Read: Psalm 56
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. --- Psalm 56:3
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 40-41
2 Peter 3
David fled from the home of the priests in Nob with Saul in hot pursuit. He made his way to Gath, the home of his enemies, where he was instantly recognized and brought before King Achish.
David's fame was celebrated everywhere in story and song. He had slain thousands of Philistines [1 Samuel 21:11], a reputation established at the expense of bereaved Philistine women and children. Here was an opportunity to take revenge.
David lost his nerve. In terror, he "pretended madness ...., scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard" [v.13]. Achish dismissed him with contempt: "Shall this fellow come into my house?" [v.15]. Broken and utterly humiliated, David fled to Adullam in Judah. Close by was a hill honeycombed with caves. Into one of those holes he crept --- alone.
As he experienced the solitude of that cave, at the nadir of his life and surrounded by enemies, David began to reflect on God's tender, faithful love. "When I am afraid, I will trust in You," he wrote [Psalm 56:3]. "You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle" [v.8].
Perhaps you're "in a cave" today. You too can say,"In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid" [v.11]. - David Roper
I have no reason to fear,
For Jesus my Savior is near;
I'll trust the Lord and His power
To save and to keep me each hour. --- Hess
LONELINESS IS BEING UNAWARE OF THE ONE WHO IS WITH US EVERYWHERE.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Greater Grace
Read: Romans 3:21-30
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. --- Romans 3:23-24
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 37-39
2 Peter 2
One morning, when our grand-daughter Julia was quite young, she and her Nana were reading the Bible together. They came to the familiar verse, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23].
Julia suddenly jumped up off the sofa and ran to get my father's weathered, marked-up King James Bible that I keep on a shelf in my office and that I had showed her that very morning. "It's very old," I told her solemnly.
She took the ancient Bible in her hand and ran back to Nana, excitedly found Romans 3:23, and read to her, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
"Yep," she said triumphantly, "Says the same thing in this one too!"
Sin has been with us from of old and will be with us as long as we live on this earth. But there is something older than sin --- something that outlasts it. According to the hymn-writer Julia Johnston, it is the "marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!" The hymn concludes, "Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!"
Have you received His grace? --- David Roper
HOW TO RECEIVE GOD'S GRACE
Admit you are a sinner [Romans 3:23].
Believe on Jesus [Romans 10:9-13].
Confess Jesus to others [Matthew 10:32].
GRACE IS INFINITE LOVE EXPRESSING ITSELF IN INFINITE GOODNESS.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. --- Romans 3:23-24
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 37-39
2 Peter 2
One morning, when our grand-daughter Julia was quite young, she and her Nana were reading the Bible together. They came to the familiar verse, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23].
Julia suddenly jumped up off the sofa and ran to get my father's weathered, marked-up King James Bible that I keep on a shelf in my office and that I had showed her that very morning. "It's very old," I told her solemnly.
She took the ancient Bible in her hand and ran back to Nana, excitedly found Romans 3:23, and read to her, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
"Yep," she said triumphantly, "Says the same thing in this one too!"
Sin has been with us from of old and will be with us as long as we live on this earth. But there is something older than sin --- something that outlasts it. According to the hymn-writer Julia Johnston, it is the "marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!" The hymn concludes, "Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!"
Have you received His grace? --- David Roper
HOW TO RECEIVE GOD'S GRACE
Admit you are a sinner [Romans 3:23].
Believe on Jesus [Romans 10:9-13].
Confess Jesus to others [Matthew 10:32].
GRACE IS INFINITE LOVE EXPRESSING ITSELF IN INFINITE GOODNESS.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Accident Or Design?
Read: Romans 1:18-20
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. --- Psalm 19:1
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 35-36
2 Peter 1
The Bible opens with this magnificent statement: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" [Genesis 1:1]. How simple those words are and yet how fathomless!
Dyson Freeman, one of today's most brilliant scientists, writes that nature's laws are marked by "the greatest mathematical simplicity and beauty."
While I am not a scientist or a mathematician, I am intrigued by this statement. If there is no Designer --- no Creator God --- how is it that our universe can be a law-abiding system marked by beauty and simplicity? I wonder, why isn't our universe in chaos?
The only reasonable explanation to me is the God of the Bible. As it says in Romans 1:20, "Since the creation of the world [God's] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that [we] are without excuse."
If it's only the reality of God's existence that explains the whole universe, that must also be true of our lives. We are not accidents but creatures designed by a Maker of limitless power and wisdom. Look for Him in what He has designed --- you'll see Him there. --- Vernon Grounds
So much about His character
God wanted to impart;
Creation shows His handiwork---
His Son reveals His heart. --- Hess
THE DESIGN OF CREATION POINTS TO THE MASTER DESIGNER.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. --- Psalm 19:1
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 35-36
2 Peter 1
The Bible opens with this magnificent statement: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" [Genesis 1:1]. How simple those words are and yet how fathomless!
Dyson Freeman, one of today's most brilliant scientists, writes that nature's laws are marked by "the greatest mathematical simplicity and beauty."
While I am not a scientist or a mathematician, I am intrigued by this statement. If there is no Designer --- no Creator God --- how is it that our universe can be a law-abiding system marked by beauty and simplicity? I wonder, why isn't our universe in chaos?
The only reasonable explanation to me is the God of the Bible. As it says in Romans 1:20, "Since the creation of the world [God's] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that [we] are without excuse."
If it's only the reality of God's existence that explains the whole universe, that must also be true of our lives. We are not accidents but creatures designed by a Maker of limitless power and wisdom. Look for Him in what He has designed --- you'll see Him there. --- Vernon Grounds
So much about His character
God wanted to impart;
Creation shows His handiwork---
His Son reveals His heart. --- Hess
THE DESIGN OF CREATION POINTS TO THE MASTER DESIGNER.
Monday, November 27, 2006
A Refreshing Change
Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! --- 2 Corinthians 9:15
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 33-34
1 Peter 5
Starting each October, catalogs begin to fill up my mailbox advertising clothes, appliances, shoes, candles, books, music --- more than I could ever need or want for myself or for loved ones at Christmas.
But one catalog I received last November was a refreshing change. It was filled with ways people could give to orphans, the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the disabled through an international Christian ministry. The note in the front of the catalog read: "Share the light and love of Jesus Christ with people whose lives are filled with darkness and despair." What a relief to think about something other than buying one more thing for someone who already has so much!
The Macedonian church was an example of generosity [2 Corinthians 8:1-6]. They gave themselves first to the Lord, then to those helping the needy in Jerusalem. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to follow their example and Christ's, who gave Himself and "became poor, that [we] through His poverty might become rich" [v.9].
Do you want a refreshing change this Christmas? Consider new ways to give yourself to the Lord and to those in need. It's a meaningful way to thank God for "His indescribable gift" of salvation through His Son. --- Anne Cetas
The gifts that we may give
And deeds that we may do
Most truly honor Christ
When self is given too. --- D. De Haan
GIVING IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF LOVE.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! --- 2 Corinthians 9:15
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 33-34
1 Peter 5
Starting each October, catalogs begin to fill up my mailbox advertising clothes, appliances, shoes, candles, books, music --- more than I could ever need or want for myself or for loved ones at Christmas.
But one catalog I received last November was a refreshing change. It was filled with ways people could give to orphans, the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the disabled through an international Christian ministry. The note in the front of the catalog read: "Share the light and love of Jesus Christ with people whose lives are filled with darkness and despair." What a relief to think about something other than buying one more thing for someone who already has so much!
The Macedonian church was an example of generosity [2 Corinthians 8:1-6]. They gave themselves first to the Lord, then to those helping the needy in Jerusalem. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to follow their example and Christ's, who gave Himself and "became poor, that [we] through His poverty might become rich" [v.9].
Do you want a refreshing change this Christmas? Consider new ways to give yourself to the Lord and to those in need. It's a meaningful way to thank God for "His indescribable gift" of salvation through His Son. --- Anne Cetas
The gifts that we may give
And deeds that we may do
Most truly honor Christ
When self is given too. --- D. De Haan
GIVING IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF LOVE.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Amazing Grace
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. --- Romans 5:20
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 30-32
1 Peter 4
In the 1700s, John Newton went to sea with his father on a merchant ship. Soon after his father retired, Newton was pressed into service on a warship. Facing intolerable conditions, he deserted and later requested a transfer to a slave ship that was soon to set sail for Africa.
Newton hardened himself to the trafficking of human beings, and eventually he became captain of his own slave ship. On May 10, 1748, however, his life was changed forever. His ship encountered a terrifying, violent storm. Just as it seemed that the vessel would sink, Newton cried aloud, "Lord, have mercy upon us!"
That night in his cabin, he began to reflect upon God's mercy. Through faith in Christ's sacrifice for him, John Newton experienced God's amazing grace in a personal way. In time, he left the slave trade and entered Christian ministry. Although he became a preacher of the gospel, he is most remembered for his much-loved hymn "Amazing Grace." It's an amazing testimony of his own experience.
God's Spirit convicts us of sin and gives us the power to forsake it. When we receive Christ as our Savior, He does for us what we are powerless to do in our own strength. That's amazing grace. --- Dennis Fisher
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. --- Newton
GOD CLAIMS BY GRACE THOSE WHO HAVE NO CLAIM TO GRACE.
Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. --- Romans 5:20
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 30-32
1 Peter 4
In the 1700s, John Newton went to sea with his father on a merchant ship. Soon after his father retired, Newton was pressed into service on a warship. Facing intolerable conditions, he deserted and later requested a transfer to a slave ship that was soon to set sail for Africa.
Newton hardened himself to the trafficking of human beings, and eventually he became captain of his own slave ship. On May 10, 1748, however, his life was changed forever. His ship encountered a terrifying, violent storm. Just as it seemed that the vessel would sink, Newton cried aloud, "Lord, have mercy upon us!"
That night in his cabin, he began to reflect upon God's mercy. Through faith in Christ's sacrifice for him, John Newton experienced God's amazing grace in a personal way. In time, he left the slave trade and entered Christian ministry. Although he became a preacher of the gospel, he is most remembered for his much-loved hymn "Amazing Grace." It's an amazing testimony of his own experience.
God's Spirit convicts us of sin and gives us the power to forsake it. When we receive Christ as our Savior, He does for us what we are powerless to do in our own strength. That's amazing grace. --- Dennis Fisher
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. --- Newton
GOD CLAIMS BY GRACE THOSE WHO HAVE NO CLAIM TO GRACE.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Where Will Death Lead?
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:12-26
The sting of death is sin .... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. --- 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 27-29
1 Peter 3
In AD 410, the Germanic barbarians known as the Goths sacked the city of Rome. During the invasion, many Christians were put to death in hideous and cruel ways.
In the midst of this tragedy, the great theologian Augustine [354-430] wrote his classing The City of God. His reflections, now nearly 16 centuries old, are still fresh today.
Augustine wrote, "The end of life puts the longest life on a par with the shortest .... Death becomes evil only by the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are destined to die need not inquire about what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them."
For those who trust Jesus Christ, death is not a sheriff dragging us off to court, but a servant ushering us into the presence of a loving Lord. The apostle Paul understood this. He looked at life and death from Christ's perspective. Since he knew where death from Christ's perspective. Since he knew where death would take him, he could boldly declare, "Death is swallowed up in victory" [1 Corinthians 15:54].
Every Christian can have that same courage. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we who place our faith in Him can look at death not as a period but a comma that precedes a glorious eternity with our Lord. --- Haddon Robinson
We never have seen, nor heard, nor imagined
The wonderful future the Lord has prepared
For those who will love and trust and receive Him ---
This glorious truth He has plainly declared. --- Hess
DEATH IS NOT A PERIOD --- IT'S ONLY A COMMA.
The sting of death is sin .... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. --- 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 27-29
1 Peter 3
In AD 410, the Germanic barbarians known as the Goths sacked the city of Rome. During the invasion, many Christians were put to death in hideous and cruel ways.
In the midst of this tragedy, the great theologian Augustine [354-430] wrote his classing The City of God. His reflections, now nearly 16 centuries old, are still fresh today.
Augustine wrote, "The end of life puts the longest life on a par with the shortest .... Death becomes evil only by the retribution which follows it. They, then, who are destined to die need not inquire about what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them."
For those who trust Jesus Christ, death is not a sheriff dragging us off to court, but a servant ushering us into the presence of a loving Lord. The apostle Paul understood this. He looked at life and death from Christ's perspective. Since he knew where death from Christ's perspective. Since he knew where death would take him, he could boldly declare, "Death is swallowed up in victory" [1 Corinthians 15:54].
Every Christian can have that same courage. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we who place our faith in Him can look at death not as a period but a comma that precedes a glorious eternity with our Lord. --- Haddon Robinson
We never have seen, nor heard, nor imagined
The wonderful future the Lord has prepared
For those who will love and trust and receive Him ---
This glorious truth He has plainly declared. --- Hess
DEATH IS NOT A PERIOD --- IT'S ONLY A COMMA.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Love Goes Beyond Liking
Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and will all your strength. --- Deuteronomy 6:5
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 24-26
1 Peter 2
From childhood on, we are urged to show love, whether it's for parents or pets or friends, and especially for Jesus. But what is love?
We think of love as an emotion, a tender feeling, a positive reaction. So when Scripture commands us to love God and our neighbor, we may be confused about the meaning of love [Matthew 22:37-40].
Feelings simply cannot be commanded. A mother can order her child to love spinach, but she can't compel him to react positively when faced with a helping of that green vegetable.
So love must be more than an emotion. An old translation of our Lord's command may help us to understand love as an action that we choose: "Thou shall love ...." It's choosing to be patient, kind, self-less, and humble [1 Corinthians 13:4-5]. We can love others even though we may not like them, because it's a matter of making a choice.
Yes, we can respond obediently to what our Savior directs us to do. He knows, though, that we are not capable of doing this on our own. That's why He's given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to a life of loving obedience. With His help, we can learn to love those we don't like. Who knows? We may even begin to like them. --- Vernon Grounds
O Lord, how often selfishness
Will raise its ugly head,
So help us, Lord, to conquer it
And show Your love instead. --- D. De Haan
LOVING OTHERS REQUIRES A HEART OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and will all your strength. --- Deuteronomy 6:5
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 24-26
1 Peter 2
From childhood on, we are urged to show love, whether it's for parents or pets or friends, and especially for Jesus. But what is love?
We think of love as an emotion, a tender feeling, a positive reaction. So when Scripture commands us to love God and our neighbor, we may be confused about the meaning of love [Matthew 22:37-40].
Feelings simply cannot be commanded. A mother can order her child to love spinach, but she can't compel him to react positively when faced with a helping of that green vegetable.
So love must be more than an emotion. An old translation of our Lord's command may help us to understand love as an action that we choose: "Thou shall love ...." It's choosing to be patient, kind, self-less, and humble [1 Corinthians 13:4-5]. We can love others even though we may not like them, because it's a matter of making a choice.
Yes, we can respond obediently to what our Savior directs us to do. He knows, though, that we are not capable of doing this on our own. That's why He's given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to a life of loving obedience. With His help, we can learn to love those we don't like. Who knows? We may even begin to like them. --- Vernon Grounds
O Lord, how often selfishness
Will raise its ugly head,
So help us, Lord, to conquer it
And show Your love instead. --- D. De Haan
LOVING OTHERS REQUIRES A HEART OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
A Lost Art
Read: Colossians 1:9-14
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, ... and be thankful. --- Colossians 3:15
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 22-23
1 Peter 1
The apostle Paul had never been to the church in Colosse, but he had heard all about it from Epaphras. He knew it was a church under attack by false teachers, so he prayed fervently for this congregation [Colossians 1:9-14; 2:4-7].
Among his requests, Paul asked that they would give joyful thanks to the Father because He had rescued them, moving them from the kingdom of His Son [1:12-13]. We too need to be thankful for what Christ has done for us.
Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersbe illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him.
Let's take time often to recall how God has rescued us from eternal death and has given us eternal life through His Son. Let's make certain that we never allow thanking the Father to become a lost art. --- Dave Egner
Give me a spirit of thankfulness, Lord,
For numberless blessings given;
Blessings that daily come to me
Like dewdrops falling from heaven. --- Dawe
WITH PRACTICE, ANYONE CAN MASTER THE ART OF THANKFULNESS.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, ... and be thankful. --- Colossians 3:15
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 22-23
1 Peter 1
The apostle Paul had never been to the church in Colosse, but he had heard all about it from Epaphras. He knew it was a church under attack by false teachers, so he prayed fervently for this congregation [Colossians 1:9-14; 2:4-7].
Among his requests, Paul asked that they would give joyful thanks to the Father because He had rescued them, moving them from the kingdom of His Son [1:12-13]. We too need to be thankful for what Christ has done for us.
Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersbe illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him.
Let's take time often to recall how God has rescued us from eternal death and has given us eternal life through His Son. Let's make certain that we never allow thanking the Father to become a lost art. --- Dave Egner
Give me a spirit of thankfulness, Lord,
For numberless blessings given;
Blessings that daily come to me
Like dewdrops falling from heaven. --- Dawe
WITH PRACTICE, ANYONE CAN MASTER THE ART OF THANKFULNESS.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Good Workers
Read: Exodus 35:30-36:1
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. --- Proverbs 22:29
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 20-21
James 5
During the early years of our marriage, my wife and I attempted to wallpaper our dingy Chicago apartment. We completed the project, but not without a great deal of difficulty. At one point I even had to remove a poorly-hung section of paper and go to the store to buy more. I learned to appreciate someone who could do a job like wallpapering with skill.
I marvel when I see a carpenter make things fit without measuring and remeasuring again and again. I admire the truck driver who masterfully backs his big rig into a tight space more easily than I do a small trailer on a 16-foot-wide driveway. I take my hat off to the plumber who so easily and good-naturedly installed a water heater in a small, seemingly inaccessible area --- especially when I think of all the frustration I experienced when trying to attach a simple water filter.
We read in today's Scripture about the skilled designers and weavers who helped construct the tabernacle. Proverbs 22:29 says that a person who excels in his work "will stand before kings." And Paul wrote, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" [Colossians 3:23].
God is pleased with work done well. He honors good workers, and so should we. --- Herb Vander Lugt
O Lord, I ask for strength to do
The task that You've assigned;
Help me to work with diligence,
Lest Your name be maligned. --- Fasick
WORK DONE WELL WILL RECEIVE GOD'S "WELL DONE!"
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. --- Proverbs 22:29
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 20-21
James 5
During the early years of our marriage, my wife and I attempted to wallpaper our dingy Chicago apartment. We completed the project, but not without a great deal of difficulty. At one point I even had to remove a poorly-hung section of paper and go to the store to buy more. I learned to appreciate someone who could do a job like wallpapering with skill.
I marvel when I see a carpenter make things fit without measuring and remeasuring again and again. I admire the truck driver who masterfully backs his big rig into a tight space more easily than I do a small trailer on a 16-foot-wide driveway. I take my hat off to the plumber who so easily and good-naturedly installed a water heater in a small, seemingly inaccessible area --- especially when I think of all the frustration I experienced when trying to attach a simple water filter.
We read in today's Scripture about the skilled designers and weavers who helped construct the tabernacle. Proverbs 22:29 says that a person who excels in his work "will stand before kings." And Paul wrote, "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" [Colossians 3:23].
God is pleased with work done well. He honors good workers, and so should we. --- Herb Vander Lugt
O Lord, I ask for strength to do
The task that You've assigned;
Help me to work with diligence,
Lest Your name be maligned. --- Fasick
WORK DONE WELL WILL RECEIVE GOD'S "WELL DONE!"
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Difficult Days
Read: Psalm 23:1-6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. --- Psalm 23:6
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 18-19
James 4
We buried my wife's father 2 days before Thanksgiving, and every year the holiday is tinged with the sorrow of losing him. No doubt your calendar contains some of these difficult days that roll around once a year, bringing fresh reminders of losses that still hurt and people you still miss. A Wall Street Journal article calls these dates "emotional land mines" and says they may be even more difficult to face when they coincide with national holidays or anniversaries of significant events.
Grief counselors point out that taking a positive step can help us deal with grief. One year we planted a tree to mark the anniversary of a parent's death and the birth of a grandson on the same day. A scholarship fund or a memorial gift can benefit others while honoring the memory of a loved one. But a deep healing of spirit is a gift from God.
You may know Psalm 23 by heart, but try reading it with new eyes today. This familiar passage of comfort proclaims: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" [v.6]. Not just some of the days --- all the days.
When we traverse the emotional minefield of painful memories, the Good Shepherd is with us o every difficult day. --- David McCasland
Savior, please stay close beside,
Be my comfort, Lord, and guide,
When I'm troubled, tempted, tried,
May Your love and grace abide. --- Brandt
THE SWEETEST EXPERIENCE OF GOD'S LOVE CAN BE FOUND IN TIMES OF SORROW.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. --- Psalm 23:6
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 18-19
James 4
We buried my wife's father 2 days before Thanksgiving, and every year the holiday is tinged with the sorrow of losing him. No doubt your calendar contains some of these difficult days that roll around once a year, bringing fresh reminders of losses that still hurt and people you still miss. A Wall Street Journal article calls these dates "emotional land mines" and says they may be even more difficult to face when they coincide with national holidays or anniversaries of significant events.
Grief counselors point out that taking a positive step can help us deal with grief. One year we planted a tree to mark the anniversary of a parent's death and the birth of a grandson on the same day. A scholarship fund or a memorial gift can benefit others while honoring the memory of a loved one. But a deep healing of spirit is a gift from God.
You may know Psalm 23 by heart, but try reading it with new eyes today. This familiar passage of comfort proclaims: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" [v.6]. Not just some of the days --- all the days.
When we traverse the emotional minefield of painful memories, the Good Shepherd is with us o every difficult day. --- David McCasland
Savior, please stay close beside,
Be my comfort, Lord, and guide,
When I'm troubled, tempted, tried,
May Your love and grace abide. --- Brandt
THE SWEETEST EXPERIENCE OF GOD'S LOVE CAN BE FOUND IN TIMES OF SORROW.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Let Go!
Read: Hebrews 3:7-19
Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. --- Hebrews 3:15
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 16-17
James 3
A 14-year-old North Carolina boy refused to stop playing his Nintendo Game Boy during school hours. The principal was called in and he still refused to stop. When the school liaison officer tried to search him, the teen kicked and punched him. The police were summoned, yet the boy adamantly resisted. Only after the officers gave him two shocks from a Taser gun were they able to remove the toy from him. He was uninjured, but one officer was bitten by the boy.
How can someone be so obstinate! Consider Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to let God's people go despite numerous plagues [Exodus 5-9]. Only after the seventh plague did Pharaoh begin to relent [9:27-28].
Pharaoh was foolish to harden his heart against God. Yet look at who hardened their hearts in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:15-16 says, "If you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?" Even those who had seen God's deliverance from slavery in Egypt rebelled against Him!
Today, let us ponder whether God is speaking to us. Could it be that we are clinging to some "toy" and refusing to let Him be Lord of our lives? --- Albert Lee
Dear Lord, help us when we don't know what to do.
Help us most of all when we know what to do but don't
want to do it. May it never be said that we cling tightly
to what displeases You. Amen.
GOD MUST RULE OUR HEARTS IF OUR FEET ARE TO WALK HIS WAY.
Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. --- Hebrews 3:15
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 16-17
James 3
A 14-year-old North Carolina boy refused to stop playing his Nintendo Game Boy during school hours. The principal was called in and he still refused to stop. When the school liaison officer tried to search him, the teen kicked and punched him. The police were summoned, yet the boy adamantly resisted. Only after the officers gave him two shocks from a Taser gun were they able to remove the toy from him. He was uninjured, but one officer was bitten by the boy.
How can someone be so obstinate! Consider Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to let God's people go despite numerous plagues [Exodus 5-9]. Only after the seventh plague did Pharaoh begin to relent [9:27-28].
Pharaoh was foolish to harden his heart against God. Yet look at who hardened their hearts in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:15-16 says, "If you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?" Even those who had seen God's deliverance from slavery in Egypt rebelled against Him!
Today, let us ponder whether God is speaking to us. Could it be that we are clinging to some "toy" and refusing to let Him be Lord of our lives? --- Albert Lee
Dear Lord, help us when we don't know what to do.
Help us most of all when we know what to do but don't
want to do it. May it never be said that we cling tightly
to what displeases You. Amen.
GOD MUST RULE OUR HEARTS IF OUR FEET ARE TO WALK HIS WAY.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Don't Make News!
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
You should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. --- 1 Thessalonians 4:1
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 14-15
James 2
A story in our local newspaper reported that a $1.73 billion highway and mass transit project in Denver, Colorado, was nearing completion on schedule and within the budget. But the story wasn't on the front page. In fact, it was tucked into a sidebar of brief summaries in small type on page 3 of the local news section. If the project had been plagued by fraud, delays, and cost overruns, no doubt it would have been headline news.
I've decided that "Don't Make News" might be a good motto in life. If we lie, cheat, and steal, that's news. If we live honestly and morally, we can have an unnoticed yet effective spiritual influence on people around us.
When Paul commended the Christians in Thessalonians for showing love toward each other, he urged them, "Aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands ... that you may walk properly toward those who are outside" [1 Thessalonians 4:11-12].
Since our goal is to please God in everything we do [v.1], it makes no difference whether anyone applauds our actions or not. We are called to be faithful, not famous. Bad behavior sells newspaper. Honesty and integrity honor the Lord. Don't make news! --- David McCasland
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,
I'd rather be true to His holy name. --- Miller
THE WORLD'S APPLAUSE CANNOT COMPARE TO THE LORD'S APPROVAL.
You should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. --- 1 Thessalonians 4:1
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 14-15
James 2
A story in our local newspaper reported that a $1.73 billion highway and mass transit project in Denver, Colorado, was nearing completion on schedule and within the budget. But the story wasn't on the front page. In fact, it was tucked into a sidebar of brief summaries in small type on page 3 of the local news section. If the project had been plagued by fraud, delays, and cost overruns, no doubt it would have been headline news.
I've decided that "Don't Make News" might be a good motto in life. If we lie, cheat, and steal, that's news. If we live honestly and morally, we can have an unnoticed yet effective spiritual influence on people around us.
When Paul commended the Christians in Thessalonians for showing love toward each other, he urged them, "Aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands ... that you may walk properly toward those who are outside" [1 Thessalonians 4:11-12].
Since our goal is to please God in everything we do [v.1], it makes no difference whether anyone applauds our actions or not. We are called to be faithful, not famous. Bad behavior sells newspaper. Honesty and integrity honor the Lord. Don't make news! --- David McCasland
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,
I'd rather be true to His holy name. --- Miller
THE WORLD'S APPLAUSE CANNOT COMPARE TO THE LORD'S APPROVAL.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Reach Out To The Young
Read: Mark 10:13-16
[Jesus] took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. --- Mark 10:16
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 11-13
James 1
Darmeisha didn't like the neighbor woman Suzanne, but she still knocked at her door frequently. She was an unhappy 8-year-old who seemed to enjoy mocking people. Most of their conversations ended with Suzanne telling her that she needed to go home.
Suzanne didn't like Darmeisha, but she knew the little girl had reasons for her attitude --- living in poverty, having no father in her life, and being neglected by her mother. So Suzanne asked the Lord to help her love Darmeisha. She began greeting her with a smile and showing an interest in her life. Darmeisha gradually warmed up to her and they became friends.
The girl is 13 now, and they are having a Bible study together. They talk about what it means to follow Jesus, because Darmeisha has given her life to Him.
Jesus took time for children. He was "greatly displeased" when the disciples wanted to keep the little ones away from Him, and He said, "Let the children come to Me, and do not forbid them" [Mark 10:13-14]]. He even said that we all must receive His kingdom as children do [v.15].
A 2004 Barna survey showed that 85 percent of Christians began their relationship with Jesus before age 14. So take time for the children. Reach out to the young. --- Anne Cetas
To those who are teaching the gospel,
With love in their hearts for its truth,
Comes the gentle reminder from heaven,
"Forget not the children and youth." --- Anon.
STRONG FAITH IS OFTEN FOUND IN THE HEART OF A CHILD.
[Jesus] took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. --- Mark 10:16
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 11-13
James 1
Darmeisha didn't like the neighbor woman Suzanne, but she still knocked at her door frequently. She was an unhappy 8-year-old who seemed to enjoy mocking people. Most of their conversations ended with Suzanne telling her that she needed to go home.
Suzanne didn't like Darmeisha, but she knew the little girl had reasons for her attitude --- living in poverty, having no father in her life, and being neglected by her mother. So Suzanne asked the Lord to help her love Darmeisha. She began greeting her with a smile and showing an interest in her life. Darmeisha gradually warmed up to her and they became friends.
The girl is 13 now, and they are having a Bible study together. They talk about what it means to follow Jesus, because Darmeisha has given her life to Him.
Jesus took time for children. He was "greatly displeased" when the disciples wanted to keep the little ones away from Him, and He said, "Let the children come to Me, and do not forbid them" [Mark 10:13-14]]. He even said that we all must receive His kingdom as children do [v.15].
A 2004 Barna survey showed that 85 percent of Christians began their relationship with Jesus before age 14. So take time for the children. Reach out to the young. --- Anne Cetas
To those who are teaching the gospel,
With love in their hearts for its truth,
Comes the gentle reminder from heaven,
"Forget not the children and youth." --- Anon.
STRONG FAITH IS OFTEN FOUND IN THE HEART OF A CHILD.
Friday, November 17, 2006
A World In Labor
Read: Romans 8:18-25
The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. --- Romans 8:22
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 8-10
Hebrews 13
Every now and then the earth lets out a moan. Sometimes it's more of a scream, like a mother giving birth.
The apostle Paul said that "the whole creation groans and labors" [Romans 8:22]. These groans often take the form of earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, or tsunamis.
A song by Sarah McLachlan speaks to this instability and the often tragic results of such geologic flailing. Called "World On Fire," one verse describes dealing with tragedy this way:
"I watch the heavens and I find a calling; something I can do to change this moment. Stay close to me while the sky is falling; don't want to be left alone."
We aren't alone in longing for Jesus, our Savior, to return. As we wait, He is our constant companion. Like the earth, we rant and rave for God to make things right. We as His followers are called to wait "with perseverance" [v.25] in spite of our earhtly uncertainties. Someday all of creation "will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" [v.21].
Jesus said that He would be with us always, "even to the end of the age" [Matthew 28:20]. And we can trust Him to keep His word. --- Dale Beaver
When earthquakes and calamities
Increasingly appear,
Look up, trust God, He's in control ---
Redemption's drawing near. --- Hess
JESUS MAKES POSSIBLE OUR NEW BIRTH AND NATURE'S REBIRTH.
The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. --- Romans 8:22
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 8-10
Hebrews 13
Every now and then the earth lets out a moan. Sometimes it's more of a scream, like a mother giving birth.
The apostle Paul said that "the whole creation groans and labors" [Romans 8:22]. These groans often take the form of earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, or tsunamis.
A song by Sarah McLachlan speaks to this instability and the often tragic results of such geologic flailing. Called "World On Fire," one verse describes dealing with tragedy this way:
"I watch the heavens and I find a calling; something I can do to change this moment. Stay close to me while the sky is falling; don't want to be left alone."
We aren't alone in longing for Jesus, our Savior, to return. As we wait, He is our constant companion. Like the earth, we rant and rave for God to make things right. We as His followers are called to wait "with perseverance" [v.25] in spite of our earhtly uncertainties. Someday all of creation "will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" [v.21].
Jesus said that He would be with us always, "even to the end of the age" [Matthew 28:20]. And we can trust Him to keep His word. --- Dale Beaver
When earthquakes and calamities
Increasingly appear,
Look up, trust God, He's in control ---
Redemption's drawing near. --- Hess
JESUS MAKES POSSIBLE OUR NEW BIRTH AND NATURE'S REBIRTH.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Seven "Ones"
Read: Ephesians 4:1-7
[Endeavor] to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. --- Ephesians 4:3
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 5-7
Hebrews 12
Have you ever worked at a job where you felt a strong bond with your co-workers? Perhaps you were united by a sense of mission, or by a respect for your boss, or by the belief that a prosperous company will benefit everyone financially. The more points of agreement among members of a group, the more they will be unified, the better they will perform, and the less likely they will be to fight among themselves.
Christians have a built-in list of unifiers that can keep them working together with a oneness of spirit. In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul listed seven uniting "ones." Think of how helpful they can be to any group of believers working together on the same project:
One body --- we are a single family unified for one purpose
One Spirit --- we all have the Spirit as our power source
One hope --- we all look forward to the same future
One Lord --- we all trust the same Person in charge
One faith --- we all trust Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation
One baptism --- we all have a single identity
One God and Father --- we all share the same source of our existence.
What a difference it would make if we all cold dwell on those seven "ones." --- Dave Branon
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love!
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above. --- Fawcett
FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT UNITES THEM, NOT ON WHAT DIVIDES THEM.
[Endeavor] to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. --- Ephesians 4:3
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 5-7
Hebrews 12
Have you ever worked at a job where you felt a strong bond with your co-workers? Perhaps you were united by a sense of mission, or by a respect for your boss, or by the belief that a prosperous company will benefit everyone financially. The more points of agreement among members of a group, the more they will be unified, the better they will perform, and the less likely they will be to fight among themselves.
Christians have a built-in list of unifiers that can keep them working together with a oneness of spirit. In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul listed seven uniting "ones." Think of how helpful they can be to any group of believers working together on the same project:
One body --- we are a single family unified for one purpose
One Spirit --- we all have the Spirit as our power source
One hope --- we all look forward to the same future
One Lord --- we all trust the same Person in charge
One faith --- we all trust Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation
One baptism --- we all have a single identity
One God and Father --- we all share the same source of our existence.
What a difference it would make if we all cold dwell on those seven "ones." --- Dave Branon
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love!
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above. --- Fawcett
FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT UNITES THEM, NOT ON WHAT DIVIDES THEM.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Speak And Do
Read: James 3:13-18
The wisdom that is from above is ... without hypocrisy. --- James 3:17
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 3-4
Hebrews 11:20-40
In ancient Greek dramas, a person behind a curtain spoke the lines while the performer on stage acted out the role. We might refer to the speaker behind the scenes as one who didn't "practice what he preached."
This person behind the curtain reminds me of a problem we as Christians experience today. Many of us are skilled at sounding religious, but we don't put our words into action. This is hypocrisy.
When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of our "audience." That's why many nonbelievers do not take the gospel message seriously.
A Christian who makes the greatest impact on a watching world, and who furthers the cause of Christ, is one whose actions harmonize with his words. When James spoke of the "wisdom that is from above," he described it as "pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" [James 3:17].
Our role as Christians is vastly different from the ancient Greek actors. They had speakers who didn't do, and doers who didn't speak. We are to be people who speak and do the truth. --- Richard De Haan
You're writing a "gospel," a chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do, by the worlds that you say;
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true ---
Say, what is the "gospel" according to you? --- Gilbert
WHEN WORDS AND ACTIONS AGREE, THE MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR.
The wisdom that is from above is ... without hypocrisy. --- James 3:17
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 3-4
Hebrews 11:20-40
In ancient Greek dramas, a person behind a curtain spoke the lines while the performer on stage acted out the role. We might refer to the speaker behind the scenes as one who didn't "practice what he preached."
This person behind the curtain reminds me of a problem we as Christians experience today. Many of us are skilled at sounding religious, but we don't put our words into action. This is hypocrisy.
When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of our "audience." That's why many nonbelievers do not take the gospel message seriously.
A Christian who makes the greatest impact on a watching world, and who furthers the cause of Christ, is one whose actions harmonize with his words. When James spoke of the "wisdom that is from above," he described it as "pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" [James 3:17].
Our role as Christians is vastly different from the ancient Greek actors. They had speakers who didn't do, and doers who didn't speak. We are to be people who speak and do the truth. --- Richard De Haan
You're writing a "gospel," a chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do, by the worlds that you say;
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true ---
Say, what is the "gospel" according to you? --- Gilbert
WHEN WORDS AND ACTIONS AGREE, THE MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The Right Focus
Read: Psalm 90
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. --- Psalm 90:12
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 1-2
Hebrews 11:1-19
We call life's older years the "sunset years." But are they really that rosy? For some, they are. But for many others, even Christians, the sunset years may become clouded with bitterness or despair.
To minimize this, we must make it our goal early in life to get the right focus. Robert Kastenbaum understood this. He wrote, "I do feel an increased sense of responsibility to this future self and to all those who cross my path. What kind of old man will I be, given the chance? The answer to that question depends largely on the kind of person I am right now."
As I have observed contented older people, I've learned that it is our focus more than our feelings that determines the sort of people we are. I once visited a godly woman in her nineties who was feeling her age in every joint and organ. "Old age ain't for sissies!" she groaned honestly. Then, as always, her groans gave way to praise for God's goodness. A focus of gratitude, begun early in life, parted the clouds and let the sun shine through.
What is your focus today, regardless of your feelings? Is it one of gratitude for Jesus and His gift of eternal life? If so, you'll grow sweeter as you grow older. --- Joanie Yoder
We can be young in heart and mind,
To others we can yet be kind,
Sing songs of praise to God through tears,
And grow in grace through all our years. --- Zimmerman
WHAT YOU WILL BE TOMORROW DEPENDS ON THE CHOICES YOU MAKE TODAY.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. --- Psalm 90:12
The Bible In One Year:
Ezekiel 1-2
Hebrews 11:1-19
We call life's older years the "sunset years." But are they really that rosy? For some, they are. But for many others, even Christians, the sunset years may become clouded with bitterness or despair.
To minimize this, we must make it our goal early in life to get the right focus. Robert Kastenbaum understood this. He wrote, "I do feel an increased sense of responsibility to this future self and to all those who cross my path. What kind of old man will I be, given the chance? The answer to that question depends largely on the kind of person I am right now."
As I have observed contented older people, I've learned that it is our focus more than our feelings that determines the sort of people we are. I once visited a godly woman in her nineties who was feeling her age in every joint and organ. "Old age ain't for sissies!" she groaned honestly. Then, as always, her groans gave way to praise for God's goodness. A focus of gratitude, begun early in life, parted the clouds and let the sun shine through.
What is your focus today, regardless of your feelings? Is it one of gratitude for Jesus and His gift of eternal life? If so, you'll grow sweeter as you grow older. --- Joanie Yoder
We can be young in heart and mind,
To others we can yet be kind,
Sing songs of praise to God through tears,
And grow in grace through all our years. --- Zimmerman
WHAT YOU WILL BE TOMORROW DEPENDS ON THE CHOICES YOU MAKE TODAY.
Monday, November 13, 2006
A Past Is Gone
Read: Acts 13:36-41
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. --- Romans 8:1
The Bible In One Year:
Lamentations 3-5
Hebrews 10:19-39
According to the English novelist Aldous Huxley, "There are no back moves on the chessboard of life." Yet we remain aware of things we have done and things we have left undone. Our sins worry us. They motivate us to wish fervently that somehow we could undo the past.
That's why those who put their faith in Jesus can be thankful for God's message in both the Old and New Testaments. When Paul preached in Antioch, he said, "By [Jesus], everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" [Acts 13:39]. The law condemned us [Romans 7:10-11], but Jesus offers deliverance and new life [8:1].
Are you worried about what you've done in the past? Rejoice! God has "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" [Micah 7:19]. Are you still concerned about your sins? Rejoice! "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember so more" [Hebrews 10:17]. And "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions" [Isaiah 44:22].
If you have put your faith in Jesus and asked Him to forgive you, the past is truly forgotten. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" [Psalm 103:12]. Trust and rejoice! --- Vernon Grounds
My sin --- O, the bliss of this glorious thought ---
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. --- Spafford
GOD'S FORGIVENESS FREES US FROM THE CHAINS OF REGRET
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. --- Romans 8:1
The Bible In One Year:
Lamentations 3-5
Hebrews 10:19-39
According to the English novelist Aldous Huxley, "There are no back moves on the chessboard of life." Yet we remain aware of things we have done and things we have left undone. Our sins worry us. They motivate us to wish fervently that somehow we could undo the past.
That's why those who put their faith in Jesus can be thankful for God's message in both the Old and New Testaments. When Paul preached in Antioch, he said, "By [Jesus], everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" [Acts 13:39]. The law condemned us [Romans 7:10-11], but Jesus offers deliverance and new life [8:1].
Are you worried about what you've done in the past? Rejoice! God has "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" [Micah 7:19]. Are you still concerned about your sins? Rejoice! "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember so more" [Hebrews 10:17]. And "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions" [Isaiah 44:22].
If you have put your faith in Jesus and asked Him to forgive you, the past is truly forgotten. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" [Psalm 103:12]. Trust and rejoice! --- Vernon Grounds
My sin --- O, the bliss of this glorious thought ---
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. --- Spafford
GOD'S FORGIVENESS FREES US FROM THE CHAINS OF REGRET
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Tuned In
Read: Acts 10:1-23
While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you." --- Acts 10:19
The Bible In One Year:
Lamentations 1-2
Hebrews 10:1-18
God speaks to us primarily through His Word, the Bible. Sometimes, however, He directs in ways we do not expect.
Gary Dougherty, a co-worker at RBC Ministries, was walking home from church one evening when he saw a young man coming from the opposite direction. A strong urge came over Gary to talk with him about becoming a Christian. He hesitated at first, but then he said to this total stranger, "Pardon me, but I believe God wants me to tell you how to become a Christian."
"I just asked my girlfriend's mother that question," said the man, "but she didn't know." "You mean you want to become a Christian?" Gary asked. "Yes, I do!" he replied. Still incredulous, Gary asked him again and then shared the plan of salvation with him. That night a young man met Jesus as his Savior.
Some might call this a coincidence, but there's a biblical parallel in Acts 10 with Cornelius and Peter, two men who were in touch with God's Spirit.
Not all believers have equally dramatic experiences. But if God's Word, prayer, and obedience are a daily part of our lives, we will be tuned in to the Spirit's leading and be ready to convey God's love to others. --- Dennis De Haan
Father, thank You for Your Spirit,
Fill us with His love and power;
Change us into Christ's own image
Day by day and hour by hour. --- Anon.
WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD, HE OPENS YOUR EYES TO THE LOST.
While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you." --- Acts 10:19
The Bible In One Year:
Lamentations 1-2
Hebrews 10:1-18
God speaks to us primarily through His Word, the Bible. Sometimes, however, He directs in ways we do not expect.
Gary Dougherty, a co-worker at RBC Ministries, was walking home from church one evening when he saw a young man coming from the opposite direction. A strong urge came over Gary to talk with him about becoming a Christian. He hesitated at first, but then he said to this total stranger, "Pardon me, but I believe God wants me to tell you how to become a Christian."
"I just asked my girlfriend's mother that question," said the man, "but she didn't know." "You mean you want to become a Christian?" Gary asked. "Yes, I do!" he replied. Still incredulous, Gary asked him again and then shared the plan of salvation with him. That night a young man met Jesus as his Savior.
Some might call this a coincidence, but there's a biblical parallel in Acts 10 with Cornelius and Peter, two men who were in touch with God's Spirit.
Not all believers have equally dramatic experiences. But if God's Word, prayer, and obedience are a daily part of our lives, we will be tuned in to the Spirit's leading and be ready to convey God's love to others. --- Dennis De Haan
Father, thank You for Your Spirit,
Fill us with His love and power;
Change us into Christ's own image
Day by day and hour by hour. --- Anon.
WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD, HE OPENS YOUR EYES TO THE LOST.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Our Father's Love
Read: Hosea 11
I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love. --- Hosea 11:4
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 51-52
Hebrews 9
A young Christian dad took his parenting role seriously. When his son was an infant, he protected him. As the boy grew, his dad played ball with him, encouraged him, and tried to teach him about God and life. But in his teen years, the boy went too far and too fast in his move toward independence.
Like the prodigal son in Luke 15, he rejected his father's values. He made foolish decisions and got into trouble. The father was deeply disappointed, but he never gave up on him. "No matter what he's done," he said, "he's still my son. I'll never stop loving him. He'll always be welcome in my house." The joyful day finally came when father and son were reunited.
The people in Hosea's day followed a similar pattern. Although God had rescued them from Egypt and nourished them, they turned their backs on Him. They insulted His name by worshiping the gods of the Canaanites. But still God loved them and longed for their return [Hosea 11:8].
Do you fear that you may have strayed too far from God to be restored? He who saved and cares for you longs for your return. His arms are open in forgiveness and acceptance. He will never drive you away.
How glad we can be for our Father's love! --- Dave Egner
I've found a Friend, O such a Friend!
He loved me ere I knew Him;
He drew me with the cords of love,
And thus He bound me to Him. --- Small
GOD'S LOVE HAS NO LIMITS.
I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love. --- Hosea 11:4
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 51-52
Hebrews 9
A young Christian dad took his parenting role seriously. When his son was an infant, he protected him. As the boy grew, his dad played ball with him, encouraged him, and tried to teach him about God and life. But in his teen years, the boy went too far and too fast in his move toward independence.
Like the prodigal son in Luke 15, he rejected his father's values. He made foolish decisions and got into trouble. The father was deeply disappointed, but he never gave up on him. "No matter what he's done," he said, "he's still my son. I'll never stop loving him. He'll always be welcome in my house." The joyful day finally came when father and son were reunited.
The people in Hosea's day followed a similar pattern. Although God had rescued them from Egypt and nourished them, they turned their backs on Him. They insulted His name by worshiping the gods of the Canaanites. But still God loved them and longed for their return [Hosea 11:8].
Do you fear that you may have strayed too far from God to be restored? He who saved and cares for you longs for your return. His arms are open in forgiveness and acceptance. He will never drive you away.
How glad we can be for our Father's love! --- Dave Egner
I've found a Friend, O such a Friend!
He loved me ere I knew Him;
He drew me with the cords of love,
And thus He bound me to Him. --- Small
GOD'S LOVE HAS NO LIMITS.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Ordinary People
Read: Acts 4:1-21
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. --- Acts 4:13
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 50
Hebrews 8
Bestselling novelish Arthur Hailey [1920-2004] once said of his characters, "I don't think I really invented anybody. I have drawn on real life." When readers open a book by the British author, they encounter ordinary people whom the writer has placed in extraordinary situations.
In Acts 4 we find ordinary people, including the fishermen Peter and John, whom God placed in unexpected situations as witnesses to the reality of the risen Christ. These men, who had fled when Jesus was arrested, were now boldly facing threats and punishment for telling others about Him.
Even the authorities who opposed these followers of Jesus were astonished "when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men ... And they realized that they had been with Jesus" [v.13].
Most of us are ordinary people in a real life of work, relationships, and everyday circumstances. Our opportunities to demonstrated the reality of Christ may sometimes come disguised as difficulties, as they did for the disciples in Acts.
As ordinary people, we can have an extraordinary impact for Christ if we will trust the Author of our circumstances and rely on the Holy Spirit's power --- David McCasland
Just what do Christians look like?
What sets their lives apart?
They're ordinary people
Who love God from the heart. --- D. De Haan
GOD IS LOOKING FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO EXTRAORDINARY WORK.
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. --- Acts 4:13
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 50
Hebrews 8
Bestselling novelish Arthur Hailey [1920-2004] once said of his characters, "I don't think I really invented anybody. I have drawn on real life." When readers open a book by the British author, they encounter ordinary people whom the writer has placed in extraordinary situations.
In Acts 4 we find ordinary people, including the fishermen Peter and John, whom God placed in unexpected situations as witnesses to the reality of the risen Christ. These men, who had fled when Jesus was arrested, were now boldly facing threats and punishment for telling others about Him.
Even the authorities who opposed these followers of Jesus were astonished "when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men ... And they realized that they had been with Jesus" [v.13].
Most of us are ordinary people in a real life of work, relationships, and everyday circumstances. Our opportunities to demonstrated the reality of Christ may sometimes come disguised as difficulties, as they did for the disciples in Acts.
As ordinary people, we can have an extraordinary impact for Christ if we will trust the Author of our circumstances and rely on the Holy Spirit's power --- David McCasland
Just what do Christians look like?
What sets their lives apart?
They're ordinary people
Who love God from the heart. --- D. De Haan
GOD IS LOOKING FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO EXTRAORDINARY WORK.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Golden Gods
Read: Exodus 12:29-42
You shall have no other gods before Me. --- Exodus 20:3
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 48-49
Hebrews 7
God had seized the attention of Pharaoh and the Egyptians with a series of plagues. Now they were dying to be rid of their Hebrew slaves. But God didn't want the Israelites to leave Egypt emptyhanded. After all, they had 400 years of wages due them. So they asked their former masters for articles of silver, gold, and clothing, and they got them. Exodus 12:36 says that the Israelites "plundered the Egyptians."
It wasn't long, however, until God's people fell into idolatry. They used their gold to make a golden calf, which they worshiped while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving God's law [32:1-4].
This tragic experience highlights the tension that Christians are required to maintain regarding their possessions. Their is much in our society that we enjoy, but material things also pose grave dangers when we use them thoughtlessly. Os Guinness says that we are "free to utilize" but "forbidden to idolize." We are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" [Hebrews 11:13], and we must not become so enamored with "the riches of Egypt" that we grow complacent and forget our true calling.
Are we using our material blessings to serve the Lord? Or have we become slaves to them? --- Haddon Robinson
I have an old nature that noisily clamors
To satisfy empty desire;
But God in His goodness has sent me a Helper
Who whispers, "Your calling is higher." --- Gustafson
GOLD CAN BE A HELPFUL SERVANT BUT A CRUEL MASTER.
You shall have no other gods before Me. --- Exodus 20:3
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 48-49
Hebrews 7
God had seized the attention of Pharaoh and the Egyptians with a series of plagues. Now they were dying to be rid of their Hebrew slaves. But God didn't want the Israelites to leave Egypt emptyhanded. After all, they had 400 years of wages due them. So they asked their former masters for articles of silver, gold, and clothing, and they got them. Exodus 12:36 says that the Israelites "plundered the Egyptians."
It wasn't long, however, until God's people fell into idolatry. They used their gold to make a golden calf, which they worshiped while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving God's law [32:1-4].
This tragic experience highlights the tension that Christians are required to maintain regarding their possessions. Their is much in our society that we enjoy, but material things also pose grave dangers when we use them thoughtlessly. Os Guinness says that we are "free to utilize" but "forbidden to idolize." We are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" [Hebrews 11:13], and we must not become so enamored with "the riches of Egypt" that we grow complacent and forget our true calling.
Are we using our material blessings to serve the Lord? Or have we become slaves to them? --- Haddon Robinson
I have an old nature that noisily clamors
To satisfy empty desire;
But God in His goodness has sent me a Helper
Who whispers, "Your calling is higher." --- Gustafson
GOLD CAN BE A HELPFUL SERVANT BUT A CRUEL MASTER.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Who Then Is Beautiful?
Read: Genesis 24:12-21
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. --- Proverbs 31:30
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 46-47
Hebrews 6
In her book Who Calls Me Beautiful? Regina Franklin observes that in 1951 Miss Sweden was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 151 pounds. But Miss Sweden of 1983 was 2 inches taller and 45 pounds lighter. What qualifies as beauty for one generation does not seem to apply to the next.
In Genesis 24:16, we are told that Rebekah was "very beautiful to behold." But physical beauty was not the crucial point for Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, who was sent to find a wife for Isaac.
Eliezer's prayer gives us an important clue about the kind of beauty he sought for his master's son: "Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink.' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' --- let her be the one" [v.14].
Common courtesy could have prompted Rebekah to provide drinking water for a stranger, but to water camels was a different matter entirely. Ten thirsty camels could drink up to 210 gallons. Rebekah clearly had a servant's heart.
The Bible tells us that Rebekah was beautiful, but it says much more about the beauty of her character. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised" [Proverbs 31:30]. --- Albert Lee
Think not alone of outward form;
Its beauty will depart;
But cultivate the Spirit's fruits
That grow within the heart. --- D. De Haan
NOTHING CAN DIM THE BEAUTY THAT SHINES FROM WITHIN.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. --- Proverbs 31:30
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 46-47
Hebrews 6
In her book Who Calls Me Beautiful? Regina Franklin observes that in 1951 Miss Sweden was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 151 pounds. But Miss Sweden of 1983 was 2 inches taller and 45 pounds lighter. What qualifies as beauty for one generation does not seem to apply to the next.
In Genesis 24:16, we are told that Rebekah was "very beautiful to behold." But physical beauty was not the crucial point for Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, who was sent to find a wife for Isaac.
Eliezer's prayer gives us an important clue about the kind of beauty he sought for his master's son: "Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink.' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' --- let her be the one" [v.14].
Common courtesy could have prompted Rebekah to provide drinking water for a stranger, but to water camels was a different matter entirely. Ten thirsty camels could drink up to 210 gallons. Rebekah clearly had a servant's heart.
The Bible tells us that Rebekah was beautiful, but it says much more about the beauty of her character. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised" [Proverbs 31:30]. --- Albert Lee
Think not alone of outward form;
Its beauty will depart;
But cultivate the Spirit's fruits
That grow within the heart. --- D. De Haan
NOTHING CAN DIM THE BEAUTY THAT SHINES FROM WITHIN.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
I Will Come Back For You
Read: John 14:1-6
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. --- John 14:18
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 43-45
Hebrews 5
In 1914 Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to sail to Antarctica, and then walk to the South Pole. The expedition went according to plan until ice trapped the ship and eventually crushed its hull. The men made their way by lifeboat to a small island. Promising to come back for them, Shackleton and a small rescue party set out across 800 miles of perilous seas to South Georgia Island.
With only a sextant to guide them, they made it to the island. Shackleton then led his party over steep mountainous terrain to the whaling port on the other side. Once there, he acquired a ship to rescue his crew. Their leader had kept his word and returned for them. Not one man was left behind.
As Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples, He promised to return. He said, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" [John 14:3]. After enduring the horrors of the cross, Jesus rose from the dead to provide eternal life to all who believe in Him as their Savior. He indwells us today by the Holy Spirit, but one day He will return and gather us into His presence [1 Thessalonians 4:15-18]. Jesus is true to His word.
If you are His, He will come back for you! --- Dennis Fisher
Lift up your heads, pilgrims aweary!
See day's approach now crimson the sky;
Night shadows flee, and your Beloved,
Awaited with longing, at last draweth nigh. --- Camp
CHRIST'S SECOND COMING IS AS CERTAIN AS HIS FIRST.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. --- John 14:18
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 43-45
Hebrews 5
In 1914 Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to sail to Antarctica, and then walk to the South Pole. The expedition went according to plan until ice trapped the ship and eventually crushed its hull. The men made their way by lifeboat to a small island. Promising to come back for them, Shackleton and a small rescue party set out across 800 miles of perilous seas to South Georgia Island.
With only a sextant to guide them, they made it to the island. Shackleton then led his party over steep mountainous terrain to the whaling port on the other side. Once there, he acquired a ship to rescue his crew. Their leader had kept his word and returned for them. Not one man was left behind.
As Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples, He promised to return. He said, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" [John 14:3]. After enduring the horrors of the cross, Jesus rose from the dead to provide eternal life to all who believe in Him as their Savior. He indwells us today by the Holy Spirit, but one day He will return and gather us into His presence [1 Thessalonians 4:15-18]. Jesus is true to His word.
If you are His, He will come back for you! --- Dennis Fisher
Lift up your heads, pilgrims aweary!
See day's approach now crimson the sky;
Night shadows flee, and your Beloved,
Awaited with longing, at last draweth nigh. --- Camp
CHRIST'S SECOND COMING IS AS CERTAIN AS HIS FIRST.
Monday, November 06, 2006
The Lord Is My Rock
Read: Psalm 18:1-3
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust. --- Psalm 18:2
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 40-42
Hebrews 4
It turns out that we humans reason largely by means of our hearts and not by our heads. As French mathematician and theologian Blaise Pascal noted long ago, "The heart has reasons that reason does not know."
Poets, singers, storytellers, and artists have always known this. They use symbols and metaphors that speak to our hearts rather than to our minds. That's why their ideas penetrate where everything else has failed. And that's why we say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Images remain in our minds when all else is forgotten.
David wrote, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress, ... my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" [Psalm 18:2]. He was thinking of physical elements that convey spiritual realities. Each picture expresses a deeper thought, linking the visible world to the invisible realm of the Spirit. David doesn't wander into definition and explanation, for explanation can blunt imagination. Each picture is left hanging in our minds --- images that evoke mystery, arouse our imagination, and deeper our understanding.
David wakes up what is hidden deep within us. It's good to think long thoughts about it. What does this mean to you: God is my rock, my fortress, my shield? --- David Roper
O love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way;
Eternal love, in Thee we rest,
Forever safe, forever blest. --- Bonar
FAITH BRIDGES CHASMS THAT REASON CANNOT FATHOM.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust. --- Psalm 18:2
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 40-42
Hebrews 4
It turns out that we humans reason largely by means of our hearts and not by our heads. As French mathematician and theologian Blaise Pascal noted long ago, "The heart has reasons that reason does not know."
Poets, singers, storytellers, and artists have always known this. They use symbols and metaphors that speak to our hearts rather than to our minds. That's why their ideas penetrate where everything else has failed. And that's why we say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Images remain in our minds when all else is forgotten.
David wrote, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress, ... my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" [Psalm 18:2]. He was thinking of physical elements that convey spiritual realities. Each picture expresses a deeper thought, linking the visible world to the invisible realm of the Spirit. David doesn't wander into definition and explanation, for explanation can blunt imagination. Each picture is left hanging in our minds --- images that evoke mystery, arouse our imagination, and deeper our understanding.
David wakes up what is hidden deep within us. It's good to think long thoughts about it. What does this mean to you: God is my rock, my fortress, my shield? --- David Roper
O love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way;
Eternal love, in Thee we rest,
Forever safe, forever blest. --- Bonar
FAITH BRIDGES CHASMS THAT REASON CANNOT FATHOM.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
New Neighbors
Read: Luke 10:29-37
Who is my neighbor? --- Luke 10:29
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 37-39
Hebrews 3
On December 26, 2004, masses of people suddenly became our new neighbors. They were left with broken lives after a monstrous tsunami swept across 12 Asian countries, killing tens of thousands of their friends, relatives, and countrymen. Millions of survivors became destitute. But how did they become our neighbors?
According to Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, a neighbor is one who shows mercy on the needy. A lawyer had asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" [v.29]. Jesus told him about an injured traveler who had been attacked by thieves, ignored by a priest and a Levite, and helped by a Samaritan. Then He asked, "Which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" The lawyer answered correctly, "He who showed mercy on him" [vv.36-37].
Needy people who cross our path become our new neighbors, and we must be a neighbor by helping them. Too often we think of neighbors as related to us by geography. Instead, Jesus indicated that we are to consider anyone in need as a neighbor regardless of who they are or where they live.
Look around. Someone needs your help, mercy, and love. They are your new neighbors. --- Dave Branon
Reach out in Jesus' name
With helping hands of care
To those who are in need
And caught in life's despair. --- Sper
GOOD EXERCISE FOR THE HEART: REACH OUT AND HELP YOUR NEIGHBOR.
Who is my neighbor? --- Luke 10:29
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 37-39
Hebrews 3
On December 26, 2004, masses of people suddenly became our new neighbors. They were left with broken lives after a monstrous tsunami swept across 12 Asian countries, killing tens of thousands of their friends, relatives, and countrymen. Millions of survivors became destitute. But how did they become our neighbors?
According to Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, a neighbor is one who shows mercy on the needy. A lawyer had asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" [v.29]. Jesus told him about an injured traveler who had been attacked by thieves, ignored by a priest and a Levite, and helped by a Samaritan. Then He asked, "Which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" The lawyer answered correctly, "He who showed mercy on him" [vv.36-37].
Needy people who cross our path become our new neighbors, and we must be a neighbor by helping them. Too often we think of neighbors as related to us by geography. Instead, Jesus indicated that we are to consider anyone in need as a neighbor regardless of who they are or where they live.
Look around. Someone needs your help, mercy, and love. They are your new neighbors. --- Dave Branon
Reach out in Jesus' name
With helping hands of care
To those who are in need
And caught in life's despair. --- Sper
GOOD EXERCISE FOR THE HEART: REACH OUT AND HELP YOUR NEIGHBOR.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
No Fast Food In The Bible
Read: Psalm 119:9-24
I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. --- Psalm 119:15
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 34-36
Hebrews 2
I love the sight of cows lying in the field, chewing their cud. But what is cud? And why do they spend so much time chewing it?
Cows first fill their stomachs with grass and other food. Then they settle down for a good long chew. They bring the food back up from their stomachs and rework what they've already eaten, assimilating its goodness and transforming it into rich creamy milk. Time-consuming? Yes. A waste of time? Not if they want to give good milk.
The phrase "chewing the cud" is used to describe the process of meditation. The writer of Psalm 119 obviously did a lot of mental chewing as he read God's Word. No fast food for him! If we follow his example of careful and prayerful Scripture reading we will:
Be strengthended against sin [v.11]. Find delight in learning more about God [vv.15-16]. Discover wonderful spiritual truths [v.18]. Find wise counsel for daily living [v.24].
Meditation is more than reading the Bible and believing it. It's applying Scripture to everyday life.
God's Word is not meant to be fast food. Take time for a good long chew. --- Joanie Yoder
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word. --- Lathbury
TO BE A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN, DON'T TREAT THE BIBLE AS SNACK FOOD.
I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. --- Psalm 119:15
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 34-36
Hebrews 2
I love the sight of cows lying in the field, chewing their cud. But what is cud? And why do they spend so much time chewing it?
Cows first fill their stomachs with grass and other food. Then they settle down for a good long chew. They bring the food back up from their stomachs and rework what they've already eaten, assimilating its goodness and transforming it into rich creamy milk. Time-consuming? Yes. A waste of time? Not if they want to give good milk.
The phrase "chewing the cud" is used to describe the process of meditation. The writer of Psalm 119 obviously did a lot of mental chewing as he read God's Word. No fast food for him! If we follow his example of careful and prayerful Scripture reading we will:
Meditation is more than reading the Bible and believing it. It's applying Scripture to everyday life.
God's Word is not meant to be fast food. Take time for a good long chew. --- Joanie Yoder
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word. --- Lathbury
TO BE A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN, DON'T TREAT THE BIBLE AS SNACK FOOD.
Friday, November 03, 2006
The Servant's Knew
Read: John 2:1-11
[Jesus'] mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." --- John 2:5
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 32-33
Hebrews 1
Few weddings are matters of life and death, but they often feel that way to the people involved. After giving three daughters in marriage, I can appreciate the concern parents have over proper arrangements for their guests. So whenever I read about the wedding in Cana in John 2:1-11, I find myself smiling at every turn.
Although the events strike me as lighthearted, Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine had the serious purpose of revealing Himself as the Son of God to His disciples.
Many people may have seen the large stone jars being filled with water. But it was the servants, who had poured every gallon, to whom the Lord said, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast" [v.8]. The Bible says simply, "And they took it." Their unhesitating obedience is a model for us in our daily God-given tasks.
The master praised the bridegroom, saying, "You have kept the good wine until now!" He didn't know its origin [v.10], "but the servants who had drawn the water knew" [v.9].
Like them, we recognize that whenever God uses our meager efforts to help others, it's a miracle of His power. The servants at Cana who drew the water knew that the praise belonged to Jesus. And so do we. --- David McCasland
I can always count on God, my heavenly Father,
For He changes not; He always is the same ---
Yesterday, today, forever, He is faithful,
And I know He loves me, praise His holy name. --- Felten
GOD'S GREAT POWER DESERVES OUR GRATEFUL PRAISE.
[Jesus'] mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." --- John 2:5
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 32-33
Hebrews 1
Few weddings are matters of life and death, but they often feel that way to the people involved. After giving three daughters in marriage, I can appreciate the concern parents have over proper arrangements for their guests. So whenever I read about the wedding in Cana in John 2:1-11, I find myself smiling at every turn.
Although the events strike me as lighthearted, Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine had the serious purpose of revealing Himself as the Son of God to His disciples.
Many people may have seen the large stone jars being filled with water. But it was the servants, who had poured every gallon, to whom the Lord said, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast" [v.8]. The Bible says simply, "And they took it." Their unhesitating obedience is a model for us in our daily God-given tasks.
The master praised the bridegroom, saying, "You have kept the good wine until now!" He didn't know its origin [v.10], "but the servants who had drawn the water knew" [v.9].
Like them, we recognize that whenever God uses our meager efforts to help others, it's a miracle of His power. The servants at Cana who drew the water knew that the praise belonged to Jesus. And so do we. --- David McCasland
I can always count on God, my heavenly Father,
For He changes not; He always is the same ---
Yesterday, today, forever, He is faithful,
And I know He loves me, praise His holy name. --- Felten
GOD'S GREAT POWER DESERVES OUR GRATEFUL PRAISE.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Hiding From God
Read: Genesis 3:7-13
The LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" --- Genesis 3:13
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 30-31
Philemon
Two brothers were extremely mischievous and their parents were at their wits' end. So they asked their pastor to talk with the boys.
The pastor sat the younger one down first. He wanted him to think about God, so he started the conversation by asking, "Where is God?" The boy didn't respond, so he repeated the question in a stern tone. Again he gave no answer. Frustrated, the pastor shook his finger in the boy's face and shouted, "Where is God?!"
The boy bolted from the room, ran home, and hid in his closet. His brother followed him and asked, "What happened?" The younger boy replied, "We're in big trouble now. God is missing, and they think we did it!"
Sounds a bit like Adam and Eve, who were filled with guilt and tried to hide from God [Genesis 3:10]. They had known the Lord's close fellowship, but now they were afraid to face Him. God pursued them, though, and asked, "What is this you have done?" Instead of repenting, Adam blamed God and Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.
How do we respond when we've sinned against God? Do we hide, hoping He won't notice? If we are His, He'll pursue us. The wisest choice is to come out of our hiding place, confess our sin, and have our fellowship restored. --- Anne Cetas
Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to hide from You.
I confess my sins and ask for Your forgiveness.
Help me own up to my wrongs and not let anything come
between You and me. Amen
SIN BRINGS FEAR; CONFESSION BRINGS FREEDOM.
The LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" --- Genesis 3:13
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 30-31
Philemon
Two brothers were extremely mischievous and their parents were at their wits' end. So they asked their pastor to talk with the boys.
The pastor sat the younger one down first. He wanted him to think about God, so he started the conversation by asking, "Where is God?" The boy didn't respond, so he repeated the question in a stern tone. Again he gave no answer. Frustrated, the pastor shook his finger in the boy's face and shouted, "Where is God?!"
The boy bolted from the room, ran home, and hid in his closet. His brother followed him and asked, "What happened?" The younger boy replied, "We're in big trouble now. God is missing, and they think we did it!"
Sounds a bit like Adam and Eve, who were filled with guilt and tried to hide from God [Genesis 3:10]. They had known the Lord's close fellowship, but now they were afraid to face Him. God pursued them, though, and asked, "What is this you have done?" Instead of repenting, Adam blamed God and Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.
How do we respond when we've sinned against God? Do we hide, hoping He won't notice? If we are His, He'll pursue us. The wisest choice is to come out of our hiding place, confess our sin, and have our fellowship restored. --- Anne Cetas
Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to hide from You.
I confess my sins and ask for Your forgiveness.
Help me own up to my wrongs and not let anything come
between You and me. Amen
SIN BRINGS FEAR; CONFESSION BRINGS FREEDOM.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Ultimate Physician
Read: Luke 19:1-10
I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. --- Luke 19:8
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 27-29
Titus 3
Physicians can cure many illnesses, both physical and mental. But only Jesus can bring about the healing that makes bad people good.
A noted psychiatrist recognized his own limitations in a conversation he had with British clergyman William Barclay. "All that a psychiatrist can do," said the doctor, "is strip a man naked until you get to the essential man; and if the essential man is bad stuff, there's nothing you can do about it. That's where you come in." Barclay later commented, "I think he meant that this is where Jesus comes in."
Zacchaeus was a bad man who needed inner healing. As a chief tax collector, he could take a cut from what his subordinates had collected. Therefore he was a wealthy man. Apparently he had heard about Jesus and wanted very much to see Him. Being short in stature, he climbed up into a tree to see above the crowd.
I believe Zacchaeus was overwhelmed with guilt when Jesus looked up and told him He was coming to his house. Later, he told Jesus he would give half his wealth to the poor and restore fourfold to any he had defrauded. Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house" [Luke 19:9]. In that instant Zacchaeus was spiritually healed. Only the ultimate Physician can make bad people good. --- Herb Vander Lugt
Jesus came to seek and save the lost,
Left heaven's glory, minding not the cost;
Looking high and low and far and wide,
The Son of Man for all was crucified. --- Hess
THE ULTIMATE PHYSICIAN CAN REACH YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE.
I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. --- Luke 19:8
The Bible In One Year:
Jeremiah 27-29
Titus 3
Physicians can cure many illnesses, both physical and mental. But only Jesus can bring about the healing that makes bad people good.
A noted psychiatrist recognized his own limitations in a conversation he had with British clergyman William Barclay. "All that a psychiatrist can do," said the doctor, "is strip a man naked until you get to the essential man; and if the essential man is bad stuff, there's nothing you can do about it. That's where you come in." Barclay later commented, "I think he meant that this is where Jesus comes in."
Zacchaeus was a bad man who needed inner healing. As a chief tax collector, he could take a cut from what his subordinates had collected. Therefore he was a wealthy man. Apparently he had heard about Jesus and wanted very much to see Him. Being short in stature, he climbed up into a tree to see above the crowd.
I believe Zacchaeus was overwhelmed with guilt when Jesus looked up and told him He was coming to his house. Later, he told Jesus he would give half his wealth to the poor and restore fourfold to any he had defrauded. Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house" [Luke 19:9]. In that instant Zacchaeus was spiritually healed. Only the ultimate Physician can make bad people good. --- Herb Vander Lugt
Jesus came to seek and save the lost,
Left heaven's glory, minding not the cost;
Looking high and low and far and wide,
The Son of Man for all was crucified. --- Hess
THE ULTIMATE PHYSICIAN CAN REACH YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE.
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