Daily Devotion

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Joining The Family
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Read: Galatians 3:26–4:7
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. —Galatians 3:26
Bible in a Year:
1 Samuel 30-31; Luke 13:23-35
Maurice Griffin was adopted when he was 32 years old. He had lived with Lisa and Charles Godbold 20 years earlier as a foster child. Although Maurice was now a man living on his own, adoption had been what the family and he had always longed for. Once they were reunited and the adoption was official, Maurice commented, “This is probably the happiest moment in my life. . . . I’m happy to be home.”

Those of us who have joined the family of God may refer to that time as the happiest moment in our lives. When we trust Christ for salvation, we become God’s children, and He becomes our heavenly Father. The Bible assures us, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).

As God’s adopted children, we acquire spiritual siblings—our brothers and sisters in Christ—and we all share an eternal inheritance (Col. 1:12). In addition, Jesus’ Spirit indwells our hearts and enables us to pray using the name Abba, Father (Gal. 4:6)—like a child calling, “Daddy.”

To be a child of God is to experience the closeness and security of a Father who loves us, accepts us, and wants to know us. Our adoption into His family is a wonderful homecoming.

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth;
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to the mansion, a robe, and a crown. —Buell
God’s arms are always open to welcome anyone home.
Insight
Paul’s use of the metaphor of adoption is significant. A child who is orphaned and abandoned is likely to die. But through adoption a child is accepted and made part of the family, with full status and rights. That child is given a new life. This is God’s action toward us. When God redeems us, He accepts us into His family as sons and daughters.

 

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Victory Over Death!
By Dennis Fisher
Read: John 5:24-30
The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. —John 5:28-29
Bible in a Year:
2 Samuel 12-13; Luke 16
An ancient painting I saw recently made a deep impression on me. Its title,Anastasis, means “resurrection,” and it depicts the triumph of Christ’s victory over death in a stunning way. The Lord Jesus, newly emerged from the tomb, is pulling Adam and Eve out of their coffins to eternal life. What is so amazing about this artwork is the way it shows how spiritual and physical death, the result of the fall, were dramatically reversed by the risen Christ.

Prior to His death on the cross, the Lord Jesus predicted a future day when He will call believers into a new and glorified existence: “The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28-29).

Because of Christ’s victory over death, the grave is not final. We naturally will feel sorrow and grief when those we love die and we are separated from them in this life. But the believer does not grieve as one who has no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). The witness of Jesus’ resurrection is that all Christians will one day be taken from their graves to be clothed with glorified resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15:42-44). And so “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).

Dear Lord, thank You for sacrificing Your life for our
sins so that we might live. We’re thankful that
because You died and rose again, we can have
assurance that one day we’ll be with You in a place of no more death.
Because Christ is alive, we too shall live.


Insight
In our passage today, John portrays Jesus as both life-giver and judge (5:24). As life-giver, Jesus gives us eternal life. As judge, Jesus will not condemn us (Rom. 8:1). God has given Jesus authority to be life-giver and judge “because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27). The title “the Son of Man” is a Messianic title (Dan. 7:13-14) that speaks of Jesus’ deity and humanity. Jesus used the title synonymously with “the Son of God” (Matt. 26:63-64).

 

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Acts Of Kindness
By David C. McCasland

Read: Acts 4:1-13
By the name of Jesus . . . , whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. —Acts 4:10
Bible in a Year:
2 Samuel 14-15; Luke 17:1-19
I was traveling with some men when we spotted a family stranded alongside the road. My friends immediately pulled over to help. They got the car running, talked with the father and mother of the family, and gave them some money for gasoline. When the mother thanked them over and over, they replied, “We’re glad to help out, and we do it in Jesus’ name.” As we drove away, I thought how natural it was for these friends to help people in need and acknowledge the Lord as the source of their generosity.

Peter and John exhibited that same joyful generosity when they healed a lame man who was begging outside the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1-10). This led to their arrest and appearance before the authorities who asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Peter replied, “If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man . . . let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (Acts 4:7-10).

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and a powerful context in which to genuinely speak to others about the Lord.

Lord, help me to love with both words and deeds,
To reach out to others and meet their needs;
Lord, burden my heart for those lost in sin,
With mercy and love that flows from within. —Fitzhugh
One act of kindness may teach more about the love of God than many sermons.

 

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Shout Hallelujah!
By David H. Roper
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
O Death, where is your sting? —1 Corinthians 15:55
Bible in a Year:
2 Samuel 16-18; Luke 17:20-37
A few days ago, I spied my old friend Bob vigorously pedaling a bike at our neighborhood gym and staring down at a blood pressure monitor on his finger.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Looking to see if I’m alive,” he grunted.

“What would you do if you saw you were dead?” I countered.

“Shout hallelujah!” he replied with a radiant smile.

Over the years I’ve caught glimpses of great inner strength in Bob: patient endurance in the face of physical decline and discomfort, and faith and hope as he approaches the end of his life journey. Indeed he has found not only hope, but death has lost its power to tyrannize him.

Who can find peace and hope—and even joy—in dying? Only those who are joined by faith to the God of eternity and who know that they have eternal life (1 Cor. 15:52,54). For those who have this assurance, like my friend Bob, death has lost its terror. They can speak with colossal joy of seeing Christ face to face!

Why be afraid of death? Why not rejoice? As the poet John Donne (1572–1631) wrote, “One short sleep past, we wake eternally.”


For the Christian, dying is the last shadow of earth’s night before heaven’s dawn.

Insight
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is more concerned with dealing with problems than it is with teaching doctrinal truth to the church. However, in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul’s focus is not on problem-solving but on the vital importance of the doctrine of the resurrection. Obviously, the resurrection of Christ is one of the central truths of the Christian faith, so it is not surprising that the apostle would want his friends to grasp its reality and significance.

 

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Never Let Down
By Joe Stowell
Read: Lamentations 3:13-26
[The Lord’s] compassions fail not. They are new every morning. —Lamentations 3:22-23
Bible in a Year:
2 Samuel 19-20; Luke 18:1-23
When I was a child, one of my favorite pastimes was playing on the teeter-totter in the nearby park. A kid would sit on each end of the board and bounce each other up and down. Sometimes the one who was down would stay there and leave his playmate stuck up in the air yelling to be let down. But the cruelest of all tricks was getting off the teeter-totter and running away when your friend was up in the air—he would come crashing down to the ground with a painful bump.

Sometimes we may feel that Jesus does that to us. We trust Him to be there with us through the ups and downs of life. However, when life takes a turn and leaves us with bumps and bruises, it may feel as if He has walked away leaving our lives to come painfully crashing down.

But Lamentations 3 reminds us that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” (v.22 esv) and that God is faithful to the end even when everything seems to be falling apart. This means that in the midst of our pain, even though we may be lonely, we are not alone. And though we may not feel His presence, He is there as our trusted companion who will never walk away and let us down!

Thank You, Lord, that we can trust in Your
faithful presence even when we feel alone.
Help us to wait patiently for You to manifest
Your steadfast loving presence.
When everyone else fails, Jesus is your most trusted friend.

Insight
In Lamentations 3 we see the tribulations of God’s people. They are described in terms of physical suffering, painful injury, and imprisonment. Judah’s journey is portrayed in harrowing terms of terrible obstacles, wild animals, a wound to the heart, and bitter food. And the spiritual devastation can be seen in these words: “You have moved my soul far from peace” (v.17). Yet despite the despair of the moment, the promise of restoration and renewal are given: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (vv.22-23).

 

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Fearful Fish
By Philip Yancey

Read: John 1:6-14
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. —John 1:14
Bible in a Year:
2 Samuel 21-22; Luke 18:24-43
Managing a saltwater aquarium, I discovered, is no easy task. I had to run a portable chemical laboratory to monitor nitrate levels and ammonia content. I pumped in vitamins and antibiotics and sulfa drugs and enzymes. I filtered the water through glass fibers and charcoal.

You would think my fish would be grateful. Not so. When my shadow loomed above the tank to feed them, they dove for cover into the nearest shell. I was too large for them; my actions incomprehensible. They did not know that my acts were merciful. To change their perceptions would require a form of incarnation. I would have to become a fish and “speak” to them in a language they could understand, which was impossible for me to do.

According to the Scriptures, God, the Creator of the universe, did something that seems impossible. He came to earth in human form as a baby. “The world was made through Him,” says John, “and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). So God, who created matter, took shape within it, as a playwright might become a character within his own play. God wrote a story, using real characters, on the pages of real history. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (v.14).

All praise to Thee, eternal Lord,
Clothed in a garb of flesh and blood;
Choosing a manger for a throne,
While worlds on worlds are Thine alone. —Luther
God entered human history to offer us the gift of eternal life.


Insight
As the “messenger” (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1; Mark 1:2-3), John the Baptist’s ministry was to introduce Jesus to the world and “to bear witness of the Light” (John 1:7). John presented Jesus as the Logos, the self-existent, preexistent, omnipotent, eternal, Creator God who spoke everything into existence, giving light and life to His creation (vv.4-5). He also presented Jesus as God incarnate (vv.9-14). Jesus added humanity to His deity, becoming one Person with two natures—perfectly human and yet perfectly divine (Phil. 2:6-8). He came to give “light to every man” so that we don’t need to live in sin’s darkness (John 1:9) and to give new life to those who believe so that we can live as God’s children (vv.12-13).

 

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Probing Questions
By Bill Crowder
Read: 1 Peter 3:8-17
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. —1 Peter 3:15
Bible in a Year:
1 Kings 3-5; Luke 20:1-26
While riding on a train a few years after the American Civil War, General Lew Wallace of the Union Army encountered a fellow officer, Colonel Robert Ingersoll. Ingersoll was one of the 19th century’s leading agnostics, and Wallace was a man of faith. As their conversation turned to their spiritual differences, Wallace realized that he wasn’t able to answer the questions and doubts raised by Ingersoll. Embarrassed by his lack of understanding about his own faith, Wallace began searching the Scriptures for answers. The result was his confident declaration of the person of the Savior in his classic historical novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

Probing questions from skeptics don’t have to be a threat to our faith. Instead, they can motivate us to seek a deeper understanding and equip us to respond wisely and lovingly to those who might question our faith. The apostle Peter encouraged us to pursue the wisdom of God in the Scriptures when he wrote, “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

We don’t have to have an answer for every question, but we need the courage, confidence, and conviction to share our love for Christ and the hope that is in us.


Christ is the ultimate answer to life’s greatest questions.

Insight
Hebrew boys in the first century were taught the Old Testament. In today’s reading, we see how Peter, a fisherman of the working class, had at his command a familiarity with the Scriptures when he quotes from Psalm 34:12-16 (vv.10-12) and Isaiah 8:12 (v.14). Peter may well have recalled these passages from memory.

 

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The Greatness of Three in One
APR 28 2014
"Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" - Genesis 1:26

The Trinity is an often misunderstood word. It is a theological term to describe God as three persons in one. The actual word, Trinity, is never mentioned in the Bible, but the concept is definitely found in the Old and the New Testaments.

In the very first chapter of the Bible, God says, “Let Us make man in Our image.” Who do you think “Us” and “Our” is? There is no indication of God being married, so it’s not His wife. And Angels don’t “create,” they are a creation of God. There is only one logical answer. It’s God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Look in Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission stating they were to teach and baptize in the names of the Godhead, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

When Jesus, the Son, was baptized, God’s Word tells us that God, the Father, spoke from Heaven and said, “This is my son. I’m proud of Him.” (My paraphrase.) Then, God (the Holy Spirit) descended upon Him in the form of a dove. All three were there; all three are one God. It’s a mystery our finite human minds have a hard time grasping. But the Trinity, God as three in one, fills us with wonder at the unexplainable greatness of God.

 

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God's Justice Vs. Man's
APR 29 2014
"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." - Romans 12:19

If you're being honest with yourself, is there anything more satisfying than to have justice delivered to someone who has wronged you? Look at the injustice thrust upon David. Through a series of betrayals, his vain young son, Absalom, took away the throne that rightfully belonged to David. David protested and cried out to God for justice, but recognized that vengeance is a matter for God. It wasn't long before Absalom – who was very proud of his head of flowing hair – had his gorgeous locks caught in a tree as he was riding by. He couldn't untangle himself and died right there. God brought about justice in a rather colorful manner, and although he wept for his son, David was restored to the throne.

God delivers justice in different ways. Sometimes it's through routine personal (and peaceful) interaction. Sometimes normal office procedures result in a just solution. Some actions require the involvement of the police or the courts. And sometimes justice will not be revealed until after our deaths, recognizing that God sees an eternal picture that we cannot comprehend while wrapped up in our temporal, earthly matters.

But do know this: God will bring about justice. Maybe it won't be as dramatic as the culprit getting his hair stuck in a tree. But in the end, God's justice will most certainly be done.

 

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Tree Of Rest
By Julie Ackerman Link
Read: Ezra 9:5-9
There is a remnant according to the election of grace. —Romans 11:5
Bible in a Year:
1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-20
The lone tree in the field across from my office remained a mystery. Acres of trees had been cut down so the farmer could grow corn. But one tree remained standing, its branches reaching up and spreading out. The mystery was solved when I learned the tree was spared for a purpose. Farmers long ago traditionally left one tree standing so that they and their animals would have a cool place to rest when the hot summer sun was beating down.

At times we find that we alone have survived something, and we don’t know why. Soldiers coming home from combat and patients who’ve survived a life-threatening illness struggle to know why they survived when others did not.

The Old Testament speaks of a remnant of Israelites whom God spared when the nation was sent into exile. The remnant preserved God’s law and later rebuilt the temple (Ezra 9:9). The apostle Paul referred to himself as part of the remnant of God (Rom. 11:1,5). He was spared to become God’s messenger to Gentiles (v.13).

If we stand where others have fallen, it’s to raise our hands to heaven in praise and to spread our arms as shade for the weary. The Lord enables us to be a tree of rest for others.

Thank You, Father, that You are my place of rest.
And that all You have brought me through
can be used by You to encourage others.
Bring praise to Yourself through me.
Hope can be ignited by a spark of encouragement.

Insight
In the midst of the joy of God’s grace in allowing a remnant to return to their homeland, Ezra mourned. He mourned because the people of Israel were not only physically distant from God, but spiritually distant as well. Yet God in His grace did more than enable the physical return of the remnant; He also preserved a spiritual remnant. Upon hearing the law of God, the people recommitted themselves to Him (Ezra 10:1-4).

 

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Someone to Enrich Your Life
MAY 04 2014
"Two are better than one..." - Ecclesiastes 4:9

Most people are looking for a soul mate - someone you really click with, a person who enriches your life while you enrich his or hers. Someone who makes you feel like you're not alone in this world.

The term has a basis in the very first marriage. The first time God said something was "not good" had to do with Adam being alone. God's ideal is for each man and woman to have their spouse as their soul mate, a person of the opposite sex who is a perfect complement.

God was the first anesthesiologist and He put Adam to sleep. He was the first surgeon when He removed a rib. He was the first master artist as He formed that rib into a woman, the first matchmaker, and first Father of the bride. He brought Eve to Adam. Adam was thrilled and said "Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman." In the Bible, the word for "body" means soul.

Is your spouse your soul mate? It's what God has in mind for your marriage. The first marriage shows it, and in Christ, God gives us the power to experience it in our own marriages.

 

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Everyone in God's Family is SOMEBODY!
MAY 06 2014
“What is the price of five sparrows - two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." - Luke 12:6-7

"My name is Martha Bowers Taft," a young girl confidently introduced herself to her new second grade classmates. "My great-grandfather was President of the United States. My grandfather was a United States Senator. My father is Ambassador to Ireland." She then puffed out her chest and proudly declared, "And I am a Brownie!"

We all enjoy having status and most of us would like to use that status to enhance the work of the Lord. Unfortunately, many of us think we are not significant enough to be used by God for great things. We might say, "Oh, I'm only a janitor, or only a repairman, or only a housewife." We think that if only we had a more prestigious title - such as doctor or professional athlete...or even Brownie...God could use us to do mighty things.

Perhaps the prophet Amos thought that way when God called him to serve. "After all," he could have said, "I am only a shepherd. Who will listen to me?" But, instead of questioning his status, he obeyed and became a powerful voice for God.

Remember, with God there is no "I am only this or that," when it comes to His children. You are SOMEBODY. No matter how you perceive yourself, God sees you as having potential for great service, and as the old saying goes, "He's not through with me yet!"

 

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My Kind Of People
By David H. Roper

• Read: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. —1 Corinthians 6:11
Bible in a Year:
2 Kings 1-3; Luke 24:1-35
Years ago in a worship service, pastor Ray Stedman stepped to the pulpit and read the text for the day: “Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that” (1 Cor. 6:9-11 nlt).

Then he looked up, a bemused smile on his face, and said, “I’m curious: How many of you have one or more of these sins in your background? If so, will you stand?”

There was a young man there who had never been in a church before. He had recently been saved at a Billy Graham crusade and came with fear and trembling to church that Sunday, not knowing what he would find. He later told me that when he heard the pastor’s question, he looked around to see if anyone would stand. At first no one did, but then most of the congregation was on their feet. He said to himself, “These are my kind of people!”

We can all find ourselves in Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians. But when we confess our sin and accept the gift of eternal life paid for by the death of Jesus, we become a new creation saved by grace (Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17).


Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.
Insight
The key word in today’s passage is the word but(three times in verse 11). After listing the characteristics of those who will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (vv.9-10), Paul says, “such were some of you,” and then he adds the word but (v.11). Despite the Corinthians’ past, they had been washed, sanctified, and justified. No sinner is beyond receiving forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. Paul himself (the writer of the letters to the Corinthian church) says that he “was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man,”but “the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant” (1 Tim. 1:13-14).

 

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"Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy." - 1 Timothy 6:17

You Won’t Find Security in Things
May 7, 2014

If you are wealthy, which God defines as having more than the absolute necessities, don’t adopt the hyper-spiritual mindset that material things are bad. That is just not biblical! God wants us to enjoy the wealth He has blessed us with and to use this wealth wisely. But God also reminds us that we should not shift our faith in Him to seeking security through our acquisition of things. He wants you to trust that He will continue to meet your future needs. He will continue to give you those blessings.

Don’t shift your need for security from God’s hands to trusting in your financial portfolio, or your bank account, or your collection of real estate. All those things can be easily lost and offer no real security. The very God that brought you all those blessings can take them all away. But He does promise He’ll never leave you and will meet all your needs.

Put your trust in a God who will never let you down, and recognize that He will always meet your needs.

 

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Promises Still Kept
By Randy Kilgore

• Read: Genesis 15:5-21

When the sun went down . . . there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. —Genesis 15:17
Bible in a Year:
2 Kings 7-9; John 1:1-28
In the ancient Near East a treaty between a superior (a lord or king) and an inferior (his subjects) was called a suzerain treaty. The ratification ceremony required animals to be sacrificed and cut in half. The animal parts were then arranged in two rows on the ground, forming an aisle between them. As the suzerain walked between the halves, he was publicly declaring he would keep the covenant and would become like the slain animals if he failed to keep his word.

When Abram asked God how he could be sure His promises would come to pass, God used the culturally significant symbolism of the suzerain treaty to affirm His promises (Gen. 15). When the burning torch passed through the pieces of the sacrifice, Abram understood that God was declaring it was His job to keep the covenant.

God’s covenant with Abram and His assurance of its completion extends to followers of Christ. That is why Paul repeatedly refers to believers as sons of Abraham in his New Testament writings (Rom. 4:11-18; Gal. 3:29). Once we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, God becomes the keeper in our covenant of faith (see John 10:28-29).

Because God is the keeper of our salvation, with renewed confidence in Him we trust Him with our lives.

He will never fail us, He will not forsake;
His eternal covenant He will never break.
Onward then, and fear not, children of the day;
For His Word shall never, never pass away. —Havergal
Our salvation is secure because God does the holding.

 

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Words To Live By
By David C. McCasland
Read: Deuteronomy 4:1-9
Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments . . . that you should act according to them. —Deuteronomy 4:5
Bible in a Year:
2 Kings 15-16; John 3:1-18
For many years I’ve maintained a file folder labeled “Speaking.” It has become thick with articles, quotations, and illustrations that might be useful. Recently I went through it to discard things that are out of date. I found it difficult to throw away many of the items, not because I haven’t used them in a talk but because I haven’t put them into practice. I closed the folder thinking, “These aren’t words to talk about; these are words to live by.”

After 40 years in the desert, Moses addressed the people poised to enter the Promised Land: “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you” (Deut. 4:1). Moses’ repeated theme (vv.1,2,5,6,9) is that God’s commandments are to be kept. He said it well, “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments . . . that you should act according to them” (v.5).

It is so easy to talk about doing more than we actually do and to speak about truth we’re not living by. We can become bloated with words, yet starved for reality, forgetting that all of God’s commands flow from His heart of love for us.

Help us, Lord, not to be just hearers of the Word;
help us to be doers as well. Teach us to be honest
with ourselves about who we really are. We want
to walk in Your ways and to guide others to You.
The strength of our actions should match the strength of our words.
Insight
Far from being a burden, the commands God gave to the Israelites were life-giving. They outlined a life lived in response to His love. In today’s text, Moses reminded the Israelites that the commands were for their wisdom and understanding (v.6). The result of living by the words of the Lord would be that the nations around them would recognize the one true God (vv.7-8).

 

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"Jesus answered, 'The most important [commandment] is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your STRENGTH.'" - Mark 12:29-30

With All Your Strength
May 12, 2014

The last in this little devotion series is, we need to love God with all of our strength. That means all of our energy. It’s interesting that the word the gospel of Mark uses for “strength” also means “ability.” I love that. Because what does that tell us about loving God? It means that God has given all of us talents and abilities. And when we use those talents and abilities in church, or in vocation, or in relationships with others, we can approach it one of two ways: we can seek glory for ourselves or look to glorify God.

You see, to love God with all of our energy, with all of our abilities, with all of our spiritual gifts, means serving the Lord in ministry. It’s a way of expressing our love to Him. It means holding nothing back when it comes to our energy level in showing our love for God. It means that when we’re using all that energy in our vocation, or in school, we’re doing it because it is pleasing to God to make the most of our abilities for Him. We are loving God with all of our strength, with all of our being.

 

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Looking Good
By Julie Ackerman Link

• Read: Matthew 23:23-31

First cleanse the inside. —Matthew 23:26
Bible in a Year:
2 Kings 19-21; John 4:1-30
Your hair is really healthy,” said my hairdresser after giving me a haircut. “I hope it’s because you use our products.” “No. I’m sorry,” I said. “I just use whatever product is cheap and smells good.” But then I added, “I also try to eat well. I think that makes a big difference.”

When I think about the things we do to make ourselves look good, I’m reminded of some of the things we do to make ourselves look good spiritually. Jesus addressed this issue with the religious leaders in Jerusalem (Matt. 23). They followed an elaborate set of religious rules that went well beyond the ones God had given them. They worked hard to look good to their peers, to prove that they were better than others. But their hard work didn’t impress God. Jesus said to them, “You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside [you] are full of extortion and self-indulgence” (v.25). What the Pharisees did to make themselves look good to others actually revealed that they were not good at all.

Every culture values different religious behaviors and traditions, but God’s values transcend cultures. And what He values isn’t measured by what others see. God values a clean heart and pure motives. Spiritual health is expressed from the inside out.

You know me, Lord, for who I am. My motives
and heart are open before You. Cleanse me
from the inside out. And help me to live as
Jesus did—with pure and true motives.
We might look good on the outside without really being good on the inside.
Insight
Matthew 23 uses the phrase “woe to you” eight times when Jesus condemns the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They displayed outward religiosity and piety, but neglected the truly important matters of justice, mercy, and faith (v.23; Mic. 6:8). They presented themselves as upright and holy, but inside they were utterly corrupt and evil (vv.25-31).

 

[boldstardex]

Slow Healing Process
By Bill Crowder

• Read: Revelation 21:1-8

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. . . . There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. —Revelation 21:4
Bible in a Year:
2 Kings 22-23; John 4:31-54
Just 4 weeks after our son Mark joined the US Army, he injured his knee seriously in a training exercise. As a result, he was released from the military. So, at age 19, he had to use a cane to get around for a while; and because of the severity of the injury he endured 2 years of recovery, rest, and rehab. Finally, Mark was able to set aside the knee braces he had worn since the accident. Although he still experiences residual pain, the long, slow healing process has brought him back to full use of his leg.

Physical healing is often much slower than we anticipate. This is true of spiritual healing as well. The consequences of unwise choices or the actions of hurtful people can create burdens or wounds that endure for a lifetime. But for the child of God, there is hope. Although full restoration is not always experienced in this life, the promise of healing is sure. The apostle John wrote, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

In our seasons of pain, it is comforting to know that eventually, in His awesome presence, we will be whole forever.

Father, I thank You that in all of our pains and
struggles we can find comfort in You. Help us to
bring all our hurts to You—both spiritual and
physical—and to trust that You will make us whole.
When we come to Christ in our brokenness, He makes us whole.
Insight
What will characterize the promised eternal state of the follower of Christ? In verse 5 of our text, God declares from His throne, “Behold, I make all things new.” This includes a new heaven and a new earth (v.1), a new Jerusalem (v.2), a new way of interacting with God (vv.3-4), and so much more.

 

[boldstardex]

Many Advisors
By Marvin Williams

• Read: Proverbs 15:16-23

Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. —Proverbs 15:22
Bible in a Year:
2 Kings 24-25; John 5:1-24
The fifteenth-century theologian Thomas à Kempis said, “Who is so wise as to have perfect knowledge of all things? Therefore, trust not too much to your own opinion, but be ready also to hear the opinions of others. Though your own opinion be good, yet if for the love of God you forego it and follow that of another, you shall the more profit thereby.” Thomas recognized the importance of seeking the opinions of trusted advisors when making plans for life.

In order to determine God’s course for life, the wise person should open up to several avenues of counsel, through which God will bring His guiding wisdom. When a person seeks the wise counsel of others, he shows his realization that he might be overlooking some important factors in his decisions.

Solomon, the wisest man in Israel, wrote about how important it is to have counsel from others: “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established” (Prov. 15:22).

The Lord is the Wonderful Counselor (Isa. 9:6), and He desires to protect us through wise advisors. Seek them out and thank God for them. Let them help you discover a clearer picture of His plan for your life.


If you seek wise counsel, you multiply your chances for sound decisions.
Insight
Proverbs 15:22 instructs us on the importance of seeking wise counsel. Many of the people in Scripture sought out counsel from wise and trusted advisors. Moses asked advice from his father-in-law Jethro about how to lead and judge Israel (Ex. 18:13-24). Ahithophel was so wise that it was said that his advice “was as if one had inquired at the oracle of God” (2 Sam. 16:23). But the greatest counsel we can seek is from God Himself. James tells us that if we lack wisdom, we can ask of God and He will give it to us because He “gives to all liberally and without reproach” (James 1:5).