STORMS ON THE HORIZON
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Posted:Apr 27, 2016 4:06 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2016 4:24 am 16278 Views
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Read: Matthew 8:23-28
Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 1–2; Luke 19:28-48
What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him! Matthew 8:27
Our , Josh, is a commercial salmon fisherman in Kodiak, Alaska. Some time ago he sent me a photograph he took of a tiny vessel a few hundred yards ahead of his boat moving through a narrow pass. Ominous storm clouds loom on the horizon. But a rainbow, the sign of God’s providence and loving care, stretches from one side of the pass to the other, encircling the little boat.
The photograph reflects our earthly voyage: We sail into an uncertain future, but we are surrounded by the faithfulness of God!
We sail into the uncertain future surrounded by the faithfulness of God!
Jesus’ disciples were surrounded by a storm, and He used the experience to teach them about the power and faithfulness of God (Matt. 8:23-27). We seek answers for the uncertainties of life. We watch the future growing closer and wonder what will happen to us there. Puritan poet John Keble captured this in one of his poems in which he watched the future as it drew near. But as he watched he was “waiting to see what God will do.”
Whether young or old we all face uncertain futures. Heaven answers: God's love and goodness encircle us no matter what awaits us. We wait and see what God will do!
What do you need to trust God with today?
We sail into the uncertain future surrounded by the faithfulness of God!
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MEANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD
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Posted:Apr 26, 2016 3:58 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 3:30 am 16458 Views
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Read: Romans 15:1-6
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 23–24; Luke 19:1-27
Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us.
Romans 15:4
I enjoy visiting museums such as the National Gallery in London and the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. While most of the art is breathtaking, some of it confuses me. I look at seemingly random splashes of color on canvas and realize I have no idea what I am seeing—even though the artist is a master at his craft.
Sometimes we can feel the same way about the Scriptures. We wonder, Is it even possible to understand them? Where do I start? Perhaps Paul’s words can give us some help: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).
God has given us the Scriptures for our instruction and encouragement.
God has given us the Scriptures for our instruction and encouragement. He has also given us His Spirit to help us to know His mind. Jesus said that He was sending the Spirit to “guide [us] into all the truth”
(John 16:13). Paul affirms this in 1 Corinthians 2:12, saying, “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
With the help of the Spirit, we can approach the Bible with confidence, knowing that through its pages God wants us to know Him and His ways.
Father, thank You for giving us Your to bring us into relationship with You. Thank You for giving us the Scriptures so that we can know You better. And thank You for giving us Your Spirit to guide us into the truth of what we need to know about You and Your great love.
Read the Bible to get to know its Author.
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GREAT THAN THE MESS
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Posted:Apr 25, 2016 5:05 am
Last Updated:Apr 26, 2016 3:58 am 16588 Views
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Read: 2 Samuel 22:26-37
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 21–22; Luke 18:24-43
You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.
2 Samuel 22:29
A major theme of the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel could easily be “Life is a mess!” It has all the elements of a blockbuster TV miniseries. As David sought to establish his rule as king of Israel, he faced military challenges, political intrigue, and betrayal by friends and family members. And David himself was certainly not without guilt as his relationship with Bathsheba clearly showed (chs. 11–12).
Yet near the end of 2 Samuel we find David’s song of praise to God for His mercy, love, and deliverance. “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light” (22:29).
Life is messy, but God is greater than the mess.
In many of his difficulties, David turned to the Lord. “With your help I can advance against a troop [run through a barricade]; with my God I can scale a wall” (v. 30).
Perhaps we identify with David’s struggles because he, like us, was far from perfect. Yet he knew that God was greater than the most chaotic parts of his life.
With David we can say, “As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him” (v. 31). And that includes us!
Life is messy, but God is greater than the mess.
Lord, we cannot read about the failures and difficulties of others without being reminded of our own. We bring them all to You, seeking forgiveness and Your power for a fresh start.
It’s not too late to make a fresh start with God.
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THE SPIRIT DELIVERS
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Posted:Apr 22, 2016 4:55 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 3:30 am 16499 Views
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Read: Romans 8:19-27
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 14–15; Luke 17:1-19
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26
Until recently, many towns in rural Ireland didn’t use house numbers or postal codes. So if there were three Patrick Murphys in town, the newest resident with that name would not get his mail until it was first delivered to the other two Patrick Murphys who had lived there longer. “My neighbors would get it first,” said Patrick Murphy (the newest resident). “They’d have a good read, and they’d go, ‘No, it’s probably not us.’ ” To end all this mail-delivery confusion, the Irish government recently instituted its first postal-code system which will ensure the proper delivery of the mail.
Sometimes when we pray we feel like we need help delivering to God what is on our heart. We may not know the right words to say or how to express our deep longings. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit helps us and intercedes for us by taking our unspeakable “groanings” and presenting them to the Father. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (v. 26). The Spirit always prays according to God’s will, and the Father knows the mind of the Spirit.
God hears us when we pray and He knows our deepest needs.
Be encouraged that God hears us when we pray and He knows our deepest needs.
Thank You, Father, for giving me Your Spirit to help me when I pray. Thank You for hearing my prayers and for loving me.
What are you praying for today? Share it with us at Facebook.com
When you can’t put your prayers into words, God hears your heart.
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JESUS WEPT
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Posted:Apr 21, 2016 3:53 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 3:30 am 16513 Views
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Read: John 11:1-4, 38-44
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 12–13; Luke 16
The sting of death is sin. . . . But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
I was engrossed in a book when a friend bent over to see what I was reading. Almost immediately, she recoiled and looked at me aghast. “What a gloomy title!” she said. I was reading “The Glass Coffin” in Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and the word coffin disturbed her. Most of us don’t like to be reminded of our mortality. But the reality is that out of 1,000 people, 1,000 people will die.
Death always elicits a deep emotional response. It was at the funeral of one of His dear friends that Jesus displayed strong emotions. When He saw Mary, whose brother had recently died, “he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:33). Another translation says, “a deep anger welled up within him”
Christ’s empty tomb guarantees our victory over death.
Jesus was troubled—even angry—but at what? Possibly, He was indignant at sin and its consequences. God didn’t make a world filled with sickness, suffering, and death. But sin entered the world and marred God’s beautiful plan.
The Lord comes alongside us in our grief, weeping with us in our sorrow (v. 35). But more than that, Christ defeated sin and death by dying in our place and rising from the dead
(1 Cor. 15:56-57).
Jesus promises, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die”
(John 11:25). As believers we enjoy fellowship with our Savior now, and we look forward to an eternity with Him where there will be no more tears, pain, sickness, or death.
Christ’s empty tomb guarantees our victory over death.
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GOD'S WAY
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Posted:Apr 20, 2016 3:58 am
Last Updated:Apr 21, 2016 3:54 am 16553 Views
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Read: Numbers 7:1-9
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 9–11; Luke 15:11-32
They were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.
Numbers 7:9
We really needed to hear from God. Having been asked to foster two young as an emergency measure just for 3 months, a decision had to be made about their future. With three older of our own, becoming foster parents to preschoolers didn’t seem to fit with our life plan and having our family almost double in size had been hard work. Our book of daily readings by the veteran missionary Amy Carmichael directed us to some unfamiliar verses in Numbers 7.
“I wonder how the Kohathites felt?” Amy wrote. “All the other priests had ox-carts to carry their parts of the tabernacle through the desert. But the sons of Kohath had to trudge along the rocky tracks and through the burning sand, with the ‘holy things for which they were responsible’ on their shoulders. Did they ever grumble inwardly, feeling that the other priests had an easier task? Perhaps! But God knows that some things are too precious to be carried on ox-carts and then He asks us to carry them on our shoulders.”
If our loving Father has handpicked us for our task, who are we to whisper, “I can’t do this”?
My husband and I knew this was our answer. We had often thought of sponsoring a from an undeveloped country, but we hadn’t done so. That would have been easier, much like the ox-cart. Now we had two needy in our own home to carry “on our shoulders” because they were so precious to Him.
God has different plans for each of us. We might feel that others have an easier assignment, or a more glamorous role to play. But if our loving Father has handpicked us for our task, who are we to whisper, “I can’t do this”?
God uses ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary plans.
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THE GOD WHO PAINTS
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Posted:Apr 19, 2016 4:07 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 3:30 am 16649 Views
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Read: Psalm 42
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 6–8; Luke 15:19
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:2
Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472) may have had a difficult name to pronounce, but his name is full of significance. It means “Hungry Coyote,” and this man’s writings show a spiritual hunger. As a poet and ruler in Mexico before the arrival of the Europeans, he wrote, “Truly the gods, which I worship, are idols of stone that do not speak nor feel. . . . Some very powerful, hidden and unknown god is the creator of the entire universe. He is the only one that can console me in my affliction and help me in such anguish as my heart feels; I want him to be my helper and protection.”
We cannot know if Nezahualcoyotl found the Giver of life. But during his reign he built a pyramid to the “God who paints things with beauty,” and he banned human sacrifices in his city.
The Living God has revealed Himself through Jesus.
The writers of Psalm 42 cried out, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (v. 2). Every human being desires the true God, just as “the deer pants for streams of water” (v. 1).
Today there are many Hungry Coyotes who know that the idols of fame, money, and relationships can’t fill the void in their souls. The Living God has revealed Himself through Jesus, the only One who gives us meaning and fulfillment. This is good news for those who are hungry for the God who paints things with beauty.
Lord, You are the One my soul needs. Only You can bring meaning and fulfillment to my life. You are the One my heart cries out for. I put my hope in You.
Beneath all of our longings is a deep desire for God.
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UNCONVENTIONAL TACTICS
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Posted:Apr 18, 2016 5:31 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 3:30 am 16701 Views
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Read: 2 Chronicles 20:1-13
Bible in a Year: 2 Samuel 3–5; Luke 14:25-35
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12
In 1980, a woman hopped on a subway during the Boston Marathon. No big deal, except for one small detail. She was supposed to be running the marathon! Later, witnesses saw her jump into the race less than a mile from the finish line. She finished well ahead of all the other female runners, and oddly, she wasn’t winded or even sweating much. For a brief time she looked like the winner.
In a conflict long ago, a people who were losing a battle found a more honorable way to win. When messengers told King Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom,” he was terrified (2 Chron. 20:2-3). But instead of turning to typical military tactics, Jehoshaphat turned to God. He acknowledged God’s supremacy and admitted his own fear and confusion. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (v. 12). Then the king chose singers to lead the army into battle. Instead of a war cry, they sang of God’s love (v. 21). The result was startling. Their enemies turned on each other (vv. 22-24). In the end, “The kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side” (v. 30).
Our fear and uncertainties give us the opportunity to turn to our all-powerful God.
Life can ambush us with overwhelming challenges. Yet our fear and uncertainties give us the opportunity to turn to our all-powerful God. He specializes in the unconventional.
Lord, You are not the source of confusion or fear, but of strength and peace. We exchange our panicky plans for Your amazing answers. Encourage us as we wait for You.
Our God is never predictable, but He is unfailingly reliable.
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GREAT SACRIFICE
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Posted:Apr 15, 2016 7:57 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 3:30 am 16558 Views
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Read: Hebrews 10:5-18
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 27–29; Luke 13:1-22
The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us. Galatians 1:3-4
W. T. Stead, an innovative English journalist at the turn of the 20th century, was known for writing about controversial social issues. Two of the articles he published addressed the danger of ships operating with an insufficient ratio of lifeboats to passengers. Ironically, Stead was aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. According to one report, after helping women and into lifeboats, Stead sacrificed his own life by giving up his life vest and a place in the lifeboats so others could be rescued.
There is something very stirring about self-sacrifice. No greater example of that can be found than in Christ Himself. The writer of Hebrews says, “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God . . . . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:12,14 ). In his letter to the Galatians, Paul opened with words describing this great sacrifice: “The Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (Gal. 1:3-4).
Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us.
Jesus’ offering of Himself on our behalf is the measure of His love for us. That willing sacrifice continues to rescue men and women and offer assurance of eternity with Him.
God of love and grace, words can never capture the wonder of the sacrifice that Christ offered on our behalf. May our love respond to You with faith and worship—for Your who was slain is worthy of our praise.
Jesus laid down His life to show His love for us.
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THIS IS THE DAY!!
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Posted:Apr 14, 2016 2:10 am
Last Updated:Apr 15, 2016 7:57 am 16437 Views
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Read: Psalm 118:19-29
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 25–26; Luke 12:32-59
This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
In 1940, Dr. Virginia Connally, age 27, braved opposition and criticism to become the first female physician in Abilene, Texas. A few months before her 100th birthday in 2012, the Texas Medical Association presented her with its Distinguished Service Award, Texas’ highest physician honor. Between those two landmark events, Dr. Connally has enthusiastically embraced a passion for spreading the gospel around the world through her many medical mission trips while living a life of service to God and to others—one day at a time.
Dr. Connally’s pastor, Phil Christopher, said, “Every day for her is a gift.” He recalled a letter in which she wrote, “Every tour, trip, effort, I wonder if this will be my last and ultimate? Only God knows. And this is enough.”
God made today. Let’s celebrate it!
The psalmist wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”
(Ps. 118:24 ). So often we focus on the disappointments of yesterday or the uncertainties of tomorrow and miss God’s matchless gift to us: Today!
Dr. Connally said of her journey with Christ, “As you live a life of faith, you’re not looking for the results. I was just doing the things that God planted in my life and heart.”
God made today. Let’s celebrate it and make the most of every opportunity to serve others in His name.
Lord, thank You for today. May I embrace it as Your gift, celebrate Your faithfulness, and live this day fully for You.
Welcome each day as a gift from God.
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