Looking For Zacchaeus
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Posted:Jul 25, 2014 5:12 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2024 7:0 am 21743 Views
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Read: Luke 19:1-10
Today salvation has come to this house. âLuke 19:9
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 37-39; Acts 26
Alf Clark walks the city streets looking for Zacchaeus. Well, not the actual one in the BibleâJesus already found him. Alf and some friends who serve with an urban ministry do what Jesus did in Luke 19. They go purposefully through town to meet with and help those in need.
Alf walks house to house in his neighborhood, knocking on doors and saying to whoever peeks out, âHi, Iâm Alf. Do you have any needs I can pray for?â Itâs his way of opening up communication andâlike Jesus did with tax-collector Zacchaeusâseeking to supply needed counsel and spiritual life and hope.
Notice what Jesus did. Luke simply says that Jesus âpassed throughâ Jericho (Luke 19:1). Of course, a crowd gathered, as usually occurred when Jesus came to town. Zacchaeus, being âheight challenged,â climbed a tree. Jesus, while passing through, walked right over to his tree and told him He had to visit at his house. That day salvation came to Zacchaeusâs house. Jesus had âcome to seek and to save that which was lostâ (v.10).
Do we look for Zacchaeus? He is everywhere, needing Jesus. In what ways can we share Christâs love with people who need the Savior?
God, guide our steps toward and not away
from those who need You. Then guide our words
and our actions so that we can be purposeful
in our encounters with others.
Godâs good news is too good to keep to ourselves.
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He Calls The Stars By Name
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Posted:Jul 24, 2014 4:30 am
Last Updated:Jul 28, 2014 7:30 am 21494 Views
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Read: Psalm 147:1-9
He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Psalm 147:4
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 35-36; Acts 25
On a plateau high above the Atacama Desert in Chile, the world's largest radio telescope is giving astronomers a view of the universe never seen before. In an Associated Press article, Luis Andres Henao spoke of scientists from many countries looking for clues about the dawn of the cosmos from the coldest gases and dust where galaxies are formed and stars are born to the energy produced by the Big Bang.
The Bible celebrates the mighty power and infinite understanding of God who counts the number of the stars and calls them all by name (Ps. 147:4). Yet the Creator of the universe is not a remote, uncaring force, but a loving heavenly Father who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (v.3). The Lord lifts up the humble (v.6) and takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy (v.11).
He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
British author J. B. Phillips called Earth âthe visited planet, where the Prince of Glory is still working out His plan.
Our hope for today and forever lies in the loving mercy of God who calls each star by name.
The God who made the firmament,
Who made the deepest sea,
The God who put the stars in place
Is the God who cares for me.
God, who knows the name of every star, knows all our names as well.
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Waving The White Flag
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Posted:Jul 23, 2014 3:15 am
Last Updated:Jul 28, 2014 7:32 am 18852 Views
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Read: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 33-34; Acts 24
Recently, while watching a video of a church service held in South America, I noticed something I had never seen before in church. As the pastor passionately called his flock to yield their lives to Jesus, one of the parishioners took a white hankie out of his pocket and started waving it in the air. Then another, and another. With tears running down their cheeks, they were expressing full surrender to Christ.
But I wonder if there was more to the moment than the flags of surrender. I think they were waving flags of love to God. When God told His people to âlove the Lord your God (Deut. 6:5), it was in the context of His urging them to surrender their lives to Him.
From Godâs point of view, life with Him is far more than just trying to be good. It is always about relationship relationship in which surrender is the way we express our grateful love to Him. Jesus, in amazing love for us, surrendered Himself on the cross to rescue us from our helpless bondage to sin and set us on a journey to all that is good and glorious.
We don't have enough words to tell God how much we love Him! So, let's show Him our love by surrendering our hearts and lives to follow Him.
Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender, Lordâin me abide.
Surrender is Godâs love language.
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Lasting Regrets
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Posted:Jul 22, 2014 5:43 am
Last Updated:Jul 22, 2014 9:52 am 15172 Views
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Read: Psalm 32:1-7
When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. Psalm 32:3
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35
While I was talking with a gifted pianist, she asked me if I played any musical instruments. When I responded, I play the radio, she laughed and asked if I had ever wanted to play any instrument. My embarrassed answer was, I took piano lessons as a boy but gave it up. Now, in my adult years, I regret not continuing with the piano. I love music and wish I could play today. That conversation was a fresh reminder to me that life is often constituted by the choices we make and some of them produce regret.
Some choices produce much more serious and painful regrets. King David discovered this when he chose to sleep with another man's wife and then killed that man. He described the guilt that filled him as devastating, saying, When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer
(Ps. 32:3-4). But David acknowledged and confessed his sin to God and found forgiveness (v.5).
It is only from God that we can receive the grace of forgiveness when our choices have produced painful regrets. And only in Him do we find the wisdom to make better choices.
Father of mercies, forgive me for the foolish choices
I have made. Please enable me to be wiser in
my choices. Teach me the value of resting
in Your grace.
God's forgiveness frees us from the chains of regret.
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Water For The World
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Posted:Jul 21, 2014 4:28 am
Last Updated:Jul 21, 2014 4:07 pm 11821 Views
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Read: John 4.7-15
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7.38
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 29-30; Acts 23:1-15d
Although 70 percent of the world is covered by water, less than 1 percent of it is drinkable by humans. Water conservation and sanitation are crucial matters in many parts of the world, as all life depends on having sanitary water.
Jesus went out of His way to introduce a lost woman to another kind of life-giving water. He deliberately chose to go to a town in Samaria, a place where no respectable rabbi would set foot. There, He told this woman about living water. Those who drink of it, He said, will never thirst. It will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14).
The living water is Jesus Himself. Those who receive Him have eternal life (v.14). But the living water He provides also serves another function. Jesus said of those who receive it: Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water (7.38. The living water that refreshes us is to refresh others also.
As fresh-water distribution is uneven in the world, so too is the distribution of living water. Many people do not know followers of Jesus who really care about them. It is our privilege to share Him. Christ is, after all, the living water for whom people are thirsting.
Lord Jesus, I want to live for You. May Your
life and love flow through me as I go about my
duties today so that others may see You through
me and be drawn to the living water.
Jesus is a never-ending supply of living water for a parched world.
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Living Bridges
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Posted:Jul 18, 2014 7:35 am
Last Updated:Jul 18, 2014 7:36 am 10692 Views
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Read: Jeremiah 17.5-10
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. Jeremiah 1.7
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 20-22; Acts 21.1-17
People who live in Cherrapunji, India, have developed a unique way to get across the many rivers and streams in their land. They grow bridges from the roots of rubber trees. These âliving bridgesâ take between 10 to 15 years to mature, but once they are established, they are extremely stable and last for hundreds of years.
The Bible compares a person who trusts in God to a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the riverâ (Jer. 17.8. Because its roots are well-nourished, this tree survives soaring temperatures. And during drought it continues to yield fruit.
Like a firmly rooted tree, people who rely on God have a sense of stability and vitality despite the worst circumstances. In contrast, people who place their trust in other humans often live with a sense of instability. The Bible compares them to desert shrubs that are frequently malnourished and stand alone (v.6. So it is with the spiritual lives of people who forsake God.
Where are our roots? Are we rooted in Jesus? (Col. 2.7. Are we a bridge that leads others to Him? If we know Christ, we can testify to this truth: Blessed are those who trust in the Lord (Jer. 17.7.
Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
Even strong trials cannot blow down a person who is rooted in God.
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Lookin' Good!
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Posted:Jul 17, 2014 5:14 am
Last Updated:Jul 17, 2014 5:25 am 10020 Views
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Read: Hebrews 10:19-25
Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Hebrews 10:24
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 18-19; Acts 20:17-38
After trying on my new sunglasses in the car one day, my handed them back and said, These are not sunglasses, Mom. They're just fashion lenses. Let me guess, she teased, you bought them because you look cute in them.
Okay, I have to admit my knows me. I hadn't given a passing thought to UV rays or even whether those glasses would actually block the sun. I just really liked the way they looked on me.
Most of us like to look good. We want to appear that we have it all together with no struggles or fears or temptations or heartaches.
Trying to maintain a facade of perfection on our spiritual journey doesn't help us or our fellow travelers. But sharing our lives with others in the body of Christ benefits us as well as others. When we are a bit more transparent, we may find people who are struggling in a similar situation. And as we enjoy a growing fellowship with God and become more aware of our own brokenness and inadequacy, God is able to use us more fully to help others.
Let's allow God to strip away any pretense and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24
Wearing a mask that shows everything's fine
Says that life's struggles are not God's design;
But when we're open, transparent, and true,
People will trust God to meet their needs too.
Believers stand strong when they don't stand alone.
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Feeling Chained
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Posted:Jul 16, 2014 6:15 am
Last Updated:Jul 16, 2014 6:16 am 9181 Views
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Read: Psalm 16
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content
. Philippians 4:11
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 16-17; Acts 20:1-16
Boethius lived in sixth-century Italy and served the royal court as a highly skilled politician. Unfortunately, he fell into disfavor with the king. He was accused of treason and imprisoned. While awaiting execution, he asked for writing materials so he could compose his reflections. Later, these became an enduring spiritual classic on consolation.
As Boethius sat in prison, pondering his bleak prospects, his faith in Christ infused his perspective: Nothing is miserable but what is thought so, and contrariwise, every estate is happy if he that bears it be content. He understood that our view of changing circumstances and contentment is a personal choice.
The apostle Paul reinforced the idea that the way we view our circumstances is more important than the circumstances themselves. While he too was in prison, he wrote: I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content (Phil. 4:11). Both men could be content because they drew their ultimate satisfaction from God, who never changes.
Do you feel chained to difficult circumstances? God can give you contentment. Lasting satisfaction can be found only with Him, for in His presence is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore(Ps. 16:11).
Lord, lead me today as You see best. Use the gifts
Youâve given me to encourage others on
their journey. Help me not to compare
myself with others but to be content.
When all you have is God, you have all you need.
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True Loyalty
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Posted:Jul 15, 2014 4:41 am
Last Updated:Jul 15, 2014 4:43 am 8766 Views
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Read: 2 Corinthians 11:23-31
If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
2 Corinthians 11:30
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 13-15; Acts 19:21-41
By one estimate, more than 14 trillion frequent-flyer miles have been accumulated by people worldwide. It all started in the early 1980s, when airlines began the first frequent-flyer programs to encourage repeat business by rewarding customers for their loyalty. Accumulated miles could be redeemed for free travel, goods, and services, so it wasn't long before people began planning their travel based as much on personal reward as on price or schedule.
The apostle Paul was an avid first-century traveler, but he wasn't in it for the frequent-sailor miles. His goal was to reach as many people as he could with the good news of forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus. When some people in the city of Corinth questioned his authority, he wrote a letter describing the price he had paid to bring the gospel to others: Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep (2 Cor. 11:25). God gave Paul the grace and endurance to risk his life to tell people about Jesus with no thought of personal gain.
Whether we receive persecution or praise for our service to the Lord, may our focus always be loyalty to Him and gratitude for His sacrifice of love.
I am Yours, Lord, yet teach me all it means,
All it involves of love and loyalty,
Of holy service, full and glad,
In unreserved obedience to Thee!
Our loyalty to Jesus grows from His love for us.
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Grain On The Mountaintop
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Posted:Jul 14, 2014 9:37 am
Last Updated:Jul 14, 2014 4:20 pm 8341 Views
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Read: Psalm 72:12-20
There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, on the top of the mountains.Psalm 72:16
Bible in a Year:
Psalms 10-12; Acts 19:1-20
I've been on a number of mountaintops in the US in my time, and I can tell you that not much grows up there. The summits of mountains are bare rock and lichen. That's not where you would normally find an abundance of grain.
But Solomon, who wrote Psalm 72, asked God for an abundance of grain . . . on the top of the mountains, to characterize his reign as king. If grain on the mountain is so unusual, what is Solomon suggesting? That God's power can produce results in even the most unpromising soil?
Perhaps you think of yourself as a little person, with very little to bring to the kingdom. Take courage: God can produce an abundant harvest through you. This is one of the ironies of faith: God uses the insignificant to accomplish the great. Not many of us are wise or noble; most of us are anonymous and far from extraordinary. Yet all of us can be used. And contrary to what we might think, it is because of our weakness that we can be used by God (1 Cor. 1:27-29;
2 Cor. 12:10).
It's possible to be too big or proud for God to use, but we can never be too little. Out of weakness we are made strong (Heb. 11:34). By God's great power, we can do all that He has called us to do.
Lord, You work through such common things
those of us with flaws and weaknesses.
We are in awe of Your power and humbled by Your
choice of us. Our hearts long to be faithful to You.
To experience God's power, we must first admit that we are weak.
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