Helpers Needed
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Posted:Feb 18, 2014 10:25 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:23 pm 16517 Views
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Read: Romans 16:1-16
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, . . . will teach you all things. âJohn 14:26
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22
To some people, the term helper carries with it second-class connotations. Classroom helpers assist trained teachers in their classes. Helpers assist trained electricians, plumbers, and lawyers on the job. Because they arenât as skilled in the profession, they might be viewed as having less value. But everyone is needed to accomplish the task.
The apostle Paul had many helpers in his work of ministry. He listed them in his letter to Rome (ch.16). He made special reference to Phoebe, who âhas been a helper of many and of myself alsoâ (v.2). Priscilla and Aquila risked their own lives for Paul (vv.3-4). And Mary, Paul said, âlabored much for usâ (v.6).
Helping is a spiritual gift, according to 1 Corinthians 12:28. Paul listed it among the gifts from the Holy Spirit that are given to believers in Christâs body, the church. The gift of âhelpsâ is just as needed as the others that are listed.
Even the Holy Spirit is called a âHelper.â Jesus said, âThe Helper, the Holy Spirit, . . . will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to youâ (John 14:26).
In whatever ways the Holy Spirit, the Helper, has gifted you, let Him use you for His honor.
Dear Lord, thank You for the gifts You have
given me so that I might serve the
body of Christ. Help me to be faithful to use
my gifts to bring You glory.
You are a necessary part of the whole.
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On Listening
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Posted:Feb 17, 2014 3:51 am
Last Updated:Feb 17, 2014 4:13 pm 16999 Views
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Read: Exodus 16:1-8
Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. —Ecclesiastes 5:2
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28
God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason,” the saying goes. The ability to listen is an essential life skill. Counselors tell us to listen to each other. Spiritual leaders tell us to listen to God. But hardly anyone says, “Listen to yourself.” I’m not suggesting that we have an inner voice that always knows the right thing to say. Nor am I saying we should listen to ourselves instead of to God and others. I’m suggesting that we need to listen to ourselves in order to learn how others might be receiving our words.
The Israelites could have used this advice when Moses was leading them out of Egypt. Within days of their miraculous deliverance, they were complaining (Ex. 16:2). Although their need for food was legitimate, their way of expressing the need was not (v.3).
Whenever we speak out of fear, anger, ignorance, or pride—even if what we say is true—those who listen will hear more than our words. They hear emotion. But they don’t know whether the emotion comes from love and concern or disdain and disrespect, so we risk misunderstanding. If we listen to ourselves before speaking out loud, we can judge our hearts before our careless words harm others or sadden our God.
Lord, help me to think before I speak, to
check my heart. Help me to control my tongue
and to express myself clearly so that I won’t
cause dissension. Set a guard on my lips.
Words spoken rashly do more harm than good.
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The Great Creator-Healer
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Posted:Feb 15, 2014 5:32 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:23 pm 16360 Views
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Read: Psalm 139:1-16
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. —Psalm 139:14
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 17-18; Matthew 27:27-50
A few years ago, I had a rather serious skiing accident and severely tore the muscles in one of my legs. In fact, my doctor told me that the tear caused excessive bleeding. The healing process was slow, but during that time of waiting I found myself in awe of our great Creator (see Col. 1:16).
I’ve wrinkled a few car fenders in my lifetime and dropped more than one dish. They’ve always stayed broken. Not so with my leg. As soon as the tearing of my muscles occurred, the internal healing mechanisms that Christ created in my body went to work. Invisibly, down deep in my throbbing leg, the medics of His marvelous design were mending the tear. Before long, I was up and running again with a whole new sense of what the psalmist meant when he said that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and my heart was filled with praise (Ps. 139:14).
Sometimes it takes something like an injury or a sickness to remind us of the masterful design that we carry around in our bodies. So the next time you face an unwanted interruption—no matter its cause—focus your attention on Jesus’ wonderful love and let Him lift your heart to grateful worship in the midst of the pain!
Lord, help us to see beyond the moments of our lives
and to delve deeply into Your marvelous handiwork
and perfect design. Forgive us for our short-sightedness
and teach us to see You in every circumstance.
Worship of the masterful Creator begins with a grateful heart.
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True Love
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Posted:Feb 14, 2014 4:12 am
Last Updated:Feb 14, 2014 4:25 pm 17235 Views
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Read: John 15:9-17
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. —John 15:13
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 15-16; Matthew 27:1-26
During the rehearsal for my brother’s wedding ceremony, my husband snapped a picture of the bride and groom as they faced each other in front of the pastor. When we looked at the photograph later, we noticed that the camera’s flash had illuminated a metal cross in the background, which appeared as a glowing image above the couple.
The photograph reminded me that marriage is a picture of Christ’s love for the church as shown on the cross. When the Bible instructs husbands to love their wives (Eph. 5:25), God compares that kind of faithful, selfless affection to Christ’s love for His followers. Because Christ sacrificed His life for the sake of love, we are all to love each other (1 John 4:10-11). He died in our place, so that our sin would not keep us separate from God for eternity. He lived out His words to the disciples: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Many of us suffer from the pain of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal. Despite all of this, through Christ we can understand the sacrificial, compassionate, and enduring nature of true love. Today, remember that you are loved by God. Jesus said so with His life.
Nothing speaks more clearly of God’s love than the cross of Jesus.
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Character Or Reputation
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Posted:Feb 13, 2014 5:18 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:23 pm 14055 Views
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Read: Revelation 3:1-6
You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
—Revelation 3:1
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51-75
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) believed that character is far more important than reputation. “Your reputation is what you’re perceived to be by others,” Coach Wooden often told his players, “but your character is what you really are. You’re the only one that knows your character. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.”
In the book of Revelation, we find the words of the risen Christ to seven churches in Asia. To the church in Sardis, Jesus said, “I know your works, that you have a name [reputation] that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). The Lord knew the truth about them, and no doubt deep down they knew it too. Jesus told them to wake up and strengthen the spiritual life inside them that was about to die (v.2). He urged them to remember the truth they had received, obey it, then turn around and start moving in a new direction (v.3).
When the Lord shows us what’s wrong in our lives, He always provides a remedy for change. When we turn from our sins, He forgives and strengthens us to start over.
How liberating to exchange a false spiritual reputation for the true, life-giving character that comes from knowing Christ our Lord!
Men talk too much of gold and fame,
And not enough about a name;
And yet a good name’s better far
Than all earth’s glistening jewels are.
The true test of our character is what we do when no one is watching.
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Hyperseeing
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Posted:Feb 12, 2014 5:07 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:23 pm 14184 Views
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Read: Romans 8:28-30
When He is revealed, we shall be like Him. —1 John 3:2
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 13; Matthew 26:26-50
Sculptors have a term for the artist’s ability to look at a rough piece of stone and see it in its final, perfected form. It is called “hyperseeing.”
Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941) is the sculptor who created many well-known public works of art. Probably the most famous is Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. Borglum’s housekeeper captured the concept of hyperseeing when she gazed up at the massive faces of the four US presidents on Mt. Rushmore for the first time. “Mr. Borglum,” she gasped, “how did you know Mr. Lincoln was in that rock?”
Hyperseeing is also a good description of our all-seeing God. He sees all that we are and more. He sees what we shall be when He has completed His work and we stand before Him, holy and without blemish: the exact likeness, the very image of Jesus. The God who started this great work in you will keep at it until He completes it on the very day Jesus Christ appears (see Phil. 1:6).
God will not be denied! He has such a longing for our perfection that nothing can or will remain an obstacle until He has finished the work He began so long ago.
If only . . . if only we will put ourselves in the Master Sculptor’s hands.
Doubt whispers, “Thou art such a blot;
He cannot love poor thee.”
If what I am He lovest not,
He loves what I shall be.
God works in us to grow us into what He wants us to be
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Where Our Fears Live
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Posted:Feb 11, 2014 2:26 am
Last Updated:Feb 12, 2014 5:08 am 14212 Views
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Read: 1 Kings 17:17-24
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. —Psalm 56:3
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 11-12; Matthew 26:1-25
Twelve years into our marriage, my wife and I were discouraged by the emotional roller-coaster of hopes raised and dashed in attempting to have . A friend tried to “explain” God’s thinking. “Maybe God knows you’d be a bad father,” he said. He knew that my mother had struggled with a terrible temper.
Then, Christmas 1988, we learned we were expecting our first ! But now I had this nagging fear of failure.
The following August, Kathryn joined our family. As nurses and doctors tended to my wife, Kathryn cried on the warming tray. I offered my hand to comfort her, and her tiny fingers wrapped around my finger. In that instant, the Holy Spirit swept through me, assuring me of what I had only recently doubted—that I would show love to this little one!
The widow of Zarephath also had doubts. Her had been struck with a lethal illness. In her despair she cried out, “Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my ?”
1 Kings 17.18. But God had other plans!
We serve a God who is mightier than the struggles we inherit and who is full of the desire to forgive, love, and heal the brokenness that rises up between us and Him. God is present in the places where our fears live.
Father, make Yourself known to us in our weakest
moments and in our greatest fears. Teach us to
receive Your love in a way that enables us to show
it to others, especially those closest to us.
Love swims against the current of life’s false fears.
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The Power Of Music
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Posted:Feb 10, 2014 5:28 am
Last Updated:May 4, 2024 5:23 pm 14125 Views
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Read: Psalm 59:6-16
I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. —Psalm 59:16
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 8-10; Matthew 25:31-46
In Wales, the music of men’s chorus groups is deeply engrained in the culture. Prior to World War II, one Welsh glee club had a friendly yet competitive rivalry with a German glee club, but that bond was replaced with animosity during and after the war. The tension was gradually overcome, though, by the message on the trophy shared by the two choruses: “Speak with me, and you’re my friend. Sing with me, and you’re my brother.”
The power of music to heal and help is a gift from God that comforts many. Perhaps that is why the Psalms speak so deeply to us. There we find lyrics that connect with our hearts, allowing us to speak to God from the depth of our spirits. “But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble” (Ps. 59:16). Amazingly, David wrote this song as he was being hunted down by men seeking to kill him! Despite his circumstances, David remembered God’s power and mercy, and singing of them encouraged him to go on.
May our God give us a song today that will remind us of His goodness and greatness, no matter what we may face.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
“I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.” —Judges 5:3
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Unintentional
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Posted:Feb 8, 2014 1:23 am
Last Updated:Feb 8, 2014 10:55 am 14451 Views
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Read: Leviticus 4:1-3; Romans 3:21-26
If a person sins unintentionally . . . let him offer to the Lord . . . a young bull without blemish. —Leviticus 4:2-3
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 4-5; Matthew 24:29-51
When I was returning our grandson Alex to his family after a visit, the traffic seemed especially challenging. Fast-maneuvering cars blocked me from the correct toll lane, forcing me to go through a lane where only cars with a prepaid pass are permitted, which I didn’t have. Alex told me that my license plate would be photographed and a ticket might be mailed to me. I was frustrated because a penalty would have to be paid even though my infraction was unintentional.
For the ancient Jews, a violation of God’s laws committed even in ignorance was taken very seriously. The Old Testament recognized and provided for unintentional sins through appropriate sacrifices: “If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments . . . let him offer to the Lord . . . a young bull without blemish as a sin offering” (Lev. 4:2-3).
Old Testament sacrifices were more than a reminder that accidental wrongs have consequences. They were given in anticipation that God in His grace would provide atonement even for wrongs we didn’t realize we were doing. He did this through the death of Jesus in our place. God’s grace is far greater than we could ever imagine!
Grace is getting what we do not deserve. Mercy is not receiving what we do deserve.
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Who's That Hero?
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Posted:Feb 7, 2014 5:37 am
Last Updated:Feb 8, 2014 1:23 am 14921 Views
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Read: Judges 3-11
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16
Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 1-3; Matthew 24:1-28
Reading the book of Judges, with its battles and mighty warriors, can sometimes feel like reading about comic book superheroes. We have Deborah, Barak, Gideon, and Samson. However, in the line of judges (or deliverers), we also find Othniel.
The account of his life is brief and straightforward (Judges 3-11). No drama. No display of prowess. But what we do see is what God did through Othniel: “The Lord raised up a deliverer” (v.9), “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him” (v.10), and “the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand” (v.10).
The Othniel account helps us focus on what is most important—the activity of God. Interesting stories and fascinating people can obscure that. We end up concentrating on those and fail to see what the Lord is doing.
When I was young, I wished I could be more talented so that I could point more people to Christ. But I was looking at the wrong thing. God often uses ordinary people for His extraordinary work. It is His light shining through our lives that glorifies God and draws others to Him (Matt. 5:16).
When others look at our life, it is more important that they see God—not us.
May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.
Our limited ability highlights God
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