The Hole in Your Soul

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. - Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV

More than three thousand years ago, a king named Solomon chronicled his search for fulfillment. He was the wisest and richest man of all time. If anyone could stroll down every conceivable avenue of potential satisfaction, it was this king of Israel.

Ecclesiastes details Solomon’s pursuit of pleasure. He constructed a palace so opulent it staggered world leaders; accumulated innumerable jewels and possessions; pursued advanced studies; and was with a different woman every day. He explored it all, yet with tears of frustration concluded, “So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:17).

Solomon discovered what so many fail to realize: history is a repetitive loop of personal futility, with every imaginable experience on the horizontal plane promising fulfillment it can never truly deliver. Solomon was crushed by the realization that on his own, he could not fashion a happiness or satisfaction that would endure beyond the momentary. In Ecclesiastes 3, he turned his expression of frustration on God who made him, concluding, “He has put eternity into man’s heart” (3:11).

In this passage, eternity refers to our deep and abiding awareness of something outside the boundaries of our senses. Humans are unique because we hunger for something the experiences of this planet cannot satisfy—a quest for eternity.

The implications of Solomon’s statement are staggering: people are looking for the eternity God created them to long for, but they can’t find it on their own. Like hungry people locked outside a gourmet restaurant, we know satisfaction is near but can’t get to the food. Like blind people standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, we feel the awesomeness close at hand with no capacity to take it in.

Searching for eternity does not lead to finding—until God Himself intercepts our wandering pursuit.

As Solomon rightly observes, all people share the need for fulfillment to come from a source outside of self and beyond this world: “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24).

God designed us so that we cannot find fulfillment or lasting enjoyment apart from this eternity. The more we try to satisfy our deepest longing by good and bad horizontal means, the more likely we are to miss God’s vertical invitation to experience Him.

Do you sense that same longing in your soul? Have you known the emptiness of looking for satisfaction in the next raise or relationship or reward? Like Solomon, you have a longing for eternity that only God can satisfy. The underlying vacuum in the center of every soul is a manufacturer’s specification from God Himself. He is the One who has placed eternity in our hearts, and only He can fill it.

© James MacDonald

When Others Fail Us

Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. - 2 Timothy 4:9-16

The apostle Paul knew the value of good friends: Silas partnered with him in establishing new churches; Barnabas encouraged him in his ministry; and Timothy became like a son to him. Paul also knew the heartache of co-laborers turning away from him when times got tough (2 Tim. 1:15). We may experience something similar in our life.

People will have a variety of reactions to our struggles. Some feel inadequate and hold back because they are uncertain about what to say or do. Others are so protective of their time that selfishness causes them to turn away. And sometimes our friends and co-workers do not want to be identified with us in our trials. In my early days as a pastor, this happened to me when the church was going through a period of turmoil. Only two pastors reached out to me and offered support; the others stood back. This experience taught me the importance of reaching out to people in crisis.

Helping others requires an investment of time and energy. We start by praying for them and asking the Lord how we can help. He may have us lend emotional support, provide spiritual guidance, offer assistance in a physical or financial way, or find others who can. Standing with people will encourage them.

When friends abandoned him, Paul asked God not to count their actions against them (4:16). He followed the example of Jesus, who prayed for the Father to forgive His persecutors. What’s your response when friends let you down? Forgiveness is the choice that pleases God every time.

© Charles Stanley

God’s Great Gift

Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. - Romans 3:24-25 MSG

The greatest gift you’ve ever been given wasn’t bought in a store. No cash exchanged hands. It wasn’t even wrapped.

Yet it cost the Giver everything.

The Bible says God sent his Son to Earth to give you the greatest gift ever. He came to Earth to die and make you right with God. Romans 3:24-25 says, “Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin” (MSG).

So why did Jesus have to die? Let’s go back to the basics.

• Nobody’s perfect. I’ve never met a single person who has claimed to be perfect. I don’t measure up to my own expectations, much less God’s perfect standard. Neither do you. We’ve all blown it. The Bible says, “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23 CEV).
• God is just. God wants to be fair. When somebody breaks a law, there must be a penalty for it. When you break man’s laws, you pay man’s penalty. When you break God’s laws, you pay God’s penalties. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a NIV).
• Jesus paid the price for our sin. The Bible says, “God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us!” (2 Corinthians 5:21 TLB) Jesus took on my sin and your sin and all the sin that has ever been committed. That’s the Good News, the Gospel. Jesus paid the price you could never pay.
• Accept God’s free gift. God gave us a free gift of salvation when Jesus took our sin upon himself. It’s a gift we must receive. The Bible says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 NIV).

Will you accept God’s free gift of salvation? It’s one thing to understand the basics of how to have a relationship with Jesus. It’s another to accept the gift.

I pray you will make that all-important decision today.

© Rick Warren

Welcoming Jesus

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples . . .The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” - Matthew 21:1, 6-9

Matthew 21:1-9 tells us what happened when Jesus made preparations to enter Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday: “The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them” (v.6). Notice I underlined two words: went and did. Jesus told them to do something and they went and did exactly what Jesus said. Their obedient actions set in motion the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. In this passage we can see three ways they participated and we can participate in worshiping the Lord.

First, as we have seen, the disciples practiced total obedience (see vv. 1-6). When Jesus says, “Jump,” do we hesitate, refuse, or eagerly ask, “How high?” They obeyed and things worked out just as Jesus had told them. That’s what we need to aim for—obedience.

Second, we see a response of personal sacrifice. “They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and He sat on them” (v. 7). The disciples made a saddle from their cloaks and off Jesus rode. But the crowd also wanted in on honoring Jesus so they “spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (v.8). This was the middle of the Passover rush hour. Thousands of pilgrims were traveling into Jerusalem, and as Jesus approached, the crowd was tearing the branches off the trees and throwing them down in front of Jesus. Have you ever had that feeling toward Christ of “it’s not enough; I have to do more; I have to do something?” That’s what they were fired up about.

Third, we see enthusiastic praise. The people along the road were calling out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (v.9). Hosanna is an English transliteration from a Hebrew phrase hōshi `āh nnā. In Psalm 118:25-26 it means, “Save me, Lord!” But by the time of Jesus, the word “hosanna” had come to mean, “The Lord saves!” As the Lord came into the city, the people were shouting, “He’s going to save!” They were more right than they realized! They didn’t understand what it would cost Jesus to do His greatest work, but they unknowingly expressed what each person must realize in order to be saved—that Jesus does the saving!

© James MacDonald

The Best Reason to Pray

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. - Luke 18:1

Why should we pray? Here’s the short answer: because Jesus told us to. In Luke 18:1 we read, “Then [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

Of course, Jesus himself provided us with an example. Though He was God in human form, Jesus had a very deep prayer life. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). On the cross, Jesus started with a prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Prior to raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus first spoke to God the Father. Looking up to Heaven, He said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me” (John 11:42–43). Then He shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!”

Before Jesus fed the five thousand, we read that He looked up toward Heaven and asked God’s blessing on the food (see Matthew 14:19). And why did the mothers bring their little children to Jesus? So He would pray for them (see Matthew 19:13).

If Jesus felt the need to pray, then how much more should we feel the need to pray? He gave us an example to follow.

And here is another thing to consider. Even if prayer were extremely difficult, which it is not, even if prayer were very unpleasant to engage in, which it isn’t, and even if we never received answers, which isn’t the case, we still should pray. Why? Because we are commanded in the Scriptures to do so.

© Greg Laurie

Listening With Purpose

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Christians study the Scriptures not just individually but also corporately to learn more about God. Underlying this simple concept is a big challenge. To gain biblical knowledge with purpose means deciding in our heart to obey what we hear (Psalms 119:33). And to do so expectantly means believing that the Lord is going to speak to us (Psalms 25:4). Sermons, Bible study lessons, and quiet times on our own should be a part of our life. God uses these to build us up, strengthen us, or offer us comfort—so listening to Him is worthwhile. And obedience is the only proper response to this kind of personal attention.

Approaching the reading of Scripture prayerfully prepares our hearts to listen and ushers in an attitude of purpose and expectancy. Today’s passage tells the story of young Samuel’s first encounter with God. The priest Eli gives the boy valuable advice—that when the Lord calls, he should say, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). Pray those simple words with conviction before you open your Bible, and you will hear God more clearly.

If you want to experience God working in your life, come to Scripture with a prayerful, expectant, purpose-filled attitude. Mourners are comforted. The weary gain strength. Those convicted of their sin repent and know peace. Recognize what a gift God’s Word is.

© Charles Stanley

Why Is Life So Hard?

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. - Isaiah 53:6 NLT

Everything seems to be a battle. Nothing is easy. The fact is, life is difficult.

So, why is life so hard in this world? The Bible says rebellion against God broke everything.

It all started back with the first couple, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. When God created the world, everything was perfect. It was paradise. And Adam and Eve had no problems, suffering, sadness, temptations, or troubles.

But one day Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to do what they wanted to do. God told them, “You can do anything you want to in this paradise except one thing.” And what did Adam and Eve do? The one thing God told them not to do.

Why did he even give them a choice? Because without a choice, they couldn’t choose to love God. If you’re forced to love God, then it’s not real love.

Romans 5:12 says, “Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it” (GNT). Before sin, there was no death in the world. There was no sadness in the world. There was no sorrow. There was no difficulty in the world. People would not die. Adam and Eve could have lived forever as long as it was a perfect environment. It was only when everything got broken that sin brought death into the world.

Adam and Eve weren’t the only ones who made that choice. I’ve made it, you’ve made it, and everybody else in the world has made it. We have all said, “I don’t want to do the right thing; I want to do the easy thing.” We’ve all said, “I don’t want to say the truth; I want to say what’s convenient.” We’ve all said, “I don’t want to be what God wants me to be; I want to be what I want to be.” We’ve all done this.

The Bible says in Isaiah 53:6, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own” (NLT).

We have all broken God’s laws. We have all rebelled by sins, transgressions, and iniquities. And that’s why nothing works correctly — your marriage, your health, your finances, your body, your relationships. Nothing works correctly, because sin broke everything.

When you understand why life in the world is so hard, you’re no longer going to be surprised by it. You’re not going to be surprised when things don’t go your way. You’re not going to be surprised when plans don’t pan out. You’re not going to be surprised when things actually go bad. And you will be able to handle the hard times of life much more easily.

So why is life so hard? Why do we suffer? Why is everything a battle? The answer is that rebellion against God broke everything.

© Rick Warren

The Person God Uses

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. - Colossians 3:23

When I was eighteen and a new believer, I quickly came to understand where the phrase starving artist came from. All I knew how to do was draw cartoons, so I was doing that as well as some freelance graphics on the side. I was trying to make ends meet, but most of all, I longed to be used by God. So I would hang around Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, waiting for an opportunity just to do something.

One day one of the pastors said to me, “Greg, I need you to do something for the church.” I said, “What is it?” Preach the gospel to the ends of the earth? Pray for the sick? I’m ready. Here am I, send me!

“We need you to buy a doorknob.”

“A doorknob?”

“Yes,” he said. “We need you to go to Sears and buy a new doorknob for the church door.”

It was a little job, but I was excited for the opportunity. I was on a mission from God to buy a doorknob. I went to Sears. There must have been three hundred kinds of doorknobs in every size, shape, and finish. I finally bought one and took it back to the church. I was so excited. (It turned out to be the wrong size . . . but I tried!)

Are you excited for any opportunity to serve the Lord, even if it’s a little one? The issue really isn’t big jobs or little jobs. It’s that you are doing it for the Lord. Is that fact alone enough for you? Is it enough that God would want to guide you and use you? If so, then you’re the kind of person He is looking for right now.

© Greg Laurie

The Surprises of Life

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. - 1 Corinthians 9:24

One thing I have found in life is that it is full of surprises. Many of them are unexpected pleasures and blessings that come our way. Others are tragic and sad. I have been greatly surprised by the way some people’s lives have turned out.

I can think of individuals I have met that seemed to have no potential whatsoever. They were never expected to amount to much of anything. In school, people made fun of them, calling them “geeks” and “nerds.” Now those same people are calling them “boss.”

Then there are those that had so much promise—so much raw potential. You just knew they would make their mark in life because they just had that special something: talent, giftedness, great natural ability.

It might have been someone who was unusually gifted spiritually. And sure enough, their star began to rise and you could say “you knew them when.” But then suddenly, seemingly without warning, their life came tumbling down. Or they were slowly but surely sidetracked by foolish decisions and living. I have seen many talented, super-gifted people crash and burn.

This is sad, because God has a unique, custom-designed plan for each of our lives. As time passes, I find myself more impressed with character than charisma—with personal integrity than talent.

I am more impressed with someone who has, for instance, stayed with their spouse than someone who may have some huge ministry (not that you can’t have both). But the key is to finish what we have started, and to finish it well, because if you run first place in a race for every lap except the last, it doesn’t matter.

You have to cross that finish line and play by the rules. So run your race with all of your strength. Guard your life so that you don’t get sidetracked or disqualified. And keep your eyes on the finish line.

© Greg Laurie

The Price of Unforgiveness

“Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart”. - Matthew 18:32-35 ESV

Forgiveness is costly. After someone deeply hurts you, it costs you something to release that person from the debt owed to you. Just ask Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20).

But even more costly is unforgiveness. The fallout of not forgiving is huge. When you decide not to release a person but instead nurse the injury and harbor resentment, look out for some major consequences—as the life of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18 reveals.

At the center of that story is an unforgiving heart. Though the servant had been forgiven an immense, unpayable debt, he refused to forgive his fellow servant’s relatively minor debt—and the price of his unforgiveness was very high. Let’s count the cost of unforgiveness:

1. Shattered relationship. The two servants must have been close friends for the first to loan the second the equivalent of four months’ pay. So how close could they have been after the lender seized, choked, threatened, and imprisoned the borrower? Their friendship was an obvious casualty.

2. Loss of respect. “When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place” (18:31). The first servant lost the respect of his peers. With his vengeful actions, he poisoned his other relationships. Harboring unforgiveness, nursing resentment, breathing negativity, focusing on pain—these attitudes drive others away.

3. Humiliation. When the servant was summoned back before the master, check out his response: nothing. Not one syllable in his own defense. The master essentially challenged him, “I forgave you this massive debt, and you couldn’t forgive this tiny amount?” The servant was utterly humiliated.

4. Torture. The resolution of this story is sobering: “And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.” Unforgiveness brought the servant literal, physical torture, and on us unforgiveness inflicts emotional torture. If you refuse to forgive those who injure you, your life will become a torture chamber, and every future encounter you experience will pass through the grid of your unresolved pain.

5. Lasting consequences. The consequences of unforgiveness are experienced not only in this life but also in the life to come. “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” Of course, the king in the story is God, and the servant in the story represents each of us, and we are headed for the very same divine appointment someday. If we harbor resentment and unforgiveness, God will say, “I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”

This is a hard teaching: if we harbor unforgiveness, we forfeit God’s forgiveness (see also Matthew 6:14–15 and James 2:13). In fact, the person who, over a lifetime, refuses to forgive ultimately reveals that he or she has never really comprehended or received the eternal forgiveness that God offers in Jesus Christ.

How will your story end? In the case study of the unforgiving servant, we see clearly the cost of unforgiveness. May we heed Jesus’ warning and forgive from the heart—as we have been forgiven.

Father God, You lavish outrageous mercy on me—totally undeserved, impossible to repay, new every morning. I revel in Your mercy. Thank You for this story, because in the unforgiving servant I can clearly see the fallout of unforgiveness. Please show me, Holy Spirit, the unforgiveness to which I’m blind in my own heart. Forgive me, I pray. I choose to forgive, though it costs me. I cling to Your promise: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Sanctify me so that I may be called “the merciful,” as I know I am also in desperate need of Your mercy. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

© James MacDonald