Weekly Devotional - David Guzik | Enduring Word

Believe With All Your Heart

February 20, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. (Acts 8:36-38)

Philip preached Jesus to the man in the chariot, and the man was ready to respond to the good news of who Jesus is and what He did for us. The Spirit of God was at work through the word of God, and it was wonderful. As Philip explained the good news, he probably did as Peter did at Pentecost, giving those who heard an opportunity to respond in faith and be baptized (Acts 2:38).

So, the Ethiopian asked a question: See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? This shows that the Ethiopian did in fact believe, and that he wanted to be baptized to declare his belief. He saw the truth of God and knew that it was for him.

However, Philip insisted that the Ethiopian believe with all his heart before being baptized. In brief and simple words, this describes how we should respond to the gospel: believe with all your heart.

If we only believe with our head and not our heart, it isn’t enough. We may intellectually know that Jesus died for the sins of the world, but do we know in our heart that He died to cleanse our sins?

The man in the chariot did believe. He said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This confession of faith, taken in all that it means, is the essential belief for anyone who will come to God. We must believe in the person of Jesus, in all that He is and has done as Christ. We must believe that He is the Divine Son, and that He is the Son of God sent from the Father to accomplish the salvation of all those who will believe with all their hearts.

When the Ethiopian said “Jesus Christ,” he confessed that Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ). He agreed with his mind and heart that Jesus is the sin-bearing servant that Isaiah described and Jesus fulfilled.

One might ask: How could the man in the chariot know that he really believed with all his heart? The answer isn’t found in measuring percentages of commitment, but in simply trusting and surrendering to Jesus all one is aware of. More areas of trust will become apparent over time; and then we can believe Jesus as we see them.

Have you believed with all your heart? If so, have you received water baptism? Both are important. Each of us should follow the good example of the Ethiopian in Acts 8.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

Divine Appointments

February 13, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”

So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:32-35)

Isn’t it amazing when God perfectly arranges things? God told Philip to leave a successful season of ministry and go to a complete wilderness. Philip then saw a chariot, and the man in the chariot was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the man asked for help in understanding – what a divine appointment!

On top of all that, the man in the chariot read from the amazing prophetic passage of Isaiah 53, speaking of the Lord’s suffering servant. He read the words, He was led as sheep to the slaughter: In God’s wonderful planning, the Ethiopian was reading the amazing and specific prophecies in Isaiah 53 describing the sacrificial, sin-bearing work of the Messiah to come.

Then the man in the chariot asked an important question: I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man? Regarding this passage from Isaiah 53:7-8, the Jews of that day had different ways they understood the identity of this suffering servant.

– Some thought the suffering servant was the nation of Israel itself, as Israel had suffered greatly in wars, exile, and persecution.
– Some thought the suffering servant was Isaiah writing about himself.
– Some thought the suffering servant was the Messiah, but they found this hard to accept, because they didn’t want to think of the Messiah suffering.

All three of these ideas could not be equally true. Though there was a lesser sense in which the Isaiah 53 passage was true of Israel as a nation and true of Isaiah as a prophet. Yet, there is no mistaking its main and greatest sense: Isaiah 53 speaks of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in His role as the LORD’s Suffering Servant. It isn’t helpful to pretend that all interpretations of a Bible passage are equal, and Philip avoided this error.

Philip explained how these words from Isaiah 53 spoke of Jesus, the Messiah. He explained it to the man in the chariot beginning at this Scripture. It was easy to talk about Jesus beginning at this Scripture, so Philip did what he should – he preached Jesus to him.

It was a divine appointment that arranged all this in Acts 8. By other divine appointments, God has brought Jesus Christ to you. This same Jesus suffered as a servant for you. By faith, receive and cherish today all that He sacrificed to bring you into right relationship with God.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

How to Understand the Bible

February 6, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. (Acts 8:29-31)

The Holy Spirit directed a servant among the early Christians to leave a successful work in Samaria and go to a desolate wilderness. Once there, Philip saw a chariot carrying an important man – a Jewish man from Ethiopia. This man had an important position in the Queen of Ethiopia’s government and was returning from a visit to Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit who led Philip to the desert then said to him, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” It took a lot of boldness to do it, but Philip did what the Spirit told him to do. The Ethiopian was a rich man, a man of power, and at least in some way a celebrity. Yet Philip knew he needed Jesus just as much as anyone else.

We often shrink back from speaking boldly about Jesus, and the world lets us know we shouldn’t talk about such things. But the world does not hesitate to preach own message to us. We should be just as bold to the world about Jesus as the world is bold to us about sin.

Coming near, Philip heard him reading because it was common in the ancient world to read aloud. Listening, Philip knew the Ethiopian was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Philip knew God gave him an open door, a prepared heart. Plainly, God had arranged this meeting. Philip was effective as an evangelist because he knew how to flow with what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. He was truly led by the Spirit, not by his own whims and feelings.

Philip then asked an important question: “Do you understand what you are reading?” It was good for the Ethiopian to read the Bible, but unless understanding was brought to him, there was little benefit from his reading. But God had brought someone (Philip) to bring understanding.

The Ethiopian man answered, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” This is the proper question of anyone who wants to understand the Bible. We should never feel bad if we need to be taught before we can understand many things.

Here are two principles to understand your Bible better. First, find good teachers. It is wonderful when we come to understand the great truths of Bible on our own, but this passage shows us that God also has a place and a purpose for teachers among the followers of Jesus.

Second, to get more understanding from our Bibles, we must plunge in. Butterflies wander over the flowers in the garden and accomplish nothing, but bees plunge right down into the flower, and they carry away essential food. We won’t get anything if we just hover over our Bibles; we must dive right in.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

Leaving a Successful Season

January 30, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. (Acts 8:26-27a)

There’s nothing like a season where God moves in power. There is a real sense of God’s presence and effective working day to day, and sometimes hour to hour. Some people call such seasons “revival” or “spiritual awakening,” but whatever one calls them, they are wonderful.

Acts 8 describes just such a season in Samaria, a city in the region in between Judea and Galilee. One description of it is in Acts 8:6: And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. Acts 8:8 simply says, there was great joy in that city.

In such wonderful seasons of God’s work, He uses people like you and me. Philip was just such a man used by God in Samaria. He saw this outpouring of God’s Spirit and experienced the miraculous first-hand.

That’s why it seems striking when angel of the Lord told him to move on to another place. Through this angel of the Lord God told Philip to arise, and go toward the south.

I wonder if Philip first thought this was bad news. “Leave this amazing work God is doing in Samaria? I don’t want to do that. Why can’t I stay here much longer and be part of it all?”

I wonder if the new Christians in Samaria thought this was bad news. “Philip can’t leave us. God has used him so mightily. How can the work of God go on if Philip leaves?”

I wonder if it was even stranger because of where God told Philip to go: this is desert. If I heard a call to leave such a blessed, fruitful ministry and go to a desolate place, I might think it was the devil speaking and not the Lord. It seems foolish to leave a place of prospering ministry and to go a desert road.

If it were me, I might think, “Not now” or “Not me” or “Not there.” Leaving fruitful ministry to go to a desert is crazy from man’s perspective, but it is wise if God directs it.

That’s why I love the words that begin Acts 8:27: So he arose and went. Philip loved God more than he loved the success of God’s work. I’m sure he was a bit sad to leave and was uncertain about what God had in front of him. But God was leading, and Philip followed. Good things were going to happen.

The work in Samaria continued just as God wanted it to. God’s workmen change, but God’s work goes on.

Dear friend, stay close to Jesus. Enjoy seasons of great fruit and blessing, but don’t make an idol of them. God will be with you where He leads you – as Philip was about to find out.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

Avoiding Responsibility

January 23, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.” (Acts 8:24)

Simon was a sorcerer among the Samaritans, and in some way he responded to the message preached by Philip and others. Yet, the way Simon acted (Acts 8:18-19) and the way Peter rebuked him (Acts 8:20-23) showed there was something insincere and incomplete in Simon’s faith in and surrender to Jesus.

We see something else not-quite-right with Simon in Acts 8:24: he refused to humble himself before God and truly repent. Instead, he avoided responsibility for his sin – and did it with spiritual-sounding words.

When Peter confronted Simon, he said pray to the Lord for me, that none of these things come upon me. Instead of genuinely humbling his heart before God, Simon asked Peter to pray he would be spared the consequences of his sin. This shows Simon felt a true conviction from the Holy Spirit but was not yet willing to humble his own heart before God. Peter could pray to the Lord for Simon, but he couldn’t humble Simon’s heart for him.

The door of repentance and getting right with God was open to Simon if he would take it – but Peter could not do it for him. A few verses before, Peter boldly challenged Simon: repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you (Acts 8:22). Peter told Simon “pray God” and Simon asked Peter, “pray for me.”

When Simon asked Peter, “please pray for me,” it was a way to ask Peter to do something, instead of Simon doing something himself.

Always remember that the preacher can’t believe for you, nor can he repent for you. After all, the preacher has enough repenting to do on his own account! The preacher can pray for you, but you better also pray for yourself – as Peter told Simon to do.

We don’t know what became of Simon. Church tradition says that he continued down a bad path and later became a dangerous false teacher among the early Christians. We don’t know how accurate those traditions are; it is possible that Simon did repent and get his heart right with God.

When we feel convicted by the Holy Spirit, it’s common to evade the responsibility of doing something about the sin He speaks to us about. If the Holy Spirit speaks to me about pride, it’s easy for me to start seeing pride in other people, and feeling they should repent of it.

Like the situation with Simon, it’s possible that when I need to humbly pray to God with a repentant heart instead I ask someone else to pray for me.

Today, take responsibility for your walk with God and growth in Jesus. If the Holy Spirit speaks a word of correction to you, don’t pass it off on someone else.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

Seeming to Believe

January 16, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” (Acts 8:20-23)

God moved powerfully in the city of Samaria, and one of those touched was a sorcerer named Simon. After proclaiming his belief and being baptized, Simon saw the power of God at work and asked if he could buy the same power.

Peter responded to Simon strongly, saying “Your money perish with you.” Simon was so wrong that he deserved this strong rebuke. Peter’s bold discernment must have been difficult or awkward to watch. Few people today would rebuke what seemed to be a young Christian so strongly. Yet Peter was willing to tell Simon the truth in love, though it was hard for Simon and those standing by to hear it.

Peter also summarized Simon’s sin: You thought the gift of God could be purchased with money! Of course, Simon was wrong to think this. The gifts of God are received freely from Him, by faith. What we receive from God will affect what we do with our money; but we can’t purchase the gifts of God with money.

Peter’s rebuke to Simon leads to an important and interesting question – was Simon a true Christian, genuinely born again?

Simon gave some evidence of conversion – at least to outward observation.

– Simon seemed to believe in the preaching of Philip (Acts 8:13).
– Philip received Simon as some kind of follower (Acts 8:13).
– Simon attended meetings of Christians (Acts 8:18).

For these reasons, Philip saw Simon as a Christian – a follower of Jesus – and baptized him (Acts 8:13). Like us today, Philip could not actually see into Simon’s spiritual heart and know with complete certainty that he was sincere in his faith; but he had demonstrated enough to make his proclamation of faith credible.

Yet, it is possible to take Peter’s statement “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God” as evidence that Simon was not a true convert with repentance and sincere faith. The case of Simon is a warning that to truly be right with God, it isn’t enough to claim a belief in Jesus and do a few “Christian things.” We must be born again, and the truth of our new life will be seen in our life and seen over time.

This warning is found in 2 Peter 1:10: Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure. We aren’t saved by what we do, but the reality of our salvation is seen in how we live. Simon seemed to believe; his life showed otherwise.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

How to Receive the Holy Spirit

January 9, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:18-19)

God was moving among the people of Samaria. The good news finally extended past Jerusalem and Judea and had now come to the Samaritans. It first came to Samaria through Philip, but eventually the apostles Peter and John came to see what God was doing. As they taught and served the Samaritans, they also prayed that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Someone named Simon – who was a sorcerer – also believed, but his discipleship was rather superficial. He noticed that when Peter and John laid hands on those who believed, they received the Holy Spirit. Perhaps there was some outward evidence of this giving of the Holy Spirit. Whatever happened, it impressed Simon.

Simon the (hopefully former) sorcerer wanted the same ability to lay hands on people, pray for them, and have them receive the Holy Spirit. He wanted it enough that he offered them money for the ability.

In this, Simon thought that the Holy Spirit was merely a power that could be bought or sold. He wanted to control the working of the Spirit and he regarded the Holy Spirit as a power he could use as he wanted. That isn’t how the Holy Spirit of God works. He isn’t an impersonal power; the Holy Spirit is a Person who lives in us and rules the believer’s life. He wanted this so anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit: Simon did not really desire the Holy Spirit for himself, but the ability to impart the power of the Holy Spirit to others at his will. This would give him much spiritual authority.

Through Christian history, this man Simon inspired the term “simony.” Simony is the word for the sin of buying or selling church offices or privileges, because to buy or sell such spiritual things works in the same spirit as this Simon. This sin was common in church history and is still sometimes practiced today.

But even when they don’t formally buy or sell church offices or privileges, many people still think and act like this Simon. I can think of at least two ways some today follow Simon:

Simon wanted to use God’s power to make him powerful and successful. Many people today have that kind of “transactional” relationship with God. They will obey and serve God if it means God will give them what they want.

Simon either forgot or never knew that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not just a power. We don’t “control” the Holy Spirit and use Him as we want. We surrender ourselves to God’s Spirit and He uses us as He wants.

Today, receive the Holy Spirit – surrender yourself to Him, instead of trying to “use” Him for what you think you want.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Acts 8

No More Tears

January 2, 2022/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Past, Present, and Future

December 26, 2021/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Your year-end generosity to Enduring Word is appreciated. Click here to donate.

Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5-7)

God lives in the glory of timeless eternity, but His work touches your life in the here and now, in the present day. In this brief and glorious passage from Ephesians, the Apostle Paul touched on God’s work in our life – in the past, in the present, and in the future.

In the PAST, we have been made alive together with Christ. Jesus shared in our death so that we could share in His resurrection life. The old self was crucified with Jesus at the cross, and now we are new creations in Jesus with the old things passing away and all things becoming new (2 Corinthians 5:17). But Paul was compelled to remind us of something else, that this is the work of God’s grace (by grace you have been saved), in no way connected with what we might earn or deserve. Our salvation (rescue) from spiritual death is God’s work done for the undeserving.

In the PRESENT, we sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We have a new place for living, a new arena of existence – we are not “those who dwell on the earth” (as the book of Revelation often calls those separated from God), but our “citizenship is in heaven” (as in Philippians 3:20). Notice that Paul did not say that we sit in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus – that will happen one day, when we are resurrected. Rather, we sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Since our life and identity is in Jesus Christ, then so as He sits in heavenly places, so do we.

In the FUTURE, God will continue to show the exceeding riches of His grace to us. God will never stop dealing with us based on grace, but He will forever continue to unfold its riches to us through eternity. This is not a crazy, hopeful wish; it is the sure promise of a faithful God. You can count on it.

All of this is a heritage that those who are in Christ Jesus can cling to. This is God’s work done for His believing people, and in Jesus we should lay claim to it. This is for you in your Messiah and Savior, Jesus Christ:

– In Jesus, we can live free from the guilt and pain of the past.

– In Jesus, we can live with surpassing power for the present.

– In Jesus, we can live with a secure hope for the future.

How many of the anxieties of your day would simply pass away if, right now, you took hold of what God has promised for your past, present, and future?

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Ephesians 2

What Mary Knew

December 19, 2021/0 Comments/in Weekly Devotional/by David Guzik

Your year-end generosity to Enduring Word is appreciated. Click here to donate.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

The Bethlehem shepherds had a rare experience – a visitation from the angel of the Lord, announcing good news: the birth of a baby who was both Messiah and God. The same angel gave them a sign to confirm this good news – that they would find this baby wrapped in torn cloths, laying in a feeding-trough for animals.

Those shepherds immediately went to Bethlehem and saw the confirming sign. They then went throughout the village and told everyone they could. The people of Bethlehem were amazed at this remarkable news, but they seemed unchanged by it all. Mary the mother of Jesus was different. Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. There are at least three things to note about Mary’s reaction to the news from the shepherds.

Mary chose to remember the shepherds’ report, she kept all these things. Others in Bethlehem soon forgot that remarkable night, but Mary made the choice to remember. She had a special relationship to that baby boy, so it was easy for her to remember. If we have a special relationship with Jesus – adopted into His family and regarded as His brothers or sisters – then we will remember Him in a way that others do not.

Mary chose to treasure those things in her heart. She not only remembered the shepherds’ report and all it meant, she also held those things in her heart with affection. Mary was probably especially touched by the fact that God brought the word to the shepherds through angelic messengers. Mary’s whole connection with these events began with a message from the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-38). In the nine months following, the angels were silent. It must have been like a reminder of the love of God for Mary to know that God was once again working through His angels to accomplish the purpose of bringing the Messiah into the world.

Mary chose to meditate on those things; she pondered them in her heart. The promises made to Joseph and Mary about this baby were so big that they were hard to believe. You might say that they were easy to doubt – but God gave Mary reason to believe. Mary had a baby book written before the baby was ever born. When Mary heard that she would bear the Messiah, surely she spent so much time thinking about and pondering over all the promises in the Hebrew Scriptures about the Christ, the Messiah. She would think about the promises of the Messiah’s triumph and His agony; about the Messiah’s reign and His suffering.

Like Mary, you can hear what God says about His Son – that He is Christ the Lord, Messiah and God. You may treasure that word from God; think deeply upon it, and keep it upon your heart and affections. In this you show yourself to be part of Jesus’ family.

You can know what Mary knew.

Click Here for David’s Written Commentary on Luke 2