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Post by Les on Jul 14, 2020 21:01:04 GMT
Playing the Fool By: David H. Roper
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God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. James 4:6
Today's Scripture & Insight:
James 4:4–12 My most humiliating experience ever was the day I addressed the faculty, students, and friends of a seminary on its fifty-year anniversary. I approached the lectern with my manuscript in hand and looked out on a vast crowd, but my eye fell on the distinguished professors seated in the front row, garbed in academic gowns and looking very serious. I immediately took leave of my senses. My mouth dried up and detached itself from my brain. I fumbled the first few sentences and then I began to improvise. Since I had no idea where I was in my lecture, I began frantically turning pages, while talking a line of nonsense that baffled everyone. Somehow I made it through, crept back to my chair, and stared at the floor. I wanted to die.
However, I learned that humiliation can be a good thing if it leads to humility, for this is the key that opens God’s heart. The Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6). He showers the humble with grace. God Himself said, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). As we humble ourselves before God, He lifts us up (James 4:10).
Humiliation and shame can bring us to God for His shaping. When we fall, we have fallen into His hands.
Reflect & Pray What was your most humiliating and embarrassing moment? What good thing did you see come from it?
Loving God, help me to accept humiliation if it in some way brings honor and glory to You.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT James’ emphasis on resisting temptation fits within his broader teaching regarding the behavior of believers in Jesus. For James, being “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (1:22 nkjv) is central to being a believer, which echoes Christ’s words that true faith is confirmed by obedience (Luke 6:49; 11:28).
In today’s text, James helps believers understand one way to live with integrity—through humility. James 4:6, a reference to Proverbs 3:34, fits within many Jewish wisdom texts emphasizing the relationship between humility and godly living. Humility allows us to submit naturally to God and His plan (v. 8). Submitting to God means we’re “friends” with Him, instead of the world (v. 4). When we’re friends with God, we naturally live according to His kingdom and values, not the world’s (3:15, 17). As we live and walk humbly with our God (see Micah 6:8), He lifts us up (James 4:10), draws near to us (v. 8), and makes the devil powerless. Monica La Rose
James 4:4-12 King James Version 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
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Post by Les on Jul 15, 2020 20:55:31 GMT
Treasure the Moments By: Poh Fang Chia
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[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Ecclesiastes 3:1–14 Su Dongpo (also known as Su Shi) was one of China’s greatest poets and essayists. While in exile and gazing upon a full moon, he wrote a poem to describe how much he missed his brother. “We rejoice and grieve, gather and leave, while the moon waxes and wanes. Since times of old, nothing remains perfect,” he writes. “May our loved ones live long, beholding this beautiful scene together though thousands of miles apart.”
His poem carries themes found in the book of Ecclesiastes. The author, known as the Teacher (1:1), observed that there’s “a time to weep and a time to laugh . . . a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing” (3:4–5). By pairing two contrasting activities, the Teacher, like Su Dongpo, seems to suggest that all good things must inevitably come to an end.
As Su Dongpo saw the waxing and waning of the moon as another sign that nothing remains perfect, the Teacher also saw in creation God’s providential ordering of the world He’d made. God oversees the course of events, and “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (v. 11).
Life may be unpredictable and sometimes filled with painful separations, but we can take heart that everything takes place under God’s gaze. We can enjoy life and treasure the moments—the good and the bad—for our loving God is with us.
Reflect & Pray What are some things you’re afraid to try because of life’s unpredictability? How can you lean on Jesus as you step forward in courage to forge new friendships and deepen relationships?
Thank You, loving Father, for watching over all seasons of my life. Help me to trust in You and enjoy the life You’ve given me.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The book of Ecclesiastes is a book for a postmodern world. The “Preacher,” whom many believe was Solomon, speaks of the frustrations and disappointments of life. Two key phrases in the book are “everything is meaningless” (1:1) and “under the sun” (v. 3). The phrase “everything is meaningless” speaks of life lived on human terms and according to the values of this world, which is described by the phrase “under the sun.” In the end, the Preacher says that the answer to this meaninglessness is to look beyond this world and “remember your Creator” (12:1), who is the only source of true meaning in this life.
To learn more about the book of Ecclesiastes, visit The Bible Project, Old Testament Series. Bill Crowder
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 King James Version 3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
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Post by Les on Jul 16, 2020 20:18:05 GMT
Costly Joy By: Glenn Packiam
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When a man found it, he . . . went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Matthew 13:44–46 At the sound of the digital melody, all six of us sprang into action. Some slipped shoes on, others simply bolted for the door barefoot. Within seconds we were all sprinting down the driveway chasing the ice cream truck. It was the first warm day of summer, and there was no better way to celebrate than with a cold, sweet treat! There are things we do simply because of the joy it brings us, not out of discipline or obligation.
In the pair of parables found in Matthew 13:44–46, the emphasis is selling everything to gain something else. We might think the stories are about sacrifice. But that’s not the point. In fact, the first story declares it was “joy” that led the man to sell everything and buy the field. Joy drives change—not guilt or duty.
Jesus isn’t one segment of our lives; His claims on us are total. Both men in the stories “sold all” (v. 44). But here’s the best part: the result of this selling of everything is actually gain. We may not have guessed that. Isn’t life in Christ about taking up your cross? Yes. It is. But when we die, we live; when we lose our life, we find it. When we “sell all,” we gain the greatest treasure: Jesus! Joy is the reason; surrender is the response. The treasure of knowing Jesus is the reward.
Reflect & Pray How have you experienced joy in your relationship with Jesus? What is He inviting you to surrender to Him?
Dear Jesus, open my eyes to see the treasure that You are! Direct my heart to You as the source of true and unfailing joy, and let me ever be fixed on You. Grant me the grace to surrender all to You.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The eight parables Jesus taught in Matthew 13 are collectively known as “kingdom” parables because they mostly begin with the characteristic phrase “the kingdom of heaven is like” (vv. 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47, 52). These parables also unveil a profound truth concerning “the secrets (Greek, mystērion) of the kingdom of heaven” (13:11). In the New Testament the word mystērion or mysteries is used to denote biblical truths which are now known to us only because God in His grace and with Jesus’ coming has been pleased to reveal them to us through the Holy Spirit (Daniel 2:18, 27-28, 47; Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-6; Colossians 1:25-27; 2:2). K. T. Sim
Matthew 13:44-46 King James Version 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
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Post by Les on Jul 17, 2020 21:54:44 GMT
Light in the Dark By: Xochitl Dixon
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You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Psalm 18:28–36, 46–49 A severe thunderstorm passed through our new town, leaving high humidity and dark skies in its wake. I took our dog, Callie, for an evening stroll. The mounting challenges of my family’s cross-country move grew heavier on my mind. Frustrated by the countless ways things had strayed so far from our high hopes and expectations, I slowed to let Callie sniff the grass. I listened to the creek that runs beside our house. Tiny lights flashed on and off while hovering over the patches of wildflowers climbing up the creek’s bank. Fireflies.
The Lord wrapped me in peace as I watched the blinking lights cutting through the darkness. I thought of the psalmist David singing, “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning” (Psalm 18:28). Proclaiming that God turns his darkness into light, David demonstrated confident faith in the Lord’s provision and protection (vv. 29–30). With God’s strength, he could handle anything that came his way (vv. 32–35). Trusting the living Lord to be with him through all circumstances, David promised to praise Him among the nations and sing the praises of His name (vv. 36–49).
Whether we’re enduring the unpredictable storms in life or enjoying the stillness after the rains have passed, the peace of God’s constant presence lights our way through the darkness. Our living God will always be our strength, our refuge, our sustainer, and our deliverer.
Reflect & Pray What verses help you trust God’s constant presence? How can relying on God’s sovereign goodness help you walk through storms with confident faith?
Father, please help me trust Your goodness and love even when I sometimes can’t see You in the dark circumstances in life.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Psalm 18 seems to be a song of retrospective understanding. In many of David’s psalms we find him being pursued and hunted, first by Saul and later by Absalom. During those times of flight and danger, David sometimes questioned God’s faithfulness, love, and care—wondering why God didn’t intervene on his behalf. In Psalm 18, however, we see a more reflective David. He looked back on his journey and saw continuous evidence of the presence and protection of God along the way (vv. 1-3, 16-19, 25-29, 35-36, 47-50)—even in the seasons of life where that evidence seemed scarce. Now, looking back, David affirmed what he’d questioned—the faithfulness of God. Bill Crowder
Psalm 18:28-36 King James Version 28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Psalm 18:46-49 King James Version 46 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
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Post by Les on Jul 18, 2020 21:03:32 GMT
When the Splendor Is Gone By: Dave Branon
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Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:22
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Lamentations 3:13–24 I can never recapture the splendor that was our daughter Melissa. Fading from my memory are those wonderful times when we watched her joyfully playing high school volleyball. And it’s sometimes hard to remember the shy smile of contentment that crossed her face when we were doing family activities. Her death at age seventeen dropped a curtain on the joy of her presence.
In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah’s words show he understood that the heart can be punctured. “My splendor is gone,” he said, “and all that I had hoped from the Lord” (3:18). His situation was far different from yours and mine. He had preached God’s judgment, and he saw Jerusalem defeated. The splendor was gone because he felt defeated (v. 12), isolated (v. 14), and abandoned by God (vv. 15–20).
But that’s not the end of his story. Light shined through. Jeremiah, burdened and broken, stammered out “I have hope” (v. 21)—hope that comes from realizing that “because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed” (v. 22). And here is just what we need to remember when the splendor is gone: God’s “compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (vv. 22–23).
Even in our darkest days, God’s great faithfulness shines through.
Reflect & Pray How has God encouraged you when you felt hopeless? How might He want you to use that to encourage others?
Thank You, Father, that You’re the God of compassion. Even while I walk through the valley of darkness, morning will follow as I remember Your compassion and Your faithfulness.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Lamentations 3 is a bit puzzling. The writer, the prophet Jeremiah, spends a considerable amount of time describing his afflictions: abandonment, broken bones, bitterness, hardship, ridicule. In verse 1 he makes it clear that he feels God is the source of his pain, that it’s God who’s caused him to suffer. Yet despite all these afflictions he has hope because of one thing—God’s great love. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (3:22). This is an incredible affirmation! The man who feels he’s been crushed by God says that he’s not consumed because of His compassion! God’s love can’t be understood by our circumstances alone. His compassion saves us and preserves us, not from all harm but from being completely consumed. J.R. Hudberg
Lamentations 3:13-24 King James Version 13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord:
19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
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Post by Les on Jul 20, 2020 20:48:30 GMT
How to Wait By: Tim Gustafson
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Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. Psalm 27:7
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Psalm 27:1–3, 7–14 Frustrated and disappointed with church, seventeen-year-old Trevor began a years-long quest for answers. But nothing he explored seemed to satisfy his longings or answer his questions.
His journey did draw him closer to his parents. Still, he had problems with Christianity. During one discussion, he exclaimed bitterly, “The Bible is full of empty promises.”
Another man faced disappointment and hardship that fueled his doubts. But as David fled from enemies who sought to kill him, his response was not to run from God but to praise Him. “Though war break out against me, even then I will be confident,” he sang (Psalm 27:3).
Yet David’s poem still hints at doubt. His cry, “Be merciful to me and answer me” (v. 7), sounds like a man with fears and questions. “Do not hide your face from me,” David pleaded. “Do not reject me or forsake me” (v. 9).
David didn’t let his doubts paralyze him, however. Even in those doubts, he declared, “I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (v. 13). Then he addressed his readers: you, me, and the Trevors of this world. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (v. 14).
We won’t find fast, simple answers to our huge questions. But we will find—when we wait for Him—a God who can be trusted.
Reflect & Pray What do you do with your big questions? Where have you seen answers “in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13), and where are you still waiting for answers?
Father, melt my heart along with my fears and my anger.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Twice in Psalm 27:14 the ancient writer (believed to be David) urges believers in all generations to “wait for the Lord.” The Hebrew word for “wait” is qavah, which variously means “to wait, look for, hope, expect.” This is the word used in Isaiah 40:31, a well-known Old Testament verse about waiting on God: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (nkjv). One Bible scholar describes “wait” as living “in confident, eager suspense. . . . To live with the tensions of promises revealed but not fulfilled. . . . [To wait] with eager longing” (Ortlund, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners). Arthur Jackson
Psalm 27:1-3 King James Version 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
Psalm 27:7-14 King James Version 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
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Post by Les on Jul 21, 2020 20:56:54 GMT
A Royal Role By: Linda Washington
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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
Today's Scripture & Insight:
John 1:9–14 The closer someone in a royal family is to the throne, the more the public hears about him or her. Others are almost forgotten. The British royal family has a line of succession that includes nearly sixty people. One of them is Lord Frederick Windsor, who’s forty-ninth in line for the throne. Instead of being in the limelight, he quietly goes about his life. Though he works as a financial analyst, he’s not considered a “working royal”—one of the important family members who are paid for representing the family.
David’s son Nathan (2 Samuel 5:14) is another royal who lived outside the limelight. Very little is known about him. But while the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew mentions his son Solomon (tracing Joseph’s line, Matthew 1:6), Luke’s genealogy, which many scholars believe is Mary’s family line, mentions Nathan (Luke 3:31). Though Nathan didn’t hold a scepter, he still had a role in God’s forever kingdom.
As believers in Christ, we’re also royalty. The apostle John wrote that God gave us “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Though we may not be in the spotlight, we’re children of the King! God considers each of us important enough to represent Him here on earth and to one day reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:11–13). Like Nathan, we may not wear an earthly crown, but we still have a part to play in God’s kingdom.
Reflect & Pray How does knowing you’re royalty—God’s child—make you feel? As a child of the King, what do you see as your responsibilities to the people around you?
Heavenly Father, I’m grateful that You adopted me into Your forever family.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The opening words of John’s gospel give us one of the most stunning claims of the New Testament. After spending three years with Jesus and then several decades reflecting on what he saw with his own eyes, John envisions his Teacher in the first moments of creation. Whereas the first words of Genesis say that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, John sees Jesus as the Eternal Word by whom all was created (vv. 1-3, 14). The only thing more astounding is the subsequent drama of rescue that’s more incomprehensible than creation itself. According to John, Jesus—the Son of God who created us in His likeness—took on the flesh of our likeness to allow us to mock, slander, and crucify Him. Why? According to John’s gospel, He did this to show us how much we’re loved (3:14-17). Mart DeHaan
John 1:9-14 King James Version 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
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Post by Les on Jul 22, 2020 21:13:12 GMT
A Wide, Sweeping Grace By: Winn Collier
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I have swept away your offenses. Isaiah 44:22
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Isaiah 44:21–23 Alexa, Amazon’s voice-controlled device, has an interesting feature: it can erase everything you say. Whatever you’ve asked Alexa to do, whatever information you’ve asked Alexa to retrieve, one simple sentence (“Delete everything I said today”) sweeps it all clean, as if it never happened. It’s too bad that the rest of our life doesn’t have this capability. Every misspoken word, every disgraceful act, every moment we wish we could erase—we’d just speak the command, and the entire mess would disappear.
There’s good news, though. God does offer each of us a clean start. Only, He goes far deeper than merely deleting our mistakes or bad behavior. God provides redemption, a deep healing that transforms us and makes us new. “Return to me,” He says, “I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22). Even though Israel rebelled and disobeyed, God reached out to them with lavish mercy. He “swept away [their] offenses like a cloud, [their] sins like the morning mist” (v. 22). He gathered all their shame and failures and washed them away with His wide, sweeping grace.
God will do the same with our sin and blunders. There’s no mistake He can’t mend, no wound He can’t heal. God’s mercy heals and redeems the most painful places in our soul—even the ones we’ve hidden for so very long. His mercy sweeps away all our guilt, washes away every regret.
Reflect & Pray Where are you most aware of your failures? How does the image of God sweeping away all your mistakes give you hope?
So many regrets, so many things I’d do differently. God, You tell me that You can forgive and heal me. Thank You for Your mercy and grace.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Isaiah was the most prolific of the writing prophets, but the great size of his book is eclipsed in importance by its content. Commentator John Gill wrote: “He should rather be called an evangelist than a prophet . . . certain it is that no one writes so fully and clearly of the person, offices, grace, and kingdom of Christ; of his incarnation and birth of a virgin; of his sufferings and death, and the glory that should follow, as [Isaiah] does.” Isaiah’s focus on Messiah and His mission was vital to preparing the way for Jesus’ coming, for it provided Israel with critical identifiers of Him and certain hope in His promised victory.
Isaiah 44:21-23 King James Version 21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
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Post by Les on Jul 23, 2020 19:57:31 GMT
A Glimmer on the Sea By: Tim Gustafson
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At that time you were separate from Christ. . . . without hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:12
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Ephesians 2:1–5, 11–13 “I lay on my bed full of stale liquor and despair,” wrote journalist Malcolm Muggeridge of a particularly dismal evening during his work as a World War II spy. “Alone in the universe, in eternity, with no glimmer of light.”
In such a condition, he did the only thing he thought sensible; he tried to drown himself. Driving to the nearby Madagascar coast, he began the long swim into the ocean until he grew exhausted. Looking back, he glimpsed the distant coastal lights. For no reason clear to him at the time, he started swimming back toward the lights. Despite his fatigue, he recalls “an overwhelming joy.”
Muggeridge didn’t know exactly how, but he knew God had reached him in that dark moment, infusing him with a hope that could only be supernatural. The apostle Paul wrote often about such hope. In Ephesians he noted that, before knowing Christ, each of us is “dead in [our] transgressions and sins . . . . without hope and without God in the world” (2:1, 12). But “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead” (vv. 4–5).
This world tries to drag us into the depths, but there’s no reason to succumb to despair. As Muggeridge said about his swim in the sea, “It became clear to me that there was no darkness, only the possibility of losing sight of a light which shone eternally.”
Reflect & Pray What has been your darkest moment? In what places have you glimpsed the “light that shines eternally”?
Father, You’re the source of all my genuine hope. Fill me with Your light and joy.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The Israelites believed they alone were saved and chosen by God “out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2). Circumcision, marking them out as God’s people (Genesis 17:10), soon became a badge of their spiritual and national superiority, creating an exclusivism that hindered them from becoming “a light for the Gentiles” bringing His salvation to the world (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). The Jews pejoratively labeled the gentiles the “uncircumcised” (Ephesians 2:11), erroneously believing that God would never love the gentiles. Correcting this, Paul says that “through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body” (3:6). Both Jews and gentiles are saved by grace through faith (2:1-9; Romans 3:29-30). Through the cross Jesus tore down the wall of hostility that separated Jews and non-Jews, placing both into one body, God’s household—the church (Ephesians 2:14-22). K. T. Sim
Ephesians 2:1-5 King James Version 2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
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Post by Les on Jul 24, 2020 21:02:08 GMT
His Scars By: Arthur Jackson
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He was pierced for our transgressions, . . . and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
Today's Scripture & Insight:
John 20:24–29 After my conversation with Grady, it occurred to me why his preferred greeting was a “fist bump” not a handshake. A handshake would’ve exposed the scars on his wrist—the result of his attempts to do himself harm. It’s not uncommon for us to hide our wounds—external or internal—caused by others or self-inflicted.
In the wake of my interaction with Grady, I thought about Jesus’ physical scars, the wounds caused by nails pounded into His hands and feet and a spear thrust into His side. Rather than hiding His scars, Christ called attention to them.
After Thomas initially doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead, He said to him, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27). When Thomas saw those scars for himself and heard Christ’s amazing words, he was convinced that it was Jesus. He exclaimed in belief, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). Jesus then pronounced a special blessing for those who haven’t seen Him or His physical wounds but still believe in Him: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29).
The best news ever is that His scars were for our sins—our sins against others or ourselves. The death of Jesus is for the forgiveness of the sins of all who believe in Him and confess with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”
Reflect & Pray What circumstances led you to believe that Jesus' scars were for you? If you haven’t believed in Him for the forgiveness of your sins, what keeps you from trusting Him today?
Father, I believe that Christ’s scars were for my sin. I’m grateful!
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT We can learn much about the resurrection of Jesus by piecing together the gospel accounts of the event. Prior to Christ’s appearing to Thomas in John 20:24-29, He appeared to Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (see Matthew 28:1), the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), and all of the disciples except for Thomas (John 20:19-24). Luke reports Jesus saying, “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). The disciples watched Him eat a piece of broiled fish. John 20:19 tells us “the doors [were] locked for fear of the Jewish leaders” and that “Jesus came and stood among them.” One week later, Thomas would see the physically resurrected Christ (vv. 26-27), resulting in Thomas’ convinced declaration of belief. Taken together, these passages show the human and divine nature of Jesus and affirm the fact of His bodily resurrection.
John 20:24-29 King James Version 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
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Post by Les on Jul 25, 2020 20:34:00 GMT
Plod On! By: James Banks
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“Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Judges 6:7–16 God loves to use people the world might overlook. William Carey was raised in a tiny village in the 1700s and had little formal education. He had limited success in his chosen trade and lived in poverty. But God gave him a passion for sharing the good news and called him to be a missionary. Carey learned Greek, Hebrew, and Latin and eventually translated the first New Testament into the Bengali language. Today he is regarded as a “father of modern missions,” but in a letter to his nephew he offered this humble assessment of his abilities: “I can plod. I can persevere.”
When God calls us to a task, He also gives us strength to accomplish it regardless of our limitations. In Judges 6:12 the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” The angel then told him to rescue Israel from the Midianites who were raiding their towns and crops. But Gideon, who hadn’t earned the title of “mighty warrior,” humbly responded, “How can I save Israel? . . . I am the least in my family” (v. 15). Still, God used Gideon to set His people free.
The key to Gideon’s success was in the words, “the Lord is with you” (v. 12). As we humbly walk with our Savior and rely on His strength, He will empower us to accomplish what’s only possible through Him.
Reflect & Pray What’s God calling you to do that you can’t do in your own strength? How can you rely on His power today?
Thank You for empowering me, my Savior and my strength! Please help me to follow You closely.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The time of the Judges is an approximately 330-year period after Joshua’s death (Judges 2:8) to the beginning of Saul’s reign as king (1 Samuel 13:1). This was a chaotic time when a new generation of Israelites who didn’t know God turned from Him to worship idols (Judges 2:10-14). “Everyone did as they saw fit” (17:6; 21:25), so God raised various neighboring nations to discipline them. When they repented, God raised judges—political and military leaders—to lead them. Gideon is the fifth of thirteen judges in this book (Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelek, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson). K. T. Sim
Judges 6:7-16 King James Version 7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,
8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
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Post by Les on Jul 26, 2020 20:28:27 GMT
Betrayed By: Lisa M. Samra
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Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me. Psalm 41:9
Today's Scripture & Insight:
John 13:18–22; Psalm 41:9–12 In 2019, art exhibitions worldwide commemorated the five hundredth anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. While many of his drawings and scientific discoveries were showcased, there are only five finished paintings universally credited to da Vinci, including The Last Supper.
This intricate mural depicts the final meal Jesus ate with His disciples, as described in the gospel of John. The painting captures the disciples’ confusion at Jesus’ statement, “One of you is going to betray me” (John 13:21). Perplexed, the disciples discussed who the betrayer might be—while Judas quietly slipped out into the night to alert the authorities of the whereabouts of his teacher and friend.
Betrayed. The pain of Judas’ treachery is evident in Jesus’ words, “He who shared my bread has turned against me” (v. 18). A friend close enough to share a meal used that connection to harm Jesus.
Each of us has likely experienced a friend’s betrayal. How can we respond to such pain? Psalm 41:9, which Jesus quoted to indicate His betrayer was present during the shared meal (John 13:18), offers hope. After David poured out his anguish at a close friend’s duplicity, he took solace in God’s love and presence that would uphold and set him in God’s presence forever (Psalm 41:11–12).
When friends disappoint, we can find comfort knowing God’s sustaining love and His empowering presence will be with us to help us endure even the most devastating pain.
Reflect & Pray How have you experienced the betrayal of a friend? How has the reassurance of God’s love and presence sustained you?
Heavenly Father, I'm thankful that Your love is stronger than any betrayal. When I face rejection, help me find strength in the knowledge that You are always with me.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Both Psalm 41:9 and John 13 point to Jesus’ betrayal. In John we learn the betrayer is Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples (13:26-27). His name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah; and he’s believed to be from Kerioth, a town located south of Jerusalem in Judea. As such, he’s the only non-Galilean of the disciples. Judas was the group’s treasurer (v. 29) and “used to help himself to what was put into [the money bags]” (12:6). Although he sold out Jesus to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver, it’s likely that his motive was his disappointment that Jesus didn’t conform to the popular idea of a Messiah who would free the Jews from their Roman oppressors. Alyson Kieda
Read.
John 13:18-22 King James Version 18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
Psalm 41:9-12 King James Version 9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
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Post by Les on Jul 27, 2020 20:52:15 GMT
Cultivating God’s World By: Glenn Packiam
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The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Genesis 1:26–27; 2:15 “Dad, why do you have to go to work?” The question from my young daughter was motivated by her desire to play with me. I would have preferred to skip work and spend time with her, but there was a growing list of things at work that required my attention. The question, nevertheless, is a good one. Why do we work? Is it simply to provide for ourselves and for the people we love? What about labor that’s unpaid—why do we do that?
Genesis 2 tells us that God placed the first human in the garden to “work it and take care of it” (v. 15). My father-in-law is a farmer, and he often tells me he farms for the sheer love of land and livestock. That’s beautiful, but it leaves lingering questions for those who don’t love their work. Why did God put us in a particular place with a particular assignment?
Genesis 1 gives us the answer. We’re made in God’s image to carefully steward the world He made (v. 26). Pagan stories of the way the world began reveal “gods” making humans to be their slaves. Genesis declares that the one true God made humans to be His representatives—to steward what He’d made on His behalf. May we reflect His wise and loving order into the world. Work is a call to cultivate God’s world for His glory.
Reflect & Pray What’s the work God has given you to do? How could you cultivate this “field” by bringing order into it and bringing good from it, by His grace?
Dear God, thank You for the honor of joining You in Your work in the world. Help me to reflect Your love, wisdom, and order in my life and in the place where I work.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT On the first four days of creation, God created the physical infrastructures—the galaxies and earth—sky, land, and seas (Genesis 1:1-19). On days five and six, God created the living creatures—birds, fish, and land animals to populate the three realms (vv. 20-25). However, the epitome of creation was on day six when God created human beings. Humans were given prominence, purpose, and special placement in God’s plan; the only creature created “in [God’s] image, in [God’s] likeness” (v. 26). Only humans have the attributes of personhood, self-consciousness, will, reason, knowledge, emotions, creativity, morality, and spirituality, just as God Himself. Speaking of the crowning distinction of humans in creation, the patriarch Job asked of God, “What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention?” (Job 7:17; see Psalms 8:4-6; 144:3). K. T. Sim
Genesis 1:26-27 King James Version 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 2:15 King James Version 15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
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Post by Les on Jul 28, 2020 20:59:53 GMT
Trusting God in Times of Sorrow By: Amy Boucher Pye
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I know whom I have believed. 2 Timothy 1:12
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Timothy 1:6–12 When a man known as “Papa John” learned he had terminal cancer, he and his wife, Carol, sensed God calling them to share their illness journey online. Believing that God would minister through their vulnerability, they posted their moments of joy and their sorrow and pain for two years.
When Carol wrote that her husband “went into the outstretched arms of Jesus,” hundreds of people responded, with many thanking Carol for their openness. One person remarked that hearing about dying from a Christian point of view was healthy, for “we all have to die” someday. Another said that although she’d never met the couple personally, she couldn’t express how much encouragement she’d received through their witness of trusting God.
Although Papa John sometimes felt excruciating pain, he and Carol shared their story so they could demonstrate how God upheld them. They knew their testimony would bear fruit for God, echoing what Paul wrote to Timothy when he suffered: “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
God can use even the death of a loved one to strengthen our faith in Him (and the faith of others) through the grace we receive in Christ Jesus (v. 9). If you’re experiencing anguish and difficulty, know that He can bring comfort and peace.
Reflect & Pray How have you experienced God’s joy even in times of deep sorrow? How do you explain this? How could you share what you learned with others?
Heavenly Father, fan into flame the gift of faith in me, that I might share with love and power my testimony of how You work in my life.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Timothy was a young pastor whom Paul had left in charge of the church in Ephesus. Paul encouraged him not to let his youth hinder him in his ministry (1 Timothy 4:12). Although Paul wasn’t ashamed of being a prisoner for the sake of Christ, it seems that Timothy struggled with fear and was a little embarrassed that his mentor was in prison (2 Timothy 1:8, 12). For this reason, Paul invited Timothy to suffer with him for the sake of the gospel. For it was by God’s power that they were permitted to suffer for Christ (v. 8). J.R. Hudberg
2 Timothy 1:6-12 King James Version 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
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Post by Les on Jul 29, 2020 20:59:25 GMT
Grace Outside the Box By: Mike Wittmer
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Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. 2 Samuel 9:11
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Samuel 9:1–7 Tom worked for a law firm that advised Bob’s company. They became friends—until Tom embezzled thousands of dollars from the company. Bob was hurt and angry when he found out, but he received wise counsel from his vice president, a believer in Christ. The VP noticed Tom was deeply ashamed and repentant, and he advised Bob to drop the charges and hire Tom. “Pay him a modest salary so he can make restitution. You’ll never have a more grateful, loyal employee.” Bob did, and Tom was.
Mephibosheth, grandson of King Saul, hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was in a tough spot when David became king. Most kings killed the royal bloodline. But David loved King Saul’s son Jonathan, and treated his surviving son as his own (see 2 Samuel 9:1–13). His grace won a friend for life. Mephibosheth marveled that he “deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place” (19:28). He remained loyal to David, even when David’s son Absalom chased David from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 16:1–4; 19:24–30).
Do you want a loyal friend for life? Someone so extraordinary may require you to do something extraordinary. When common sense says punish, choose grace. Hold them accountable, but give the undeserving a chance to make things right. You may never find a more grateful, devoted friend. Think outside the box, with grace.
Reflect & Pray Who has sinned against you? How might you hold them accountable while also forgiving them?
Father, I’ve received extraordinary grace from You. Help me show that grace to others—especially to those with a repentant spirit.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Since Saul was king before David, Saul’s descendants were in the royal bloodline and could be a threat to David’s kingship. When Saul was alive, he saw David as his enemy (1 Samuel 18:29; 19:17) and tried to kill him (see chs. 19-23). But because God had once anointed Saul as king, David refused to harm him (see ch. 24). After Saul died, however, the tension continued with Saul’s son (2 Samuel 2:8-9; 3:1).
It wouldn’t have been surprising if David intended to eliminate Saul’s family, which explains why David had to reassure Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:7). But despite the tensions, David’s true heart was revealed when he showed kindness to someone in the family for the sake of his friend Jonathan (v. 1). Julie Schwab
2 Samuel 9:1-7 King James Version 9 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
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