A Faithful Helper
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Posted:Oct 6, 2014 5:49 am
Last Updated:Oct 9, 2014 11:47 am 19078 Views
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Read: Jeremiah 20.7-13
The Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Jeremiah 20:11
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2
As a young boy, my father had to deliver slop to hungry pigs on the farm where he grew up. He hated this job because the hogs would knock him over when he entered their pen. This task might have been impossible except for a faithful helper who accompanied my dad a German shepherd named Sugarbear. She would maneuver herself between my father and the pigs and hold them back until my dad finished his chore.
The prophet Jeremiah had the difficult job of proclaiming God's messages to the Israelites. This required him to endure physical abuse, verbal attacks, imprisonment, and isolation. Although Jeremiah struggled with deep discouragement, he had a Helper through all of his trouble. God promised him, I am with you . . . to deliver you (Jer. 1:19).
God did not desert Jeremiah, and He will not desert us. We have His continual aid through the power of the Spirit who lives inside every believer (John 14:16-17). The Helper gives us hope (Rom. 15:13), steers us toward spiritual truth (John 16:13), and pours out God's love in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). We can trust that God faithfully helps us as we endure hardship. We can say with Jeremiah, The Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One (Jer. 20:11).
You, God, have been our help forever.
And You are our hope now and into eternity.
We thank You that You will never desert us.
You will be faithful.
Our greatest hope here below is help from God above.
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Filtered Light
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Posted:Oct 3, 2014 1:55 am
Last Updated:Oct 9, 2014 6:51 am 19240 Views
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Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
It is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 4:6
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 17-19; Ephesians 5:17-33
The painting A Trail of Light by Colorado Springs artist Bob Simpich shows a grove of aspen trees with golden leaves lit by the autumn sun. The topmost leaves are brilliantly illuminated while the ground beneath the trees is a mixture of sunlight and shadows. The painter said of this contrast, I can't resist the light filtered through to the forest floor. It weaves a special magic.
The apostle Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Corinth, For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). Paul goes on to describe the reality of life in which we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; . . . perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (vv.8-9).
There are times when it seems that the light of God's face is dimmed because of our difficulty, sorrow, or loss. Yet, even in these dark shadows, we can see evidence of His presence with us.
If we walk in filtered light today, may we discover anew that God's light Jesus is always shining in our hearts.
Lord, shine the light of Your face on us that we may
find our way to Your salvation. Shine Your light into
the darkness that envelops our world that we may
see who You are and show others the way to You.
In dark circumstances, God's light is still shining in our hearts.
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In The Storm
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Posted:Oct 2, 2014 5:54 am
Last Updated:Oct 2, 2014 4:36 pm 19263 Views
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Read: Mark 4:35-41
[Jesus] said to the sea, âPeace, be still! Mark 4:39
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16
A storm was brewing not just on the horizon but also in a friendâs home. When I was in Hong Kong, she shared, âthe local meteorological service announced that there was a superstorm approaching. But more than the storm that was looming outside my window, there was a storm brewing at home. While my dad was in the hospital, family members were trying to balance their home and work responsibilities while also traveling to and from the hospital. They were so tired that patience was wearing thin, and the situation at home was tense.
Life can feel like a storm tossing us around with winds of misfortune, grief, or stress. Where can we turn? When Jesus disciples were caught in a great windstorm and wondered if He cared, they still knew
where to turn. He demonstrated His power by calming the howling storm (Mark 4:38-39).
But often He does not calm the storm immediately. And, like the disciples, we may feel that He doesn't care. To calm our fears, we can cling to faith in who God is and what He can do. We can take shelter in Him (Ps. 91:1). We can find His help to relate to others with grace. We can rest in an all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving God. He is with us in the storm and cradles us through the storm.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of the ocean, and earth, and skies.
One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.
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The Power Of Ritual
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Posted:Oct 1, 2014 7:43 am
Last Updated:Oct 2, 2014 4:36 pm 19087 Views
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Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34
Do this in remembrance of Me. 1 Corinthians 11:24
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4
When I was growing up, one of the rules in our house was that we weren't allowed to go to bed angry (Eph. 4:26). All our fights and disagreements had to be resolved. The companion to that rule was this bedtime ritual: Mom and Dad would say to my brother and me, Good night. I love you. And we would respond, Good night. I love you too.
The value of this family ritual has recently been impressed on me. As my mother lay in a hospice bed dying of lung cancer, she became less and less responsive. But each night when I left her bedside I would say, I love you, Mom. And though she could say little else, she would respond, I love you too. Growing up I had no idea what a gift this ritual would be to me so many years later.
Time and repetition can rob our rituals of meaning. But some are important reminders of vital spiritual truths. First-century believers misused the practice of the Lord's Supper, but the apostle Paul didn't tell them to stop celebrating it. Instead he told them, As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes
(1 Cor. 11:26).
Rather than give up the ritual, perhaps we need to restore the meaning.
Lord, when we observe the Lord's Supper, help
us avoid the trap of letting our observance
grow routine. May we always be moved with
gratitude for the wonderful gift of ritual.
Any ritual can lose meaning, but that does not make the ritual meaningless.
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A Fresh Start
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Posted:Sep 30, 2014 5:03 am
Last Updated:Sep 30, 2014 5:06 am 18956 Views
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Read: Luke 5:17-26
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Luke 5:31
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 9-10; Ephesians 3
In many countries, health laws prohibit reselling or reusing old mattresses. Only landfills will take them. Tim Keenan tackled the problem and today his business employs a dozen people to extract the individual components of metal, fabric, and foam in old mattresses for recycling. But that's only part of the story. Journalist Bill Vogrin wrote,Of all the items Keenan recycles . . . it's the people that may be his biggest success (The Gazette, Colorado Springs). Keenan hires men from halfway houses and homeless shelters, giving them a job and a second chance. He says, We take guys nobody else wants.
Luke 5:17-26 tells how Jesus healed the body and the soul of a paralyzed man. Following that miraculous event, Levi answered Jesus call to follow Him and then invited his fellow tax collectors and friends to a banquet in honor of the Lord (vv.27-29). When some people accused Jesus of associating with undesirables (v.30), He reminded them that healthy people don't need a doctor adding, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance (v.32).
To everyone who feels like a throwaway headed for the landfill of life, Jesus opens His arms of love and offers a fresh beginning. That's why He came!
The power of God can turn a heart
From evil and the power of sin;
The love of God can change a life
And make it new and cleansed within.
Salvation is receiving a new life.
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Amazing Grace
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Posted:Sep 29, 2014 5:54 am
Last Updated:Sep 30, 2014 5:03 am 18996 Views
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Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. Ephesians 2:8
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2
Pressed into service in the Royal Navy, John Newton was dismissed for insubordination and turned to a career trafficking in slaves. Notorious for cursing and blasphemy, Newton served on a slave ship during the cruelest days of trans-Atlantic slavery, finally working his way up to captain.
A dramatic conversion on the high seas set him on the path to grace. He always felt a sense of undeservedness for his new life. He became a rousing evangelical preacher and eventually a leader in the abolitionist movement. Newton appeared before Parliament, giving irrefutable eyewitness testimony to the horror and immorality of the slave trade. We also know him as the author of the lyrics of perhaps the best-loved hymn of all time, Amazing Grace.
Newton described any good in himself as an outworking of God's grace. In doing so, he stands with these great heroes a murderer and adulterer (King David), a coward (the apostle Peter), and a persecutor of Christians (the apostle Paul).
This same grace is available to all who call upon God, for in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His graceâ(Eph. 1.7.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
Lives rooted in God's unchanging grace can never be uprooted.
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A Matter Of Trust
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Posted:Sep 26, 2014 3:36 am
Last Updated:Sep 26, 2014 4:20 pm 19134 Views
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Read: Psalm 5
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them. Psalm 5:11
Bible in a Year:
Isaiah 1-2; Galatians 5
A news item from Australia told the story of Pascale Honore, a paraplegic woman who, after 18 years of being confined to a wheelchair, has taken up surfing. How?
Ty Swan, a young surfer, straps her to his back with duct tape. After getting the balance perfect, Ty paddles out into the ocean so they can catch a wave and Pascale can experience the exhilaration of surfing. This requires a tremendous amount of trust; so many things could go wrong. Yet her confidence in Ty is enough to enable her to enjoy a dream come true, in spite of the danger.
Life is like that for the follower of Christ. We live in a dangerous world, filled with unpredictable challenges and unseen perils. Yet, we have joy because we know Someone who is strong enough to carry us through the churning waves of life that threaten to overwhelm us. The psalmist wrote, Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in Youâ (Ps. 5:11).
In the face of life's great dangers and challenges, we can know a joy borne out of our trust in God. His strength is more than enough!
Iâm so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Our faith is stretched by exchanging our weakness for God's strength.
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the Wise Old Owl
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Posted:Sep 25, 2014 7:40 am
Last Updated:Sep 26, 2014 3:36 am 19064 Views
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Read: Proverbs 10:17-21
He who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19
Bible in a Year:
Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4
Years ago an anonymous writer penned a short poem about the merits of measuring our words.
A wise old owl sat in an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?
There is a connection between wisdom and limiting what we say. Proverbs 10:19 says, In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
We are wise to be careful about what we say or how much we say in certain situations. It makes sense to guard our words when we are angry. James urged his fellow believers, Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1.19. Restraining our words can also show reverence for God. Solomon said, God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few (Eccl. 5:2). When others are grieving, our silent presence may help more than abundant expressions of sympathy: No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great (Job 2.13.
Although there is a time to be quiet and a time to speak (Eccl. 3.7, choosing to speak less allows us to hear more.
Dear Lord, please grant me wisdom to
know when to speak and when to listen.
I want to encourage others and to care
for them as You have cared for me.
Let your speech be better than silence; otherwise be silent.
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The Language Of Whistling
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Posted:Sep 24, 2014 5:47 am
Last Updated:Sep 25, 2014 7:45 am 19019 Views
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Read: Zechariah 10:1-8
I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them. Zechariah 10:8
Bible in a Year:
Song of Solomon 4-5; Galatians 3
On La Gomera, one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, a language that sounds like a bird song is being revived. In a land of deep valleys and steep ravines, schoolchildren and tourists are learning how whistling was once used to communicate for distances up to 2 miles. One goat herder who is using this ancient language once again to communicate with his flock said, They recognize my whistle as they recognize my voice.
The practice of whistling also shows up in the Bible, where God is described as a shepherd whistling for His sheep. This image could be what the prophet had in mind when he described how God will one day whistle to bring a wandering and scattered people back to Himself
Zech. 10.8.
Many years later Jesus said, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me
John 10.27. That may be the whistle of a shepherd. Sheep don't understand words, but they know the sound that signals the shepherds presence.
Misleading voices and distracting noises still compete for our attention (cf. Zech. 10.2). Yet God has ways of signaling us, even without words. By events that can be alarming or encouraging, He reminds us of His guiding, protecting, and reassuring presence.
Father, it is a noisy world. Thank You for
always calling to us above the din and
ruckus that distracts us. Help us to recognize
Your voice and follow Your leading.
The call of God can always be heard.
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An Emergency Of The Spirit
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Posted:Sep 23, 2014 6:13 am
Last Updated:Sep 23, 2014 6:15 am 19031 Views
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Read: 2 Samuel 1:17-27
David lamented with this lamenttion over Saul and over Jonathan his . 2 Samuel 1:17
Bible in a Year:
Song of Solomon 1-3; Galatians 2
In March 2011, a devastating tsunami struck Japan, taking nearly 16,000 lives as it obliterated towns and villages along the coast. Writer and poet Gretel Erlich visited Japan to witness and document the destruction. When she felt inadequate to report what she was seeing, she wrote a poem about it. In a PBS NewsHour interview she said, My old friend William Stafford, a poet now gone, said, A poem is an emergency of the spirit.
We find poetry used throughout the Bible to express deep emotion, ranging from joyful praise to anguished loss. When King Saul and his Jonathan were killed in battle, David was overwhelmed with grief
(2 Sam. 1:1-12). He poured out his soul in a poem he called the Song of the Bow: Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. . . . How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! . . . I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me (vv.23-26).
When we face an emergency of the spirit whether glad or sad our prayers can be a poem to the Lord. While we may stumble to articulate what we feel, our heavenly Father hears our words as a true expression of our hearts.
Sometimes I do not pray in words
I take my heart in my two hands
And hold it up before the Lord
I am so glad He understands.
God does more than hear words; He reads hearts.
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