The “Chewing” Years
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Posted:Jun 2, 2018 3:59 am
Last Updated:Jun 3, 2018 5:35 am 11793 Views
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Read: 1 Peter 2:1–11 |
Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 17–18; John 13:1–20
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6
My husband recently gave me a Labrador retriever puppy we named Max. One day when Max was spending time with me in my study, I was concentrating at my desk and heard the sound of paper ripping behind me. I turned to find a guilty-looking puppy with a book wide open and a page dangling from his mouth.
Our veterinarian tells us that Max is going through his “chewing years.” As puppies lose their milk teeth and permanent ones grow, they soothe their gums by chewing almost anything. We have to watch Max carefully to ensure he isn’t gnawing on something that could harm him, and we point him to healthy alternatives.
Max’s urge to chew—and my responsibility to watch him—cause me to think about what we “chew on” in our minds and hearts. Do we carefully consider what we are feeding our eternal souls when we read or surf the web or watch TV? The Bible encourages us, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2–3). We need to fill ourselves daily with God’s Word and truth if we are to thrive as followers of Christ. Only then can we grow to maturity in Him.
Loving Lord, help me to hunger for You and Your Word and to stay away from that which harms me. Fill me with Your goodness today.
When Christ returns, what will He find us craving?
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STOP
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Posted:Jun 1, 2018 3:29 am
Last Updated:Jun 1, 2018 9:05 am 12483 Views
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Read: Psalm 46
Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 15–16; John 12:27–50
Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
My friend and I sat in the sand, near the ever-rhythmic ocean. As the sun sank in the distance, wave after wave curled, paused and then rippled toward our extended toes, stopping just short each time. “I love the ocean,” she smiled. “It moves so I don’t have to.”
What a thought! So many of us struggle to stop. We do, do, do and go, go, go, somehow afraid that if we cease our efforts we will cease to be. Or that by stopping we will expose ourselves to the ever-present realities we work to keep at bay.
In Psalm 46:8–9, God flexes His omnipotent muscles, putting His power on display. “Come and see what the Lord has done . . . . He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” God is a busy God, who works to create calm within the chaos of our days.
And then in verse 10 we read, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Of course it’s possible to know God while running here and there. But the psalmist’s invitation to cease striving beckons us into a different kind of knowing. A knowing that we can stop—and still be—because God never stops. A knowing that it is God’s power that gives us ultimate value, protection, and peace.
Dear God, help me to find my rest in You.
We rest well when we’re in the loving arms and perfect will of God.
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Interrupted Fellowship
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Posted:May 31, 2018 3:31 am
Last Updated:May 31, 2018 6:40 am 13118 Views
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Read: Matthew 27:32–50
Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 13–14; John 12:1–26
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46
The loud, sorrowful cry pierced the dark afternoon air. I imagine it drowning out the sound of mourning from friends and loved ones gathered at Jesus’s feet. It must have overwhelmed the moans of the dying criminals who flanked Jesus on both sides. And surely startled all who heard it.
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Jesus cried out in agony and in utter despondency as He hung on that cross of shame on Golgotha (Matthew 27:45–46).
Jesus, we again stand in awe at Your sacrifice.Thank You for making it possible to have fellowship with the Father
“My God,” He said, “my God, why have you forsaken me?”
I cannot think of more heart-wrenching words. Since eternity, Jesus had been in perfect fellowship with God the Father. Together they had created the universe, had fashioned mankind in their image, and planned salvation. Never in the eons past had they not been in total fellowship with each other.
And now, as the anguish of the cross continued to bring devastating pain on Jesus—He for the first time lost the awareness of God’s presence as He carried the burden of the sins of the world.
It was the only way. Only through this time of interrupted fellowship could our salvation be provided for. And it was only because Jesus was willing to experience this sense of being forsaken on the cross that we humans can gain fellowship with God.
Thank You, Jesus, for experiencing such pain so we could be forgiven.
Jesus, we again stand in awe at Your sacrifice. We kneel in Your presence and with gratitude acknowledge what You did for us on the cross. Thank You for making it possible to have fellowship with the Father forever.
The cross reveals God’s heart for the lost.
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When Words Fail
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Posted:May 30, 2018 3:15 am
Last Updated:May 31, 2018 3:31 am 13248 Views
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Read: Romans 8:22–27
Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 10–12; John 11:30–57
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:22
Not long ago I sent my wife, Cari, a text message using only voice prompts. I was on my way out the door to give her a ride home from work and intended to send the words, “Where would you like me to pick you up, old gal?”
Cari doesn’t mind my calling her “old gal”—it’s one of the affectionate nicknames we use around the house. But my cell phone didn’t “understand” the phrase, and sent the words “old cow” instead.
We can come to Him with every need, assured that He understands and receives us with love.
Fortunately for me, Cari immediately understood what had happened and found it funny. She later posted my text message on social media and asked, “Should I be offended?” We were both able to laugh about it.
My wife’s loving response to my awkward words that day makes me think about God’s loving understanding of our prayers. We may not know what to say when we pray or even what to ask for, but when we belong to Christ, His Spirit within “intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26) and lovingly helps us articulate our deepest needs before Him.
Our heavenly Father doesn’t stand at a distance waiting for us to get our words right. We can come to Him with every need, assured that He understands and receives us with love.
Abba, Father, thank You that I can come to You without fear of having to get my words just right. Help me to keep company with You today.
God’s love is beyond words.
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Gazing at the Horizon
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Posted:May 29, 2018 3:35 am
Last Updated:May 29, 2018 10:30 am 13247 Views
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Read: Hebrews 11:8–16
Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 7–9; John 11:1–29
We are looking for the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:14
Almost as soon as the ferryboat started to move, my little said she felt ill. Seasickness had already begun to affect her. Soon I was feeling queasy myself. “Just stare at the horizon,” I reminded myself. Sailors say this helps to regain a sense of perspective.
The Maker of the horizon (Job 26:10) knows that sometimes in life we may become fearful and restless. We can regain perspective by focusing on the distant but steady point of our destiny.
Our present troubles are temporary. Focus on God and gain perspective.
The writer of Hebrews understood this. He sensed discouragement in his readers. Persecution had driven many of them from their homes. So he reminded them that other people of faith had endured extreme trials and had been left homeless. They endured it all because they anticipated something better.
As exiles, these readers could look forward to the city whose architect is God, the heavenly country, the city God prepared for them (Hebrews 11:10, 14, 16). So in his final exhortations, the writer asked his readers to focus on God’s promises. “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (13:14).
Our present troubles are temporary. We are “foreigners and strangers on earth” (11:13), but gazing at the horizon of God’s promises provides the point of reference we need.
Father, in the midst of troubles, help me to focus on Your promises.
Focus on God and regain perspective.
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The Last Call
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Posted:May 28, 2018 1:39 am
Last Updated:May 29, 2018 3:36 am 13806 Views
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Read: 2 Samuel 1:17–27
Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 4–6; John 10:24–42
How the mighty have fallen! 2 Samuel 1:27
After serving his country for two decades as a helicopter pilot, James returned home to serve his community as a teacher. But he missed helicopters, so he took a job flying medical evacuations for a local hospital. He flew until late in his life.
Now it was time to say goodbye to him. As friends, family, and uniformed co-workers stood vigil at the cemetery, a colleague called in one last mission over the radio. Soon the distinctive sound of rotors beating the air could be heard. A helicopter circled over the memorial garden, hovered briefly to pay its respects, then headed back to the hospital. Not even the military personnel who were present could hold back the tears.
We honor the Creator when we honor the memory of His servants.
When King Saul and his Jonathan were killed in battle, David wrote an elegy for the ages called “the lament of the bow” (2 Samuel 1:18. “A gazelle lies slain on your heights,” he sang. “How the mighty have fallen!” (v. 19). Jonathan was David’s closest friend and brother-in-arms. And although David and Saul had been enemies, David honored them both. “Weep for Saul,” he wrote. “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother” (vv. 24, 26).
Even the best goodbyes are oh-so-difficult. But for those who trust in the Lord, the memory is much more sweet than bitter, for it is never forever. How good it is when we can honor those who have served others!
Lord, we thank You for those who serve their communities as First Responders. We humbly ask You for their safety.
We honor the Creator when we honor the memory of those who honored Him.
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Nobody Likes Me
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Posted:May 26, 2018 5:48 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 2:52 am 13793 Views
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Read: Psalm 142
Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 28–29; John 9:24–41
No one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. Psalm 142:4
As a , when I felt lonely, rejected, or sorry for myself, my mother would sometimes attempt to cheer me up by singing a popular ditty: “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me. I think I’ll go eat worms.” After a smile came from my downcast face, she’d help me see the many special relationships and reasons for gratitude I truly did have.
When I read that David felt no one cared for him, that ditty rings in my ears. Yet David’s pain wasn’t at all exaggerated. Where I had feelings of loneliness typical for my age, David actually had good reason to feel abandoned. He wrote these words in the dark depths of a cave where he hid from Saul, who pursued him with murderous plans (1 Samuel 22:1; 24:3–10). David had been anointed as Israel’s future king (16:13), had spent years in Saul’s service, but now he lived “on the move,” always fearing for his life. In the midst of the loneliness David felt, he cried out to God as his “refuge” and “portion in the land of the living” (Psalm 142:5).
God is our friend in seasons of loneliness.
Like David, we can cry out to God when we feel alone, giving voice to our feelings in the safety of His love. God never minimizes our loneliness. He wants to be our companion in the dark caves of our lives. Even when we think no one cares for our life, God cares!
Lord, You are my friend when I feel alone. Thank You for being with me in the dark caves of life.
God is our friend in seasons of loneliness.
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Accidental wisdom
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Posted:May 25, 2018 4:13 am
Last Updated:May 26, 2018 5:48 am 13520 Views
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Read: Philippians 4: 4-9
The Bible in one year: 1 Chronicles 25-27; John 9: 1-23
... all that is true, all that is honest, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, [...] think about this (v. 8.
A few years ago, a woman told me about a time when she had found her teenage watching the news about a violent incident. Instinctively, he took the remote control and changed the channel. "You do not need to see those things," she said a little angrily. After an argument, he told him that he needed to fill his mind with "all that is true, all that is honest, all that is just" (Philippians 4: 8. After dinner, she and her husband were watching the news when, suddenly, her five-year-old came running and turned off the television. "You do not need to see those things," he said in his best "mom" voice. Think of those things in the Bible! "
As adults, we can absorb and process the news better than our . However, the of that couple was, at the same time, comical and wise when he repeated the instructions of his mother. Even mature adults can be affected by constantly seeing the darkest side of life. Meditating on the kind of things Paul enumerates in Philippians 4: 8 is a powerful antidote to the grief that sometimes settles in us as we see the condition of this world.
Taking care of what fills our mind is an excellent way to honor God and protect our hearts.
Lord, open my eyes to the beautiful today and teach me to meditate on you.
What we let into our mind shapes the state of our soul.
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Tossing and Turning
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Posted:May 24, 2018 2:05 am
Last Updated:May 24, 2018 6:43 am 14578 Views
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Read: Psalm 4
Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 22–24; John 8:28–59
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
What keeps you awake at night? Lately I’ve been losing sleep, tossing and turning on my bed, trying to work out a solution to an issue. Eventually I begin fretting about not getting enough rest to handle the challenges of the next day!
Sound familiar? Troubled relationships, an uncertain future, whatever it is—we all give in to worry at one point or another.
We can entrust our cares to a wholly trustworthy God.
King David was clearly in distress when he penned Psalm 4. People were ruining his reputation with groundless accusations (v. 2). And some were questioning his competency to rule (v. 6). David probably felt angry for being treated so unfairly. Surely he could have spent nights stewing about it. Yet we read these remarkable words: “In peace I will lie down and sleep” (v. 8.
Charles Spurgeon explains verse 8 beautifully: “In thus lying down, . . . [David] resigned himself into the hands of another; he did so completely, for in the absence of all care, he slept; there was here a perfect trust.” What inspired this trust? From the start, David was confident that God would answer his prayers (v. 3). And he was sure that since God had chosen to love him, He would lovingly meet his needs.
May God help us to rest in His power and presence when worries threaten. In His sovereign and loving arms, we can “lie down and sleep.”
Dear Father, thank You for hearing me when I call. I surrender my worries to You and rest in Your power and presence.
We can entrust our cares to a wholly trustworthy God.
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The Babushka Lady
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Posted:May 23, 2018 2:23 am
Last Updated:May 23, 2018 11:27 am 17630 Views
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Read: Acts 2:22–36
Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 19–21; John 8:1–27
Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. Acts 2:36
The “Babushka Lady” is one of the mysteries surrounding the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. Captured on film recording the events with a movie camera, she has proven to be elusive. This mystery woman, wearing an overcoat and scarf (resembling a Russian babushka), has never been identified and her film has never been seen. For decades, historians and scholars have speculated that fear has prevented the “Babushka Lady” from telling her story of that dark November day.
No speculation is needed to understand why Jesus’s disciples hid. They cowered in fear because of the authorities who had killed their Master (John 20:19)—reluctant to come forward and declare their experience. But then Jesus rose from the grave. The Holy Spirit soon arrived and you couldn’t keep those once-timid followers of Christ quiet! On the day of Pentecost, a Spirit-empowered Simon Peter declared, “Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36).
Lord, please give me the strength and boldness to talk to others about You.
The opportunity to boldly speak in Jesus’s name is not limited to those with daring personalities or career ministry training. It is the indwelling Spirit who enables us to tell the good news of Jesus. By His strength, we can experience the courage to share our Savior with others.
Lord, please give me the strength and boldness to talk to others about You.
Speak of the matchless love of Christ to those who need to hear.
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