The Mud Puddle
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Posted:Apr 9, 2015 1:42 am
Last Updated:Apr 10, 2015 3:04 am 17998 Views
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Read: Psalm 119:1-8
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 13-14; Luke 10:1-24
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! Psalm 119:2
My friend Ed was telling me a story about his little . He was standing in a mud puddle, so Ed told him to get out. But instead, his began running through the puddle. No running through it either, he said. So the boy began walking through the water. When Ed told him, No walking! the boy stood with just his toes in the water, looking defiantly at his dad. The knew what his father wanted, but he didn't want to do it.
Sometimes I'm like that stubborn little boy. I know that what I'm doing isn't pleasing to the Lord, but I do it anyway. God told the of Israel to fully obey the Lord your God (Deut. 2.8.1 ), but they failed repeatedly. The psalmist acknowledged his struggle in Psalm 119,
Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! (v.5 ).
Jealousy, hatred, rebellion they occur all too often. But God provided for our redemption through the sacrifice of His , the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit helps us when we are tempted
(1 Cor. 10.13; and when we confess our wrongdoing, God promises to forgive us
1 John 1:9.
If you are like me and keep running back into the mud puddles of life, don't give up. God will help you to resist temptation, and He will never stop loving you!
Dear Lord, help me when I'm tempted. Bring the promises of the Bible to mind and strengthen me by Your Holy Spirit to say no to temptation. Let all my words and deeds bring honor to Your name.
To master temptation, let Christ master you.
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Fragrant Living
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Posted:Apr 8, 2015 2:20 am
Last Updated:Apr 9, 2015 1:26 pm 10812 Views
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Read: Philippians 4:10-20
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 9:37-62
I am full, having received . . . the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma . . . well pleasing to God. Philippians 4.18
I'm grateful that God has given us the sense of smell so we can enjoy the many fragrances of life. I think of how much I enjoy something as simple as the fresh and inviting aroma of after-shave lotion in the morning. Or the mellow smell of fresh-cut grass in the spring. I especially enjoy sitting in the backyard when the delicate scent of my favorite roses fills the air. And then there are the savory aromas of delicious food.
So it catches my attention when the apostle Paul says that our generous acts of love toward others are like a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God Phil. 4.18. When we think of helping those in need, we usually think of it as the right thing to do or even the Christlike thing to do. But Paul says that our intentional act of reaching out to meet someone's need actually fills the throne room of God with a fragrance that brings pleasure to Him.
We can please God with the aromas that rise from being a blessing to others! What an added incentive this is for us to perform deeds of kindness in His name.
Who might need your act of kindness today? Ask God to lead you to someone. Be a blessing. It's a fragrant thing to do!
Here is what I hope to do for others today: ________________
Blessing others is a blessing to God.
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Firm Foundation
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Posted:Apr 7, 2015 8:32 am
Last Updated:Apr 9, 2015 1:25 pm 9922 Views
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Read: Matthew 7:21-27
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 7-9; Luke 9:18-36
Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7.24
Earthquakes are prevalent in the Pacific Rim region known as the Ring of Fire. Ninety percent of the world's earthquakes and 81 percent of the world's largest earthquakes occur there. I learned that many buildings in the city of Hong Kong have been built on granite, which could help minimize damage in the event of an earthquake. The foundation of buildings is especially important in earthquake-prone regions of the world.
Jesus Christ told His followers that a stable foundation is critical in building lives. He said, Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock
Matt. 7.24-25. The foundation of Jesus Christ is what will give us the stability our hearts and lives need now and into the future.
By allowing the Lord's wisdom to guide us in our relationships, decisions, and priorities, we find that He provides the most trustworthy foundation any life could be built upon.
Gracious Father, You are the Lord God, the King of heaven, and I choose to place my hope in You because You alone are worthy of my trust.
Jesus is the best foundation upon which to build a solid life.
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Solid-Rock Faith
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Posted:Apr 6, 2015 1:17 am
Last Updated:Apr 6, 2015 1:18 am 9139 Views
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Read: Psalm 18:1-3,46
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 4-6; Luke 9:1-17
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. Psalm 18:2
My husband and I both have grandmothers who have lived past 100. Talking with them and their friends, I detect a trend that seems almost universal in the reminiscences of older people: They recall difficult times with a touch of nostalgia. The elderly swap stories about World War II and the Great Depression; they speak fondly of hardships such as blizzards, the childhood outhouse, and the time in college when they ate canned soup and stale bread 3 weeks in a row.
Paradoxically, difficult times may help nourish faith and strengthen personal bonds. Seeing this principle lived out, I can better understand one of the mysteries relating to God. Faith boils down to a question of trust. If I do stand on a solid rock of trust in God (Ps. 18:2), the worst of circumstances will not destroy that relationship.
Solid-rock faith allows me to believe that despite the chaos of the present moment, God does reign. Regardless of how worthless I may feel, I truly matter to a God of love. No pain lasts forever, and no evil triumphs in the end.
Solid-rock faith sees even the darkest deed of all history, the death of Godâs , as a necessary prelude to the brightest moment in all history His resurrection and triumph over death.
Lord, You are the Rock, the object of my faith. My faith stands on You and not on my shifting feelings; otherwise I would be sure to fall.
Christ, the Rock, is our sure hope.
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The Tree Of Love
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Posted:Apr 4, 2015 12:34 am
Last Updated:Apr 4, 2015 12:36 am 8893 Views
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Read: Matthew 27:27-35
Bible in a Year: Ruth 1-4; Luke 8:1-25
[Jesus] bore our sins in His own body on the tree. 1 Peter 2:24
The corkscrew willow tree stood vigil over our backyard for more than 20 years. It shaded all four of our as they played in the yard, and it provided shelter for the neighborhood squirrels. But when springtime came and the tree didn't awaken from its winter slumber, it was time to bring it down.
Every day for a week I worked on that tree first to fell it and then to chop two decades of growth into manageable pieces. It gave me a lot of time to think about trees.
I thought about the first tree the one on which hung the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve just couldn't resist (Gen. 3:6. God used that tree to test their loyalty and trust. Then there the tree in Psalm 1 that reminds us of the fruitfulness of godly living. And in Proverbs 3:18, wisdom is personified as a tree of life.
But it is a transplanted tree that is most important the crude cross of Calvary that was hewn from a sturdy tree. There our Savior hung between heaven and earth to bear every sin of every generation on His shoulders. It stands above all trees as a symbol of love, sacrifice, and salvation.
At Calvary, God's only suffered a horrible death on a cross. That's the tree of life for us.
Father, on this day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, we're grateful for the cross and for Your who gave His life so that we might have life. Thank You.
The cross of Christ reveals man's sin at its worst and God's love at its best.
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And Then You Laugh
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Posted:Apr 3, 2015 3:03 am
Last Updated:Apr 3, 2015 3:05 am 9028 Views
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Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1-8
Bible in a Year: Judges 19-21; Luke 7.31-50
[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5.21
Noise. Vibration. Pressure. Fireball. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield used these words to describe being launched into space. As the rocket raced toward the International Space Station, the weight of gravity increased and breathing became difficult. Just when he thought he would pass out, the rocket made a fiery breakthrough into weightlessness. Instead of lapsing into unconsciousness, he broke into laughter.
His description made me think of the days leading to my mother's death. The heaviness of life kept increasing until she no longer had the strength to breathe. She was then released from her pain and broke free into the weightlessness of heaven. I like to think of her laughing when she took her first breath in Jesus presence.
On the Friday we call good, something similar happened to Jesus. God placed on Him the weight of the entire world's sin past, present, and future until He could no longer breathe. Then He said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit Luke 23.46. After being suffocated by our sin, Jesus received back from God the life entrusted to Him and now lives where sin and death have no power. All who trust Christ will one day join Him, and I wonder if we'll look back at this life and laugh.
Father in heaven, words cannot describe our gratitude for Your Jesus, who bore the weight of our sins. Thank You that to be absent from this body with its heavy burdens is to be present with You forever.
The sacrifice of Jesus points us to the joy of heaven.
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Enjoying His Meal
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Posted:Apr 2, 2015 1:53 am
Last Updated:Apr 2, 2015 1:56 am 8918 Views
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Read: 1 Corinthians 11.23-34
Bible in a Year: Judges 16-18; Luke 7.1-30
Do this in remembrance of Me. 1 Corinthians 11:24
It's not about the table, whether it's square or round. It's not about the chairs plastic or wooden. It's not about the food, although it helps if it has been cooked with love. A good meal is enjoyed when we turn off the TV and our cell phones and concentrate on those we're with.
I love gathering around the table, enjoying a good chat with friends and family and talking about a multitude of topics. However, instant technology has made it difficult. Sometimes we are more concerned about what others sometimes miles away have to say than what the person just across the table is saying.
We have been invited to another meal at the table when we come together in one place to celebrate the Lord's Supper. It's not about the church, if it's big or small. It's not about the type of bread. It's about turning off our thoughts from our worries and concerns and focusing on Jesus.
When was the last time we enjoyed being at the Lord's Table? Do we enjoy His presence, or are we more concerned with what's going on somewhere else? This is important, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes
1 Cor. 1.:26
I want to learn, dear Lord, when I sit at Your Table, to concentrate only on Your great love and sacrifice for us. Help me to enjoy the fellowship of others as we remember together what Jesus did for us at Calvary.
Remembering Christ's death gives us courage for today and hope for tomorrow.
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Pain With A Purpose
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Posted:Apr 1, 2015 4:11 am
Last Updated:Apr 1, 2015 4:13 am 9614 Views
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Read: John 16:17-24
Bible in a Year: Judges 13-15; Luke 6:27-49
[Jesus said,] I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.John 16.22
I asked several friends what their most difficult, painful experience in life had been. Their answers included war, divorce, surgery, and the loss of a loved one. My wife's reply was, The birth of our first .It was a long and difficult labor in a lonely army hospital. But looking back, she said she considers it joyful because the pain had a big purpose.
Just before Jesus went to the cross, He told His followers they were about to go through a time of great pain and sorrow. The Lord compared their coming experience to that of a woman during childbirth when her anguish turns to joy after her is born John 16:20-21. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you (v.22).
Sorrow comes to us all along the road of life. But Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame
(Heb. 12:2), purchased forgiveness and freedom for all who open their hearts to Him. His painful sacrifice accomplished God's eternal purpose of opening the way to friendship and fellowship with Him.
The joy of our Savior outweighed His suffering, just as the joy He gives us overshadows all our pain.
Dear Father, Your precious Jesus chose suffering for me. Thank You for His sacrifice on my behalf. Thank You that even my pain can be a tool in Your hands to make me more like Your .
Suffering can be like a magnet that draws the Christian close to Christ.
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Why Me?
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Posted:Mar 31, 2015 1:01 am
Last Updated:Apr 1, 2015 4:13 am 11853 Views
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Read: Mark 14.10-21
Bible in a Year: Judges 11-12; Luke 6.1-26
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.8
British pastor Joseph Parker was asked, Why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of His disciples? He thought deeply about the question for a while but could not come up with an answer. He said that he kept running into an even more baffling question: Why did He choose me?
That's a question that has been asked throughout the centuries. When people become painfully aware of their sin and are overcome with guilt, they cry out to Jesus for mercy. In joyous wonder they experience the truth that God loves them, that Jesus died for them, and that they are forgiven of all their sins. It's incomprehensible!
I too have asked, Why me? I know that the dark and sinful deeds of my life were motivated by a heart even darker, and yet God loved me!
Rom. 5.8. I was undeserving, wretched, and helpless, yet He opened His arms and His heart to me. I could almost hear Him whisper, I love you even more than you loved your sin.
It's true! I cherished my sin. I protected it. I denied its wrongdoing. Yet God loved me enough to forgive me and set me free.
Why me? It's beyond my understanding. Yet I know He loves me and He loves you too!
How wonderful is Your grace, Jesus! It's greater than all my sin. You've taken away my burdens and set my spirit free. Thank You.
God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is.
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Itâs Beautiful!
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Posted:Mar 30, 2015 4:01 am
Last Updated:Mar 31, 2015 1:01 am 13270 Views
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Read: Mark 14:3-9
Bible in a Year: Judges 9-10; Luke 5:17-39
Jesus said, Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.Mark 14:6
After being away on business, Terry wanted to pick up some small gifts for his . The clerk at the airport gift shop recommended a number of costly items. I don't have that much money with me, he said. I need something less expensive. The clerk tried to make him feel that he was being cheap. But Terry knew his would be happy with whatever he gave them, because it came from a heart of love. And he was right they loved the gifts he brought them.
During Jesus last visit to the town of Bethany, Mary wanted to show her love for Him (Mark 14:3-9. So she brought an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard and anointed Him (v.3). The disciples asked angrily, Why this waste? (Matt. 26.8. Jesus told them to stop troubling her, for she has done a good work for Me (Mark 14.6). Another translation reads, She has done a beautiful thing to Me Jesus delighted in her gift, for it came from a heart of love. Even anointing Him for burial was beautiful!
What would you like to give to Jesus to show your love? Your time, talent, treasure? It doesn't matter if it's costly or inexpensive, whether others understand or criticize. Whatever is given from a heart of love is beautiful to Him.
Nothing I could give You, Father, could repay You for Your sacrifice. But I want to give You what You would think is beautiful. I give You my heart today in thankfulness for Your love.
A healthy heart beats with love for Jesus.
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