Eternal Legacy
|
Posted:Mar 15, 2024 5:27 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1220 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Ecclesiastes 5:8–15
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 26–27; Mark 14:27–53
I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. Ecclesiastes 5:13
As Dust Bowl sandstorms ravaged the United States during the Great Depression, John Millburn Davis, a resident of Hiawatha, Kansas, decided to make a name for himself. A self-made millionaire with no , Davis might have invested in charity or economic development. Instead, at great expense, he commissioned eleven life-size statues of himself and his deceased wife to stand in the local cemetery.
“They hate me in Kansas,” Davis told journalist Ernie Pyle. Local residents wanted him to fund the construction of public facilities like a hospital, swimming pool, or park. Yet all he said was, “It’s my money and I spend it the way I please.”
King Solomon, the wealthiest man of his day, wrote, “Whoever loves money never has enough,” and “as goods increase, so do those who consume them”
(Ecclesiastes 5:10–11). Solomon had grown keenly aware of the corrupting tendencies of wealth.
The apostle Paul also understood the temptation of wealth and chose to invest his life in obedience to Jesus. Awaiting execution in a Roman prison, he wrote triumphantly, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering . . . . I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6–7).
What lasts isn’t what we chisel in stone or hoard for ourselves. It’s what we give out of love for each other and for Him—the One who shows us how to love.
What will others remember about you? What changes might you need to make as you ponder your eternal legacy?
Heavenly Father, please help me pour out my life for others in some small way today.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
God Alone Can Satisfy
|
Posted:Mar 14, 2024 5:24 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1286 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Genesis 25:29–34
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 23–25; Mark 14:1–26
When Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in [and] said to Jacob, . . . “I’m famished!” Genesis 25:29–30
A thousand dollars of food—jumbo shrimp, shawarma, salads, and more—was delivered to a homeowner. But the man wasn’t having a party. In fact, he didn’t order the smorgasbord; his six-year-old did. How did this happen? The father let his play with his phone before bedtime, and the boy used it to purchase the expensive bounty from several restaurants. “Why did you do this?” the father asked his , who was hiding under his comforter. The six-year-old replied, “I was hungry.” The boy’s appetite and immaturity led to a costly outcome.
Esau’s appetite cost him a lot more than a thousand dollars. The story in
Genesis 25 finds him exhausted and desperate for food. He said to his brother, “Let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (v. 30). Jacob responded by asking for Esau’s birthright (v. 31). The birthright included Esau’s special place as the firstborn , the blessing of God’s promises, a double portion of the inheritance, and the privilege of being the spiritual leader of the family. Giving in to his appetite, Esau “ate and drank” and “despised his birthright” (v. 34).
When we’re tempted and desire something, instead of letting our appetites lead us to costly mistakes and sin, let’s reach out to our heavenly Father—the One who alone satisfies the hungry soul “with good things” (Psalm 107:9).
When have you allowed temptation to cost you a great deal? Why can only God satisfy your deepest longings?
Dear God, please help me to remember my spiritual birthright when I’m tempted to sin.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Cries Of Distress
|
Posted:Mar 13, 2024 5:35 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1276 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 118:1–9
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 20–22; Mark 13:21–37
When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.
Psalm 118:5
Trapped under two floors of collapsed rubble caused by an earthquake, five-year-old Jinan, a Syrian girl, called out to rescuers as she shielded her little brother from the debris surrounding them. “Get me out of here; I’ll do anything for you,” she called heartbreakingly. “I’ll be your servant.”
Cries of distress are found throughout the Psalms: “When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord” (118:5). While we may never experience the crushing weight of earthquake-collapsed buildings, we all recognize the suffocating fears from a challenging medical diagnosis, economic hardship, uncertainty about the future, or relational loss.
In those moments we may offer bargains to God for deliverance. But God doesn’t need to be persuaded to help. He promises to answer, and while it may not be relief from our situation, He’ll be with us and on our side. Nor do we need to fear any other peril—including death. We can say with the psalmist, “The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies” (v. 7).
We’re not promised as dramatic a rescue as Jinan and her brother experienced, but we can trust our faithful God, who brought the psalmist “into a spacious place”
(v. 5). He knows our situation and He’ll never abandon us, even in death.
How has God shown Himself faithful when you’re in distress? How have you recognized His presence during difficult times?
Heavenly Father, I call to You knowing that You hear me. Thank You for being faithful and loving.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Courage in Christ
|
Posted:Mar 12, 2024 4:57 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1246 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Esther 4:10–17
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 17–19; Mark 13:1–20
I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.
4:16
Near the dawn of the twentieth century, Mary McDowell lived worlds apart from the brutal stockyards of Chicago. Although her home was just twenty miles away, she knew little about the horrific labor conditions that prompted workers in the stockyards to strike. Once she learned of the difficulties faced by them and their families, McDowell moved in and lived among them—advocating for better conditions. She ministered to their needs, including teaching at a school in the back of a small shop.
Standing up for better conditions for others—even when not directly impacted—is something Esther did as well. She was the queen of Persia (Esther 2:17) and had a different set of privileges than her Israelite people who’d been dispersed throughout Persia as exiles. Yet Esther took up the cause of the Israelites in Persia and risked her life for them, saying, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (4:16). She could have remained silent, for her husband, the king, didn’t know she was Jewish (2:10). But, choosing not to ignore her relatives’ pleas for help, she worked courageously to reveal an evil plot to destroy the Jews.
We may not be able to take on massive causes like Mary McDowell or Queen Esther, but may we choose to see the needs of others and use what God has provided to help them.
How are you using what you possess to help others? What role can you play in providing for those who may not live near you?
Dear God, please give me the wisdom and courage to serve those in need.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Remember the Creator
|
Posted:Mar 11, 2024 4:15 am
Last Updated:Mar 11, 2024 4:18 am 1242 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Ecclesiastes 9.7–10
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 14–16; Mark 12:28–44
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Ecclesiastes 9.7
I recently read a novel about a woman who refuses to acknowledge she has terminal cancer. When Nicola’s exasperated friends force her to face the truth, the reason for her avoidance emerges. “I’ve wasted my life,” she tells them. Though born with talents and wealth, “I made nothing of my life. I was sloppy. I never stuck at anything.” The prospect of leaving the world now, feeling she’d achieved little, was too painful for Nicola to contemplate.
I was reading Ecclesiastes around the same time and found the contrast stark. Its Teacher won’t let us avoid the reality of the grave, “the realm of the dead, where you are going” (9:10). And while this is hard to face (v. 2), it can lead us to value every moment we have now (v. 4), intentionally enjoying our food and families
(vv. 7–9), working purposefully (v. 10), taking adventures and risks (11:1, 6), and doing it all before the God we’ll one day answer to (v. 9; 12:13–14).
Nicola’s friends point out that her faithfulness and generosity to them proves her life hasn’t been a waste. But maybe the Teacher’s advice can save us all from such a crisis at the end of our lives: remember our Creator (12:1), follow His ways, and embrace every opportunity to live and love that today He provides.
How will you take delight in today’s simple, God-honoring joys? What one good thing have you yet to do or attempt?
Loving God, thank You for today and the gifts it holds. I’ll enjoy its simple joys and embrace its opportunities as an act of worship to You.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
God Made Them All
|
Posted:Mar 10, 2024 10:17 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1214 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Psalm 104:24–35
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 11–13; Mark 12:1–27
How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all. Psalm 104:24
My three-year old , Xavier, squeezed my hand as we entered the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Pointing to a life-size sculpture of a humpback whale suspended from the ceiling, he said, “Enormous!” His wide-eyed joy continued as we explored each exhibit. We laughed as the otters splish-splashed during feeding time. We stood in silence in front of a large glass aquarium window, mesmerized by the golden-brown jellyfish dancing in the electric blue water. “God made every creature in the ocean,” I said, “just like He made you and me.” Xavier whispered, “Wow.”
In Psalm 104, the psalmist acknowledged God’s abounding creation and sang, “In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (v. 24). He declared, “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small” (v. 25). He proclaimed God’s generous and satisfying provision for all He created (vv. 27–28. He also affirmed that God has determined the days of each one’s existence (vv. 29–30).
We can join the psalmist in singing this declaration of devotion: “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (v. 33). Every creature that exists, from the big to the small, can lead us to praise because God made them all.
When has exploring the wonderful world God made led you to praise Him? How has He used His creation to deepen your faith in His power and provision?
All-powerful Creator and Sustainer of all, You’re so worthy of all my praise!
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Sharing Excitement for Christ
|
Posted:Mar 9, 2024 5:31 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1250 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Romans 12:9–16
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 8–10; Mark 11:19–33
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Romans 12:11
The first time we met our neighbor Henry, he pulled a well-worn Bible out of a bag he’d been carrying. Eyes sparkling, he asked if we’d like to discuss Scripture. We nodded, and he flipped to some highlighted passages. He showed us a notebook full of his observations and said he’d also created a computer presentation full of other related information.
Henry went on to tell us how he’d come from a difficult family situation and then, alone and at his worst, he accepted Jesus’ death and resurrection as the foundation of his faith (Acts 4:12). His life had changed as the Spirit helped him follow the Bible’s principles. Although Henry had committed his life to God years ago, his enthusiasm was fresh and powerful.
Henry’s zeal inspired me—someone who’d walked with Jesus many years—to consider my spiritual passion. The apostle Paul wrote: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). That seems like a tall order, unless I’m allowing Scripture to nurture the kind of attitudes that reflect an ongoing thankfulness for all that Jesus has done for me.
Unlike the emotional highs and lows we experience in life, zeal for Christ comes from an ever-expanding relationship with Him. The more we learn about Him, the more precious He becomes and the more His goodness floods our souls and spills out into the world.
How do you think Jesus feels when He sees that you’re excited about Him? What’s the relationship between thankfulness and zeal?
Dear Jesus, please revive my excitement over knowing You!
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Using What God Provides
|
Posted:Mar 8, 2024 5:46 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1255 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Exodus 4:1–5
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 5–7; Mark 11:1–18
Then the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?” Exodus 4:2
The Brisbane City Hall in Australia was a dazzling 1920s project. White stairs boasted marble from the same quarry Michelangelo used for his David sculpture. The tower reflected Venice’s St. Mark’s Basilica, and the copper dome was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The builders intended for a massive Angel of Peace to adorn the pinnacle, but there was a problem: no money left. Plumber Fred Johnson came to the rescue. He used a toilet cistern, an old lamp post, and bits of scrap metal to craft the iconic orb that’s crowned the tower for nearly one hundred years.
Much like Fred Johnson and his use of what he had, we can join God’s work with whatever we have—large or small. When He asked Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses balked: “What if they do not . . . listen to me?” (Exodus 4:1) God answered with a simple question: “What is that in your hand?” (v. 2). Moses held a staff, a simple stick. God told him to throw the staff on the ground, “and it became a snake” (v. 3). Then He instructed Moses to pick up the snake, and it turned back into a staff. All Moses needed to do, God explained, was carry the staff and trust Him to do the rest. Remarkably, He would use that stick in Moses’ hand to rescue Israel from the Egyptians (7:10–12; 17:5–7).
What we have might not seem like much to us, but with God, whatever we have will be enough. He takes our ordinary resources and uses them for His work.
What small thing can you use for God? Why is it vital that you trust Him with it?
Dear God, I surrender what I have to You.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
God Our Refuge
|
Posted:Mar 7, 2024 4:23 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1293 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Proverbs 18:10–12
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 3–4; Mark 10:32–52
The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10
The remarkable 2019 movie Little Women sent me back to my worn copy of the novel, especially the comforting words of Marmee, the wise and gentle mother. I’m drawn to the novel’s depiction of her steadfast faith, which underlies many of her words of encouragement to her daughters. One that stood out to me was this: “Troubles and temptations . . . may be many, but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your heavenly Father.”
Marmee’s words echo the truth found in Proverbs that “the name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (18:10). Towers were built in ancient cities to be places of safety during danger, perhaps because of an enemy attack. In the same way, it’s through running to God that believers in Jesus can experience peace in the care of the One who’s “our refuge and strength”
Psalm 46:1).
Proverbs 18:10 tells us protection comes from God’s “name”—which refers to all of who He is. Scripture describes God as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). God’s protection comes from His mighty strength, as well as His tenderness and love, which causes Him to long to provide refuge to the hurting. For all who are struggling, our heavenly Father offers a place of refuge in His strength and tenderness.
How have you experienced God’s strength in times of trouble? Where have you seen His comforting care?
Heavenly Father, please help me to run to You in both good times and times of struggle.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Doing Good for God
|
Posted:Mar 6, 2024 5:02 am
Last Updated:Apr 24, 2024 1:10 pm 1292 Views
|
Today's Devotional
Read: Titus 3:4–8
Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 1–2; Mark 10:1–31
Remind the people . . . to be ready to do whatever is good. Titus 3:1
Though he didn’t normally carry money with him, Patrick sensed God was leading him to tuck a five-dollar bill in his pocket before leaving home. During the lunch hour at the school where he worked, he understood how God had prepared him to meet an urgent need. In the midst of the lunchroom buzz, he heard these words: “Scotty [a in need] needs $5 to put on his account so he can eat lunch for the rest of the week.” Imagine the emotions Patrick experienced as he gave his money to help Scotty!
In Titus, Paul reminded believers in Jesus that they weren’t saved “because of righteous things [they] had done” (3:5), but they should “be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good” (v. 8; see v. 14). Life can be full, extremely busy, and hectic. Attending to our own well-being can be overwhelming. Yet, as believers in Jesus, we’re to be “good-works ready.” Rather than being overwhelmed by what we don’t have and can’t do, let’s think about what we do have and can do as God helps us. In doing so, we get to help others at the point of their needs, and God is honored. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
What can hinder good-works readiness in your life? How can you reorder your life to be available for helping people who are in need?
Dear Father, please forgive me for the times I’ve ignored opportunities to do good. Help me to be more available to help others.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
