HEART CHECK
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Posted:Apr 13, 2016 3:18 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 2:37 am 16405 Views
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Read: Luke 12:22-34
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22–24; Luke 12:1-31
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34
When commuting into Chicago on the train, I always followed the “unwritten codes of conduct”—such as, no conversations with people sitting next to you if you don’t know them. That was tough on a guy like me who has never met a stranger. I love talking to new people! Although I kept the code of silence, I realized that you can still learn something about people based on the section of the newspaper they read. So I’d watch to see what they turned to first: The business section? Sports? Politics? Current events? Their choices revealed their interests.
Our choices are always revealing. Of course, God doesn’t need to wait to see our choices in order for Him to know what’s in our hearts. But the things that occupy our time and attention are telling. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Regardless of what we want Him to think of us, the true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents. When we invest these resources in the things He cares about, then it reveals that our hearts are in tune with His.
The true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents.
God’s heart is with the needs of people and the advancement of His kingdom. What do your choices tell Him and others about where your heart is?
Lord, I want my heart to be in tune with Yours. Forgive me for giving it to things of far less value, and teach me the joy of investing my time in opportunities to serve You. Thank You.
Where is your treasure?
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RESISTING THE TRAP
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Posted:Apr 12, 2016 5:24 am
Last Updated:Apr 13, 2016 3:18 am 16036 Views
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Read: Genesis 4:1-8
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 19–21; Luke 11:29-54
Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4.7
A Venus flytrap can digest an insect in about 10 days. The process begins when an unsuspecting bug smells nectar on the leaves that form the trap. When the insect investigates, it crawls into the jaws of the plant. The leaves clamp shut within half a second and digestive juices dissolve the bug.
This meat-eating plant reminds me of the way sin can devour us if we are lured into it. Sin is hungry for us. Genesis 4.7 says, “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you.” God spoke these words to Cain just before he killed his brother Abel.
Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others.
Sin may try to entice us by tempting us with a new experience, convincing us that living right doesn’t matter, or appealing to our physical senses. However, there is a way for us to rule over sin instead of letting it consume our lives. The Bible says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). When we face temptation, we don’t face it alone. We have supernatural assistance. Relying on God’s Spirit supplies the power to live for Him and others.
Dear God, at times I let down my guard and indulge in sin. Please help me to listen to Your warnings and obey Your Word. Protect me from my own impulses and conform me to Your image. Thank You for Your work in me.
We fall into temptation when we don’t flee from it.
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WHO AM I WORKING FOR?
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Posted:Apr 11, 2016 3:07 am
Last Updated:Apr 12, 2016 5:25 am 15953 Views
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Read: Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 17–18; Luke 11:1-28
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” Ecclesiastes 4.8
Henry worked 70 hours a week. He loved his job and brought home a sizeable paycheck to provide good things for his family. He always had plans to slow down but he never did. One evening he came home with great news—he had been promoted to the highest position in his company. But no one was home. Over the years, his had grown up and moved out, his wife had found a career of her own, and now the house was empty. There was no one to share the good news with.
Solomon talked about the need to keep a balance in life with our work. He wrote, “Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves” (Eccl. 4:5). We don’t want to go to the extreme of being lazy, but neither do we want to fall into the trap of being a workaholic. “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (v. 6). In other words, it is better to have less and enjoy it more. Sacrificing relationships at the altar of success is unwise. Achievement is fleeting, while relationships are what make our life meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable (vv. 7-12).
The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.
We can learn to work to live and not live to work by choosing to apportion our time wisely. The Lord can give us this wisdom as we seek Him and trust Him to be our Provider.
Lord, show me if my priorities are skewed and where I need to make changes. Thank You for the gift of family and friends.
To spend time wisely, invest it in eternity.
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HIS PLANS OR OURS?
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Posted:Apr 7, 2016 3:21 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 2:37 am 16066 Views
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Read: 1 Chronicles 17:1-20 |
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 7–9; Luke 9:18-36
“Who am I, Lord God . . . that you have brought me this far?”
1 Chronicles 17:16
When my husband was 18 years old, he started a car-cleaning business. He rented a garage, hired helpers, and created advertising brochures. The business prospered. His intention was to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college, so he was thrilled when a buyer expressed interest. After some negotiations, it seemed that the transaction would happen. But at the last minute, the deal collapsed. It wouldn’t be until several months later that his plan to sell the business would succeed.
It’s normal to be disappointed when God’s timing and design for our lives do not match our expectations. When David wanted to build the Lord’s temple, he had the right motives, the leadership ability, and the resources. Yet God said he could not undertake the project because he had killed too many people in battle 1 Chron. 22:8.
True satisfaction is found in yielding ourselves to the will of God.
David could have shaken his fist at the sky in anger. He could have pouted or plowed ahead with his own plans. But he humbly said, “Who am I, Lord God . . . that you have brought me this far?” (17:16).
David went on to praise God and affirm his devotion to Him. He valued his relationship with God more than his ambition.
What is more important—achieving our hopes and dreams, or our love for God?
Dear heavenly Father, I commit all of my plans to You. Thank You for bringing me this far. You mean more to me than anything in the world.
True satisfaction is found in yielding ourselves to the will of God.
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THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS CROSS
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Posted:Apr 6, 2016 3:23 am
Last Updated:Apr 8, 2016 9:37 am 16070 Views
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Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 4–6; Luke 9:1-17
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
. Galatians 6:14
One of the most recognizable images in the US is the “HOLLYWOOD” sign in Southern California. People from all over the globe come to “Tinseltown” to gaze at cement footprints of stars and perhaps catch a glimpse of celebrities who might pass by. It’s hard for these visitors to miss the sign anchored in the foothills nearby.
Less well known in the Hollywood hills is another easily recognized symbol—one with eternal significance. Known as the Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument, this 32-foot cross looks out over the city. The cross was placed there in memory of Christine Wetherill Stevenson, a wealthy heiress who in the 1920s established the Pilgrimage Theatre (now the John Anson Ford Theatre). The site served as the venue for The Pilgrimage Play, a drama about Christ.
The work of Christ is a story of the loving God who pursues us.
The two icons showcase an interesting contrast. Movies good and bad will come and go. Their entertainment value, artistic contributions, and relevance are temporary at best.
The cross, however, reminds us of a drama eternal in scope. The work of Christ is a story of the loving God who pursues us and invites us to accept His offer of complete forgiveness. The high drama of Jesus’ death is rooted in history. His resurrection conquered death and has an eternal impact for all of us. The cross will never lose its meaning and power.
Thank You, Father, for the eternal significance of the cross. Help us to understand and appreciate the love that caused Your to embrace His cross for our sakes.
To know the meaning of the cross, you must know the One who died there.
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DON'T WALK AWAY
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Posted:Apr 5, 2016 3:43 am
Last Updated:Apr 6, 2016 3:23 am 15819 Views
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Read: Jeremiah 1:4-9
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26-56
Before you were born I set you apart. Jeremiah 1:5
In 1986, John Piper nearly quit as minister of a large church. At that time he admitted in his journal: “I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand.” But Piper didn’t walk away, and God used him to lead a thriving ministry that would eventually reach far beyond his church.
Although success is a word easily misunderstood, we might call John Piper successful. But what if his ministry had never flourished?
The Father yearns for everyone to turn to Him.
God gave the prophet Jeremiah a direct call. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,” God said. “Before you were born I set you apart”
(Jer. 1:5). God encouraged him not to fear his enemies, “for I am with you and will rescue you” v. 8.
Jeremiah later lamented his commission with ironic language for a man with a prenatal calling. “Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!” (15:10).
God did protect Jeremiah, but his ministry never thrived. His people never repented. He saw them slaughtered, enslaved, and scattered. Yet despite a lifetime of discouragement and rejection, he never walked away. He knew that God didn’t call him to success but to faithfulness. He trusted the God who called him. Jeremiah’s resilient compassion shows us the heart of the Father, who yearns for everyone to turn to Him.
Do you sense a call from God? Where in your calling have you encountered discouragement? How do you define success, and how do you react to it when you experience it?
Beware of giving up too soon. Our emotions are not reliable guides.
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WISDOM BY GRACE
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Posted:Apr 4, 2016 4:09 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 2:37 am 15604 Views
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Read: James 1:1-8
Bible in a Year: Ruth 1–4; Luke 8:1-56
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. James 1:5
On April 4, 1968, American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated, leaving millions angry and disillusioned. In Indianapolis, a largely African-American crowd had gathered to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. Many had not yet heard of Dr. King’s death, so Kennedy had to share the tragic news. He appealed for calm by acknowledging not only their pain but his own abiding grief over the murder of his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
In life’s darkest times, we find what we need in Him.
Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.
“Wisdom through the awful grace of God” is a remarkable statement. It means that God’s grace fills us with awe and gives us the opportunity to grow in wisdom during life’s most difficult moments.
James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). James says that this wisdom is grown in the soil of hardship (vv. 2-4), for there we not only learn from the wisdom of God, we rest in the grace of God.
Father, in the face of life’s sometimes awful circumstances, may we find Your grace to be a source of awe and wonder. Instruct us in our trials, and carry us in Your arms when we are overwhelmed.
Has the Lord ed you through a crisis? Tell us about His faithfulness on Facebook.com/ourdailybread
The darkness of trials only makes God’s grace shine brighter.
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THE GALLERY OF GOD
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Posted:Apr 1, 2016 3:05 am
Last Updated:Apr 2, 2016 10:32 am 15608 Views
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Read: Psalm 100
Bible in a Year: Judges 13–15; Luke 6:27-49
The Lord is good and his love endures forever. Psalm 100:5
Psalm 100 is like a work of art that helps us celebrate our unseen God. While the focus of our worship is beyond view, His people make Him known.
Imagine the artist with brush and palette working the colorful words of this psalm onto a canvas. What emerges before our eyes is a world—“all the earth”—shouting for joy to the Lord (v. 1). Joy. Because it is the delight of our God to redeem us from death. “For the joy that was set before Him,” Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2
Our heavenly Father’s heart is pleased when His people worship Him.
As our eyes move across the canvas we see an all-world choir of countless members singing “with gladness” and “joyful songs” (Ps. 100:2). Our heavenly Father’s heart is pleased when His people worship Him for who He is and what He has done.
Then we see images of ourselves, fashioned from dust in the hands of our Creator, and led like sheep into green pastures (v. 3). We, His people, have a loving Shepherd.
Finally, we see God’s great and glorious dwelling place—and the gates through which His rescued people enter His unseen presence, while giving Him thanks and praise (v. 4).
What a picture, inspired by our God. Our good, loving, and faithful God. No wonder it will take forever to enjoy His greatness!
Great God of heaven, thank You for life, for joy, for protection, and for promising us a future with You forever. Help us to live with thoughts of Your greatness always on our hearts and minds.
Nothing is more awesome than to know God.
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FALLOW ME
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Posted:Mar 31, 2016 3:08 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 2:37 am 15659 Views
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Read: Mark 2:13-17
Bible in a Year: Judges 11–12; Luke 6:1-26
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
Mark 2:17
Health clubs offer many different programs for those who want to lose weight and stay healthy. One fitness center caters only to those who want to lose at least 50 pounds and develop a healthy lifestyle. One member says that she quit her previous fitness club because she felt the slim and fit people were staring at her and judging her out-of-shape body. She now works out 5 days a week and is achieving healthy weight loss in a positive and welcoming environment.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to call the spiritually unfit to follow Him. Levi was one such person. Jesus saw him sitting in his tax collector’s booth and said, “Follow me” (Mark 2:14). His words captured Levi’s heart, and he followed Jesus. Tax collectors were often greedy and dishonest in their dealings and were considered religiously unclean. When the religious leaders saw Jesus having dinner at Levi’s house with other tax collectors, they asked, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (2:16). Jesus replied, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (2:17).
Jesus came to save sinners, which includes all of us.
Jesus came to save sinners, which includes all of us. He loves us, welcomes us into His presence, and calls us to follow Him. As we walk with Him, we grow more and more spiritually fit.
Read Acts 9:10-19 and see how one man obeyed God and welcomed someone who was considered spiritually unfit. What were the results? How can you reach out to those who need the Savior? How can you help your church become a more welcoming place for the spiritually unfit?
Jesus’ arms of welcome are always open.
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SURPRISED BY GRACE
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Posted:Mar 30, 2016 4:00 am
Last Updated:Mar 31, 2016 3:09 am 15623 Views
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Read: Acts 9:1-19
Bible in a Year: Judges 9–10; Luke 5:17-39
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace.
Ephesians 3.7
A woman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, fell asleep on the couch after her husband had gone to bed. An intruder sneaked in through the sliding door, which the couple had forgotten to lock, and crept through the house. He entered the bedroom where the husband was sleeping and picked up the television set. The sleeping man woke up, saw a figure standing there, and whispered, "Honey, come to bed." The burglar panicked, put down the TV, grabbed a stack of money from the dresser, and ran out.
The thief was in for a big surprise! The money turned out to be a stack of Christian pamphlets with a likeness of a $20 bill on one side and an explanation of the love and forgiveness God offers to people on the other side. Instead of the cash he expected, the intruder got the story of God’s love for him.
God’s gift of grace shows us His love and forgiveness.
I wonder what Saul expected when he realized it was Jesus appearing to him on the road to Damascus, since he had been persecuting and even killing Jesus’ followers? (Acts 9:1-9). Saul, later called Paul, must have been surprised by God’s grace toward him, which he called “a gift”:
“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (Eph. 3.7.
Have you been surprised by God’s gift of grace in your life as He shows you His love and forgiveness?
Lord, Your grace is amazing to me. I’m grateful that in spite of my sinfulness, You offer Your love to me.
Never measure God’s unlimited power by your limited expectations.
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