BELIEVE: How Much Does GOD Want Of Me?

How much does God want of me?

Matthew 25:14-30
Psalm 24:1-2

God created the earth and the cosmos. Everything belongs to him. But people are given a special role to play in creation. It is both an honor and a great responsibility.
Since God created everything, including humans, how do we fit into the created order? What is our role in this reality? The parable below instructs us on the importance of seeing ourselves not as owners but as managers of our lives and gifts. The bags of gold represent any resource God, the master, gives us. He ultimately owns the resource, but we are charged with caring for it and investing it in ways that yield results for the sake of the kingdom of God.

 

God's People Are Managers

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matthew 25:14–30)

 

KEY VERSE

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2)

 

KEY IDEA

I believe everything I am and everything I own belong to God.

 

KEY APPLICATION: What difference does this make in the way I live?

If we choose to show compassion to people as God does, then we move from owner to manager. My central question now becomes, “What does God want me to do with all the resources he has put into my care?”

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 57

God Has Made You Part of His Royal Priesthood
Revelation 1:5—6

Most of us wear a variety of hats: child, sibling, parent, homeowner, neighbor, employee, taxpayer, hobbyist, club member — and the list keeps on going.

If we’re a believer in Christ, we can add to that list. When we respond to God’s grace and put our trust in Christ, we become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And that’s not all. Through our faith, God declares us his beloved “children” (John 1:12). The Bible further identifies us as God’s “servants” (1 Corinthians 4:1), “ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20) and “soldier[s]” (2 Timothy 2:3) — among other designations.

There’s one more encouraging identity to ponder. The apostle John, in the opening chapter of Revelation describes believers as “priests.” The idea here is that, just like the priests of the Old Testament, we have been set apart by God to serve God. We help others encounter God. That is our express purpose as a part of God’s “royal priesthood” — to live our lives fully for him.

God’s Promise to Me

*I have made you to be a priest so that you might serve me.

My Prayer to God

Jesus, thank you, not only for freeing me from sin, but also for granting me the high privilege of serving you forever. Let me begin by serving you this day.

Taken from Once a Day Bible Promises

OUR DAILY BREAD

God's Delay
Habakkuk 1:12 — 17
Habakkuk 2:1 — 3

Waiting is hard for me. I want answers now. Postponements perplex me; deferrals daunt me. I’m baffled by God’s delays, wondering why and when. “How long, O Lord?”

The prophet Habakkuk wanted answers as well, but God chose to take His time. “I will stand my watch . . . to see what God will say to me,” Habakkuk wrote (2:1). “The vision is yet for an appointed time,” God replied. “Wait for it; because it will surely come” (v.3).
Faith never gives up. It knows that despite appearances, all is well. It can wait without signs or significant indications that God is at work, because it is sure of Him. “Each delay is perfectly fine, for we are within the safe hands of God,” said Madame Guyon (1648–1717).

We too must learn to view each delay as if it were “perfectly fine.” Postponements are reasons to pray rather than grow anxious, impatient, and annoyed. They’re opportunities for God to build those imperishable but hard-to-acquire qualities of humility, patience, serenity, and strength. God never says, “Wait awhile,” unless He is planning to do something in our situation—or in us. He waits to be gracious.

So take heart! If God’s answer tarries, “Wait for it; because it will surely come.” —David Roper

Soon shall the morning gild
The dark horizon rim,
Thy heart’s desire shall be fulfilled—
“Wait patiently for Him.” —Havergal

God stretches our patience to enlarge our soul.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 56

This Is for My Good?
Psalm 18:6

“It just can’t get any worse.”

How many times have you caught yourself saying this during your career transition? For me, it has been more times than I care to admit. And if I’m completely candid, my very next line is usually, “How much more, Lord? How much longer must I wait for a breakthrough?”

I often wonder why the Lord doesn’t just reveal to me exactly where he wants me to be. He has the power to do anything and everything, right? So why can’t he just show me? Maybe the reason for this mystery is so that we will turn to him.

After all, what do we need the Lord for if we already know what will happen?

I, for one, find myself neglecting my Bible reading and prayer time when my career journey is humming along on all cylinders. I simply don’t spend time with the Lord every day as I should. When things are hitting bottom, however, I guarantee that I will seek the Lord’s presence. Now the reason I seek God might be to blame him for my circumstances. I might cry out, “If you love me, why did I lose my job?” or “How much longer must I wait until I can provide for my family again?”. . .

Do you know what’s great about all of this?

God already knows what you and I are feeling! The Lord knows me better than I know myself. He knew, before I was even conceived, that this painful season of my life was going to take place; he knew exactly what was going to happen to me and exactly how I was going to react. He also knew that unless I fell upon the worst of circumstances I would not grow closer to him.

Let me put it to you this way. Have you noticed the times when you are closest to the Lord? Isn’t it when all else has failed and you are driven to cry out to your loving heavenly Father? Now imagine if those tough times had not occurred.

Your relationship with him might be less intimate than it is today. That’s why we are in the best position to grow closer to God when we are experiencing the perceived worst of circumstances.

He does know what is best for each one of us. Sometimes he just needs to get our attention so he is able to bless us beyond our greatest expectations. Why not give the Lord your fullest attention today by setting aside the job search for a while and spending some uninterrupted time with him? Just listen. Be still. And if the message doesn’t come through today, he may be saying, “Not yet. There is more I want to show you.”

If that’s his message, why not invest more time with him again tomorrow? Why? Because some things are more important than a job — like intimacy with the One who holds your life in his capable hands.

Taken from Why Did I Lose My Job if God Loves Me?

OUR DAILY BREAD

What's In Your Mouth?
Psalm 126

Communications experts tell us that the average person speaks enough to fill 20 single-spaced, typed pages every day. This means our mouths crank out enough words to fill 2 books of 300 pages each month, 24 books each year, and 1,200 books in 50 years of speaking. Thanks to telephones, voice-mail, cellphones, and conversations our words comprise a large part of our lives, so the kinds of words we use are important.

The psalmist’s mouth was filled with words of praise to God when he wrote Psalm 126. The Lord had done great things for him and his people, and even the nations around them noticed (v.2). Remembering God’s past blessings, he said their “mouth was filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing.” What words would you have used in verse 3 had you been writing this psalm? So often, our attitude may seem to be: “The Lord has done great things for me, and I... can’t recall any of them right now.
. . . am wondering what He’ll do for me next. . . . need much more.”

Or can you finish it by saying, “And I am praising and thanking Him for His goodness”? As you recall God’s blessings today, express your words of praise to Him. —Anne Cetas

When my thoughts and the Word
Are in one accord,
Then the words of my mouth
Honor Christ my Lord. —Hess

The words of my mouth are the product of my thoughts.

BELIEVE

What is my responsibility to other people?
Luke 10:25 - 37
Psalm 82:3 - 4

Compassion literally means “suffer with.” God calls us to come alongside of people who are suffering and suffer with them so they are not alone. It doesn’t mean we can fix the problem, but it does mean we can enter into their pain. Before we act on or practice this belief, we must believe it is God’s call on the life of all Christ followers. When we believe this in our heart, we will show compassion to all people, especially to those in need.

Throughout history God has graciously shown compassion for his people, with the ultimate demonstration being the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus Christ. Because the only just response to the sins of humankind was death, our just God, according to his righteousness, issued the death penalty on us. Then, out of his grand compassion, he offered Jesus as a “substitutionary atonement” — that is, Jesus took humanity’s place. Through this one act God demonstrated his complete compassion without budging an inch on his complete justice. We who are guilty are made just by the sacrifice of the only person who was completely righteous.

Jesus: Model of Compassion – Read Luke 10:25-37.

KEY VERSE

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:3–4)

KEY IDEA

I believe God calls all Christians to show compassion to people in need.

KEY APPLICATION: What difference does this make in the way I live?

If we choose to show compassion to people as God does, then ...

we will change our priorities and how we use our time

we are set free to give, because we trust God for our needspeople who have been forgotten by society will be cared for and restoredwe will truly reach our neighborhoods and our citiesthe Spirit of Christ will be alive and well in our lives

The oft-quoted phrase “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” will come to life. As people see how much we care and ask us what we know, we may respond with, “It’s not what we know, but who we know. His name is Jesus, and he would love to meet you.”

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 56

Silence Is an Answer
John 11:4 — 7

Have you ever wondered why Jesus, when he heard that his dear friend Lazarus was seriously ill, waited two days before going to be with him? Though Jesus’ delay seemed inexplicable — at least from the point of view of Lazarus’s sisters, who requested his presence — he would be “glorified” because of it. Jesus didn’t immediately respond to their request, and the end result revealed that he was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God.

In other words, “silence” was the answer he gave. Yes, the answer. That silence turned into an amazing demonstration of deliverance from a situation that Mary, Martha and their neighbors had never known was possible — the resurrection of a person who had died.

Here’s the connection to those of us on a transition journey. When we’re out of work we continuously ask God to answer our prayer for a new career opportunity. Like King David of Biblical times, we cry out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint . . . My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:2 – 3). . . .

What’s more, we believe anything short of getting a job means that the Lord is ignoring our prayer. We are tempted to believe that he has forsaken us if our prayer isn’t answered with a new job. Doesn’t God realize that I am afraid? That I need money? That I need self-esteem? That I need to rebuild my sense of self-worth?

Actually, God realizes much more than that. He is well aware of our needs, yet his desire is for us to grow closer to him, to trust in him, to experience the marvelous feeling of contentment that comes from a closer walk with him. The fact that Jesus didn’t drop everything and rush to Mary and Martha’s aid demonstrates that God doesn’t operate on our schedule. Clearly we are to operate on his schedule. That new job will come through on the exact day and at the exact moment he has planned it for us — and not one minute of worrying will change this.

We can make any bargains we wish with God, we can promise to be all he would want us to be — when we get that new job. But the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that once we get that new job, we will revert to work-schedule mode and he will take the backseat again — that is, until we need him again.

Granted, we might be afraid; we might be unsure of ourselves and our abilities. We might feel rejected, overlooked and embarrassed, having heard nothing but silence from the Lord in answer to our prayers. If that’s you, I encourage you to take this time to know that he is God (see Psalm 46:10; 100:3). Silence is sometimes his answer. Why? Because he wants us to spend more time working on our relationship with him.

Taken from Why Did I Lose My Job if God Loves Me?

OUR DAILY BREAD

Whitewater Experiences
1 Chronicles 28:9 — 20

I was enjoying the start of my first whitewater rafting experience— until I heard the roar of the rapids up ahead. My emotions were flooded with feelings of uncertainty, fear, and insecurity at the same time. Riding through the whitewater was a firstrate, white-knuckle experience! And then, suddenly, it was over. The guide in the back of the raft had navigated us through. I was safe—at least until the next set of rapids.

Transitions in our lives are like whitewater. The inevitable leaps from one season of life to the next—college to career, singleness to marriage, career to retirement, marriage to widowhood— are all marked by uncertainty and insecurity.

In one of the most significant transitions recorded in Old Testament history, Solomon assumed the throne from his father David. I’m sure he was filled with “white-knuckle” uncertainty about the future. His father’s advice? “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; . . . for the Lord God—my God—will be with you” (1 Chron. 28:20).

You’ll have your fair share of tough transitions in life. But with God in your raft you’re not alone. Keep your eyes on the One who is navigating the rapids. He’s taken lots of others through before. Smooth waters are just ahead. —Joe Stowell

I am safe when danger threatens,
For I’m trusting Christ the Lord;
Since He promised He’ll be with me,
Though I fear, my faith’s restored. —Hess

God will guide you through the rapids of change.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 55

Meditation
Luke 24:1 - 8

All of Christianity is summed up in one verifiable historical event. And this changes everything. Jesus of Nazareth, a maverick Jewish rabbi and prophet, who claimed to be the Messiah about whom Scripture foretold, was arrested, condemned in an illegal trial and crucified. A soldier’s spear to his side and the blood and water that flowed from the wound confirmed that his lungs had collapsed. He was dead. Days after his body had been prepared and placed in a sealed tomb, some women went back to the tomb and found the Roman seal broken, the stone rolled away from the entrance and his body (along with the guards whose lives depended on their keeping watch over it) gone. Soon after that day, more than 500 people claimed to have seen him alive. Others claimed to have seen him ascend into heaven. Most of these witnesses were still alive at the time of the writing of the four Gospels. If the words of this “Good News” were not true, one of those witnesses would have surely refuted them.

Those who committed to follow Jesus early on gained no visible benefit from following him, no wealth or power or possession. Rather, many were themselves beaten, stoned, tortured and crucified. Yet Christianity has persisted on through history to today. And because we know that this account of Jesus’ death and resurrection is factual, we can also know that his promises are sure. The One who died as a criminal to take our sin away from us is alive now, preparing a place for us. And one day, we will be made alive again with him.

Prayer

Loving Lord, you have called us to be born again to a living hope that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You are preparing an inheritance for me that will never be corrupted and never fade away. And yet I confess that I often put my hope in other things. Deliver me from the futility of misplaced hopes. Teach me the wisdom of seeking you and finding security in your unchanging character. Only your promises will stand forever. It is folly to trust in people, possessions or position because all of these ultimately disappoint. Instead, I place my hope in you. I pray that I will grow in knowing, loving and trusting you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Taken from Once a Day 40 Days of Easter

OUR DAILY BREAD

Be Careful!
1 Corinthians 10:1 - 13

Several years ago my wife Carolyn and I were hiking on Mount Rainierin Washington when we came to a swollen, glacial stream. Someone had flattened one side of a log and dropped it across the river to form a crude bridge, but there was no handrail and the log was slippery.

The prospect of walking on the wet log was frightening, and Carolyn didn’t want to cross. But she found the courage, and slowly, carefully she inched her way to the other side.

On the way back we had to walk on the same log, and she did so with the same care. “Are you afraid?” I asked.

“Of course,” she replied, “that’s what keeps me safe.” Again, fully aware of the danger, she made her way to safety.

Much of life poses moral danger for us. We should never assume in any situation that we’re incapable of falling. “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor.10:12). Given the opportunity and circumstances, any of us are capable of falling into any sin. To believe otherwise is sheer folly.

We must watch and pray and arm ourselves for every occasion by putting our total trust in God (Eph. 6:13). “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 10:13), and He will give us the strength to keep from falling. —David Roper

The hand of God protects our way
When we would do His will;
And if through danger we must go,
We know He’s with us still. —D. De Haan

God provides the armor, but we must put it on.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 54

The Prayer After God’s Heart
1 Samuel 2:1 -  10

God’s Story

Hannah is childless. Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, has several children — and Peninnah heartlessly throws that fact in Hannah’s face. On one of the family’s trips to the tabernacle for an annual festival, Hannah seeks God in his sanctuary and with desperate abandon pours out her heart to him. She pleads for a son, promising that she will dedicate the child to him. God hears her — and answers. Soon, Hannah gives birth to Samuel. His name means “God hears.”

Once Samuel is weaned, Hannah brings her God-miracle to the tabernacle, joyfully giving him back to God. Young Samuel stays with the high priest Eli at the tabernacle and grows up serving the Lord.

Eli’s two sons are immoral priests, stealing sacrificial meats and using God’s tabernacle as a site for sexual trysts. God informs Eli through a prophet that his sons are going to die.

Then the Lord calls to Samuel from inside the tabernacle. He tells Samuel that he is going to do something that will shock all of Israel. God will not tolerate evil in his holy home.

The King’s Heart

It is painfully difficult to watch the ones you love scorn you. For generations. That must have made Hannah’s prayer that much sweeter to the Lord. If he would give her a son, she would make sure that he would serve God and God alone, a God-pursuing life. And God could see Hannah’s heart. He knew she meant every word she prayed. From the heart of one of God’s daughters came a prayer directly after his.

He must have been elated the day Hannah dedicated Samuel to him. Lesser women would have attempted to use him simply to get their prayers answered, to get a son. But not Hannah. The sheer joy that spills out in her prayer of praise — as she is leaving her miracle son behind for good — reveals her sweet motives. God heard her prayers and answered her. And she is overjoyed to give Samuel back to him.

The Lord didn’t just give Hannah the gift of Samuel. He gave her three more sons and two daughters. The woman whose heart was overwhelmed with love for God was again overwhelmed with his goodness to her.

And God didn’t just make Samuel any old servant of his. He made him a prophet and Israel’s last judge — a great man who changed the course of the nation.

Insight

Hannah’s prayer of praise is very similar to Mary’s prayer of praise after Gabriel told her she was going to give birth to Jesus (see Luke 1:46 – 55). The gracious God had been lavishly good to both Hannah and Mary, and they couldn’t help but praise him.

Taken from Discover God’s Heart Devotional Bible

OUR DAILY BREAD

A Walk In The Woods
Romans 6:11 -  14

A friend of mine wrote to me about certain “reservations” in his life—areas of secret sin that he reserved for himself and into which he frequently withdrew.

These “reserves” are like the large tracts of wilderness in my home state of Idaho. It may sound exciting to wander around these untamed regions by oneself, but it’s dangerous.
So too, each journey into sin takes its toll. We sacrifice our closeness with God, forfeiting His blessing (Ps.24:1-5), and we lose our influence on others that comes from purity of mind and body (1 Tim. 4:12).

The wild areas in us may never be fully tamed, but we can set up perimeters that keep us from wandering into them. One perimeter is to remember that we are dead to sin’s power (Rom. 6:1-14). We do not have to give in to it. The second perimeter is to resist temptation when it first attracts us. Initial temptation may not be strong, but if we entertain it, it will in time gain power and overwhelm us.

The third perimeter is accountability. Find a person who will commit to ask you each week, “Have you ‘taken a hike in the wild’? Have you gone where you should not go?” Impurity is ruinous, but if we long for holiness and ask God for help, He will give us victory. Press on! —David Roper

O Lord, help us to recognize
When we begin to compromise;
And give us strength to follow through
With what we know is right and true. —Sper

Beware—the more you look at temptation, the better it looks!

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 53

Hindrances to Prayer
Mark 11:24 -  25

One of the hardest things to do is forgive our enemies. Jesus Christ has commanded us to turn the other cheek (see Matthew 5:38 – 42); however, it is all too easy to wish that those who have wronged us experience God’s wrath, or at least our own. But the Bible tells us that such anger and pain can hinder our relationship with God. As long as hatred and anger exist in our hearts, we cannot achieve the faith spoken of in the Gospel of Mark, namely, that we truly believe our prayers will be answered. It is only by recognizing the totality of Christ’s message of love — forgiving and loving our enemies — that we can achieve true closeness with God.

Taken from NIV Essentials of the Christian Faith

OUR DAILY BREAD

A Heart Set Free
Psalm 11:33 -  48

If the bestselling books accurately reflect what’s important to a great many people, then freedom is a top priority. Check a current list of the most popular “how to” titles and see how many deal with becoming free—in finances, health, work, attitudes, and relationships. Publishers know that in our relentless quest for a fulfilling life, hangups are out and personal freedom is in.

It’s no surprise, then, that one of the world’s most enduring bestsellers, the Bible, is all about emancipated living. But the Scriptures offer the unique perspective that true freedom is found by obeying Almighty God, not by living according to our own desires.

The psalmist celebrated God’s Word as the key to personal liberty. Within the Lord’s commands he found guidance and strength to move freely through life. One translation of Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.” Verse 45 proclaims, “I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.”
Imagine what it would be like to be released from your greatest anxiety and to run free. It can happen. If you would like to find freedom today, obey God’s Word and let Him set your heart free. David McCasland

Our selfish ways imprison us—
We cry out to be free;
But if we will obey God’s Word,
We’ll find true liberty. —Sper

True freedom is not found by choosing our own way, but by yielding to God’s way.

PRAY

Why pray out loud if God can hear our thoughts? One, it keeps our minds from wandering! And two, it can strengthen and encourage those who are listening. As we start week two of praying every day, pray out loud—especially if you have someone to pray with. Today, pray for strength and encouragement for those who are suffering persecution around the world.
- John 11:41 - 42

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 52

When Words Fail
Romans 8:26 -  27

Beads of perspiration form on your brow, your heart flutters, your mind swims. An endless loop replays in your head: the scathing, screaming argument with your mother; the prognosis from the doctor; a schedule so full you can’t calm your thoughts enough to fall asleep at night.

You’ve probably been there at some point in your life: You rush before God like an eager child bursting into a room full of toys only to find that you have no idea how to begin to pray. You don’t know if you should be asking for guidance, protection or forgiveness — or all of the above. And what about how to order your list? And should you say special words? How does this prayer thing work?

Maybe you’ve finally got a minute to yourself, so you grab your Bible, look up to the ceiling and think, Now what? That list you’ve been building in your mind goes blank. The phone rings. The TV blares from another room. The dog barks. Anything . . . everything interrupts the moment. Help! How do you pray when words fail?

Enter the Holy Spirit. He perceives our heart’s agony and comforts us in our weakness. He knows our spiritual battle often burns hottest when we fight within ourselves. We wrestle with how to prioritize our prayers. We struggle with imposing our human agendas on a holy God. We cross our arms, grit our teeth and mentally stomp our feet when things don’t turn out as we desperately prayed they would. Life’s frustrations can mute us spiritually: “We do not know what we ought to pray for” (verse 26). But God does not stop hearing us when we’re dumbstruck before him. Both in silence and when our words flow in a jumbled torrent, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf to the Father. He does know what to pray for.

The next time your spirit groans with a weight heavier than you can bear, trust that even when you might not be able to find words to pray, God clearly hears your cries through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. He knows your heart, your thoughts and your greatest needs better than you do yourself. Though your words may fail, your intercessor will never fail you.

Taken from NIV Women’s Devotional Bible

OUR DAILY BREAD

Is Jesus Exclusive?
John 14:1- 12

I once saw Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz on a popular news talk program. The interviewer asked, “Are you one of those who believe that Jesus is exclusively the only way to heaven?” He added, “You know how mad that makes people these days!” Without blinking she replied, “Jesus is not exclusive. He died so that anyone could come to Him for salvation.”

What a great response! Christianity is not an exclusive club limited to an elite few who fit the perfect profile. Everyone is welcome regardless of color, class, or clout.

In spite of this wonderful reality, Christ’s claim in John 14:6 to be the only way to God continues to offend. Yet Jesus is the only way—the only option that works. All of us are guilty before God. We are sinners and cannot help ourselves. Our sin had to be dealt with. Jesus, as God in the flesh, died to pay the penalty for our sins and then rose from the dead. No other religious leader offers what Jesus provides in His victory over sin and death.

The gospel of Christ is offensive to some, but it is the wonderful truth that God loves us enough to come and take care of our biggest problem—sin. And as long as sin is the problem, the world needs Jesus! —Joe Stowell

No one could enter heaven,
Our many sins stood in the way;
So God in love sent Jesus,
For He alone sin’s debt could pay. —D. De Haan

Embrace the good news: Jesus is a nonexclusive Savior.

FromThe Altar

SACRIFICIAL GIVING
2 Chronicles 1:1 – 7

INTRO: Just as a fruit tree is expected to bear fruit, God’s people should produce a crop of good deeds. God has no use for those who call themselves Christians but who live otherwise. We are of no value if we are Christian by name only, if others can’t see our faith through giving and sacrifice.
    Sacrificial giving is an act of release without struggle or force from anyone. Solomon in the Bible was a king in Israel and when given offering he gave sacrificially with the heart of thanksgiving not expecting anything in return (vs. 6, 1 King 3:4). When Abraham was giving Isaac his son, he was not expecting the lamb (Gen. 22:10-14) and that make it a sacrifice.
     However, when you are doing something towards anyone with the heart of taking it back someday, its not a sacrifice but an act of contribution which is to be back later. Jesus Christ was given to the whole world as a sacrifice (John 3:16) and it’s optional to all living either to take it or not. So a sacrificial giving doesn’t put anyone into bondage. You freely give from your heart and believe that all decision or action is unto God.
     Ordinary giving is doctrinal i.e. a laid down principle according to the Bible in Luke 6:38 that says “give and it shall be given back to........”, but a sacrificial gift is different from congregational giving; its from the heart of the giver that gives without making any noise about it (Matt. 6:1-4)
     Think deeply, be a giver sacrificially because if nothing happened after your action, God will still be God and if good things followed, all glory will still be His. Without sacrificial giving God can still favour you, but in a little way and it must be cleared that everyone has one thing or the other to give e.g. Prayer, Fasting, Singing, Evangelism, or material things as gifts to the less privileged; only make sure you are doing all through asking from God (John 16:23-24)
     Lastly release that sacrificial gift in your life to celebrate your maker when he is near you today, tomorrow may be too late. If all there’s nothing, give your life today and you will never be the same again. I gave mine sacrificially and no regret.

GOD BLESS YOU
- Pst. Femi Mike Alabi

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 51

God Exalts His Servants
Matthew 20:26 - 27

The world has it all backwards. The world ascribes greatness to those who are excessively ambitious. The world applauds the proud who are willing to do almost anything to climb to the top of the heap. To the world’s way of thinking, such obsession for glory is the true measure of success.

Jesus has other ideas. He tells his followers that the way up is down. If we want to be great from heaven’s perspective, we must be willing to take the place of a lowly servant.

Today as you move out into a world that has embraced values that are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus, remember that the arrogant and self-serving face eventual humiliation. Only the humble will be honored in the end, when the stakes are eternal.

God’s Promise to Me

*I honor those who serve.

My Prayer to God

Lord, give me the grace to choose the way of servanthood. I want to imitate you. Help me to put others’ needs and desires before my own. Your Word teaches that true reward awaits those who humble themselves in loving service. Keep me from the tendency to be busy, to be driven, to step on others and to exalt myself.

Taken from Once a Day Bible Promises

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To Soon Too Quit
1 Corinthians 9:24 - 27

Chris Couch was only 16 years old when he first qualified to play golf at its highest level on the PGA Tour. He was quickly declared the next golfing prodigy and a surefire success for years to come.

Life, however, turned out to be more of a grind. Chris did not enjoy a sprint to success but endured a marathon that would take 16 years and 3 different stints on “mini-tours.” Tempted to quit, Couch persevered and finally, at age 32, became a Tour winner for the first time when he captured the New Orleans Open in a thrilling finish. His persistence had paid off, but it had not been easy.

In his book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Bible teacher Eugene Peterson reminds us that the Christian life has much more in common with a marathon than with a 100-meter dash. Peterson says we are called to persevere in “the long run, something that makes life worth living.”

With the grace and strength of Christ, we too can “run with endurance” this race of life (Heb. 12:1). And, with our Lord’s example to help and encourage us, we can, like the apostle Paul, run to win the prize of “an imperishable crown” (1 Cor. 9:25).

It’s always too soon to quit. —Bill Crowder

O for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe. —Bathurst

Run the race with eternity in view.

TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY - Your Plans or God's Plans?

Your Plans or God’s Plans?
Proverbs 16:9

We must learn to wait for God’s plans to develop. He perfects everything that concerns us. True boldness moves in God’s timing; it moves at the right time.

During the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, people thought He was crazy. His own brothers were embarrassed by Him, and in an effort to save their reputation, they told Him He needed to go somewhere else and do His works. If He was unwilling to do that, they had another option for Him. They told Him to take action and stop doing His works in secret. They tried to convince Him it was time to show Himself and His works to the world. In other words, they wanted Jesus to impress the people with what He could do.

He responded to them by saying, “My time (opportunity) has not come yet…” (John 7:6).

How many of us could show that type of self-control? If you could do the miracles that He could do and were being made fun of and challenged to show your stuff, what would you do? Would you wait until you absolutely knew that it was the right time, or would you take action that was not sanctioned by God?

It is good to have plans, and I believe we should plan boldly and aggressively, but we must be wise enough to know that our plans will ultimately fail without God. God’s Word says, “Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…” (Psalm 127:1). We can build without God as our foundation, but like any building without a strong foundation, we will eventually fall.

Trust in Him
Are you operating in your own timing, or are you trusting God’s timing? Trust God—His plans are always best!

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2012 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 50

Time to Get Away
Mark 1:35

Mark reports that “while it was still dark,” our Savior had a habit of heading to a “solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Evidently Jesus felt the need to fellowship with his heavenly Father in an undistracted setting. In like fashion, for you and me to hear where the Lord is leading us in our journey, to have the ability to commune with him without interruptions, we must get away from the “noise” of our lives, with its endless eye candy and diversions.

This is easier said than done. Almost anywhere you go these days there are televisions cackling away in a corner. From the TVs in our homes, to the multiple TV screens hanging from ceilings in restaurants, to the TV in our pockets on our cell phones, it’s difficult to escape the constant stream of entertainment. Nevertheless, we have this example of Jesus who went to a solitary place to hear from God.

Elsewhere Mark notes, “After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray” (Mark 6:46). Luke writes, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). What’s more, sometimes Jesus “spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). Are you seeing a pattern here? Our Elder Brother wisely leveraged quiet places to hear from God the Father and fellowship with him.

I’m not necessarily suggesting that we have to leave our homes in order to experience solitude — although retreating to the mountains, a state park or a beachside cottage would be a wonderful way to leave behind the noise of this world. That’s not always practical, however. But the isolation necessary to hear from God can exist wherever you are physically. How? By turning off your cell phone, television, radio and any other electronic device that might break your focus.

You might also consider spending time outside, especially during the dark of night or the predawn morning hours. A local park or preserve offers a great place to sit and meditate on the Lord. This time is best spent alone — no spouse, children or friends; no phone contact; no texting. Although the noise of civilization may be around you, such a setting will be much more quiet than your normal routine.

“He Is Not Silent,” a song by Out of the Grey, summarizes our situation: “He is not silent. We are not listening.” Do you really want to experience the Lord’s leading in your career transition? Then recognize that none of us will ever know what his direction is until we nurture a closer relationship with him.

Taken from Why Did I Lose My Job if God Loves Me?

OUR DAILY BREAD

Check The Obvious
Colossians 3:12 - 17

When Bill Husted walked into his 40th high school reunion, he shook hands and hugged people for 20 minutes before realizing there were two high school reunions in the building
that day and he was at the wrong one.

Husted, a technology writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, used that experience to illustrate one of his enduring axioms of computer troubleshooting: Check the obvious first.

Before you replace the sound card, make sure the volume control is not turned down. If the modem isn’t working, check to see if it’s connected.

“Check the obvious first” can be a good principle for spiritual troubleshooting as well. Colossians 3:12-17 lists a dozen spiritual qualities that indicate a healthy soul. Prominent among them are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, and thankfulness.

Before criticizing our church or other Christian groups, we might ask the Lord to reveal our own shortcomings. Prior to ripping out the wires of relationships, we could check to see if patience and forgiveness are connected in our own heart.
It’s good to look inside our heart—to check the obvious first—even when it feels as if all our problems are caused by others. —David McCasland

I’ll check within my own heart first,
The obvious to see,
That faults I find in others
Are really faults in me. —D. DeHaan

Christlike love is patient with the faults of others.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 49

The Source of Love
1 John 4:7 - 8

*Do you think you are ever hard to love?

*Think of someone who is hard to love. What would it take for you to be able to show that person love?

What if someone told you they loved you, but then spread a terrible rumor about you behind your back? Would you believe that person? Maybe if it happened once, you could forgive and move on. But if it happened over and over again, you’d have a good reason to doubt that person’s love.

As believers, we are supposed to love others as we love ourselves. Yet often we are guilty of treating people in unloving ways. We all do it, and that’s a shame, because it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, there’s no reason for it to be that way.

We can use the excuse that we’re only human, but it’s not human love that we rely on. According to 1 John 4:8, the God we serve is love. Everything that is loving or shows love comes from him. He is the source of all love.

As his children, we have constant access to his love. When we have a hard time feeling love for other people, we only need to ask God for his love. That’s what he wants us to do. If we’re not showing God’s love to others, we give people a reason to doubt whether God’s love is really in us or if God’s love is even real. And once doubt creeps in, trust is hard to regain.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for making your love available to us. Give us your love for others when we can’t do it ourselves. Amen.

Taken from Once a Day At the Table

OUR DAILY BREAD

Forever Joyful
1 Timothy 6:6 - 16

- Vernon Grounds

Wall Street Journal columnist Jonathan Clements offered his readers “Nine Tips for Investing in Happiness.” Interestingly, one of his suggestions was precisely the same as that given in the favorite old hymn by Johnson C. Oatman, “Count Your Many Blessings.” Clements urges us not to brood over the riches of our neighbors but to focus on the many blessings we actually do possess. That’s wise counsel, provided that we realize our spiritual wealth in Jesus is immeasurably more valuable than any material possessions.

God didn’t give us the Bible as a guidebook for happiness. Yet it tells us how we can be eternally joyful and how we can experience joy on our way to that eternal happiness. So it’s enlightening to compare biblical truth with common-sense advice.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain,” Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:6). The apostle wanted his protégé to understand that being grateful for the basics of life would help keep him from the trap of covetousness.

So let’s focus on the wonders of God’s grace, training ourselves to make a spirit of gratitude pervade our lives. That’s the way to experience joy today and to be forever joyful.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
—Oatman

Count your many blessings and you’ll soon lose count.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 48

Incomprehensible Love
Ephesians 3:17 - 18

*What are some things that you know about but don’t really understand?

*How much does Jesus love you?

A child asked Jesus how much he loved her. He answered, “This much,” and then he stretched out his arms and died on the cross.

You may have heard this before. It’s a good way to think about how much Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that he left heaven and came to earth for you. He loves you so much that he suffered and died for you. And the Bible says that nothing you can do will separate you from the love of Jesus.

In these verses from Ephesians, Paul describes Jesus’ love as being “wide and long and high and deep.” The idea is that it is infinite — you will never come to the end of it. God loved you before he created you. He loves you right this minute. And he will love you for eternity.

We cannot possibly understand how much Jesus loves us. We don’t have to. All we have to do is accept it.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for your love. Please help us to accept it. Amen.

Taken from Once a Day At the Table

OUR DAILY BREAD

The Pretender
Genesis 27:19 - 33

- Anne Cetas

When a waitress in Ohio asked to see a customer's driver's license, she was shocked when she saw the photo on the ID. It was her own picture! The waitress had lost her driver's license a month earlier, and this young woman was using it so she'd have "proof" she was old enough to drink alcohol. The police were called, and the customer was arrested for identity theft. Trying to gain what she wanted, she pretended to be someone she wasn't.

Jacob, in the Old Testament, did some pretending too. With his mother Rebekah’s help, he fooled his father into believing he was his brother Esau so he could gain the blessing meant for the elder son (Gen. 27). Jacob got caught after his deceitful act, but it was too late for Esau to receive the blessing.

Pretending goes on in our churches today. Some people put on a false front. They use the right “Christian” words, attend church almost every Sunday, and even pray before meals. They pretend they “have it all together” in order to gain the approval of others. But inside they’re struggling with brokenness, guilt, doubt, or an addiction or other persistent sin.

God placed us in a body of believers to support one another. Admit that you aren’t perfect. Then seek the counsel of a godly brother or sister in Christ.

Don’t hide your sin and cover up,
Pretending there is nothing wrong;
Instead, confess it and repent,
Then God will fill your heart with song.
—Sper

Be what God intends you to be— don’t pretend to be what you’re not.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 47

Show Them Kindness
Colossians 3:13

God extends kindness to us even when we do not deserve it. In the same way, we are called to reflect God’s kindness to others, regardless of how they choose to respond.

Don’t wait for a crisis to extend loving-kindness to others. Take the time to ponder who is suffering from a recent heartbreak. Maybe they could use a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Who feels discouraged in your circle of friends? Maybe they need to hear an encouraging word. Who might feel alone? Perhaps you could pick up the phone and tell them that you care. Be faithful to do your part and watch God’s encouragement work in their lives.

Reflect & Pray:

*Would people who know you quickly identify you as a kind person?

*Who is someone who could use some extra kindness in their life?

*What act of kindness for this person can you do this week?

Taken from NIV Busy Mom’s Bible

OUR DAILY BREAD

Bold Persistence
Matthew 15:21 - 28

- Marvin Williams

In 1953, a fledgling business called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreas- ers for use in the aerospace industry. It took them 40 attempts to perfect their formula. The original secret formula for WD-40—which stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt—is still in use today. What a story of persistence!

The gospel of Matthew records another story of bold persistence. A Canaanite woman had a daughter who was possessed by a demon. She had no hope for her daughter—until she heard that Jesus was in the region.

This desperate woman came to Jesus with her need because she believed He could help her. She cried out to Him even though everything and everybody seemed to be against her—race, religious background, gender, the dis- ciples, Satan, and seemingly even Jesus (Matt. 15:22-27). Despite all of these obstacles, she did not give up. With bold persistence, she pushed her way through the dark corridors of difficulty, desperate need, and rejection. The result? Jesus commended her for her faith and healed her daughter (v.28).

We too are invited to approach Jesus with bold persistence. As we keep asking, seeking, and knocking, we will find grace and mercy in our time of need.

Something happens when we pray,
Take our place and therein stay,
Wrestle on till break of day;
Ever let us pray.
—Anon.

Persistence in prayer pleases God.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 46

Love Without Bias
Acts 10:6 - 16

The man wept as he told how his mother had treated each of her children in an equally rotten manner. One after another, she had driven her children away. They had moved to other places just to escape her tirades about their tragic worthlessness. Even now, when her children return to celebrate her birthday or some other holiday, the mother only adds to their guilt by caustically reminding each about how they have abandoned her.

I admire this man and the way that he, in Christian faith, has chosen to remain close to his mother. He cares for her because she is his mother and because there is no one else left that she has not sadistically forced away with lacerating venom.

Like that cruel mother, judgment and prejudice often influence how we view others. We see it in Peter. Years of social training had identified the “OK” people and the “not OK” people, similar to how religious instruction shaped his views about animals for sacrifices. For Peter, some people were acceptable, some tolerable, some to be avoided altogether.

In situations where prejudice pulls our noses into the air and causes us, like my friend’s mother, to become equal opportunity disdainers, that intolerance bites and hurts and destroys. But that can be counteracted with another form of prejudice: the discrimination of love, which chooses to care even when social convention says otherwise.

This is the lesson God taught Peter that day in Joppa when he showed Peter a large sheet containing all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds and ordered him to kill and eat them. When Peter objected, saying he had never eaten anything impure or unclean, God told him not to call anything impure that God had made clean. This vision was an object lesson to show Peter that the Good News of Christ’s sacrificial love is for all people, whether Jew or Gentile. This was a revelation to Peter, who had been taught to distance himself from non-Jews.

Although this passage is a wonderful story of equality, it also teaches us that sometimes there is a good side to discrimination. The beauty of family life is found precisely in its inequalities. In a family we learn that persons are to be loved uniquely, not equally. A wife does not love her husband because he is just one of the crowd that hangs around, but because he is uniquely her spouse. Nor does a father treat one child the same as another child. True love discriminates.

Parents who try to love all of their children in exactly the same way become frustrated to the point of incompetence. It is in the family that we learn to esteem each person greatly, not because each is a cloned pea in a pod, but because each is unique and different. It’s the same in marriage; we learn to love each other uniquely, rejoicing in our differences and learning how those differences can enrich and enlarge our relationship.

—Wayne Brouwer

Taken from NIV Couples’ Devotional Bible

OUR DAILY BREAD

No Batteries?
Ephesians 1:15 -- 23

- C. P. Hia

My 2-year-old grandson was fascinated by the bubbling mud pool, the result of geothermal activity in Rotorua, New Zealand. On moving to another spot and seeing no bubbles there, he remarked, “No batteries?” He was so accustomed to his elec- tronic toys that he attributed even natural phenomena to battery power!

Christians can make a similar mistake—they look to their own puny power to live righteous lives. But the high moral and ethical standards of a holy God prove impossible to live up to. The result is joyless Christians, hopelessly burdened and defeated.

Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus was that “the eyes of your understanding [be] enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling . . . and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:18-19). He wanted them to see that the power available to help them live God-honoring lives is the same power that “raised [Christ] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (v.20).

The power to live according to God’s standards comes only when we plug into His inexhaustible power. How do we do that? By daily seeking His face and asking Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit.

Fill each heart and reign alone,
Break the idols we have known;
Lead us to confession true,
Give us strength Thy will to do.
—Peterson

The Light of the World knows no power failure.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 45

Parable of Love
Hosea 2:2 - 11

Hosea’s Radical Feelings for an Unfaithful Wife

As Israel was disintegrating, a word from God came to Hosea. Suffering people needed to hear a softer tone, and Hosea brought a hope-filled message of grace and forgiveness.

Most prophets focused on the audience and all the things they had done wrong. In contrast, Hosea shined the spotlight on God. How must God feel when his chosen people reject him and go panting after false gods?

As if words are too weak to convey his passion, God asked the brave Hosea to act out a living parable. Hosea married a loose woman named Gomer, who, true to form, quickly ran away and committed adultery. Only by living out this drama could Hosea understand, and then express, something of how God felt concerning Israel’s rebuff of his affections.

Poor Hosea lived a soap opera – like existence. Gomer sank so low as to sell herself into slavery, but Hosea purchased her back, forgave her and reclaimed her as his wife. The pattern hopelessly repeated itself. Gomer bore three children — but was Hosea really their father? According to the law, he should have turned his adulterous wife out on the street or have had her tried in court. What Hosea did — and what God did — was unprecedented.

Broken Heart, Broken Covenant

Hosea’s radical love for Gomer symbolizes God’s undying love for his people. Though Israel had dragged God’s name through the mud, still God welcomed her back. The book of Hosea, in fact, represents the first time God’s covenant with Israel has been described in terms of marriage. It shows that God longs for his people with the tenderness and hunger of a lover toward his bride.

In the covenant, Israel agreed to love and obey God, no matter what — “till death do us part.” But by Hosea’s time that flame of love had died. God’s heart was breaking. Yet God promised them another chance with a new covenant at a future time: “ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord, ‘you will call me “my husband”; you will no longer call me “my master” ’ ” (Hos 2:16).

Life Questions

Hosea describes various stages in Israel’s relationship to God: courtship, engagement, honeymoon, unfaithfulness, separation. What stage are you in with God?

Taken from NIV Essentials Study Bible

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Raised In Glory
1 Corinthians 15:42 - 49

- David Roper

Years ago, I heard a story about a man looking for flowers for spring planting. At the greenhouse he came across a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. To his surprise, it was hidden in a corner and growing in an old, dented rusty bucket.

“If this were my flower,” he said to himself, “I would place it in a beautiful pot and display it proudly! Why is it confined in this old bucket and hidden away in this concealed place?”

When he remarked to the owner about the flower, she explained, “Oh, I started the plant in that old bucket until it blossomed. But it’s just for a short time. Soon I’ll transplant it to my garden.”

The man laughed, and imagined such a scene in heaven. “There’s a beautiful one,” God will say, “the product of My lovingkindness and grace. Now it’s confined in a broken body and in obscurity, but soon, in My garden, how tall and lovely this soul will stand!”

So we may now be “planted” in bent and battered containers for a short time while our Lord beautifies our souls. But, “as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Cor. 15:49). Then He will display His handiwork and our loveliness for all to see. This is our assurance and delight.

In bodies that will ne’er grow old,
We’ll reign with Him through years untold;
O precious thought: We all shall be 
With Christ through all eternity. 
—Watson

While God is preparing a place for us, He is preparing us for that place.

TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY - Your Change Begins With You

Your Change Begins with You
Isaiah 43:1

If you have made your mind up that you intend to enjoy the best life God has for you, then you must realize that the change you’re waiting for begins in you. You must believe what God’s Word says about you more than you believe what others say or what your feelings or own mind say. Your circumstances aren’t your problem, because they won’t last—but until you change your thinking, no matter what’s going on in your life, you’ll still be stuck.

Maybe you have had negative messages fed to you since you were a child. It could have been parents who had troubles themselves and took their frustrations out on you. It could have been a teacher who delighted in belittling you in front of the class. Perhaps your parents excessively compared you to another sibling, giving you the impression you were flawed. You may have experienced one or more broken relationships and become convinced it was your fault. But, whatever the reason for your self-doubt and negative attitude toward yourself, it has to change if you truly desire to enjoy God’s best in your life.

See yourself as God sees you, not the way the world sees you or even the way you see yourself. Study God’s Word and you will find out that you are precious, created in your mother’s womb by God’s own hand. You are not an accident. Even if your parents told you they never really wanted you, I can assure you that God wants you; otherwise you would not be here on earth. You are valuable, you have worth, you are gifted, you are talented, and you have a purpose on this earth. God says that He has called you by your name and you are His.

Take a minute to look into your heart. What do you see there? How do you feel about yourself? If your answer does not agree with God’s Word, I want to encourage you to begin today renewing your mind about yourself.

Trust in Him
God says in His Word that you belong to Him and that you’re uniquely and carefully created by Him. Do you believe it?

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2012 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 44

Daily Choice
1 Corinthians 13:8

Perhaps your marriage isn’t delivering the fairy-tale life you’d dreamed of. Your prince devotes all his time and energy to work, sports, the computer, the car, the yard — anything but you. He’s more like a roommate than the soul mate you’d hoped for. And you’re starting to wonder if it’s worth staying or if you should just give up. But real life isn’t a fairy tale, and real love isn’t a fuzzy feeling — it’s a choice God calls you to make each moment of each day. Choose to love your husband with the same unconditional love God continually shows you.

Reflect & Pray:

*How has God shown his love for you in a very tangible, personal way?

*Which aspect of 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 is the most difficult for you to express?

*How can you show unconditional love to your family today?

Taken from NIV Busy Mom’s Bible

OUR DAILY BREAD

What's Right?
Isaiah 1:11 - 18

- Julie Ackerman Link

When my computer greeted me one morning with what is omi- nously referred to as “the blue screen of death,” I knew it was broken, but I didn’t know how to fix it. I read a lit- tle, tried a few things, but finally had to call an expert for help. Knowing that something was wrong was only a small part of the problem; I couldn’t fix it because I didn’t know the right thing to do.

The ordeal reminded me of the many pundits who appear on television news programs. All of them are “experts” at proclaiming what’s wrong, but most are clueless as to what is right.

This happens in relationships as well. In families, churches, and workplaces, nothing gets fixed because we get fixated on what’s wrong. It doesn’t take an expert to know that something is wrong when people quarrel and hurt each other with unkind words and behavior. But it does take an expert to know how to fix the problem.

God revealed to Israel’s prophets not only what was wrong but also what was right: “Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isa. 1:16-17). Instead of focusing on what is wrong, let’s obey the One who knows what is right.

Lord, grant me grace throughout this day
To walk the straight and narrow way,
To do whatever in Thy sight
Is good and perfect, just and right.
—Huisman

Like a compass, the Bible always points you in the right direction.

TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY - It's No Surprise To GOD

It’s No Surprise to God
Isaiah 41:10

One of the strongest and most persistent fears people experience is the fear that they won’t have what they need. We want to feel safe in every area of life. But we’re constantly attacked with the fear that we won’t have what we need—whether it’s finances, relationships, or the ability to do what God has called us to do.

More than any other command in Scripture, God tells us not to fear. God never promises us a trouble-free life, but He does promise us His presence and the strength (mental, physical, and emotional) we require to get through our troubles.

Several years ago, a friend of mine went in for a routine checkup and learned days later that her doctor feared she might have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the most aggressive form of the disease. More tests were needed, and she was told it might take two or three weeks before a confirmed diagnosis could be reached.

I asked my friend how she got through those weeks of uncertainty and if she was afraid. “Yes, I was afraid,” she said. “But I also knew that whatever the outcome was, it would be no surprise to God.” Then she said something else that might be of help to you. She told me she realized that if she worried for three weeks and then learned she had lymphoma, she would have wasted three valuable weeks of her life. And if she worried for three weeks and learned she did not have lymphoma, she would have still wasted three valuable weeks of her life. “Believe it or not,” she said, “I didn’t lose a minute’s sleep for those twenty-one days.”

When the tests finally came back, my friend learned she did indeed have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She had surgery and endured many months of chemo. I’m pleased to tell you that, ten years later, she’s in terrific health. And she didn’t waste three valuable weeks.

Trust in Him
What are you afraid of? No matter what you are going through, it’s no surprise to God. He’s not unsure of what’s around the corner or unprepared for whatever you’re going through. Put your trust in Him and be confident in His plans for your life.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2012 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 43

Love
Genesis 1:27 - 31

The best place to begin a good story is at the beginning. The greatest story — the truest of all true stories — is no different.

Once upon a time, God began telling a story — a true story. Our story. This story begins once upon a time, but not once upon our time. Before time as we know it was even created, there was a Hero: God himself.

Read

Pre-Garden of Eden and pre-world, God enjoyed perfect love within himself. We don’t know what God did during this time when only he existed. But we do know that because God is good, everything was perfect.

God longed to share that goodness and love with others. So somewhere in the story, he made millions of mighty beings who served and worshiped him — angels. Unfortunately, one angel, Satan, wasn’t content with his magnificent status. A couple of Scripture passages seem to symbolically speak of this ancient tragedy. The angel’s “heart became proud on account of [his] beauty” (Ezekiel 28:17). He rebelled and convinced other angels to join him. God was betrayed. His kingdom’s perfect harmony was destroyed.

God cast Satan (also known as Lucifer or the devil) and the other traitors out of his kingdom. But for the sake of sharing his love, he took another risk. He created people.

Think

When we think of God, we tend to see him as the author of the story, the controller of all things. We see him sitting far away, detached, pulling the levers and pushing the buttons and running the stuff of life.

But that’s not the case. While God is indeed the author of the story, his heart and emotions are involved — because at his core “God is love” (1 John 4:8). And because he wants us to truly love him, and because true love is always a choice, he gives us the freedom to choose him and the freedom to reject him.

When the Author makes himself vulnerable to be rejected or loved by the characters in the story, he’s not just the Author anymore. He’s in the story.

Live

God has chosen to be affected by you. Your choices affect him — because he loves you. Deeply.

 

Taken from NIV The Great Rescue

OUR DAILY BREAD

Hope In God
Psalm 42

- Bill Crowder

Looking at the western shores of Sri Lanka, I found it hard to imagine that a tsunami had struck just a few months earlier. The sea was calm and beautiful, couples were walking in the bright sunshine, and people were going about their business—all giving the scene an ordinary feeling I wasn’t prepared for. The impact of the disaster was still there, but it had gone underground into the hearts and minds of the survivors. The trauma itself would not be easily forgotten.

It was catastrophic grief that prompted the psalmist to cry out in anguish: “My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’ ” (Ps. 42:3). The struggle of his heart had likewise been turned inward. While the rest of the world went on with business as usual, he carried in his heart the need for deep and complete healing.

Only as we submit our brokenness to the good and great Shepherd of our hearts can we find the peace that allows us to respond to life: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (v.5).

Hope in God—it’s the only solution for the deep traumas of the heart.

The Christian’s hope is in the Lord,
We rest secure in His sure Word;
And though we’re tempted to despair,
We do not doubt that God is there.
—D. De Haan

No one is hopeless whose hope is in God.

TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY - One Good Choice After Another

One Good Choice After Another
Proverbs 4:25

Are you enjoying the life and blessings of God in your everyday life? Or have you made a series of choices resulting in disappointment, pain, or feeling that everything you do requires great effort and produces little reward? Don’t spend your time and energy mourning all the bad decisions you have made; just start making good ones. There is hope for you!

The way to overcome the results of a series of bad choices is through a series of right choices. The only way to walk out of trouble is to do the opposite of whatever you did to get into trouble—one choice at a time. Maybe the circumstances of your life right now are the direct result of a series of bad choices you have made. You may be in debt because you have made a lot of bad choices with money. You may be lonely because of a series of bad choices in relationships or in the way you treat people. You may be sick because of a series of unhealthy choices: eating junk food, not getting enough rest, or abusing your body through working too much and not having enough balance in your life.

You cannot make a series of bad choices that result in significant problems and then make one good choice and expect all the results of all those bad choices to go away. You did not get into deep trouble through one bad choice; you got into trouble through a series of bad choices. If you really want your life to change for the better, you will need to make one good choice after another, over a period of time, just as consistently as you made the negative choices that produced negative results.

No matter what kind of trouble or difficulty you find yourself in, you can still have a blessed life. You cannot do anything about what is behind you, but you can do a great deal about what lies ahead of you. God is a redeemer, and He will always give you another chance.

Trust in Him
If you have a situation that is too big for you to solve, then you are material for a miracle. Invite God to get involved, trust in and follow His directions, make one good choice after another, and you will see amazing results.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2012 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 42

God Gives You Unearthly Patience
Galatians 5:22

Why does it seem that trouble always rears its head just when we start to make real progress? And why do so many difficulties linger for what seems an eternity?

Why are some people so annoying? And what recourse do we have when we can’t swap the irritating folks in our lives — family members, co-workers, neighbors — for a more congenial bunch?

When we’re in these kinds of situations, when we’re feeling stuck, restless and unable to change anything, we need the miracle of God’s patience.

The word the apostle Paul uses here — forbearance — is a word that means endurance, patience or perseverance. This is the quality of being long-suffering.

The next time circumstances put you in an unpleasant “holding pattern,” the next time an annoying person pushes your buttons, relinquish control of the situation and your own emotions and offer it to the One who has an endless supply of patience. The results really are miraculous.

God’s Promise to Me

*Those controlled by my Spirit can experience unearthly patience.

My Prayer to God

I want to know your patience, Lord. Forgive me for getting irritated with situations and people. I want to be even-keeled. I want to be willing to wait for you no matter how long it takes.

Taken from Once a Day Bible Promises

OUR DAILY BREAD

Finding God In The Darkness
Acts 17:24 - 31

- David Roper

When our boys were small, we played a game called “Sardines.” We’d turn out all the lights in our home and I would hide in a closet or some other cramped place. The rest of the family groped about in the darkness to find my hiding place and then hide with me until we were squeezed together like sardines. Hence the name.

Our smallest family member at times became frightened in the dark, so when he came close, I would whisper to him softly: “Here I am.”

“I found you, Dad!” he would announce as he snuggled against me in the darkness, not realizing that I let myself be “found.”

Likewise, we have been made to search for God—to “grope for Him,” as Paul put it so vividly (Acts 17:27). But here’s the good news: He is not at all hard to find, for “He is not far from each one of us.” He desires to make Himself known. “There is a property in God of thirst and longing. He hath longing to have us,” wrote Dame Julian of Norwich centuries ago. Before we come to know Christ, we grope for God in the darkness. But if we search for Him in earnest, He will make Himself known, for He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). He will call to us softly: “Here I am.” And He awaits our reply: “I found You!”

Man gropes his way through life’s dark maze;
To gods unknown he often prays,
Until one day he meets God’s Son—
At last he’s found the Living One!
—D. De Haan

Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. —Isaiah 55:6

TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY - Form New Habits

Form New Habits
2 Corinthians 5:17

God’s Word teaches us that when we receive Christ as our Savior and Lord, He gives us a new nature. He gives us His nature. He also gives us a spirit of discipline and self-control, which is vital in allowing us to choose the ways of our new nature. He gives us a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7), and that means we can think about things properly without being controlled by emotion. The way we once were passes away, and we have all the equipment we need for a brand-new way of behaving. God gives us the ability and offers to help us, but we are not puppets and God will not manipulate us. We must choose spirit over flesh and right over wrong. Our renewed spirits will then control our souls and bodies or, to say it another way, the inner person will control the outer person.

Without God’s help we have difficulty doing things in moderation. We frequently eat too much, spend too much money, have too much entertainment, and talk too much. We are excessive in our actions because we behave emotionally. And after the thing is done and cannot be undone, we regret doing it. But we can choose to form new habits, not doing something just because we feel like it but instead doing what will produce the best result in the end.

We do not have to live in regret. God gives us His Spirit to enable us to make right and wise choices. He urges us, guides and leads us, but we still have to cast the deciding vote. If you have been casting the wrong vote, all you need to do is change your vote. Forming new habits will require making a decision to not do what you feel like doing unless it agrees with God’s will.

Trust in Him
God wants you to live out of your new nature, not your old one. Every time you put your trust in Him and cast the deciding vote to obey, His Spirit transforms you and makes you more like Him.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2012 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

BELIEVE

How does God see people—the masses of humanity?
Luke 19:1-9
John 1:12

The beautiful thing about God’s kingdom is that all those who welcome Jesus as their Lord are given the opportunity to accept a new identity through him. This is illustrated poignantly through the story of a crooked tax collector named Zacchaeus. Tax collectors were among the most despised people in Israel because they chose to work for Rome and were making themselves rich by gouging their fellow Jews. But Zaccheaus shows that even the lost can be adopted and made new.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:1-9)

KEY VERSE

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

KEY IDEA

I believe I am significant because of my position as a child of God.

KEY APPLICATION: What difference does this make in the way I live?

How would life change if we started to see people as God sees them? How would the world change if you and I truly believed the only way for people to enter heaven is through Christ?

We value all human life.

We see and treat all people the way God sees and treats them.

We are compelled to tell all people about Jesus.

THE POWER OF BEING THANKFUL - Joyce Meyer

The Best Way to Begin in Prayer
1 Chronicles 23:30

No matter what we pray for, thanksgiving can always go with it. A good habit to develop is starting all of our prayers with thanksgiving. An example of this would be: “Thank You, Father, for all You have done in my life; You are awesome and I really love and appreciate You.”

I encourage you to examine your life, to pay attention to your thoughts and your words, and to see how much thanksgiving you express. Do you murmur and complain about things or are you thankful?

If you want a challenge, just try to get through an entire day without uttering one word of complaint. Develop an attitude of thanksgiving in every situation. In fact, just become outrageously thankful—and watch as your intimacy with God increases and He pours out greater blessings than ever before.

Prayer of Thanks: Thank You, Father, for the way You guide me in prayer. Help me to come to You in thanksgiving before I do anything else. Let gratitude be the foundation of my prayer life. I make the decision today to put aside complaining, being thankful in prayer instead.

PRAY

PRAY
Ephesians 3:14-21

Read through today’s passage praying for your community—the people in your small group, the people you serve alongside, the people you serve, those in church leadership, and those who need to know the depths of His love. Make your prayers specific!

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 41

REFLECTION

1 Corinthians 1:7 – 9; Proverbs 19:8,11

*The Lord empowered the church at Corinth with every spiritual gift so that they could build one another up in the faith and stand firm in their walk with Christ as they awaited his return.

*Scripture urges us to eagerly pursue wisdom and understanding so that we will develop skill in living, in depending on the Lord, and in learning patience and forgiveness toward others.

Taken from Once a Day Morning & Evening

OUR DAILY BREAD

How To Walk
Ephesians 3:14-21
Ephesians 4:1-3

- Dave Branon

Dana and Rich went out for an afternoon bike ride expecting to come home refreshed. Instead, their lives were changed forever. As Rich rode down a hill, he lost control of his bike and crashed. His body was mangled, and he barely made it to the hospital alive.

Dana faithfully kept vigil by her husband’s side. He couldn’t feed himself, and he couldn’t walk. One day, as the two of them sat under a shade tree outside the hospital, Rich turned to his wife and said, “Dana, I don’t know if I’ll ever walk again, but I’m learning to walk closer to Jesus, and that’s what I really want.” Instead of shaking his fist at God, Rich reached out and grabbed His hand.

Sometimes in the midst of our trials, we need to think about someone like Rich to help us adjust our perspective— to remind us of the remarkable relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ. This is the relationship we need most when the going gets the toughest.

We are not equipped to handle all the problems we face, but God is. That’s why He told us to give them all to Him— to “cast your burden on the Lord” (Ps. 55:22). As Rich found out, walking with Jesus doesn’t depend on our legs. It depends on our heart.

I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said;
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
—Stanphill

We can walk through the darkest trials when we walk with God in the light.

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 40

A Recipe for Hope
Psalm 119:50

I remember as a youngster watching my mom make homemade preserves. What that meant for me was that I would see some terrific jam or jelly on the table for dinner.

God will sometimes stir up ingredients in your life like suffering, struggling and pain to remind you to depend on him. Even though it may not seem like it at the time, what God has prepared for you will yield a much sweeter and more desirable person if you can endure the testing and hurt.

God promises he will be with you in it and through it, and he will preserve your life. The process is not always enjoyable in any realm of thinking, but parenting will occasionally test you to preserving moments. In those moments, you must be aware that the promise of his presence on the other side is your hope!

Parenting Principle

Thank God for his promises as they make the best preserves.

Points to Ponder

*What has God brought you through?

*How have you learned from that experience?

*What have been some experiences you can share with your children so they can learn in this area?

Taken from Once a Day Nurturing Great Kids

OUR DAILY BREAD

Storytime
Joshua 2:1-14

- Joe Stowell

Did you ever wonder why Rahab, the prostitute who lived in the pagan city of Jericho, opened her home to the Israelite spies? And what gave her the courage to name the God of Israel as her own?

This unlikeliest of conversions was prompted by the stories she had heard about the reality and power of God. Though thoroughly steeped in paganism and immorality, her heart was drawn to God. As she told the spies, “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites” (Josh. 2:10).

Under normal circumstances, the highly fortified city of Jericho would have been virtually unconquerable. Yet it became vulnerable because of the compelling stories of God’s power. Long before God’s people arrived, the self-sufficient pride of this hostile culture dissolved in fear when faced with those who belonged to the God they had heard so much about (v.11). And within the walls, one pagan heart turned to receive the God of Israel and played a strategic role in Israel’s stunning victory.

Let’s boldly tell the stories of God’s greatness. You never know whose heart may be ready to respond!

Christ is coming, over the world victorious—
Power and glory unto the Lord belong:
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness!
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song.
—Crosby

Don’t be shy; tell the stories of God’s greatness.

JESUS IS PEACE

Jesus Is Peace
John 16:33

One of the greatest works of art ever is da Vinci’s "Last Supper," a fresco painted into fresh plaster above a doorway in a Milan monastery. It depicts an evening that was one of the worst in the lives of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus spent hours prepping his Twelve for coming hardships. He would be arrested, abused, and killed. They would fall into the hands of Jesus’ own tormentors and suffer too. Their own faith would fail.

But all this would be happening according to the Father’s plans. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The operative words here are “in me.” When you are connected in faith to Jesus Christ, you become linked to all his victories. You become a winner like him no matter how things look at the moment.

Jesus gives us peace. Jesus is peace. Even when we don’t understand what’s going on, he knows. Even when we feel out of control, he’s in control. Even when we grieve over all our pain and troubles, he smiles and assures us that he is working all things together for our good.

His agenda is not for him to stay here forever in our broken and dying world. It is to lift us up to his world, his bright, alive, joyful, peaceful world. I feel good!

365 DAYS DEVOTIONAL READING PLAN - Day 39

Patient Obedience
Numbers 9:15-23

Phillips Brooks, a pastor in New England during the late 1800s, was known as a calm and relaxed man. But one particular evening a friend found him pacing the floor like a caged lion. When the friend asked him what was wrong, Brooks replied, “The trouble is I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”

Can you relate? Sometimes the hardest part of following God is waiting on him to move. At these times questions come fast and furious. “Why won’t our house sell?” “When will I hear something from the person who interviewed me?” “How long do I have to wait for my child’s (or friend’s or parent’s or boss’s) attitude to change?”

The Israelites discovered this truth firsthand. God led them through the wilderness, but not always at the pace they had hoped for. Yet God expected the people to obey regardless of the wait.

It’s not hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for the Israelites to be patient and obedient, because you experience this in your own life. Maybe you’re waiting for an answer to prayer. You know that God’s answer is critical, yet he doesn’t seem to be responding. You’re in a hurry, but God isn’t.

And while the hardest part may be the waiting, learning to trust God in the middle of it all is no picnic either. Yet Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Obeying and trusting God often require a measure of patience. “Obedience must be the struggle and desire of our life,” writes Phillips Brooks. “Obedience, not hard and forced, but ready, loving and spontaneous.” So Brooks waited, in spite of his moments of impatience.

Are you willing to wait for God, trust his timing and answers and obey—regardless of the wait?

Taken from NIV Men’s Devotional Bible