Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22–25—NKJV)

Just how far off the mark are we? When first sighting in a firearm you want to at least hit the paper. It is a miserable predicament to miss altogether. Where do you begin when you have completely missed the target?

In the realm of spiritual things we find that all mankind is equally lost. It is as if we stand on the firing line hearing the report of all our fellow men pulling their triggers aiming at spiritual perfection and yet, try as we might, we cannot discern a single mark on the heavenly target. All are well wide of the bull’s-eye. The verse says “there is no difference.” The word means to arrange in order separately. There is none who are distinguished; we all missed the heavenly target of perfection. There is no human-derived way of knowing how far off we are.

The text further says that we have all sinned. The term means to miss the mark. All are taking their shot at the mark of spiritual acceptance by God and all fail to advance to the next stage. We have missed the mark of the perfection of God, but just because the bullet did not hit the target doesn’t mean it did not hit something. Every projectile lands somewhere and our shot at righteousness actually is declared by God to be sin. We have sinned. The root of sin is selfishness and the plant which springs from it is the pride of man resulting in the poisonous fruit of the works of the flesh.

Not only does our best shot fail to print on God’s target while hitting the wrong thing, we also find that it does not even approach the target. Our best shot is not an overshot; it falls far short of God’s glory. The Greek term Paul chooses to use is very instructive. It can be translated with words such as fail, be inferior, be last, come late, to fail. It is even related to the idea of poverty, deficiency, defect, being in need, and being impoverished. All our best efforts are spiritually inadequate to qualify in the realm of the glory of God.

Even your best shot of moral self-effort fails to rise to the perfect standard set by the very character of God. It skims along on a conscience-numbing earthbound trajectory ultimately falling back to a mud-mired muck of rationalizing self-congratulation. Though all may hear the report from a shot of the best deadeye among us, God’s holy target remains unscathed. There is no difference; we all fall short of the glory of God.

Praise God that the Bible does not simply reveal your spiritual inadequacy and lack of merit; it proclaims the one and only way to spiritual adequacy found in the Lord Jesus Christ. God promises to bestow His righteousness upon all who believe. To be justified is to be declared positively righteous. Since Jesus Christ through His sinless life satisfied the righteous demands of the glory of God, He scored a perfect bull’s-eye on behalf of all who believe. This is of no practical and eternal use if it is not free grace, since our best efforts are feebly inadequate and, in fact, are disqualifying.

To believe is to trust what God has said in His Word, to take Him at His Word. He here promises adequacy to those who submit to the fact of their own disqualification, and accept the gracious gift of forgiveness and redemption that was purchased through the blood of Jesus Christ.

All self-effort is doomed to fail. Have you given up seeking to be acceptable to God, or settled for the occasional act of human goodness hoping that some day God will overlook your inadequacy and magnify your best efforts? Humbly come to the Lord, confess your sin and trust in His redeeming grace. Be born from above for His glory. Trust and obey.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah (Psalm 143:5–6—NKJV)

You have probably found that the felt significance of your daily devotions varies based upon a number of factors. The physical circumstances in which you find yourself, the cares that are weighing heavily upon your heart, the busy constraint of schedule, your chosen study in the Word, and the distractions which unceremoniously intrude into your quiet time all have a bearing on significance. What believer has not been subject to seasons of life, hardness of heart, dullness of hearing, or has not found himself working at odds with the lessons God has to teach him for that specific day? Don’t forget that your devotional habits can set you up for success or failure.

These problems lead the thinking Christian to ask God for principles which can help avoid barrenness in his devotional life. The psalmist, David, gives some timeless principles in Psalm 143 which are worthy of your consideration.

This is the last penitential psalm in the collection of psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 130). His two main requests are deliverance from his enemy and for guidance in the will of God. Though the specific, historical background cannot be divined, the content shows that David is expressing repentance for his personally-owned sinfulness. He is clearly cognizant of his personal unworthiness to approach God while he is also equally expressive of how highly he values the merciful and gracious character of God.

A quick reading of the chapter causes certain themes to become apparent. David is a sinner and needs to be delivered from his enemies so that he can knowingly do God’s will as a faithful servant. Sin is the great enemy of your soul. Its power must be defeated through a healthy prayer and devotional life so that you may knowingly do God’s will. It is never enough to simply know the will of God (verse 8), but you must also be taught to do it (verse 10) as an obedient servant.

Our verses outline the key ingredients for significant devotional time with God. Right away you notice the verbs remember, meditate, muse, spread, and longs. Also take note of the number of times the words hands, works, and You/Your appear. There is no doubt that significant devotions must be jealously guarded from distractions. Being in the presence of God must be your sole purpose and soul focus.

Take time to remember the days of old. Though the days of old (both scriptural and personal) are in the past, they were the present once for those who lived it and when you lived it. The fallen state of man has not changed nor has the prevailing sovereignty of God Almighty. Labor to put yourself into the “present” relevance of God’s Word.

Take time to converse with yourself (meditate) on the works of God. What does He accomplish? What is His full-hearted purpose? What has He worked in the past and continued to work in the present? What is He going to work?

Take time to pursue a deeper insight into the handiwork of God. Other uses of the verb “muse” in the Bible indicate a meditation that produces a thoughtful level of action. Meditating on God’s character always helps with an understanding of His workings.

Take time to wait upon God and place yourself at His disposal. The action of spreading the hands to God, as David describes, is one that shows complete dependence upon, confidence in, and attention to God.

Are you longing for God as a parched landscape seems to yearn for rain? Ask God to remove the spiritual barrenness and aimlessness from your life. Follow in the steps of the psalmist so that you may do the will of God only. Trust and obey.

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4—NKJV)

Every spiritually minded man who desires to be a good father constantly hears this verse echoing in the back of his mind. Though the direct interpretation of the verse is specifically to men, it cannot be denied that there are applications readily drawn and applied to anyone who desires to teach others, whether male or female.

It is the nature of the young and immature to be provoked when anything gets in the way of his own self-directed actions. This being the case, the verse cannot mean that fathers must never correct their own. This kind of provocation at wholesome correction arises within the immature and is an unavoidable consequence of inexperience. It is not something for which the instructor or the instruction retains fault.

As is often the case with Paul, he first gives us the negative and then the positive view of this subject. The negative provides the black cloth upon which the diamond is placed so that all its positive glories may be seen.

The form of anger spoken of here as out of bounds for a good father is suggestive of an intermittent wrath, though it may grow quite hot. It can be an anger which may quiver with rage temporarily and then subside. Fathers are not to ply, goad and egg-on their children, drawing forth outbursts of anger. Wisdom demands that fatherly interaction with children is with a good-hearted, faithful design which resembles the lovingkindnesses of the heavenly Father with His own.

Our verse continues with practical advice on the teaching methods of fathers. A father’s job is to bring the young ones to maturity. The Greek term ektrephete means to nourish, to rear, to feed out from oneself. It is a nourishing that becomes a nurturing. It is a training which becomes upbringing. It implies a comprehensive plan in which you invest and into which you lose yourself for the sake of your main task, to bring them up.

Fatherly nurturing falls into two categories in this verse. The first is the Greek word paideia which connotes discipline. It is best thought of as training by act or action. Correcting by discipline should not be assumed to be all negative instruction or corporal action. Discipline necessarily includes all that but it also includes all positive instruction in action. We speak of the discipline of studies, finances, or athletics. These three things surely retain the original intent of this very positive action.

The second Greek word nouthesia connotes admonishment. It means to put into the mind. The first word was a word of activity while the second is a word of instruction or warning. It is a training by word—whether encouragement or, if necessary, reproof.

Finally, fatherly teaching is tethered to the anchor of the Lord. Be sure there is a direct connection between your Lord and your teaching by word and deed. First be sure your word and deed are right in the sight of God and then be sure your nurturing is received.

A sad story is related in 1 Samuel 2:24 and 3:13 where we read of a father’s “nourishing” instruction which failed to become “upbringing.” Eli did what many fathers do today—he groused and grumbled, a little too little and a little too late. Though his general advice was right, he was not heard and his admonishment failed to have effect, for the Bible says he failed to restrain.

All who would lead others to maturity must heed the words of this verse. Lovingkindness demands it. Is your fatherly advice in words and deed tethered securely to the Lord Jesus Christ and clearly communicated to those around you? Trust and obey.

To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19—NKJV)

We think of fullness in many ways. When you hear “fullness,” your first thought is most likely of the bloated feeling that hits you after overeating a favorite meal, like that wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. But fullness has many other nuances. Our society uses the term to describe people and their personalities. Have you ever heard of someone referred to as a person full of mischief, full of courage, full of criticism, or full of life?

With such a breadth of meaning, it is no wonder that our verse may raise a question or two for you. If biblical fullness is like overeating then there are serious problems for you in this verse. Just considering the infinity of God, His filling the universe, what must it be for little old you to be filled with the One who fills the universe? Wouldn’t you explode? How is the verse possible, or is there another meaning to be considered?

Perhaps the closest we come to the idea of the word in the text is when you describe someone as having had a “full” life. By the expression you are trying to say that in a tally of his life he did not miss out on any experience or satisfaction common to mankind. Every available slot was filled.

This fullness is akin to opening your power drill case and finding every slot of each dimension filled with a new drill bit. You know the disappointment of going to the kit, needing a particular size bit for a job, you look at the spot of the size you need and there is a substandard, dull bit taking up the space, or worse yet, nothing there at all—just an empty slot.

The sense of the Bible text is that the believer will be fully equipped, having a completed checklist of supplies, every date on the calendar checked off, every step in the process fully accomplished, and the order filled. Philippians 4:19 states, “And my God shall supply [fill] all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The idea of “fullness” is not so much mystical as it is numerical.

Such is the case with Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 speaking of the fullness of God in Christ, “in Him all the fullness should dwell” and “for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Paul was countering a pagan misconception of his day in which they thought that God’s attributes could be divided up and parceled out to various emanations and that Jesus was something of a lesser god. Unequivocally Jesus is fully God and fully human. There is nothing missing from the fullness of Deity of Christ.

John 1:16 states, “and of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” John is teaching that out of the fullness in Christ all believers have received the benefit of mercies and graces richly available from God. Because of Christ’s fullness, “all Christians equally and indifferently, all believers at large, have received…unsparingly, in the largest measure, grace upon grace, accumulated grace, or rather grace following in constant succession, grace for grace.” (John Parkhurst) Simple truth, and yet stunningly sublime!

Even what it means to be filled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) comes forth from the mystical shadows and we find it simply means for the believer to turn more and more of his life over to the influence of God by filling each day with Spirit led decisions, filling every slot.

Can someone say that you are living a full life for God, filling every available slot with dedication to the Lord so that no spots are left to self? Is every slot of the fruit of the Spirit in your life filled? Are the “excellencies” of Christ fully evidenced in you? Are you living a spiritually full life? Trust and obey.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17—NKJV)

Our text is one of the great benedictions of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It is a worthy prayer request for all saints to pray for one another because the Source of comfort is featured prominently.

We all have memories of various times in our lives when we found comfort, gave comfort or were comforted. Some of the most cherished memories of adulthood have to do with consoling a child in their distress. Skinned knees, bumped noggins, and hurt hearts always respond well to a few moments spent in tender care.

To be comforted is a change in attitude from distressful pain to quiet balance and restoration. It is no wonder that before the Savior died on the cross He notified the disciples that He was leaving to make room that the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) might come and minister to them. The work of the Holy Spirit was crucial to their role of founding the church in very dark and turbulent times. The legacy of the Comforter is also ours today.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry changed in the church age so that today He indwells every believer from the point of regeneration. He illumines the Word of God to your heart so that you understand and apply it. He convicts you of sin and uses the Bible to prompt your heart to follow the will of God. He is the seal for your life until the Day of Redemption. He empowers your prayers and spiritual walk. Essentially everything of virtue in any believer’s life comes directly as a result of the Holy Spirit’s “Comforter” ministry.

The Greek word translated by the word comfort is parakaleo. It is a word with many wonderful facets which all focus together to describe the full meaning of the comfort available to the believer through the Holy Spirit. Its root meaning is to “call to oneself.” There is a beseeching quality to the word as it infers a calling to a personal audience for the purpose of admonishing, exhorting, consoling, and comforting. The Holy Spirit is the greatest encourager, admonisher and comforter you will ever have on this side of eternity.

Incidentally, the effectiveness of His comforting ministry is directly related to the amount you avail yourself of the Bible on a daily basis. Hiding God’s Word in your heart and regularly exposing your heart to the Word gives the Holy Spirit the tools He will primarily use to transform your attitude from distressful pain to quiet balance and restoration in comfort. This is why the thoughtful quotation of a Bible verse from a brother or sister in Christ helps to quietly restore your balance in trying circumstances, thanks to the Holy Spirit!

Our passage teaches that one of the choicest blessings for every believer is that the grace of salvation includes everlasting comfort and good hope, starting now and never ending. This grace of God is of such quality that your heart is settled in secure, quiet, confidant comfort leaving you free to be strong in every good word and work.

Are you availing yourself of every opportunity to be in the Bible in order to give the Holy Spirit the tools to fulfill His comforting role in your personal life? Are you freely sharing the Bible so that the Holy Spirit may be at work in the lives of others? Trust and obey.