FROM EMPTY TO FULL
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Posted:Sep 26, 2017 2:50 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2024 8:23 am 18184 Views
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Read: 2 Kings 4:1–7
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 1–2; Galatians 5
When all the jars were full . . . the oil stopped flowing. 2 Kings 4:6
A popular ’s book tells the story of a poor, country boy who took off his cap to honor the king. An identical hat appeared instantly in its place on his head, inciting the king’s anger for what appeared to be disrespect. Bartholomew removed hat after hat while being escorted to the palace for punishment. Each time, a new one appeared in its place. The hats grew increasingly fancy, bearing precious jewels and feather plumes. The 500th hat was the envy of King Derwin, who pardoned Bartholomew and purchased the hat for 500 pieces of gold. At last, Bartholomew’s head was bare; he walked home with freedom and money to support his family.
A widow came to Elisha in financial distress, fearing her would be sold into slavery to pay her debts (2 Kings 4). She had no assets other than a jar of oil. God multiplied that oil to fill enough borrowed jars to settle the debts plus care for their daily needs (v. 7).
Thank You, Lord, for paying my debt through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
God provided financially for the widow in much the same way He provides salvation for me. I am bankrupted by sin, but Jesus paid my debt—and offers me eternal life as well! Without Jesus, we are each like the poor, country boy with no means to pay our King for our offenses against Him. God miraculously supplies the extravagant ransom for us, and ensures that those who trust in Him will have life abundant forever.
Thank You, Lord, for paying my debt through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I had nothing; You paid it all for me.
Jesus’s sacrifice pays for our spiritual debt.
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APART,BUT NOT ABANDONED
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Posted:Sep 25, 2017 5:28 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2024 8:23 am 18131 Views
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Read: Acts 20:17–20, 35–38
Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 6–8; Galatians 4
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up
. Acts 20:32
I had a lump in my throat as I said good-bye to my niece on the eve of her move to Massachusetts to attend graduate school at Boston University. Though she had been away four years as an undergraduate, she hadn’t left our state. A two and a one-half-hour drive easily reunited us. Now she would be more than 800 miles away. No longer would we meet regularly to talk. I had to trust that God would take care of her.
Paul likely felt the same way as he said good-bye to the elders of the church in Ephesus. Having established the church and taught them for three years, Paul concluded these elders to be as close as family to him. Now that Paul was headed to Jerusalem, he would not see them again.
Lord, help us to trust that Your watchful care extends over all.
But Paul had parting advice for the Ephesians. Though they would no longer have Paul as their teacher, the Ephesians did not have to feel abandoned. God would continue to train them through “the word of his grace” (Acts 20:32) to lead the church. Unlike Paul, God would always be with them.
Whether it’s we launch from the nest or other family and friends who move away—saying good-bye can be very difficult. They move beyond our influence and into their new lives. When we let go of their hands, we can trust that God has them in His. He can continue to shape their lives and meet their real needs—more than we ever could.
Lord, help us to trust that Your watchful care extends over those we hold dear who are far away from us.
Though we’re far away from those we love, they are never far from God.
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SWEET AND SOUR
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Posted:Sep 22, 2017 5:21 am
Last Updated:Sep 22, 2017 5:23 am 18147 Views
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Read: Job 2:1–10
Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Job 2:10
When our first bit into a lemon wedge, he wrinkled his nose, stuck out his tongue, and squeezed his eyes shut. “Sow-wah,” he said (sour).
I chuckled as I reached for the piece of fruit, intending to toss it into the trash.
The Lord uses trials to teach us how to trust Him
“No!” Xavier scampered across the kitchen to get away from me. “Moe-wah!” (more). His lips puckered with every juice-squirting bite. I winced when he finally handed me the rind and walked away.
My taste buds accurately reflect my partiality to the sweet moments in life. My preference for avoiding all things bitter reminds me of Job’s wife, who seems to have shared my aversion to the sourness of suffering.
Job surely didn’t delight in hardship or trouble, yet he honored God through heart-wrenching circumstances (Job 1:1–22). When painful sores afflicted Job’s body, he endured the agony (2.7–8 His wife told him to give up on God (v. 9), but Job responded by trusting the Lord through suffering and afflictions (v. 10).
It’s natural to prefer avoiding the bitter bites in life. We can even be tempted to lash out at God when we’re hurting. But the Lord uses trials, teaching us how to trust Him, depend on Him, and surrender to Him as He enables us to persevere through difficult times. And like Job, we don’t have to enjoy suffering to learn to savor the unexpected sweetness of sour moments—the divine strengthening of our faith.
Thank You for assuring us that suffering is never wasted when we place our confidence in who You are, what You’ve done, and what You’re capable of doing.
God uses suffering to strengthen our faith.
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THE DAILY PRAYER
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Posted:Sep 21, 2017 5:52 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2024 8:23 am 18002 Views
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Read: Ephesians 6:18–19
Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 7–9; 2 Corinthians 13
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Ephesians 6:18
Singer/songwriter Robert Hamlet wrote “Lady Who Prays for Me” as a tribute to his mother who made a point of praying for her boys each morning before they went to the bus stop. After a young mom heard Hamlet sing his song, she committed to praying with her own little boy. The result was heartwarming! Just before her went out the door, his mother prayed for him. Five minutes later he returned—bringing from the bus stop with him! His mom was taken aback and asked what was going on. The boy responded, “Their moms didn’t pray with them.”
In the book of Ephesians, Paul urges us to pray “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers” (6:18. Demonstrating our daily dependence on God is essential in a family since many first learn to trust God as they observe genuine faith in the people closest to them (2 Tim. 1:5). There is no better way to teach the utmost importance of prayer than by praying for and with our . It is one of the ways they begin to sense a compelling need to reach out personally to God in faith.
Daily prayers lessen daily worries.
When we “start off” by modeling a “sincere faith” in God (Prov. 22:6;
2 Tim. 1:5), we give them a special gift, an assurance that God is an ever-present part of our lives—continually loving, guiding, and protecting us.
Help me to depend more fully on You in every moment of the day and to rest in the assurance that You are always with me.
Daily prayers lessen daily worries.
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LET´S FINISH THE RACE
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Posted:Sep 20, 2017 3:17 am
Last Updated:Sep 21, 2017 5:52 am 18133 Views
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Read: Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 4–6; 2 Corinthians 12
Two are better than one . . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, two athletes in the 5,000-meter race caught the world’s attention. About 3,200 meters into the race, New Zealander Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino collided and fell. Abbey was quickly up on her feet, but stopped to help Nikki. Moments after the two athletes had started running again, Abbey began faltering, her right leg injured as a result of the fall. It was now Nikki’s turn to stop and encourage her fellow athlete to finish the race. When Abbey eventually stumbled across the finish line, Nikki was waiting to embrace her. What a beautiful picture of mutual encouragement!
It reminds me of a passage in the Bible: “Two are better than one . . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Eccl. 4:9–10). As runners in a spiritual race, we need one another—perhaps even more so, for we are not racing in competition with each other but as members of the same team. There’ll be moments where we falter and need someone to pick us up; at other times, someone may need our encouragement through our prayers or presence.
The spiritual race is not to be run alone.
The spiritual race is not to be run alone. Is God leading you to be a Nikki or Abbey in someone’s life? Respond to His prompting today, and let’s finish the race!
Dear Lord, thank You for the encouragement of fellow believers to help me on my journey. Help me to look for ways to encourage others.
We need each other to get where God wants us to go.
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THE BEST PORTION OF ALL
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Posted:Sep 19, 2017 4:35 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2024 8:23 am 18549 Views
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Read: Psalm 73:21–28
Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 1–3; 2 Corinthians 11:16–33
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.
Philippians 4:12
“His piece is bigger than mine!”
When I was a boy my brothers and I would sometimes bicker about the size of the piece of homemade pie mom served us. One day Dad observed our antics with a lifted eyebrow, and smiled at Mom as he lifted his plate: “Please just give me a piece as big as your heart.” My brothers and I watched in stunned silence as Mom laughed and offered him the largest portion of all.
When we are His, He is ours, forever.
If we focus on others’ possessions, jealousy too often results. Yet God’s Word lifts our eyes to something of far greater worth than earthly possessions. The psalmist writes, “You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart” (Ps. 119:57–58. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the writer conveyed the truth that nothing matters more than closeness to God.
What better portion could we have than our loving and limitless Creator? Nothing on earth can compare with Him, and nothing can take Him away from us. Human longing is an expansive void; one may have “everything” in the world and still be miserable. But when God is our source of happiness, we are truly content. There’s a space within us only God can fill. He alone can give us the peace that matches our hearts.
Loving Lord, thank You that nothing and no one can meet my every need like You can.
When we are His, He is ours, forever.
You have made us for yourself, Lord. Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in You.
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WATCH THE CONDUCTOR
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Posted:Sep 18, 2017 6:03 am
Last Updated:May 25, 2024 8:23 am 18620 Views
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Read: Hebrews 12:1–3
Bible in a Year: Proverbs 30–31; 2 Corinthians 11:1–15
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1–2
World-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, has an unusual way of leading the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, a forty-four-member chamber orchestra. Instead of waving a baton he directs while playing his Stradivarius with the other violinists. Bell told Colorado Public Radio, “Even while I’m playing I can give them all kinds of direction and signals that I think only they would understand at this point. They know by every little dip in my violin, or raise in my eyebrow, or the way I draw the bow. They know the sound I’m looking for from the entire orchestra.”
Just as the orchestra members watch Joshua Bell, the Bible instructs us to keep our eyes on Jesus our Lord. After listing many heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, the writer says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:1–2).
Let us keep our eyes on Jesus our Savior as He directs our lives.
Jesus promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28.20). Because He is, we have the amazing privilege of keeping our eyes on Him while He conducts the music of our lives.
Lord, our eyes look to You this day so we may follow Your direction and live in harmony with You.
Let us keep our eyes on Jesus our Savior as He directs our lives.
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WHAT´S YOUR FATHER´S NAME?
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Posted:Sep 15, 2017 3:13 am
Last Updated:Sep 18, 2017 6:03 am 18666 Views
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Read: John 8.39–47
Bible in a Year: Proverbs 22–24; 2 Corinthians 8
To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become of God.
John 1:12
When I went to buy a cell phone in the Middle East, I was asked the typical questions: name, nationality, address. But then as the clerk was filling out the form, he asked, “What’s your father’s name?” That question surprised me, and I wondered why it was important. Knowing my father’s name would not be important in my culture, but here it was necessary in order to establish my identity. In some cultures, ancestry is important.
The Israelites believed in the importance of ancestry too. They were proud of their patriarch Abraham, and they thought being part of Abraham's clan made them God's . Their human ancestry was connected, in their opinion, to their spiritual family.
God is our Eternal Father.
Hundreds of years later when Jesus was talking with the Jews, He pointed out that this was not so. They could say Abraham was their earthly ancestor, but if they didn’t love Him—the One sent by the Father—they were not part of God’s family.
The same applies today. We don't choose our human family, but we can decide the spiritual family we belong to. If we believe in Jesus’s name, God gives us the right to become His (John 1:12).
Who is your spiritual Father? Have you decided to follow Jesus? Let this be the day you trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and become part of God’s family.
Dear Lord, You are my heavenly and eternal Father. Thank You for Jesus, my Savior.
God is our Eternal Father.
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WE HAVE A KING!
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Posted:Sep 14, 2017 3:19 am
Last Updated:Sep 15, 2017 3:13 am 18372 Views
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Read: Judges 2:11–23
Bible in a Year: Proverbs 19–21; 2 Corinthians 7
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. Judges 21:25
After attacking my husband with hurtful words when a situation didn’t go my way, I snubbed the Holy Spirit’s authority as He reminded me of Bible verses that revealed my sinful attitudes. Was nursing my stubborn pride worth the collateral damage in my marriage or being disobedient to God? Absolutely not. But by the time I asked for forgiveness from the Lord and my spouse, I’d left a wake of wounds behind me—the result of ignoring wise counsel and living as if I didn’t have to answer to anyone but myself.
There was a time when the Israelites had a rebellious attitude. After the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land. Under his leadership, the Israelite’s served the Lord (Judg. 2.7. But after Joshua and the generation that outlived him died, the Israelites forgot God and what He’d done (v. 10). They rejected godly leadership and embraced sin (vv. 11–15).
Jesus, please help us remember You are our living King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Things improved when the Lord raised up judges (vv. 16–18, who served like kings. But when each judge died, the Israelites returned to defying God. Living as if they didn’t have anyone to answer to but themselves, they suffered devastating consequences (vv. 19–22). But that doesn’t have to be our reality. We can submit to the sovereign authority of the eternal Ruler we were made to follow—Jesus—because He is our living Judge and King of Kings.
Jesus, please help us remember You are our living King of Kings and Lord of Lords, almighty and worthy of our loving obedience and trust.
God gives us the power and the privilege to enjoy the rewards of doing things His way.
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STAY AWHILE
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Posted:Sep 13, 2017 5:04 am
Last Updated:Sep 14, 2017 3:20 am 18481 Views
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Read: Hebrews 11:8–13
Bible in a Year: Proverbs 16–18; 2 Corinthians 6
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. Hebrews 11:13
During a discussion of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, a said he prefers his stories in books rather than movies. When asked why, the young man replied, “With a book, I can stay there as long as I want.” There is something to be said for the power of lingering in a book, especially the Bible, and “inhabiting” the stories there.
Hebrews 11, often called “the faith chapter” of the Bible, mentions nineteen people by name. Each one traveled a road of difficulty and doubt, yet chose to obey God. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth” (v. 13).
Father in heaven, thank You for Your written Word.
How easy it is to rush through our Bible reading without pondering the people and events in the text. Our self-imposed time schedule robs us of going deeper into God’s truth and His plan for our lives. Yet, when we are willing to stay awhile, we find ourselves caught up in the real-life dramas of people like us who chose to stake their lives on God’s faithfulness.
When we open God’s Word, it’s good to recall that we can stay as long as we want.
Father in heaven, thank You for Your written Word and the examples of people who lived by faith. Help us to follow You as they did.
Linger in God’s Word and you'll find stories of faith.
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