not the absence of problems, but the presence of God.”
Dr. John C. Maxwell
We seek to be happy in life but fail to understand that joy is a more precious acquisition. We can be happy in the absence of problems but still lack joy. Much of what we would call “being joyful” is really just meager happiness. True joy is being in a right relationship with God. Knowing we are in close fellowship with Him. When we realize that God rules our life and is always present with us no matter the circumstances we begin to experience a deep joy in life. This joy will sustain us in the storms of life. It will get us through hardships. It will even grow in intensity in the most perilous of situations. Whenever we stand against trauma with the Lord in our life, we see Him take form as our sustainer and provider. Give me joy any day over happiness!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Romans 13:1
For many of us this scripture passage is very convicting and difficult to obey. We see government officials abusing their power, wasting our tax dollars and becoming involved in shaded dealings. But our role as a child of God is to obey the government officials that God has set in place. There is always a reason behind how things function in this world and this includes those who are elected to government. We are always called to obey the laws of the land unless they request us to break the laws of God. This brings honor to God as we show in our Christian lifestyle a willingness to obey the government even in the midst of unfair laws and corrupt representatives. Our chance to change government comes when we have the opportunity vote in order to replace such dishonest officials. God works through us in the voting system to fulfill His will. Failure to vote in this country simply shows that we often get what we deserve.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 10
“I don’t defend the Bible. You don’t defend a lion, you simply cut it loose.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
I believe Charles Spurgeon had it right. Too often we feel like we have to defend the Bible, when all we really need to do is quote it and allow the Holy Spirit to use it to defend itself. Most people when hearing scripture understand that it is, “not of this earth!” I mean by that, that it is actually written by the Holy Spirit as He inspired men of God to write the words of our Heavenly Father about many topics and subjects related to life. This includes the accounts of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. People who criticize the Bible and demean it actually are doing so because their flesh is convicted, their unconverted minds are not able to understand it and they are defensive because they know it is completely accurate and right. Rebellion against God is often shown first by failing to accept Holy Scripture as the Word of God.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
1 Peter 2:1-3
We are saved from our sins by Jesus Christ when we give our lives to Him as our Lord, Savior and Master. But the work of sanctification, becoming more like Christ, is not done. We must continue in faith, making choices daily for God as we demonstrate our love for Him. 1 Peter tells us here that we have a responsibility as a follower of Christ. We must make a choice to rid our lives of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. When we first accept Christ as Lord we are like little newborn babies. We don’t know a lot. We don’t have a lot of spiritual wisdom and discernment. We need to grow in understanding about what it means to be a believer. We do this as any spiritual baby would, but desiring to live on spiritual milk. Spiritual milk is the rudimentary basics of Christian beliefs. As we study easier passages in the Bible that we can understand and put them into practice we grow. As we mature, we can move from spiritual milk to spiritual steak and tackle harder passages that challenge us more and more. Our goal is not to be a spiritual baby after 40 years of knowing Christ as Savior. We are to grow into mature Christians able to live victoriously because we have grown in knowledge, obedience and submission to the Spirit. In other words, we continue to become more and more Christ-like with each and every day.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 11
“I feel as if Jesus Christ died only yesterday.”
Martin Luther
When I read this quotation from Martin Luther it made quite an impression on me. It is one thing to think of Christ’s death on the cross 2,000 years ago, it is quite another to emotionally connect with His sacrificial death so much that it seems like it took place yesterday. When death has been close to us such as only a few days we are reminded of the person and their impact on our lives. We contemplate what death means to us as well. I would suggest if we thought of Christ’s death for us as if it happened yesterday, the freshness of this act of love might cause us to submit to His Lordship more quickly, cause us to seek to show our love for Him more often and to bend low on our knees to thank Him for what He did. Today, think that Christ died yesterday for you!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
Titus 3:3
Here Paul is reminding Titus and those he ministered to that at one time, before we were Christians, we were foolish in our actions, disobedient in our lives, deceived in our thinking and enslaved by all sorts of fleshly sins and pursuits. Our lives were surrounded by anger and coveting. We viewed others with disdain and contempt and felt we should have what they possessed. We were not only angry with others we actually hated others for how they treated us or what they said about us. The point Paul is making is that we should be different now that we have accepted Christ. We should be wise in the Word. We should demonstrate obedience to God. We should be difficult to deceive because we have heard and believed the Truth. We are free to serve God rather than our flesh and Satan. We pursue holiness in thought and deed. We live at peace with everyone and know that worldly goods and possessions are temporary. We hate no one, only sin itself.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 12
“One of the first things which a physician says to his patient is, ~Let me see your tongue.~ A spiritual advisor might often do the same.”
Nehemiah Adams
What would happen if Jesus would come up to us and ask to see our tongue and be able to evaluate what we have said in the last day, week or month? Would all of our words be pure, loving and encouraging? Would He have to discuss with us words we have said that were selfishly motivated, destructive in nature or heaven forbid of a gossip nature? The tongue is a difficult member to keep in check for it reveals what lives within our hearts and minds. Let us submit to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit and let them instruct our mind and transform our heart so that our tongue will be tamed to holy behavior.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
1 John 1:1-2
No one is perfect and Christians should know this better than anyone. John wrote his epistles for many reasons and one of these was so that his fellow Christians would not sin. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and a
minute of obedience is much better than an hour of confession. It is best if we obey God’s Word in the first place, but it is comforting to know that we can confess our sins when we stumble and He is faithful to forgive them. Our goal should always to not commit sin, but when we do, we know we have an advocate our Savior Jesus Christ. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior our sins are forgiven, past, present and future. When we do sin, we can confess and agree with God that not only did we do wrong but that we repent and acknowledge that these sins have been forgiven. It is a blessing to know we can keep short accounts with our Heavenly Father and stay in fellowship with Him. He’s only a prayer away!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 13
“What a man says and what a man is must stand together.”
Maltbie Davenport Babcock
What wisdom this Pastor shares with us. He is saying that what we say we are, must jive with what we really are. He is challenging us to make sure the lives we live as Christians reflect the Christ we claim to believe in, follow after, adore, love, obey and worship. Let us make sure that who we say we are EQUALS who we really are in our heart, mind and soul. If not, let us get right with the Lord so our lives can be right before others.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.”
1 Peter 3:15
Peter’s point here is to encourage us to view Christ in the most correct and accurate manner when it comes to our faith. He is not just Savior of our sins. He is not just a role model for proper Christian behavior. He is not just our comforter in times of hardship. He is our LORD. Christ as Lord over our life means that we serve Him with passion, dedication and consistency. We consider what He would have us say, think and do. When Christ is Lord in our lives we consult Him about all matters and obey His instructions, commands and guidance. There are many who consider themselves Christians who have never accepted Christ as LORD over their lives. May we all who call ourselves Christians revere Christ as Lord.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 14
“People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity.”
Thomas Kelly
I might say that “time” can be our god at times. We often structure and plan our lives by the clock. We are very concerned about how many hours we have to work, how many days we have for vacation and how many years of retirement we will receive. We watch the clock at work to see when we get to go home. We watch the clock for our favorite TV program to come on. We watch the clock to so we can be on time for our reservation for dinner. Time rules our lives and we take it very seriously. But Thomas Kelly is asking us to pay more attention to eternity rather than the present or the immediate future. Those who watch the clock but have not accepted Christ as their Savior may regret not considering their eternal future. Those of us who are Christians also need to evaluate that our Heavenly Father is who we worship and not time itself.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.”
Jude 1:6
While Satan is the ruler of this world for now and has demons that do his bidding, God is the ultimate authority. In God’s perfect wisdom and because of His almighty power He limits the power of evil on this earth. One action He took to control the manifestation of evil was to bind in everlasting chains of judgment, specific rebellious angels who are being kept in utter darkness. We don’t know the exact reason God has chained some fallen angels or demons while He allows others to roam the earth, but I would hazard to guess it is to limit the power, influence and destruction that Satan has at his command. Praise God that He controls, restrains, holds back and limits the power of the evil hoards of satanic forces. While we are puzzled at times why God allows evil to exist at all, there is a holy and perfect plan that underlies all of God’s actions. There will come a day when all evil and sin will be destroyed, Satan and his demonic forces will be no more and we will live in Heaven with our God. I can’t wait, how about you!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 15
“Talk what we will of faith, if we do not trust and rely upon Him, we do not believe in Him.”
Antony Farindon
Faith is meaningless unless we back it up with trust in God and reliance upon His daily provision. Is our belief in words only or in our thoughts, actions and behavior? It is easy to say you believe in God, it is quite another thing to live it out in the midst of struggle, hardship and trials when doubts attack you and the world scoffs at your dedication to the Lord. Let us put our hearts and our actions behind our belief and then our faith will be a solid witness of who we trust and rely upon, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Colossians 2:6-7
When we receive Christ as Lord of our lives our new lives begin. Then we are to live each and every day, grounded in Him. Here Colossians tells us to root ourselves deeply in Him and to build ourselves up in Him. This strengthens our faith as we grow in Him. This passage also implies that we continue to place ourselves in situations where we are taught these things and this includes a local church, Bible study group, personal devotional time and in Christian social gatherings of all sorts. As we grow and live in Christ the thankfulness we have for what He has done for us will overflow and this is one of the best witnesses of the Gospel a joyful obedient Christian who is growing in their faith!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 16
“Life’s not like a VCR. You can’t fast forward through the bad parts. But I have learned that Jesus Christ is in every frame, and right now that’s just enough.”
Young man dying of cancer sharing with his pastor.
The wisdom in this quote comes from this man being on the front line of dealing with pain and relying upon God for strength. We rarely understand the pain and suffering that we endure, but we can cope with such difficulties as we draw close to God. We wish we could speed through the pain and arrive on the other side of it, but time seems to slow down at such times as we plod through the storm of life. The salvation in such seasons of life is to seek the Lord, draw close to Him and amazingly our burdens are lifted, our ability to cope is increased and we especially gain a deeper appreciation for God and His ultimate plan for our lives. Our focus at such times needs to be on God, for usually that is the only way we can manage to survive.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2
This scripture sums up the marvelous manner in which God treats us when we seek salvation in His Son Jesus Christ. When we commit our lives to Christ we are no longer under condemnation. We are free from the penalty of our sins. We are new creatures. Our sins are forgiven, not just our past and present sins, but also any future ones we will commit. The law was given to convict us of sin. You can’t save yourself by keeping the law, because you can never do it, NEVER! The law’s job was to show us how sinful we are. Realizing our sin, we should seek out Christ for forgiveness. He will give us life if we accept His sacrifice for our sins. What a loving and merciful God who through grace gives us eternal life and freedom from the law!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 17
“Years ago I stopped looking to anyone to satisfy me. There is no man that can love me enough. No child that can need me enough. No job that can pay me enough, and no experience that can satisfy me enough. Only Jesus.”
Jill Briscoe
Mrs. Briscoe speaks here about the contentment we have in our relationship with Christ. Many things can make us happy, but only God can give us true lasting joy. People can fulfill us in many ways, but never in the way that God can. A career can bring us money and respect, but these are nothing compared to the spiritual gifts and blessings as well as the eternal life that God grants us. Pure satisfaction comes only from our Heavenly Father. It is amazing that more people do not seek Him. Even we who are followers of Christ do not recognize the truth in this quote. We often are distracted by the fleshly desires we still have. Possibly it would do us all good to evaluate the pull of the flesh on our hearts and to renounce this temptation and seek God more each day!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will knowmy Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
John 14:6-7
Many people in the world think that there are many paths to God, but Jesus Christ in this verse destroys any such thoughts. There is only ONE way to have a relationship with the Creator that that is through Jesus Christ. All other spiritual paths lead to death. This is not an egotistical statement. It is simply the gospel truth. All other religions are either man-made or devised by Satan himself. Let us be bold when we witness of our faith in Jesus Christ for in Him and Him alone is salvation for sins. He is the only hope for mankind.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 18
“You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is.”
Billy Graham
Most people think they really know themselves, but unless they are in a strong relationship with the Lord there is a lot they are clueless about in areas of personality, behavior, thought life and motivation. The more we know who God is the more we can comprehend who we are and why we do the things we do. God will reveal more about who we are if we study His Word, listen to the Holy Spirit, evaluate our lives by His terms not ours and place ourselves in situations where we must depend utterly upon Him. The ancient Greek saying, “Know thyself.” cannot be fully realized until one “Knows thy God.” who is Lord of your life.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
James 4:17
Usually we are concerned about sins of commission, those sins we do which we purpose to do against God’s Word or the Holy Spirit’s counsel or commit when we are not spiritually attentive in our thoughts and of our actions. While these should be avoided, we also need to be aware of the sins of omission, the sins we commit because we have avoided doing something we should have done but have failed to do. These sins of omission are much more difficult for us to perceive because often we have not developed discernment in our spiritual life. As we grow in our spiritual maturity and in our relationship with the Holy Spirit we become more sensitive not only to overt sins we commit but also the sins of omission which are often acts of kindness that we could and should do but fail to act on. Let us grow in our knowledge of God’s Word and in our readiness to put it into application so we can avoid all manner of sin.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 19
“A simple, childlike faith in a Divine Friend solves all the problems that come to us by land or sea.”
Helen Keller
Life can be full of complex, traumatic and disturbing problems but Helen Keller is telling us that a simple, childlike faith in our Divine Friend, Jesus Christ, can fill us with hope, strength and courage. Why you may ask? Because our God is capable to sustain us. He has all the answers to any problems. He knows the way out and the way through any thick forest of difficulty. He is always by our side and will never let us down. Our faith in Him is sufficient for all that comes into our lives. What is required of us is simply to have a trusting childlike faith in His character.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”
Romans 15:1-2
We have all leaned on someone stronger than us at one time or another and there will come a time when you will be asked to let someone lean on you. We should offer our help, assistance and advice in whatever way to those that are weaker than us. Sometimes the way we assist others is to put up with their failings such as bad tempers, habits and treatment. True godly love is being quick to forgive, longsuffering in putting up with failings and not holding a grudge. We should seek, as Christ did, to encourage and build up those who are weak, for someone had done this for us. Christ is our example so let us be about the business of walking as a true follower of His and bear the failings of the weak over our own desires and wishes as well as building up our neighbors.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 20
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”
C.S. Lewis
What a magnificent tremendous sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us. He took on human form so that we could become sons and daughters of God! I do believe we fail to realize the extent and depth of His sacrifice. The love the Father, Son and Spirit had for us to allow this plan of salvation to take place is overwhelming. We see this in the relationship Jesus had with the Heavenly Father. We see this in Christ’s emotional and physical stress in the Garden before He was arrested. We see this during the crucifixion as the Father, Son and Spirit dealt with Jesus carrying the sins of the world and having to die to set men free and allow them the opportunity to become sons and daughters of God. Let us show our love and gratitude by living for Jesus, because that is what we claimed we would do when we accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Philippians 3:10-12
Paul writes here about what the goal of his life was and despite his dedication and sacrifice, he had not achieved what he so earnestly desired. He writes this not depressed for not reaching the goal he sought, for he already knew that it was unattainable in this earthly life. But despite the fact that neither Paul nor any of us can attain complete sanctification in this life, we must strive for it as God gives us the strength and ability and as He works in us and with us to accomplish this. Let us follow the example of Paul and press onward to strive to grasp what cannot be attained in this life. We do this because the journey of becoming like Christ brings challenge but also a joy, trials but also victory and struggle but also holiness.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 21
“There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions.”
G.K. Chesterton
I see this very often in the world today, both in my personal experiences in sharing my faith with others and in the news as society rebels against the truth of God. I see Christianity being singled out and criticized for its stand on moral issues, but the same people who speak against Christian beliefs defend the freedom of religion in America. I see Christians attacked for sharing their religious beliefs, while people of other religions are commended for their acceptance of sinful lifestyles and liberal doctrines. It is becoming very common for people of all walks of life to embrace all religious expression, except for Christianity because they see the Bible as narrow-minded and restrictive. The world does not like the godly boundaries that God has laid down in His Holy Scripture. The world, which is controlled by Satan, appeals to the sinful flesh that consumes not only the mind but also the will of those who do not know God. We should all pray for the eyes of the world to be opened to the truth of God, for we know how the story ends in the Book of Revelation for those who embrace the lies of the world and Satan.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. He too followed the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing.”
2 Chronicles 22:2-4
Ahaziah is an example of a person who fails to seek wise counsel and live by godly standards. His mother and father influenced him to live sinfully and rather than make a choice to reject their instruction and live for God, he chose to live as they had lived. Not only did he pattern himself after his evil parents, he consorted with their advisors to plan wicked schemes and abuse his position of leadership for selfish gain. It takes a very sinful and self-centered individual to rebel against the Lord and do evil in full view of His all-seeing eyes. This shows how brazen and prideful you can become when you turn from God and seek to fulfill your fleshly pursuits according to the standards of the world. We see that Ahaziah’s reign as king only lasted one year and eventually he was killed while hiding in fear from his enemies. God’s judgment is always fair and just as well as many times swift.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 22
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else.”
Charles Dickens
Sometimes we feel useless and worthless because we aren’t as successful, important or well-known as others in the world. But Charles Dickens here shares a godly insight. If you help lighten the tiniest burden in the life of another person, you are not useless. The person might be a young child who has just fallen down whom you can comfort. The person might be a young adult struggling with peer pressure to whom you can offer some wise godly advice. The person might be a middle-aged man who needs an encouraging word or simply a smile that you can offer to them. The person might be an elderly woman who is struggling with physical pain with whom you can pray. There are untold numbers of small acts of kindness that can be done in the name of Jesus that will lighten the burden of someone with whom you come in contact. When you seek to lighten the burdens of others, you are valuable to the Lord who is in the ministry of lightening burdens.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalms 100:5
Praise God He never has a bad day. Praise God He never violates His character and fails to be good. Praise God His love endures perfectly and completely forever. Praise God His faithfulness to His promises and to His children continues down through history to all generations of those who trust and rely upon Him. You just can’t praise God enough when you think about who He is and how He loves us. PRAISE GOD!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 23
“First there come a bare thought of evil. Then a strong imagination. Thereoff afterwards a delight and evil motive. Then sin.”
Thomas Aquinas
Here we see the progression to sin as Thomas Aquinas has so accurately portrayed it. We first let a passing thought stroll through our mind. Rather than taking it captive and killing it, we let it persist. Then as it persists in our thoughts we let it take root and then our imagination waters it to stir it up further. Once this thought has taken root and we have fed it, then comes delights that please the flesh then evil desires and motives start to take form. This is sin of the mind. If this deadly chain is not broken by repentance and confession it leads eventually to outward sin in physical actions. The sin in the mind hurts us. The outward sin not only hurts us, but often others. Let’s kill the thought when it first appears and thus avoid a ton of grief, hurt and suffering by us and others. God grieves when we sin, we often forget this. He is hurt by our thoughts and actions of evil.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
2 Peter 1:3
When God saves us when Jesus Christ becomes our Lord and Savior He does not say, “Good luck.” Through His divine magnificent power He gives us EVERYTHING we need to life a godly life. We are given Holy Scripture. We are given the Holy Spirit who helps us understand His Holy Word as well as the power to live a godly life. Our knowledge of God is written down for us and the Spirit illuminates it for us to understand. The Spirit is ever ready and willing to empower us to live out what we know. All we must do is submit and understand that we are fully equipped to live the victorious Christian life. Nothing can hinder our spiritual growth except ourselves. Let us grab this verse and run with it seeking to know more of who God is by studying the Bible and then with the power of the Spirit putting it into practice.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 24
“The church is not to be like a bus, where passengers let someone else do the driving, but like an anthill, where everybody is at work.”
J.I. Packer
Statistics say that 2% of people attending church do the majority of the ministry service and work. Too often we relegate spiritual disciplines and activities to those in fulltime ministry. We say, “Let the Pastor do all the studying and just let me know what I need to know.” Truthfully, the best way to learn is not from listening to someone else preach, it is from regular and repeated study times by ourselves in the Word. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go to church to hear a sermon. It means we need to supplement hearing the word preached with our own study. We say, “Let others serve in ministries at church. I don’t have the time.” When we let others do all the work of the ministry, not only are we not using the skills, talents and spiritual gifts God has given us, we also are missing out on the blessings of such dedicated service to God and others. Let us all seek to be involved in the “anthill” of church, doing the tasks that we can do to help in Christ’s Kingdom. We will grow in faith and in spiritual maturity when we do. God did not call us to be a Christian to sit and soak and sour. He called us to serve and work to for His great glory!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”
Titus 2:11-13
God offers His glorious salvation to everyone. No one can say that God did not provide a way for them to be saved. No one can say, “I didn’t know.” God’s gospel of salvation teaches us how to say no to sin and the passion that destroy us. His gospel that leads to salvation teaches us how to be self-controlled, upright and godly in the way we live. This time we live in appears to be growing more and more evil and full of sins of every kind. Only God’s gospel of salvation can save us from this lifestyle and enable us to live truthfully, honestly and uprightly. There is no other way to live except by the precepts of God. We do this as followers of Christ while we wait for the return of Christ. When Christ returns to earth it will be in imaginable glory and greatness. That will be an overwhelming experience to see Christ appear in the clouds to claim those who have responded to His gospel of salvation. Let us who call Him Savior and Lord be about the business of sharing the gospel.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 25
“Lost wealth may be replaced by industry, lost knowledge by study, lost health by temperance, but lost time is gone forever.”
Samuel Smiles
There are many things in life that if lost, can be found, regained or purchased. But when time is lost it is gone forever. It cannot be reclaimed, purchased or remade, it is simply lost. So this fact of life should encourage us to make the most of our time and use it wisely. When we work, let us work hard. When we play, let us play hard and enjoy it thoroughly. When we worship, let us put our all into the praise. When we minister for God, let us do it with a passion for Christ and people. Let us value the time we have for it is such a short amount that God has given us and we will be judged on how wisely we used it.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“But, ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”
2 Corinthians 10:17-18
Let us be careful that we do not boast about our achievements without giving credit where credit is due. How are we able to accomplish what we boast about? Because God created us with talents, skills, strengths and the determination to accomplish all that we do and finish. Let our boasting be about God who created us the way we are and how nothing we achieve or overcome is done without the Lord’s strength and providential intervention. God will commend us in many ways, so let us wait for Him to bring us honor, respect and accolades from others as we accomplish great feats, overcome trials and endure hardship. Let God receive the glory and let us not strive to take the smallest morsel of glory from Him.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 26
“Let us never put confidence in man, or in any sanctity of position, office, or dress. If apostleship did not make Judas a saint, neither will position, office, nor dress make thee a saint.”
Johann Ferus
It is good to respect those who are in positions of responsibility in the local church, who hold offices of authority in Christian organizations and possibly even those who dress nice, but our confidence should always be placed only in the Lord. You know when you’ve met a true saint, for you sense you have seen in them a resemblance of Jesus. Saints are people who are close to the Lord and therefore reflect His lifestyle, commitments, love, faith, dedication and self-sacrifice. Let us all seek to be a saint that walks in the footsteps of our Savior Jesus Christ while we place our ultimate confidence in our Heavenly Father as Jesus did.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.”
2 Kings 11:1
Athaliah was queen of Judah for a short period of time and very ambitious, so much so that she plotted the death of the royal family members so that she could remain queen. Eventually her evil plans were overcome and she got what she deserved. This scripture tells us that those that plot evil for selfish gain will seek all kinds of ways of achieving what they want, even the death of others. The rest of the passage tells us that eventually she was brought to justice. Often in life we are treated unfairly and unjustly by those in positions of authority because of their selfish ambition. We must not seek revenge and let the situation rest in the hands of God. We are to trust that the Lord knows all that goes on even behind closed doors and will not only protect us but bless us in His time.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 27
“Three men are my friends – he that loves me, he that hates me, he that is indifferent to me. He who loves me teaches me tenderness; who hates me teaches me caution; who is indifferent to me, teaches me self-reliance.”
J.E. Dinger
This quotation tells us several things at the same time. First, anyone can be our friend because we learn how to respond to life by how we respond to those that love, hate or treat us with indifference. Secondly, we learn that those who love us teach us what tenderness, compassion and encouragement truly are and this can help us express these to actions to others. Thirdly we learn from those who hate us how to be cautious who we trust, how we should respond to adversity in a mature manner, how to control our anger and how to turn the other cheek. Fourthly we learn from those who treat us with indifference that we can rely upon the Lord and how He works through us to survive and overcome obstacles. We can live without the approval of people, but we must live a godly life so we receive the approval of the Lord as we bring Him glory and honor.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
Proverbs 22:1
While we think it would be nice to be rich with plenty of silver and gold, it would be more to our benefit if our name or reputation sparkled from how we thought, acted and behaved. It is of higher value to be known for our character than for what we possess. It is best to be known to be Christ-like than rich, famous, athletic, handsome or beautiful. Godly character sustains us in the storms, uplifts others as they endure trials, brings glory to the Lord and makes for us a good name among men and women.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 28
“Make a rule, and pray to God to help you to keep it, never, if possible, to lie down at night without being able to say ~~I have made one human being, at least, a little wiser, a little happier, or a little better this day~~.”
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley gives us the wise advice that we should ask the Lord to help us to use our time wisely by ministering to at least one person each day. If we look for opportunities to help someone become wiser in how they deal with life, experience happiness more substantially or feel that they are at least a little better off than they were yesterday we will have used our time wisely. Too many of us use time only for ourselves or waste is on things that have no eternal value. Let us seek to spend some moments of each day to minister to someone, meet their needs rather than our own or put ourselves in the service of someone. This is what Christ would do.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?”
Isaiah 45:9
It is amazing that men and women quarrel with God. Not in a physical sense, but in their thought life and sometimes in the way they behave. They blame God for a huge array of events or situations that really are of their own making. They criticize what Him for a wide variety of things simply because they refuse to submit to His authority. Many call themselves atheists because they hate the thought that God really exists. But they fail to contemplate the fact that if there were no God, there would be no atheists as well. One day there will be a judgment and all the anger towards God will be judged and the atheists will meet the God they never thought existed. That will be a very sober and sad moment for such individuals. Let us pray for their souls.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 29
“A church in the land without the Spirit is rather a curse than a blessing. If you have not the Spirit of God, Christian worker, remember that you stand in somebody else’s way; you are a fruitless tree standing where a fruitful tree might grow.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
This is a both a warning and an encouragement from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. When a church is not led, run and filled with the Holy Spirit it can be a curse for what is leading, running and filling it is the spirit of man not God. When man attempts to do God’s work without God’s leading of the Spirit all manner of confusion, turmoil and discord can result. This also applies to a Christian’s life. If we do not live by the Spirit we are living by our flesh and that will cause destruction for our lives and the lives as others as well as cause all types of problems for our witness of God. When we are not in fellowship with the Lord we can “act” like we are walking with Him when in reality we need to get right with Him through confession of our sin. When we are not walking with the Spirit we will be in the way of God accomplishing His will through us and hindering the use of someone who is willing to do God’s will because they are letting the Spirit lead in their life. Let us keep in step with the Spirit of God and so bring glory to God and joy to our own lives.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 9:1
We are called as Christians to speak the truth in love and this means we speak the truth in the name of Christ. Our conscience will confirm when we are speaking truth because the Holy Spirit will confirm it for He speaks for the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit will often quote scripture to us to validate the truth we speak as well. May we be quick to hear, slow to speak and when we speak, let us speak the truth because we are led by the Spirit, dependent on our Heavenly Father and pattern our speech after the style and model of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 30
“Faith means battles; if there are no contests, it is because there are none who desire to contend.”
St. Ambrose (4th Century)
Life has its battles, but there seems to be even more when you have faith in God, probably because to the regular battles of life you have added the battle with the flesh. Before you are saved, the flesh drags you down but you usually just go along with it. Once you are saved from your sins and are a new creation in Christ, you now desire to fight the sinful flesh, so more battle situations are added to your life. If we give into flesh St. Ambrose is stating that we have no desire to contend against the flesh. If we are coasting along in our Christian life with no problems or battles, it is very likely we are not contending for the faith, with our faith, as we should. The Christian life is full of joy, but it is also full of battles at times. That is why scripture speaks of putting on the armor of God and why it mentions adversaries who wish to do us harm. Battles are part of the life of the follower of Christ. Have faith, God will give you the victory in any battle the presents itself!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13
Life is full of storms, hardships, struggles and trials. Some we can endure and overcome with our own resources. There are many storms of life that are impossible to live through without help from God. Left to ourselves such battles can only be won by relying upon our great God. When we belong to God’s family He gives us special resources and power to overcome anything we might face. He also works on our behalf to conquer what plagues us. He also uses such difficult situations to strengthen us for the next battle. Even in the battles we seem to feel we can handle ourselves, they are always overcome much easier when we have our Heavenly Father as a resource and comforter. When God lives within us in the form of the Holy Spirit He empowers us through His strength to get us through anything that we might face. What a great God!
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
July 31
”When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like,” you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it…But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.”
Oswald Chambers
That’s the key in life, to yield always to Jesus first, then when we are tempted to yield to other things we can ignore or discard bad habits and take on good habits as they are filtered through the Living Word and the Written Word.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
”If a man digs a pit he will fall into it. if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.”
Proverbs 26:27
The pit and the stone spoken of here can be many things, but they refer to evil plans pursued, malicious gossip shared, snares for others set, fleshly jealousy considered, temptations entertained or worldly thoughts dwelled upon. Whatever comes from the flesh is the pit we fall into or the stone that rolls back upon us.
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.