Daily Archives: May 12, 2018

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Advancing Through Adversity

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Isaiah 63:9

At medical checkups, children periodically need immunizations. Boys and girls may not understand that inoculations protect them; from their point of view, they are experiencing pain—while someone who loves them is allowing it! Such an experience affords a little insight into God’s dealings with His children. It answers one of the questions we often ask when painful things happen to us: Where is God?

The Bible tells us that “in all their affliction He was afflicted” (Isa. 63:9). You may remember your earthly father restraining you so that the doctor could administer the injection. Perhaps you recall him commenting that the experience hurt him more than it did you. That is exactly what our heavenly Father is describing in this Bible passage. To a childish mind, it is an utterly incomprehensible concept, but when we have children of our own, we grasp it clearly. We then begin to understand what kind of a God we have. He Himself entered into all our agony, and He has tasted the last drop in our own cup of suffering.

Where is God? He is where the pain is. The book of Isaiah says, “He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him” (Isa. 53:5).

As you face hard times, look into the Savior’s tear-stained face—you won’t see anything but love. If we would follow Jesus, we must bear the fellowship of His suffering. We must go where He is, and the cross is one of the sweetest places to find Him.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 4-7

 

http://www.intouch.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Take the Time

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Read: Luke 19:1–10 | Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 15–16; John 3:1–18

Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. Luke 19:5

Rima, a Syrian woman who had recently moved to the United States, tried to explain to her tutor with hand motions and limited English why she was upset. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she held up a beautifully arranged platter of fatayer (meat, cheese, and spinach pies) that she had made. Then she said, “One man,” and made a swishing sound as she pointed from the door to the living room and then back to the door. The tutor pieced together that several people from a nearby church were supposed to visit Rima and her family and bring some gifts. But only one man had shown up. He had hurried in, dropped off a box of items, and rushed out. He was busy taking care of a responsibility, while she and her family were lonely and longed for community and to share their fatayer with new friends.

Taking time for people is what Jesus was all about. He attended dinner parties, taught crowds, and took time for interaction with individuals. He even invited Himself to one man’s house. Zacchaeus, a tax collector, climbed a tree to see Him, and when Jesus looked up, He said, “Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:1–9). And Zacchaeus’s life was changed forever.

The best gift you can give to others may be your time.

Because of other responsibilities, we won’t always be able to take the time. But when we do, we have a wonderful privilege of being with others and watching the Lord work through us.

How have others taken time for you? How might you show Jesus’s love to someone this week?

The best gift you can give to others may be your time.

By Anne Cetas

INSIGHT

Jesus’s ministry is a remarkable contrast to our tendency to live a fast-paced life pulled in countless directions. Even though everyone needed Him, Jesus never seemed to rush. In Luke 8, while on the way to a dying child, Jesus lingers to heal a woman in the crowd (vv. 43–48), even though the child dies in the meantime (v. 49). Similarly, in John 11, after hearing His beloved friend was sick (v. 3), Jesus lingers (vv. 5–6). And in Luke 19, Jesus notices and takes the time to reach out to a man who had climbed a tree just to see Him (v. 4).

Jesus’s example reminds us that we don’t love others best through harried attempts to meet everyone’s needs, but rather when we’re fully present to those around us.

Monica Brands

 

http://www.odb.org

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Compassion for Mothers-in-Law 

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When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.  Matthew 8:14-15

Do you see your mother-in-law with compassion, or do you see her as competition? Your mother-in-law is meant to compliment your marriage, not compete with it. Peter did a smart thing as a son-in-law: he invited Jesus into his home and into their relationship. As a result, Jesus healed his mother-in-law so she was free to serve Him and others.

It is out of an attitude of compassion that you are able to illustrate to your mother-in-law the love of Jesus. If you resist her interest in your family, reject her suggestions, or deny her access to your home, you dishonor her in the process. We all have our quirks, but the Lord works these out with levity, love, and long-suffering. Compassion compensates.

As the leader of your home, make sure you are reaching out to your mother-in-law on a regular basis. Perhaps you invite her over for her grandchildren’s birthdays, school events, or sporting activities. How are you intentionally engaging your in-laws so they are able to do life with your little ones? It is out of a multi-generational community that your offspring gain perspective from their grandparents. Honor them as models for your children, who one day will honor their own in-laws. Ruth lived this out in uncomfortable circumstances.

“Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before’” (Ruth 2:11).

You may be concerned that your mother-in-law does not know the Lord. This is a reasonable fear. But it’s also an opportunity for you to be a righteous representative of your Savior. When she sees Jesus in your attitude and actions, she will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to know Him as you know Him. A fractured family is an opportunity for faith to flourish.

Help facilitate faith and healing in your family dynamic by keeping Christ at the center. Ask how you can serve your mother-in-law in ways she wants to be served. Do you invite her on family outings, extended trips, or over the weekend to stay with your children? Pray your mother-in-law becomes like your mother, and you like her child.

“Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too” (Romans 16:13).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, grow my heart of love to love insecure and hurting family members, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Application: How can I best show compassion to my mother-in-law with my attitude and actions?

Related Readings: Ruth 3:16; Micah 7:6; Luke 12:53; Ephesians 5:31

Worship Resource: 6-minute music video- Gaither’s: Go Rest High On That Mountain

Taken from Seeking Daily the Heart of God v.2

 

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – I Am Protected

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. — Psalm 91:1

Spending time with God protects us from the attacks of our enemies. When I remember this, it helps me feel safe, and that is something we all desire.

Take a moment several times a day to simply turn your attention toward the Lord and say, “I know You are with me and that You are my Protector.” Then, take a few moments to dwell in that thought and let it comfort you. There is never a moment in your life when God is not with you.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for being with me at all times. Your Word says You will never forsake me, and You will protect me from those would harm me (see Hebrews 13:5). Help me to regularly spend time with You and daily focus on Your love and protection. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God Meets Our Needs

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“I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves Him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry” (Psalm 37:25). 

Tom had been a humble follower and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ from his youth. He had learned of our Lord at the family altar in his modest home. Through the urging of his father and mother, he mastered and memorized large portions of Scripture. By his teenage years he was preaching, and after a brief time of study in a Bible institute he became an evangelist. His work was largely in the smaller rural churches. His speech was never eloquent nor was he distinguished and cultured in his appearance and demeanor, but he was a man of God. wherever he went, hearts were strangely warmed as he spoke the truths concerning our wonderful Savior.

Now he had reached the ripe age of ninety. His hair was snow white and a bit long, but always neat. His ministry had covered over seventy years, and in that period he had come to know heartache, sorrow, adversity and poverty (especially during the depression years). He had performed many wedding ceremonies, had spent long nights at the bedside of the sick and had preached many funeral sermons. In obedience to his Lord, he had ministered to the widows and orphans, the poor and imprisoned. On this occasion, as he was coming to the climax of a rich and overflowing life, a radiant adventure with God – yes, the supernatural life – he reminisced. As he recalled some of the heartaches and tragedies, he said, “You know, not one single time in all my years have I seen the Lord forsake a man who loved Him, nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. Of course, I have seen Christians suffer, and I’ve been with them in their sorrow. But there’s something different about the life of the one who walks with God. There’s serenity, a peace. And then almost miraculously, while the ungodly go hungry, God meets the needs of His children as He promised.

“Yes,” he said in conclusion, “you can trust God and His Word. He never fails to keep His promise.”

Bible Reading:Psalm 37:26-34

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that I can trust God to meet my every need no matter what happens, I shall seek first the kingdom of God. Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I will live a godly life, a supernatural life for the glory of my Savior, and I will tell others how faithful and trustworthy He is.

 

http://www.cru.org

Today in the Word

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

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Revelation 6:1–8

Popular culture has widely appropriated ideas of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was the nickname of the Notre Dame football team’s backfield in 1924. Rock band Metallica used it as the title for a song. The Four Horsemen made a brief appearance in the movie Hellboy: The Fury and appear in more than one Marvel comic story line. They were even featured in an episode of The Simpsons. All this may blunt the force of our encounter with them in Revelation 6.

The Four Horsemen issue forth from the first four of the seven seals on the scroll mentioned in chapter 5. Each horseman represents a mode of divine judgment, which is progressive. The horseman who conquers is followed by the horseman who takes peace from the earth (v. 4). He gives way to a black horse with scales in his hands who brings want (vv. 5–6). The fourth horseman is the most terrifying: “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” (v. 8). And this is only the overture. Three more seals will follow and from the seventh seal will come another series of seven judgments.

We must remember that the Four Horsemen are not merely a cultural trope. They point to real events that will take place at the end of the age. These events are not random disasters. Only the Lamb can break the seals and set them in motion. They are an execution of divine judgment that will eventually culminate in God’s ultimate victory.

APPLY THE WORD

The descriptions of the terror unleashed by the Four Horsemen should sober us, but we should not miss a key lesson here: God is in control. The stage is being set for Christ’s return and the establishment of His kingdom. The same is true on a smaller scale in our individual lives. Jesus is the gatekeeper of everything that enters our lives.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The True Prophet in a World of False Witnesses

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Read: Mark 14:55-72

And Jesus said, “I am.” (v. 62)

Jesus Christ is the true witness who exposes the lies of the world. During his trial, Jesus fulfilled the ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exod. 20:16). He witnessed to the truth of his self-revelation with just two simple words: “I am.” He told one of the biggest truths of all, that in Jesus Christ, God was with us in the flesh. He bore witness to this truth with his whole being. And with his simple and powerful testimony, Jesus testified against us, his neighbors, but truthfully. His words exposed the lies of everyone around him.

The contrast in his trial is striking. On one side, false witnesses spoke lies about what Jesus said and who Jesus was. On the other side, Peter lied about his personal relationship with Jesus. Everyone else in this story is a false witness. Jesus is surrounded by lies and deception on all sides. From a spiritual perspective, however, the tables are completely turned. It is actually Jesus who stands in judgment of the world, exposing its duplicity. It is he who testifies to God’s love openly, by his words and on the cross. There are gaping holes between what we say and what we believe. But Jesus is the truth. By his wounds, he can heal the wounds of our gaps of integrity. As his truth exposes the rifts of our duplicity, our best response is, like Peter, to weep. —Steven Rodriguez

Prayer: Lord, let me weep for my duplicity and listen for your truth

 

https://woh.org/