Daily Devotion

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"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." - 1 John 4:7

A DAY TO SAY “I LOVE YOU”
February 14, 2017

It’s that time of year when stores are filled with beautiful red hearts, chocolates, balloons, greeting cards and all kinds of things that say, “You’re beautiful and I love you.” You ask a man how he fell in love with his wife or girlfriend and most every response will begin this way: “I saw her.”

All women want to feel beautiful. All wives want to feel their husbands see them as beautiful, and it is true that men are drawn to beauty. This is why women focus so much on fashion and good looks. Obviously, making the most of natural beauty is important, but don’t miss the true secret to a radiant, lasting beauty that comes from knowing Jesus. It’s unmistakable, the beauty on the face of an older woman who loves her Lord.

But that’s not all. Love isn’t just for romance. Even if you don’t have a sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, perhaps you can think of someone who could benefit from an expression of love from you. Just think, there may be someone in your life who won’t be hugged or told someone loves him or her if you don’t take the initiative.

Lastly, but most importantly, I want to tell the Savior of my soul, the Maker of my heart and the Creator of love itself that I love Him.

Say, “I love you” to someone today!

 

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The Junkyard Genius
February 16, 2017

Read: John 9:1–11 | Bible in a Year: Leviticus 19–20; Matthew 27:51–66
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! John 9:25

Noah Purifoy began his work as an “assemblage” artist with three tons of rubble salvaged from the 1965 riots in the Watts area of Los Angeles. From broken bicycle wheels and bowling balls to discarded tires and damaged TV sets—things no longer usable—he and a colleague created sculptures that conveyed a powerful message about people being treated as “throw-aways” in modern society. One journalist referred to Mr. Purifoy as “the junkyard genius.”

In Jesus’s time, many people considered those with diseases and physical problems as sinners being punished by God. They were shunned and ignored. But when Jesus and His disciples encountered a man born blind, the Lord said his condition was not the result of sin, but an occasion to see the power of God. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). When the blind man followed Jesus’s instructions, he was able to see.

God takes our broken lives and shapes us into His new creations.
When the religious authorities questioned the man, he replied simply, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (v. 25).

Jesus is still the greatest “junkyard genius” in our world. We are all damaged by sin, but He takes our broken lives and shapes us into His new creations.

Lord, I thank You today for Your amazing grace!

Jesus is the restorer of life.

INSIGHT:
Have you ever felt as though you saw no purpose to your life, couldn’t see your way forward, and were not even sure there is a God willing or able to give you light at the end of the tunnel? John wrote his gospel to proclaim the life and light that troubled people like us long for (John 1:1–5). John found many reasons to believe that Jesus really is the light of the world: “These [miraculous signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

 

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“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4: 9-10

LOOKING FOR LOVE
February 16, 2017

Real love- what is it? How do we find it? How do we hold onto it? Our culture is absolutely obsessed with the search for love. Just look at the lyrics of today’s chart topping songs – they’re always about finding love or losing love. And the rumor is, if you find the real love music sings of and movies depict – then you’ll be happy. Love, romantic love = happiness.

But what if there was a love greater than one based solely on emotions, attraction, and even lust? What if there was a love more powerful and more enduring? A love not based on circumstances or feelings, but based on commitment and certainty. There is – it’s called God’s love. And it is very real.

Jesus makes it very clear that this real love is available to us. It’s unlike anything we will find in the movies, in another person or even in the most heart wrenching love song on the radio – because God’s love will never fade or change.

When we experience this kind of love, it changes us. God’s love changes how we love others. You know that person at work, school or in your family that you just can’t stand? When we know the assurance of God’s love for us, God gives us a love powerful enough to love others, even those we don’t like. And that is a kind of love is worth finding.

 

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River Tree
February 20, 2017

Read: Jeremiah 17:5–10 | Bible in a Year: Leviticus 26–27; Mark 2


They will be like a tree planted by the water. Jeremiah 17:8

This was a tree to be envied. Growing on riverfront property, it didn’t have to worry about weather reports, withering temperatures, or an uncertain future. Nourished and cooled by the river, it spent its days lifting its branches to the sun, holding the earth with its roots, cleaning the air with its leaves, and offering shade to all who needed refuge from the sun.

By contrast, the prophet Jeremiah pointed to a shrub (Jer. 17:6). When the rains stopped and the summer sun turned the ground to dust, the bush shriveled into itself, offering no shade or fruit to anyone.

God, you alone can be trusted—even when it seems like You are nowhere to be seen.
Why would the prophet compare a flourishing tree to a withering bush? He wanted his people to recall what had happened since their miraculous rescue from the slave yards of Egypt. For forty years in a wilderness, they lived like a tree planted by a river (2:4–6). Yet in the prosperity of their promised land they had forgotten their own story; they were relying on themselves and on gods of their own making (vv. 7–8), even to the point of going back to Egypt looking for help (42:14).

So God, through Jeremiah, lovingly urged the forgetful children of Israel, and He urges us, to hope and trust in the Lord and to be like the tree—not the bush.

Father, in so many ways You have taught us that You alone can be trusted—even when it seems like You are nowhere to be seen. Please help us to recall today what You have already shown us along the way.

Let’s remember in good times what we have learned in days of trouble.

INSIGHT:
Today’s Bible reading contrasts the life of the person devoted to God with the life of one who trusts in his own strength. Jeremiah uses incredibly strong language to differentiate between the two. One is blessed and one is cursed. It’s mind-boggling that we would choose to trust in ourselves instead of God, yet we all choose to do so from time to time. But verse 10 offers hope. It is not what we claim that determines whether we are a tree by the streams or a bush in the desert; it is the Lord who examines and rewards us. Are there any areas of your life you need to ask the Lord to examine?

 

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‘Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.’ 1 Peter 2: 11-12

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
February 20, 2017

For over 200 years, biblical values were the accepted moral standard for the majority of Americans. Of course that didn’t mean that people always lived up to them. They didn’t and still don’t – because no one is perfect. But it was the accepted standard. Today things are very different. And while this causes fear among many Christians who have watched a society radically change, God isn’t surprised. In fact, God’s Word speaks straight to the heart of the morality battle in our country and around the world.

Don’t forget, God reminds us: You are aliens. You are strangers. You are foreigners in the nations in which you live (My paraphrase). For followers of Jesus, our primary citizenship is in the kingdom of God. This world is but a short stop on the way to heaven.

And because of that, we will not always agree with everything culture has to offer. We will not always be in-sync with the majority of popular worldviews. And that’s ok – because our eternal citizenship is not in this world.

So how do we navigate the tension created when popular culture contradicts our Biblical values? We focus on living a life that pleases God rather than culture. This doesn’t mean we judge, condemn and hate, but instead we live lives of purity, goodness and love according to the teachings of the Word of God. In doing so, our lives will reflect Jesus. And who knows? Some may see genuine goodness and want to have what we have. Then we’ll see how our “passing through this world” has purpose and meaning.

 

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“I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (Babylonian King to three Jewish men). Daniel 3:15

FAITH OR FITTING IN
February 21, 2017

What would you do if forced to choose between politically correct pressure and what’s right? What would you do if that decision could cost you your job, your reputation or even your life?

Three young men faced this exact dilemma when asked to choose between their faith or the politically correct cultural trends. The story began when the King of Babylon built a huge statue of himself and required that everyone bow before it. Well, this caused quite a dilemma for three young Jewish men. Even though they were faithful citizens to the king, to bow before his statue would disobey God. It would be idolatry – a breaking of the 2nd commandment. So they refused.

The king gave them a choice: bow or be killed in a fiery furnace. Look at their response: “Our God is so powerful that He can save us … but even if He does not, we will not bow to your idol.” Talk about a picture of incredible faith! This is real faith! And this is key: They were respectful, but firm; they could not deny their faith even when facing death.

The ultimate religious liberty is to realize that Christ has set us free from enslavement to sin, fear and politically correct pressure to fit-in. And yes, amazingly, God did intervene to save Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego even as they were thrown into the furnace. The bravery and faith of three young men temporarily changed the life of a king and an entire nation.

So, what would you do if forced to choose between what’s popular and what’s right? Hold onto the freedom you have in Christ and choose Him even in the face of negative opinions and negative consequences. Because you never know the impact of living out your faith with love and respect. So what will you choose – faith or fitting-in? Loyalty to Christ or political correctness? May we all follow the great example of these three courageous Jewish men of faith.

 

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“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

Daniel 6: 16

GOD AND GOVERNMENT
February 22, 2017

It’s a story of courage, integrity, and incredible faith. Daniel, a Jewish captive living in Babylon (modern day Iraq) rose to great prominence, becoming an advisor to the king. Later, after the Persians (modern day Iran) conquered Babylon, Daniel’s wisdom and influence lead him to a similar position alongside the king of Persia. Well, it didn’t take long for the other advisors to become jealous of Daniel’s influence (especially because he was a foreigner).

Knowing that Daniel was fully devoted to God and prayed three times a day, they convinced the king to issue a month-long decree that outlawed prayer to anyone other than the king. The advisors knew that Daniel would put God before the king’s decree and therefore be killed – death by hungry lions. But in an incredible miracle, God intervened. God protected Daniel from death, which in turn caused the king of Persia to proclaim the greatness of Daniel’s God throughout his empire!

So, what does this have to do with us today? While identifying as a follower of Jesus isn’t always popular, it rarely results in this level of persecution – at least for those of us in the West. But it does demonstrate what our response should be when it comes to popular culture and authority. We may lose our job, our friends or our status, but Daniel’s example inspires us to be faithful.

It’s about submission. As followers of Jesus, we are called to submit to Christ above all else– it means trusting Christ with our lives. At the same time, we are also to submit to worldly institutions like educators, laws and government– unless it means violating your conscious and God’s will, as shown in Scripture. So what would you do if forced to choose between God and government? Daniel chose to obey God over government when government commanded that he betray his faith. What courage! What faith! What an example for us all!

 

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The Land of “What Is”
February 24, 2017

Read: Psalm 46:1–7 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 9–11; Mark 5:1–20


Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Even all these years after losing our seventeen-year-old daughter Melissa in a car accident in 2002, I sometimes find myself entering the world of “What If.” It’s easy, in grief, to reimagine the events of that tragic June evening and think of factors that—if rearranged—would have had Mell arriving safely home.

In reality, though, the land of “What If” is not a good place to be for any of us. It is a place of regret, second-guessing, and hopelessness. While the grief is real and the sadness endures, life is better and God is honored if we dwell in the world of “What Is.”

When we do face hard times, our greatest help comes from trusting God.
In that world, we can find hope, encouragement, and comfort. We have the sure hope (1 Thess. 4:13)—the assurance—that because Melissa loved Jesus she is in a place that is “better by far” (Phil. 1:23). We have the helpful presence of the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3). We have God’s “ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). And we often have the encouragement of fellow believers.

We all wish to avoid the tragedies of life. But when we do face hard times, our greatest help comes from trusting God, our sure hope in the land of What Is.

Father God, You know my broken heart. You know the pain of loss because You suffered through the death of Your Son. In the midst of ongoing sorrow, help me to dwell in the comfort of Your hope, encouragement, and comfort.

See the book Beyond the Valley by Dave Branon at dhp.org/te236.html

Our greatest hope comes from trusting God.

INSIGHT:
In Psalm 46, the psalmist uses exaggeration to express his trust in the safety God provides. He tells of feeling safe in circumstances where safety is unimaginable. When the very ground under our feet is uncertain, the psalmist expresses confidence in the protection of the Lord. He isn’t saying, “Do not fear” because our circumstances are not fear-worthy, but because our God is bigger than our troubles. In uncertain times, He is stable. The mountains crumbling into the sea is a graphic image of the most stable land feature giving way. In what circumstances do you need to remember that God is constant and unchanging? How can you express your trust in Him as your refuge?

 

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Ring of Invisibility
February 27, 2017

Read: John 3:16–21 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 17–19; Mark 6:30–56
Everyone who does evil hates the light. John 3:20

The Greek philosopher Plato (c. 427–c. 348 bc) found an imaginative way of shining light on the dark side of the human heart. He told the story of a shepherd who innocently discovered a golden ring that had been hidden deep in the earth. One day a great earthquake opened up an ancient mountainside tomb and revealed the ring to the shepherd. By accident he also discovered that the ring had the magical ability to enable the wearer to become invisible at will. Thinking about invisibility, Plato raised this question: If people didn’t have to worry about being caught and punished, would they resist doing wrong?

In John’s gospel we find Jesus taking this idea in a different direction. There, Jesus, known as the Good Shepherd, speaks of hearts that stay in the cover of darkness to hide what they are doing (John 3:19–20). He isn’t calling attention to our desire for cover-up to condemn us, but to offer us salvation through Him (v. 17). As the Shepherd of our hearts, He brings the worst of our human nature to light to show us how much God loves us (v. 16).

God in His mercy calls us out of our darkness and invites us to follow Him in the light.


Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the light of Your presence in my life. May I walk obediently in the light of Your truth in all that I do this day.

Sin’s darkness retreats when Christ’s light is revealed.

INSIGHT:
Often we think of judgment and eternal life as primarily future realities, but John’s gospel emphasizes that each person experiences either judgment or eternal life now, based on how we respond to Jesus. People experience judgment, are “judged already” (v. 18), when they reject Jesus—through the pain and emptiness of life outside of the fellowship of God. This judgment is not because God is eager to judge. If He was, He would not have sent Jesus (v. 17). Jesus was a pure gift from the heart of a God who loves His creation (v. 16). Those who reject Jesus condemn themselves by rejecting the only solution to the evil and brokenness in the world (v. 18), choosing darkness when God has made His light freely available in Jesus (vv. 19–20). But when anyone turns to Jesus, they experience life—overwhelming, overflowing, abundant life (see 4:14, 10:10).

Questions to consider: Why do we sometimes struggle to believe that God is more eager to show us love than judgment? How can we be more rooted in Christ’s love?

 

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"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:10-11

RECOGNIZING JESUS
February 27, 2017

The Bible tells us that Jesus had been beckoned by one of the synagogue leaders to come and heal his sick child. While He was on his way, a woman in the crowd, who had been suffering from bleeding for 12 years touched, the hem of Jesus’ garment. Jesus turned around, and said, “Who is it that touched Me?” and the woman just fell down to the ground in worship and thankfulness, because she knew Jesus had healed her. When the wise men first laid eyes upon Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him. And do you recall the lepers, others that were sick, and the beggars? They all fell down before Jesus and worshiped Him, because they all recognized His authority and His sovereignty.

Add to this list the case of Peter, who couldn’t catch any fish until Jesus showed up. Then what did he do? He fell down and worshiped Jesus. And my favorite, Thomas, one of the disciples, when hearing from other disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead, vowed, “I’ll not believe it until I touch the nail wounds in His hands.” And then Jesus appeared and said to Tom, “Come here and put your hand in my wound.” An awed Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!”

That is what the Heavenly Father wants us to do even today. Although we cannot always do this physically, He wants our hearts, minds and souls to fall down and worship Jesus. If you have not yet accepted the Good News of Jesus Christ, I pray that this is the day you will fall down to worship Jesus and commit your life to Him!

 

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All of Me
March 1, 2017

Read: Matthew 27:45–54 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 23–25; Mark 7:14–37
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

Young Isaac Watts found the music in his church sadly lacking, and his father challenged him to create something better. Isaac did. His hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” has been called the greatest in the English language and has been translated into many other languages.

Watts’s worshipful third verse ushers us into the presence of Christ at the crucifixion.

“Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.” —Isaac Watts
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

The crucifixion Watts describes so elegantly stands as history’s most awful moment. We do well to pause and stand with those around the cross. The Son of God strains for breath, held by crude spikes driven through His flesh. After tortured hours, a supernatural darkness descends. Finally, mercifully, the Lord of the universe dismisses His anguished spirit. An earthquake rattles the landscape. Back in the city the thick temple curtain rips in half. Graves open, and dead bodies resurrect, walking about the city (Matt. 27:51–53). These events compel the centurion who crucified Jesus to say, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (v. 54).

“The Cross reorders all values and cancels all vanities,” says the Poetry Foundation in commenting on Watts’s poem. The song could only conclude: “Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.”


It is our privilege to give everything we have
to the One who gave us everything on the cross.

INSIGHT:
When the Lord Jesus Christ hung upon the cross, cosmic events accompanied by signs and wonders occurred between heaven and earth. A supernatural darkness came over the earth midday. Many theologians believe that for the first time in eternity past the fellowship between the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—was interrupted. As Christ took our sins upon Himself on the cross, His Father could not stay in fellowship with Him. An earthquake opened the tombs of some Old Testament believers, who were brought back to life. So dramatic were these events that even a Gentile, such as the Roman centurion who oversaw Jesus’s crucifixion, made a declaration of faith.

 

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"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." - Ephesians 5:8

CHRIST IS OUR ONLY HOPE AGAINST DARKNESS
February 28, 2017

Chile’s Atacama Desert is said to be the driest place on earth. But in August 2010, the route to the San Jose mine, where 33 men had been trapped for over a month, was carpeted in a rare, lush spectacle: an explosion of purple flowers – the beauty of hope. It took 17 days after the collapse for rescuers to discover that all of the trapped men were still alive, yet getting them out was another thing altogether. After many unbelievable maneuvers, precise techniques, and God’s help, each man was pulled to safety and back into the arms of their families.

In many ways, that story is a parable of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of us are trapped by sin at birth. We live in spiritual darkness. The only hope we have of escaping an eternity of death, doom, and darkness is through Jesus Christ. He came down to earth to save us. The only hope we have is to trust in Him.

But, what if one of the miners had said, “I really appreciate all those folks have gone through to get us out, but I’m a tough, strong, dedicated miner. You guys can go if you want to, but I’m gonna try to make it out on my own.” What would you think of the miner who said that? You’d think he was an idiot…and he would have been! Sadly, that’s exactly how many folks respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ. They really believe that one way or another, they’ll make it to heaven on their own. Yet, there is only one way – through Jesus.

No matter how strong, independent and successful you are, if Christ tells the truth, He is your ONLY hope of salvation. I believe He tells the truth. How about you? Are you trapped in the darkness?

 

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One of Us
March 2, 2017

Read: Hebrews 2:9–18 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 26–27; Mark 8:1–21
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18

At the memorial service for Charles Schulz (1922–2000), creator of the beloved Peanuts comic strip, friend and fellow cartoonist Cathy Guisewite spoke of his humanity and compassion. “He gave everyone in the world characters who knew exactly how all of us felt, who made us feel we were never alone. And then he gave the cartoonist himself, and he made us feel that we were never alone. . . . He encouraged us. He commiserated with us. He made us feel he was exactly like us.”

When we feel that no one understands or can help us, we are reminded that Jesus gave us Himself, and He knows exactly who we are and what we are facing today.

Jesus knows exactly who we are and what we are facing today.
Hebrews 2:9–18 presents the remarkable truth that Jesus fully shared our humanity during His life on earth (v. 14). He “taste[d] death for everyone” (v. 9), broke the power of Satan (v. 14), and freed “those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (v. 15). Jesus was made like us, “fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (v. 17). Thank You, Lord, for sharing our humanity so that we might know Your help today and live in Your presence forever.

What fears and concerns do you have? What should you do with those fears? (1 Peter 5:6–7). What does the Lord promise to do for you? (Heb. 13:5).

For further study read Is Jesus God? at discoveryseries.org/q0205.

No one understands like Jesus.

INSIGHT:
Hebrews 2:5–18 explains why Jesus being fully human is so significant. The author of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 8 to show that God from the beginning intended humanity to rule over creation. Although we are not yet ruling fully as God intended, the resurrected Jesus has been crowned king of creation and someday we too will reign with Him. Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22:22, which describes Jesus celebrating in worship with His brothers and sisters. Because Jesus is not only our Lord but also our fully human “brother,” we will someday rule alongside Him.

 

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Two Portraits
March 3, 2017

Read: John 16:19–24 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 28–30; Mark 8:22–38


Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

Clutching two framed photographs, the proud grandmother showed them to friends in the church foyer. The first picture was of her daughter back in her homeland of Burundi. The second was of her grandson, born recently to that daughter. But the daughter wasn’t holding her newborn. She had died giving birth to him.

A friend approached and looked at the pictures. Reflexively, she reached up and held that dear grandmother’s face in her hands. All she could say through her own tears was, “I know. I know.”

When we put our cares into His hands, He puts His peace into our hearts.
And she did know. Two months earlier she had buried a son.

There’s something special about the comfort of others who have experienced our pain. They know. Just before Jesus’s arrest, He warned His disciples, “You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.” But in the next breath He comforted them: “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). In mere hours, the disciples would be devastated by Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion. But their crushing grief soon turned to a joy they could not have imagined when they saw Him alive again.

Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isa. 53:4). We have a Savior who doesn’t merely know about our pain; He lived it. He knows. He cares. One day our grief will be turned into joy.

Lord, thank You for going to the cross for us. We certainly know trouble in this world, but You overcame the world and took our sin and pain for us. We look forward to the day when our sorrows will be turned into joy and we see You face to face.

When we put our cares into His hands, He puts His peace into our hearts.

INSIGHT:
It was necessary for Jesus, who is fully God, to be made in every respect like us—fully human—so that He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Only by becoming a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. While on earth, the Lord Jesus “walked in our shoes” and, therefore, He fully knows and understands us. We are now to walk in His “shoes” and imitate His example of compassion and care. “In your relationships with one another,” Paul tells us, “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). How can you bring comfort to others today by walking in Jesus’s shoes?

 

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Loving Perfectly
March 6, 2017

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 1–2; Mark 10:1–31


[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:7–8

Her voice shook as she shared the problems she was having with her daughter. Worried about her teenager’s questionable friends, this concerned mum confiscated her daughter’s mobile phone and chaperoned her everywhere. Their relationship seemed only to go from bad to worse.

When I spoke with the daughter, I discovered that she loves her mum dearly but is suffocating under a smothering love. She longs to break free.

Thank You for being our model in showing us how to live and love.
As imperfect beings, we all struggle in our relationships. Whether we are a parent or child, single or married, we grapple with expressing love the right way, saying and doing the right thing at the right time. We grow in love throughout our lifetime.

In 1 Corinthians 13 the apostle Paul outlines what perfect love looks like. His standard sounds wonderful, but putting that love into practice can be absolutely daunting. Thankfully, we have Jesus as our example. As He interacted with people with varying needs and issues, He showed us what perfect love looks like in action. As we walk with Him, keeping ourselves in His love and steeping our mind in His Word, we’ll reflect more and more of His likeness. We’ll still make mistakes, but God is able to redeem them and cause good to come out of every situation, for His love “always protects” and it “never fails” (vv. 7–8).

Lord, our intentions are good but we fail each other in so many ways. Thank You for being our model in showing us how to live and love.

To show His love, Jesus died for us; to show our love, we live for Him.

INSIGHT:
Do you ever find yourself hurting those you love, and maybe even forgetting in the emotion of the moment how much you really do care about them? If so, keep in mind that long before Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13 he was an angry man who was mindlessly hurting the God he thought he knew and loved (Acts 9:1–6). So what brought about Paul’s change? First he needed to see how wrong he’d been about Jesus. He also needed to see that knowing the law is not the same as keeping it—and that he himself needed not only mercy but also the help of the Spirit of God to love others as God loved him. The Spirit who brought him from law to grace now invites and leads us into the loving patience and kindness that our Lord wants to express in and through us.

 

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Ruler of the Waves
March 7, 2017

Read: Job 38:1–18 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 3–4; Mark 10:32–52



[The Lord said], “This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.” Job 38:11

King Canute was one of the most powerful men on earth in the eleventh century. In a now-famous tale, it is said that he ordered his chair to be placed on the shore as the tide was rising. “You are subject to me,” he said to the sea. “I command you, therefore, not to rise on to my land, nor to wet the clothing or limbs of your master.” But the tide continued to rise, drenching the king’s feet.

This story is often told to draw attention to Canute’s pride. Actually, it’s a story about humility. “Let all the world know that the power of kings is empty,” Canute says next, “save Him by whose will heaven, earth and sea obey.” Canute’s story makes a point: God is the only all-powerful One.

God is great, we are small, and that is good.
Job discovered the same. Compared to the One who laid Earth’s foundations (Job 38:4–7), who commands morning to appear and night to end (vv. 12–13), who stocks the storehouses of the snow and directs the stars (vv. 22, 31–33), we are small. There is only one Ruler of the waves, and it is not us (v. 11; Matt. 8:23–27).

Canute’s story is good to reenact when we begin feeling too clever or proud about ourselves. Walk to the beach and tell the tide to halt or try commanding the sun to step aside. We’ll soon remember who is really supreme and thank Him for ruling our lives.

You are high and above all, Lord Almighty. I bow to You as the Ruler of my life.

Our Daily Bread welcomes writer Sheridan Voysey! Meet Sheridan and all
our authors at odb.org/all-authors.

God is great, we are small, and that is good.

INSIGHT:
The book of Job reflects on the question that continues to trouble the human race: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Job’s friends accused him of having some secret sin that resulted in divine punishment. But God rebuked this unfounded view. The question of why the righteous suffer is not answered. However, because God is supreme over all creation (38:2–40:2; 40:7–41:34), we can trust Him even when we don’t understand. What can you trust God for today?

 

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"And [the serpent] said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?'" - Genesis 3:1

DON’T BUY INTO THE LIES OF THIS WORLD
March 8, 2017

When I think about how close I want to be with God, I think about how fortunate Adam was when he and God would walk and talk together in the Garden of Eden. Can you imagine how glorious that must have been? Sadly, I don’t think Adam truly understood what he had.

So, let’s talk about temptation – the first temptation, where the Devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. Have you ever read the passage in Genesis 3? Note what the serpent did:

1. He raised questions about the trustworthiness of God’s Word.
2. The seeds of doubt were planted in Eve’s mind.
3. When Eve said she’s not to eat of the fruit or she’ll die, the Devil replied cunningly, “You surely shall not die.”

The ultimate liar accused God of lying. He made his own deceitful word seem true and God’s Word seem unbelievable.

Isn’t it sad that Adam didn’t say to her, “The fruit of that tree may look good to eat, but God told me not to eat from that tree. Even though it is tempting, it is something I won’t do because I love God.”

But, that’s not the way it happened, is it?

Think about temptation in your own life. It usually means believing your way is better than God’s way. When we begin to doubt the Bible as our only reliable source for living life the best way, we begin to give into temptation–we buy into the lies and half-truths of the world.

For Adam, for Eve, and for all of us, those lies can lead to spiritual death. Decide to believe God’s Word–it is the best way. It’s the only way. Ask God to give you strength to live it and resist the temptations of this world.

 

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Home
March 10, 2017

Read: Ephesians 2:11–22 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 11–13; Mark 12:1–27
You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people. Ephesians 2:19

A young African refugee who goes by the name of Steven is a man without a country. He thinks he may have been born in Mozambique or Zimbabwe. But he never knew his father and lost his mother. She fled civil war, traveling country to country as a street vendor. Without ID and unable to prove his place of birth, Steven walked into a British police station, asking to be arrested. Jail seemed better to Steven than trying to exist on the streets without the rights and benefits of citizenship.

The plight of living without a country was on Paul’s mind as he wrote his letter to the Ephesians. His non-Jewish readers knew what it was like to live as aliens and outsiders (2:12). Only since finding life and hope in Christ (1:13) had they discovered what it meant to belong to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). In Jesus, they learned what it means to be known and cared for by the Father He came to reveal (Matt. 6:31–33).

You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people. Ephesians 2:19
Paul realized, however, that as the past fades from view, a short memory can cause us to forget that, while hope is the new norm, despair was the old reality.

May our God help us to live in security—to know each day the belonging that we have as members of His family is by faith in Jesus Christ and to understand the rights and benefits of having our home in Him.

Lord, as we remember how hopeless we were before You found us, please help us not to forget those who are still on the street.

Hope means the most to those who have lived without it.

INSIGHT:
It’s easy to feel lost. The apostle Paul knew some of his readers felt that way. In his letter to the Ephesians, he wrote to them about being part of God’s family. They were no longer “foreigners” and “excluded” (2:12) but were “fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (v. 19). How does knowing you are part of God’s family help when you feel lost and alone?

 

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"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." - John 15:10

DO YOU REALLY LOVE GOD???
March 9, 2017

Moms and Dads, what is the greatest proof of your children’s love for you? Is it when they say they love you? That’s great, but does it prove they love you? No. The real proof of their love is when they willingly obey you. Many people miss this truth.

The same holds true when it comes to loving God. Many say they love God, maybe even go to church regularly, but there isn’t much evidence of obedience to God’s rules in their lives – which, of course, is the real evidence of our love.

Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The proof of our love is our willingness to obey God and His commands. Doesn’t it make you feel great when your child willingly obeys you? It gives you joy because you feel maybe they “got it.” Why don’t you give God the same joy? Obey Him because it’s your desire to do so. Love Him like you want to be loved by your own children.

 

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Surprise Interview
March 13, 2017

Read: Acts 26:9–15 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 20–22; Mark 13:21–37
The King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40 nlt

On a crowded London commuter train, an early morning rider shoved and insulted a fellow passenger who got in his way. It was the kind of unfortunate and mindless moment that usually remains unresolved. But later that day, the unexpected happened. A business manager sent a quick message to his social media friends, “Guess who just showed up for a job interview.” When his explanation appeared on the Internet, people all over the world winced and smiled. Imagine walking into a job interview only to discover that the person who greets you is the one you had shoved and sworn at earlier that day.

Saul also ran into someone he never expected to see. While raging against a group called the Way (Acts 9:1–2), he was stopped in his tracks by a blinding light. Then a voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (v. 4). Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The One speaking to him replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (26:15).

When we help or hurt one another, Jesus takes it personally.
Years earlier Jesus had said that how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, and the prisoner reflects our relationship to Him (Matt. 25:35–36). Who would have dreamed that when someone insults us, or when we help or hurt another, the One who loves us takes it personally?

Father, forgive us for acting as if You were not present in our moments of need, hurt, anger, or compassion.

When we help or hurt one another, Jesus takes it personally.

INSIGHT:
Commentator William Barclay says, “One of the extraordinary things about the great characters in the New Testament story is that they were never afraid to confess what once they had been.” In today’s passage, Paul describes how Christ had transformed his life from someone who once persecuted Christ and His followers to someone who proclaims the truth of the gospel. His former way of life no longer defined him. A personal testimony is an effective witnessing tool. A simple way of telling our story is to write down answers to three simple questions: What characterized my life before receiving Christ? What were the circumstances when I chose to receive Him? How has my life changed since I trusted Jesus for salvation?