They are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet.   Jeremiah 49:23

 We are unaware of what sorrow may be upon the sea at this moment. We are safe in our quiet room, but far away out to sea the hurricane may be cruelly seeking the lives of men. Imagine the bitter winds howling through the rigging, the timbers heaving as the waves beat like battering rams upon the boat! God help you, poor drenched and wearied ones! I am praying to the great Lord of sea and land, that He will make the storm calm and bring you to your desired haven! I ought not simply to pray; I should try to help those brave men who risk their lives so constantly. Have I ever done anything for them? What can I do? How often does the boisterous sea swallow up the sailor!

Thousands have died where pearls lie deep. There is sorrow on the sea, which is echoed in the sad lament of widows and orphans. The salt of the sea is in the eyes of many mothers and wives. Relentless billows, you have devoured the love of women and the strength of households. What a resurrection there will be from the caverns of the deep when the sea gives up her dead!

Until then there will be sorrow on the sea. As if in sympathy with the woes of earth, the sea is always fretting along a thousand shores, wailing with a sorrowful cry, booming with a hollow crash of unrest, raving with uproarious discontent, chafing with hoarse rage, or jangling with the voices of ten thousand murmuring pebbles. The roar of the sea may be glorious to a rejoicing spirit, but to the son of sorrow, the wide, wide ocean is even more forlorn than the wide, wide world. This is not our comfort, and the restless billows tell us so. There is a land where there is no more sea—our faces are firmly set toward it; we are going to the place of which the Lord has spoken. Until then we cast our sorrows on the Lord who walked upon the sea of old and who makes a way for His people through the depths.

Family Reading Plan   Ezekiel 10   Psalm 49

Daniel 6:1-28

Daniel had faithfully been living out his commitment to the Lord from the time he was a teenager. His witness of integrity and godliness was earned over a lifetime, during which he’d been challenged frequently to compromise his faith.

Today’s passage shows him facing a desperately dangerous situation: the lions’ den. Although we usually focus on Daniel and the animals, a surprising aspect of this story is the reaction of the king.

Though he’d foolishly signed the law that created Daniel’s treacherous predicament, Darius was so impressed with the young man that he tried to rescue him. When the ruler’s efforts failed, he made a surprising statement of trust in the Lord: “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you” (v. 16). Now, that’s a witness!

Does your unwavering devotion to Christ lead others to trust your Savior? Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going. What kind of witness is that? Who will want to follow our God if we ourselves won’t follow Him? Our response either draws others to Jesus or pushes them away.

If you desire to be like Daniel, practice your commitment to Christ, both privately and publicly. The time you spend alone with God will transform your character and increase your devotion. Then your integrity and godly behavior in an unbelieving world will make others long to know the Lord.

One of my professors divided the class into groups of five and asked us to decide which of the following three individuals had the most freedom:

 (1) A person who is not able to sin,
(2) A person who is both able to sin and able not to sin, and
(3) A person who is not able not to sin.
 Less than five minutes into the discussion, my group had concluded that the person who was both able to sin and able not to sin (person #2) had the most freedom. We correctly eliminated option #3 since a person who cannot help but sin is really in bondage. But the unanimity of the decision and the ease with which it was arrived at caused us to suspect that something was wrong. Why would we be asked to “discuss” such a “simple” question in a graduate seminar?

 We had made two serious errors in our deliberation: we did not take into account the biblical meaning of “freedom” and we did not fully appreciate the nature of sin. Like most people, we thought freedom was the ability to do what one wanted to do—whenever, however, and wherever one chose to do it. Consequently, we reasoned that the person who had the most choices automatically had the most freedom. When I wondered out loud whether we really believed that a person who could sin had more freedom than God, who cannot sin, we found out why we needed some time to discuss the question.

 Biblically speaking, freedom is the ability to function the way God designed us to function. This is the reason why freedom and truth are so intertwined; we need to know what our purpose and design are before we can exercise the freedom to fulfill our mission on earth. That is also true of things we ourselves make. A meticulously manufactured Ferrari which, I’ve been told, is a marvel on the road, is completely useless in the ocean. A hammer functions at its best when it is pounding nails, and a multi-million dollar piece of equipment made for space travel is useless to us unless we know its purpose. Similarly, we function at our best when our lives measure up to our Designer’s specifications. It is true that God’s purposes can be fulfilled even through people who reject God, but true freedom is found only in God.

 Misunderstanding the kind of freedom Christ offers leads to a distorted view of the nature of sin. Some find it hard to give a good reason why sin is prohibited by God. Don’t God’s prohibitions limit our freedom? Wouldn’t some acts, at least, be harmlessly enjoyable if God, for some curious reason, did not brand them “sin”? The answer to both questions is no, and the reason is that sin is a serious defect in humanity, not a virtue. It will eventually turn those who relentlessly cling to it into grotesque distortions of God’s original intent for them. Anything that impedes our progress towards our true identity and calling diverts us from our journey to freedom, even when no one else finds out.

 That is why it is not quite true to tell people that knowing the truth will set them free. That phrase is part of a very instructive discipleship statement in John 8:31-32 which reads, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” Did you notice the conditional nature of the freedom proclaimed here? Only by holding to the teaching of Christ in the context of purposeful discipleship can true freedom be found. James 1:25 tells us that practicing God’s perfect law gives us freedom. Without a clear understanding of a call to freedom in Christ, any thirst for righteousness and passion for the lost will be seriously hindered, for we will secretly think that the requirements of righteousness are really deprivations.

 No, I am not advocating works salvation. We are saved by grace through faith alone, but in the process of growth as believers, the light of the gospel must gradually shine on those areas of our lives that hold us back from fulfilling our true calling. When the gospel of Christ begins to chip away at those holdups, we learn what it means to be truly free and why it is prudent to hate sin. John Witherspoon was right. In his sermon on the first Thanksgiving Day called after the war for independence in the U.S., he declared, “A republic once equally poised must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty.”(1) Whether for an individual or a sovereign nation, truth and virtue are the rails upon which the wheels of freedom roll.

 J.M. Njoroge is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

 (1) As quoted by Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1981), 33.

Morning “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” / Philippians 2:15

We use lights to make manifest. A Christian man should so shine in his life,
that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the gospel. His
conversation should be such that all who are about him should clearly perceive
whose he is, and whom he serves; and should see the image of Jesus reflected
in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those
around us who are in the dark. We are to hold forth to them the Word of life.
We are to point sinners to the Saviour, and the weary to a divine
resting-place. Men sometimes read their Bibles, and fail to understand them;
we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of
God’s Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness. Lights are also
used for warning. On our rocks and shoals a light-house is sure to be erected.
Christian men should know that there are many false lights shown everywhere in
the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are
always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure; they
hoist the wrong light, be it ours to put up the true light upon every
dangerous rock, to point out every sin, and tell what it leads to, that so we
may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights
also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought
to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he
should carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would thy life in mine reveal,
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Saviour speak.

Evening “If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” / Galatians 5:18

He who looks at his own character and position from a legal point of view,
will not only despair when he comes to the end of his reckoning, but if he be
a wise man he will despair at the beginning; for if we are to be judged on the
footing of the law, there shall no flesh living be justified. How blessed to
know that we dwell in the domains of grace and not of law! When thinking of my
state before God the question is not, “Am I perfect in myself before the law?”
but, “Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?” That is a very different matter. We need
not enquire, “Am I without sin naturally?” but, “Have I been washed in the
fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?” It is not “Am I in myself well
pleasing to God?” but it is “Am I accepted in the Beloved?” The Christian
views his evidences from the top of Sinai, and grows alarmed concerning his
salvation; it were better far if he read his title by the light of Calvary.
“Why,” saith he, “my faith has unbelief in it, it is not able to save me.”
Suppose he had considered the object of his faith instead of his faith, then
he would have said, “There is no failure in him, and therefore I am safe.” He
sighs over his hope: “Ah! my hope is marred and dimmed by an anxious
carefulness about present things; how can I be accepted?” Had he regarded the
ground of his hope, he would have seen that the promise of God standeth sure,
and that whatever our doubts may be, the oath and promise never fail. Ah!
believer, it is safer always for you to be led of the Spirit into gospel
liberty than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself at what Christ is rather
than at what you are. Satan will try to mar your peace by reminding you of
your sinfulness and imperfections: you can only meet his accusations by
faithfully adhering to the gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of bondage.

But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.   Galations 5:18

The individual who looks at his character and position from a legal point of view will not only despair when he comes to the end of his reckoning, but if he is a wise man he will despair at the beginning; for if we are to be judged on the basis of the law, none of us will be justified. How blessed to know that we live in the realm of grace and not of law! When thinking of my standing before God, the question is not, “Am I perfect in myself before the law?” but “Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?” That is a very different matter. We need not ask ourselves, “Am I without sin naturally?” but “Have I been washed in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?” It is not “Am I in myself well pleasing to God?” but “Am I accepted in the Beloved?”

When the Christian views his evidences from the top of Sinai, he grows alarmed about his salvation; it is far better for him to view his position in the light of Calvary. “Why,” he says, “my faith has unbelief in it; it is not able to save me.” Suppose he had considered the object of his faith instead of his faith. Then he would have said, “There is no failure in Him, and therefore I am safe.” He sighs over his hope: “My hope is spoiled and darkened by an anxious focusing on present things; how can I be accepted?”

If he had regarded the ground of his hope, he would have seen that the promise of God stands sure and that whatever our doubts may be, God’s oath and promise never fail. Believer, it is always safer for you to be led by the Spirit into gospel freedom than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself on what Christ is rather than on what you are. Satan will try to spoil your peace by reminding you of your sinfulness and imperfections: You can only meet his accusations by faithfully holding to the Gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of slavery.

Family Reading Plan   Ezekiel 9   Psalm 48

Genesis 22:4-18

Abraham began walking with the Lord many years before he was asked to offer Isaac on the altar. His first step had been to leave his home and relatives and go to a land God pledged to show him. But now he was being told to give up the person he cherished most. Isaac was the son of promise–the one through whom God would bring forth a great nation and bless the entire world. This was the biggest challenge Abraham had ever faced, yet he obeyed.

The Lord never allows us to rest on a spiritual plateau. That’s why He at times tests our commitment. These stretching opportunities are an expression of His love because He knows that standing still is not what’s best for us. The testing is designed to help us grow in faith, obedience, and spiritual maturity while increasing our dedication. That is the way we become valuable servants in His kingdom.

Abraham’s obedience to this crucial test was determined by his understanding of God. He believed that the Lord would keep His promise to give him descendants through Isaac, even if it required raising the boy from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19). That’s why Abraham confidently declared to his servants, “We will worship and return to you” (Gen. 22:5, emphasis added). He knew the Lord was faithful.

If you’re going through a time of testing, God is seeking to raise your commitment to a new level. He wants to prove to you that He’s faithful to His promises and will greatly bless you for your obedience. The stretching may be painful, but He will wrap you in His love and carry you to victory.

 It was the intention of my high school math teacher to demonstrate exactly what every student wonders when drudging through exercises that challenge motivation and patience to the highest degree: “Why on earth is this important for the real world?” Interspersed throughout his lessons were statistics that were intended to spur us on to greatness: “Life and trigonometry are in the details,” he would say, followed up by statements like: “Had the position for one of the bases of the St. Louis arch been miscalculated by only a few centimeters, the two arms of the arch would have missed one another completely.” Or, “A 1.3 millimeter spacing error in the assembly of a mirror within the Hubble Telescope, in effect, put blinders on the most powerful telescope ever made (and embarrassed a few former math students).  

 There was something freeing about his vow to reveal the significance of the tedious coursework he readily assigned. He didn’t see us as indolent students asking “why bother” in harmonized whines (though our motives were undoubtedly mixed and laziness was easily one of the factors). Instead, he made it okay to ask why—even mandatory. We did well to ask what on earth trigonometry had to do with reality because however the question was asked, there really was an answer. And if we would hear the answer, we would find that trigonometry wasn’t nearly as meaningless as we expected. 

 I have often wondered what went through the minds of the disciples as Jesus spoke of mustard seeds, wine skins, and thieves in the night. In their three years with Jesus, I am sure the question crossed their minds: “What on earth does this parable have to do with the real world?” More than once the Gospels impart the disciples questioning amongst one another, “What is he talking about?” Imagine their excitement when Jesus promised that a time was coming soon when he would “speak plainly”!

 As humans we are inclined to ask why. It becomes our favorite question at age two and something is lost when we forget it. The desire to know simply for the sake of knowing is what separates humans from animals, said C.S. Lewis. We are inclined to ask, inasmuch as we must ask, because there is an answer. As T.S. Eliot penned:

 We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

 As the disciples watched and listened, Jesus told a crowd of people a story about seeds and soil. When he finished, they took him aside and asked what on earth he was talking about and why he just couldn’t say it more clearly. “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

 Jesus replied, “I speak to them in parables because ‘though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes…But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”(1)

 I’m not sure he answered the question they thought they were asking. It reminds me of the circular discussions we had as children and the why-halting words of a parent, “Because I said so.” In effect, Jesus seems to have said, “I speak to them in stories they don’t understand because they don’t understand.” Yet even after calling the disciples blessed because their eyes and ears were getting it, he still explains the parable to them in detail. 

 What seed had to do with the real world, I’m not sure the disciples saw clearly before it was explained to them. But that the man before them had something more wonderful to do with reality than they could yet grasp was knowledge that opened their eyes along the journey and made them blessed whether they fully comprehended it or not. It seemed to matter more that they were with him—in body, in will, in spirit—than in complete comprehension. And yet he gave them permission—even incentive—to ask why, again and again.

 As my math teacher urged us to see that it was our vision of the “real world” that needed revising, so Jesus compels the world to see more. His parables speak into a world that has somehow grown lackluster and leave us asking not only, “What does this have to do with reality?” but more invasively, “What IS reality?” Or indeed: Who is reality? However the question is asked—with ears hardly hearing, with eyes opened or closed—there is an answer, and Christ suggests he has something to do with it.

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

 (1) Matthew 13:13-16.

Morning “Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar.” /
Psalm 120:5

As a Christian you have to live in the midst of an ungodly world, and it is of
little use for you to cry “Woe is me.” Jesus did not pray that you should be
taken out of the world, and what he did not pray for, you need not desire.
Better far in the Lord’s strength to meet the difficulty, and glorify him in
it. The enemy is ever on the watch to detect inconsistency in your conduct; be
therefore very holy. Remember that the eyes of all are upon you, and that more
is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for
blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like
Daniel, compel them to say of you, “We shall not find any occasion against
this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
Seek to be useful as well as consistent. Perhaps you think, “If I were in a
more favourable position I might serve the Lord’s cause, but I cannot do any
good where I am”; but the worse the people are among whom you live, the more
need have they of your exertions; if they be crooked, the more necessity that
you should set them straight; and if they be perverse, the more need have you
to turn their proud hearts to the truth. Where should the physician be but
where there are many sick? Where is honour to be won by the soldier but in the
hottest fire of the battle? And when weary of the strife and sin that meets
you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured the same trial.
They were not carried on beds of down to heaven, and you must not expect to
travel more easily than they. They had to hazard their lives unto the death in
the high places of the field, and you will not be crowned till you also have
endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, “stand fast in
the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

Evening “Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?” / Job 38:16

Some things in nature must remain a mystery to the most intelligent and
enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has bounds beyond which it cannot
pass. Universal knowledge is for God alone. If this be so in the things which
are seen and temporal, I may rest assured that it is even more so in matters
spiritual and eternal. Why, then, have I been torturing my brain with
speculations as to destiny and will, fixed fate, and human responsibility?
These deep and dark truths I am no more able to comprehend than to find out
the depth which coucheth beneath, from which old ocean draws her watery
stores. Why am I so curious to know the reason of my Lord’s providences, the
motive of his actions, the design of his visitations? Shall I ever be able to
clasp the sun in my fist, and hold the universe in my palm? yet these are as a
drop of a bucket compared with the Lord my God. Let me not strive to
understand the infinite, but spend my strength in love. What I cannot gain by
intellect I can possess by affection, and let that suffice me. I cannot
penetrate the heart of the sea, but I can enjoy the healthful breezes which
sweep over its bosom, and I can sail over its blue waves with propitious
winds. If I could enter the springs of the sea, the feat would serve no useful
purpose either to myself or to others, it would not save the sinking bark, or
give back the drowned mariner to his weeping wife and children; neither would
my solving deep mysteries avail me a single whit, for the least love to God,
and the simplest act of obedience to him, are better than the profoundest
knowledge. My Lord, I leave the infinite to thee, and pray thee to put far
from me such a love for the tree of knowledge as might keep me from the tree
of life.

Have you entered into the springs of the sea?   Job 38:16

Some things in nature remain a mystery even to the most intelligent and enterprising investigators. Human knowledge has boundaries beyond which it cannot pass. Universal knowledge is for God alone. If this is true in the things that are seen and temporal, I can be certain that it is even more so in spiritual and eternal matters. Why, then, have I been torturing my brain with speculations about divine sovereignty and human responsibility? These deep and dark truths I am no more able to comprehend than to discover the source from which the ocean draws her watery supplies.

Why am I so curious to know the reason for my Lord’s providences, the motive of His actions, the design of His visitations? Will I ever be able to clasp the sun in my fist or hold the universe in my palm? Yet these are as a drop in a bucket compared with the Lord my God. Do not let me strive to understand the infinite, but spend my strength in love. What I cannot gain by intellect I can possess by affection, and that should be enough for me. I cannot penetrate the heart of the sea, but I can enjoy the healthy breezes that sweep across it, and I can sail over its blue waves with propitious winds.

If I could enter the springs of the sea, the feat would serve no useful purpose either to myself or to others; it would not save the sinking ship or restore the drowned sailor to his weeping wife and children. Neither would my solving deep mysteries avail me a single whit. The simplest act of obedience to Him is better than the profoundest knowledge. My Lord, I leave the infinite to You and ask You to put far from me a love for the tree of knowledge that would keep me from the tree of life.

Family Reading Plan   Ezekiel 8  Psalm 46

Genesis 22:1-3

While it’s often a struggle to put everything on the altar, one thing I’ve learned is, you don’t have to understand how God will accomplish His plans. All He asks is that you surrender your will to His and trust that He will show you the way (Prov. 3:5-6). Abraham’s willingness to give up what was most precious to him came from his unyielding faith in the Lord’s trustworthiness.

However, if you tell God no because He won’t explain the reason He wants you to do something, you are actually hindering His blessing. But when you say yes to Him, all of heaven opens to pour out His goodness and reward your obedience. What matters more than material blessings are the things He is teaching us in our spirit. Don’t miss that His way of rewarding is like a parent withholding a treat until the child does as he is told. Obeying the Lord naturally positions us to receive what He is already trying to give us and accomplish in our lives. So, when we fail to trust Him and refuse to do what He says, we are the ones choosing to close ourselves off from those good things.

What has God told you to do? Have you only partially cooperated? Or have you, like Abraham, relinquished your need to understand and then obeyed completely?

If the Lord says to give more than you think you are able to give, know that He will provide for you. Whether things are sailing smoothly or the bottom has dropped out, He is always trustworthy. You can count on Almighty God to keep His everlasting Word.

 Why isn’t God more obvious? This question is often asked in many ways and in many contexts, by people of all levels of faith. When prayers go unanswered, why is God silent? When suffering or tragedy strikes, why would God allow this to happen? Why wouldn’t God want more people to know God’s good news? When all the “evidence” seems to counter the biblical narrative, why doesn’t God just give the world a sign? If God was revealed through many wondrous signs and miracles throughout the Bible, why doesn’t God act that way today? All of these examples get at the same issue—the seeming “hiddenness” of God. 

 Atheist Bertrand Russell was once asked what he would say if after death he met God. Russell replied: “God, you gave us insufficient evidence.”(1) While many who have found God quite evident would balk at Russell’s impudence, a similar struggle ensued between the psalmist and his hidden God. “Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Indeed, the psalmist accuses God of being asleep in these plaintive cries: “Arouse, yourself, why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake, and do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?”(2)

 In fact, belief in a God who can be easily found, a God who has acted in time and space, makes the hiddenness of God all the more poignant and perplexing. Theologians have offered many explanations for God’s hiddenness: because God seeks to grow our faith, because our sins and disobedience hide us from God and keep us from seeing God properly, or because God loves us and knows how much and how often we need to “find” God. If we are honest, we are just as likely to hide ourselves from God because of our guilt and shame, just as the first man and woman did in the Garden when God sought after them. Even so, once our hearts are examined and our lives are blameless with regards to any willful hiding from God, we cry out, just like Job did and wonder why God stays hidden away in unanswered prayers and difficult circumstances: “Why do you hide your face, and consider me the enemy?”

 The hiddenness of God is problematic for theists and atheists alike. Christians often take for granted that we have the Scriptures which give us a record of God’s revelation. We have the benefit of a book full of God’s speech. God speaks in the wonder and mystery of creation; God speaks through the history of the nation of Israel; God speaks through the very Word of God incarnate, Jesus Christ. His life reveals the exact nature of God, and places God’s glory on full display. 

 But still we may wonder if we must always and only look to the past to hear God’s voice, while we wonder why God isn’t more “talkative” today? Has God not given us an additional witness for God’s presence and activity in the world today? 

 In fact, God is often found in one of the last places we think of—the church. At its best, the church retells the story of God speaking across the ages and definitively in Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel. But the church can also create community where God may be encountered in the faces of others as a result of the empowering Holy Spirit. Such a community is to be the symbol of God’s presence among us and with us as “God-found,” not “God-hidden.” It is to be the arms of God around us when we are hurting, or the voice of God speaking when we feel we haven’t heard from God in years. Such a community is to be God’s voice, God’s hands and feet as they go out into the broken places of the world to bring healing, help, and comfort. Through worship and liturgy, prayer and communion, service and sacrifice the church is to reveal the God who spoke and is still speaking. 

 God is not often revealed in the roar of the hurricane or the loud-clap of thunder, but in a “still, small voice”—a voice that is barely audible except to the most patient and still. But when the Church, broken and human as it is, seeks through the power of the Spirit to be who it is, we see God and hear God, and find God beautifully obvious. 

 For those who long to see God, who long to find God in the darkest hour, we may not find God in the dramatic or the victorious, the miraculous or the stupendous. Instead, we may yet hope to find him in the pew, at the table of the Lord’s Supper, in a simple hymn, or in the gift of fellow seekers longing to find God too. 

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

 (1) Cited in Dr. Paul K. Moser’s booklet, Why Isn’t God More Obvious: Finding the God who Hides and Seeks (Norcross, GA: RZIM, 2000), 1.
(2) Psalm 10:1, Psalm 44:23-24.

Morning “I will; be thou clean.” / Mark 1:41

Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, “light be,” and straightway light
was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word
of power. Redemption like Creation has its word of might. Jesus speaks and it
is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the
Lord’s “I will.” The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery,
nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided word effected
the entire work on the spot and forever. The sinner is in a plight more
miserable than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus,
“beseeching him and kneeling down to him.” Let him exercise what little faith
he has, even though it should go no further than “Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean;” and there need be no doubt as to the result of the
application. Jesus heals all who come, and casts out none. In reading the
narrative in which our morning’s text occurs, it is worthy of devout notice
that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had broken through the
regulations of the ceremonial law and pressed into the house, but Jesus so far
from chiding him broke through the law himself in order to meet him. He made
an interchange with the leper, for while he cleansed him, he contracted by
that touch a Levitical defilement. Even so Jesus Christ was made sin for us,
although in himself he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. O that poor sinners would go to Jesus, believing in the power of
his blessed substitutionary work, and they would soon learn the power of his
gracious touch. That hand which multiplied the loaves, which saved sinking
Peter, which upholds afflicted saints, which crowns believers, that same hand
will touch every seeking sinner, and in a moment make him clean. The love of
Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, he looks, he touches us, we live.

Evening “Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have.” /
Leviticus 19:36

Weights, and scales, and measures were to be all according to the standard of
justice. Surely no Christian man will need to be reminded of this in his
business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it
should find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances
which weigh moral and spiritual things, and these often need examining. We
will call in the officer tonight.

The balances in which we weigh our own and other men’s characters, are they
quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and
other persons’ bushels of excellence into pecks? See to weights and measures
here, Christian. The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles, are
they according to standard? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called
his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be heavy–surely
something must be amiss with the weights! We must see to this matter, lest we
get reported to the court above for unjust dealing. Those weights with which
we measure our doctrinal belief, are they quite fair? The doctrines of grace
should have the same weight with us as the precepts of the word, no more and
no less; but it is to be feared that with many one scale or the other is
unfairly weighted. It is a grand matter to give just measure in truth.
Christian, be careful here. Those measures in which we estimate our
obligations and responsibilities look rather small. When a rich man gives no
more to the cause of God than the poor contribute, is that a just ephah and a
just hin? When ministers are half starved, is that honest dealing? When the
poor are despised, while ungodly rich men are held in admiration, is that a
just balance? Reader, we might lengthen the list, but we prefer to leave it as
your evening’s work to find out and destroy all unrighteous balances, weights,
and measures.

 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin.   Leviticus 19:36

Weights and scales and measures were all to be according to the standard of justice. Surely no Christian will need to be reminded of this in his business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it would find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances that weigh moral and spiritual things, and these need to be examined often.

Are the balances in which we weigh our own and other men’s characters quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and other people’s pounds of excellence into ounces? The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles—are they properly set? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be heavy—surely something must be wrong with the weights!

We must see to this matter, before we get reported to the court above for unjust dealing. Those weights with which we measure our doctrinal belief—are they quite fair? The doctrines of grace should have the same weight with us as the precepts of the Word, no more and no less; but it is to be feared that with many, one scale or the other is unfairly weighted. It is a vital matter to give honest measure in truth.

Christian, be careful here. Those measures in which we estimate our obligations and responsibilities look rather small. When a rich man gives to the work of God the same amount as the poor contribute, are things properly weighted? When pastors are neglected, is that honest dealing? When the poor are despised, while ungodly rich men are held in admiration, is that a just balance? Reader, we could extend the list, but we prefer to leave it as your evening’s work to identify and destroy all unrighteous balances, weights, and measures.

Family Reading Plan    Ezekiel 7  Psalm 45

Our heavenly Father is interested in every detail of our life. If we want Him to work in a particular area–whether relationships, finances, vocation, habits, or something else–we must be willing to let go and give over to Him whatever He asks of us.

We may think we have no attachments that come between us and the Lord, but He knows our hearts. One Sunday as I was about to preach a sermon along these lines, He showed me something I hadn’t yet taken care of. I realized that I needed to deal with it, or else I wouldn’t be able to preach the sermon. So I was glad when the choir’s song took a while, because I had time to come to the place of being able to say, “Lord, if that’s what You desire, I want to commit it to You. You have the right to claim it at any time, so it’s Yours right now.”

It’s difficult to be completely obedient if we’re holding onto something too tightly. The Lord wants our attachment to be exclusively to Him so we can live unswayed by the world. You may have multitudes of things that God has blessed you with, but the moment any of it has a hold on you, His work in your life will be blocked. But when you open your hands, gripping nothing, you will be totally free as the Holy Spirit’s power flows through you.

Is there anything you feel you could never give up? Think about whatever captivates you, and honestly consider whether it also holds you captive. I challenge you to release that relationship or situation to the Lord right now so He can give you victory and the freedom you’ve been craving.

In his clever telling of The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis describes a place called the “Afterworld” by means of a narrator who is on a bus ride through heaven and hell.  Along the way, he meets a multitude of supernatural beings.  Observing several conversations, the narrator is staggered to find those who are so insistent about what the love of God looks like that their imaginations forbid them from recognizing it as it truly is.     

The Gospel of Luke similarly recounts a story about two people walking along the road to Emmaus. As they walked, they spoke about events that both deeply troubled and genuinely puzzled them. Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had hoped to be the one that God had promised, the deliverer Israel, had been crucified just three days earlier. And complicating matters, that very morning some women came and told them that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was alive. As they walked, their heads bowed heavily with grief, their hearts and minds were tangled with confusion. Jesus himself joined them on their journey. But they did not recognize him. 

 There are certain hopes in each of our lives that orient everything. Our means of imagining these hopes provide a sense of coherence for plaguing questions. But if we come to a place where that hope seems to let us down, it may have been a hope that was not intended to hold such authority. Or, the hope is worthwhile but maybe our imagination is getting in the way.

 The disciples’ passionate hope in Jesus was visibly deflated because their expectations acted as thorns. They did not imagine that the one who would deliver Israel could fall in any way. They could not imagine a messiah who would suffer. Moreover, not only was Jesus betrayed and sentenced to suffer at the hands of men, he was crucified—a death reserved for criminals—a death which symbolized the curse of God. And while they believed in Christ’s work and word, they knew that death had the final word. How often I have reacted similarly, finding the law of nature, the law of returns, the law of unintended consequences the last authority. Most of us can even imagine how reasonable this seems.

 The disciples’ imagination of what could and could not happen so ordered their sense of reality, that they were even blinded from the presence of Jesus in their midst as they imagined all of these events together. Their hope in him was accurate; it was their expectation of that hope that blurred their vision and left them in the murky waters of an incoherent mess.   

 When the weary travelers reached their destination, they sat down with their fellow traveler and broke bread together. And Luke reports that at that moment of nourishing their bodies, their minds were opened too, and finally they recognized the one among them. 

 Today many of us travel along countless roads of life, maybe even discussing hope and disappointment, points of insight and confusion along the way. The Christian traveler offers a curious perspective. Hope in Christ is recognizing the reality of his presence even when we may least expect him, when we can’t imagine how he could appear. Perhaps one day we, too, will ask as the disciples did that day. Were not our hearts burning within us while he was with us on the road?

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

Morning “Thou whom my soul loveth.” / Song of Solomon 1:7

It is well to be able, without any “if” or “but,” to say of the Lord
Jesus–“Thou whom my soul loveth.” Many can only say of Jesus that they hope
they love him; they trust they love him; but only a poor and shallow
experience will be content to stay here. No one ought to give any rest to his
spirit till he feels quite sure about a matter of such vital importance. We
ought not to be satisfied with a superficial hope that Jesus loves us, and
with a bare trust that we love him. The old saints did not generally speak
with “buts,” and “ifs,” and “hopes,” and “trusts,” but they spoke positively
and plainly. “I know whom I have believed,” saith Paul. “I know that my
Redeemer liveth,” saith Job. Get positive knowledge of your love of Jesus, and
be not satisfied till you can speak of your interest in him as a reality,
which you have made sure by having received the witness of the Holy Spirit,
and his seal upon your soul by faith.

True love to Christ is in every case the Holy Spirit’s work, and must be
wrought in the heart by him. He is the efficient cause of it; but the logical
reason why we love Jesus lies in himself. Why do we love Jesus? Because he
first loved us. Why do we love Jesus? Because he “gave himself for us.” We
have life through his death; we have peace through his blood. Though he was
rich, yet for our sakes he became poor. Why do we love Jesus? Because of the
excellency of his person. We are filled with a sense of his beauty! an
admiration of his charms! a consciousness of his infinite perfection! His
greatness, goodness, and loveliness, in one resplendent ray, combine to
enchant the soul till it is so ravished that it exclaims, “Yea, he is
altogether lovely.” Blessed love this–a love which binds the heart with
chains more soft than silk, and yet more firm than adamant!

Evening “The Lord trieth the righteous.” / Psalm 11:5

All events are under the control of Providence; consequently all the trials of
our outward life are traceable at once to the great First Cause. Out of the
golden gate of God’s ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad
in their iron armour, and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors
to trial. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned
in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are
not too high, and our valleys are not too low for temptations: trials lurk on
all roads. Everywhere, above and beneath, we are beset and surrounded with
dangers. Yet no shower falls unpermitted from the threatening cloud; every
drop has its order ere it hastens to the earth. The trials which come from God
are sent to prove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the
power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to
their energy. Our Lord in his infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so
high a value upon his people’s faith that he will not screen them from those
trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the
precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been
like unto fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the
wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the
precious truths of the covenant grace. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith;
it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage.
The balloon never rises until the cords are cut; affliction doth this sharp
service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it
is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its
value can be known. Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, for it
causeth them to grow rich towards God.

The Lord tests the righteous. Psalm 11:5

 All events are under the control of providence; consequently all the trials of our outward life are ultimately traceable to God our Father. Out of the golden gate of God’s ordinance the armies of trial march in rank, clad in their iron armor and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors to testing. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in prosperous seas as easily as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high, and our valleys are not too low for temptations: Trials lurk at every turn. Everywhere, above and below, we are confronted and surrounded with danger. Still no shower falls unpermitted from the threatening cloud; every drop has its order before it arrives on the earth.

The trials that come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces and immediately illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love sets such a high value upon His people’s faith that He will not protect them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith that now supports you if the trial of your faith had not put you through the fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted as well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro and made you take a firm hold upon the precious truths of God’s gracious covenant.

Worldly ease is a great enemy to faith; it loosens the joints of holy zeal and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. The balloon never rises until the cords are cut; affliction provides this service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk, it is useless to us; it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is good that the Lord tests the righteous, for it causes them to grow rich toward God.

Family Reading Plan   Ezekiel 6   Psalm 44