I've Come To Help
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Posted:Aug 10, 2015 4:59 am
Last Updated:Aug 12, 2015 5:37 am 35163 Views
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Read: James 1:19-27 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 79–80; Romans 11:1-18
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22
Reporter Jacob Riis’s vivid descriptions of poverty in 19th-century New York City horrified a generally complacent public. His book How the Other Half Lives combined his writing with his own photographs to paint a picture so vivid that the public could not escape the certainty of poverty’s desperate existence. The third of fifteen himself, Riis wrote so effectively because he had lived in that world of terrible despair.
Shortly after the release of his book, he received a card from a young man just beginning his political career. The note read simply, “I have read your book, and I have come to help. Theodore Roosevelt.” (This politician later became a US President.)
True faith responds to the needs of others.
True faith responds to the needs of others, according to James (1:19-27). May our hearts be moved from inaction to action, from words alone to deeds that back them up. Compassionate action not only aids those mired in life’s difficulties, but it may also make them open to the greater message from our Savior who sees their need and can do so much more for them.
O Lord, it is so easy to be overwhelmed, or to judge and therefore to refrain from helping others. Lift our eyes above our own thoughts and circumstances, and let us care as You care.
Others will know what the words “God is love” mean when they see it in our lives.
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Faultfinders Anonymous
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Posted:Aug 7, 2015 4:34 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 4:6 pm 35127 Views
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Read: Philippians 1:1-11
Bible in a Year: Psalms 72–73; Romans 9:1-15
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more. —Philippians 1:9
Like many people, when I read a newspaper or magazine I notice the misteaks in grammar and spelling. (You saw that, didn’t you!) I’m not trying to find errors; they leap off the page at me! My usual reaction is to criticize the publication and the people who produce it. “Why don’t they use ‘spell check’ or hire a proofreader?”
You may have a similar experience in your area of expertise. It seems that often, the more we know about something, the more judgmental we become over mistakes. It can infect our relationships with people as well.
Yet Philippians 1:9 expresses a different approach. Paul wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” God’s plan is that the more we know and understand, the more we love. Rather than cultivating a critical spirit and pretending we don’t notice or don’t care, our understanding should nourish empathy. Criticism is replaced by compassion.
Instead of our being faultfinders, the Lord calls us to be “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (v. 11).
When the Lord fills our hearts, we can overlook mistakes, hold our criticism, and love others, no matter how much we know about them!
Lord, by Your grace, please replace my critical spirit with Your love and compassion for others.
To err is human; to forgive, divine.
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Family Privilege
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Posted:Aug 6, 2015 4:15 am
Last Updated:Aug 6, 2015 4:15 am 35517 Views
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Read: John 1:6-14
Bible in a Year: Psalms 70–71; Romans 8:22-39
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become of God.
John 1:12
When I was in primary school in Ghana, I had to live with a loving and caring family away from my parents. One day, all the assembled for a special family meeting. The first part involved all of us sharing individual experiences. But next, when only “blood ” were required to be present, I was politely excluded. Then the stark reality hit me: I was not a “ of the house.” Despite their love for me, the family required that I should be excused because I was only living with them;
I was not a legal part of their family.
This incident reminds me of John 1:11-12. The of God came to His own people and they rejected Him. Those who received Him then, and receive Him now, are given the right to become God’s . When we are adopted into His family, “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are of God” (Rom. 8:16).
Jesus doesn't exclude anyone who is adopted by the Father.
Jesus doesn't exclude anybody who is adopted by the Father. Rather, He welcomes us as a permanent part of His family. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Thank You, Father, for making it possible for me to be Your . I’m grateful to be Yours and not to have to worry about whether You will remove me from Your family. I am Yours and You are mine.
Assurance of salvation is not in what you know but who you know.
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He Found Me
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Posted:Jul 31, 2015 4:04 am
Last Updated:Aug 1, 2015 4:30 am 36069 Views
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Read: Luke 19:1-10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 54–56; Romans 3
The of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10
The film Amazing Grace was set in the late 1700s. It tells the story of William Wilberforce, a politician who was driven by his faith in Christ to commit his money and energy to abolishing the slave trade in England. In one scene, Wilberforce’s butler finds him praying. The butler asks, “You found God, Sir?” Wilberforce responds, “I think He found me.”
The Bible pictures humanity as wayward and wandering sheep. It says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isa. 53:6). In fact, this wayward condition is so deeply rooted in us that the apostle Paul said: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside” (Rom. 3:10-12). That is why Jesus came. We would never seek Him, so He came seeking us. Jesus declared His mission with the words, “For the of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Wilberforce was exactly right. Jesus came to find us, for we could never have found Him if left to ourselves. It is a clear expression of the Creator’s love for His lost creation that He pursues us and desires to make us His own.
Amazing grace—how sweet the sound—that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
Once lost, now found. Eternally thankful!
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Grey Power
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Posted:Jul 30, 2015 2:27 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 4:6 pm 36562 Views
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Read: Joshua 14:6-12
Bible in a Year: Psalms 51–53; Romans 2
Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength. —Joshua 14:11
Dutch artist Yoni Lefevre created a project called “Grey Power” to show the vitality of the aging generation in the Netherlands. She asked local schoolchildren to sketch their grandparents. Lefevre wanted to show an “honest and pure view” of older people, and she believed could help supply this. The youngsters’ drawings reflected a fresh and lively perspective of their elders—grandmas and grandpas were shown playing tennis, gardening, painting, and more!
Caleb, of ancient Israel, was vital into his senior years. As a young man, he infiltrated the Promised Land before the Israelites conquered it. Caleb believed God would help his nation defeat the Canaanites, but the other spies disagreed (Josh. 14:8
. Because of Caleb’s faith, God miraculously sustained his life for 45 years so he might survive the wilderness wanderings and enter the Promised Land. When it was finally time to enter Canaan, 85-year-old Caleb said, “Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength”
(v. 11). With God’s help, Caleb successfully claimed his share of the land (Num. 14:24).
God does not forget about us as we grow older. Although our bodies age and our health may fail, God’s Holy Spirit renews us inwardly each day
(2 Cor. 4:16). He makes it possible for our lives to have significance at every stage and every age.
Heavenly Father, I know that my physical strength and health can fail. But I pray that You will continually renew me spiritually so I can serve You faithfully as long as I live.
With God’s strength behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you.
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Whose Mess?
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Posted:Jul 29, 2015 4:46 am
Last Updated:Jul 30, 2015 3:16 pm 33466 Views
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Read: Matthew 15.7-21
Bible in a Year: Psalms 49–50; Romans 1
Out of the heart come evil thoughts . . . . These are what defile a person.
Matthew 15:19-20
“Could they not carry their own garbage this far?” I grumbled to Jay as I picked up empty bottles from the beach and tossed them into the trash bin less than 20 feet away. “Did leaving the beach a mess for others make them feel better about themselves? I sure hope these people are tourists. I don’t want to think that any locals would treat our beach with such disrespect.”
The very next day I came across a prayer I had written years earlier about judging others. My own words reminded me of how wrong I was to take pride in cleaning up other people’s messes. The truth is, I have plenty of my own that I simply ignore—especially in the spiritual sense.
I am quick to claim that the reason I can’t get my life in order is because others keep messing it up. And I am quick to conclude that the “garbage” stinking up my surroundings belongs to someone other than me. But neither is true. Nothing outside of me can condemn or contaminate me—only what’s inside (Matt. 15:19-20). The real garbage is the attitude that causes me to turn up my nose at a tiny whiff of someone else’s sin while ignoring the stench of my own.
Forgive me, Lord, for refusing to throw away my own “trash.” Open my eyes to the damage that pride does to Your natural and spiritual creation. May I have no part of it.
Most of us are farsighted about sin—we see the sins of others but not our own.
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Pensil Battle
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Posted:Jul 28, 2015 4:14 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 4:6 pm 30013 Views
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Read: Judges 2:11-22
Bible in a Year: Psalms 46–48; Acts 28
They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
Judges 2:19
As I learned to write my letters, my first-grade teacher insisted that I hold my pencil in a specific way. As she watched me, I held it the way she wanted me to. But when she turned away, I obstinately reverted the pencil to the way I found more comfortable.
I thought I was the secret winner in that battle of the wills, and I still hold my pencil in my own peculiar way. Decades later, however, I realize that my wise teacher knew that my stubborn habit would grow into a bad writing practice that would result in my hand tiring more quickly.
Return to the Lord; He is gracious and merciful.
rarely understand what is good for them. They operate almost entirely on what they want at the moment. Perhaps the “ of Israel” were aptly named as generation after generation stubbornly insisted on worshiping the gods of the nations around them rather than the one true God. Their actions greatly angered the Lord because He knew what was best, and He removed His blessing from them
(Judg. 2:20-22).
Pastor Rick Warren says, “Obedience and stubbornness are two sides of the same coin. Obedience brings joy, but our stubbornness makes us miserable.”
If a rebellious spirit is keeping us from obeying God, it’s time for a change of heart. Return to the Lord; He is gracious and merciful.
Heavenly Father, You are loving and gracious, and eager to forgive when we return to You. May we pursue you with our whole heart and not cling to our stubborn tendency to want things our way.
First we make our habits; then our habits make us.
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The Checkup
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Posted:Jul 27, 2015 5:15 am
Last Updated:Jul 27, 2015 5:15 am 27199 Views
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Read: Psalm 139:17-24
Bible in a Year: Psalms 43–45; Acts 27:27-44
Search me, O God, . . . and see if there is any wicked way in me. —Psalm 139:23-24
It’s that time of year when I go to the doctor for my annual physical. Even though I feel well and I’m not experiencing any health problems, I know that routine checkups are important because they can uncover hidden problems that if left undiscovered can grow to be serious health issues. I know that giving permission to my doctor to find and remedy the hidden problems can lead to long-term health.
Clearly the psalmist felt that way spiritually. Pleading for God to search for hidden sin, he prayed, “Search me, O God, . . . and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). Pausing to give God the opportunity for a full and unconditional inspection, he then surrendered to the righteous ways of God that would keep him spiritually healthy.
So, even if you are feeling good about yourself, it is time for a checkup! Only God knows the true condition of our heart, and only He can forgive, heal, and lead us to a cleansed life and productive future.
Lord, You know me better than I know myself. Search the deepest parts of my heart for anything that is displeasing to You. Cleanse me of my wandering ways and lead me in Your good and righteous way.
God’s work in us isn’t over when we receive salvation—it has just begun.
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Speak Up
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Posted:Jul 24, 2015 3:38 am
Last Updated:May 17, 2024 4:6 pm 26178 Views
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Read: Luke 22:54-65
Bible in a Year: Psalms 35–36; Acts 25
Having arrested [Jesus], they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. —Luke 22:54
When I hear stories about young people who have been bullied, I notice there are always at least two levels of hurt. The first and most obvious comes from the mean-spirited nature of those actually doing the bullying. That’s terrible on its own. But there’s another, deeper hurt that may end up being even more damaging than the first: The silence of everyone else.
It hurts the one being bullied because they’re stunned that no one will help. That often makes bullies more brazen, leading them to intensify their meanness. Worse, it heightens the embarrassment, false shame, and loneliness of the victim. So it is imperative to speak up for others and speak out against the behavior
(see Prov. 31:8a).
While others may not understand fully, Jesus does.
Jesus knows precisely what it feels like to be bullied and to be left to suffer completely alone. Without cause, He was arrested, beaten, and mocked (Luke 22:63-65). Matthew 26:56 says that “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” Peter, one of His closest friends, even denied three times that he knew Him
(Luke 22:61). While others may not understand fully, Jesus does.
When we see others being hurt, we can ask Him for the courage to speak up.
Make us brave, Lord, for those who need our courage. Help us to speak for others and show them that You know their hurt and loneliness.
The voice of a courageous Christian is an echo of the voice of God.
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Miracle Material
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Posted:Jul 23, 2015 2:58 am
Last Updated:Jul 23, 2015 2:59 am 26120 Views
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Read: Isaiah 46:1-10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 33–34; Acts 24
To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal? —Isaiah 40:25
CNN calls a derivative of graphite a “miracle material” that could revolutionize our future. Only one atom thick, graphene is being hailed as a truly two-dimensional material in a 3-D world. One hundred times stronger than steel, it is harder than diamond, conducts electricity 1,000 times better than copper, and is more flexible than rubber.
In and of themselves, such technological advances are neither moral nor evil. But we are wise to remember the limitations of anything we make for ourselves.
Isaiah spoke to a generation who found themselves carrying into captivity gods they had made with their own hands. The prophet wanted the Israelites to see the irony of needing to care for the silver and gold idols they had crafted to inspire, help, comfort, and protect them.
What was true of Israel holds true for us as well. Nothing we have made or bought for ourselves can meet the needs of our heart. Only God, who has been carrying us “from the womb” (Isa. 46:3-4), can carry us into the future.
Father, thank You for the miracle of relationship with You. Help us not to rely on our own efforts, strength, or possessions but instead sense Your loving care for us.
An idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place.
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