YOUR JOURNEY
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Posted:Oct 20, 2016 3:56 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 12:34 am 13012 Views
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Read: John 14:15-21
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 59–61; 2 Thessalonians 3
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18
I grew up in the rebellious 1960s and turned my back on religion. I had attended church all my life but didn’t come to faith until my early twenties after a terrible accident. Since that time, I have spent my adult years telling others of Jesus’s love for us. It has been a journey.
Certainly “a journey” describes life in this broken world. On the way we encounter mountains and valleys, rivers and plains, crowded highways and lonely roads—highs and lows, joys and sorrows, conflict and loss, heartache and solitude. We can’t see the road ahead, so we must take it as it comes, not as we wish it would be.
Loving Lord, thank You that You not only know the path I take, You walk it with me.
The follower of Christ, however, never faces this journey alone. The Scriptures remind us of the constant presence of God. There is nowhere we can go that He is not there
(Ps. 139.7–12). He will never leave us or forsake us (Deut. 31:6; Heb. 13:5). Jesus, after promising to send the Holy Spirit, told His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”
(John 14:18.
The challenges and opportunities we face on our journey can be met confidently, for God has promised us His never-failing presence.
Loving Lord, thank You that You not only know the path I take, You walk it with me. Help me to rely on Your presence, help, and wisdom every day of my journey through life.
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest.
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DESERT SOLITAIRE
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Posted:Oct 19, 2016 3:14 am
Last Updated:Oct 19, 2016 3:14 am 12934 Views
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Read: Psalm 136:1–9
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 56–58; 2 Thessalonians 2
And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:12
Desert Solitaire is Edward Abbey’s personal history of his summers as a park ranger in what is now called Arches National Park in Utah. The book is worth reading if only for Abbey’s bright language and vivid descriptions of the US Southwest.
But Abbey, for all his artistry, was an atheist who could see nothing beyond the surface of the beauty he enjoyed. How sad! He lived his entire life in praise of beauty and missed the point of it all.
Loving Father, we praise You because You are good.
Most ancient peoples had theories of origins enshrouded in legend, myth, and song. But Israel’s story of creation was unique: It told of a God who created beauty for our enjoyment and childlike delight. God thought up the cosmos, spoke it into being and pronounced it “beautiful.” (The Hebrew word for good also signifies beauty.) Then, having created a paradise, God in love spoke us into being, placed us in Eden, and told us, “Enjoy!”
Some see and enjoy the beauty of the Creator’s good gifts all around them, but don’t “worship him as God or even give him thanks.” They “think up foolish ideas of what God [is] like. As a result, their minds become dark and confused”
(Rom. 1:21 .
Others see beauty, say “Thank You, God,” and step into His light.
Loving Father, we praise You because You are good. Thank You for infusing Your creation with beauty and purpose and for placing us here to enjoy it as we discover You. Your love endures forever!
All of creation reflects the beauty of God.
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FROM THE HEART
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Posted:Oct 18, 2016 2:38 am
Last Updated:Oct 18, 2016 2:38 am 13114 Views
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Read: Joel 2:12–17
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 53–55; 2 Thessalonians 1
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate. Joel 2:13
In many cultures, loud weeping, wailing, and the tearing of clothing are accepted ways of lamenting personal sorrow or a great national calamity. For the people of Old Testament Israel, similar outward actions expressed deep mourning and repentance for turning away from the Lord.
An outward demonstration of repentance can be a powerful process when it comes from our heart. But without a sincere inward response to God, we may simply be going through the motions, even in our communities of faith.
God wants to hear your heart.
After a plague of locusts devastated the land of Judah, God, through the prophet Joel, called the people to sincere repentance to avoid His further judgment. “ ‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning’ ” (Joel 2:12).
Then Joel called for a response from deep inside: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (v. 13). True repentance comes from the heart.
The Lord longs for us to confess our sins to Him and receive His forgiveness so we can love and serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Whatever you need to tell the Lord today, just say it—from the heart.
Lord, please give me a heart of repentance to see myself as You do. Give me the grace to respond to Your merciful call for change.
God wants to hear your heart.
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DO WE HAVE TO?
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Posted:Oct 17, 2016 5:57 am
Last Updated:Oct 17, 2016 5:57 am 12526 Views
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Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 50–52; 1 Thessalonians 5
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Joie started the ’s program with prayer, then sang with the . Six-year-old Emmanuel squirmed in his seat when she prayed again after introducing Aaron, the teacher. Then Aaron began and ended his talk with prayer. Emmanuel complained: “That’s four prayers! I can’t sit still that long!”
If you think Emmanuel’s challenge is difficult, look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray continually” or always be in a spirit of prayer. Even some of us adults can find prayer to be boring. Maybe that’s because we don’t know what to say or don’t understand that prayer is a conversation with our Father.
May we grow in our intimacy with God so that we will want to spend more time with Him.
Back in the seventeenth century, François Fénelon wrote some words about prayer that have helped me: “Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you; tell Him your joys, that He may sober them; tell Him your longings, that He may purify them.” He continued, “Talk to Him of your temptations, that He may shield you from them: show Him the wounds of your heart, that He may heal them . . . . If you thus pour out all your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say.”
May we grow in our intimacy with God so that we will want to spend more time with Him.
For further study, read about Jesus’s example of prayer in John 17 and Luke 5:16.
Prayer is an intimate conversation with our God.
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DYING FOR OTHERS
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Posted:Oct 14, 2016 1:35 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2016 1:35 am 11020 Views
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Read: 1 John 3:16–17
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 43–44; 1 Thessalonians 2
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11
I love birds, which is why I bought six caged birds and carried them home to our Alice, who began to care for them daily. Then one of the birds fell ill and died. We wondered if the birds would be more likely to thrive if they were not caged. So we freed the surviving five and observed them fly away in jubilation.
Alice then pointed out, “Do you realize, Daddy, that it was the death of one bird that caused us to free the rest?”
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus did for us? Just as one man’s sin (Adam’s) brought condemnation to the world, so one Man’s righteousness (Jesus’s) brought salvation to those who believe (Rom. 5:12–19). Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
John makes it more practical when he says, “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16). This won’t likely mean literal death, but as we align our lives with Jesus’s example of sacrificial love, we find that we are “laying down our lives.” For instance, we might choose to deprive ourselves of material goods in order to share them with others (v. 17) or make time to be with someone who needs comfort and companionship.
Who do you need to sacrifice for today?
In what ways have others sacrificed for your well-being?
Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us motivates us to sacrifice ourselves for others.
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ALL WELCOME!
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Posted:Oct 13, 2016 4:04 am
Last Updated:Oct 13, 2016 4:04 am 12569 Views
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Read: Luke 5:27–32
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 41–42; 1 Thessalonians 1
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:32
The much-prayed-for film night at the church youth club had finally arrived. Posters had been displayed all around the village and pizzas were warming in the oven. Steve, the youth pastor, hoped that the film—about gang members in New York who were brought face-to-face with the claims of Jesus by a young pastor—would bring new recruits to the club.
But he hadn’t realized that a key football match was being shown on television that evening, so attendance was much smaller than he had hoped for. Sighing inwardly, he was about to dim the lights and begin the film when five leather-clad members of the local motorbike club came in. Steve went pale.
Lord, please help me to see people through Your eyes of love.
The leader of the group, who was known as TDog, nodded in Steve’s direction.
“It’s free and for everyone, right?” he said. Steve opened his mouth to say, “Youth club members only” when TDog bent down and picked up a bracelet with the letters WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) stamped on it. “This yours, mate?” he asked. Steve nodded, hot with embarrassment, and waited while the new guests found a seat.
Have you ever been in Steve’s situation? You long to share the good news about Jesus, but you have a mental list of the “right” people who would be acceptable? Jesus was often criticized by the religious authorities for the company He kept. But He welcomed those everyone else avoided, because He knew they needed Him most (Luke 5:31–32).
Lord, please help me to see people through Your eyes of love and to welcome all those You bring into my life.
A heart that is open to Christ will be open to those He loves.
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WARNING!
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Posted:Oct 12, 2016 4:27 am
Last Updated:Oct 12, 2016 4:27 am 16682 Views
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Read: 1 Samuel 25:1–12
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 39–40; Colossians 4
His name means Fool, and folly goes with him! 1 Samuel 25:25
The following warnings have been found on consumer products:
“Remove before folding.” (baby stroller)
God steps in to forgive us, instruct us, and give us His wisdom.
“Does not supply oxygen.” (dust mask)
“Never operate your speakerphone while driving.” (hands-free cell phone product called the “Drive ’n’ Talk”)
“This product moves when used.” (scooter)
An appropriate warning label that Nabal could have worn would have been: “Expect folly from a fool” (see 1 Sam. 25). He certainly was irrational as he addressed David. On the run from Saul, David had provided security detail for the sheep of a wealthy man named Nabal. When David learned that Nabal was shearing those sheep and celebrating with a feast, he sent ten of his men to politely ask for food as remuneration for these duties (vv. 4–8.
Nabal’s response to David’s request was beyond rude. He said, “Who is this David? . . . Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat . . . , and give it to men coming from who knows where?” (vv. 10–11). He broke the hospitality code of the day by not inviting David to the feast, disrespected him by calling out insults, and essentially stole from him by not paying him for his work.
The truth is, we all have a little bit of Nabal in us. We act foolishly at times. The only cure for this is to acknowledge our sin to God. He will step in to forgive us, instruct us, and give us His wisdom.
I’m selfish sometimes, Lord. I get more concerned with what I need than what others need. Give me a heart of integrity and compassion.
God’s wisdom overshadows our self-centeredness.
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CHANGING HEARTS
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Posted:Oct 11, 2016 4:56 am
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2016 4:57 am 17252 Views
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Read: Luke 6:27–36
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 37–38; Colossians 3
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36
On the last day of the US Civil War, officer Joshua Chamberlain was in command of the Union army. His soldiers lined up on both sides of the road that the Confederate army had to march down in surrender. One wrong word or one belligerent act and the longed-for peace could be turned to slaughter. In an act as brilliant as it was moving, Chamberlain ordered his troops to salute their foe! No taunting here, no vicious words—only guns in salute and swords raised to honor.
When Jesus offered His words about forgiveness in Luke 6, He was helping us understand the difference between people of grace and people without grace. Those who know His forgiveness are to be strikingly unlike everyone else. We must do what others think impossible: Forgive and love our enemies. Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (v. 36).
Grant us the courage to end our conflicts by Your grace.
Imagine the impact in our workplaces and on our families if we were to embrace this principle. If a salute can make armies whole again, what power there must be in Christ’s grace reflected through us! Scripture gives evidence of this in Esau’s embrace of his deceitful brother (Gen. 33:4), in Zacchaeus’s joyful penance
(Luke 19:1–10), and in the picture of a father racing to greet his prodigal
(Luke 15).
With the grace of Christ, may we let this be the final day of bitterness and dispute between our enemies and us.
Lord, we know how the gentle power of forgiveness can bring healing in relationships. Grant us the courage to end our conflicts by Your grace.
Anger almost always vanishes in the face of grace.
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DOING THE OPPOSITE
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Posted:Oct 10, 2016 2:40 am
Last Updated:Oct 10, 2016 2:41 am 17705 Views
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Read: Colossians 2:20–3:4
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 34–36; Colossians 2
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
A wilderness excursion can seem daunting, but for outdoor enthusiasts this only adds to the appeal. Because hikers need more water than they can carry, they purchase bottles with built-in filters so they can use water sources along the way. But the process of drinking from such a container is counterintuitive. Tipping the bottle does nothing. A thirsty hiker has to blow into it to force the water through the filter. Reality is contrary to what seems natural.
As we follow Jesus, we find much that is counterintuitive. Paul pointed out one example: Keeping rules won’t draw us closer to God. He asked, “Why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These rules . . . are based on merely human commands and teachings” (Col. 2:20–22).
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27
So what are we to do? Paul gave the answer. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above” (3:1). “You died,” he told people who were still very much alive, “and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (v. 3).
We are to consider ourselves “dead” to the values of this world and alive to Christ. We now aspire to a way of life demonstrated by the One who said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matt. 20:26).
Consider what these counterintuitive principles from the Bible might mean for you: “Whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:25). “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matt. 20:16). “When I am weak, then I am strong”
(2 Cor. 12:10).
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27
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GRASPING THE CROSS
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Posted:Oct 7, 2016 1:21 am
Last Updated:Oct 7, 2016 1:22 am 19044 Views
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Read: Philippians 3.7–12
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 28–29; Philippians 3
Not that I have . . . already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12
In 1856, Charles Spurgeon, the great London preacher, founded the Pastors’ College to train men for the Christian ministry. It was renamed Spurgeon’s College in 1923. Today’s college crest shows a hand grasping a cross and the Latin words, Et Teneo, Et Teneor, which means, “I hold and am held.” In his autobiography, Spurgeon wrote, “This is our College motto. We . . . hold forth the Cross of Christ with a bold hand . . . because that Cross holds us fast by its attractive power. Our desire is that every man may both hold the Truth, and be held by it; especially the truth of Christ crucified.”
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he expressed this truth as the bedrock of his life. “Not that I have . . . already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). As followers of Jesus, we extend the message of the cross to others as Jesus holds us fast in His grace and power.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”
(Gal. 2:20).
I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians 3:12
Our Lord holds us in His grip of love each day—and we hold out His message of love to others.
Lord Jesus, Your cross is the focal point of history and the turning point of our lives. Hold us tightly as we cling to Your cross and extend your love to others.
We hold to the cross of Christ and are held by it.
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