AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANGER
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Posted:Apr 28, 2017 4:19 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2017 4:19 am 14210 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 14471 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 13453 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 13477 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 13409 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 13426 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 13603 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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SWEET SCENT
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Posted:Apr 19, 2017 4:03 am
Last Updated:Apr 19, 2017 4:04 am 13491 Views
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Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14–16
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 6–8; Luke 15:1–10
Thanks be to God, who . . . uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14
Author Rita Snowden tells a delightful story about visiting a small village in Dover, England. Sitting outside a café one afternoon enjoying a cup of tea, she became aware of a beautiful scent. Rita asked a waiter where it was coming from, and was told it was the people she could see passing by. Most of the villagers were employed at a nearby perfume factory. As they walked home, they carried the fragrance that permeated their clothes out into the street.
What a beautiful image of the Christian life! As the apostle Paul says, we are the aroma of Christ, spreading His fragrance everywhere (2 Cor. 2:15). Paul uses the image of a king returning from battle, his soldiers and captives in tow, wafting the smell of celebratory incense in the air, declaring the king’s greatness (v. 14).
Lord Jesus, make us carriers and communicators of Your beauty.
We spread the aroma of Christ in two ways. First, through our words: telling others about the One who is beautiful. Second, through our lives: doing deeds of Christlike sacrifice (Eph. 5:1–2). While not everyone will appreciate the divine fragrance we share, it will bring life to many.
Rita Snowden caught a scent and was driven to seek its source. As we follow Jesus we too become permeated with His fragrance, and we carry His aroma into the streets through our words and deeds.
Lord Jesus, make us carriers and communicators of Your beauty to the people in our homes, offices, and neighborhoods.
We are the aroma of Christ to others.
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ENJOY THE VIEW
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Posted:Apr 18, 2017 4:38 am
Last Updated:Apr 18, 2017 4:39 am 13562 Views
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Read: Psalm 148:1–6
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 3–5; Luke 14:25–35
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148.3
Sunsets. People tend to stop what they are doing to watch them . . . snap pictures of them . . . enjoy the beautiful view.
My wife and I watched the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico recently. A crowd of people surrounded us, mostly strangers who had gathered at the beach to watch this nightly phenomenon. At the moment the sun fully slipped below the horizon, the crowd broke out with applause.
You and what You have made are awesome, Lord!
Why do people respond like that? The book of Psalms offers a clue. The psalmist wrote of God ordering the sun to praise its Creator (Ps. 148:3). And wherever the rays of the sun shine across the earth, people are moved to praise along with them.
The beauty that comes to us through nature speaks to our souls like few things do. It not only has the capacity to stop us in our tracks and captivate our attention, it also has the power to turn our focus to the Maker of beauty itself.
The wonder of God’s vast creation can cause us to pause and remember what’s truly important. Ultimately, it reminds us that there is a Creator behind the stunning entrance and exit of the day, One who so loved the world He made that He entered it in order to redeem and restore it.
I enjoy the world You have created with its variety and color. You and what You have made are awesome, Lord!
Join God in taking delight in all that He has made.
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AT HOME WITH JESUS
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Posted:Apr 17, 2017 4:48 am
Last Updated:May 10, 2024 3:23 am 13754 Views
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Read: John 14:1–4
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 1–2; Luke 14:1–24
I go and prepare a place for you. John 14:3
“There’s no place like home.” The phrase reflects a deeply rooted yearning within us to have a place to rest, be, and belong. Jesus addressed this desire for rootedness when, after He and His friends had their last supper together, He spoke about His impending death and resurrection. He promised that although He would go away, He would come back for them. And He would prepare a room for them. A dwelling-place. A home.
He made this place for them—and us—through fulfilling the requirements of God’s law when He died on the cross as the sinless man. He assured His disciples that if He went to the trouble of creating this home, that of course He would come back for them and not leave them alone. They didn’t need to fear or be worried about their lives, whether on earth or in heaven.
We belong with Jesus, upheld by His love and surrounded in His peace.
We can take comfort and assurance from Jesus’s words, for we believe and trust that He makes a home for us; that He makes His home within us (see John 14:23); and that He has gone ahead of us to prepare our heavenly home. Whatever sort of physical place we live in, we belong with Jesus, upheld by His love and surrounded in His peace. With Him, there’s no place like home.
Lord Jesus Christ, if and when we feel homeless, remind us that You are our home. May we share this sense of belonging with those we meet.
Jesus prepares a place for us to live forever.
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