TIME TO GROW
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Posted:May 17, 2016 4:16 am
Last Updated:May 18, 2016 8:37 am 16776 Views
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Read: Galatians 6:1-10
Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25-47
At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
In Debbie’s new home, she discovered an abandoned plant in a dark corner of the kitchen. The dusty and ragged leaves looked like those of a moth orchid, and she imagined how pretty the plant would look once it had sent up new bloom-bearing stems. She moved the pot into a spot by the window, cut off the dead leaves, and watered it thoroughly. She bought plant food and applied it to the roots. Week after week she inspected the plant, but no new shoots appeared. “I’ll give it another month,” she told her husband, “and if nothing has happened by then, out it goes.”
When decision day came, she could hardly believe her eyes. Two small stems were poking out from among the leaves! The plant she’d almost given up on was still alive.
Please give me patience, dear Lord, with myself and with others.
Do you ever get discouraged by your apparent lack of spiritual growth? Perhaps you frequently lose your temper or enjoy that spicy piece of gossip you just can’t resist passing on. Or perhaps you get up too late to pray and read your Bible, in spite of resolving to set the alarm earlier.
Why not tell a trusted friend about the areas of your life in which you want to grow spiritually and ask that person to pray for and encourage you to be accountable? Be patient. You will grow as you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you.
Please give me patience, dear Lord, with myself and with others. Help me to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He shapes my desires and helps me to grow.
Each small step of faith is a giant step of growth.
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IS HE GOOD?
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Posted:May 16, 2016 4:39 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2016 4:17 am 16106 Views
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Read: Genesis 3:1-8
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 24–25; John 5:1-24
He said to the woman, “Did God really say .?” Genesis 3:1
“I don’t think God is good,” my friend told me. She had been praying for years about some difficult issues, but nothing had improved. Her anger and bitterness over God’s silence grew. Knowing her well, I sensed that deep down she believed God is good, but the continual pain in her heart and God’s seeming lack of interest caused her to doubt. It was easier for her to get angry than to bear the sadness.
Doubting God’s goodness is as old as Adam and Eve (Gen. 3). The serpent put that thought in Eve’s mind when he suggested that God was withholding the fruit from her because “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (v. 5). In pride, Adam and Eve thought they, rather than God, should determine what was good for them.
Let's help each other see the truth that God is good.
Years after losing a in death, James Bryan Smith found he was able to affirm God’s goodness. In his book The Good and Beautiful God, Smith wrote, "God's goodness is not something I get to decide upon.
I am a human being with limited understanding." Smith’s amazing comment isn’t naïve; it arises out of years of processing his grief and seeking God’s heart.
In times of discouragement, let’s listen well to each other and help each other see the truth that God is good.
Lord, we will praise You in our difficult times like the psalmist did. You know us, and we turn to You because we know You are good.
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Psalm 145:9
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SEEN, YET LOVED
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Posted:May 13, 2016 3:00 am
Last Updated:May 16, 2016 4:39 am 16280 Views
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Read: 1 Peter 1:1-9
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 17–18; John 3:19-36
Though you have not seen him, you love him. 1 Peter 1:8
Like others in the blogging community, I’d never met the man known to us as BruceC. Yet when his wife posted a note to the group to let us know that her husband had died, a string of responses from distant places showed we all knew we had lost a friend.
BruceC had often opened his heart to us. He talked freely about his concern for others and what was important to him. Many of us felt like we knew him. We would miss the gentle wisdom that came from his years in law enforcement and his faith in Christ.
In recalling our online conversations with BruceC, I gained a renewed appreciation for words written by a first-century witness of Jesus. In the first New Testament letter the apostle Peter wrote, he addressed readers scattered throughout the Roman Empire: “Though you have not seen [Christ], you love him” (1 Peter 1:8.
Peter, as a personal friend of Jesus, was writing to people who had only heard about the One who had given them reason for so much hope in the middle of their troubles. Yet, as a part of the larger community of believers, they loved Him. They knew that at the price of His own life, He had brought them into the everlasting family of God.
Lord, we have never seen You, yet we believe in You and love You. Strengthen our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ who love You as well. Make us one community in You.
Our love for Christ is only as real as our love for our neighbor.
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AMBASSADOR OF LOVE
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Posted:May 12, 2016 4:43 am
Last Updated:May 13, 2016 3:00 am 16148 Views
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Read: John 3:9-21
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 15–16; John 3:1-17
For God did not send his into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17
In my work as a chaplain, some people occasionally ask if I am willing to give them some additional spiritual help. While I’m happy to spend time with anyone who asks for help, I often find myself doing more learning than teaching. This was especially true when one painfully honest new Christian said to me with resignation, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to read the Bible. The more I read what God expects from me, the more I judge others who aren’t doing what it says.”
As he said this, I realized that I was at least partly responsible for instilling this judgmental spirit in him. At that time, one of the first things I did with those new to faith in Jesus was to introduce them to things they should no longer be doing. In other words, instead of showing them God’s love and letting the Holy Spirit reshape them, I urged them to “behave like a believer.”
We are to be ambassadors of God’s love and mercy.
Now I was gaining a new appreciation for John 3:16-17. Jesus’ invitation to believe in Him in verse 16 is followed by these words. “For God did not send his into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Jesus didn’t come to condemn us. But by giving these new Christians a checklist of behaviors, I was teaching them to condemn themselves, which then led them to judge others. Instead of being agents of condemnation, we are to be ambassadors of God’s love and mercy.
Father, help me not to judge others today. Let me learn this until it changes me into someone more like You.
If Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, that’s probably not our mission either!
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START AFRESH
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Posted:May 11, 2016 4:22 am
Last Updated:May 12, 2016 4:44 am 16421 Views
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Read: Psalm 86:5-15
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 13–14; John 2
His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
When I was growing up, one of my favorite books was Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. In one amusing passage, young Anne, by mistake, adds a skin medication instead of vanilla to the cake she is making. Afterward, she exclaims hopefully to her stern-faced guardian, Marilla, “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
I like that thought: tomorrow is a new day—a new day when we can start afresh. We all make mistakes. But when it comes to sin, God’s forgiveness is what enables us to start each morning with a clean slate. When we repent, He chooses to remember our sins no more
(Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12).
God’s compassion and faithfulness are new every morning (Lam. 3:23).
Some of us have made wrong choices in our lives, but our past words and deeds need not define our future in God’s eyes. There is always a fresh start. When we ask for His forgiveness, we take a first step toward restoring our relationship with Him and with others. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
God’s compassion and faithfulness are new every morning (Lam. 3:23), so we can start afresh each day.
Thank You for this new day, Lord. Forgive me for doing those things in the past that I shouldn't have done, and for not doing those things that I should have done. Set my feet on Your right path today.
Each new day gives us new reasons to praise the Lord.
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OUR DIVINE DEFENSE!
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Posted:May 10, 2016 5:08 am
Last Updated:May 11, 2016 4:22 am 16366 Views
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Read: Nehemiah 4.7-18
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 10–12; John 1:29-51
Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17
Under Nehemiah’s supervision, the Israelite workers were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. When they were nearly half finished, however, they learned that their enemies were plotting to attack Jerusalem. This news demoralized the already exhausted workers.
Nehemiah had to do something. First, he prayed and posted numerous guards in strategic places. Then, he armed his workers. “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked” (Neh. 4:17-18.
What we do for Jesus will last for eternity.
We who are building God’s kingdom need to arm ourselves against the attack of our spiritual enemy, Satan. Our protection is the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word. Memorizing Scripture and meditating on it enable us to “take [our] stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11).
If we think that working for God doesn’t matter, we should turn to the promise that what we do for Jesus will last for eternity (1 Cor. 3:11-15).
If we fear we’ve sinned too greatly for God to use us, we must remember we’ve been forgiven by the power of Jesus’ blood (Matt. 26:28. And if we’re worried we might fail if we try to serve God, we can recall that Jesus said we will bear fruit as we abide in Him (John 15:5).
God’s Word is our divine defense!
God, thank You for the Bible. I believe that Your Word is alive and active. Please help me to remember it when I am worried or fearful, when I need encouragement and inspiration.
God’s Word is a divine defense against attacks from the Enemy.
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KEEP CLIMBING!
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Posted:May 9, 2016 4:50 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 1:42 am 16458 Views
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Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 7–9; John 1:1-28
Encourage one another daily. Hebrews 3:13
Richard needed a push, and he got one. He was rock climbing with his friend Kevin who was the belayer (the one who secures the rope). Exhausted and ready to quit, Richard asked Kevin to lower him to the ground. But Kevin urged him on, saying he had come too far to quit. Dangling in midair, Richard decided to keep trying. Amazingly, he was able to reconnect with the rock and complete the climb because of his friend’s encouragement.
In the early church, followers of Jesus encouraged one another to continue to follow their Lord and to show compassion. In a culture riddled with immorality, they passionately appealed to one another to live pure lives (Rom. 12:1; 1 Thess. 4:1). Believers encouraged one another daily, as God prompted them to do so (Acts 13:15). They urged each other to intercede for the body (Rom. 15:30), to help people stay connected to the church (Heb. 10:25), and to love more and more (1 Thess. 4:10).
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has connected us to one another. Therefore, we have the responsibility and privilege with God’s enablement to encourage fellow believers to finish the climb of trusting and obeying Him.
When was the last time you needed to urge someone to keep following Jesus? Who has encouraged you or stirred you to pursue holiness, to keep praying, or to enlarge your love for Jesus and others?
Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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NO GREATER JOY
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Posted:May 6, 2016 4:56 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2024 1:42 am 16288 Views
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Read: 3 John 1:1-8
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 21–22; Luke 23:26-56
I have no greater joy than to hear that my are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4
Bob and Evon Potter were a fun-loving couple with three young sons when their life took a wonderful new direction. In 1956 they attended a Billy Graham Crusade in Oklahoma City and gave their lives to Christ. Before long, they wanted to reach out to others to share their faith and the truth about Christ, so they opened their home every Saturday night to high school and college students who had a desire to study the Bible. A friend invited me and I became a regular at the Potters’ house.
This was a serious Bible study that included lesson preparation and memorizing Scripture. Surrounded by an atmosphere of friendship, joy, and laughter, we challenged each other and the Lord changed our lives during those days.
Be a voice of encouragement to someone today.
I stayed in touch with the Potters over the years and received many cards and letters from Bob who always signed them with these words: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). Like John writing to his “dear friend Gaius” (v. 1), Bob encouraged everyone who crossed his path to keep walking with the Lord.
A few years ago I attended Bob’s memorial service. It was a joyful occasion filled with people still walking the road of faith—all because of a young couple who opened their home and their hearts to help others find the Lord.
Thank You, Lord, for the people who have encouraged me to keep walking in Your truth. May I honor them by helping someone along that road today.
Be a voice of encouragement to someone today.
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PRAYER MARATHON
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Posted:May 5, 2016 4:14 am
Last Updated:May 6, 2016 4:56 am 16245 Views
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PRead: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 19–20; Luke 23:1-25
Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Do you struggle to maintain a consistent prayer life? Many of us do. We know that prayer is important, but it can also be downright difficult. We have moments of deep communion with God and then we have times when it feels like we’re just going through the motions. Why do we struggle so in our prayers?
The life of faith is a marathon. The ups, the downs, and the plateaus in our prayer life are a reflection of this race. And just as in a marathon we need to keep running, so we keep praying. The point is: Don’t give up!
There is never a day when we don’t need to pray.
That is God’s encouragement too. The apostle Paul said, “pray continually”
(1 Thess. 5:17), “keep on praying” (Rom. 12:12 , and “devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2). All of these statements carry the idea of remaining steadfast and continuing in the work of prayer.
And because God, our heavenly Father, is a personal being, we can develop a time of close communion with Him, just as we do with our close human relationships. A. W. Tozer writes that as we learn to pray, our prayer life can grow “from the initial most casual brush to the fullest, most intimate communion of which the human soul is capable.” And that’s what we really want—deep communication with God. It happens when we keep praying.
Dear Father, we often struggle to spend time with You. Help us to make the time, and help us sense Your goodness and presence.
There is never a day when we don’t need to pray.
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OU OF THE RUINS
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Posted:May 4, 2016 4:18 am
Last Updated:May 5, 2016 4:14 am 16576 Views
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Read: Lamentations 5:8-22
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 16–18; Luke 22:47-71
He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins. Ezra 9:9
In the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem you’ll find Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue. Built in the 19th century, the synagogue was dynamited by commandos during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
For years the site lay in ruins. Then, in 2014, rebuilding began. As city officials set a piece of rubble as the cornerstone, one of them quoted from Lamentations: “Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old” (5:21).
It takes time, but we can always trust Him.
Lamentations is Jeremiah’s funeral song for Jerusalem. With graphic imagery the prophet describes the impact of war on his city. Verse 21 is his heartfelt prayer for God to intervene. Still, the prophet wonders if that is even possible. He concludes his anguished song with this fearful caveat: “unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure” (v. 22). Decades later, God did answer that prayer as the exiles returned to Jerusalem.
Our lives too may seem to be in ruins. Troubles of our own making and conflicts we can’t avoid may leave us devastated. But we have a Father who understands. Gently, patiently, He clears away the rubble, repurposes it, and builds something better. It takes time, but we can always trust Him. He specializes in rebuilding projects.
Lord, You have reclaimed us, and You are remaking us. Thank You for Your love and Your care despite our self-centered and destructive ways.
Thank You for true forgiveness and unity in You.
God will one day restore all the beauty lost before.
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