God Is at Work

God Is at Work

John 5:15-19

Throughout the Bible, we observe God at work in people’s lives. Sometimes He acts in dramatic fashion, as when He parted the Red Sea to let the Israelites escape from the Egyptian army. At other times it may appear that He’s not taking any action. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother needed His help, but Christ delayed before traveling to their home (John 11:3-6). In fact, He was preparing an even greater miracle.

The Holy Spirit helps us recognize God’s presence and handiwork. He does this by cultivating our ability to discern when and where the Lord is at work.

In addition to spiritual discernment, we must develop patience because God operates according to His timetable, not ours. Abraham was promised numerous descendants, but there was a long wait before his wife conceived—in fact, he and Sarah were beyond childbearing years. Impatience can cause us to take matters into our own hands and make mistakes.

My Assurance: God Is in Control

My Assurance: God Is in Control

Jeremiah 32:17

During one of the most trying seasons of my life, I would sit by the fire with a dear friend and pour out my heart. Since this man was a good listener, he could sense when I felt discouraged, and he would remind me that God is in control. This truth became an anchor in my life; no matter how much the adversity intensified, I took comfort in knowing that my heavenly Father is sovereign.

The Lord has absolute rule, control, and authority over the universe and everything in it. Scripture states that there is “one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:6).

Consider the assurances that this truth provides for believers. First, if God created everything and has complete power over all, then nothing can happen apart from His direction and permission. Second, we know from the Bible that He is intimately involved in our personal lives and cares about the details of each day. Third, Romans 8:28 guarantees that He makes something beautiful for His children from every circumstance—even situations that seem painful and wrong. If our loving Father protects us in this way, we can experience peace in the present and confidence about the future.

In painful times, how do you view God? Especially during hardships and heartbreak, it’s important to remember that He is in control. Focusing on His sovereignty will give you the confidence to carry on. Reread today’s passage, paying particular attention to the power, love, and ability of your heavenly Father.

A Childlike Attitude

  It is very great pleasure to Christ when a simple soul comes to him nakedly, plainly and unpretentiously.

Juliana of Norwich

The Rewards of Meditation

The Rewards of Meditation

Psalm 51:1-14

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First, meditation brings a genuine personal closeness with God. Think about a family member or one of your good friends. The warmth and depth you share with him or her did not simply appear out of nowhere. Rather, the relationship is the result of long-standing, close-knit interaction that has been built on a foundation of love and trust. And we must ask, How is it possible to get close to someone without spending precious time together? Likewise, we cannot grow close to the Lord unless we make it a point to spend time with Him.

Second, our meditation enables us to develop a pure heart. As we spend time in the Lord’s presence, He will bring to the surface those things in our heart that do not belong there. We see this clearly in the repentance of King David, as described in Psalm 51. This passage was written after David’s sorrowful realization of his sin with Bathsheba. Because of his close relationship with God, David could not hide from his own sin. In verse 3, he cries, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

David’s painful self-awareness led him into reconciliation with God. In the same way, when we allow our relationship with the Lord to permeate the darkest places of our heart, we, too, can find the strength to accept our Father’s amazing love and forgiveness.

WE SEASON THE WORLD

Some Christians are not only like salt that has lost its savour, but like pepper that has lost its pep.

Albert George Butzer

Meditation Brings Blessings

Meditation Brings Blessings

Nehemiah 1:4-7

Our time spent with the Lord has a dramatic impact on our daily life. When we set aside periods to meditate upon His Word and listen to what He's telling us, we'll start to notice both subtle and dramatic changes taking place.

First, we'll begin to gain a godly perspective. Certainly the apostle Paul was mindful of this; he actively prayed for himself and others to have the Lord's outlook (Eph. 1:16-19). When we start to see with enlightened eyes, the world—along with its joy and pain—becomes much clearer, as does our understanding of how to deal with circumstances.

Second, spending time with God causes the pressures of life to dissipate. Jesus warned His disciples that they would face trouble in this world (just as all of us will), but He assured them that they had no real reason to be afraid. Why fear a foe that Christ has already conquered (John 16:33)?

Third, meditation brings peace. In this troubled world, we frequently find ourselves in need of a tranquil heart, which can be attained only through Jesus (John 14:27). Paul tells us that the world is not even capable of understanding God's peace (Phil. 4:7), let alone able to offer us any kind of authentic serenity.

While a desire for personal reward should not be our only reason for spending time with the Lord, there are indeed wonderful blessings in store for those who meditate on His Word. Tomorrow we will consider more of the rewards that await believers who dwell on the Scriptures.

The Moments that Sustain Us

The Moments that Sustain Us

Psalm 145:1-13

When difficulties arise, what’s your main focus—the problem, its impact on you, or its effect on others? David’s writings reveal him following God’s plan for meeting troubles: meditating on the Lord’s sufficiency and will. The result was strength and hope for his soul.

The focusing of mind and spirit on the Lord is a critically important discipline in the believer’s life. Through the Psalms, David not only poured out his troubles to the Lord but also continually turned his attention back to the Father. God is always at the heart of biblical meditation.

Circumstances can be valuable prompts for meditating if we match a character quality of the Lord to our dilemma. Because David’s relationship with God was built on trust, his instinct was to deal with trials by anticipating divine help and victory. For example, his impending fight with Goliath brought to mind God’s past and present deliverance power (1 Sam. 17:37). Facing a different kind of danger—King Saul’s murderous threats and advances—David chose to dwell on the attribute of protection: he visualized God as his refuge and fortress (Ps. 91:2). Mourning the loss of loved ones, he allowed God’s presence and comfort to fill his heart and mind (1 Sam. 30:3-6).

Our main resource for meditation is the Word of God. Throughout its pages, His character, works, and purposes are clearly displayed. When the next difficulty comes, use it as an opportunity to meditate on some aspect of our triune God. From this will come strength and hope to sustain you.

In His Presence

  In His Presence

Acts 17:22-31

The apostle Paul told the Greeks on Mars Hill that in God, we live and move and exist. He was saying that we forever remain in the Lord’s presence, which is a blessed reassurance to those who know the Savior.

The reality of the Lord’s presence is this: God is complete, and He exists in His fullness wherever He is. Psalm 139 tells us that there is no place on the face of the earth in which God does not exist: “If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will . . . lay hold of me” (vv. 9-10).

This means that God is not at one place in His mercy and at another in His wrath. He is not at one location with His forgiveness and at another in His rebuke. Rather, He is whole—and wholly holy—wherever He is. His fullness exists wherever His presence exists.

This should affect how we act, what we believe, and how we respond to our circumstances. If we believe God is always perfect, this conviction should impact our words, thoughts, and actions. It should certainly also strengthen our faith.

If God is perfect and He calls you His child, could there be so much as one single moment in which He is not looking out for your best interest? Is there ever, for one instant, the chance that something will slip past Him and into your life? Does the Enemy of your soul have even a nanosecond’s opportunity to destroy you?

The answer is emphatically no! Trust in God’s presence and know that He is with you every second.

The Process of Temptation

The Process of Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Many people act as if there’s no defense against temptation. At the first hint of desire, they throw their hands up and give in. What they fail to recognize is that enticement is a process, and processes can be short-circuited at any stage.

Temptation usually begins in the mind, where we live out an active fantasy life. By this, I mean that the human mind has the capacity to create entire conversations and experiences out of nothing. Through fantasy, we can enjoy something without ever bringing it into the real world. And people often think that since it isn’t real, it’s harmless. This is simply not true.

The world of imagination can lead to a downward spiral of enslavement. Over time, fantasy becomes boring, and one feels a need for more gratifying fulfillment. Ultimately, our thoughts are so wrapped around the one temptation that it seems impossible to think of anything else. When that happens, our mind is held captive by the desire. And whenever our life becomes intently focused on anything other than God, we are trapped.

Because the process of temptation starts with our thinking, it can be difficult to escape. No matter where we go or what we do, we’ll never be able to outrun our own mind. We can, however, disrupt the process by filling our head with God’s Word. As we continually feed our imagination a hearty diet of Scripture, the Word will go to work against the tempting fantasy. The Bible is powerful—trust it to set you free from the pressure of temptation.

The Struggle with Temptation

  The Struggle with Temptation

James 1:12-15

If there's one thing every adult and child has experienced, it's temptation. We've all seen something new, attractive, or unusual, or simply an item someone else has that we don't—and we just want it.

What is "it"? The object of temptation could fall into a number of categories. Perhaps it's a tangible item, like a new house or car. Or it might be something of a physical or emotional nature, such as the excitement of a new relationship, consumption of an unhealthy substance, or recognition for a job well done.

Regardless of the category, temptation wants it—now! And if we do consider pros and cons, the conversation in our head may sound like this: Is it good for me? That doesn't matter. Will it benefit me or my family? That's not the issue. Could this hurt someone I love? Who cares? You see, temptation knows no loyalty. It's a raging beast that, if left uncontrolled, can bring utter destruction into your life.

Simply put, temptation entices us to follow our God-given desires beyond the limits He has set. For example, human sexuality is a precious gift from the Lord, but too often it is taken far beyond the boundaries our Creator originally established. Does this mean sexual desire is inherently wrong? Not at all. When left unchecked, however, it can be the starting point for all manner of trouble.

Are you allowing a single desire to control your life? Are you continually going beyond the limits of what you know the Lord approves? Break the hold of temptation. Thank God for the desires He has placed on your heart, and ask Him to govern where those yearnings lead you.

The Lamb of God

The Lamb of God

John 1:9-29

We use many names for Jesus—the Christ, Teacher, Messiah, Prophet, and King, among others. But one name stands out as a comprehensive description of the Lord’s purpose: the Lamb of God. His miracles and teachings were all remarkable, but even greater was His death on the cross.

Our Savior’s sacrifice was the heart of the Father’s plan for mankind. Since the beginning, God has dealt with the sins of His people through a blood offering. He Himself offered the first sacrifice when He killed an animal and used its skin as coverings for Adam and Eve. The fig leaves they were wearing could cover their bodies but not their wrongdoing.

Leviticus 17:11 tells us that the life is in the blood and “it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” Ezekiel adds, “The soul who sins will die” (18:4). Sin always requires death because of the righteousness and holiness of God. Either a life must end as payment for sin, or a life must be given as payment for another’s wrongdoing.

The way God has always dealt with man’s transgression is through sacrifice. Jesus came as the sin-bearer for the entire world: He assumed full responsibility for all our iniquity and guilt so we can be free from punishment. By His death, we’re made righteous and holy in God’s eyes.

Why is it important to refer to Christ as the Lamb of God? Because doing so acknowledges the substitutionary death wherein God unleashed His full fury and righteous judgment upon Jesus. As a result, we can stand before God and say, “Thank You that I can call You my Father.”

Our Forgiving Father

Our Forgiving Father

Luke 15:11-24

If we have an unforgiving spirit toward another person, we ourselves experience a form of bondage. An even worse type of emotional imprisonment can result from guilt over wrongdoing and the belief that God must condemn us for our sin. If that’s your situation, you don’t understand divine pardon.

The Bible teaches that forgiveness belongs to God. Today’s reading drives the point home with the parable of the prodigal son. In this story, the younger of two brothers took an early inheritance and wasted it foolishly. Eventually, he had nothing left and had to work among pigs, a despicable job for a Jewish man. When he returned home in despair, his father welcomed him with open arms and a celebration. The son had done nothing to earn his father’s pardon or joyful greeting.

If we are to understand forgiveness, we must realize that God’s motivation for pardoning sins is found only in Himself and His love. Like the prodigal son, we can do nothing to earn it.

The wayward son “came to his senses” (v. 17); that is to say, he began to think the truth about himself and the situation he’d created. We do the same when we repent—we agree that our wrongdoing was sin and decide to turn away from it.

Our forgiveness was fully taken care of at the cross, and it was applied to each of us personally when we received Jesus as Savior. But our fleshly patterns aren’t extinguished all at once. So anytime you sin, confess that your behavior was wrong (1 John 1:9). Then you won’t be burdened by guilt, and you can enjoy fellowship with your heavenly Father.

A Matter of Life and Death

  A Matter of Life and Death

Romans 5:6-19

There’s a issue of supreme importance that we often forget about in the busyness of life and the daily challenges of relationships. It is the question of where people will spend eternity.

Looking at the human race from a divine viewpoint, we understand that at the end of time, there will be two groups: those who will live forever with God and those who will experience eternal death, separated from Him. Every living person’s final destination will hinge on the simplicity of receiving God’s forgiveness for his or her sins.

Nobody—saved or unsaved—deserves God’s mercy. No amount of good deeds, religious activity, or church attendance can earn the free gift of forgiveness and eternal relationship with our Maker. From the kindest to the cruelest, we each inherited the sinful nature of “the first Adam,” who was the first man to know the Lord and also the first to rebel against Him.

Without God’s gift of grace—namely, a new spirit, made possible by Jesus’ substitutionary death and resurrection—we could never be washed and made clean. Through a simple act of faith, we receive God’s offer of total pardon and a completely new spiritual nature.

Everyone is born into the world with a “flesh” nature bent away from God, (Rom. 8:7-8), and spiritual death can be avoided only through Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that He offers. Have you received Him as your personal Savior? If not, pray right now, sincerely asking for salvation. God wants you to receive His free gift of eternal life, perfect righteousness, and adoption into His family.

Who Goes To Heaven?

 Poor souls are apt to think that all those whom they read or hear of to be gone to heaven, went there because they were so good and holy...Yet not one of them, not any one that is now in heaven (Jesus Christ alone excepted), did ever come there any other way but by forgiveness of sins.

John Owen

The Foundation of Wisdom

The Foundation of Wisdom

Proverbs 9:7-12

Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The connection between these two concepts may initially be difficult to grasp: How can fearing God make us wise?

First, we need to understand what it means to fear the Lord. This term is used to describe an awesome reverence for God that moves us to acknowledge Him as the sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth, submit to His will, and walk in obedience. The result of such a response will be the acquisition of wisdom.

For those of us who commit to living for the Father’s purposes rather than our own, a greater understanding of the Lord starts to develop. The Holy Spirit will enable us to see circumstances and people from His divine perspective. This kind of wisdom reaches beyond human perception and gives us discernment to make decisions that fit into the Lord’s plans for our lives. Knowing that He always works for our best interest, we are empowered to walk confidently through both good times and bad.

But there are those who reject God’s instructions—they dishonor Him by refusing to acknowledge His right to rule their lives. It’s foolish to rebel against His authority and think you can win. Fearing God is the only way to know real wisdom.

What is your attitude toward the Lord? If you truly reverence Him, you will listen for His directions and heed His warnings. A desire to honor and please Him will motivate you to turn from evil and seek to live in obedience. And the result will be wisdom beyond human understanding.

By Our Tongue We Praise and Curse...

James 3:9-10

GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

9 With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. 10 Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen!