IF ONLY.....
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Posted:Aug 11, 2017 5:22 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 9:8 am 17671 Views
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Read: John 11:21–35
Bible in a Year: Psalms 81–83; Romans 11:19–36
Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:32
As we exited the parking lot, my husband slowed the car to wait for a young woman riding her bike. When Tom nodded to indicate she could go first, she smiled, waved, and rode on. Moments later, the driver from a parked SUV threw his door open, knocking the young bicyclist to the pavement. Her legs bleeding, she cried as she examined her bent-up bike.
Later, we reflected on the accident: If only we had made her wait . . . If only the driver had looked before opening his door. If only . . . Difficulties catch us up in a cycle of second-guessing ourselves. If only I had known my was with teens who were drinking . . . If only we had found the cancer earlier . . .
When unexpected trouble comes, we sometimes question the goodness of God. We may even feel the despair that Martha and Mary experienced when their brother died. Oh, if Jesus had only come when He first found out that Lazarus was sick!
(John 11:21, 32).
Like Martha and Mary, we don’t always understand why hard things happen to us. But we can rest in the knowledge that God is working out His purposes for a greater good. In every circumstance, we can trust the wisdom of our faithful and loving God.
Father, You have carried me through hard circumstances before. Thank You for teaching me to trust Your heart of love even when I don’t understand what You are doing in my life.
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To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark—that is faith.
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OUR FATHER´S FACE
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Posted:Aug 10, 2017 5:02 am
Last Updated:Aug 10, 2017 5:04 am 17628 Views
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Read: Psalm 80
Bible in a Year: Psalms 79–80; Romans 11:1–18
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3
I remember my father’s face. It was hard to read. He was a kind man, but stoic and self-contained. As a , I often searched his face, looking for a smile or other show of affection. Faces are us. A frown, a sullen look, a smile, and crinkly eyes reveal what we feel about others. Our faces are our “tell.”
Asaph, the author of Psalm 80, was distraught and wanted to see the Lord’s face. He looked north from his vantage point in Jerusalem and saw Judah's sister-state, Israel, collapse under the weight of the Assyrian Empire. With her buffer state gone, Judah was vulnerable to invasion from all sides—Assyria from the north, Egypt from the south, and the Arab nations from the east. She was outnumbered and outmatched.
Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3
Asaph gathered up his fears in a prayer, three times repeated (80:3, 7, 19), “Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” (Or, in other words, let me see Your smile.)
It’s good to look away from our fears and search our heavenly Father’s face. The best way to see God’s face is to look at the cross. The cross is His “tell” (John 3:16).
So know this: When your Father looks at you, He has a great big smile on His face. You’re very safe!
Ask God to shine His face on you. For further help in prayer, try praying this Psalm or others.
God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the cross.
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THE HEART OF CRIST
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Posted:Aug 9, 2017 6:50 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 9:8 am 11817 Views
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Read: Exodus 32:21–32 |
Bible in a Year: Psalms 77–78; Romans 10
Please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written. Exodus 32:32
An Australian journalist who spent 400 days in an Egyptian jail expressed mixed emotions when he was released. While admitting his relief, he said he accepted his freedom with incredible concern for the friends he was leaving behind. He said he found it extremely hard to say goodbye to fellow reporters who had been arrested and jailed with him—not knowing how much longer they were going to be held.
Moses also expressed great anxiety at the thought of leaving friends behind. When faced with the thought of losing the brother, sister, and nation that had worshiped a golden calf while he was meeting with God on Mount Sinai (Ex. 32:11–14), he interceded for them. Showing how deeply he cared, he pled, “But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written” (v. 32).
Father in heaven, thank You for being willing to live—and die—for us.
The apostle Paul later expressed a similar concern for family, friends, and nation. Grieving their unbelief in Jesus, Paul said he would be willing to give up his own relationship with Christ if by such love he could save his brothers and sisters
(Rom. 9:3).
Looking back, we see that Moses and Paul both expressed the heart of Christ. Yet, the love they could only feel, and the sacrifice they could only offer, Jesus fulfilled—to be with us forever.
Father in heaven, thank You for reminding us how much it is like You to be willing to live—and die—for those who have not yet seen how much You love them.
Caring for others honors Jesus’s love for us.
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AVAILABLE TO ALL
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Posted:Aug 8, 2017 3:37 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 9:8 am 7913 Views
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Read: Mark 10:42–52
Bible in a Year: Psalms 74–76; Romans 9:16–33
For even the of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
In today’s celebrity-obsessed culture, it isn’t surprising that entrepreneurs are marketing “celebrities as products . . . allowing them to sell their personal time and attention.” Vauhini Vara’s article in The New Yorker noted that for $15,000, you can have a personal meeting with singer Shakira, while $12,000 will give you and eleven guests lunch with celebrity chef Michael Chiarello at his estate.
Many people treated Jesus like a celebrity as they followed Him from place to place, listened to His teaching, observed His miracles, and sought healing from His touch. Yet Jesus was never self-important or aloof, but available to all. When His followers James and John were privately jockeying for position in His coming kingdom, Jesus reminded all His disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43–44).
Jesus, help us to demonstrate Your love to others today.
Soon after Jesus said this, He stopped a procession of people following Him to ask a blind beggar, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51) “Rabbi, I want to see,” the man replied. He received his sight immediately and followed Jesus (v. 52).
Our Lord “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 45). May we, like Him, be compassionate and available to others today.
Lord Jesus, we honor You as the of God and Lord of glory who died for all. Help us to demonstrate Your love to others today.
Follow Jesus’s example: Reach out to others in need.
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LIFE TO THE FULL
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Posted:Aug 7, 2017 4:48 am
Last Updated:Aug 7, 2017 4:49 am 6811 Views
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Read: Mark 10:28–31; John 10:9–10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 72–73; Romans 9:1–15
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
When I stopped by to visit my sister’s family, my nephews eagerly showed me their new chore system, a set of Choropoly boards. Each colorful electronic board keeps track of their chores. A job well done means the can hit a green button, which adds points to their “spending” account. A misdeed like leaving the back door open results in a fine being deducted from the total. Since a high-points total leads to exciting rewards such as computer time—and misdeeds deduct from that total—my nephews are now unusually motivated to do their work and to keep the door closed!
The ingenious system had me joking that I wished I had such an exciting motivational tool! But of course God has given us motivation. Rather than simply commanding obedience, Jesus has promised that a life of following Him, while costly, is also a life of abundance, “life . . . to the full” (John 10:10). Experiencing life in His kingdom is worth “one hundred times” the cost—now and eternally (Mark 10:29–30).
Lord, help us to remember there is great meaning in following You and that it is all so worth it.
We can rejoice in the fact that we serve a generous God, One who does not reward and punish as we deserve. He generously accepts our weakest efforts—even welcoming and rewarding latecomers to His kingdom as generously as old-timers (see Matt. 20:1–16). In light of this reality, let us joyfully serve Him today.
Lord, help us to remember there is great meaning in following You and that it is all so worth it.
Following Jesus is the way to a rich and satisfying life.
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TRAINING FOR LIFE
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Posted:Aug 4, 2017 4:44 am
Last Updated:Aug 4, 2017 4:44 am 5551 Views
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Read: Psalm 66:8–12
Bible in a Year: Psalms 66–67; Romans 7
For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. Psalm 66:10
My training for the long-distance race was going badly, and the latest run was particularly disappointing. I walked half the time and even had to sit down at one point. It felt like I had failed a mini-test.
Then I remembered that this was the whole point of training. It was not a test to pass, nor was there a grade I had to achieve. Rather, it was something I simply had to go through, again and again, to improve my endurance.
Lord, I know that You allow me to go through trials so that I will be strengthened and purified.
Perhaps you feel bad about a trial you are facing. God allows us to undergo these times of testing to toughen our spiritual muscles and endurance. He teaches us to rely on Him, and purifies us to be holy, so that we become more like Christ.
No wonder the psalmist could praise God for refining the Israelites through fire and water (Ps. 66:10–12) as they suffered in slavery and exile. God not only preserved them and brought them to a place of great abundance, but also purified them in the process.
As we go through testing, we can rely on God for strength and perseverance. He is refining us through our toughest moments.
Lord, I know that You allow me to go through trials so that I will be strengthened and purified. Teach me to keep relying on You for Your strength to endure.
Faith-testing times can be faith-strengthening times.
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PEACE AND TRUST
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Posted:Aug 3, 2017 3:16 am
Last Updated:Aug 3, 2017 3:17 am 4946 Views
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Read: Isaiah 26:1– 9
Bible in a Year: Psalms 63–65; Romans 6
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
When I was six years old I rode a roller coaster for the first time with my older brothers. As soon as we hit a turn at a high speed I started to yell: “Stop this thing right now! I want to get off!” Of course the roller coaster didn’t stop, and I had to “white knuckle” it, hanging on tight for the rest of the ride.
Sometimes life can feel like an unwanted roller coaster ride, with “downhill” drops and hairpin curves we never see coming. When unexpected difficulties occur, the Bible reminds us that our best recourse is to place our trust in God. It was in a tumultuous time when invasion threatened his country that the prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Spirit, discerned this powerful promise from the Lord: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you”
(Isa. 26:3).
Life will have its difficulties, but our Savior, who loves us more than life, is greater than them all.
The peace our Savior gives us as we turn to Him “transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4.7. I will never forget the words of a woman who was struggling with breast cancer. After a group from our church prayed for her one evening, she said
, “I don’t know what will happen, but I know that I’ll be okay, because the Lord was here with us tonight.”
Life will have its difficulties, but our Savior, who loves us more than life, is greater than them all.
Lord, help me to trust in You so that I may live in peace.
Jesus is our peace.
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THE PROFESSOR´S CONFESSION´S
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Posted:Aug 2, 2017 5:31 am
Last Updated:Aug 2, 2017 5:32 am 4516 Views
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Read: 1 John 3:11–18
Bible in a Year: Psalms 60–62; Romans 5
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. 1 John 3:16
Horrified by his students’ poor writing habits, renowned author and college professor David Foster Wallace considered how he might improve their skills. That’s when a startling question confronted him. The professor had to ask himself why a student would listen to someone “as smug, narrow, self-righteous, [and] condescending” as he was. He knew he had a problem with pride.
That professor could and did change, but he could never become one of his students. Yet when Jesus came to Earth, He showed us what humility looks like by becoming one of us. Stepping across all kinds of boundaries, Jesus made Himself at home everywhere by serving, teaching, and doing the will of His Father.
Jesus loved us by serving.
Even as He was being crucified, Jesus prayed for forgiveness for His executioners (Luke 23:34). Straining for every anguished breath, He still granted eternal life to a criminal dying with Him (vv. 42–43).
Why would Jesus do that? Why would He serve people like us to the very end? The apostle John gets to the point. Out of love! He writes, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” Then he drives that point home. “And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).
Jesus showed us that His love eradicates our pride, our smugness, our condescension. And He did it in the most powerful way possible. He gave His life.
Father, we are so prone to look down on each other. Please forgive us. Give us the heart of love Your showed to us.
Jesus loved us by serving.
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NOZOMI HOPE
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Posted:Aug 1, 2017 4:15 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 9:8 am 4311 Views
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Read: 2 Corinthians 4.7–18
Bible in a Year: Psalms 57–59; Romans 4
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4.7
In 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake and a resulting tsunami took nearly 19,000 lives and destroyed 230,000 homes in the region northeast of Tokyo. In its aftermath, The Nozomi Project, named for the Japanese word for “hope,” was born to provide sustainable income, community, dignity, and hope in a God who provides.
Nozomi women sift through the rubble of homes and furnishings to discover broken china shards that they sand and insert into fittings to form jewelry. The jewelry is sold around the world, providing a livelihood for the women while sharing symbols of their faith in Christ.
Dear God, please show Your power as I share the treasure of Your gospel in my broken, but beautiful life.
In New Testament times, it was customary to hide valuables in the unlikely vessels of simple clay pots. Paul describes how the treasure of the gospel is contained in the human frailty of followers of Christ: jars of clay (2 Cor. 4.7. He suggests that the meager—and even at times broken—vessels of our lives actually can reveal God’s power in contrast to our imperfections.
When God inhabits the imperfect and broken pieces in our lives, the healing hope of His power is often more visible to others. Yes, His repair work in our hearts often leaves the scars of cracks. But perhaps those lines from our learning are the etchings in our beings that make His character more visible to others.
Dear God, please show others Your power as I share the treasure of Your gospel in my broken, but beautiful life.
Brokenness can lead to wholeness.
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A " NEW MAN"
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Posted:Jul 31, 2017 4:59 am
Last Updated:Jul 31, 2017 4:59 am 4362 Views
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Read: Colossians 1:3–14
Bible in a Year: Psalms 54–56; Romans 3
Continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. Colossians 1:23
As a group of teenagers visited a home for the elderly in Montego Bay, Jamaica, one young woman noticed a lonely looking man at the end of the room. He appeared to have little left in this world but a bed to sleep on—a bed from which he could not move because of his disability.
The began right away to share the story of God’s love for us and read some Bible passages to him. “As I shared with him,” she would say later, “I started to feel his eagerness to hear more.” Responding to his interest, she explained the wonder of Jesus’s sacrificial death for us. “It was hard for this man, who had no hope and no family,” she recalled, “to understand that Someone he’s never met would love him enough to die on the cross for his sins.”
Lord, thank You for the new life we have in Jesus Christ.
She told him more about Jesus—and then about the promise of heaven (including a new body) for all who believe. He asked her, “Will you dance with me up there?” She saw him begin to imagine himself free of his worn-out body and crippling limitations.
When he said he wanted to trust Jesus as his Savior, she helped him pray a prayer of forgiveness and faith. When she asked him if she could get a picture with him, he replied, “If you help me sit up. I’m a new man.”
Praise God for the life-changing, hope-giving, available-to-all gospel of Jesus Christ! It offers new life for all who trust Him (Col. 1:5, 23).
Lord, thank You for the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Help us to share the hope of that new life with others so they can be made new as well.
Jesus offers new life.
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