NOT PERFECT
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Posted:Aug 4, 2016 4:06 am
Last Updated:Aug 4, 2016 4:06 am 14449 Views
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Read: Romans 7.14–25
Bible in a Year: Psalms 66–67; Romans 7
I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7.18
In his book Jumping Through Fires, David Nasser tells the story of his spiritual journey. Before he began a relationship with Jesus, he was befriended by a group of Christian teens. Although most of the time his buddies were generous, winsome, and nonjudgmental, David witnessed one of them lie to his girlfriend. Feeling convicted, the young man later confessed and asked for her forgiveness. Reflecting on this, David said that the incident drew him closer to his Christian friends. He realized that they needed grace, just as he did.
We don’t have to act like we’re perfect with the people we know. It’s okay to be honest about our mistakes and struggles. The apostle Paul openly referred to himself as the worst of all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). He also described his wrestling match with sin in Romans 7, where he said, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (v. 18. Unfortunately, the opposite was also true: “The evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (v. 19).
We don't have to be perfect. It’s okay to be honest about our mistakes and struggles.
Being open about our struggles puts us on the same level with every other human alive—which is right where we belong! However, because of Jesus Christ, our sin will not follow us into eternity. It’s like the old saying goes, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.”
Dear Jesus, I worship You as the only perfect human ever to live. Thank You for making it possible for me to have victory over sin.
The only difference between Christians and everyone else is forgiveness.
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MORE THAN WE CAN IMAGINE
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Posted:Aug 3, 2016 4:04 am
Last Updated:Aug 3, 2016 4:04 am 14272 Views
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Read: Ephesians 3:14–21
Bible in a Year: Psalms 63–65; Romans 8
To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20
What are the five best toys of all time? Jonathan H. Liu suggested the following: A stick, a box, string, a cardboard tube, and dirt (GeekDad column at wired.com). All are readily available, versatile, appropriate for all ages, fit every budget, and are powered by imagination. No batteries required.
Imagination plays a powerful role in our lives, so it’s not unusual that the apostle Paul mentioned it in his prayer for the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (Eph. 3:14–21). After asking God to strengthen them with His power through His Spirit (v. 16), Paul prayed that they would be able to grasp and experience the full dimension of the love of Christ
(vv. 17–19). In closing, Paul gave glory to “him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (v. 20).
God is able to do far more than we may dare to ask or even dream of.
Often our experience limits our prayers—a situation we can’t picture being different; destructive habits that remain unbroken; long-held attitudes that seem to defy change. As time passes, we may begin to feel that some things cannot be changed. But Paul says that is not true.
By God’s mighty power working in us, He is able to do far more than we may dare to ask or even dream of.
Dear Father, help us today to embrace all that You have given us in Your —forgiveness, hope, encouragement, and power to live a new life.
Never measure God’s unlimited power by your limited expectations.
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NEVER GIVE UP!
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Posted:Aug 2, 2016 4:36 am
Last Updated:Aug 2, 2016 4:36 am 14282 Views
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Read: 2 Timothy 3:10–15
Bible in a Year: Psalms 60–62; Romans 5
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4.7
Joop Zoetemelk is known as the Netherlands’ most successful cyclist. But that’s because he never gave up. He started and finished the Tour de France 16 times—placing second five times before winning in 1980. That’s perseverance!
Many winners have reached success by climbing a special ladder called “never give up.” However, there are also many who have lost the opportunity to achieve success because they gave up too soon. This can happen in every area of life: family, education, friends, work, service. Perseverance is a key to victory.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4.7
The apostle Paul persevered despite persecution and affliction (2 Tim. 3:10–11). He viewed life with realism, recognizing that as followers of Christ we will suffer persecution (vv. 12–13), but he instructed Timothy to place his faith in God and the encouragement of the Scriptures (vv. 14–15). Doing so would help him face discouragement and endure with hope. At the end of his life, Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (4.7).
We too can allow the Scriptures to strengthen us to press on in the race marked out for us. For our God is both a promise-making and promise-keeping God and will reward those who faithfully finish the race (v. 8.
Heavenly Father, give me strength of character and perseverance to serve you better. Help me not to get discouraged when things get tough but to rely on You to see me through.
Faith connects our weakness to God’s strength.
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THE BEST IS YET TO COME
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Posted:Aug 1, 2016 5:03 am
Last Updated:Aug 1, 2016 5:04 am 14312 Views
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Read: Deuteronomy 34:1–12
Bible in a Year: Psalms 57–59; Romans 4
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27
Are the best days of your life behind or in front of you? Our outlook on life—and our answer to that question—can change with time. When we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up. And once we’ve grown older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again. But when we walk with God, whatever our age, the best is yet to come!
Over the course of his long life, Moses witnessed the amazing things God did, and many of those amazing things happened when he was no longer a young man. Moses was 80 years old when he confronted Pharaoh and saw God miraculously set His people free from slavery (Ex. 3–13). Moses saw the Red Sea part, saw manna fall from heaven, and even spoke with God “face to face” (14:21; 16:4; 33:11).
When we walk with God, the best is yet to come.
Throughout his life, Moses lived expectantly, looking ahead to what God would do (Heb. 11:24–27). He was 120 years old in his final year of life on this earth, and even then he understood that his life with God was just getting started and that he would never see an end to God’s greatness and love.
Regardless of our age, “the eternal God is [our] refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27) that faithfully carry us into His joy each day.
O Lord my God, I praise You for all You have done in the past. I look forward with thankfulness for all You will do in the future. And I thank You for today and all Your blessings.
When we walk with God, the best is yet to come.
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LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
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Posted:Jul 29, 2016 3:20 am
Last Updated:Jul 29, 2016 3:21 am 14394 Views
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Read: Romans 13:8–11
Bible in a Year: Psalms 49–50; Romans 1
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14
An anthropologist was winding up several months of research in a small village, the story is told. While waiting for a ride to the airport for his return flight home, he decided to pass the time by making up a game for some . His idea was to create a race for a basket of fruit and candy that he placed near a tree. But when he gave the signal to run, no one made a dash for the finish line. Instead the joined hands and ran together to the tree.
When asked why they chose to run as a group rather than each racing for the prize, a little girl spoke up and said: “How could one of us be happy when all of the others are sad?” Because these cared about each other, they wanted all to share the basket of fruit and candy.
Because He cares for us, we care for each other.
After years of studying the law of Moses, the apostle Paul found that all of God’s laws could be summed up in one: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14; see also Rom. 13:9). In Christ, Paul saw not only the reason to encourage, comfort, and care for one another but also the spiritual enablement to do it.
Because He cares for us, we care for each other.
Father, thank You for the love You shower on us day by day. Teach us, in turn, to care for others. Open our eyes to see their need and respond as You want us to.
We show our love for God when we love one another.
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BEST FRIENDS - FOREVER
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Posted:Jul 28, 2016 4:27 am
Last Updated:Jul 28, 2016 4:28 am 14323 Views
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Read: James 2:18–26
Bible in a Year: Psalms 46–48; Acts 28
“Abraham believed God . . . ,” and he was called God’s friend. James 2:23
One of the pieces of wisdom I have come to appreciate is my dad’s often-repeated statement, “Joe, good friends are one of life’s greatest treasures.” How true! With good friends, you are never alone. They’re attentive to your needs and gladly share life’s joys and burdens.
Before Jesus came to earth, only two individuals were called friends of God. The Lord spoke to Moses “as one speaks to a friend” (Ex. 33:11), and Abraham “was called God’s friend” (James 2:23; see 2 Chron. 20.7; Isa. 41:8
Lord, I am thankful that You have called me Your friend.
I am amazed that Jesus calls those of us who belong to Him friends: “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). And His friendship is so deep that He laid down His life for us. John says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”
(v. 13).
What a privilege and blessing to have Jesus as our friend! He is a friend who will never leave us or forsake us. He intercedes for us before the Father and supplies all our needs. He forgives all our sins, understands all our sorrows, and gives us sufficient grace in times of trouble. He is indeed our best friend!
Lord, I am thankful that You have called me Your friend. May I ever be grateful for the privilege!
What a friend we have in Jesus.
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VISIBLE VULNERABILITY
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Posted:Jul 27, 2016 3:56 am
Last Updated:Jul 28, 2016 4:27 am 14140 Views
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Read: Ephesians 4:2–6
Bible in a Year: Psalms 43–45; Acts 27:27–44
Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
As I ventured out several weeks after shoulder surgery, I was fearful. I had become comfortable using my arm sling, but both my surgeon and physical therapist now told me to stop wearing it. That’s when I saw this statement: “At this stage, sling wear is discouraged except as a visible sign of vulnerability in an uncontrolled environment.”
Ah, that was it! I feared the enthusiastic person who might give me a bear hug or the unaware friend who might bump me accidentally. I was hiding behind my flimsy baby-blue sling because I feared being hurt.
Being honest about our struggles allows us to help each other.
Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can be scary. We want to be loved and accepted for who we are, but we fear that if people truly knew us, they would reject us and we could get hurt. What if they found out we are not smart enough . . . kind enough . . . good enough?
But as members of God’s family, we have a responsibility to help each other grow in faith. We’re told to “encourage one another,” to “build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11), and to “be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4:2).
When we are honest and vulnerable with other believers, we may discover we have mutual struggles battling temptation or learning how to live obediently. But most of all, we will share the wonder of God’s gift of grace in our lives.
Dear Lord, many times my fear of being hurt keeps me from being honest about my struggles. Help me to remember how much You love me, and help me to be patient and loving with others.
Being honest about our struggles allows us to help each other.
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God´s Sandpaper
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Posted:Jul 26, 2016 3:53 am
Last Updated:Jul 28, 2016 4:27 am 14270 Views
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Read: Proverbs 27.5–17
Bible in a Year: Psalms 40–42; Acts 27.1–26
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27.17
My friend’s words stung. Trying to sleep, I battled to stop mulling over her pointed comments about my strong opinions. As I lay there, I asked for God’s wisdom and peace. Several weeks later, still concerned about the matter, I prayed, “I hurt, Lord, but show me where I need to change. Show me where she’s right.”
My friend had acted as God’s sandpaper in my life. My feelings felt rubbed raw, but I sensed that how I responded would lead to the building of my character—or not. My choice was to submit to the smoothing process, confessing my pride and stubborn stance. I sensed that my bumps and imperfections didn’t glorify the Lord.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
King Solomon knew that life in community could be difficult, a theme he addressed in the book of Proverbs. In chapter 27, we see his wisdom applied to relationships. He likens the sharp words between friends as iron sharpening iron: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (v. 17), shaving off the rough edges in each other’s behavior. The process may bring about wounds, such as the hurt I felt from my friend’s words (see v. 6), but ultimately the Lord can use these words to help and encourage us to make needed changes in our attitude and behavior.
How might the Lord be smoothing out your rough edges for His glory?
Lord, this shaping process hurts, but I want to submit to the process. Mold me and smooth me.
The Lord allows our rough edges to be smoothed over through the sandpaper of life.
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TEST MATCH
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Posted:Jul 25, 2016 6:40 am
Last Updated:Jul 25, 2016 6:41 am 13994 Views
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Read: Psalm 35:17–28
Bible in a Year: Psalms 37–39; Acts 2
How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. Psalm 35:17
A test match in the game of cricket can be grueling. Competitors play from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with lunch and tea breaks, but the games can last up to five days. It’s a test of endurance as well as skill.
The tests we face in life are sometimes intensified for a similar reason—they feel unending. The long search for a job, an unbroken season of loneliness, or a lengthy battle with cancer is made even more difficult by the fact that you wonder if it will ever end.
When your burdens overwhelm you, remember that God has His arms underneath you.
Perhaps that is why the psalmist cried out, “How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions” (Ps. 35:17). Bible commentaries say that this was speaking of the long period in David’s life when he was pursued by Saul and slandered by the king’s advisors—a time of trial that lasted for years.
Yet, in the end, David sang, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant” (v. 27). His testing drove him to deeper trust in God—a trust that we can also experience in our own long seasons of testing, hardship, or loss.
As time drags on and answers seem faraway, teach me, Father, to find my help in You and Your presence. Enable me to endure, and empower me to trust in You.
When your burdens overwhelm you, remember that God has His arms underneath you.
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HUMAN RACE
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Posted:Jul 22, 2016 4:54 am
Last Updated:Jul 22, 2016 4:55 am 14133 Views
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Read: Mark 6.7–13, 30–32
Bible in a Year: Psalms 31–32; Acts 23:16–35
[Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
The alarm clock goes off. Too early, it seems. But you have a long day ahead. You have work to do, appointments to keep, people to care for, or all this and more. Well, you are not alone. Each day, many of us rush from one matter to another. As someone has wittily suggested, “That’s why we are called the human race.”
When the apostles returned from their first mission trip, they had a lot to report. But Mark did not record Jesus’s evaluation of the disciples’ work; rather, he focused on His concern that they rest awhile. Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (6:31).
Lord, I thank You today for all You have given me to do.
Ultimately, we find true rest through recognizing the presence of God and trusting Him. While we take our responsibilities seriously, we also recognize that we can relax our grip on our work and careers, our families and ministry, and give them over to God in faith. We can take time each day to tune out the distractions, put away the tense restlessness, and reflect in gratitude on the wonder of God’s love and faithfulness.
So feel free to stop and take a breath. Get some real rest.
Lord, I thank You today for all You have given me to do. Help me to truly rest in You—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
We do not rest because our work is done; we rest because God commanded it and created us to have a need for it.
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