Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]
I Will Raise Him Up

I Will Raise Him Up

By | | Comments 0 Comment

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  

John 6:40 

Christ is the Master of the categorical statement. Our whole text is one. For our purpose today we will concentrate on one portion of it. Christ  says of those who believe in Him, ‘I will raise him up at the last day.’ This is an authoritative statement regarding the resurrection. It is by no means the only instance when He affirms it. He used almost the same phraseology in His previous remark. When He spoke to the sister of Lazarus He said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ Paul, in writing of the last day says, ‘For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.’ Paul writes extensively about the resurrection in I Corinthians 15, as does John in Revelation 20. These abound with confirmations of the resurrection of the last day. Why does this matter? It matters because we will be part of it. Christ will raise His people from the dead. We have His word He will. Therefore our confidence in Him is for things far beyond our present circumstances or even the end of our current mode of existence. The resurrection is coming and Christ will raise us on the last day.  

Our Glorious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You are  
the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 
We praise You that You will keep all Your promises. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

The Last Day

The Last Day

By | | Comments 0 Comment

This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  

John 6:39-40 

What is the last day of which Christ speaks in our text? The rest of Scripture refers to it in various locations. Later in the gospel of John, Christ says the words He has spoken will judge the one who rejects Him, ‘in the last day.’ Matthew 25 quotes Christ, in reference to His return, as the time when He will judge the whole of humanity. The closing verse of Daniel says, ‘But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.’ Again, we see that from ancient times, it has been clear there will be a last day. Why should this matter to us? Every indicator points to the fact that this last day is coming. Regardless of how much anyone may seek to deny it or relegate it to the realm of mythology, Christ certainly asserts it, as does the rest of Scripture. Therefore we should not lightly dismiss it. Beyond that, the implication is, we will all be part of it. This gives rise to the question of how we have prepared for this last day, and are preparing for it. It may not come in our lifetime, but according to Christ, it will surely come. There was a beginning. There will be an end. 

Our Wise and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice that You have a plan. 
We praise You that You will bring it to pass, 
in due course of time. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

These Three Men

These Three Men

By | | Comments 0 Comment

Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God. 

Ezekiel 14:14

When God chooses to use particular individuals as examples of righteous people, whom does He choose? According to our text, He chooses Noah, Daniel, and Job. In the context God is speaking of bringing judgment on Israel for their persistent unfaithfulness. He says, ‘Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.’ Having said that, He follows with the words of our text. His point is, these three men are most notable for their righteousness, so when God brought judgment, ‘they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.’ What is worthy of our consideration is that these men all had great afflictions and endured much to bring them to deep knowledge of God. Each of them encountered Christ in one form or another. God spoke to Noah to build the ark. He interacted extensively with him throughout the whole process. Daniel testifies it was the Messenger of Jehovah, the pre-incarnate Christ, Who shut the mouths of the lions. God spoke to Job from the whirlwind, another Christophany. Thus these three knew God through Christ and are for us examples of how various hard experiences lead us to a greater knowledge of God as Christ reveals Him to us.  

Our Great and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice that You are the God of truth and righteousness. 
We praise You that as you reveal Yourself to us, 
we know more of Christ. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

The Intended End

The Intended End

By | | Comments 0 Comment

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.  

James 5:10-11 

What does God intend as the end of our suffering? If we hear Job, the quintessential suffering saint, it is that we know God better than we ever have before. Hence, Job’s last recorded words are, ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’ James corroborates this in our text. God wants us to know Him. To know Him, and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent is what constitutes eternal life, according to Christ in His High Priestly prayer. Thus affliction has purpose and value. This is extremely hard for us to appreciate when we are enduring it. Job certainly had his moments of deep crisis. He questioned God in numerous instances. For all his agonizing experiences, he retained his faith. In speaking to Job’s friends God exonerates Job by saying, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as my servant Job has.’ Job knows more of God as Christ reveals Him and becomes the model for all who wonder what is the purpose of affliction. Because Christ is the revealer of God, He is the One Whom we magnify. 

Our Holy and Wise God, 
we rejoice that You know the end from the beginning. 
We praise You that You order and arrange all things, 
to accomplish Your purpose for us. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Meta