Take As Directed

Read: Psalm 119:33-48

Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. --- Jeremiah 15:16

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 57-59
Romans 4

Dr. Smiley Blanton was a busy New York City psychiatrist who kept a Bible on his desk. Somewhat surprised to see this, a client asked, "Do you, a psychiatrist, read the Bible?"

"I not only read it, I study it," said Dr. Blanton, a devout Christina. Then he added, "If people would absorb its message, a lot of psychiatrists would go out of business."

To clarify his point, Dr. Blanton said that if clients who are plagued by guilt would read the parable of the prodigal son and his forgiving father [Luke 15:11-32], they could find the key to healing.

Do we look for healing in God's powerful Word? We may read the Bible, but do we really believe it, study it, and put its teachings into practice? The saving truth of Scripture is God's potent medicine for delivering us from the disease of sin.

The prophet Jeremiah, despite difficulties and hardships, found joy in the words of the Lord [Jeremiah 15:16]. And the psalmist loved the commandments of God [Psalm 119:48] and said to Him, "I will delight myself in Your commandments ... I will meditate on Your statutes" [vv.47-48].

Like medicine, God's Word must be taken as directed. Are you internalizing its truth? --- Vernon Grounds

God's Word brings health and healing
To every sin-sick soul.
But we must take and heed it
Before we can be whole. --- D. De Haan

THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE VITAMINS FOR SOUL HEALTH.

Bridges Of Grace

Read: Acts 5:33-42

They departed ..., rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. --- Acts 5:41

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 54-56
Romans 3

Imagine for a moment that you are driving through the desert in Southern California and you see the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge spanning the dried-up bed of "Three Frogs Creek" on the outskirts of "Turtle Soup Junction." What a ridiculous sight that would be! An immense bridge doesn't belong in the desert.

So too, the Lord never displays His power and grace at an inappropriate time or place, but He always provides according to the difficulty of the hour. He does not impart strength until it is needed.

We shudder when we think of what some of God's children are enduring because of their faithfulness to the Savior. Many have chosen the path of intense suffering rather than following the line of least resistance. I wonder, would we do the same?

Of course, the Lord does not ask us to make such a commitment before it is necessary. And we can be sure that when we "suffer for His sake" [Philippians 1:29], He will provide whatever we need to endure the pain.

As servants of Christ, we can take one step at a time and be confident that whether we come to a dried-up gulch or a surging river, the Lord's bridges of grace will be just right to allow us safe passage to the other side. --- Mart De Haan

Each day God sends His loving aid
To strengthen you and me;
We need to use today's supply
And let tomorrow be. --- Anon.

GOD GIVES ENOUGH GRACE FOR EACH TRIAL WE FACE.

Source Of Hope

Read: Lamentations 3:19-41

Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed. --- Lamentations 3:22

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 51-53
Romans 2

What good is faith when all seems lost? I've asked that penetrating question in my life, and not long ago I received a letter from a mom who has asked it as well.

She told me that she and her husband set out in their marriage to seek God's will for their lives and entrust their future to Him. Then their second son was born with Down syndrome. Their initial response was "grief, shock, and disbelief." Yet the same day he was born, God used Philippians 4:6-7 to put peace in their hearts and give them an undying love for their precious son. It says: "Let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts."

But their days in the desert were not over. Nine years later, their fourth son was diagnosed with cancer. Before he reached his third birthday, he was gone. Shock, pain, and sadness again broke into their world. And again, they found help from God and His Word. "When the grief overwhelms us," says this mom, "we turn to God's Word and His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ."

When life's troubles hit us like a tidal wave, we can remember that God's compassions never fail [Lamentations 3:22]. He can give us the hope we need. --- Dave Branon

My sheep I know, they are My own,
I leave them not in trials alone;
I will be with them to the end ---
Their hope, their joy, their dearest Friend. --- Anon.

FEELING HOPELESS REMINDS US THAT WE ARE HELPLESS WITHOUT GOD.

Orange Peels

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. --- 1 Corinthians 10:12

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 49-50
Romans 1

Back in 1911, a stuntman named Bobby Leach went over Niagara Falls in a specially designed steel drum --- and lived to tell about it. Although he suffered minor injuries, he survived because he recognized the tremendous dangers involved in the feat, and he had done everything he could to protect himself from harm.

Several years later, while walking down a street in New Zealand, Bobby Leach slipped on an orange peel, fell, and badly fractured his leg. He was taken to a hospital where he died of complications from that fall. He received a greater injury walking down the street than he sustained in going over Niagara Falls. He was not prepared for danger in what he assumed to be a safe situation.

Some of the great temptations that roar around us like the rushing waters of Niagara will leave us unharmed, while a small, seemingly insignificant incident may cause our downfall. Why? We simply become careless and do not recognize the potential danger. We mistakenly think we are secure [1 Corinthians 10:12].

We must always be on guard against temptation. A victorious Christian is an alert Christian who watches out even for those little "orange peels." --- Richard De Haan

Take the name of Jesus ever
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy name in prayer. --- Baxter

WHENEVER WE FALL, IT IS USUALLY AT THE POINT WHERE WE THINK WE ARE STRONG.

The Day The Sun Didn't Shine

Read: Psalm 103

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. --- Psalm 103:2

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 46-48
Acts 28

We often take God's blessings for granted until they are taken from us. Then we recognize how important even the most common gifts of God really are.

There's a legend about a day the sun didn't rise. At 6:00 in the morning it was dark. At 7:00 it was still night. Noon came and it was like midnight. By 4:00 in the afternoon, people flocked to the churches to beg God for the sun.

The next morning, huge crowds gathered outdoors to face the eastern sky. When the first rays of sunlight pushed open the door of the morning, the people burst into cheers and praised God for the sun.

The psalmist knew he couldn't possibly remember all of God's benefits to him. He was distressed that he might forget them all, so he took his sluggish soul in hand, shook it, and urged it to consider at least some of the good gifts God gave to him.

Because God's goodness is as constant as the sun, we are in danger of forgetting what He showers on us each day. If we count our blessings one by one, we'll never get finished. But if we jot down a list of 10 or 20 gifts God gives us each day, something will happen to our hearts.

Let's try it and find out for ourselves. --- Haddon Robinson

Every morning as we rise,
God's new mercies greet our eyes;
And when twilight shadows fall,
Evening blessings brighten all. --- Anon.

IF YOU WANT TO BE RICH, COUNT ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE THAT MONEY CAN'T BUY.

Trapped!

Read: Matthew 11:25-30

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. --- Matthew 11:29

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 43-45
Acts 27:27-44

A New York City man who sold books and magazines on the street was freed after being trapped for 2 days under a mountain of paper in his apartment. The man's collection of printed materials, which he had stacked wall to wall and floor to ceiling, collapsed and buried him alive. Emergency workers filled 50 garbage bags as they dug through the debris just to reach him.

We don't need a Mount Everest of old newspapers to know the feeling of being trapped under the crush of our work and the burden of overwhelming spiritual demands. Yet a glance at our Savior reveals His deep inner rest. In Tyranny of the Urgent, Charles E. Hummer writes: "Jesus' prayerful waiting for God's instructions ... gave Him a sense of direction, set a steady pace, and enabled Him to do every task God assigned."

Jesus invites the weary to come to Him. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" [Matthew 11:29].

This rest that comes with salvation is not achieved by effort but is received by faith. In Christ we can also find release from the tyranny of the urgent and accomplish everything He has given us to do. --- David McCasland

Come, heavy-laden, weary one,
Come unto Christ for rest;
Come lay your every burden down,
And lean upon His breast. --- Anon.

FOLLOWING JESUS TAKES THE BUSYNESS OUT OF LIFE.

A Wonderful Pair

Read: Exodus 23:1-13

What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar. --- Proverbs 19:22

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 40-42
Acts 27:1-26

An honest and kind man drove the streets of San Francisco for more than an hour to find the woman who had left her purse with $1,792 in cash on the back seat of his cab. I like what he said when some of his fellow drivers ridiculed him for not pocketing the money. He responded, "I am a card-carrying member of the Christian faith, and what good is it to go to church if you don't practice what you preach?"

In Exodus 23, the principles of honesty and kindness were brought together for the Israelites in the laws God gave them. They were to be honest enough to return a straying animal to its owner, even if that person were an enemy [v.4]. They were to be kind enough to a foe to help him get a stubborn donkey to its feet [v.5]. They were to be so concerned about making sure that a poor person got fair treatment that they would help him, even when it was a costly thing to do [vv.6-9]. Landowners were to let their farm lie idle every seventh year and allow the poor to glean freely from it [vv.10-11].

Honest people can be cruel. Kind people may be soft and not concerned enough about righteousness. But when you put honesty and kindness together, you have a wonderful pair that honors God and blesses others. --- Herb Vander Lugt

When others view our lives today,
Our honesty is on display;
Lord, help us point the way to You
By doing what is kind and true. --- Branon

TACT IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE A POINT WITHOUT MAKING AN ENEMY.

Growing Old; Growing Up

Read: Psalm 71:14-24

When I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation. --- Psalm 71:18

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 37-39
Acts 26

Old age is the season when we can give ourselves to "soul-making," as the Quakers say. We can concentrate on getting to know God better and cultivating character traits that make us more like Him. Age breaks down our strength and energy and strips us of our busyness. It's God's way of getting us to slow down so we'll take more time for Him. We can think more deeply about life, about ourselves, and about others.

Change is an inevitable part of life. We're being shaped every minute we live. Every thought, every decision, every action, every emotion, every response is shaping us into one kind of person or another. Either we're moving toward likeness to Christ or away from Him into some sort of caricature of the person God intended us to be.

It's true, we lose some things as we age: physical strength, quickness, agility. But think of the calm God gives us, the peace He leaves us, the benefits of His salvation, and His faithfulness to us [Psalm 71:15].

Old age is the best time to grow in grace and godliness, in inner strength and beauty of character. "The silver-haired head," the wise man said, "is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness." [Proverbs 16:31]. --- David Roper

When wrinkles and weakness come with age
And life with its stress takes a toll,
Yet beauty and vigor can still be seen
When Jesus gives peace to one's soul. --- D. De Haan

"GROW UP" IS WHAT THE YOUNG ARE TOLD --- "AGE GRACEFULLY" WHEN GROWING OLD.

Garbage Detail

Read: 1 Peter 5:1-6

All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility. --- 1 Peter 5:5

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 35-36
Acts 25

It was once my privilege to preach in a church where love and warmth were especially evident. I was impressed by the members' willingness to pitch in and work. On the Sunday I spoke, three services were scheduled. The women of the church had provided a bountiful meal to be served between the meetings for visitors who had traveled a long distance.

Following the dinner, after most of the people had left, I noticed a distinguished-looking couple clearing the tables and dumping the paper plates into large plastic bags. When I complimented them on what they were doing, they said matter-of-factly, "Oh, we're the 'garbage detail.' We volunteered to clean up after every church function. We consider it a ministry."

How wonderful that this man and woman were not only available to serve the Lord, but they humbly did what others might consider demeaning work. These dear people were glad to be what they cheerfully called the "garbage detail."

Some members of the body of Christ are called to serve in places of prominence; others to labor quietly behind the scenes. Regardless of what the Lord asks us to do, let's be willing to do it by serving one another through love, knowing that ultimately we are serving the Lord. --- Richard De Haan

There's surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth's harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life's short day
For Jesus the Crucified. --- Prior

THERE IS NO INSIGNIFICANT TASK IN THE CHURCH.

Crowd Pleasers

Read: John 12:35-43

They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. --- John 12:43

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 33-34
Acts 24

I once read a newspaper story about an old carnival headliner nicknamed "Cannonball." In his younger days, he was blasted out of a cannon 1,200 times, pulled a 90-pound weight across a table with his eyelids, and performed many other bizaare stunts. When asked why he did such things, he replied, "Do you know what it's like to feel the applause of 60,000 people? That's why I did it over and over."

In John12 we learn aoub some leaders who were also motivated by a desire to please others. In their case, however, they refused to follow Jesus openly because they wanted to be accepted by the Pharisees. Although they had seen the Savior's miracles and believed in Him, they wouldn't acknowledge this publicly. "They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" [v.43]. And I believe we are safe in assuming that many people failed to turn to Jesus because they were also crowd pleasers who feared the disapproval of these "chief" crowd pleasers.

We are all subject to social pressures. If we are true to ourselves and to God, we'll be able to withstand the strong pull of the crowd. But if we become crowd pleasers, we'll be in far worse shape than the man who kept climbing back into that cannon! --- Mart De Haan

If we, to gain the world's applause,
Refuse to own the Savior's cause,
What shame will fill us on that day
When Thou Thy glory shall display! --- Anon.

YIELDING TO GOD'S SPIRIT WITHIN PREVENTS CONFORMING TO THE WORLD WITHOUT.

Dusty Leaves

Read: Psalms 32:1-7

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. --- Psalm 32:5

The Bible In One Year:
Job 32-33
Acts 14

The rubber plant I bought for my wife Dorothy added a touch of life to our home. But one morning its leaves were dropping as if in a state of dejetion. I wondered what happened.

When I came home for lunch that noon, the plant was completely transformed. It looked as hearty as it did the day I got it from the store. Its leaves were extended outward once again. When I asked Dorothy about it, she told me of reading a household hint on how to keep plants looking fresh. It stated that dust accumulating on the leaves can actually prevent the light from getting to them, so it's necessary to wipe them off regularly. She had done this and result was amazing.

As we live in this world, tiny "particles" of sin can easily build up in our lives. Resentments, sharp words, impure thoughts, or selfish attitudes all take their toll on our spiritual vitality. Unless they are confessed right away, they begin to form a layer of "dust" that prevents us from experiencing the light of God's grace in our hearts. Those around us will sense that something is wrong.

If the accumulation of unconfessed sin has gathered on your soul, do as David did --- confess it to the Lord [Psalm 32:5]. Wipe off the "dusty leaves" of your life and enjoy once again the glorious sunshine of God's love. --- Dennis De Haan

Before the cross of Him who died,
Behold, I prostrate fall;
Let every sin be brought to Him
And Christ be all in all. --- Bridges

CONFESSION OF SIN LETS THE LIGHT OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS SHINE THROUGH.

Dashboard Dining

Read: Revelation 3:14-22

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. --- Revelation 3:20

The Bible In One Year:
Job 30-31
Acts 13:26-52

The term "dashboard dining" had come to signify the growing practice of eating while driving to save a little time. Popular freeway fare includes yogurt in squeeze tubes, soup in heat-and-sip containers, and small cookies that fit in cup holders. One US consumer products analyst says that people increasingly want food items that can be eaten quickly and easily while on the road. In some cultures, a leisurely meal at a table is becoming an endangered practice.

This eat-and-run mentality can also invade our spiritual thinking. Do we set aside daily time for an unhurried meeting with Jesus? Is our Bible reading and prayer time rushed or relaxed?

The risen Christ told the lukewarm church of Laodicea, "Behold, I stand at the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" [Revelation 3:20]. When we open our hearts in surrender to the Lord, He promises to come in for a meal, not a snack. His offer to dine with us holds the promise of a nourishing meal with relaxed conversation, not a quick hello and goodbye.

While modern culture worships efficiency and speed, God invites us to slow down and sit down for a spiritual feast of fellowship with Him. --- David McCasland

We need to set aside the time
To read God's Word and pray,
And listen for the Spirit's voice
To guide us in His way. --- Sper

TIME IS A FRIEND WHEN YOU USE IT TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS.

The Rights Of God

Read: Isaiah 5:1-7

[God] expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. --- Isaiah 5:2

The Bible In One Year:
Job 28-29
Acts 13:1-25

Isaiah's song picturing Israel as the Lord's vineyard teaches us that God has a right to expect love, worship, and obedience from those He blesses. Unfortunately, like people in Isaiah's day, many of us show little gratitude. And we deliberately break His moral laws. When we behave this way, God has a right to act in judgment.

History reveals that whenever a nation ignores God and rejects His Word, it reaps a bitter harvest.

On this Independence Day, we in the United States are reminded again of the liberties we enjoy. For these we should be deeply grateful. But sometimes we take them for granted, displaying little concern for thosewho are not so abundantly blessed. We are becoming a nation of individuals who selfishly insist on our own rights, making unfair demands on others and not thinking of their welfare.

Worst of all, in this clamor for personal freedom, we hear very little about the rights of God. We should recognize that He is the "Lord of the vineyard." He expects us to produce the fruits of love and obedience instead of the wild grapes of ingratitude and wickedness [Isaiah 5:2].

As we thank God for our rights, let's not forget the rights of God. --- Herb Vander Lugt

So long as faith is kept alive,
Nation and people will survive;
God keep them, always, everywhere:
The hearth, the Book, the place of prayer. --- Anon.

TRUE FREEDOM IS NOT IN HAVING OUR OWN WAY, BUT IN YIELDING TO GOD'S WAY.

A Different Gospel

Read: Galatians 1:6-12

You are turning away so soon ... to a different gospel. --- Galatians 1:6

The Bible In One Year:
Job 25-27
Acts 12

What is the greatest challenge to us as Christians in the 21st century? Is it rampant immorality? Is is divisive social issues? Is it increasing hostility toward God? Those are dangers, for sure, but I would venture to say that our biggest threat is religion --- religion that draws us away from the gospel.

Some religions openly oppose Christ, but others are more subtle. They use language Christians already know, giving their faith a familiar sound. Then they add to it their own twisted brand of thinking.

If such groups sound Christian, how can we know if they are preaching "a different gospel"? [Galatians 1:6]. Here are some false teachings to watch out for.

1. Salvation through anything other than faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross [Acts 4:12].

2. A refusal to see Jesus as the eternal God in the flesh, our only Savior [John 1].

3. Giving more importance to the word of man than to the Word of God [1 Corinthians 2:12-13].

4. Leaders who do not provide Christlike guidance through careful biblical instruction [1 Timothy 4:6; Jude 4].

There are those who want to lead you into another gospel. Learn God's Word, so you won't be deceived. --- Dave Branon

The Word of God provides the light
We need to see the way;
So if we learn what God has said,
We'll not be led astray. --- Sper

APPLY YOURSELF TO THE SCRIPTURES AND THE SCRIPTURES TO YOURSELF.

Foolish Baggage

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us. --- Hebrews 12:1

The Bible In One Year:
Job 22-24
Acts 11

In 1845, the ill-fated Franklin Expedition sailed from England to find a passage across the Arctic Ocean.

The crew loaded their two sailing ships with a lot of things they didn't need: a 1,200-volume library, fine china, crystal goblets, and sterling silverware for each officer with his initials engraved on the handles. Amazingly, each ship took only a 12-day supply of coal for their auxiliary steam engines.

The ships became trapped in vast frozen plains of ice. After several months, Lord Franklin died. The men decided to trek to safety in small groups, but none of them survived.

One story is especially heartbreaking. Two officers pulled a large sled more than 65 miles across the treacherous ice. When rescuers found their bodies, they discovered that the sled was filled with table silver.

Those men contributed to their own demise by carrying what they didn't need. But don't we sometimes do the same? Don't we drag baggage through life that we don't need? Evil thoughts that hinder us. Bad habits that drag us down. Grudges that we won't let go.

Let's determine to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us" [Hebrews 12:1]. --- Dave Egner

The world has lost its transient lure ---
Its evil spell I shun;
I've set my course for higher things
Till earth's brief race is run. --- Bosch

KEEP OUT OF YOUR LIFE ANYTHING THAT WOULD CROWD CHRIST OUT OF YOUR HEART.