YOU HAVE VALUE
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Posted:Jan 10, 2016 10:33 pm
Last Updated:Jan 12, 2016 4:56 am 8503 Views
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Read: Romans 5:6–11
Bible in a Year: Genesis 27–28; Matthew 8:18-32
You were bought at a price. 1 Corinthians 6:20
After my mother-in-law died, my wife and I discovered a cache of US Indian Head pennies in a dresser drawer in her apartment. She wasn’t a coin collector, as such, but she lived in the era when these pennies were in circulation and she had accumulated a few.
Some of these coins are in excellent condition; others are not. They are so worn and tarnished you can hardly see the imprint. All bear the stamp “One Cent” on the opposite side. Although a penny these days has little value and many consider them useless, this one-cent coin would have bought a newspaper in its day. And collectors still find value in them, even those that have been battered and abused.
Perhaps you feel tarnished, worn, old, or out of circulation. Even so, God finds value in you. The Creator of the universe wants you—not for your mind, your body, your clothes, your achievements, your intellect, or your personality, but because you are you! He would go any distance and pay any price to possess you (1 Cor. 6:20).
In fact He did. He came down to earth from heaven and purchased you with His own blood (Rom. 5:6, 8-9). That’s how much He wants you. You are valuable in His eyes, and He loves you.
As I think about Your love for me, Father, I wonder with amazement how You could love someone like me—and I praise You.
Christ’s death is the measure of God’s love for you.
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THE BEST KIND OF HAPPINESS
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Posted:Jan 8, 2016 4:26 am
Last Updated:Jan 9, 2016 5:37 am 8487 Views
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Read: John 8:31-38
Bible in a Year: Genesis 20–22; Matthew 6:19-3
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:31-32
“Everybody's doing it” seemed like a winning argument when I was young. But my parents never gave in to such pleas no matter how desperate I was to get permission to do something they believed was unsafe or unwise.
As we get older we add excuses and rationalizations to our repertoire of arguments for having our own way: “No one will get hurt.” “It's not illegal.” “He did it to me first.” “She won't find out.” Behind each argument is the belief that what we want is more important than anything else.
The best kind of happiness comes from the salvation we receive through Jesus Christ.
Eventually, this faulty way of thinking becomes the basis for our beliefs about God. One of the lies we sometimes choose to believe is that we, not God, are the center of the universe. We think we will be carefree and happy only when we reorder the world according to our desires. This lie is convincing because it promises an easier, speedier way to get what we want. It argues, “God is love, so He wants me to do whatever will make me happy.” But this way of thinking leads to heartache, not happiness.
Jesus told those who believed in Him that the truth would make them truly free (John 8:31-32). But He also warned, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (v. 34).
The best kind of happiness comes from the freedom we find when we accept the truth that Jesus is the way to a full and satisfying life.
Lord, we confess our tendency to rationalize everything to get what we think we want. Guide us today so that we choose to obey Your commands instead of pursuing our own desires.
There are no shortcuts to true happiness.
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STARTING UPSTREAM
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Posted:Jan 7, 2016 4:09 am
Last Updated:Jan 8, 2016 12:29 pm 9281 Views
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Read: Matthew 6:5-10
Bible in a Year: Genesis 18–19; Matthew 6:1-18
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:8
My home sits along a creek in a canyon in the shadow of a large mountain. During the spring snowmelt and after heavy rains this stream swells and acts more like a river than a creek. People have drowned in it. One day I traced the origin of the creek to its very source, a snowfield atop the mountain. From there the melted snow begins the long journey down the mountain, joining other rivulets to take shape as the creek below my house.
It occurs to me, thinking about prayer, that most of the time I get the direction wrong. I start downstream with my own concerns and bring them to God. I inform God, as if God did not already know. I plead with God, as if hoping to change God’s mind and overcome divine reluctance. Instead, I should start upstream where the flow begins.
Thanksgiving & praise should be our natural responses to God's amazing handiwork.
When we shift direction, we realize that God already cares about our concerns—a loved one’s cancer, a broken family, a rebellious —more than we do. Our Father knows what we need Matt. 6.8
Grace, like water, descends to the lowest part. Streams of mercy flow. We begin with God and ask what part we can play in His work on earth. With this new starting point for prayer, our perceptions change. We look at nature and see the signature of the grand Artist. We look at human beings and see individuals of eternal destiny made in God’s image. Thanksgiving and praise surge up to Him as a natural response.
Dear Lord, I praise You for loving and caring for me so much. What would I ever do without You?
Prayer channels God’s supply to our needs.
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RINGING REMINDERS
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Posted:Jan 6, 2016 3:36 am
Last Updated:Jan 7, 2016 4:10 am 11467 Views
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Read: Psalm 37:21-31
Bible in a Year: Genesis 16–17; Matthew 5:27-48
Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
Psalm 37:24
The clock tower at Westminster, which contains the bell known as Big Ben, is an iconic landmark in London, England. It is traditionally thought that the melody of the tower chimes was taken from the tune of “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” from Handel’s Messiah. Words were eventually added and put on display in the clock room:
Lord, through this hour be Thou our guide;
So by Thy power no foot shall slide.
These words allude to Psalm 37: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (vv. 23-24 nlt). Notice how intimately involved God is in His ’s experience: “He delights in every detail of their lives” (v. 23 nlt). Verse 31 adds, “The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.”
How extraordinary! The Creator of the universe not only upholds us and helps us but He also cares deeply about every moment we live. No wonder the apostle Peter was able to confidently invite us to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” 1 Peter 5.7 As the assurance of His care rings in our hearts, we find courage to face whatever comes our way.
Loving Father, thank You that every part of my life matters to You. Encourage me in my struggles so that I might walk in a way that reflects Your great love and honors Your great name.
No one is more secure than the one who is held in God’s hand.
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THE LONELY SEASON
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Posted:Jan 5, 2016 2:00 am
Last Updated:Jan 6, 2016 9:30 am 12228 Views
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Read: 2 Timothy 4:9-18
Bible in a Year: Genesis 13–15; Matthew 5:1-26
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Ephesians 1:16
Amid the pile of post-Christmas mail I discovered a treasure—a handmade Christmas card painted on repurposed cardstock. Simple watercolor strokes evoked a scene of wintry hills livened with evergreens. Centered at the bottom, framed by red-berried holly, was this hand-printed message:
Peace be with you!
Small acts of encouragement build up our brothers & sisters in Christ.
The artist was a prisoner and a friend of mine. As I admired his handiwork, I realized I hadn’t written to him in 2 years!
Long ago, another prisoner was neglected as he waited in prison. “Only Luke is with me,” wrote the apostle Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:11). “No one came to my support, but everyone deserted me” (v. 16). Yet Paul found encouragement even in prison, and he wrote, “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength”
(v. 17). But surely Paul felt the lonely ache of abandonment.
On the back of that wonderful Christmas card my friend wrote, “May the peace and joy and hope and love brought about through the birth of Jesus be with you and yours.” He signed it, “Your brother in Christ.” I put the card on my wall as a reminder to pray for him. Then I wrote to him.
Throughout this coming year let’s reach out to the loneliest of our brothers and sisters.
What lonely people can I think of right now? Newcomers to town? Prisoners? People in the hospital or in senior living centers? What can I do, no matter how small, to reach out to them?
Reach out in friendship and encourage the lonely.
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IS HE LISTENING?
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Posted:Jan 4, 2016 4:36 am
Last Updated:Jan 5, 2016 2:00 am 13192 Views
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Read: Matthew 26:39-42; 27:45-46
Bible in a Year: Genesis 10–12; Matthew 4
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46
“Sometimes it feels as if God isn’t listening to me.” Those words, from a woman who tried to stay strong in her walk with God while coping with an alcoholic husband, echo the heartcry of many believers. For many years, she asked God to change her husband. Yet it never happened.
What are we to think when we repeatedly ask God for something good—something that could easily glorify Him—but the answer doesn’t come? Is He listening or not?
Let’s look at the life of the Savior. In the garden of Gethsemane, He agonized for hours in prayer, pouring out His heart and pleading, “Let this cup pass from Me” (Matt. 26:39 nkjv). But the Father’s answer was clearly “No.” To provide salvation, God had to send Jesus to die on the cross. Even though Jesus felt as if His Father had forsaken Him, He prayed intensely and passionately because He trusted that God was listening.
When we pray, we may not see how God is working or understand how He will bring good through it all. So we have to trust Him. We relinquish our rights and let God do what is best.
We must leave the unknowable to the all-knowing One. He is listening and working things out His way.
Lord, we don’t need to know the reason our prayers sometimes go unanswered. Help us just to wait for Your time, because You are good.
When we bend our knees to pray, God bends His ear to listen.
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THIS COULD BE THE YEAR
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Posted:Jan 1, 2016 4:55 am
Last Updated:Jan 4, 2016 4:37 am 16912 Views
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Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Bible in a Year: Genesis 1–3; Matthew 1
We who are still alive and are left will . . . meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
My dad was a pastor, and on the first Sunday of each new year he preached about the return of Christ, often quoting from 1 Thessalonians 4. His point was always the same: “This could be the year that Jesus will return. Are you ready to meet Him?” I’ll never forget hearing that sermon at age 6, thinking, If that’s true, I’m not sure I will be among those He’s coming for.
I felt certain that my parents would be going to heaven, and I wanted to go too. So, when my dad came home after church, I asked how I could be sure. He opened the Bible, read some verses to me, and talked to me about my need for a Savior. It didn’t take much to convince me of my sins. That day, my dad led me to Christ. I will be forever grateful to him for planting these truths in my heart.
In an increasingly chaotic world, what a hopeful thought that this could be the year Jesus returns. More comforting still is the anticipation that all who trust Him for salvation will be gathered together, relieved from this world’s suffering, sorrow, and fear. Best of all, we’ll be with the Lord forever!
Lord, keep me always mindful of Your inevitable return. Thanks for the assurance that this world is not all we have but that a blessed eternity awaits all who trust in You.
Perhaps today!
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ON THE WING
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Posted:Dec 31, 2015 5:14 am
Last Updated:Jan 1, 2016 4:56 am 20805 Views
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Read: Matthew 10:27-31
Bible in a Year: Malachi 1–4; Revelation 22
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:31
In his book On the Wing, Alan Tennant chronicles his efforts to track the migration of the peregrine falcon. Valued for their beauty, swiftness, and power, these amazing birds of prey were favorite hunting companions of emperors and nobility. Sadly, the wide use of the pesticide DDT in the 1950s interfered with their reproductive cycle and placed them on the endangered species list.
Interested in the recovery of this species, Tennant attached transmitters to a select number of falcons to track their migration patterns. But when he and his pilot flew their Cessna behind the birds, they repeatedly lost signal from the transmitters. Despite their advanced technology, they were not always able to track the birds they wanted to help.
God cares deeply and is in control.
It’s good to know that the God who cares for us never loses track of us. In fact, Jesus said that not even one sparrow “will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. . . . So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29-31).
When we face difficult circumstances, fear may cause us to wonder if God is aware of our situation. Jesus’ teaching assures us that God cares deeply and is in control. His tracking of our lives will never fail.
Father, I’m putting my longings and burdens on You at the end of this year because I know You care for me and can work powerfully. Thank You that I and my loved ones are in Your care.
If God cares for birds, will He not care for His ?
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AN INVITATION TO REST
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Posted:Dec 30, 2015 5:20 am
Last Updated:Dec 31, 2015 5:15 am 22038 Views
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Read: Revelation 21:1-5
Bible in a Year: Zechariah 13–14; Revelation 21
I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
At a friend’s bedside in a hospital emergency ward, I was moved by the sounds of suffering I heard from other patients in pain. As I prayed for my friend and for the ailing patients, I realized anew how fleeting our life on earth is. Then I recalled an old country song by Jim Reeves that talks about how the world is not home for us—we’re “just a-passin’ through.”
Our world is full of weariness, pain, hunger, debt, poverty, disease, and death. Because we must pass through such a world, Jesus’ invitation is welcome and timely: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28. We need this rest.
Accept Jesus' invitation and enter His rest!
There is hardly a funeral ceremony I’ve attended where John’s vision of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1-5) is not quoted, and it certainly holds relevance for funerals.
But I believe the passage is more for the living than the dead. The time to heed Jesus’ invitation to come rest in Him is while we are still living. Only then can we be entitled to the promises in Revelation. God will dwell among us (v. 3). He will wipe away our tears (v. 4). There will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (v. 4).
Accept Jesus’ invitation and enter His rest!
Father in heaven, this life can be wonderful, but it can also be so hard. Thank You for Your Spirit’s presence with us now. And thank You too for the reality of eternal life with You.
When you’re weary in life’s struggles, find your rest in the Lord.
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REJECT APATHY
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Posted:Dec 29, 2015 5:30 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 9:52 pm 22557 Views
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Read: Nehemiah 1:1-10
Bible in a Year: Zechariah 9–12; Revelation 20
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40
The room was splashed with an assortment of enchanting colors as women in beautiful saris scurried around, completing the final touches for a fundraising event. Formerly from India, these women now live in the USA. Yet they remain concerned for their native country. Upon hearing about the financial situation of a Christian school for autistic in India, they not only heard the need, but they also took it to heart and responded.
Nehemiah did not allow his comfortable position in life as cupbearer and confidant to the most powerful man at that time to nullify his concerns for his countrymen. He talked to people who had just come from Jerusalem to find out the condition of the city and its citizens (Neh. 1:2). He learned that “those who survived the exile . . . are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (v. 3).
Nehemiah’s heart broke. He mourned, fasted, and prayed, asking God to do something about the terrible conditions (v. 4). God enabled Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to lead the rebuilding effort 2:1-8
Nehemiah accomplished great things for his people because he asked great things of a great God and relied on Him. May God open our eyes to the needs of those around us, and may He help us to become passionate and creative problem-solvers who bless others.
Father, there are great needs all around us. We choose not to give in to despair or apathy, but look to You for help in doing the task at hand.
Those who walk with God won’t run from the needs of others.
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