Listening With Love
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Posted:May 14, 2015 3:31 am
Last Updated:May 16, 2015 5:09 am 29568 Views
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Read: Luke 18:9-14
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 19-21; John 4:1-30
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 18.14
One August evening in Vermont, a young missionary spoke at our small church. The country where he and his wife served was in religious turmoil, and it was considered too dangerous for . In one of his stories, he told us about a heart-wrenching episode when his pleaded with him not to leave her behind at a boarding school.
I was a new dad at that time, having recently been blessed with a , and the story upset me. How could loving parents leave their alone like that? I muttered to myself. By the time the talk was finished, I was so worked up that I ignored the offer to visit with the missionary. I charged out of the church, saying out loud as I left: I'm sure glad I'm not like . . .
In that instant, the Holy Spirit stopped me cold. I couldn't even finish the sentence. Here I was, saying almost word for word what the Pharisee said to God: I thank You that I am not like other men (Luke 18.11). How disappointed I was in myself! How disappointed God must have been! Since that evening, I've asked God to help me listen to others with humility and restraint as they pour their hearts out in confession, profession, or pain.
Lord, may we be quick to listen and slow to speak and to judge. A proud attitude so easily infects our lives. Give us instead a humility that reflects Your heart and love.
We don't get closer to God by passing judgment on others.
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The Riches Of Obedience
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Posted:May 13, 2015 3:51 am
Last Updated:May 14, 2015 3:31 am 29693 Views
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Read: Psalm 119:14,33-40
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 17-18; John 3:19-36
I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. Psalm 119.14
Publicly operated lotteries exist in more than 100 countries. In a recent year, lottery ticket sales totaled more than $85 billion in just the US and Canada, only part of the total sales worldwide. The lure of huge jackpots has created a mindset among many that all of life's problems would be solved if I won the lottery.
There's nothing wrong with wealth itself, but it has the power to deceive us into thinking that money is the answer to all our needs. The psalmist, expressing a different point of view, wrote: I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. . . . I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word Ps. 119.14,16 . This concept of spiritual treasure is focused on obedience to God and walking in the path of [His] commandments v.35
What if we were more excited about following the Lord's Word than about winning a jackpot worth millions? With the psalmist we might pray, Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way
vv.36-37
The riches of obedience true riches belong to all who walk with the Lord.
Dear Lord, may I commit each day to standing on the unchanging truth of Your Word and to growing in my relationship with You, the only measure of success in this life and in eternity.
Success is knowing and loving God.
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Where Can We Lean?
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Posted:May 12, 2015 4:54 am
Last Updated:May 13, 2015 4:07 am 29364 Views
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Read: 2 Samuel 9
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 15-16; John 3:1-18
I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake.
2 Samuel 9.7
What a wonderful funeral! Cindy remarked as we walked out. Helen, our friend, had died. And friend after friend celebrated her by sharing stories of her all-around fun behavior. But Helen's life wasn't all jokes and laughter. Her nephew spoke of her faith in Jesus and her care for others. She had taken him into her home when he was young and struggling. Now in his twenties, he said of his Aunt Helen, She was like a mom to me. She never gave up on me in my struggles. I am sure that if it wasn't for her, I would have lost my faith. Wow! What an influence! Helen leaned on Jesus and wanted her nephew to trust Him too.
In the Old Testament, we read that King David took a young man named Mephibosheth into his home with the purpose of showing him kindness for the sake of his father, Jonathan (David's friend who had died; see
2 Sam. 9.1. Years earlier, Mephibosheth had been injured when his nurse dropped him as they fled after the news that his father had been killed 4.4 He was surprised that the king would care for him; he even referred to himself as a dead dog 9.8. Yet the king treated him as his own 9.11.
I'd like to be that kind of person, wouldn't you? Someone who cares for others and helps them hang on to faith in Jesus even when life looks hopeless.
Lord, You showed the ultimate kindness by rescuing us when we were helpless in our sins. May our lives be marked by kindness so that others will see You in us.
God does most of His work for people through people.
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Tell Your Story
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Posted:May 11, 2015 3:48 am
Last Updated:May 13, 2015 4:08 am 29479 Views
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Read: 1 Timothy 1:12-20
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 13-14; John 2
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness. Psalm 145.6 nlt
Michael Dinsmore, a former prisoner and relatively new Christian, was asked to give his testimony in a prison. After he spoke, some inmates came to him and said, This is the most exciting meeting we've ever been to! Michael was amazed that God could use his simple story.
In 1 Timothy, after Paul had charged Timothy to stay the course preaching the gospel 1:1-11, he shared his personal testimony to encourage the young man vv.12-16. He told about God's mercy in his own life. Paul said that he had mocked the Lord, but He changed him. In His mercy, God not only counted him faithful and gave him a job to do, but He also enabled him to do His work v.12. Paul considered himself the worst of sinners, but God saved him v.15.
The Lord is able! That is what Paul wanted Timothy to see, and what we need to see too. Through Paul's testimony, we see God's mercy. If God could use someone like Paul, He can use us. If God could save the worst of sinners, then no one is beyond His reach.
Our story of God's work in our lives can encourage others. Let those around you know that the God of the Bible is still at work today!
Father, thank You for the salvation You offer and that no one, including me, is beyond the reach of Your mercy, grace, and transforming power. Help me share my story with others so that people can see Your love.
No one is beyond the reach of God's love.
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All Aboard
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Posted:May 8, 2015 1:17 am
Last Updated:May 11, 2015 3:48 am 29386 Views
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Read: 2 Peter 3:1-13
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 4-6; Luke 24:36-53
The Lord is . . . longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish. 2 Peter 3.9
One day when I dropped my husband off at our local train station,
I watched as the conductor scanned the area for stragglers. A woman with wet hair bounded from the parking lot and up into the train. Then, a man in a dark suit strode to the platform and climbed aboard. The conductor waited patiently while several more late-comers sprinted to the tracks and boarded at the last moment.
Just as the conductor was patient with people boarding the train, God patiently waits for people to come to know Him. However, someday Jesus will return and the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat 2 Peter 3.10. When this happens, or when our physical bodies die, it will be too late to establish a relationship with God.
The Lord is . . . long suffering toward us, Peter says, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance v.9. If you have delayed deciding to follow Christ, there is good news you can still commit yourself to Him. If you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
Rom. 10.9 . He is calling. Will you run in His direction?
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Now is the time to choose the Lord.
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The Squeaky Wheel
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Posted:May 7, 2015 3:55 am
Last Updated:May 8, 2015 1:17 am 28931 Views
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Read: Luke 18:1-8
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 1-3; Luke 24:1-35
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 51.6
“The squeaky wheel gets the oil” is a popular proverb. As a I rode my bicycle for long distances between home and school, and the squeaky sounds of the wheels drew my attention to the need to lubricate them.
In Luke 18, the widow’s persistent request to the judge for justice against her adversary made her sound like a “squeaky wheel” until she got the result she needed. Luke explains that Jesus told this story to teach us the need to pray continually and not to give up, even if it appears that the answer to our prayer is delayed vv.1-5.
God is certainly not an unjust judge who must be harassed before He responds to us. He is our loving Father who cares about us and hears us when we cry to Him. Regular, persistent prayer draws us closer to Him. It may feel like we are a squeaky wheel, but the Lord welcomes our prayer and encourages us to approach Him with our cries. He hears us and will come to our aid in ways that we may not expect.
As Jesus teaches in Matthew 6.5-8, constant prayer does not require long periods of “vain repetitions.” Rather, as we bring our needs before God “day and night” Luke 18.7 and walk with the One who already knows our needs, we learn to trust God and wait patiently for His response.
Don’t give up—God hears you when you pray!
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The School Of Pain
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Posted:May 6, 2015 4:06 am
Last Updated:May 7, 2015 3:56 am 25594 Views
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Read: Psalm 119.65-80
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 21-22; Luke 23:26-56
I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
Psalm 119.75
In his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis observes that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. Suffering often helps us to redirect our focus. It shifts our thinking from immediate circumstances so we can listen to God concerning His work in our lives. Life as usual is replaced by a spiritual schoolroom.
In the Old Testament, we read how the psalmist maintained a teachable heart even during painful circumstances. He accepted them as orchestrated by God, and in submission he prayed, In faithfulness You have afflicted me Ps. 119.75. Isaiah the prophet viewed suffering as a refining process: Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction Isa. 48.10. And Job, despite his laments, learned about the sovereignty and greatness of God through his troubles Job 40.42
We are not alone in our experience of pain. God Himself took on human form and suffered greatly: For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps 1 Peter 2.21. The One with nail-scarred hands is near. He will comfort us and teach us in our suffering.
Dear Lord, life is so hard sometimes. I confess that I don't always see Your purpose in my trials. Help me to trust You, and teach me to become the person that You desire me to be.
We learn the lesson of trust in the school of trial.
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Heart Of Joy
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Posted:May 5, 2015 4:33 am
Last Updated:May 6, 2015 4:05 am 23637 Views
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Read: John 15:1-11
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 19-20; Luke 23:1-25
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15.11
While waiting in the gate area of Singapore's Changi Airport to board my flight, I noticed a young family mom, dad, and . The area was crowded, and they were looking for a place to sit. Suddenly, the little boy began loudly singing Joy to the World. He was about 6 years old, so I was pretty impressed that he knew all the words.
What captured my attention even more was the look on the boy's face his beaming smile matched the words he was singing as he proclaimed to everyone at the gate the joy of the Christ who has come.
This joy is not limited to exuberant nor should it be confined to the Christmas season. The overflowing joy of knowing Christ presence in our lives was one of the themes of Jesus final teaching with His disciples the night before He died on the cross. He told them of His extravagant love for them that He loved them as the Father loved Him John 15.9. After sharing what this eternal relationship looks like, Jesus said, These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full v.11
What a promise! Through Jesus Christ our hearts can be filled with joy real joy!
Lord, You have chosen me and redeemed me, crowned me with love and compassion. I can do nothing less than overflow with joy at Your great love for me, for those I love, and for the world.
In every season of life we can know joy in Christ.
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The Best Wedding Ever
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Posted:May 4, 2015 3:26 am
Last Updated:May 5, 2015 4:33 am 23442 Views
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Read: Revelation 21:1-8
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71
The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. Revelation 19.7
Within the last 800 or so years, a new custom has been added to the Jewish wedding ceremony. At the very end, the groom crushes a wine glass under his foot. One explanation of this is that the shattering of the glass symbolizes the destruction of the temple in ad 70. Young couples are encouraged to remember, as they establish their own homes, that God's home had been destroyed.
God is not homeless, however. He has just chosen a new place to live in us, His followers. In the metaphors of Scripture, believers are both the bride of Christ and the temple in which God lives. God is fitting His people together to build a new home that will be His permanent dwelling place. At the same time, He is preparing the bride and planning a wedding that will include all of God's family from the beginning of time.
Our part is easy though sometimes painful. We cooperate with God as He is at work in us to make us more like His Jesus. Then some day, at the best wedding ever, our Lord will present us to Himself without spot or wrinkle. We will be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 This wedding will bring an end to all sorrow and suffering.
Finish then Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee.
The return of Jesus is sure.
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Correct Gently
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Posted:May 1, 2015 1:55 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2015 3:28 am 23777 Views
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Read: Colossians 3:12-17
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 10-11; Luke 21:20-38
Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another. Colossians 3.12-13
At the end of a conference in Nairobi, Kenya, our group traveled from the conference center to a guesthouse to prepare to fly back home the next morning. When we arrived, one person in our group reported that she had forgotten her luggage back at the conference center. After she left to retrieve it, our group leader (always meticulous on detail) criticized her sharply to us in her absence.
The next morning when we arrived at the airport, the leader discovered to his dismay that he too had left his luggage behind. It and his passport were back at the guesthouse. It was now going to cost us even more to go for his baggage. Later, he apologized and said to all of us, I'll never criticize so harshly again!
Because we all have faults and weaknesses, we should bear with one another and forgive each other when things go wrong Col. 3.13 We need to be constructive in our criticism and clothe [our]selves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience v.12 .
When correction is necessary, it should be done with kindness and love. In that way we become imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear God, You know that there are times when I just don't feel patient and humble and gentle. Those days in my life, the fruit of Your Spirit seems in short supply. Please enable me to love others today.
The keys to effective relationships are gentleness and humility.
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