David Fine's Devotionals

We often refer to ourselves as followers of Christ, but what does that really mean? When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him, they physically left what they were doing to be with Him. The disciples had tangible evidence: They could see His direction with their eyes and hear His words with their ears. But how do we follow Jesus today? As I studied this passage, I found four essential elements that show us how to be followers of Christ. 1. The disciples heard Jesus’ voice. Today Christ speaks to us through His Word, giving instruction and guidance through direct commands and prohibitions, spiritual principles, and biblical examples. And within us, we have the Holy Spirit, who directs our path and corrects us when we go astray. 2. They obeyed without delay. Once the disciples heard the Lord’s command, they immediately complied. Following Jesus requires that we not only do what He says, but also when and how He says to do it. 3. They left something behin...

2 Peter 2:1-3 “1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ! 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” People have an expectation that those who talk about God must also be serving Him and His people’s best interests. I wish that were always true. But sadly, the many warnings about deceivers entering the church are as relevant today as when the New Testament writers penned them. In case you think I’m overstating the problem, let me point you to the words of Jesus: “See to it that no one misleads you” (Matt. 24:4). He warned that many would falsely claim God had sent them. Christ was not talking on...

Philippians 4:10-13 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and su ff ering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Think about the times when you have felt truly satisfied. What caused you to feel that way? For most people, a sense of well-being comes when their environment is just the way they want it, but that wasn’t the case with Paul. He learned to be content in every circumstance, good or bad. We’d do well to learn a few lessons from him. After all, we can’t avoid all di ffi cult situations, so we might as well discover how to face them with a tranquil, ...

Psalm 9:1-20 The Lord is often depicted as the supreme Judge, seated in heaven and ready to dish out vengeance for all evil and disobedience. But He’s also presented as a good and loving God who’s quick to forgive. Although both aspects of His nature are true, the human mind has trouble comprehending how they can coexist in the same Being. From our limited earthly perspective, the Lord may not always seem good. People who struggle to accept His goodness often look around and wonder why He doesn’t stop all the evil and su ff ering in the world. Or they look ahead to the coming judgment and wonder how He could condemn anyone to hell. The irony of this reasoning is that it finds fault with both the Lord’s present tolerant permission of evil and His future intolerant judgment of evil in eternity. In reality, both ends of this spectrum prove our heavenly Father’s goodness. God doesn’t immediately write o ff  everyone who rejects or disobeys Him; instead, He patiently waits for us ...