Acts 20:16-24

The apostle Paul was consumed by a passion that was even greater than his desire for life or the dread of suffering. He had a ministry to fulfill and a message of salvation to deliver. His words in Acts 20:24 help us understand the foundational concept involved in our salvation. Paul called it “the gospel of the grace of God.”

We’re saved simply because the Lord is gracious. He knew we could never be good enough to bridge the gap between our sin and His holiness. That’s why you will never hear of “the gospel of the Law of God.” That would not be good news at all! Can you imagine singing, “Amazing law, how fearful the sound, that saved a wretch like me”? We could never fulfill the requirements, especially the way Jesus enlarged the meaning of the law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). But grace–that’s totally different. It has nothing to do with our worthiness or good performance, but is solely based on God’s unmerited favor towards us.

What’s most amazing is that the avenue for our salvation is through faith alone. The grace that God extends in saving us is His gift, and not anything we can add to by our works (Eph. 2:8-9). Otherwise, we’d have to clean up our lives in order to be saved, and that would nullify grace.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful plan of salvation. Christ paid our sin debt with His death, and all we have to do is believe it. Even after salvation, God’s grace keeps flowing. We never have to worry that we aren’t good enough and will fall out of favor. His grace is forever.

The dictionary defines the word “vacation” as “a period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation.” Though I imagine it happens less often than not, it seems the ideal vacation would come to an end just as the life we left behind begins to seem preferable. Yet even if it is with reluctance that we let go of our last vacation day, most of us can imagine why we must. By definition, a vacation is something that must come to an end. To vacate life as we know it on a permanent basis would be called something different entirely.

Though we know that the days of a vacation are short-lived, we nevertheless enjoy them. Even as they fade away into the calendar, they are remembered (and often nostalgically). That they were few does not hinder their impact. On the contrary, a few days devoted to relaxation are made valuable because of the many that are not.

And we know this to be true of life as well—that it is fleeting, makes it all the more momentous.

As one musician candidly notes, “There are arbitrary lines between bad and good that often don’t make a lot of sense to me. I don’t want to die, obviously, but really, the wonder of life is amplified by the fact that it ends.”(1)

Like withering grass and dwindling summers, fading flowers and vacation days, life cannot escape its end. Like the seasons we live through, generations spring forth and die away. Like the vacations we take, so our days pass away into the calendar. If we refuse to look at any of these endings we live foolishly; if we look only to their ends we miss something about living.

The psalmist saw the importance of seeing our lives as they are and living in this reality. “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life” (Psalm 39:4). It is a prayer said with an eternal hope even as it is aware of the fleeting nature of time. “But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you” (39:7).

To see our lives as they are is to see that we are, as one theologian observed, “a vision of God and a mountain of dust.” It is to embrace a fearful but hopeful thought that gaining one’s life might somehow involve losing it, that endings though sometimes painful are often necessary, and that somehow to die is gain.

When Jesus stood with the disciples staring down the very hour he came to face, he told his friends that his time with them was coming to an end. He told them that his departing would usher in the Great Comforter, that he was leaving to prepare a place for them, and that in his coming and going the world would see that he finished exactly what the Father sent him to do. He reminded them that in the ending of this season was the budding hope of another. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:3-4). Jesus did not just go and so end his days as a human on earth; he went to prepare a place for an extended time together.

The psalmist writes, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Into this great mystery we can live our days, knowing that within the giving of a life to God and in the ending of a life given to God is a great and imperishable beginning.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. 

(1) Dave Matthews, Washington Post, August 16, 1998.

Morning   “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”   Psalm 126:3

Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to

dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for

them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe

their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and

the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and

help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy

state, will come forward joyously, and say, “I will speak, not about myself, but

to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out

of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my

goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The

Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad.” Such an abstract of

experience as this is the very best that any child of God can present. It is

true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of

them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this,

but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes

these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it

would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have

crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to

forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not

remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us

“out into a wealthy place.” The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to

God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot

mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life’s

song, “He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”

Evening   “Search the Scriptures.”   John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious

search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in

earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial

reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must

deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires

searching–much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for

babes, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of

matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture. Tertullian

exclaims, “I adore the fulness of the Scriptures.” No man who merely skims the

book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid

treasure. The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence. The

Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine

stamp and imprimatur–who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises

them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our

Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The

word of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff

with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn–we

have but to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the

student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the

searching eye it glows with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved

with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No

merchandise is like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the Scriptures

reveal Jesus: “They are they which testify of me.” No more powerful motive can

be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven,

all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.

. . . Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.   Numbers 11:23

God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month He would feed the vast company in the wilderness with meat. Moses is then overtaken by a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means, and is at a loss to know how the promise can be fulfilled. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator. But does the Creator expect the creature to fulfill His promise for Him? No; He who makes the promise always fulfills it by His own unaided omnipotence. If He speaks, it is done—done by Himself. His promises do not depend for their fulfillment upon the cooperation of the puny strength of man. We can immediately see the mistake that Moses made. And yet how routinely we do the same!

God has promised to supply our needs, and we look to the creature to do what God has promised to do; and then, because we perceive the creature to be weak and feeble, we indulge in unbelief. Why do we look in that direction at all? Will you look to the North Pole to gather fruits ripened in the sun? You would be acting no more foolishly in doing this than when you look to the weak for strength, and to the creature to do the Creator’s work. Let us, then, put the question on the right footing. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God, who will definitely do what He has said.

If after clearly seeing that the onus lies with the Lord and not with the creature we dare to indulge in mistrust, the question of God comes home forcefully to us: “Is the LORD’s hand shortened?” May it also be that in His mercy the question will be accompanied by this blessed declaration: “Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

Family Reading Plan       Isaiah 40       Revelation 10

2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Paul never claimed he was capable of accomplishing all that God called him to do. He simply learned to look beyond his own inadequacy to the sufficiency of Christ. If we’ll adopt the same practice, we, too, can discover the blessings hidden in our own experiences of inadequacy.

Our insufficiency drives us to God. When we realize a situation is bigger than we can handle, we’re quick to open the Bible and diligently pray for guidance and power.

Inadequacy relieves us of the burden of self-effort and self-reliance. The Lord has us right where He wants us–at the end of our rope with nothing left to give.

Inability motivates reliance on divine power. We’ll never be adequate until we draw from the Holy Spirit’s inexhaustible strength. He does in and through us what God never intended that we do on our own.

By using weak, inadequate people, God demonstrates what great things He can do. He actually delights in choosing unlikely individuals to carry out His purposes. There’s no limit to what He can do through someone willing to give Him full control.

Inadequacy challenges our faith. Paul says, “Our adequacy is from God” (v. 5). Those who focus on the reliability of this promise and step out in obedience will grow in faith.

Why go through all the fear, pressure, and frustration that accompany feelings of inadequacy when there’s an alternative? Let the Lord make you adequate: rely upon Him and allow Christ to live in and through you. He will replace your anxiety with a quiet spirit of contentment.

There is a widespread belief around about the Bible that it is some kind of powerful patriarchal conspiracy which has been used to oppress women. As a female speaker I find that this question is frequently asked: “How can you as a woman promote such a sexist book? The church has tried to keep women down!” As a Christian, I believe I need to be sensitive to the issues which underlie such an emotive question. While it may indeed seem to be the case that women have been discriminated against by religion, the Bible itself deserves closer examination on the subject. How is it that many of the greatest Jewish and Christian pioneers have been women? What does the Bible really say about this subject?(1)

Throughout the Bible there are numerous positive images of women and stories that involve women. In the Old Testament women share the image of God at creation. At the end of time at the Second Coming of Jesus, the church is represented as the bride of Christ. All the way through from beginning to end, the Bible includes the feminine as an integral part of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. While it is true that the Bible is written over a long period of time into specific cultures and that some of these contexts did not give equal social advantages to women, it would not be true to say that the message of the Bible is sexist or discriminatory against women.

In the New Testament, there are quite a number of significant events involving women, particularly considering the conservative cultural attitudes of the context into which it was written. This context is demonstrated by a simple statement in John’s Gospel in the famous encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. There is a telling little sentence in 4:27 which sheds a great deal of light on just how radical the Bible is in affirming women. The disciples come across Jesus during his conversation with the woman and we are told they “were surprised to find him talking with a woman.” This is the context of Jesus’s ministry and yet he goes against these cultural trends time and time again.

He does this firstly by having female disciples. In a culture where the idea of women travelling around with a group of men, or having the status of disciple was seriously questionable, Jesus has a number of women who are included in his travelling circle who also contributed financially to the needs of the group. In fact, when Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are waiting outside to see him, he points to his disciples and says, “Here are my mother and brothers.” This statement is unthinkable unless there were women among his disciples. In the Middle Eastern culture of the 1st century, it would be unspeakably offensive to point to male disciples and use female imagery to describe them. The group of disciples referred to must have included some women.

We also see Jesus teaching women in the New Testament. In Luke 10:38, we read of Mary who sits at the feet of Jesus and engages in theological study, much to her sister’s chagrin. This phrase “to sit at the feet of” is the same formulation as Acts 22:3 where Paul describes his training under Gamaliel. The clear implication here is that Mary is affirmed as worthy of a Rabbi’s theological instruction; indeed, it is interesting that later on in John’s Gospel we read of Martha, Mary’s sister, who is the first to be taught one of the most astounding theological statements of the New Testament. Jesus says to her, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies.” In contrast to the cultural norms of the time, Jesus made a habit of revealing great theological truths to women. The first person who discovers Christ’s true identity in John’s Gospel is the Samaritan woman at the well. We must not underestimate how radical this is:  Jesus was turning cultural taboos on their heads by teaching women and allowing women to be his disciples.

In reality, it is clear that women played a full and vibrant role in the ministry of Jesus, both as examples within his teaching and as recipients of it. While this may seem absolutely right and proper in our 21st century context we must remember how radical this was in first century Palestine. Jesus intentionally affirmed and included women. We see a continuation of this in the early church, from Lydia and Tabitha to Philip’s daughters, where women undertook various roles. While it is true to say that there are two particular passages in Paul’s writings which seem to go against all of this, by commanding some women to be silent and forbidding others from teaching, these must be read and interpreted in the context of the rest of the Bible. Paul himself gives guidelines for women when they publicly prophecy and mentions women who do teach like Priscilla.

When we come to the text of the Bible with the issue of sexism in mind, we must be clear that while God is predominantly spoken of with male imagery and ultimately is incarnated in the man Jesus, this is not to say that women are undermined or undervalued. Some female imagery is used of God, and Jesus constantly affirms the value of women, teaching them and interacting with them as human beings. Both male and female are created in the image of God and both are so precious that Christ comes to the earth to redeem both male and female with his blood shed on the Cross.

Amy Orr-Ewing is director of programmes for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and UK director for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Oxford, England.

(1) A version of this article was first published in Idea Magazine, Jul/Aug 2005. See also Is the Bible Intolerant? by Amy Orr-Ewing (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006).

Morning  “There fell down many slain, because the war was of God.”  1 Chronicles 5:22

Warrior, fighting under the banner of the Lord Jesus, observe this verse with

holy joy, for as it was in the days of old so is it now, if the war be of God

the victory is sure. The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of

Manasseh could barely muster five and forty thousand fighting men, and yet in

their war with the Hagarites, they slew “men, an hundred thousand,” “for they

cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them, because they put their

trust in him.” The Lord saveth not by many nor by few; it is ours to go forth in

Jehovah’s name if we be but a handful of men, for the Lord of Hosts is with us

for our Captain. They did not neglect buckler, and sword, and bow,

neither did they place their trust in these weapons; we must use all fitting

means, but our confidence must rest in the Lord alone, for he is the sword and

the shield of his people. The great reason of their extraordinary success lay in

the fact that “the war was of God.” Beloved, in fighting with sin without and

within, with error doctrinal or practical, with spiritual wickedness in high

places or low places, with devils and the devil’s allies, you are waging

Jehovah’s war, and unless he himself can be worsted, you need not fear defeat.

Quail not before superior numbers, shrink not from difficulties or

impossibilities, flinch not at wounds or death, smite with the two-edged sword

of the  Spirit, and the slain shall lie in heaps. The battle is the Lord’s and he will

deliver his enemies into our hands. With steadfast foot, strong hand, dauntless

heart, and flaming zeal, rush to the conflict, and the hosts of evil shall fly

like chaff before the gale.

Stand up! stand up for Jesus!

The strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle,

The next the victor’s song:

To him that overcometh,

A crown of life shall be;

He with the King of glory

Shall reign eternally.

Evening   “Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

Numbers 11:23

God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month he

would feed the vast host in the wilderness with flesh. Moses, being overtaken by

a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means, and is at a loss to know how the

promise can be fulfilled. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator. But

doth the Creator expect the creature to fulfil his promise for him? No; he who

makes the promise ever fulfils it by his own unaided omnipotence. If he speaks,

it is done–done by himself. His promises do not depend for their fulfilment

upon the co-operation of the puny strength of man. We can at once perceive the

mistake which Moses made. And yet how commonly we do the same!

God has promised to supply our needs, and we look to the creature to do what

God has promised to do; and then, because we perceive the creature to be weak

and feeble, we indulge in unbelief. Why look we to that quarter at all? Will you

look to the north pole to gather fruits ripened in the sun? Verily, you would

act no more foolishly if ye did this than when you look to the weak for

strength, and to the creature to do the Creator’s work. Let us, then, put the

question on the right footing. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the

visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the

invisible God, who will most surely do as he hath said. If after clearly

seeing that the onus lies with the Lord and not with the creature, we dare to

indulge in mistrust, the question of God comes home mightily to us: “Has the

Lord’s hand waxed short?” May it happen, too, in his mercy, that with the

question there may flash upon our souls that blessed declaration, “Thou shalt

see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

. . . Be zealous.   Revelation 3:19

If you want to see souls converted, if you want to hear the cry that “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord,”1 if you want to place crowns upon the head of the Savior and see His throne lifted high, then be filled with zeal. For under God, the way the world will be converted is by the zeal of the church. Every element of grace will do its work, but zeal will be first; prudence, knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must lead the charge. It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful, it is not the extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised, it is your zeal that will do great exploits.

This zeal is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: It draws its vital force from the continued operations of the Holy Spirit in the soul. If our inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before God, we will not know zeal; but if everything inside is strong and vigorous, then we cannot but feel a loving urgency to see Christ’s kingdom come, and His will done on earth, even as it is in heaven.

A deep sense of gratitude will nourish Christian zeal. When we reflect on the miry pit from which we were lifted, we find plenty of reason for spending ourselves for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal future. It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it cannot sleep: It looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot stay still. It feels that time is short compared with the work to be done, and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is continually strengthened by remembering Christ’s example. He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty went with Him! He never loitered on the way. Let us prove that we are His disciples by displaying the same spirit of zeal.

1Revelation 11:15

Family Reading Plan

Isaiah 39

Revelation 9

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

No one likes feelings of inadequacy, but they are something we must learn to handle, as none of us can avoid them permanently. Tragically, though, many people live with a cloud over their head because in their thinking, they never measure up. For some, this may be due to childhood experiences that negatively affected their self-image. For others, the problem stems from a lack of success related to work, relationships, marriage, parenting, or any number of things.

The area Paul deals with in today’s passage is our Christian life. He asks a question that points to a common insecurity: “Who is adequate for these things?” (v. 16). Have you ever avoided serving the Lord in ways that challenge your comfort zone? If so, you’ve probably missed a tremendous opportunity to overcome feelings of inadequacy. He’s promised to lead us “in triumph in Christ,” (v. 14) but unless we believe Him and step out in faith, we’ll never experience the life He has planned for us.

Feeling inadequate is not a sin, but using it as an excuse is. When the Lord challenges you to do something that you feel is beyond your abilities, you have two options. You can focus on Christ and proceed in triumph or focus on yourself and withdraw in defeat.

It’s really a matter of faith. God would never ask you to do something without empowering you to accomplish it. This doesn’t necessarily mean you will do it perfectly, but each step of obedience is a victory. The alternative is to play it safe, but then you’ll miss out on God’s best for your life.

Father Greg Boyle is in the business of erasing the past. A Jesuit priest who is the founder and director of “Homeboy Industries” in East Los Angeles, Father Boyle has put together a team of physicians trained in the laser technology of tattoo removal. The team is part of a program that takes the tattoos of ex-gang members and wipes the slate clean. For many, it is as crucial a service as it is merciful.

Gang-related tattoos prevent many former gang members from getting jobs or advancing in work. For others, the markings critically impinge on mental health or put them in serious danger on the streets. There is no fee or community service required to receive the tattoo removal offered by Homeboy Industries. It is strictly a gift—a gift that is perhaps a modern look at Christ washing the feet of his friends. Currently, there is a waiting list of over a thousand names.

For those involved, the spiritual imagery is often compelling. The seeming permanence of a gang tattoo fosters the attitude that the gang’s claim is also permanent. It is a mark of ownership as much as identity. The emotional consequence is that it seems a part of you that can never be shaken. I suspect some of us have felt like this with past mistakes, actions whose mark we cannot shake off, decisions embedded into our existence like permanent tattoos on bodies longing to forget.

It’s not hard to see how profound the erasing of such marks could be in the life of a former gang member. The life marked by Christ is similarly altered. Like former gang members who have had the marks of a former life removed, so our sins are blotted out by Christ. They are remembered no longer.

To those holding on to the scarred markings of former sin God would say: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25). Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Like the unmarked ex-gang members among us, we are made into something new.

One of the curious things about the growing list of people interested in laser tattoo removal is that Father Boyle is straightforward about the procedure. The process of tattoo removal is extremely painful. Patients describe the laser procedure as feeling like hot grease on their skin. And yet the list grows, each name representing a life that longs to be free and is willing to endure the pain to seize it.

Followers of the Christian faith have described God’s work in our lives as the “refiner’s fire.” Removing the impurities we have embedded into our lives is at times quite uncomfortable. But like a child that trusts her mother enough to endure the pain of having a splinter removed or the young man who undergoes the burning process of removing a gang tattoo, we are freed by skillful hands. The Great Physician is sometimes a surgeon. But when we look at God through the refining fires of God’s presence, we know that it was well worth putting our name on the list (whether it was our doing or God’s in the first place). “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” At his table, we are made new.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Morning   “Ye that love the Lord hate evil.”   Psalm 97:10

Thou hast good reason to “hate evil,” for only consider what harm it has already

wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin

blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour; it made

thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer’s tender invitations. Sin

turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very fountain

of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it “deceitful above all things, and

desperately wicked.” Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost

with thee, before divine grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as

others; thou didst “run with the multitude to do evil.” Such

were all of us; but Paul reminds us, “but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,

but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our

God.” We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and trace

its deadly workings. Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would have

been lost had not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is an

active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition.

Therefore “hate evil,” O Christians, unless you desire trouble. If you would

strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then

neglect to “hate evil:” but if you would live a happy life, and die a peaceful

death,  then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto the end. If you

truly love your Saviour, and would honour him, then “hate evil.” We know of no

cure for the love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord

Jesus. Dwell much with him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with

sin.

“Order my footsteps by thy Word,

And make my heart sincere;

Let sin have no dominion, Lord,

But keep my conscience clear.”

Evening   “Be zealous.”   Revelation 3:19

If you would see souls converted, if you would hear the cry that “the kingdoms

of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord;” if you would place crowns

upon the head of the Saviour, and his throne lifted high, then be filled with

zeal. For, under God, the way of the world’s conversion must be by the zeal of

the church. Every grace shall do exploits, but this shall be first; prudence,

knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must lead

the van. It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful; it is

not the extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised; it is your

zeal that shall do great exploits. This zeal is the fruit of the Holy

Spirit: it draws its vital force from the continued operations of the Holy

Ghost in the soul. If our inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before

God, we shall not know zeal; but if all be strong and vigorous within, then we

cannot but feel a loving anxiety to see the kingdom of Christ come, and his will

done on earth, even as it is in heaven. A deep sense of gratitude will nourish

Christian zeal. Looking to the hole of the pit whence we were digged, we find

abundant reason why we should spend and be spent for God. And zeal is also

stimulated by the thought of the eternal future. It looks with tearful eyes down

to the flames of hell, and it cannot slumber: it looks up with anxious

gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot but bestir itself. It feels that

time is short compared with the work to be done, and therefore it devotes all

that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is ever strengthened by the

remembrance of Christ’s example. He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How

swift the chariot-wheels of duty went with him! He knew no loitering by the way.

Let us prove that we are his disciples by manifesting the same spirit of zeal.

. . . Are they Israelites? So am I.  2 Corinthians 11:22

Image BlockedWe have here a personal claim, and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that his claim was indisputable, but there are many people who have no right to the title yet still claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are confidently declaring, “I am also an Israelite,” let us only say it after we have searched our hearts as in the presence of God. But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can say from the heart, “I trust Him wholly, trust Him only, trust Him simply, trust Him now, and trust Him ever,” then the position that the saints of God hold also belongs to us.

All their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “least of all saints,” but since the mercies of God belong to the saints as saints, and not as advanced saints or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea and say, “Are they Israelites? So am I. The promises are mine, grace is mine, and glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one that will yield untold comfort. When God’s people are rejoicing that they are His, what a happiness to be able to say, “So am I!”

When they speak of being pardoned and justified and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, so am I.” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties. We must share with God’s people in cloud as well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.” Let us then prove our gratitude by our devotion and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul was a man who lived life to the full. His goals were to know Christ, abide in His power, fellowship in His suffering, and preach the gospel (Phil. 3:10; 1 Cor. 1:17). In doing so, he aligned his aspirations with the Lord’s, diligently worked to fulfill his calling, and persevered through opposition, persecution, and suffering. He could face the end of his life with confidence since he’d “fought the good fight,” “finished the course,” and “kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

We’d all like to be able to say the same at the end of our lives, but that means we have to follow Paul’s example. How are you doing at setting goals for your life? Have you thought beyond the immediate and set some long-term objectives? Our culture is so fast-paced that few of us take the time to actually consider where we’re going. But you don’t want to finish your life and find out you were on a course other than God’s, fighting the wrong fight, and struggling to keep the faith.

Why not set aside some time this week to get alone with the Lord. Then ask His help in setting goals that will take you where He wants you to go. Consider every area of your life–personal, relational, financial, and vocational–but make spiritual goals your primary emphasis. Then write them down.

If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Maybe it’s time to get out of your rut and find a new path. God will help you change direction and accomplish new goals that align with His will. Don’t settle for the mediocrity of an unplanned life. Start living intentionally.

The question was asked and the room fell silent: “Does anyone ever feel they’ve lived up to their potential?” It was a loaded question, not only because it was asked in a group of persons struggling with vocation, but also because the word “potential” is elusive in its definition. What does “potential” mean in a world that views achievement as athletic prowess, celebrity status, or economic success? If the exceptional is the guide for the achievement of one’s potential, how will those of us who live somewhere between the average and the ordinary ever feel we’ve arrived?

The inherent routine and mundane tasks that fill our days contribute to the struggle to understand our “potential.” How can one possibly feel substantial when one’s day-in, day-out existence is filled with the tedium of housework, paying bills, pulling weeds, and running endless errands? These tasks are not celebrated, or noticed. They are the daily details that make up our routine. Indeed for artists and bus drivers, homemakers and neurosurgeons, astronauts and cashiers our days are filled with repetitive motion, even if we do have moments of great challenge or extraordinary success. It is no wonder then, with our societal standards and our routine-filled lives that we wonder about our potential. Indeed, does much of what we do even matter when it feels so ordinary? Does the “ordinary” contribute to our sense of meeting our potential, or does its predominance in our lives simply serve as a perpetual reminder of a failure to thrive?

The “simple lifestyle” movement attempts to locate potential in exactly the opposite ways of our society. In this movement, simplicity unlocks the key to potential, and not acquisition, or achievement, or recognition. Clearing out what clutters and complicates makes room for finding potential in what is most basic and routine. In the Christian tradition, as well, there are many who believe that one’s potential and one’s purpose would only be found in the radical call of simplicity. Some of the earliest Christians, who fled the luxury and security of Rome once Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire, believed that one’s “holiness” potential could only be achieved within the radical austerity of a monastic cell. There in the cloistered walls where each and every day presented simple routine, repetitive tasks, and the regular rhythm of prayer and worship, perseverance with the ordinary became the path to one’s potential.

Brother Lawrence is one of the most well known of this type of monastic. In The Practice of Prayer, Margaret Guenther writes that “Brother Lawrence, our patron of housekeeping, was a hero of the ordinary.”(1) As one who found his potential in cultivating a profound awareness of God in the ordinary tasks of his day, Brother Lawrence was an ordinary hero. While he attended chapel with the other monks, his true sanctuary was amongst the pots and pans of the monastery kitchen. What we may not realize in the popularized retelling of his story is that he actually began by hating his ordinary work. His abbot wrote about him:

“The same thing was true of his work in the kitchen, for which he had a naturally strong aversion; having accustomed himself to doing everything there for the love of God, and asking His grace to do his work, he found he had become quite proficient in the fifteen years he had worked in the kitchen.”(2)

Quite proficient in the kitchen. Could it be that Brother Lawrence was able to fulfill his potential by washing dishes? Despite his strong aversion, he found purpose in the very midst of the most mundane and ordinary tasks of life. He fulfilled his potential by focusing on faithfulness. This is not faithfulness that triumphs over the desire to fulfill one’s potential. Indeed, as Guenther describes it “faithfulness rarely feels heroic; it feels much more like showing up and hanging in. It is a matter of going to our cell, whatever form that might take, and letting it teach us what it will.”(3) Availing himself to consistent faithfulness yielded the blessing of both proficiency and presence—the presence of God—right there in midst of the monotony of dirty pots and pans.

Fulfilling one’s potential has little to do with greatness. And yet, the heroism of the ordinary does not preempt “greatness” that our world confers to those who have reached their potential with staggering and dramatic achievement; for even those who achieve greatness have faced the drama of routine and the tidal wave of tedium. But to assign the fulfillment of one’s potential solely to great acts and recognition is to miss the blessing that comes from faithful acts of devotion, often done routinely and heroically in the ordinary of our everyday. Perhaps it might be said of us, as it was of Brother Lawrence: “He was more united with God in his ordinary activities.”(4)

Margaret Manning is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington.

(1) Margaret Guenther, The Practice of Prayer (Boston: Cowley Press, 1998), 113.
(2) Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, The Practice of the Presence of God, ed. John J. Delaney (New York: Image, 1977), 41.
(3) Margaret Guenther, The Practice of Prayer (Boston: Cowley Press, 1998), 112.
(4) Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, The Practice of the Presence of God, ed. John J. Delaney (New York: Image, 1977), 47.

Morning   “Behold, I am vile.”  Job 40:4

One cheering word, poor lost sinner, for thee! You think you must not come to God because you are vile. Now, there is not a saint living on earth but has been made to feel that he is vile. If Job, and Isaiah, and Paul were all obliged to say “I am vile,” oh, poor sinner, wilt thou be ashamed to join in the same confession? If divine grace does not eradicate all sin from the believer, how dost thou hope to do it thyself? and if God loves his people while they are yet vile, dost thou think thy vileness will prevent his loving thee? Believe on Jesus, thou outcast of the world’s society! Jesus calls thee, and such as thou art.

“Not the righteous, not the righteous;

Sinners, Jesus came to call.”

Even now say, “Thou hast died for sinners; I am a sinner, Lord Jesus, sprinkle thy blood on me;” if thou wilt confess thy sin thou shalt find pardon. If, now, with all thy heart, thou wilt say, “I am vile, wash me,” thou shalt be washed now. If the Holy Spirit shall enable thee from thy heart to cry

“Just as I am, without one plea

But that thy blood was shed for me,

And that thou bidd’st me come to thee,

O Lamb of God, I come!”

thou shalt rise from reading this morning’s portion with all thy sins pardoned; and though thou didst wake this morning with every sin that man hath ever committed on thy head, thou shalt rest tonight accepted in the Beloved; though once degraded with the rags of sin, thou shalt be adorned with a robe of righteousness, and appear white as the angels are. For “now,” mark it, “Now is the accepted time.” If thou “believest on him who justifieth the ungodly thou art saved.” Oh! may the Holy Spirit give thee saving faith in him who receives the vilest.

Evening  “Are they Israelites? so am I.”  2 Corinthians 11:22

We have here a personal claim, and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that his claim was indisputable, but there are many persons who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are with confidence declaring, “So am I also an Israelite,” let us only say it after having searched our heart as in the presence of God. But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can from the heart say, “I trust him wholly, trust him only, trust him simply, trust him now, and trust him ever,” then the position which the saints of God hold belongs to us–all their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “less than the least of all  saints,” yet since the mercies of God belong to the saints as saints, and not as advanced saints, or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea, and say, “Are they Israelites? so am I; therefore the promises are mine, grace is mine, glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one which will yield untold comfort. When God’s people are rejoicing that they are his, what a happiness if they can say, “So am I !” When they speak of being pardoned, and justified, and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, so am I.” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties. We must share with God’s people in cloud as  well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.” O let us prove our gratitude by our devotion, and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.

. . . Anyone who does not love does not know God.

1 John 4:8

The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in Christ’s love for him and in the offering of his love to Christ. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, “Christ loved me and gave himself for me.”1 Then love gives the countersign and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. “We love because he first loved us.”2

In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double mark was clearly seen in all believers in Jesus; they were men who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved. The love that they felt toward the Lord was not a quiet emotion that they hid within themselves in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in their eyes, even in their casual glances. Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians.

Because of their dependence upon Christ’s love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love. The love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Savior with a pure and fervent heart.

My reader, do you love Him? Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!

1Galatians 2:20 21 John 4:19

Philippians 3:7-14

What three goals would you set for your life if you knew that you could achieve them? Would any of them be spiritual in nature? The apostle Paul was one of the most goal-oriented people in the Bible, yet he understood which pursuits were the most important. His chief ambition was to know Christ, His resurrection power, and the fellowship of His suffering (v. 10).

We’d all do well to adopt these goals, but they sound so broad. How do we put them into practice? First, it’s important to comprehend that a goal is a purpose or direction toward which we work. This concept is fairly easy to understand when we’re talking about specific objectives like going to bed earlier or losing ten pounds, but what steps would you need to take in order to achieve spiritual goals like Paul’s?

Success requires choosing steps that are specific, reasonable, and measurable. For example, if you want to know Christ more intimately, you might commit to spending 30 minutes each day praying and reading His Word. After developing your plan and the steps to accomplish it, put your desire into action. If you don’t take the necessary steps, it will simply remain a wish. No one develops intimacy with Christ through good intentions; it takes commitment, diligence, and perseverance.

If you feel as if your faith is lacking vitality, it may be that you’ve become spiritually lazy. No one intends to slip into complacency. But unless you set some specific goals and work to achieve them, you’ll drift through life and miss the greatest accomplishment of all–learning to know Christ intimately.

Hindsight is 20/20.  We know the truth of the expression from experience. “If only I would have taken a different street, I wouldn’t be stuck in traffic.” “If only I would have quit while I was ahead, I wouldn’t be stuck in this situation.” Such thoughts are unending: If I would have paid closer attention, if I would have pushed a little harder, if I would have stopped pushing… if only I knew then what I know now, things would have turned out differently.      

Quite probably in many cases that is true. If we knew beforehand what we know after the fact, things could have very well turned out differently. Yet equally wrapped up somewhere within this “if only” mindset is the thought that things would not only have turned out differently but that they would also have turned out better. Knowing this would take much more than 20/20 vision. Standing on the other side of knowing gives us a different perspective, to be sure. But to assume that because of that perspective we now see perfectly is likely a perilous oversight.

The Israelites often cried out to God in the belief that they were seeing perfectly. The shackles that bound them to Egypt and misery were broken off before their eyes. God moved them from slavery to freedom via the floor of the Red Sea, putting before his people a sign momentous enough to make an impression upon each day ahead of them. Yet walking through the adversities of the desert, they cried out as if never having seen the hand that was leading them. “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (Numbers 14:2-3).

It seems the view from hindsight can be as misleading as it is insightful. The Israelite’s mistreatment at the hands of the Egyptians was overlooked in their perception of the other side of the Red Sea. Moreover, their deliverance at the hands of God in hindsight was seen as unremarkable and unrelated to their need for God in the present.

The cry of “if only” is all too often a cry of distrust.  The seemingly harmless expression insists that we know best, that we know what is better, that we know what we need. Like the Israelites in their forgetful wailing we are often certain that we not only know what will make our situations better, but what will finally make us happy. We always seem to know just the thing our lives are missing.  “If only we had meat to eat” the Israelites insisted, “we would be satisfied.” But they were not, and we are no more successful. In reality, what we need is often a far cry from what we think we need. For good reason many Christians can look back to a prayer and thank God that it wasn’t answered.

G.K. Chesterton speaks in a poem of the posture we often forget when the cry to change the past or achieve the perfect future emerges from our lips.  He writes,

Thank God the stars are set beyond my power,

If I must travail in a night of wrath,

Thank God my tears will never vex a moth,

Nor any curse of mine cut down a flower.

Instead, the Christian is given the freedom of thankfulness that the one listening to her prayers sits with wisdom far greater than her own. For even Job who cried, “If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave” found in the end that he had spoken out of turn. But we can thank God that God’s thoughts are beyond our own, that God knows the longings we express and the ones we do not know to express. We can thank God for the promise that all things work together for good—our trials, our mistakes, our past, our future.

God is at work even in the moments when we would cry “if only.” And his own “if only’s” are far more sobering. As Christ approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace” (Luke 19:41). Rest assured, God knows your need and so reveals Himself that you might also.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Morning   “The Lord shut him in.”    Genesis 7:16

Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love. The door of

electing purpose interposes between us and the world which lieth in the wicked

one. We are not of the world even as our Lord Jesus was not of the world. Into

the sin, the gaiety, the pursuits of the multitude we cannot enter; we cannot

play in the streets of Vanity Fair with the children of darkness, for our

heavenly Father has shut us in. Noah was shut in with his God. “Come thou into

the ark,” was the Lord’s invitation, by which he clearly showed that he himself

intended to dwell in the ark with his servant and his family. Thus all the

chosen dwell in God and God in them. Happy people to be enclosed in the

same circle which contains God in the Trinity of his persons, Father, Son, and

Spirit. Let us never be inattentive to that gracious call, “Come, my people,

enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, and hide thyself as

it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast.” Noah was so shut

in that no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds

did but waft him on his way. Outside of the ark all was ruin, but inside all was

rest and peace. Without Christ we perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect

safety. Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those

who are in Christ Jesus are in him forever. They shall go no

more out forever, for eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal

malice cannot drag them out. The Prince of the house of David shutteth and no

man openeth; and when once in the last days as Master of the house he shall rise

up and shut the door, it will be in vain for mere professors to knock, and cry

Lord, Lord open unto us, for that same door which shuts in the wise virgins will

shut out the foolish forever. Lord, shut me in by thy grace.

Evening   “He that loveth not knoweth not God.”   1 John 4:8

The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ,

and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return. First, faith sets her

seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, “Christ loved me

and gave himself for me.” Then love gives the countersign, and stamps upon the

heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. “We love him because he first loved

us.” In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian

religion, this double mark was clearly to be seen in all believers in Jesus;

they were men who knew the love of Christ, and rested upon it as a man leaneth

upon a staff whose trustiness he has tried. The love which they felt

towards the Lord was not a quiet emotion which they hid within themselves in

the secret chamber of their souls, and which they only spake of in their private

assemblies when they met on the first day of the week, and sang hymns in honour

of Christ Jesus the crucified, but it was a passion with them of such a vehement

and all-consuming energy, that it was visible in all their actions, spoke in

their common talk, and looked out of their eyes even in their commonest glances.

Love to Jesus was a flame which fed upon the core and heart of their being; and,

therefore, from its own force burned its way into the outer man, and shone

there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of

all genuine Christians. Because of their dependence upon Christ’s love they

dared much, and because of their love to Christ they did much, and it is the

same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love–the love

of Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them,

they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto

them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Saviour with a pure heart,

fervently. My reader, do you love him? Ere you sleep give an honest answer to a

weighty question!

. . . Taken up in glory.   1 Timothy 3:16

We have seen the Lord Jesus in the days of His flesh, humiliated and scorned: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”1 He whose brightness is as the morning wore the sackcloth of sorrow as His daily dress: Shame was His belt, and reproach was His cloak. Yet now that He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith sees Him returning, robed in the splendor of victory.

How glorious He must have been in the eyes of seraphs, when a cloud received Him out of sight and He ascended to heaven! Now He wears the glory that He had with God before creation, and yet another glory above all—that which He has earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell. As victor He wears the illustrious crown. Listen to the swelling song! It is a new and sweeter song: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, for by Your blood You ransomed people for God!” He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has defeated every foe, of a Lord who has the allegiance of every subject.

Jesus wears all the glory that heaven can bestow upon Him, all that ten thousand times ten thousand angels can minister to Him. You cannot with the utmost stretch of imagination conceive of His exceeding greatness; yet there will be a further revelation of it when He shall descend from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—”Then he will sit on his glorious throne.”2 The splendor of that glory seen will ravish the hearts of His people. This isn’t the end, for eternity will sound His praise. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever!”3 Reader, if you would rejoice in Christ’s glory then, He must be glorious in your sight now. So, is He?

1Isaiah 53:3 2Matthew 25:31 3Psalm 45:6

The family reading plan for June 4, 2012

Isaiah 36 | Revelation 6