HIDDEN IN MY HEART
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Posted:Oct 26, 2015 1:41 am
Last Updated:May 14, 2024 1:11 am 19057 Views
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Read: Psalm 119:9-16
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 9–11; 1 Timothy 6
I have hidden your word in my heart. Psalm 119:11
I’m getting used to reading digital magazines, and I feel good that I’m saving trees. Plus, I don’t have to wait for the magazines to come in the mail. I do, however, miss the print editions because I like to run my fingers through the glossy pages and cut out my favorite recipes.
I also have a digital edition of the Bible on my reading device. But I still have my favorite printed Bible—the one I have underlined and read many times. We don’t know the future of the printed page, but one thing we do know: The best place for God’s Word is not on our cell phones, electronic reading devices, or bedside table.
In Psalm 119 we read about treasuring the Scriptures in our hearts:
“I have hidden your word in my heart” (v. 11). Nothing compares to pondering God’s Word, learning more of Him, and putting it into practice in our daily lives. The best place for His Word lies deep in our souls.
We may have many excuses for not reading, meditating, or memorizing, but we need God’s Word. I pray that God will help us store His Word in the best place possible—our hearts.
Lord, give me the desire to read Your Word. Then implant it in my heart and thoughts and help me live it out.
The best place for God’s Word is our hearts.
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FOR THIS I HAVE JESUS
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Posted:Oct 23, 2015 3:46 am
Last Updated:Oct 26, 2015 1:41 am 19166 Views
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Read: Isaiah 49:13-20
Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 1–2; 1 Timothy 3
The Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13
There is rarely a problem-free season in our lives, but sometimes the onslaught is terrifying.
Rose saw her entire family, except for her two little daughters, slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Now she is a widow among many widows with little money. But she refuses to be defeated. She has adopted two orphans and simply trusts God to provide for the food and school fees for her family of five. She translates Christian literature into the local language and organizes an annual conference for other widows. Rose wept as she told me her story. But for every problem in her life she has one simple remedy. “For this,” she said, “I have Jesus.”
God knows exactly what you are facing today.
God knows exactly what you are facing today. Isaiah reminds us that God’s knowledge of us is so intimate that it is as if our names were written on the palms of His hands
(Isa. 49:16). We may sometimes neglect the needs of others, even those who are closest to us, but God is aware of every detail of our lives. And He has given us His Spirit to guide, to comfort, and to strengthen us.
Think of the challenges you face at this moment, and then write these words beside each one as a reminder of His faithfulness and care: “For this, I have Jesus.”
Thank You, Jesus, for being near to me right now. I’m grateful for Your faithfulness.
Life takes on perspective in the light of Christ.
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THE JOY OF YOUR PRESENCE
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Posted:Oct 22, 2015 2:47 am
Last Updated:May 14, 2024 1:11 am 19254 Views
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Read: Psalm 145:1-18
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 65–66; 1 Timothy 2
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:4
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” says the Westminster Catechism. Much of Scripture calls for joyful gratitude and adoration of the living God. When we honor God, we celebrate Him as the Source from which all goodness flows.
When we praise God from our heart we find ourselves in that joyful state for which we were created. Just as a beautiful sunset or a peaceful pastoral scene points to the majesty of the Creator, so worship draws us into a close spiritual union with Him. The psalmist says, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise . . . . The Lord is near to all who call on him” Ps. 145:3,18.
God does not need our praise, but we need to praise God. By basking in His presence we drink in the joy of His infinite love and rejoice in the One who came to redeem and restore us. “In your presence there is fullness of joy,” the psalmist says. “At your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11 .
Dear Lord, You are the great and mighty God, the Creator of the universe. I will praise Your name always. There is no God besides You.
Worship is a heart overflowing with praise to God.
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PRIDE AT THE CORE
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Posted:Oct 21, 2015 1:35 am
Last Updated:Oct 22, 2015 2:44 am 19335 Views
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Read: Ezra 9:1-9
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 62–64; 1 Timothy 1
Ezra . . . was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses. Ezra 7:6
“He thinks he’s really something!” That was my friend’s assessment of a fellow Christian we knew. We thought we saw in him a spirit of pride. We were saddened when we learned that he soon was caught in some serious misdeeds. By elevating himself, he had found nothing but trouble. We realized that could happen to us as well.
It can be easy to minimize the terrible sin of pride in our own hearts. The more we learn and the more success we enjoy, the more likely we are to think we’re “really something.” Pride is at the core of our nature.
Humility lets us trust in the goodness of our forgiving God.
In Scripture, Ezra is described as “a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6). King Artaxerxes appointed him to lead an expedition of Hebrew exiles back to Jerusalem. Ezra could have been a prime candidate to succumb to the sin of pride. Yet he didn’t. Ezra didn’t only know God’s law; he lived it.
After his arrival in Jerusalem, Ezra learned that Jewish men had married women who served other gods, defying God’s express directions (9:1-2). He tore his clothes in grief and prayed in heartfelt repentance (vv. 5-15). A higher purpose guided Ezra’s knowledge and position: his love for God and for His people. He prayed, “Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence” (v. 15).
Ezra understood the scope of their sins. But in humility he repented and trusted in the goodness of our forgiving God.
Lord, fill us with such a love for You that we think first of what will please You, not ourselves. Free us from the subtle captivity of our own pride.
Pride leads to every other vice: It is the complete anti-God state of mind.
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AN INSIDE VIEW
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Posted:Oct 20, 2015 4:25 am
Last Updated:Oct 20, 2015 4:26 am 19236 Views
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Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-7
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 59–61; 2 Thessalonians 3
The Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16.7
Retired physicist Arie van’t Riet creates works of art in an unusual way. He arranges plants and deceased animals in various compositions and then x-rays them. He scans the developed x-rays into a computer and then adds color to certain parts of his pictures. His artwork reveals the inner complexity of flowers, fish, birds, reptiles, and monkeys.
An inside view of something is often more fascinating and more significant than an exterior view. At first glance, Samuel thought Eliab looked like he could be Israel’s next king (1 Sam. 16:6). But God warned Samuel not to look at Eliab’s physical traits. He told Samuel, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v. 7). God chose David, instead of Eliab, to be Israel’s next king.
When God looks at us, He is more interested in our hearts than our height, the state of our soul than the structure of our face. He doesn’t see us as too old, too young, too small, or too big. He zeroes in on the things that matter—our response to His love for us and our concern for other people (Matt. 22:37-39). Second Chronicles 6:30 says that God alone knows the human heart. When the God who has done so much for us looks at our heart, what does He see?
Dear God, help me to value what You value. As I follow Your example, I pray that You will be pleased with what You see in my heart.
The true measure of a person is what’s in the heart.
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WAITING FOR AN ANSWER
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Posted:Oct 19, 2015 3:46 am
Last Updated:May 14, 2024 1:11 am 19312 Views
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Read: Psalm 9:1-10
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 56–58; 2 Thessalonians 2
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10
When our was 15, she ran away. She was gone more than 3 weeks. Those were the longest 3 weeks of our lives. We looked everywhere for her and sought help from law enforcement and friends. During those desperate days, my wife and I learned the importance of waiting on God in prayer. We had come to the end of our strength and resources. We had to rely on God.
It was on a Father’s Day that we found her. We were in a restaurant parking lot, on our way to dinner, when the phone rang. A waitress at another restaurant had spotted her. Our was only three blocks away. We soon had her home, safe and sound.
Waiting on God is never easy, but no matter the end result, it is always worth it.
We have to wait on God when we pray. We may not know how or when He will answer, but we can put our hearts constantly before Him in prayer. Sometimes the answers to our prayers don’t come when we would hope. Things may even go from bad to worse. But we have to persevere, keep believing, and keep asking.
Waiting is never easy, but the end result, whatever it is, will be worth it. David put it this way: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Ps. 9:10). Keep seeking. Keep trusting. Keep asking. Keep praying.
What’s on your heart that you need to talk to God about today? Will you trust Him and keep praying?
Time spent in prayer is always time well spent.
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TREASURES IN HEAVEN
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Posted:Oct 16, 2015 2:59 am
Last Updated:Oct 17, 2015 5:13 am 18728 Views
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Read: Matthew 6:19-24
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 47–49; 1 Thessalonians 4
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:20
Poorly installed electric wiring caused a fire that burned down our newly built home. The flames leveled our house within an hour, leaving nothing but rubble. Another time, we returned home from church one Sunday to find our house had been broken into and some of our possessions stolen.
In our imperfect world, loss of material wealth is all too common—vehicles are stolen or crashed, ships sink, buildings crumble, homes are flooded, and personal belongings are stolen. This makes Jesus’ admonition not to put our trust in earthly wealth very meaningful (Matt. 6:19).
Nothing lasts forever—except what our God enables us to do for others.
Jesus told a story of a man who accumulated abundant treasures and decided to store up everything for himself (Luke 12:16-21). “Take life easy,” the man told himself; “eat, drink and be merry” (v. 19). But that night he lost everything, including his life. In conclusion, Jesus said, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (v. 21).
Material wealth is temporary. Nothing lasts forever—except what our God enables us to do for others. Giving of our time and resources to spread the good news, visiting those who are lonely, and helping those in need are just some of the many ways to store up treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:20).
In what ways are you storing up treasures in heaven? How might you change and grow in this area of your life?
Our real wealth is what we invest for eternity.
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GOD´S DIRECTION
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Posted:Oct 15, 2015 5:04 am
Last Updated:Oct 17, 2015 5:13 am 18535 Views
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Read: Proverbs 3:1–8
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 45–46; 1 Thessalonians 3
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:6
A century ago, 41-year-old Oswald Chambers arrived in Egypt to serve as a YMCA chaplain to British Commonwealth troops during World War I. He was assigned to a camp at Zeitoun, six miles north of Cairo. On his first night there, October 27, 1915, Chambers wrote in his diary, “This [area] is absolutely desert in the very heart of the troops and a glorious opportunity for men. It is all immensely unlike anything I have been used to, and I am watching with interest the new things God will do and engineer.”
Chambers believed and practiced the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6 nkjv).
Wherever God puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him.
This is both a comfort and a challenge. There is security in knowing that the Lord will lead us each day, but we must not become so attached to our plans that we resist God’s redirection or His timing.
“We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for,” said Chambers. “God engineers everything. Wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work.”
Lord, may I love and serve You with all my heart where You have placed me today.
As we trust in God, He directs our steps.
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ALL SAFE! ALL WELL!
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Posted:Oct 14, 2015 4:56 am
Last Updated:Oct 15, 2015 6:21 am 18209 Views
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Read: Hebrews 11:8-16
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 43–44; 1 Thessalonians 2
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
In January 1915, the ship Endurance was trapped and crushed in the ice off the coast of Antarctica. The group of polar explorers, led by Ernest Shackleton, survived and managed to reach Elephant Island in three small lifeboats. Trapped on this uninhabited island, far from normal shipping lanes, they had one hope. On April 24, 1916, 22 men watched as Shackleton and five comrades set out in a tiny lifeboat for South Georgia, an island 800 miles away. The odds seemed impossible, and if they failed, they would all certainly die. What joy, then, when more than four months later a boat appeared on the horizon with Shackleton on its bow shouting, “Are you all well?” And the call came back, “All safe! All well!”
What held those men together and kept them alive over those months? Faith and hope placed in one man. They believed that Shackleton would find a way to save them.
This human example of faith and hope echoes the faith of the heroes listed in Hebrews 11. Their faith in the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” kept them going through great difficulties and trials (Heb. 11:1
As we look out upon the horizon of our own problems, may we not despair. May we have hope through the certainty of our faith in the One Man—Jesus, our God and Savior.
Thank You, Father, for the promise of forgiveness made possible by Jesus. May that promise lighten the darkest of our days.
The hope of Jesus shines brightly even on our darkest day.
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BURNING QUESTIONS
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Posted:Oct 13, 2015 2:15 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2015 4:57 am 17984 Views
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Read: Exodus 3:1-6,10-14
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 41–42; 1 Thessalonians 1
“I am who I am” Exodus 3:14
An old Native American story tells of a young boy who was sent into the woods alone on an autumn night to prove his courage. Soon the sky darkened and the sounds of night filled the air. Trees creaked and groaned, an owl screeched, and a coyote howled. Even though he was frightened, the boy remained in the woods all night, as the test of courage required. Finally morning came, and he saw a solitary figure nearby. It was his grandfather, who had been watching over him all night long.
When Moses went deep into the desert, he saw a burning bush that didn’t burn up. Then God began talking to him from the bush, commissioning him to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of cruel slavery to freedom. A reluctant Moses began to ask questions: “Who am I that I should go?”
God has promised always to be present with those who believe in Jesus.
God simply answered, “I will be with you.”
“Suppose I . . . say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
God replied, “I am who I am. . . . [Say to them,] I am has sent me to you’ ” (Ex. 3:11-14). The phrase “I am who I am” can be interpreted,
“I will be who I will be” and reveals God’s eternal and all-sufficient character.
God has promised always to be present with those who believe in Jesus. No matter how dark the night, the unseen God is ready to respond appropriately to our need.
Dear Father, thank You for Your never-changing character.
God is always present and at work.
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