ALONE IN SPACE
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Posted:May 3, 2017 4:00 am
Last Updated:May 3, 2017 4:01 am 13771 Views
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Read: Genesis 28.10–17
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 14–15; Luke 22:21–46
Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it. Genesis 28:16
Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden knew what it felt like to be on the far side of the moon. For three days back in 1971, he flew alone in his command module, Endeavor, while two crewmates worked thousands of miles below on the surface of the moon. His only companions were the stars overhead that he remembers as being so thick they seemed to wrap him in a sheet of light.
As the sun went down on the Old Testament character Jacob’s first night away from home, he too was profoundly alone, but for a different reason. He was on the run from his older brother—who wanted to kill him for stealing the family blessing normally given to the firstborn . Yet on falling asleep, Jacob had a dream of a staircase joining heaven and earth. As he watched angels ascending and descending, he heard the voice of God promising to be with him and to bless the whole earth through his . When Jacob woke he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Gen. 28.16).
Father, the glory of Your unseen presence and goodness is far greater than we can imagine.
Jacob had isolated himself because of his deceit. Yet as real as his failures, and as dark as the night, he was in the presence of the One whose plans are always better and more far-reaching than our own. Heaven is closer than we think, and the “God of Jacob” is with us.
Father, thank You for using the story of Jacob to show us that the glory of Your unseen presence and goodness is far greater than we could imagine.
God is nearer than we think.
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JUST A TOUCH
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Posted:May 2, 2017 4:23 am
Last Updated:May 2, 2017 4:24 am 13975 Views
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Read: Matthew 8:1–4
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 12–13; Luke 22:1–20
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. Matthew 8.3
Kiley leaped at the chance to go to a remote area of East Africa to assist a medical mission, yet she felt uneasy. She didn’t have any medical experience. Still, she could provide basic care.
While there, she met a woman with a horrible but treatable disease. The woman’s distorted leg repulsed her, but Kiley knew she had to do something. As she cleaned and bandaged the leg, her patient began crying. Concerned, Kiley asked if she was hurting her. “No,” she replied. “It’s the first time anyone has touched me in nine years.”
Lord, we want to show the fearless love You showed when You walked this earth.
Leprosy is another disease that can render its victims repulsive to others, and ancient Jewish culture had strict guidelines to prevent its spread: “They must live alone,” the law declared. “They must live outside the camp” (Lev. 13:46).
That’s why it’s so remarkable that a leper approached Jesus to say, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Matt. 8.2). “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ ” (v. 3).
In touching a lonely woman’s diseased leg, Kiley began to show the fearless, bridge-building love of Jesus. A single touch made a difference.
Lord, we want to show the fearless love You showed when You walked this earth.
What difference might we make if we overcome our fears and trust God to use us?
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QUESTIONS FOR GOD
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Posted:May 1, 2017 6:00 am
Last Updated:May 1, 2017 6:00 am 14052 Views
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Read: Judges 6:11–16, 24
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 10–11; Luke 21:20–38
Go with the strength you have . . . . I will be with you. nlt Judges 6:14, 16
What would you do if the Lord showed up in the middle of your workday with a message? This happened to Gideon, one of the ancient Israelites. “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!’ ” Gideon could have responded with a wordless nod and gulp, but instead he said, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judg. 6:12–13 ). Gideon wanted to know why it seemed as if God had abandoned His people.
God didn’t answer that question. After Gideon had endured seven years of enemy attacks, starvation, and hiding in caves, God didn’t explain why He never intervened. God could have revealed Israel’s past sin as the reason, but instead He gave Gideon hope for the future. God said, “Go with the strength you have . . . . I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites”
(vv.14, 16 nlt).
Lord, I am reaching out to You for the peace I need.
Do you ever wonder why God has allowed suffering in your life? Instead of answering that specific question, God may satisfy you with His nearness today and remind you that you can rely on His strength when you feel weak. When Gideon finally believed that God was with him and would help him, he built an altar and called it “The Lord Is Peace
(v. 24).
There is peace in knowing that whatever we do and wherever we go, we go with God who promised never to leave or forsake His followers.
What could be better than getting answers to our why
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AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANGER
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Posted:Apr 28, 2017 4:19 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2017 4:19 am 14219 Views
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Read: Proverbs 20:1–15
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 3–5; Luke 20:1–26
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife. Proverbs 20:3
One morning in Perth, Australia, Fionn Mulholland discovered his car was missing. That’s when he realized he had mistakenly parked in a restricted zone and his car had been towed away. After considering the situation—even the $600 towing and parking fine—Mulholland was frustrated, but he decided not to be angry with the person he would work with to retrieve his car. Instead of venting his feelings, Mulholland wrote a humorous poem about the situation and read it to the worker he met at the tow yard. The worker liked the poem, and a possible ugly confrontation never took place.
The book of Proverbs teaches, “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife” (20:3). Strife is that friction that either simmers under the surface or explodes in the open between people who disagree about something.
Dear God, give me self-control through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
God has given us the resources to live peacefully with other people. His Word assures us that it’s possible to feel anger without letting it boil over into rage (Eph. 4:26). His Spirit enables us to override the sparks of fury that prompt us to do and say things to strike out at people who upset us. And God has given us His example to follow when we feel provoked (1 Peter 2:23). He is compassionate, gracious, and slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Ps. 86:15).
Dear God, Please help me to manage my anger in a way that does not lead me into sin. Give me self-control through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Be slow to anger.
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LEARNING THE LANGUAGE
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Posted:Apr 27, 2017 4:33 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2017 4:33 am 14480 Views
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Read: Acts 17:22–32
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 1–2; Luke 19:28–48
As I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Acts 17.23
I stood before the gathering at a small Jamaican church and said in my best local dialect, “Wah Gwan, Jamaica?” The reaction was better than I expected, as smiles and applause greeted me.
In reality, all I had said was the standard greeting, “What’s going on?” in Patois [pa-twa], but to their ears I was saying, “I care enough to speak your language.” Of course I did not yet know enough Patois to continue, but a door had been opened.
Before you tell others about Christ, let them see how much you care.
When the apostle Paul stood before the people of Athens, he let them know that he knew their culture. He told them that he had noticed their altar to “an unknown god,” and he quoted one of their poets. Of course, not everyone believed Paul’s message about Jesus’s resurrection, but some said, “We want to hear you again on this subject” (Acts 17.32).
As we interact with others about Jesus and the salvation He offers, the lessons of Scripture show us to invest ourselves in others—to learn their language, as it were—as a way to open the door to telling them the good news (see also
1 Cor. 9:20–23).
As we find out “Wah Gwan?” in others’ lives, it will be easier to share what God has done in ours.
Show us, Lord, what is important to others. Help us to think of their interests first, and allow opportunities to speak about the love of Jesus.
Before you tell others about Christ, let them see how much you care.
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SOMEONE TO TOUCH
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Posted:Apr 26, 2017 3:46 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2017 4:33 am 13462 Views
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Read: Luke 5:12–16
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 23–24; Luke 19:1–27
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. Luke 5:13
Commuters on a Canadian Metro train witnessed a heart-moving conclusion to a tense moment. They watched as a 70-year old woman gently reached out and offered her hand to a young man whose loud voice and disturbing words were scaring other passengers. The lady’s kindness calmed the man who sank to the floor of the train with tears in his eyes. He said, “Thanks, Grandma,” stood up, and walked away. The woman later admitted to being afraid. But she said, “I’m a mother and he needed someone to touch.” While better judgment might have given her reason to keep her distance, she took a risk of love.
Jesus understands such compassion. He didn’t side with the fears of unnerved onlookers when a desperate man, full of leprosy, showed up begging to be healed. Neither was He helpless as other religious leaders were—men who could only have condemned the man for bringing his leprosy into the village (Lev. 13:45–46). Instead, Jesus reached out to someone who probably hadn’t been touched by anyone for years, and healed him.
Please help us to see ourselves in the merciful eyes of Your .
Thankfully, for that man and for us, Jesus came to offer what no law could ever offer—the touch of His hand and heart.
Father in heaven, please help us to see ourselves and one another in that desperate man—and in the merciful eyes of Your who reached out and touched him.
No one is too troubled or unclean to be touched by Jesus.
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DON´T GIVE UP
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Posted:Apr 25, 2017 5:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2017 5:16 am 13486 Views
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Read: Galatians 6:1–10
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 21–22; Luke 18.24–43
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Bob Foster, my mentor and friend for more than fifty years, never gave up on me. His unchanging friendship and encouragement, even during my darkest times, helped carry me through.
We often find ourselves determined to reach out and help someone we know who is in great need. But when we fail to see improvement right away, our resolve can weaken and we may eventually give up. We discover that what we hoped would be an immediate change has become an ongoing process.
The apostle Paul urges us to be patient in helping one another through the stumbles and struggles of life. When he writes, “Carry each other’s burdens” and so “fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2), he is comparing our task to the work, time, and waiting it takes for a farmer to see a harvest.
Father in heaven, we ask for hope and perseverance to continue reaching out to others.
In prayer we call on God “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20
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THE SMALL THINGS
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Posted:Apr 24, 2017 4:02 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2017 4:03 am 13418 Views
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Read: Psalm 116:1–9
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 19–20; Luke 18:1–23
Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17
My friend Gloria called with excitement in her voice. She had not been able to leave her home except for doctors’ appointments. So I understood why she was so happy to tell me, “My just attached new speakers to my computer, so now I can go to my church!” Now she could hear the live broadcast of her church’s worship service. She raved about God’s goodness and the “best gift my could have given me!”
Gloria teaches me about having a thankful heart. Despite her many limitations, she’s thankful for the smallest of things—sunsets, helpful family and neighbors, quiet moments with God, the ability to remain in her own apartment. She’s had a lifetime of seeing God provide for her, and she talks about Him to anyone who visits or calls.
God is the giver of all good gifts in our life.
We don’t know what difficulties the author of Psalm 116 was encountering. Some Bible commentaries say it was probably sickness because he said, “the cords of death entangled me”
(v. 3). But he gave thanks to the Lord for being gracious and full of compassion when he was “brought low” (vv. 5–6).
When we’re low, it can be hard to look up. Yet if we do, we see that God is the giver of all good gifts in our life—great and small—and we learn to give Him thanks.
What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? . . . I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Ps. 116:12, 17 ).
Praise to God comes naturally when you count your blessings.
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THE GIFT OF GIVING
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Posted:Apr 21, 2017 5:59 am
Last Updated:Apr 21, 2017 6:00 am 13435 Views
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Read: Luke 3.7–14
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 12–13; Luke 16
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. 2 Corinthians 9.7
A pastor breathed life into the phrase “He’d give you the shirt off his back” when he gave this unsettling challenge to his church: “What would happen if we took the coats off our backs and gave them to the needy?” Then he took his own coat and laid it at the front of the church. Dozens of others followed his example. This was during the winter, so the trip home was less comfortable that day. But for dozens of people in need, the season warmed up just a bit.
When John the Baptist roamed the Judean wilderness, he had a stern warning for the crowd that came to hear him. “You brood of vipers!” he said. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3.7–8. Startled, they asked him, “What should we do then?” He responded with this advice: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same”
(vv. 10–11). True repentance produces a generous heart.
Lord, show us what we have that we might use to bless someone else today.
Because “God loves a person who gives cheerfully” ), giving should never be guilt-based or pressured (2 Cor. 9.7). But when we give freely and generously, we find that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.
Lord, thank You for the many ways You bless us. Forgive us for so often taking Your goodness for granted. Show us what we have that we might use to bless someone else today.
Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
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LETTING GO
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Posted:Apr 20, 2017 5:52 am
Last Updated:Apr 20, 2017 5:53 am 13612 Views
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Read: Genesis 12:1–9
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 9–11; Luke 15:11–32
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go . . . to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
For our wedding anniversary, my husband borrowed a tandem bike so we could enjoy a romantic adventure together. As we began to pedal on our way, I quickly realized that as the rider on the back my vision of the road ahead was eclipsed by my husband’s broad shoulders. Also, my handlebars were fixed; they didn’t affect the steering of our bike. Only the front handlebars determined our direction; mine served merely as support for my upper body. I had the choice to either be frustrated by my lack of control or to embrace the journey and trust Mike would guide us safely on our route.
When God asked Abram to leave his homeland and family, He didn’t offer much information concerning the destination. No geographic coordinates. No description of the new land or its natural resources. Not even an indication of how long it would take to get there. God simply gave the instruction to “go” to the land He would show him. Abram’s obedience to God’s instruction, despite lacking the details most humans crave, is credited to him as faith (Heb. 11:8.
God can be trusted to guide us.
If we find ourselves grappling with uncertainty or a lack of control in our lives, let’s seek to adopt Abram’s example of following and trusting God. The Lord will steer us well.
Help me, Lord, to trust You with the uncertainty in my life.
God can be trusted to guide us.
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