Family Privilege
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Posted:Aug 6, 2015 4:15 am
Last Updated:Aug 6, 2015 4:15 am 35506 Views
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Read: John 1:6-14
Bible in a Year: Psalms 70–71; Romans 8:22-39
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become of God.
John 1:12
When I was in primary school in Ghana, I had to live with a loving and caring family away from my parents. One day, all the assembled for a special family meeting. The first part involved all of us sharing individual experiences. But next, when only “blood ” were required to be present, I was politely excluded. Then the stark reality hit me: I was not a “ of the house.” Despite their love for me, the family required that I should be excused because I was only living with them;
I was not a legal part of their family.
This incident reminds me of John 1:11-12. The of God came to His own people and they rejected Him. Those who received Him then, and receive Him now, are given the right to become God’s . When we are adopted into His family, “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are of God” (Rom. 8:16).
Jesus doesn't exclude anyone who is adopted by the Father.
Jesus doesn't exclude anybody who is adopted by the Father. Rather, He welcomes us as a permanent part of His family. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Thank You, Father, for making it possible for me to be Your . I’m grateful to be Yours and not to have to worry about whether You will remove me from Your family. I am Yours and You are mine.
Assurance of salvation is not in what you know but who you know.
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He Found Me
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Posted:Jul 31, 2015 4:04 am
Last Updated:Aug 1, 2015 4:30 am 36057 Views
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Read: Luke 19:1-10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 54–56; Romans 3
The of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10
The film Amazing Grace was set in the late 1700s. It tells the story of William Wilberforce, a politician who was driven by his faith in Christ to commit his money and energy to abolishing the slave trade in England. In one scene, Wilberforce’s butler finds him praying. The butler asks, “You found God, Sir?” Wilberforce responds, “I think He found me.”
The Bible pictures humanity as wayward and wandering sheep. It says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isa. 53:6). In fact, this wayward condition is so deeply rooted in us that the apostle Paul said: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside” (Rom. 3:10-12). That is why Jesus came. We would never seek Him, so He came seeking us. Jesus declared His mission with the words, “For the of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Wilberforce was exactly right. Jesus came to find us, for we could never have found Him if left to ourselves. It is a clear expression of the Creator’s love for His lost creation that He pursues us and desires to make us His own.
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.
Once lost, now found. Eternally thankful!
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Grey Power
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Posted:Jul 30, 2015 2:27 am
Last Updated:Apr 26, 2024 10:29 am 36549 Views
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Read: Joshua 14:6-12
Bible in a Year: Psalms 51–53; Romans 2
Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength. —Joshua 14:11
Dutch artist Yoni Lefevre created a project called “Grey Power” to show the vitality of the aging generation in the Netherlands. She asked local schoolchildren to sketch their grandparents. Lefevre wanted to show an “honest and pure view” of older people, and she believed could help supply this. The youngsters’ drawings reflected a fresh and lively perspective of their elders—grandmas and grandpas were shown playing tennis, gardening, painting, and more!
Caleb, of ancient Israel, was vital into his senior years. As a young man, he infiltrated the Promised Land before the Israelites conquered it. Caleb believed God would help his nation defeat the Canaanites, but the other spies disagreed (Josh. 14:8
. Because of Caleb’s faith, God miraculously sustained his life for 45 years so he might survive the wilderness wanderings and enter the Promised Land. When it was finally time to enter Canaan, 85-year-old Caleb said, “Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength”
(v. 11). With God’s help, Caleb successfully claimed his share of the land (Num. 14:24).
God does not forget about us as we grow older. Although our bodies age and our health may fail, God’s Holy Spirit renews us inwardly each day
(2 Cor. 4:16). He makes it possible for our lives to have significance at every stage and every age.
Heavenly Father, I know that my physical strength and health can fail. But I pray that You will continually renew me spiritually so I can serve You faithfully as long as I live.
With God’s strength behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you.
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Whose Mess?
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Posted:Jul 29, 2015 4:46 am
Last Updated:Jul 30, 2015 3:16 pm 33453 Views
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Read: Matthew 15.7-21
Bible in a Year: Psalms 49–50; Romans 1
Out of the heart come evil thoughts . . . . These are what defile a person.
Matthew 15:19-20
“Could they not carry their own garbage this far?” I grumbled to Jay as I picked up empty bottles from the beach and tossed them into the trash bin less than 20 feet away. “Did leaving the beach a mess for others make them feel better about themselves? I sure hope these people are tourists. I don’t want to think that any locals would treat our beach with such disrespect.”
The very next day I came across a prayer I had written years earlier about judging others. My own words reminded me of how wrong I was to take pride in cleaning up other people’s messes. The truth is, I have plenty of my own that I simply ignore—especially in the spiritual sense.
I am quick to claim that the reason I can’t get my life in order is because others keep messing it up. And I am quick to conclude that the “garbage” stinking up my surroundings belongs to someone other than me. But neither is true. Nothing outside of me can condemn or contaminate me—only what’s inside (Matt. 15:19-20). The real garbage is the attitude that causes me to turn up my nose at a tiny whiff of someone else’s sin while ignoring the stench of my own.
Forgive me, Lord, for refusing to throw away my own “trash.” Open my eyes to the damage that pride does to Your natural and spiritual creation. May I have no part of it.
Most of us are farsighted about sin—we see the sins of others but not our own.
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Pensil Battle
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Posted:Jul 28, 2015 4:14 am
Last Updated:Apr 26, 2024 10:29 am 29999 Views
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Read: Judges 2:11-22
Bible in a Year: Psalms 46–48; Acts 28
They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
Judges 2:19
As I learned to write my letters, my first-grade teacher insisted that I hold my pencil in a specific way. As she watched me, I held it the way she wanted me to. But when she turned away, I obstinately reverted the pencil to the way I found more comfortable.
I thought I was the secret winner in that battle of the wills, and I still hold my pencil in my own peculiar way. Decades later, however, I realize that my wise teacher knew that my stubborn habit would grow into a bad writing practice that would result in my hand tiring more quickly.
Return to the Lord; He is gracious and merciful.
rarely understand what is good for them. They operate almost entirely on what they want at the moment. Perhaps the “ of Israel” were aptly named as generation after generation stubbornly insisted on worshiping the gods of the nations around them rather than the one true God. Their actions greatly angered the Lord because He knew what was best, and He removed His blessing from them
(Judg. 2:20-22).
Pastor Rick Warren says, “Obedience and stubbornness are two sides of the same coin. Obedience brings joy, but our stubbornness makes us miserable.”
If a rebellious spirit is keeping us from obeying God, it’s time for a change of heart. Return to the Lord; He is gracious and merciful.
Heavenly Father, You are loving and gracious, and eager to forgive when we return to You. May we pursue you with our whole heart and not cling to our stubborn tendency to want things our way.
First we make our habits; then our habits make us.
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The Checkup
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Posted:Jul 27, 2015 5:15 am
Last Updated:Jul 27, 2015 5:15 am 27187 Views
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Read: Psalm 139:17-24
Bible in a Year: Psalms 43–45; Acts 27:27-44
Search me, O God, . . . and see if there is any wicked way in me. —Psalm 139:23-24
It’s that time of year when I go to the doctor for my annual physical. Even though I feel well and I’m not experiencing any health problems, I know that routine checkups are important because they can uncover hidden problems that if left undiscovered can grow to be serious health issues. I know that giving permission to my doctor to find and remedy the hidden problems can lead to long-term health.
Clearly the psalmist felt that way spiritually. Pleading for God to search for hidden sin, he prayed, “Search me, O God, . . . and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). Pausing to give God the opportunity for a full and unconditional inspection, he then surrendered to the righteous ways of God that would keep him spiritually healthy.
So, even if you are feeling good about yourself, it is time for a checkup! Only God knows the true condition of our heart, and only He can forgive, heal, and lead us to a cleansed life and productive future.
Lord, You know me better than I know myself. Search the deepest parts of my heart for anything that is displeasing to You. Cleanse me of my wandering ways and lead me in Your good and righteous way.
God’s work in us isn’t over when we receive salvation—it has just begun.
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Speak Up
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Posted:Jul 24, 2015 3:38 am
Last Updated:Apr 26, 2024 10:29 am 26166 Views
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Read: Luke 22:54-65
Bible in a Year: Psalms 35–36; Acts 25
Having arrested [Jesus], they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. —Luke 22:54
When I hear stories about young people who have been bullied, I notice there are always at least two levels of hurt. The first and most obvious comes from the mean-spirited nature of those actually doing the bullying. That’s terrible on its own. But there’s another, deeper hurt that may end up being even more damaging than the first: The silence of everyone else.
It hurts the one being bullied because they’re stunned that no one will help. That often makes bullies more brazen, leading them to intensify their meanness. Worse, it heightens the embarrassment, false shame, and loneliness of the victim. So it is imperative to speak up for others and speak out against the behavior
(see Prov. 31:8a).
While others may not understand fully, Jesus does.
Jesus knows precisely what it feels like to be bullied and to be left to suffer completely alone. Without cause, He was arrested, beaten, and mocked (Luke 22:63-65). Matthew 26:56 says that “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” Peter, one of His closest friends, even denied three times that he knew Him
(Luke 22:61). While others may not understand fully, Jesus does.
When we see others being hurt, we can ask Him for the courage to speak up.
Make us brave, Lord, for those who need our courage. Help us to speak for others and show them that You know their hurt and loneliness.
The voice of a courageous Christian is an echo of the voice of God.
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Miracle Material
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Posted:Jul 23, 2015 2:58 am
Last Updated:Jul 23, 2015 2:59 am 26109 Views
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Read: Isaiah 46:1-10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 33–34; Acts 24
To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal? —Isaiah 40:25
CNN calls a derivative of graphite a “miracle material” that could revolutionize our future. Only one atom thick, graphene is being hailed as a truly two-dimensional material in a 3-D world. One hundred times stronger than steel, it is harder than diamond, conducts electricity 1,000 times better than copper, and is more flexible than rubber.
In and of themselves, such technological advances are neither moral nor evil. But we are wise to remember the limitations of anything we make for ourselves.
Isaiah spoke to a generation who found themselves carrying into captivity gods they had made with their own hands. The prophet wanted the Israelites to see the irony of needing to care for the silver and gold idols they had crafted to inspire, help, comfort, and protect them.
What was true of Israel holds true for us as well. Nothing we have made or bought for ourselves can meet the needs of our heart. Only God, who has been carrying us “from the womb” (Isa. 46:3-4), can carry us into the future.
Father, thank You for the miracle of relationship with You. Help us not to rely on our own efforts, strength, or possessions but instead sense Your loving care for us.
An idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place.
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An Exchange
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Posted:Jul 22, 2015 3:05 am
Last Updated:Jul 23, 2015 2:52 am 26017 Views
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Read: Psalm 32
Bible in a Year: Psalms 31–32; Acts 23:16-3
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. —Psalm 32:5 niv
Jen sat on her patio pondering a scary question: Should she write a book? She had enjoyed writing a blog and speaking in public but felt God might want her to do more. “I asked God if He wanted me to do this,” she said. She talked with Him and asked for His leading.
She began to wonder if God wanted her to write about her husband’s pornography addiction and how God was working in his life and their marriage. But then she thought that it might publicly disrespect him. So she prayed, “What if we wrote it together?” and she asked her husband Craig. He agreed.
While he didn’t say what sin he committed, King David engaged in a public conversation about his struggles. He even put them into song. “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away,” he wrote (Ps. 32:3 . So he said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” (v. 5). Not everyone should go public with their private battles. But when David confessed his sin, he found peace and healing that inspired him to worship God.
Craig and Jen say that the process of writing their deeply personal story has brought them closer than ever. How like God, who loves to exchange our guilt, shame, and isolation for His forgiveness, courage, and community!
Do you need to make an exchange with God of guilt for forgiveness? He is listening.
God forgives those who confess their guilt.
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Be Near
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Posted:Jul 21, 2015 4:27 am
Last Updated:Jul 21, 2015 4:27 am 26180 Views
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Read: Psalm 34:4-18
Bible in a Year: Psalms 29–30; Acts 23:1-15
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.
—Psalm 34:18
My friend was going through some difficult challenges in her life and family. I didn’t know what to say or do, and I told her so. She looked at me and said, “Just be near.” That’s what I did, and later on we started talking about God’s love.
Many times we don’t know how to respond when others are grieving, and words may do more harm than good. Serving others requires that we understand them and find out what they need. Often we can help by meeting practical needs. But one of the best ways to encourage those who are suffering is to be near—to sit beside them and listen.
God is near to us when we call out to Him. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles,” the psalmist says. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit”
(Ps. 34:17-18
By putting ourselves in the shoes of others and allowing our hearts to feel compassion, we can help those who are hurting. We can be near them as God is with us and sit close to them. At the right time, the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say, if they are needed.
Who needs my help or for me to sit alongside them this week?
The best way to encourage others may be to just be near.
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