Daily Scripture Readings and Our Daily Bread

greenidlady1 said:
January 25, 2005
God's Delight

When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them. —Matthew 9:36

A Scottish preacher spoke of evangelism as a fellowship of reconciled, forgiven sinners who don't simply preach but live out their faith. They also offer to others the same reconciliation and forgiveness they have received from God.

The apostle Paul expressed the same conviction: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15). Once a blasphemer and persecutor of Christians, Paul believed that God's mercy was shown to him, the worst of sinners, as an example to other sinners who would later believe on Christ (v.16).

Whenever we testify that God has forgiven us and provided eternal life through faith in Christ, we're declaring that God is a saving God. Yet, when we observe destructive lifestyles among people, it's easy to write them off.

Instead, we should look at them as Christ does. "When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them" (Matthew 9:36).
Jesus said He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). Rather than condemning people, we should say, "Who am I to condemn others, when God has forgiven me so generously?" God delights to use forgiven sinners to reach other sinners. —Joanie Yoder

Love is giving for the world's needs,
Love is sharing as the Lord leads,
Love is caring when the world cries,
Love is compassion with Christlike eyes. —Brandt

To love sinners is to be like Jesus.

:clap: Thanks, Greenidlady1! :clap: This message came for me right on time!:)
 
Re: Daily Scripture Readings and Our Daily Bread - Scripture Reading - 2/17/05

I'm back with the daily scripture reading, but anyone can post as the sprit leads them, so if I don't someone else please pick it up:


Psalm 34 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)


Psalm 34

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

1 [a] I will extol the LORD at all times;


his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the LORD ;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.



4 I sought the LORD , and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.



8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD , you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.



11 Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD .

12 Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.



15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.



17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.



19 A righteous man may have many troubles,

but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.



21 Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
 
February 12, 2005

The Leviticus Reminder

I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. —Leviticus 11:44

If you are following the Bible reading schedule in Our Daily Bread, you've been in the book of Leviticus lately. Leviticus may be one of the least-read books in the Bible, and you might be wondering what its purpose really is. Why all those laws and rules about clean and unclean animals? (ch.11). What message was God giving to the Israelites—and to us?

Bible commentator Gordon Wenham says, "As the laws distinguished clean from unclean animals, so the people were reminded that God had distinguished them from all the other nations on earth to be His own possession. . . . Man's highest duty is to imitate his creator."

Five times in Leviticus God says, "Be holy, for I am holy" (11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7,26). And forty-five times He says, "I am the Lord" or "I am the Lord your God." One of the most important themes in the book is God's call for His people to be holy. Jesus echoed that theme when He said, "You shall be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

As you read Leviticus 11, remember that you are special to God and are to "proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

We need the Leviticus reminder every day. —Anne Cetas


Some portions of the Word of God
Are difficult to read,
But God will help us understand
Rich truths He'd have us heed. —D. De Haan

Study the Bible to be wise; believe it to be safe; practice it to be holy.
 
greenidlady1 said:
February 12, 2005

The Leviticus Reminder

I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. —Leviticus 11:44

If you are following the Bible reading schedule in Our Daily Bread, you've been in the book of Leviticus lately. Leviticus may be one of the least-read books in the Bible, and you might be wondering what its purpose really is. Why all those laws and rules about clean and unclean animals? (ch.11). What message was God giving to the Israelites—and to us?

Bible commentator Gordon Wenham says, "As the laws distinguished clean from unclean animals, so the people were reminded that God had distinguished them from all the other nations on earth to be His own possession. . . . Man's highest duty is to imitate his creator."

Five times in Leviticus God says, "Be holy, for I am holy" (11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7,26). And forty-five times He says, "I am the Lord" or "I am the Lord your God." One of the most important themes in the book is God's call for His people to be holy. Jesus echoed that theme when He said, "You shall be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

As you read Leviticus 11, remember that you are special to God and are to "proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

We need the Leviticus reminder every day. —Anne Cetas


Some portions of the Word of God
Are difficult to read,
But God will help us understand
Rich truths He'd have us heed. —D. De Haan

Study the Bible to be wise; believe it to be safe; practice it to be holy.


Thank-you for that reminder! :)
 
February 16, 2005

Temporary Tears

May the God of all grace, . . . after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. —1 Peter 5:10

Author George MacDonald wrote, "God has come to wipe away our tears. He is doing it; He will have it done as soon as He can; and until He can He would have them flow without bitterness; to which end He tells us it is a blessed thing to mourn because of the comfort that is on its way."

While we wait for that comfort, we can be assured that God will not allow us to be tested beyond our ability to bear the trial. Every difficult circumstance is timed with exact precision. Every hard situation is screened through His perfect love. We will not suffer one moment more, nor will we suffer more intensely than is necessary. "To a close-shorn sheep God gives wind by measure" goes an old Basque saying. In other words, God will not allow those most vulnerable to life's difficulties to be overtaken by them.

There may be deep waters through which you must wade; there may be fires through which the ore of your character must pass. But in the midst of them God promises to be your partner, companion, and faithful friend. He will "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

And then, when He has finished His work, He will take you home to heaven and wipe away all your tears—forever (Revelation 21:4). —David Roper

He knows our burdens and our crosses,
Those things that hurt, our trials and losses;
He cares for every soul that cries—
God wipes the tears from weeping eyes. —Brandt

Tears are often the telescope by which we can see into heaven.
 
greenidlady1 said:
February 16, 2005

Temporary Tears

May the God of all grace, . . . after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. —1 Peter 5:10

Author George MacDonald wrote, "God has come to wipe away our tears. He is doing it; He will have it done as soon as He can; and until He can He would have them flow without bitterness; to which end He tells us it is a blessed thing to mourn because of the comfort that is on its way."

While we wait for that comfort, we can be assured that God will not allow us to be tested beyond our ability to bear the trial. Every difficult circumstance is timed with exact precision. Every hard situation is screened through His perfect love. We will not suffer one moment more, nor will we suffer more intensely than is necessary. "To a close-shorn sheep God gives wind by measure" goes an old Basque saying. In other words, God will not allow those most vulnerable to life's difficulties to be overtaken by them.

There may be deep waters through which you must wade; there may be fires through which the ore of your character must pass. But in the midst of them God promises to be your partner, companion, and faithful friend. He will "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

And then, when He has finished His work, He will take you home to heaven and wipe away all your tears—forever (Revelation 21:4). —David Roper

He knows our burdens and our crosses,
Those things that hurt, our trials and losses;
He cares for every soul that cries—
God wipes the tears from weeping eyes. —Brandt

Tears are often the telescope by which we can see into heaven.


Thank-you! That was right on time! :clap:
 
February 17, 2005
"Godhelp"

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. —Psalm 32:1

A man arrested for the murder of a 12-year-old girl was also suspected of other killings. When police searched his computer, they found a file labeled "My Sins," but it couldn't be opened because it was protected with a password. A computer expert went to work using software to break the code. After 16 hours and billions of combinations, he found this password: "Godhelp." The file detailed six brutal crimes, including rape and murder.

I wonder if that man had created the file and its unique password because of the overwhelming burden of guilt for what he had done. Perhaps he knew that only God could help him deal with the enormity of his crimes.

We all have past sins that weigh us down. We may feel as David did when he wrote that God's hand was heavy upon him day and night and that his "vitality was turned into the drought of summer" (Psalm 32:4).

Yet relief can come. David said, "I acknowledged my sin to You . . . . I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and You forgave the iniquity of my sin" (v.5).

The miracle of God's forgiveness does not remove the consequences of our sins. But when we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). His mercy and help are sure. —David McCasland

Lord, give me courage to confess,
To bare my sinful heart to Thee;
Thy full forgiveness I would know
And from this weight of guilt be free. —D. De Haan

When God forgives, He removes the sin and restores the sinner.
 
greenidlady1 said:
February 17, 2005
"Godhelp"

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. —Psalm 32:1

A man arrested for the murder of a 12-year-old girl was also suspected of other killings. When police searched his computer, they found a file labeled "My Sins," but it couldn't be opened because it was protected with a password. A computer expert went to work using software to break the code. After 16 hours and billions of combinations, he found this password: "Godhelp." The file detailed six brutal crimes, including rape and murder.

I wonder if that man had created the file and its unique password because of the overwhelming burden of guilt for what he had done. Perhaps he knew that only God could help him deal with the enormity of his crimes.

We all have past sins that weigh us down. We may feel as David did when he wrote that God's hand was heavy upon him day and night and that his "vitality was turned into the drought of summer" (Psalm 32:4).

Yet relief can come. David said, "I acknowledged my sin to You . . . . I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and You forgave the iniquity of my sin" (v.5).

The miracle of God's forgiveness does not remove the consequences of our sins. But when we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). His mercy and help are sure. —David McCasland

Lord, give me courage to confess,
To bare my sinful heart to Thee;
Thy full forgiveness I would know
And from this weight of guilt be free. —D. De Haan

When God forgives, He removes the sin and restores the sinner.


Thank God for His grace!! :)
 
February 18, 2005
Hearing And Doing

Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22

I read about a man in New York City who died at the age of 63 without ever having had a job. He spent his entire adult life in college. He had acquired so many academic degrees that they looked like the alphabet behind his name.
Why did this man spend his entire life in college?

When he was a child, a wealthy relative died who had named him as a beneficiary in his will. It stated that he was to be given enough money to support him every year as long as he stayed in school. And it was to be discontinued when he had completed his education.

The man met the terms of the will, but by staying in school indefinitely he turned a technicality into a steady income for life—something his benefactor never intended. Unfortunately, he spent thousands of hours listening to professors and reading books but never "doing." He acquired more and more knowledge but didn't put it into practice.

This reminds me of what James said: "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only" (1:22). If we read the Bible or listen as it is taught but fail to put to work what we have learned, we are as bad as that man with his string of degrees. His education was of no practical benefit to anyone.

Hearing must be matched by doing. —Richard De Haan

We take delight to read God's Word
And say, "Oh, yes, it's true!"
But it's of little use to us
Unless we hear and do. —D. De Haan

Open your Bible prayerfully, read it carefully, obey it joyfully.
 
February 19, 2005

Serving With Limitations

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. —2 Corinthians 12:9

When he was not yet 4 years old, Itzhak Perlman was stricken by polio, making him unable to use his legs. But he compensated for that loss by devoting himself to his violin. In the years that followed, he delighted multitudes of people with his music. He lost the use of his legs but his music gave him wings. What an inspiring example of devotion!

Some of God's servants have shown a similar devotion to their Lord. They have suffered the loss of certain abilities but have been inspired to develop other capacities for service. For example, when William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, discovered that he was going blind, he did not surrender to despair. With a positive outlook, he told his colleagues that he had served Christ while he could see, and he would do his utmost to serve Him even when blind.

What motivates Christians to keep on serving and following Jesus to the best of their ability despite loss or hardship? Like Abraham, we live by faith. We look beyond this life and wait "for the city . . . whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). It's "a better . . . heavenly country" (v.16).

May the Holy Spirit empower us to glorify Christ—no matter what our limitations. —Vernon Grounds

Give me, Savior, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy trust to keep;
And so through trouble, care, and strife,
Glorify Thee in my daily life. —Bell

Circumstances that imprison us cannot limit God's work through us.
 
March 3, 2005

Where To Look
Let us run . . . , looking unto Jesus. —Hebrews 12:1-2

Let's see. What is the crisis of the day? It could be terrorism and its random threat. Or the economy and the fear that we will run out of money before we run out of time. Maybe it's a personal crisis with no foreseeable solution—a tragedy or a failure too great to bear.

Before we fall under the weight of our accumulated fears, we would do well to look back to a 20th-century woman who bore sadness, pain, and heartache with grace. Corrie ten Boom lived through the hellish life of Nazi concentration camps—a place where hope was lost for most people. She survived to tell her story of unfaltering faith and tight-fisted hope in God. She saw the face of evil up close and personal. She saw some of the most inhumane acts man can do to man. And when she came out of it all, she said this: "If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest."

Where are you looking? Are you focusing on the world and its dangers? Are you gazing at yourself, hoping to find your own answers? Or are you looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith? (Hebrews 12:1-2). In an uncertain world, we must keep looking to Him. —Dave Branon


Looking to Jesus, my spirit is blest,
The world is in turmoil, in Him I have rest;
The sea of my life around me may roar,
When I look to Jesus, I hear it no more. —Anon.


When your world is falling apart, trust Jesus to hold it together.
 
Our Daily Bread- 3/8

March 8, 2005

Weight Loss

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us. —Hebrews 12:1

The army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia. At one critical point, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in combat.

Alexander commanded that all the spoils be thrown into a heap and burned. The men complained bitterly but soon saw the wisdom of the order. Someone wrote, "It was as if wings had been given to them—they walked lightly again." Victory was assured.

As soldiers of Christ, we must rid ourselves of anything that hinders us in the conflict with our spiritual enemy. To fight the battle effectively, we must be clad only with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17).

The Bible also likens Christians to runners. To win the race, we must "lay aside every weight" that would drag us down and rob us of our strength and endurance (Hebrews 12:1). This weight may be an excessive desire for possessions, the captivating love of money, an endless pursuit of pleasure, slavery to sinful passions, or a burdensome legalism.

Yes, if we are to fight the good fight of faith and run the spiritual race with endurance, the watchword must be: Off with the weight! —Richard De Haan


Fight the good fight with all thy might!
Christ is thy strength and Christ thy right;
Lay hold on life and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally. —Monsell


If your Christian life is a drag, worldly weights may be holding you back.
 
Our Daily Bread- 3/13

March 13, 2005

Stars & Sand

He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. —Psalm 147:4

A team led by an Australian astronomer calculated the number of stars in the known universe to be 70 sextillion—7 followed by 22 zeros. That unfathomable number is said to be more than the grains of sand in every beach and every desert on earth. The calculation was the by-product of research on the development of galaxies. One team member said, "Finding the number of stars is not really the research we were doing, but it was a nice result to play around with."

Having an estimate of the number of stars can help us praise God with greater awe and wonder. Psalm 147 says: "It is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. . . . He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite" (vv.1,4-5).

This psalm not only presents God's majesty, but it also affirms His personal concern for each of us. He "heals the brokenhearted" (v.3), "lifts up the humble" (v.6), and "takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy" (v.11).

Let's praise the great God of stars and sand who knows and cares for each one of us. —David McCasland


The God who made the firmament,
Who made the deepest sea,
The God who put the stars in place
Is the God who cares for me. —Berg

All creation points to the almighty Creator.
 
Our Daily Bread- 3/14

March 14, 2005

Change The World?

I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. —Matthew 25:35

When my son Steve came home from a concert recently, he had with him a free T-shirt and a brochure for an organization that helps needy children in a far-off continent. Apparently, one of the singers had issued a challenge.

"We wanted to change the world with our music," he said, "but often all we do is sing. We decided that we were going to take action to change some lives, so we started supporting some needy kids." Then he set forth the challenge, which Steve accepted. He then talked with his Bible-study group at church about supporting a child each month.

Most of us want to change the world for the better, but the job seems too big. So what if we decided to do at least one thing to change just one person's life? In the name of Jesus, who said that providing physical help would be the same as helping our Savior Himself (Matthew 25:35-36), what if we reached out to one person with food, or clothing, or transportation? And what if that person, wondering about our motive, asks why we helped? We could then help change that person's life for eternity by introducing him or her to the Savior.

Change the world? Let's start with changing one person in Jesus' name. —Dave Branon

Do a deed of simple kindness,
Though its end you may not see;
It may reach, like widening ripples,
Down a long eternity. —Norris

Wherever a human being exists, there is an opportunity to do a kindness. —Seneca
 
Our Daily Bread- 3/20

March 20, 2005

The Way To Praise Him

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! —Luke 19:38
The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem a few days before His death focused attention on Christ as Lord. When Jesus sent His disciples to get the colt He was to ride, He instructed them to tell its owners, "The Lord has need of it" (Luke 19:31). And when the crowds shouted their praise, they quoted Psalm 118:26, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Luke 19:38).

Jesus is Lord. His is "the name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). The word Lord refers to His sovereignty. He is the King, and every believer in Him is a member of His kingdom.

We make Jesus the Lord of our lives by bowing to His authority as King. This means we live in obedience to Him. Don't be like the man who claimed to be a Christian but chose to live in sin. When his minister confronted him, he glibly replied, "Don't worry, pastor. It's okay. I'm just a bad Christian."

It's not okay. Not at all! Not for a member of Christ's kingdom (Luke 6:43-49).

On this Palm Sunday, make sure you're honoring Him with your deeds as well as with your words. Then you can join with others in proclaiming, "Jesus is Lord!" —Dave Egner


Worthy is God of our worship,
Worthy is He of our praise;
Magnify Him with thanksgiving—
Gladly our voices we raise. —Anon.

To follow Christ is to take Him as your Savior and your Lord.
 
March 23, 2005

Open Bible

I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. —Psalm 119:46

Many hotels in countries around the world have a Bible in each room. Just open a drawer and you'll find it.

But during a recent hotel stay, I was surprised to see an open Bible placed prominently on a table in the lobby. And when I reached my room, instead of the Bible being in a drawer, it was lying open on the desk. My guess is that the owner decided to draw people's attention to the presence of God and His Word as they travel—often alone and sometimes in great need.

This caused me to ponder my own response to the Scriptures. Is the Bible open in my heart for people to see? Do my actions give evidence that I'm meditating on God's Word?

Psalm 119 is filled with praise for the wonder of God's Word, along with the writer's promise to live by it and share it with others. "I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts," he wrote. "I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. . . . And I will meditate on Your statutes" (vv.45-47).

Since every life is an open book, let's seek to demonstrate the love and power of God's Word, the Bible, for everyone to see. —David McCasland


We are the only Bible
The careless world will read;
We are the sinner's gospel,
We are the scoffer's creed. —Flint

Of all the commentaries on the Scriptures, good examples are the best. —John Donne
 
Our Daily Bread- 3/28

March 28, 2005

The Center Of History

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." —Matthew 16:16

In its biographical archives, The Washington Post identifies famous people with a single vocational notice, such as "home-run king" or "motion-picture star." According to a reporter, one of these files is marked, "Jesus Christ (martyr)."

Every individual who considers Jesus Christ makes some judgment about Him. French philosopher and historian Ernest Renan said, "All history is incomprehensible without Christ." American author Ralph Waldo Emerson concluded, "His name is not so much written but plowed into the history of the world."

Kenneth Scott Latourette, former chairman of the department of religion at Yale Graduate School, wrote, "That short life of Jesus has been the most influential ever lived. Through Him millions have been transformed and have begun to live the life which He exemplified. Gauged by the consequences which have followed, the birth, life, and death and resurrection of Jesus have been the most important events in the history of man."

What label do you put on Jesus Christ? If you agree that He is who He claimed to be, then let Him who is the center of history be not only the center of your creed but also the object of your loyalty and love. —Haddon Robinson

Christ wants to be the center of your life,
The reason for your being here at all;
He gave Himself a sacrifice for you,
And now He waits for you to hear His call. —Hess

Your decision about Jesus determines your destiny.
 
Re: Our Daily Bread- 3/28

Thank-you so much for continuing to post these, greenidlady1! They really bless me. :kiss:
 
Broken Things

Read:
Psalm 31:9-24

I am like a broken vessel. —Psalm 31:12

Bible In One Year: 1 Samuel 21-24

Few unbroken lives in this world are useful to God. Few men and women can fulfill their hopes and plans without some interruption and disappointment along the way.

But man's disappointments are often God's appointments, and the things we believe are tragedies may be the very opportunities through which God chooses to exhibit His love and grace. We have but to follow these lives to the end to see that people who have been broken become better and more effective Christians than if they had carried out all their own plans and purposes.

Are you, my friend, being broken today? Has the dearest thing in your life been torn away? Then remember that if you could see the purpose of it all from God's standpoint, you would praise the Lord.

The best things that come to us are not those that accrue from having our way, but by letting God have His way. Though the way of testing and trial and sorrow often seems hard and cruel, it is the way of God's love and in the end will be the best for us.

Remember, we have the Lord's promise: "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). —M. R. De Haan, M.D.

Then trust in God through all thy days;
Fear not, for He doth hold thy hand;
Though dark thy way, still sing and praise,
Sometime, sometime, we'll understand. —Cornelius

For a Christian, wholeness always comes after brokenness.
 
[sigh] oh my goodness oh my goodness oh my goodness how this has hit me today!!!!
"Are you, my friend, being broken today? Has the dearest thing in your life been torn away?" <---- this is exactly how i am feeling today.
i just had the longest prayer i have ever had with god today. but i know he is doing this to make me stronger. b/c of prayer he has made me the strongest i've been this month. i know with having a relationship with him things will get better for me.:)

MeccaMedinah said:
Broken Things

Read:
Psalm 31:9-24

I am like a broken vessel. —Psalm 31:12

Bible In One Year: 1 Samuel 21-24

Few unbroken lives in this world are useful to God. Few men and women can fulfill their hopes and plans without some interruption and disappointment along the way.

But man's disappointments are often God's appointments, and the things we believe are tragedies may be the very opportunities through which God chooses to exhibit His love and grace. We have but to follow these lives to the end to see that people who have been broken become better and more effective Christians than if they had carried out all their own plans and purposes.

Are you, my friend, being broken today? Has the dearest thing in your life been torn away? Then remember that if you could see the purpose of it all from God's standpoint, you would praise the Lord.

The best things that come to us are not those that accrue from having our way, but by letting God have His way. Though the way of testing and trial and sorrow often seems hard and cruel, it is the way of God's love and in the end will be the best for us.

Remember, we have the Lord's promise: "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). —M. R. De Haan, M.D.

Then trust in God through all thy days;
Fear not, for He doth hold thy hand;
Though dark thy way, still sing and praise,
Sometime, sometime, we'll understand. —Cornelius

For a Christian, wholeness always comes after brokenness.
 
April 3, 2005

Cobwebs

How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard. —Romans 10:14
The story is told of a painter who was commissioned to portray a run-down church. But instead of an old, tottering ruin, he painted a magnificent edifice of modern design. Through the windows could be seen an ornate collection box for the gifts of the fashionable worshipers. Above it hung a sign bearing the inscription "For Missions." Sadly, the box was covered in cobwebs.

The church or the individual whose heart and life is not involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel is on the way to ruin. We may be engaged in feverish "Christian activity," but our energies are misdirected if the main thrust of God's program for this age goes unattended.

God has so designed His plan of world evangelization that every believer is to be vitally involved. We all should "pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:38).

Some will also hear His personal call to be preachers—otherwise, "how shall they hear?" (Romans 10:14).

Still others will be givers and senders, for "how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (v.15).

Let there be no cobwebs over the cause of world missions because of our lack of concern. —Paul Van Gorder


Lord of harvest, send forth reapers,
Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry;
Send them now the sheaves to gather,
Ere the harvest time pass by. —Thompson

Untold millions are perishing—untold.
 
May 26, 2005

For Now And Forever
Receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. —James 1:21
Cold terror gripped the heart of a soldier as mortar rounds whistled overhead, rifles cracked, and the enemy closed in. Suddenly he felt ripping pains as a bullet tore into his chest and arm. Yet it wasn't the end for this soldier. According to an article in The New York Times, the bullet was slowed by a New Testament he was carrying in his shirt pocket. Years later, the young man still treasured the blood-stained book with the ragged hole through the middle. He believes it saved his life.

This is a nice story, but it says nothing about the life-saving spiritual help the Bible was designed to give. In Ezekiel 33, we read that the ancient Israelites used the words of the prophets to make them feel good but not to change their lives. They misused God's promises to Abraham to support their own claim to the land (v.24). They found pleasure in listening to the words of the prophet (v.30), yet the Lord said to Ezekiel, "They hear your words, but they do not do them" (v.31). The result? They came under divine judgment.

Then as now, God's Word is not to be cherished as a good-luck charm or to soothe the mind by bringing temporary relief from anxiety. It was given to be obeyed so that its help would not be only for this life—but forever. —Mart De Haan

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet,
A light to my path alway,
To guide and to save me from sin
And show me the heavenly way. —Sellers

We don't really know the Bible until we obey the Bible.
 
Hi ladies,
Wanted to let you know that I'm going to try to start doing these again. There have been lots of changes over the past few months, but God's grace has been sustaining regardless.
Peace and blessings-
G
 
August 8, 2005

What We Cannot Lose

Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. —Isaiah 46:4

Years ago I heard about an elderly gentleman who was suffering from the first stages of dementia. He lamented the fact that he often forgot about God. "Don't you worry," said a good friend, "He will never forget you."

Growing old is perhaps the hardest task we have to face in this life. As the saying goes, "Getting old is not for sissies."

Mainly, growing old is about losses. We devote most of our early life to acquiring things, but they are merely things we will lose as we age. We lose our strength, our looks, our friends, our job. We may lose our wealth, our home, our health, our spouse, our independence, and perhaps the greatest loss of all, our sense of dignity and self-worth.

But there is one thing that you and I will never lose—the love of God. "Even to your old age, I am He," God said to the prophet, "and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you" (Isaiah 46:4).

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree," wrote the songwriter (Psalm 92:12). "Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age" (vv.13-14). —David Roper


Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow;
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him. —Warner

God's love never grows old.
 
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