THE DEATH OF DOUBT
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Posted:Feb 13, 2017 4:57 am
Last Updated:Feb 13, 2017 4:58 am 17156 Views
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Read: John 11:1–16
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51–75
Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. John 20:25
We know him as Doubting Thomas (see John 20:24–29), but the label isn’t entirely fair. After all, how many of us would have believed that our executed leader had been resurrected? We might just as well call him “Courageous Thomas.” After all, Thomas displayed impressive courage as Jesus moved purposefully into the events leading to His death.
At the death of Lazarus, Jesus had said, “Let us go back to Judea” (John 11.7, prompting a protest from the disciples. “Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” (v. 8. It was Thomas who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (v. 16).
Real doubt searches for the light; unbelief is content with the darkness.
Thomas’s intentions proved nobler than his actions. Upon Jesus’s arrest, Thomas fled with the rest (Matt. 26:56), leaving Peter and John to accompany Christ to the courtyard of the high priest. Only John followed Jesus all the way to the cross.
Despite having witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:38–44), Thomas still could not bring himself to believe that the crucified Lord had conquered death. Not until Thomas the doubter—the human—saw the risen Lord, could he exclaim, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28. Jesus’s response gave assurance to the doubter and immeasurable comfort to us: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”
(v. 29).
Father, teach us to act on what we do know about You and Your goodness, and trust You in faith for what we don’t know.
Real doubt searches for the light; unbelief is content with the darkness.
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LEANING ON JESUS
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Posted:Feb 10, 2017 4:04 am
Last Updated:Feb 10, 2017 4:05 am 17110 Views
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Read: John 13:12–26
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 8–10; Matthew 25:31–46
One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. John 13:23
Sometimes when I put my head on my pillow at night and pray, I imagine I’m leaning on Jesus. Whenever I do this, I remember something the Word of God tells us about the apostle John. John himself writes about how he was sitting beside Jesus at the Last Supper: “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him” (John 13:23).
John used the term “the disciple whom Jesus loved” as a way of referring to himself without mentioning his own name. He is also depicting a typical banquet setting in first-century Israel, where the table was much lower than those we use today, about knee height. Reclining without chairs on a mat or cushions was the natural position for those around the table. John was sitting so close to the Lord that when he turned to ask him a question, he was “leaning back against Jesus” (John 13:25), with his head on his chest.
God, I cast all my cares on You and praise You because You are faithful.
John’s closeness to Jesus in that moment provides a helpful illustration for our lives with Him today. We may not be able to touch Jesus physically, but we can entrust the weightiest circumstances of our lives to Him. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28. How blessed we are to have a Savior whom we can trust to be faithful through every circumstance of our lives! Are you “leaning” on Him today?
Dear Lord Jesus, help me to lean on You today and to trust You as my source of strength and hope. I cast all my cares on You and praise You because You are faithful.
Jesus alone gives the rest we need.
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THE ADVOCATE
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Posted:Feb 9, 2017 4:59 am
Last Updated:Mar 1, 2017 4:55 am 18012 Views
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Read: 1 John 1:8–2:2
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 6–7; Matthew 25:1–30
If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 John 2:1
From a Florida prison cell in June 1962, Clarence Earl Gideon wrote a note asking the United States Supreme Court to review his conviction for a crime he said he didn’t commit. He added that he didn’t have the means to hire a lawyer.
One year later, in the historic case of Gideon v. Wainright, the Supreme Court ruled that people who cannot afford the cost of their own defense must be given a public defender—an advocate—provided by the state. With this decision, and with the help of a court-appointed lawyer, Clarence Gideon was retried and acquitted.
Help us to know what it means to have the freedom of Your love and presence.
But what if we are not innocent? According to the apostle Paul, we are all guilty. But the court of heaven provides an Advocate who, at God’s expense, offers to defend and care for our soul (1 John 2:2). On behalf of His Father, Jesus comes to us offering a freedom that even prison inmates have described as better than anything they’ve experienced on the outside. It is a freedom of heart and mind.
Whether suffering for wrongs done by us or to us, we all can be represented by Jesus. By the highest of authority He responds to every request for mercy, forgiveness, and comfort.
Jesus, our Advocate, can turn a prison of lost hope, fear, or regret into the place of His presence.
Father in heaven, please help us to know what it means to have the freedom of Your love and presence. May we experience this freedom even in places that we have only seen as our confinement!
The one who died as our substitute now lives as our advocate.
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THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY.
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Posted:Feb 8, 2017 5:10 am
Last Updated:Feb 8, 2017 5:11 am 17973 Views
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Read: 1 Samuel 20:35–42
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 4–5; Matthew 24:29–51
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5
A dear friend of mine sent me a text message that said, “I’m so glad we can tell each other the good, the bad, and the ugly!” We have been friends for many years, and we have learned to share our joys and our failures. We recognize we are far from perfect, so we share our struggles but we also rejoice in each other’s successes.
David and Jonathan had a solid friendship too, beginning with the good days of David’s victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 18.1–4). They shared their fears during the bad days of Jonathan’s father’s jealousy (18.6–11; 20:1–2). Finally, they suffered together during the ugly days of Saul’s plans to kill David (20:42).
Real friendships are a gift from God.
Good friends don’t abandon us when external circumstances change. They stay with us through the good and the bad days. Good friends also may point us to God in the ugly days, when we may feel tempted to walk away from our Lord.
Real friendships are a gift from God because they exemplify the perfect Friend, who remains loyal through the good, the bad, and the ugly days. As the Lord reminds us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).
Dear Lord, I thank You for the good friends You have placed in my life, but above all, I thank You for Your friendship.
A friend is the first person who comes in when the whole world has gone out.
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DOES IT SPARK JOY?
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Posted:Feb 7, 2017 4:30 am
Last Updated:Feb 7, 2017 4:31 am 18402 Views
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Read: Philippians 4:4–9
Bible in a Year: Leviticus 1–3; Matthew 24:1–28
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true . . . noble . . . right . . . pure . . . lovely . . . admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4.8
A young Japanese woman’s book on decluttering and organizing has sold two million copies worldwide. The heart of Marie Kondo’s message is helping people get rid of unneeded things in their homes and closets—things that weigh them down. “Hold up each item,” she says, “and ask, ‘Does it spark joy?’” If the answer is yes, keep it. If the answer is no, then give it away.
The apostle Paul urged the Christians in Philippi to pursue joy in their relationship with Christ. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). Instead of a life cluttered with anxiety, he urged them to pray about everything and let God’s peace guard their hearts and minds in Christ (vv. 6–7).
Let God’s peace guard your heart and mind in Christ. Philippians 4:6-7
Looking at our everyday tasks and responsibilities, we see that not all of them are enjoyable. But we can ask, “How can this spark joy in God’s heart and in my own?” A change in why we do things can bring a transformation in the way we feel about them.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true . . . noble . . . right . . . pure . . . lovely . . . admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (v. 8.
Paul’s parting words are food for thought and a recipe for joy.
Lord, show me how You want to spark joy in the tasks I face today.
A focus on the Lord is the beginning of joy.
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TRIED AND PURIFIED
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Posted:Feb 6, 2017 4:44 am
Last Updated:Feb 6, 2017 4:44 am 18490 Views
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Read: Job 23:1–12
Bible in a Year: Exodus 39–40; Matthew 23:23–39
When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. Job 23:10
During an interview, singer and songwriter Meredith Andrews spoke about being overwhelmed as she tried to balance outreach, creative work, marital issues, and motherhood. Reflecting on her distress, she said, “I felt like God was taking me through a refining season, almost through a crushing process.”
Job was overwhelmed after losing his livelihood, his health, and his family. Worse still, although Job had been a daily worshiper of God, he felt that the Lord was ignoring his pleas for help. God seemed absent from the landscape of his life. Job claimed he could not see God whether he looked to the north, south, east, or west (Job 23:2–9).
Lord, I surrender myself to Your purposes.
In the middle of his despair, Job had a moment of clarity. His faith flickered to life like a candle in a dark room. He said, “[God] knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (v. 10). Christians are tried and purified when God uses difficulty to burn away our self-reliance, pride, and earthly wisdom. If it seems as if God is silent during this process and He is not answering our cries for help, He may be giving us an opportunity to grow stronger in our faith.
Pain and problems can produce the shining, rock-solid character that comes from trusting God when life is hard.
Dear Lord, help me to believe that You are with me, even when I can’t see You working in my life. I surrender myself to Your purpose for any suffering I may endure.
Faith-testing times can be faith-strengthening times.
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I SEE YOU
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Posted:Feb 3, 2017 5:59 am
Last Updated:Feb 3, 2017 5:59 am 18721 Views
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Read: Genesis 16:1–13
Bible in a Year: Exodus 31–33; Matthew 22:1–22
I have now seen the One who sees me. Genesis 16:13
“I see you,” a friend said in an online writers’ group where we support and encourage each other. Having felt stressed and anxious, I experienced a sense of peace and well-being with her words. She “saw” me—my hopes, fears, struggles, and dreams—and loved me.
When I heard my friend’s simple but powerful encouragement, I thought of Hagar, a slave in Abram’s household. After many years of Sarai and Abram still longing for an heir, Sarai followed the custom of the culture and told her husband to conceive through Hagar. But when Hagar became pregnant, she treated Sarai with contempt. When Sarai mistreated her in return, Hagar fled far away to the desert.
To know that God sees us gives us comfort and confidence.
The Lord saw Hagar in her pain and confusion, and He blessed her with the promise that she would be the mother of many descendants. After the encounter, Hagar called the Lord “El Roi,” which means “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13), for she knew she wasn’t alone or abandoned.
As Hagar was seen—and loved—so are we. We might feel ignored or rejected by friends or family, yet we know that our Father sees not only the face we present to the world, but all of our secret feelings and fears. He speaks the words that bring us life.
Father God, just as You saw Hagar in her distress, so You see those who are hurting, fleeing oppression, and afraid. Please send them help and encouragement.
To know that God sees us gives us comfort and confidence.
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ALWAYS IN HIS CARE
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Posted:Feb 1, 2017 3:11 am
Last Updated:Feb 1, 2017 3:11 am 19071 Views
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Read: Psalm 32:1–11
Bible in a Year: Exodus 27–28; Matthew 21:1–22
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8
On the day our youngest was flying from Munich to Barcelona, I visited my favorite flight tracking website to follow her progress. After I entered her flight number, my computer screen showed that her flight had crossed Austria and was skirting the northern part of Italy. From there the plane would fly over the Mediterranean, south of the French Riviera toward Spain, and was scheduled to arrive on time. It seemed that the only thing I didn’t know was what the flight attendants were serving for lunch!
Why did I care about my ’s location and circumstances? Because I love her. I care about who she is, what she’s doing, and where she’s going in life.
Whatever our circumstances today, we can rely on God’s presence and care.
In Psalm 32, David celebrated the marvel of God’s forgiveness, guidance, and concern for us. Unlike a human father, God knows every detail of our lives and the deepest needs of our hearts. The Lord’s promise to us is, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you”
v. 8.
Whatever our circumstances today, we can rely on God’s presence and care because “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10).
Dear Father in heaven, thank You for watching over me in love and guiding me along Your path today.
We are never out of God’s sight and His loving care.
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THE TALKING TREE
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Posted:Jan 31, 2017 3:26 am
Last Updated:Jan 31, 2017 3:26 am 19883 Views
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Read: Colossians 1:15–20
Bible in a Year: Exodus 25–26; Matthew 20:17–34
"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross. 1 Peter 2:24
One of the earliest Christian poems in English literature is “The Dream of the Rood.” The word rood comes from the Old English word rod or pole and refers to the cross on which Christ was crucified. In this ancient poem the crucifixion story is retold from the perspective of the cross. When the tree learns that it is to be used to kill the of God, it rejects the idea of being used in this way. But Christ enlists the help of the tree to provide redemption for all who will believe.
In the garden of Eden, a tree was the source of the forbidden fruit that our spiritual parents tasted, causing sin to enter the human race. And when the of God shed His blood as the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity’s sin, He was nailed to a tree on our behalf. Christ “bore our sins in his body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24).
The cross is the turning point for all who trust Christ for salvation.
The cross is the turning point for all who trust Christ for salvation. And ever since the crucifixion, it has become a remarkable symbol that represents the sacrificial death of the of God for our deliverance from sin and death. The cross is the inexpressibly wonderful evidence of God’s love for us.
Lord, may my heart give You praise whenever I see a cross, for You gave Yourself for me in love.
Christ gave His life on the tree for our salvation.
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REBUILDING
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Posted:Jan 30, 2017 2:55 am
Last Updated:Jan 30, 2017 2:56 am 19882 Views
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Read: Nehemiah 2:11–18
Bible in a Year: Exodus 23–24; Matthew 20:1–16
Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. Nehemiah 2:17
When Edward Klee returned to Berlin after being away for many years, the city he remembered and loved was no longer there. It had changed dramatically, and so had he. Writing in Hemispheres magazine, Klee said, “Returning to a city you once loved tends to be a hit-or-miss proposition . . . . It can be a letdown.” Going back to the places of our past may produce a feeling of sorrow and loss. We are not the same person we were then, nor is the place that was so significant in our lives exactly as it was.
Nehemiah had been in exile from the land of Israel for many years when he learned of the desperate plight of his people and the devastation in the city of Jerusalem. He received permission from Artaxerxes, the Persian king, to return and rebuild the walls. After a night reconnaissance to examine the situation (Neh. 2:13–15), Nehemiah told the inhabitants of the city, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (v. 17).
It is our faith in Christ and His power that enables us to look ahead and move forward.
Nehemiah did not return to reminisce but to rebuild. It’s a powerful lesson for us as we consider the damaged parts of our past that need repair. It is our faith in Christ and His power that enables us to look ahead, move forward, and rebuild.
Thank You, Lord, for the work You are doing in us and through us.
We cannot change the past, but God is changing us for the future.
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