Giving Up Our Mirrors
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Posted:Mar 13, 2015 2:00 am
Last Updated:Mar 13, 2015 2:02 am 20595 Views
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Read: Philippians 2:1-5
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 20-22; Mark 13:21-37
[Bezalel] made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women. Exodus 38.8
When Moses gathered the of Israel together to begin work on the tabernacle Ex. 35-39, he called on Bezalel, a gifted artisan, to help make the furnishings. We're told that certain women were asked to give their precious bronze mirrors to make the bronze basin he was constructing 38:8. They gave them up to help prepare a place where God's presence would reside.
Give up our mirrors? For most of us, that would be hard to do. That's not something we're asked to do, but it makes me think about how too much scrutiny and self-examination can be disconcerting. It can make us think too much about ourselves and not enough about others.
When we can forget about our own faces quickly and remember that God loves us as we are in all our imperfections then we can begin to
look out not only for [our] own interests, but also for the interests of others Phil. 2:4.
Augustine said that we get lost in loving ourselves but found in loving others. Put another way, the secret of happiness is not getting our face right but giving our hearts away, giving our lives away, giving our selves away, in love.
Father, may I think more of others today than I think of myself. May I lose my thoughts about myself in my thoughts of other people and their needs.
A heart that is focused on others will not be consumed with self.
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Hand Me The Binoculars!
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Posted:Mar 12, 2015 2:42 am
Last Updated:Mar 12, 2015 2:43 am 18332 Views
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Read: Psalm 19:1-6
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 17-19; Mark 13:1-20
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1
When I was in elementary school my friend Kent and I would often spend time looking at the night sky with a pair of German-made binoculars. We marveled at the stars in the sky and the mountains on the moon. All throughout the evening we took turns saying, Hand me the binocs!
Centuries earlier a Jewish shepherd boy looked up at the night sky and also marveled. He did not have a pair of binoculars or a telescope to aid him. But he had something even more important a personal relationship with the living God. I imagine the sheep quietly bleating in the background as David gazed skyward. Later he would write the inspired text: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge (Ps. 19:1-2).
In our busy schedules, we can so easily forget to stand in awe of the heavenly beauty our Creator has prepared for our enjoyment and His glory. When we set aside time to look at the night sky and marvel at what is there, we gain a deeper understanding of God and His eternal power and glory.
We believe that this is Your world, Lord. We marvel at You and Your creativity when we look at the sky and the world around us. You, and what You have done, are amazing! We stand in awe of You.
In the wonders of God's creation, we see His majesty and His character.
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Shocking Accessibility
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Posted:Mar 11, 2015 4:17 am
Last Updated:Mar 11, 2015 4:19 am 16640 Views
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Read: Romans 8:14-17,24-26
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 14-16; Mark 12:28-44
You received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.Romans 8:15
When John F. Kennedy was president of the US, photographers sometimes captured a winsome scene. Seated around the president's desk in the Oval Office, cabinet members are debating matters of world consequence. Meanwhile, a , the 2-year-old John-John, crawls around and inside the huge presidential desk, oblivious to White House protocol and the weighty matters of state. He is simply visiting his daddy.
That is the kind of shocking accessibility conveyed in the word Abba when Jesus said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for You
(Mark 14:36). God may be the sovereign Lord of the universe, but through His , God became as approachable as any doting human father. In Romans 8, Paul brings the image of intimacy even closer. God's Spirit lives inside us, he says, and when we do not know what we ought to pray the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (v.26).
Jesus came to demonstrate that a perfect and holy God welcomes pleas for help from a widow with two mites and a Roman centurion and a miserable publican and a thief on a cross. We need only call out Abba or, failing that, simply groan. God has come that close to us.
We want to talk to God, but it can be difficult to find words to express the emotions of our heart.
Prayer is an intimate conversation with our God.
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Unexpected Encounter
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Posted:Mar 10, 2015 4:54 am
Last Updated:Mar 10, 2015 6:00 pm 16652 Views
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Read: Ruth 2:11-20
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 11-13; Mark 12:1-27
The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel. Ruth 2:12
Drew, young and enthusiastic, was leading the singing for the first time in a large church. Lois, a long-time attender, wanted to encourage him, but she thought it would be too difficult to get to the front of the church before he left. But then she saw a way to snake through the crowd. Lois told Drew, I appreciate your enthusiasm in worship. Keep serving Him!
As Lois walked away, she ran into Sharon, who she hadn't seen in months. After a short conversation, Sharon said, Thank you for what you do for the Lord. Keep serving Him! Because Lois had gone out of her way to give encouragement, she was now in the right place to receive unexpected encouragement.
After Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, left Moab and returned to Israel, they received an unexpected blessing. They were both widows with no one to provide for them, so Ruth went to glean grain from a field Ruth 2:2-3. The field happened to be owned by Boaz, a distant relative of Naomis. He noticed Ruth, provided for her needs, and later became her husband 2:20; 4:13. Ruth received a blessing because she was in the right place at the right time 2:11-23.
Sometimes God uses unexpected encounters to bring unexpected blessings.
Dear Lord, help me to go out of my way to encourage others whether or not I receive anything in return. My heart's desire is to help others along the way to know You. May I be Your hands and feet.
When it comes to helping others, don't stop at nothing.
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Cat Gate
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Posted:Mar 9, 2015 9:07 am
Last Updated:Mar 10, 2015 4:54 am 16622 Views
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I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9
Read: John 10:1-10
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 8-10; Mark 11:19-33
My husband, Jay, and I have a new family member 2-month-old tabby cat named Jasper. To keep our new kitten safe, we]ve had to break some old habits, like leaving doors open. But one thing remains a challenge: the open stairway. Cats like to climb. Even as kittens, they know that the world looks better when you're looking down on it. So whenever I have Jasper downstairs with me, she is determined to go upstairs. Trying to keep her confined to a safe place near me has tested my ingenuity. Gates that work with and dogs do not work with cats.
My cat gate dilemma brings to mind the metaphor Jesus used to describe Himself: I am the gate for the sheep, He said John 10.7 . Middle Eastern sheepfolds were enclosures with an opening for the sheep to go in and out. At night, when the sheep were safely inside, the shepherd would lie in the opening so that neither sheep nor predators could get past him.
Although I want to keep Jasper safe, I am not willing to make myself the gate. I have other things to do. But that's what Jesus Christ does for us. He places Himself between us and our enemy, the devil, to protect us from spiritual harm.
Thank You, Jesus, for being my gate. Through You I have salvation and by Your power I am safe from spiritual harm. Surround me with Your protection. I trust in You.
The closer to the Shepherd, the farther from the wolf.
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Solving The Mystery
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Posted:Mar 6, 2015 2:11 am
Last Updated:Mar 8, 2015 2:11 pm 16685 Views
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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.8
Read: Romans 5:1-11
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 10:1-31
One of the most popular tourist attractions in England is the giant stone pillars of Stonehenge. These massive pieces of granite are also a great source of mystery. Every year, people travel to Stonehenge with questions such as: Why were they erected? Who accomplished this extraordinary engineering marvel? And perhaps we wonder most of all how they did it. But visitors leave having received no answers from the silent stones. The mystery remains.
The Scriptures speak of a greater mystery the fact that God came to live among us as a man. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:16, Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.
This brief overview of the life of Christ the mystery of godliness is remarkable. What prompted the Creator of the universe to come and live and die for His creation, however, is not a mystery. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8. God's great love for us is at the root of the mystery of godliness, and the cross has made it plain for all to see.
Lord, we may not understand everything You have done for us, or how You have done it. But we know You love us and sent Jesus to die for us, and that is all we need to know.
How Christ became a human being may be a mystery, but God's love isn't.
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Start With Me
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Posted:Mar 5, 2015 2:03 am
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2015 2:06 am 18412 Views
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Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4
Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Bible in a Year: Numbers 34-36; Mark 9:30-50
I call them Mell Notes little comments my Melissa made in her Bible to help her apply a passage to her life.
In Matthew 7, for instance, she had drawn a box around verses 1 and 2 that talk about not judging others because, when you do, with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Next to it she wrote this Mell Note: Look at what you are doing before you look at others.
Melissa was an others-oriented . She lived the words of
Philippians 2:4. Her classmate Matt, who knew her from church nursery through her final days in the eleventh grade when she died in a car accident, said of Melissa at her memorial service: I don't think I ever saw you without a smile or something that brightened up people's days. Her friend Tara said this: Thanks for being my friend, even when no one else was as nice and cheerful as you.
In a day in which harsh judgment of others seems to be the rule, it's good to remember that love starts with us. The words of Paul come to mind: Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love 1 Cor. 13.13.
What a difference we'll make if, when we look at others, we say, Love starts with me. And wouldn't that be a great reflection of God's love for us?
Lord, thank You for the great love You lavished on us when You sent Your to die and be resurrected so that we could be with You eternally. In response, help us to love others. Lord, we want to be like You.
Embracing God's love for us is the key to loving others.
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House-Hunting Ants
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Posted:Mar 4, 2015 3:46 am
Last Updated:Mar 4, 2015 3:48 am 19709 Views
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Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Psalm 90:1
Read: Numbers 13:25-14:19
Bible in a Year: Numbers 31-33; Mark 9:1-29
According to researchers from the University of Bristol, the European rock ant may be better than we are at staying on top of the housing market. The researchers found that the ant colonies use scout ants to continually monitor their colonies living conditions. Using social skills complex enough to stun the scientists, the rock ants work together to find the right living space, darkness, and security needed to give the queen mother and her larvae the best available housing.
In the days of Moses, the families of Israel were looking for a new home. The slave yards of Egypt had been brutal. The wilderness of Sinai was no place to settle down. But there was a problem. According to Israelite scouts, the homeland to which God was leading them was already occupied by walled cities and giants who made the scouts feel like grasshoppers in their own eyes
(Num. 13:28,33).
Sometimes it may be helpful to compare ourselves to insects. House-hunting rock ants instinctively follow the ways of their Creator. But we often let our fears keep us from following and trusting God. When we rest in the assurance of His presence and love, we can say, Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Father in heaven, please help us to see that today there is no better place to live than in Your presence and love. Help us learn to settle in and be comfortable with our place in You.
Finding ourselves at home in God is a good place to be.
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A Season For Everything
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Posted:Mar 3, 2015 2:51 am
Last Updated:Mar 4, 2015 3:46 am 19563 Views
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To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Bible in a Year: Numbers 28-30; Mark 8:22-38
If you're like me, you've struggled with having to say no to taking on a new responsibility especially if it's for a good cause and directly related to helping others. We may have sound reasons for carefully selecting our priorities. Yet sometimes, by not agreeing to do more, we may feel guilty or we may think that somehow we have failed in our walk of faith.
But according to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, wisdom recognizes that everything in life has its own season in human activities as in the realm of nature. There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven (3:1).
Perhaps you are getting married or becoming a parent for the first time. Maybe you are leaving school and entering the workforce, or moving from fulltime work to retirement. As we move from season to season, our priorities change. We may need to put aside what we did in the past and funnel our energy into something else.
When life brings changes in our circumstances and obligations, we must responsibly and wisely discern what kind of commitments we should make, seeking in whatever we do to do all to the glory of God
(1 Cor. 10:31). Proverbs 3:6 promises that as we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will guide us in the way we should go.
Heavenly Father, give me Your wisdom to know what priorities I need to have at this season of my life. Guide me in all that I do. I only want to bring You the honor You deserve with the way I live.
Commitment to Christ is a daily calling that challenges us.
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A Deadly Weapon
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Posted:Mar 2, 2015 4:19 am
Last Updated:Mar 3, 2015 2:53 am 19305 Views
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Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; . . . they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Read: Nehemiah 4:1-10
Bible in a Year: Numbers 26-27; Mark 8:1-21
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali used several ring tactics to defeat his opponents; one tactic was taunting. In his fight with George Foreman in 1974, Ali taunted Foreman, Hit harder! Show me something, George. That don't hurt. I thought you were supposed to be bad.Fuming, Foreman punched away furiously, wasting his energy and weakening his confidence.
It's an old tactic. By referring to Nehemia's efforts at rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem as nothing more than a fox's playground
(Neh. 4:3), Tobiah intended to weaken the workers with poisonous words of discouragement. Goliath tried it on David by despising the boy's simple weapons of a sling and stones
(1 Sam. 17:41-44).
A discouraging remark can be a deadly weapon. Nehemiah refused to surrender to Tobiah's discouragements, just as David rejected Goliath's diabolical teasing. Focusing on God and His help rather than on their discouraging situations, David and Nehemiah both achieved victory.
Taunting can come from anybody, including those who are close to us. Responding to them negatively only saps our energy. But God encourages us through His promises: He will never forsake us
(Ps. 9:10; Heb. 13:5), and He invites us to rely on His help
(Heb. 4:16).
Lord, it's easy to let discouragement sap my energy
and joy. Help me to reject all agents of
discouragement in my life and to trust in You for comfort and strength.
If you're in a tunnel of discouragement, keep walking toward the Light.
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