HER FATHER'S ZOO
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Posted:Jan 29, 2016 6:17 am
Last Updated:Jan 31, 2016 8:26 pm 16769 Views
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Read: 1 Kings 4:29-34
Bible in a Year: Exodus 21–22; Matthew 19
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
Proverbs 12:10
June Williams was only 4 when her father bought 7 acres of land to build a zoo without bars or cages. Growing up she remembers how creative her father was in trying to help wild animals feel free in confinement. Today Chester Zoo is one of England’s most popular wildlife attractions. Home to 11,000 animals on 110 acres of land, the zoo reflects her father’s concern for animal welfare, education, and conservation.
Solomon had a similar interest in all creatures great and small. In addition to studying the wildlife of the Middle East, he imported exotic animals like apes and monkeys from far-off lands (1 Kings 10:22). But one of his proverbs shows us that Solomon’s knowledge of nature went beyond intellectual curiosity. When he expressed the spiritual implications of how we treat our animals, he mirrored something of the heart of our Creator: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. 12:10).
The beauty of God's creation should inspire us to take better care of what He has entrusted to us.
With God-given wisdom, Solomon saw that our relationship to our Creator affects not only how we treat people but also how much thoughtful consideration we give to the creatures in our care.
Father in heaven, when we think about the wonder and diversity of Your animal kingdom, please help us not only to worship You, but to care for what You’ve entrusted to us.
God is the real Owner of all of us.
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BEFORE THE PHONE
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Posted:Jan 28, 2016 5:05 am
Last Updated:Jan 29, 2016 6:17 am 16922 Views
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Read: Psalm 18:1-6
Bible in a Year: Exodus 19–20; Matthew 18:21-35
In my distress I called to the Lord.
Psalm 18:6
As a mom of young I’m sometimes susceptible to panic. My first reaction is to call my mom on the phone and ask her what to do with my ’s allergy or my ’s sudden cough.
Mom is a great resource, but when I read the Psalms, I’m reminded of how often we need the kind of help that no mortal can give. In Psalm 18 David was in great danger. Afraid, close to death, and in anguish, he called on the Lord.
Jesus always hears our cries.
David could say, “I love you, Lord” because he understood God was a fortress, a rock, and a deliverer (vv. 1-2). God was his shield, his salvation, and his stronghold. Maybe we cannot understand David’s praise because we have not experienced God’s help. It may be that we reach for the phone before going to God for advice and help.
Surely God puts people in our lives to give us help and comfort. But let’s also remember to pray. God will hear us. As David sang, “From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears” (v. 6). When we go to God, we join David’s song and enjoy Him as our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer.
Next time you reach for the phone, remember also to pray.
Dear Lord, help me to remember You are my deliverer, and You always hear my cry.
Prayer is the bridge between panic and peace.
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WHAT IS IT?
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Posted:Jan 27, 2016 5:39 am
Last Updated:Jan 28, 2016 5:06 am 16653 Views
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Read: Exodus 16:11-31
Bible in a Year: Exodus 16–18; Matthew 18:1-8
When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?”
Exodus 16:15
My mother taught Sunday school for decades. One week she wanted to explain how God supplied food for the Israelites in the wilderness. To make the story come alive, she created something to represent “manna” for the in her class. She cut bread into small pieces and topped them with honey. Her recipe was inspired by the Bible’s description of manna that says it “tasted like wafers made with honey” (Ex. 16:31).
When the Israelites first encountered God’s bread from heaven, it appeared on the ground outside their tents like frost. “When [they] saw it, they said to each other, ‘What is it?’ ” (v. 15). The Hebrew word man means “what,” so they called it manna. They discovered they could grind it and form it into loaves or cook it in a pot Num. 11.7-8. Whatever it was, it had a baffling arrival (Ex. 16:4,14), a unique consistency
(v. 14), and a short expiration date (vv. 19-20).
Sometimes God provides for us in surprising ways, but He always meets our needs.
Sometimes God provides for us in surprising ways. This reminds us that He is not bound by our expectations, and we can’t predict what He will choose to do. While we wait, focusing on who He is rather than what we think He should do will help us find joy and satisfaction in our relationship with Him.
Dear God, please help me to freely accept Your provision and the way You choose to deliver it. Thank You for caring for me and meeting my needs.
Those who let God provide will always be satisfied.
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WHEN QUESTIONS REMAIN
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Posted:Jan 26, 2016 5:52 am
Last Updated:Jan 27, 2016 5:39 am 16920 Views
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Read: Job 23:1-12
Bible in a Year: Exodus 14–15; Matthew 17
He knows the way that I take.
Job 23:10
On October 31, 2014, an experimental spacecraft broke apart during a test flight and crashed into the Mojave Desert. The copilot died while the pilot miraculously survived. Investigators soon determined what had happened, but not why. The title of a newspaper article about the crash began with the words “Questions remain.”
Throughout life we may experience sorrows for which there are no adequate explanations. Some are catastrophic events with far-reaching effects while others are personal, private tragedies that alter our individual lives and families. We want to know why, but we seem to find more questions than answers. Yet even as we struggle with “Why?” God extends His unfailing love to us.
When Job lost his and his wealth in a single day (Job 1:13-19), he sank into an angry depression and resisted any attempted explanations by his friends. Yet he held out hope that someday there would be an answer from God. Even in the darkness Job could say, “[God] knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (23:10).
Oswald Chambers said, “There will come one day a personal and direct touch from God when every tear and perplexity, every oppression and distress, every suffering and pain, and wrong and injustice will have a complete and ample and overwhelming explanation.”
Today, as we face life’s unanswered questions, we can find help and hope in God’s love and promises.
When we face unanswered questions, we find help and hope in God’s love.
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CARELESS WORDS
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Posted:Jan 25, 2016 2:08 am
Last Updated:Apr 29, 2024 1:47 am 16903 Views
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Read: James 3:1-12
Bible in a Year: Exodus 12–13; Matthew 16
The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.
James 3:5
My has had a lot of ill health recently, and her husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. “You have a real treasure there!” I said.
“You didn’t think that when I first knew him,” she said with a grin.
She was quite right. When Icilda and Philip got engaged, I was concerned. They were such different personalities. We have a large and noisy family, and Philip is more reserved. And I had shared my misgivings with my quite bluntly.
I was horrified to realize that the critical things I said so casually 15 years ago had stayed in her memory and could possibly have destroyed a relationship that has proved to be so right and happy. It reminded me how much we need to guard what we say to others. So many of us are quick to point out what we consider to be weaknesses in family, friends, or work colleagues, or to focus on their mistakes rather than their successes. “The tongue is a small part of the body,” says James (3:5), yet the words it shapes can either destroy relationships or bring peace and harmony to a situation in the workplace, the church, or the family.
Perhaps we should make David’s prayer our own as we start each day: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).
Father, please curb my careless speech and put a guard on my tongue today and every day.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Proverbs 25:11
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A PRISONER NO MORE
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Posted:Jan 22, 2016 5:32 am
Last Updated:Jan 25, 2016 2:08 am 16949 Views
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Read: Romans 7:15-25
Bible in a Year: Exodus 4–6; Matthew 14:22-36
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Romans 7:15
A middle-aged man approached me after I led a workshop at his place of employment and asked this question: “I’ve been a Christian nearly my whole life, but I’m constantly disappointed in myself. Why is it that I always seem to keep doing the things I wish I didn’t do and never seem to do the things I know I should? Isn’t God getting tired of me?” Two men standing next to me also seemed eager to hear the response.
That’s a common struggle that even the apostle Paul experienced. “I do not understand what I do,” he said, “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Rom. 7:15). But here’s some good news: We don’t have to stay in that trap of discouragement. To paraphrase Paul as he writes in Romans 8, the key is to stop focusing on the law and start focusing on Jesus. We can’t do anything about our sinfulness in our own strength. The answer is not “try harder to be good at keeping the rules.” Instead, we must focus on the One who shows us mercy and cooperate with the Spirit who changes us.
Focus on the One who shows us mercy & cooperate with the Spirit who changes us.
When we focus on the law, we are constantly reminded that we’ll never be good enough to deserve God’s grace. But when we focus on Jesus, we become more like Him.
I sometimes get caught in the cycle of trying harder to be good, failing, getting discouraged, and giving up. Help me, Lord, to depend on Your grace and to draw near to You so that You can change my heart.
Focus on Jesus.
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WELCOME HOME!
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Posted:Jan 21, 2016 3:29 am
Last Updated:Jan 22, 2016 5:32 am 16748 Views
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Read: Luke 15:11-24
the Bible in a Year: Exodus 1–3; Matthew 14:1-21
While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.
Luke 15:20
When we were going through a particularly challenging time with our , a friend pulled me aside after a church meeting. “I want you to know that I pray for you and your every day,” he said. Then he added: “I feel so guilty.”
“Why?” I asked. “Because I’ve never had to deal with prodigal ,” he said. “My pretty much played by the rules. But it wasn’t because of anything I did or didn’t do. ,” he shrugged, “make their own choices.”
I wanted to hug him. His compassion was a reminder, a gift from God, communicating to me the Father’s understanding for my struggle with my .
No one understands the struggle with prodigals better than our heavenly Father. The story of the prodigal in Luke 15 is our story and God’s. Jesus told it on behalf of all sinners who so desperately need to come home to their Creator and discover the warmth of a loving relationship with Him.
Jesus is God in the flesh seeing us in the distance and looking on us with compassion. He is God running to us and throwing His arms around us. He is heaven’s kiss welcoming the repentant sinner home (v. 20).
God hasn’t just left the porch light on for us. He’s out on the front porch watching, waiting, calling us home.
We ask again today, Lord, that our prodigals would come home.
Our loved ones may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons—but they are helpless against our prayers.
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REAL PEOPLE, REAL GOD
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Posted:Jan 20, 2016 4:15 am
Last Updated:Jan 21, 2016 3:29 am 17246 Views
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Read: Philippians 3:17-21 |
Bible in a Year: Genesis 49–50; Matthew 13:31-34
Join together in following my example.
Philippians 3:17
Several years ago I received a letter from an Our Daily Bread reader after I had written about a family tragedy. “When you told about your tragedy,” this person wrote, “I realized that the writers were real people with real problems.” How true that is! I look across the list of men and women who pen these articles, and I see cancer and wayward and unfulfilled dreams and many other kinds of loss. We are indeed just regular, real people writing about a real God who understands our real problems.
The apostle Paul stands out in the Real People Hall of Fame. He had physical problems. He had legal issues. He had interpersonal relationship struggles to deal with. And in all of this messy reality, he was setting an example for us. In Philippians 3:17, he said, “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”
God welcomes all people to come to Him for salvation.
Those around us who need the gospel—who need Jesus—are looking for believable people who can point them to our perfect Savior. And that means we must be real.
You, Lord, are perfection. Yet You welcome us imperfect people to come to You for salvation. You sent Your perfect to earth to die for us. Help us to be real and genuine as we seek to point people to You.
If we are true to God, we will not be false to people.
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YOU FIRST!
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Posted:Jan 19, 2016 3:55 am
Last Updated:Jan 21, 2016 5:52 am 17550 Views
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Read: Philippians 2:1-11
Bible in a Year: Genesis 46–48; Matthew 13:1-30
[Jesus] humbled himself.
Philippians 2:8
Tibetan-born Sherpa Nawang Gombu and American Jim Whittaker reached the top of Mount Everest on May 1, 1963. As they approached the peak, each considered the honor of being the first of the two to step to the summit. Whittaker motioned for Gombu to move ahead, but Gombu declined with a smile, saying, “You first, Big Jim!” Finally, they decided to step to the summit at the same time.
Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to demonstrate this kind of humility. He said, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4 nkjv). Selfishness and superiority can divide people, but humility unites us, since it is the quality of “being one in spirit and of one mind” (v. 2).
Practicing humility helps us to become more like Jesus.
When quarrels and disagreements occur, we can often diffuse them by giving up our right to be right. Humility calls us to show grace and gentleness when we would rather insist on our own way. “In humility value others above yourselves” (v. 3).
Practicing humility helps us to become more like Jesus who, for our sake, “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death” vv. 7-8. Following in Jesus’ footsteps means backing away from what is best for us and doing what is best for others.
Jesus, You gave up Your life for me. Help me to see each sacrifice I make as a reflection of Your humility. In putting others first, let me honor You.
Humility promotes unity.
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MINISTER OF RECONCILIATION
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Posted:Jan 18, 2016 4:40 am
Last Updated:Jan 20, 2016 4:15 am 16712 Views
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Read: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Bible in a Year: Genesis 43–45; Matthew 12:24-50
While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his .
Romans 5:10
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached on a Sunday morning in 1957, he fought the temptation to retaliate against a society steeped in racism.
“How do you go about loving your enemies?” he asked the Dexter Avenue Baptist congregation in Montgomery, Alabama. “Begin with yourself. . . . When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it.”
Quoting from the words of Jesus, King said: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you . . . ; that ye may be the of your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:44-45
As we consider those who harm us, we are wise to remember our former status as enemies of God (see Rom. 5:10). But “[God] reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,” wrote Paul 2 Cor. 5:18. Now we have a holy obligation. “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (v. 19). We are to take that message to the world.
Racial and political tensions are nothing new. But the business of the church is never to feed divisiveness. We should not attack those unlike us or those who hold different opinions or even those who seek our destruction. Ours is a “ministry of reconciliation” that imitates the selfless servant-heart of Jesus.
In Christ there is no east or west, in Him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.
Hate destroys the hater as well as the hated. Martin Luther King Jr.
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