Prone To Wander
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Posted:Mar 14, 2014 5:23 am
Last Updated:Mar 14, 2014 5:25 am 8451 Views
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Read: Psalm 119:9-16
With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
ÂÂPsalm 119:10
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 23-25; Mark 14:1-26
One of my favorite classic hymns is Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing which was written in 1757 by 22-year-old Robert Robinson. In the hymns lyrics is a line that always captures my attention and forces me to do some self-evaluation. The line says, Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.I feel that way sometimes. Too often I find myself distracted and drifting, instead of having my heart and mind focused on the Savior who loves me and gave Himself for me. Robert Robinson and I are not alone in this.
In those seasons of wandering, our heart of hearts doesnt want to drift from God but, like Paul, we often do what we dont want to do (Rom. .19, and we desperately need to turn back to the Shepherd of our heart who can draw us to Himself. David wrote of this struggle in His great anthem to the Scriptures, Psalm 119, saying, With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!(v.10.
Sometimes, even when our hearts long to seek God, the distractions of life can draw us away from Him and His Word. How grateful we can be for a patient, compassionate heavenly Father whose grace is always sufficient even when we are prone to wander!
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Heres my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Our tendency to wander is matched by Gods willingness to pursue
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Without Power
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Posted:Mar 13, 2014 8:51 am
Last Updated:Mar 13, 2014 8:53 am 8312 Views
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Read: Isaiah 40.27-31; 41.10
He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Isaiah 40.29
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 20-22; Mark 13:21-37
In late October 2012, a hurricane-spawned superstorm struck the heavily populated northeastern US, leaving massive flooding and destruction in its wake. During the storm, more than 8 million customers lost electricity. Power outages alone caused shortages of food, fuel, and water, along with the chaos of gridlocked transportation. The howling winds and surging waters left many neighborhoods crushed, flooded, and choked with mountains of sand. Media coverage of the event reported: Millions Without Power.
Like a storm of nature, a personal tragedy can often leave us feeling powerless and in the dark. During such times, God's Word assures us of His help: He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength Isa. 40.29.
At our lowest point, drained of emotional resources, we can place our hope in the Lord and find our strength in Him. He promises us that, for each new day, Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint v.31.
God is our spiritual power source in every storm of life.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home!
It takes the storm to prove the real shelter.
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The Golden Rule
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Posted:Mar 12, 2014 5:53 am
Last Updated:Mar 12, 2014 6:15 pm 8270 Views
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Read: Matthew 7.7-12
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them. Matthew 7.12
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 17-19; Mark 13:1-20
The concept of The Golden Rule treat others as you would like to be treated appears in many religions. So what makes Jesus version of the saying so exceptional?
Its uniqueness lies in a single word, therefore, that signals the generosity of our heavenly Father. Here is what Jesus said: If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your , how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them (Matt. 7.11-12 italics added).
All of us fall short of what we know to be true: We do not love others the way God loves us. Jesus lived out that admirable ethic with perfect love by living and dying for all our sins.
We have a loving, giving Father who set aside His own self-interest to reveal the full measure of His love through His Jesus. God's generosity is the dynamic by which we treat others as we would like to be treated. We love and give to others because He first loved us
(1 John .:19).
patience and mercy and love. Please show
Your perfect love through me in some small
Our heavenly Father asks us to live up to His commands, but He also gives us His power and love to carry it out. We need only to ask Him for it.
Heavenly Father, I know that I lack Your
way today. In Your Jesus name I pray.
We have committed The Golden Rule to memory; now let us commit it to life.
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The Silent Pen
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Posted:Mar 11, 2014 8:09 am
Last Updated:Mar 11, 2014 8:10 am 9370 Views
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Read: James 3:1-12
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. —James 3:18
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 14-16; Mark 12:28-44
Former US President Harry Truman had a rule: Any letters written in anger had to sit on his desk for 24 hours before they could be mailed. If at the end of that “cooling off” period, he still felt the same sentiments, he would send the letter. By the end of his life, Truman’s unmailed letters filled a large desk drawer.
How often in this age of immediate communication would even 24 minutes of wise restraint spare us embarrassment! In his epistle, James addressed a universal theme in human history when he wrote about the damage an uncontrolled tongue can bring. “No man can tame the tongue,” he wrote. “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (3.8.
When we’re gossiping or speaking in anger, we find ourselves outside the lines of what God desires. Our tongues, our pens, and even our keyboards should more often fall silent with thanks in our hearts for the restraint God provides. All too often, when we speak we remind everyone of our brokenness as human beings.
When we want to surprise others with the difference Christ makes, we may need to look no further than restraining our tongue. Others can’t help but notice when we honor God with what we say—or don’t say.
Help me, Lord, to use my words not to
tear down others or build up my own reputation,
but to seek the good of others first, and in so doing
to serve You and Your kingdom.
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. —Proverbs 21:23
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Make It Personal
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Posted:Mar 10, 2014 4:07 am
Last Updated:Mar 13, 2014 4:09 pm 9635 Views
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Read: 2 Chronicles 24:1-2,15-22
Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 11-13; Mark 12:1-27
During my days as a teacher and coach at a Christian high school, I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with teenagers, trying to guide them to a purposeful, Christlike life characterized by love for God and love for others. My goal was to prepare them to live for God throughout life. That would happen only as they made their faith a vital part of life through the help of the Holy Spirit. Those who didn't follow Christ floundered after they left the influence of Christian teachers and parents.
This is demonstrated in the story of King Joash of Judah and his uncle Jehoiada. Jehoiada, a wise counselor, influenced Joash to live a God-honoring life (2 Chron. 24.11,14.
The problem was that Joash did not embrace an honorable life as his own. After Jehoiada died, King Joash left the house of the LORD v.18 and began to worship in a pagan way. He turned and became so evil that he had Jehoiadas murdered (vv.20.22).
Having someone in our lives to guide us toward faith and Christlikeness can be good and helpful. Even better is getting to know the Lord ourselves and learning to rely on the Holy Spirit to be our guide (Gal. 5:16). That is making our faith personal.
Lord, thank You for the people in my life who
influence me toward following You. Help
me not to depend on them primarily but to
depend on Your Holy Spirit to guide me.
The faith of others encourages; a faith of our own transforms.
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Not Lost In Translation
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Posted:Mar 7, 2014 4:02 am
Last Updated:Mar 10, 2014 4:14 am 13759 Views
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Read: Romans 8:19-27
[The Spirit] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 3-4; Mark 10:32-52
Over the years, Ive had the opportunity to teach the Bible to many people around the world. Because I can speak only English, I often work with interpreters who can take the words of my heart and translate them into the language of the people. Effective communication is directly dependent upon the skill of these translators. Whether it is Inawaty in Indonesia, Annie in Malaysia, or Jean in Brazil, they ensure that the meaning of my words is clearly expressed.
This work of translation resembles one facet of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of God's people. In our times of prayer, we don't always know how we should pray (Rom. 8:26), and verse 27 encourages us, saying, Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. When we go to our heavenly Father in prayer, the Holy Spirit comes to our aid by translating our prayers according to God's good purposes for our lives.
What a provision! Not only does God desire for us to share our hearts with Him, He even provides us with the greatest interpreter to help us as we pray. We can be sure that our prayers will never get lost in translation.
Thank You, Father, for the provision of Your Spirit.
Im grateful that when I pray I can rest in Your help
to make my prayers what they need to be. Teach me
to lean on His perfect understanding of Your desires.
The participation of the Spirit assures that my prayers line up with God's purposes.
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Boo!
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Posted:Mar 6, 2014 5:14 am
Last Updated:Mar 6, 2014 5:15 am 13730 Views
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Read: Isaiah 30:1-5,18-19
[God] will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Isaiah 30.19
Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 10:1-31
One of the early games that many parents play with their involves a fake scare. Dad hides his face behind his hands and suddenly reveals himself while saying, Boo! The giggles at this silliness.
Being frightened is a fun game until the day when the experiences a real scare. Then its no laughing matter. The first real scare often involves separation from a parent. The wanders away innocently, moving from one attraction to another. But as soon as she realizes she is lost, she panics and lets out a loud cry of alarm. The parent immediately comes running to reassure the that she is not alone.
As we get older, our fake scares become sophisticated scary books, movies, amusement park rides. Being scared is so invigorating that we may begin taking bigger risks for bigger thrills.
But when a real scare comes, we may realize that we, like the ancient Israelites (Isa. 30), have wandered from the One who loves and cares for us. Recognizing that we are in danger, we panic. Our call for help does not require sophisticated words or a well-reasoned defense, just a desperate cry.
Like a loving parent, God responds quickly for He longs to have us live in the protection of His love where we need never be afraid.
Trusting God's faithfulness helps dispel our fearfulness.
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Me And Dad
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Posted:Mar 5, 2014 9:23 am
Last Updated:Mar 5, 2014 9:25 am 13895 Views
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Read: Matthew 9:35,10:1
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2:15
Bible in a Year:
Numbers 34-36; Mark 9:30-50
A friend once spent a day installing large stone steps in his backyard. When his 5-year-old begged to help, he suggested she just sing to encourage him in his work. She said no. She wanted to help. Carefully, when it would not endanger her, he let her place her hands on the rocks as he moved them.
He could have built the steps in less time without her. At the end of the day, though, he not only had new steps but also a bursting with pride. Me and Dad made steps, she announced at dinner that night.
From the beginning, God has relied on people to advance His work. After equipping Adam to cultivate the land and supervise the animals, God left the work of the garden in his hands (Gen. 2:15-20).
The pattern has continued. When God wanted a dwelling place on earth, a tabernacle and temple did not descend from the sky; thousands of artists and craftsmen worked to fashion them
(Ex. 35.38; 1 Kings 6). When Jesus proclaimed the new reign of God's kingdom on earth, He invited human beings to help. He told His disciples, Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Matt. 9.38.
As a father does with his , so does God welcome us as His kingdom partners.
Heavenly Father, thank You that in Your love
and wisdom, You invite us to accomplish Your acts
of love, service, and kindness here on earth.
Thank You for the privilege of helping You.
God uses humble servants to accomplish His great work.
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No More Prejudice
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Posted:Mar 4, 2014 4:25 am
Last Updated:Mar 4, 2014 4:27 am 13986 Views
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Read: James 2:1-10
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. James 2:1
Bible in a Year:
Numbers 31-33; Mark 9.1-29
A 2010 survey by Newsweek contained some startling statistics:
57 percent of hiring managers believe an unattractive (but qualified) job candidate would have a harder time getting hired; 84 percent of managers said their bosses would hesitate before hiring a qualified older candidate; 64 percent of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people based on appearance. All are clear examples of unacceptable prejudice.
Prejudice is not new. It had crept into the early church, and James confronted it head-on. With prophetic grit and a pastorÂÂs heart, he wrote: My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality (James 2:1). James gave an example of this type of prejudice favoring the rich and ignoring the poor (vv.2-4). This was inconsistent with holding faith in Jesus without partiality (v.1), betrayed the grace of God (vv.5-7, violated the law of love (v.8, and was sinful (v.). The answer to partiality is following the example of Jesus: loving your neighbor as yourself.
We fight the sin of prejudice when we let God's love for us find full expression in the way we love and treat each other.
Thinking It Over
Who helped you determine what is the right way to
treat people? Was it based on external things?
What are some ways you can love people as Jesus did?
Looking up to Jesus prevents us from looking down on others.
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No More Prejudice
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Posted:Mar 4, 2014 4:24 am
Last Updated:May 26, 2024 1:20 am 14028 Views
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Read: James 2:1-10
My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. âÂÂJames 2:1
Bible in a Year:
Numbers 31-33; Mark 9.1-29
A 2010 survey by Newsweek contained some startling statistics:
57 percent of hiring managers believe an unattractive (but qualified) job candidate would have a harder time getting hired; 84 percent of managers said their bosses would hesitate before hiring a qualified older candidate; 64 percent of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people based on appearance. All are clear examples of unacceptable prejudice.
Prejudice is not new. It had crept into the early church, and James confronted it head-on. With prophetic grit and a pastorÂÂs heart, he wrote: ÂÂMy brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality (James 2:1). James gave an example of this type of prejudiceâÂÂfavoring the rich and ignoring the poor (vv.2-4). This was inconsistent with holding faith in Jesus without partiality (v.1), betrayed the grace of God (vv.5-7, violated the law of love (v.8, and was sinful (v.). The answer to partiality is following the example of Jesus: loving your neighbor as yourself.
We fight the sin of prejudice when we let GodâÂÂs love for us find full expression in the way we love and treat each other.
Thinking It Over
Who helped you determine what is the right way to
treat people? Was it based on external things?
What are some ways you can love people as Jesus did?
Looking up to Jesus prevents us from looking down on others.
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