WAITING IN ANTICIPATION
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Posted:May 1, 2018 5:23 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2018 4:48 am 11802 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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BREAKING THE CHAINS
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Posted:Apr 30, 2018 5:27 am
Last Updated:Apr 30, 2018 11:16 am 11772 Views
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Read: Ephesians 1:3–14
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 8–9; Luke 21:1–19
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1.7
We found our visit to Christ Church Cathedral in Stone Town, Zanzibar, deeply moving, for it sits on the site of what was formerly the largest slave market in East Africa. The designers of this cathedral wanted to show through a physical symbol how the gospel breaks the chains of slavery. No longer would the location be a place of evil deeds and horrible atrocities, but of God’s embodied grace.
Those who built the cathedral wanted to express how Jesus’s death on the cross provides freedom from sin—that which the apostle Paul speaks of in his letter to the church at Ephesus: “In him we have redemption through his blood” (Ephesians 1.7. Here the word redemption points to the Old Testament’s notion of the marketplace, with someone buying back a person or item. Jesus buys back a person from a life of slavery to sin and wrongdoing.
Jesus redeems us from the slavery of sin.
In Paul’s opening words in this letter (vv. 3–14), he bubbles over with joy at the thought of his freedom in Christ. He points, in layer after layer of praise, to God’s work of grace for us through Jesus’s death, which sets us free from the cords of sin. No longer do we need to be slaves to sin, for we are set free to live for God and His glory.
Lord God, through the death of Your , You have given us life forever. Help me to share this gift of grace with someone today.
Jesus redeems us from the slavery of sin.
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ON THE JOB-TRAINING
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Posted:Apr 28, 2018 5:23 am
Last Updated:Jun 14, 2018 6:12 am 11974 Views
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Read: 2 Timothy 1:6–14
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 3–5; Luke 20:1–26
Of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 2 Timothy 1:11
When my ’s teacher asked me to serve as a chaper for their ience camp, I hesitated. How could I be a role model when mistakes littered my past, when I still struggled, stumbled, and slipped into old bad habits? God ed me love and raise my , but I often doubted He could use me to serve others.
Sometimes I still fail to recognize that God—the only perfect , the only who can change hearts and lives—transforms us over time. Then the Holy Spirit reminds me how Paul encouraged Timothy to embrace his on-the-job training, persevere in faith, and use the gifts God had given him (2 Timothy 1:6). Timothy could be courageous because God, his power source, would him love and be diiplined as he continued to grow and serve those within his sphere of influence (v. 7).
We can persevere with confidence when we know our role is to simply love God and others.
Christ saves and empowers us to honor Him with our lives, not because we have special qualifications but because we’re each valuable members of His family (v. ).
We can persevere with confidence when we know our role is to simply love God and others. Christ’s role is to save us and give us a purpose that extends beyond our small vision of the world. As we follow Jesus daily, He transforms us while using us to encourage others as we share His love and truth wherever He sends us.
Lord, thanks for affirming we can depend on You completely as we share You cheerfully, confidently, and courageously.
Knowing our Power-Source personally gives us confidence in our role as servants to the King.
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WISDOMS CALL
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Posted:Apr 27, 2018 5:33 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2018 8:13 am 11939 Views
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Read: Proverbs 8:10–21
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 1–2; Luke 19:28–48
Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:11
Malcolm Muggeridge, the noted British journalist and social critic, came to faith in Christ at the age of sixty. On his seventy-fifth birthday he offered twenty-five insightful observations about life. One said, “I never met a rich man who was happy, but I have only very occasionally met a poor man who did not want to become a rich man.”
Most of us would agree that money can’t make us happy, but we might like to have more so we can be sure.
God offers the true riches of wisdom to all who seek and follow Him.
King Solomon’s net worth has been estimated at more than two trillion US dollars. Although he was very wealthy, he knew that money had great limitations. Proverbs 8 is based on his experience and offers “Wisdom’s Call” to all people. “I raise my voice to all mankind. . . . My mouth speaks what is true” (vv. 4–7). “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (vv. 10–11).
Wisdom says, “My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full”
(vv. 19–21).
These are true riches indeed!
Lord, thank You for the riches of Your wisdom that guide our steps today.
God offers the true riches of wisdom to all who seek and follow Him.
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THE WIDOWS FAITH
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Posted:Apr 26, 2018 4:59 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2018 5:33 am 11876 Views
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Read: 2 Kings 4:1–7
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 23–24; Luke 19:1–27
The pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Matthew 6:32
It is pitch dark when Ah-pi starts her day. Others in the village will wake up soon to make their way to the rubber plantation. Harvesting latex is one of the main sources of income for people living in Hongzhuang Village, China. To collect as much latex as possible, the trees must be tapped very early in the morning, before daybreak. Ah-pi will be among the rubber tappers, but first she will spend time communing with God.
Ah-pi’s father, husband, and only have passed away, and she—with her -in-law—is providing for an elderly mother and two young grandsons. Her story reminds me of another widow in the Bible who trusted God.
We may face situations beyond our reserves, but never beyond God's resources.
The widow’s husband had died and left her in debt (2 Kings 4:1). In her distress, she looked to God for help by turning to His servant Elisha. She believed that God cared and that He could do something about her situation. And God did. He provided miraculously for the dire needs of this widow (vv. 5–6). This same God also provided for Ah-pi—though less miraculously—through the toil of her hands, the produce from the ground, and gifts from His people.
Though life can make various demands on us, we can always draw strength from God. We can entrust our cares to Him, do all we can, and let Him amaze us with what He can do with our situation.
Father, thank You for Your patience when I trust in my own resources and turn to You only as a last resort. Teach me to seek Your help in all I do.
We may face situations beyond our reserves, but never beyond God’s resources.
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AMNESIA
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Posted:Apr 25, 2018 4:28 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2018 11:42 am 12027 Views
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Read: Daniel 4:28–37
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 21–22; Luke 18:24–43
My understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High. Daniel 4:34
Emergency Services in Carlsbad, California, came to the rescue of a woman with an Australian accent who couldn’t recall who she was. Because she was suffering from amnesia and had no ID with her, she was unable to provide her name or where she had come from. It took the help of doctors and international media to restore her health, tell her story, and reunite her with her family.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, also lost sight of who he was and where he had come from. His “amnesia,” though, was spiritual. In taking credit for the kingdom he’d been given, he forgot that God is the King of Kings, and everything he had was from Him
(Daniel 4:17, 28–30).
Father, when we forget who we are, help us to remember where we've come from and that we belong to You.
God dramatized the king’s state of mind by driving him into the fields to live with wild animals and graze like a cow (vv. 32–33). Finally, after seven years Nebuchadnezzar looked up to the skies, and his memory of who he was and who had given him his kingdom returned. With his senses restored, he declared, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven” (v. 37).
What about us? Who do we think we are? Where did we come from? Since we are inclined to forget, who can we count on to help us remember but the King of Kings?
Father, we are so inclined to forget who we are, where we’ve come from, and that we belong to You. Help us to remember that in Christ we are Your —known, loved, gifted, and cared for—now and forever.
When we forget who we are, our Father cares.
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THE WAITING PLACE
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Posted:Apr 24, 2018 5:07 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2018 2:52 pm 12145 Views
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Read: Psalm 70
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 19–20; Luke 18:1–23
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37.7
“Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night . . . . Everyone is just waiting”—or so Dr. Seuss, author of many ’s books, says.
So much of life is about waiting, but God is never in a hurry—or so it seems. “God has His hour and delay,” suggests an old, reliable saying. Thus we wait.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37.7
Waiting is hard. We twiddle our thumbs, shuffle our feet, stifle our yawns, heave long sighs, and fret inwardly in frustration. Why must I live with this awkward person, this tedious job, this embarrassing behavior, this health issue that will not go away? Why doesn’t God come through?
God’s answer: “Wait awhile and see what I will do.”
Waiting is one of life’s best teachers for in it we learn the virtue of . . . well, waiting—waiting while God works in us and for us. It’s in waiting that we develop endurance, the ability to trust God’s love and goodness, even when things aren’t going our way (Psalm 70:5).
But waiting is not dreary, teeth-clenched resignation. We can “rejoice and be glad in [Him]” while we wait (v. 4). We wait in hope, knowing that God will deliver us in due time—in this world or in the next. God is never in a hurry, but He’s always on time.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your loving presence. Help us to make the most of our waiting through trust in and service for You.
God is with us in our waiting.
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THE SECRET OF PEACE
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Posted:Apr 23, 2018 5:48 am
Last Updated:Apr 23, 2018 1:28 pm 12324 Views
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Read: 2 Thessalonians 3:16–18
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 16–18; Luke 17:20–37
The Lord of peace himself give you peace. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Grace is a very special lady. One word comes to mind when I think of her: peace. The quiet and restful expression on her face has seldom changed in the six months I have known her, even though her husband was diagnosed with a rare disease and then hospitalized.
When I asked Grace the secret of her peace, she said, “It’s not a secret, it’s a person. It’s Jesus in me. There is no other way I can explain the quietness I feel in the midst of this storm.”
To trust in Jesus is peace.
The secret of peace is our relationship to Jesus Christ. He is our peace. When Jesus is our Savior and Lord, and as we become more like Him, peace becomes real. Things like sickness, financial difficulties, or danger may be present, but peace reassures us that God holds our lives in His hands (Daniel 5:23), and we can trust that things will work together for good.
Have we experienced this peace that goes beyond logic and understanding? Do we have the inner confidence that God is in control? My wish for all of us today echoes the words of the apostle Paul: “May the Lord of peace himself give you peace.” And may we feel this peace “at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
Dear Lord, please give us Your peace at all times and in every situation.
To trust in Jesus is peace.
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GOD IN THE DETAILS
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Posted:Apr 22, 2018 6:06 am
Last Updated:Apr 23, 2018 5:49 am 11641 Views
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Read: Matthew 10:29–31
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 14–15; Luke 17:1–19
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:9
When my “chocolate” Labrador retriever puppy was three months old, I took him to the veterinarian’s office for his shots and checkup. As our vet carefully looked him over, she noticed a small white marking in his fur on his left hind paw. She smiled and said to him, “That’s where God held you when He dipped you in chocolate.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. But she had unintentionally made a meaningful point about the deep and personal interest God takes in His creation.
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:9
Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:30 that “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” God is so great that He is able to take infinite interest in the most intimate details of our lives. There is nothing so small that it escapes His notice, and there is no concern too trivial to bring before Him. He simply cares that much.
God not only created us; He sustains and keeps us through every moment. It’s sometimes said that “the devil is in the details.” But it’s better by far to understand that God is in them, watching over even the things that escape our notice. How comforting it is to know that our perfectly wise and caring heavenly Father holds us—along with all of creation—in His strong and loving hands.
Loving Lord, I praise You for the wonder of Your creation. Help me to reflect Your compassion by taking care of what You’ve made.
God attends to our every need.
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THE ART OF FORGIVENESS
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Posted:Apr 20, 2018 4:20 am
Last Updated:Jun 14, 2018 6:10 am 11603 Views
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Read: Luke 15:11–24
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 9–11; Luke 15:11–32
While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his , threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20
One afternoon I spent two hours at an art exhibit—The Father & His Two Sons: The Art of Forgiveness—in which all of the pieces were focused on Jesus’s parable of the prodigal (see Luke 15:11–31). I found Edward Riojas’s painting The Prodigal especially powerful. The painting portrays the once wayward returning home, wearing rags and walking with his head down. With a land of death behind him, he steps onto a pathway where his father is already running toward him. At the bottom of the painting are Jesus’s words, “But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion” (v. 20 kjv).
I was deeply moved by realizing once more how God’s unchanging love has altered my life. When I walked away from Him, He didn’t turn His back, but kept looking, watching, and waiting. His love is undeserved yet unchanging; often ignored yet never withdrawn.
We all are guilty, yet our heavenly Father reaches out to welcome us.
We all are guilty, yet our heavenly Father reaches out to welcome us, just as the father in this story embraced his wayward . “Let’s have a feast and celebrate,” the father told the servants. “For this of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (vv. 23–24).
The Lord still rejoices over those who return to Him today—and that’s worth celebrating!
Father, as we receive Your love and forgiveness, may we also extend it to others in Your name.
God’s love for us is undeserved yet unchanging.
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