PERSEVERING WITH PEACE
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Posted:May 11, 2018 4:22 am
Last Updated:May 13, 2018 6:35 am 21869 Views
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Read: Psalm 3 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 13–14; John 2
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5
As I continue trusting God through my struggles with chronic pain, even the simplest setback can feel like a fierce enemy attacker. Problem One jabs me from the right. Problem Two shoves me from behind. Problem Three punches me square in the nose. During these times, when my strength wanes and immediate relief evades me, running and hiding can seem like a good idea. But since I can’t escape my pain, change my circumstances, or ignore my emotions, I’m learning slowly to rely on God to carry me through.
When I need encouragement, comfort, and courage, I prayerfully read through the songs of the psalmists, who honestly bring their situations to God. In one of my favorite psalms, King David flees from Absalom, his who wanted to kill him and take his kingdom. Though David lamented his painful situation (Psalm 3:1–2), he trusted God’s protection and expected Him to answer his prayers
(vv. 3–4). The king didn’t lose sleep worrying or fearing what could happen, because he trusted God to sustain and save him (vv. 5–8.
God offers us peace as He holds us up and carries us through every trial.
Physical and emotional pain can often feel like aggressive adversaries. We may be tempted to give up or wish we could escape when we’re weary and can’t see the end of our current battle. But, like David, we can learn to trust that God will hold us up and help us rest in His constant and loving presence.
Lord, thanks for giving us rest in the peace of Your constant presence and assuring us of the victory You’ve already won.
God offers us peace as He holds us up and carries us through every trial.
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THE LAND OF FAR DISTANCE
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Posted:May 10, 2018 4:30 am
Last Updated:May 10, 2018 4:53 pm 17495 Views
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Read: Isaiah 33:17–22
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 10–12; John 1:29–51
Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. Isaiah 33:17
Amy Carmichael (1867–1951) is known for her work of rescuing orphaned girls in India and giving them a new life. In the midst of this exhausting work there were times she called “moments of vision.” In her book Gold by Moonlight, she wrote, “In the midst of a crowded day we are given almost a glimpse of ‘the land of far distances,’ and we stand still, arrested on the road.”
The prophet Isaiah spoke of a time when God’s rebellious people would turn back to Him. “Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar” (Isaiah 33:17). To view this “land of far distances” is to be lifted above the circumstances of the immediate present and to gain an eternal perspective. During difficult times, the Lord enables us to see our lives from His viewpoint and regain hope. “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us” (v. 22).
The Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. Isaiah 33:22
Each day, we can choose to look down in discouragement or lift our eyes to “the land of far distances,” to the Lord who is “our Mighty One” (v. 21).
Amy Carmichael spent more than fifty years in India helping young women in great need. How did she do it? Each day she fixed her eyes on Jesus and placed her life in His care. And so can we.
Lord, today we lift our eyes from the circumstances that discourage us to see You in Your splendor, and find peace.
Fix your eyes on Jesus.
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The Point of No Return
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Posted:May 9, 2018 4:58 am
Last Updated:May 9, 2018 4:07 pm 14524 Views
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Read: James 3:1–12
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 7–9; John 1:1–28
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body. James 3:6
It wasn’t as simple as just crossing another river. By law, no Roman general could lead armed troops into Rome. So when Julius Caesar led his Thirteenth Legion across the Rubicon River and into Italy in 49 bc, it was an act of treason. The impact of Caesar’s decision was irreversible, generating years of civil war before Rome’s great general became absolute ruler. Still today, the phrase “crossing the Rubicon” is a metaphor for “passing the point of no return.”
Sometimes we can cross a relational Rubicon with the words we say to others. Once spoken, words can’t be taken back. They can either offer help and comfort or do damage that feels just as irreversible as Caesar’s march on Rome. James gave us another word picture about words when he said, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).
When words become weapons, our relationships soon become casualties.
When we fear we have crossed a Rubicon with someone, we can seek their forgiveness—and God’s (Matthew 5:23–24; 1 John 1:9). But even better is to daily rest in God’s Spirit, hearing Paul’s challenge, “Let your conversation be always full of grace” (Colossians 4:6), so that our words will not only honor our Lord, but lift up and encourage those around us.
Lord, please guard my heart and my words today. May I speak only words that please You and bring health and healing to others.
When words become weapons, our relationships soon become casualties.
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Responding to God’s Leading
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Posted:May 8, 2018 3:56 am
Last Updated:May 9, 2018 4:58 am 13410 Views
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Read: Exodus 3.7–14
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 4–6; Luke 24:36–53
At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:20
In August 2015, when I was preparing to attend a university a couple of hours from home, I realized I probably wouldn’t move back home after graduation. My mind raced. How can I leave home? My family? My church? What if God later calls me to another state or country?
Like Moses, when God told him to go “to Pharaoh to bring [His] people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10), I was afraid. I didn’t want to leave my comfort z. Yes, Moses obeyed and followed God, but not before questioning Him and requesting that some else go instead (vv. 11–13; 4:13).
No matter how difficult it may be, following Jesus is worth it.
In Moses’s example, we can see what we shouldn’t do when we sense a clear calling. We can instead strive to be more like the diiples. When Jesus called them, they left everything and followed Him (Matthew 4:20–22; Luke 5:28. Fear is natural, but we can trust God’s plan.
Being so far from home is still difficult. But as I continually seek God, He opens doors for me that confirm I am where I’m supposed to be.
When we are led out of our comfort z, we can either go reluctantly, like Moses, or willingly like the diiples—who followed Jesus wherever He led them. Sometimes this means leaving our comfortable life hundreds or even thousands of miles behind us. But no matter how difficult it may be, following Jesus is worth it.
Lord, me to follow You wherever You lead.
We are not called to be comfortable.
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THE FINGERPRINT OF GOD
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Posted:May 7, 2018 2:08 am
Last Updated:May 7, 2018 5:50 am 12929 Views
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Read: Ephesians 2:1–10
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 1–3; Luke 24:1–35
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Lygon Stevens loved to climb mountains with her brother Nick. They were experienced climbers and both had summitted Mt. McKinley (Denali), the highest point in North America. Then, in January 2008, they were swept off a Colorado mountain by an avalanche, injuring Nick and killing twenty-year-old Lygon. When Nick later discovered his sister’s journal in one of her satchels, he was deeply comforted by its contents. It was filled with reflections, prayers, and praise to God as seen in this entry: “I am a work of art, signed by God. But He’s not done; in fact, He has just begun. . . . I have on me the fingerprint of God. Never will there ever be another person like me. . . . I have a job to do in this life that no other can do.”
Although Lygon is no longer physically present on earth, through the legacy of her life and her journal she inspires and challenges those she left behind.
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10
Because we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), each person is a “work of art, signed by God.” As the apostle Paul says, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Praise God that He uses each of us, in His own time and way, to help others.
How would You like to use me, Lord? I am open and willing.
Each person is a unique expression of God’s loving design.
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KEEPING CLOSE
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Posted:May 5, 2018 1:39 am
Last Updated:May 7, 2018 2:08 am 13112 Views
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Read: Deuteronomy 6:1–9
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 19–20; Luke 23:1–25
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Deuteronomy 6:8
My mile-long walk home from dropping off my at her school gives me the opportunity to memorize some verses from the Bible—if I’m intentional about doing so. When I take those minutes to turn over God’s Word in my mind, I often find them coming back to me later in the day, bringing me comfort and wisdom.
When Moses prepared the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, he urged them to hold close to God’s commands and decrees (Deuteronomy 6:1–2). Wanting them to flourish, he said they should turn these instructions over in their minds and discuss them with their (vv. 6–7). He even said to tie them to their wrists and bind them to their foreheads (v. 8. He didn’t want them to forget God’s instructions to live as people who honored the Lord and enjoyed His blessings.
Surround yourself with God's Word.
How might you consider God’s words today? One idea is to write out a verse from Scripture, and every time you wash your hands or take a drink, read the words and turn them over in your mind. Or before you go to sleep, consider a short passage from the Bible as the last act of the day. Many are the ways of keeping God’s Word close to our hearts!
Lord God, thank You for giving us the Bible, which is a wellspring for life. Help us to read and digest it today.
Surround yourself with God’s Word.
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BEFORE THE BEGINNING
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Posted:May 4, 2018 4:11 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2018 3:45 pm 12378 Views
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Read: Matthew 3:13–17
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 16–18; Luke 22:47–71
You loved me before the creation of the world. John 17:24
“But if God has no beginning and no end, and has always existed, what was He doing before He created us? How did He spend His time?” Some precocious Sunday school student always asks this question when we talk about God’s eternal nature. I used to respond that this was a bit of a mystery. But recently I learned that the Bible gives us an answer to this question.
When Jesus prays to His Father in John 17, He says “Father, . . . you loved me before the creation of the world” (v. 24). This is God as revealed to us by Jesus: Before the world was ever created, God was a trinity (Father, , and Holy Spirit)—all loving each other and being loved. When Jesus was baptized, God sent His Spirit in the form of a dove and said, “This is my , whom I love” (Matthew 3:17. The most foundational aspect of God’s identity is this outgoing, life-giving love.
God, thank You for Your overflowing, self-giving love.
What a lovely and encouraging truth this is about our God! The mutual, outgoing love expressed by each member of the Trinity—Father, , and Holy Spirit—is key to understanding the nature of God. What was God doing before the beginning of time? What He always does: He was loving because He is love (1 John 4:8
God, thank You for Your overflowing, self-giving love.
We are created in the image of a God who is loving and relational.
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A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE
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Posted:May 3, 2018 4:28 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2018 4:16 am 11721 Views
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Read: Psalm 73:12–28
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 14–15; Luke 22:21–46
It troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God. Psalm 73:16–17
My hometown had experienced its heaviest winter in thirty years. My muscles ached from hours of shoveling the unrelenting snow. When I stepped inside after what felt like a fruitless effort, weary as I kicked off my boots, I was greeted by the warmth of a fire and my gathered around it. As I gazed out the window from the shelter of my home, my perspective of the weather shifted completely. Instead of seeing more work to do, I savored the beauty of frosted tree branches and the way the snow blanketed the colorless landscape of winter.
I see a similar, but much more poignant, shift in Asaph when I read his words in Psalm 73. In the beginning, he laments the way the world seems to work, how wrongs seem to be rewarded. He doubts the value of being different than the crowd and living for the good of others (v. 13). But when he enters the sanctuary of God, his outlook changes (vv. 16–17): he remembers that God will deal with the world and its troubles perfectly and, more importantly, that it is good to be with God (v. 28.
Lord, help me to see the way You do.
When we’re chilled by the seemingly ceaseless problems in our world, we can enter God’s sanctuary in prayer and be warmed through by the life-altering, perspective-changing truth that His judgment is better than ours. Though our circumstances may not change, our perspective can.
Lord, I admit I quickly become frustrated with the way things appear. Help me to see the way You do.
God gives us the right perspective.
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LONGING FOR GOD
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Posted:May 2, 2018 4:47 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2018 5:33 am 11880 Views
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Read: 1 John 4:13–16
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 12–13; Luke 22:1–20
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Psalm 84:2
One day my was visiting with our one-year-old grandson. I was getting ready to leave the house on an errand, but as soon as I walked out of the room my grandson began to cry. It happened twice, and each time I went back and spent a moment with him. As I headed out the door the third time, his little lip began to quiver again. At that point my said, “Dad, why don’t you just take him with you?”
Any grandparent could tell you what happened next. My grandson went along for the ride, just because I love him.
Loving Lord, thank You for Your compassion for me.
How good it is to know that the longings of our hearts for God are also met with love. The Bible assures us that we can “know and rely on the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16). God doesn’t love us because of anything we have or haven’t done. His love isn’t based on our worthiness at all, but on His goodness and faithfulness. When the world around us is unloving and unkind, we can rely on God’s unchanging love as our source of hope and peace.
Our heavenly Father’s heart has gone out to us through the gift of His and His Spirit. How comforting is the assurance that God loves us with love that never ends!
Loving Lord, thank You for Your compassion for me, proven at the cross. Please help me to obey and love You today.
God longs for us to long for Him.
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WAITING IN ANTICIPATION
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Posted:May 1, 2018 5:23 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2018 4:48 am 11800 Views
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Read: Psalm 130:1–6
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 10–11; Luke 21:20–38
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:6
Every May Day (May 1) in Oxford, England, an early morning crowd gathers to welcome spring. At 6:00, the Magdalen College Choir sings from the top of Magdalen Tower. Thousands wait in anticipation for the dark night to be broken by song and the ringing of bells.
Like the revelers, I often wait. I wait for answers to prayers or guidance from the Lord. Although I don’t know the exact time my wait will end, I’m learning to wait expectantly. In Psalm 130 the psalmist writes of being in deep distress facing a situation that feels like the blackest of nights. In the midst of his troubles, he chooses to trust God and stay alert like a guard on duty charged with announcing daybreak. “I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning” (v. 6).
God can be trusted in the light and in the dark.
The anticipation of God’s faithfulness breaking through the darkness gives the psalmist hope to endure even in the midst of his suffering. Based on the promises of God found throughout Scripture, that hope allows him to keep waiting even though he has not yet seen the first rays of light.
Be encouraged if you are in the middle of a dark night. The dawn is coming—either in this life or in heaven! In the meantime, don’t give up hope but keep watching for the deliverance of the Lord. He will be faithful.
Please bring light to my darkness. Open my eyes to see You at work and to trust You. I’m grateful that You are faithful, Father.
God can be trusted in the light and in the dark.
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