You have not bought me sweet cane with money.   Isaiah 43:24

Worshipers at the temple were keen to bring presents of sweet perfumes to be burned upon the altar of God. But Israel, in the time of her backsliding, became ungenerous and made fewer offerings to her Lord. This was an evidence of coldness of heart toward God and His house.

Reader, does this never happen with you? Is it not possible that the complaint of this text may occasionally, if not frequently, be brought against you? Those who are poor in pocket, if rich in faith, will be accepted even though their gifts are small; but, poor reader, do you give in fair proportion to the Lord, or is the widow’s mite kept back from the sacred treasury? The rich believer should be thankful for the wealth entrusted to him but should not forget his large responsibility, for where much is given, much will be required.

But, rich reader, are you mindful of your obligations, and is your giving to the Lord proportionate to the benefit you enjoy? Jesus gave His blood for us; what shall we give to Him? We are His, and He has purchased us for Himself—can we act as if we were our own? O for more consecration! O for more love! Blessed Jesus, how good it is of You to accept our sweet cane bought with money! Nothing is too costly as a tribute to Your unrivaled love, and yet You receive with favor the smallest sincere token of affection! You receive our poor forget-me-nots and love-tokens as though they were intrinsically precious, though indeed they are but as the bunch of wild flowers that the child brings to his mother.

Let us never grow stingy toward You, and from this hour may we never hear You complain of us again for withholding the gifts of our love. We will give You the firstfruits of our increase and pay You tithes of all, and then we will confess, “of your own have we given you.”1

11 Chronicles 29:14

The family reading plan for May 23, 2012

Isaiah 24 | 1 John 2

Galatians 6:1-5

The Lord doesn’t want the members of His body to live in isolation; believers are intended to function as a loving family who actively care for each other. One of our responsibilities as part of God’s household is to come alongside a brother or sister who has stumbled. Paul specifies that those “who are spiritual” are to restore the fallen ones to fellowship with the Father and the family. “Spiritual” doesn’t mean some elite group of pious leaders; it refers to any Christians who are living under the Spirit’s control. A key element in this process is the attitude of the one who seeks to restore a fellow Christian.

A Spirit of Gentleness: This isn’t a time for harshness, anger, judgment, or condemnation. Our goal is not to heap pain and guilt upon a hurting brother or sister but to show mercy and forgiveness (2 Cor. 2:5-8).

A Spirit of Humility: Those who have a superior attitude look down on a fallen brother and think, I would never make those mistakes. But the humble know their own vulnerability. Instead of judging others, they examine their own lives in order to recognize and deal with areas of weakness.

A Spirit of Love: When we love others, we’ll willingly sharing their burden. This requires an unselfish investment of our time, energy, and prayer on their behalf.

How do you react when a fellow Christian has stumbled? One of the ugliest human traits is our tendency to feel better about ourselves when another person misses the mark. Instead of sharing the latest gossip about a fallen brother or sister, let your heart break, and come alongside to love and help.

For most of us, the act of remembering or revisiting a memory takes us back into the distant past. We remember people, events, cherished locales and details from days long gone. Of course, not all memories are pleasant, and traveling toward the distant past can also resemble something more like a nightmare than a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Nevertheless, even if we have but a few, all of us have cherished memories or times we periodically revisit in daydreams and remembrances.

Nostalgia is one such way of revisiting these times. It can be defined as that bittersweet yearning for things in the past. The hunger it creates in us to return to another time and place lures us away from living in the realities of the present. Nostalgia wears a shade of rose-colored glasses as it envisions days that were always sweeter, richer, and better than the present day. In general, as Frederick Buechner has said, nostalgia takes us “on an excursion from the living present back into the dead past…” or else it summons “the dead past back into the living present.”(1) In either case, nostalgic remembering removes us from the present and tempts us to dwell in the unlivable past. Without finding ways to remember forward—to bring the past as the good, the bad, and the ugly into the present in a way that informs who we are and how we will live here and now—all we are left with is nostalgia.

It is far from a sense of nostalgia that drives the writer of Psalm 78. Instead, the psalmist recalls the history of Israel as a means of remembering forward, bringing the full reality of the past into a place of honest remembrance not just for the present generation, but for the sake of generations to come. The psalmist exhorts the people to listen and incline their ears to the stories of their collective history; the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the entry into the land of promise in which they currently dwell. “We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength and his wondrous works that he has done….That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep the commandments” (Psalm 78:4-7).

Despite bearing witness to the work of God among them, the people of Israel forgot these crucial aspects of their historical narrative. In so doing, they did not keep the covenant and began to live in ways that went contrary to all that defined them. They forgot the deeds and miraculous signs which bore witness to God’s presence. Moreover, they lost faith and did not trust in God’s salvation. The psalmist acknowledges that they all “grieved God in the desert.” There are no rose-colored remembrances here, no bittersweet yearnings to which they can return. Rather, the darker parts of their story are remembered even as praise is offered up for God’s long-suffering and loving-kindness. The psalmist urges the people to think about this God in the midst of their present circumstances. What had God done among them in the past in spite of their own failings? And how might they now live in light of that past?

Perhaps it is this collective remembering Jesus has in mind when he instructs those closest to him to remember. Jesus instructs his followers during that last supper together saying “this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me” he is not calling them to bittersweet yearnings, or simply to remember events lived long ago (Luke 22:19). Rather, he calls them to remember in a way that would shape their living in the present, and for the future. Surely these intimate friends of Jesus could not have understood fully all that was implied in his call to remember him. Yet, they became his witnesses “in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus, was not just a fact they rehearsed, but a lived reality that gave contour and context for their generation, and for generations to come.

In the face of an uncertain future, or perhaps a painful present, we might be tempted to dwell in a nostalgic remembering. We might wish for the comfort of selective memories. Yet, for those who want to follow Jesus we have the opportunity to ask ourselves how we are remembering forward? What stories do our lives tell? How do our lives enact the great narrative of salvation in our present day? As we think about the kind of remembrance that enlivens our present and gives hope for the future, we can join in the song of praise with the psalmist of old: Yes, we your people and the sheep of your pasture give thanks to you forever; to all generations we will tell of your praise!(2)

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

(1) Beyond Words: Daily Readings on the ABC’s of Faith (Harper: San Francisco, 2004), 252.
(2) Psalm 79:13.

Morning   “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.”   Psalm 138:8

Most manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist here expressed was a divine

confidence. He did not say, “I have grace enough to perfect that which

concerneth me–my faith is so steady that it will not stagger–my love is so

warm that it will never grow cold–my resolution is so firm that nothing can

move it”; no, his dependence was on the Lord alone. If we indulge in any

confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of Ages, our confidence is worse

than a dream, it will fall upon us, and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow

and confusion. All that Nature spins time will unravel, to the eternal confusion

of all who are clothed therein. The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing

short  of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is

he who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be

complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness

which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence,

the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do

it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have

resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief insinuates–“You

will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never

conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world

that beset you, you will be certainly allured by them and led astray.” Ah! yes,

we should indeed perish if left to our own strength. If we had alone to navigate

our frail vessels over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage in

despair; but, thanks be to God, he will perfect that which concerneth us, and

bring us to the desired haven. We can never be too confident when we confide in

him alone, and never too much concerned to have such a trust.

Evening   “Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money.” Isaiah 43:24

Worshippers at the temple were wont to bring presents of sweet perfumes to be

burned upon the altar of God: but Israel, in the time of her backsliding, became

ungenerous, and made but few votive offerings to her Lord: this was an evidence

of coldness of heart towards God and his house. Reader, does this never occur

with you? Might not the complaint of the text be occasionally, if not

frequently, brought against you? Those who are poor in pocket, if rich in faith,

will be accepted none the less because their gifts are small; but, poor reader,

do you give in fair proportion to the Lord, or is the widow’s mite kept back

from the sacred treasury? The rich believer should be thankful for the

talent entrusted to him, but should not forget his large responsibility, for

where much is given much will be required; but, rich reader, are you mindful of

your obligations, and rendering to the Lord according to the benefit received?

Jesus gave his blood for us, what shall we give to him? We are his, and all that

we have, for he has purchased us unto himself–can we act as if we were our own?

O for more consecration! and to this end, O for more love! Blessed Jesus, how

good it is of thee to accept our sweet cane bought with money! nothing is too

costly as a tribute to thine unrivalled love, and yet thou dost receive with

favour the smallest sincere token of affection! Thou dost receive

our poor forget-me-nots and love-tokens as though they were intrinsically

precious, though indeed they are but as the bunch of wild flowers which the

child brings to its mother. Never may we grow niggardly towards thee, and from

this hour never may we hear thee complain of us again for withholding the gifts

of our love. We will give thee the first fruits of our increase, and pay thee

tithes of all, and then we will confess “of thine own have we given thee.”

Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved.  Song of Songs 1:16

From every angle our Well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are meant by our heavenly Father to provide new vantage points from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus. How friendly are our trials when they allow us a clearer view of Jesus than ordinary life could afford us! We have seen Him from the mountain peaks, and He has shone upon us as the sun in His strength; but we have seen Him also from the lions’ dens, and even there He has lost none of His loveliness. In the experience of suffering and pain, from the borders of the grave, we have turned our eyes to our soul’s spouse, and He has never been other than “beautiful.”

Many of His saints looked upon Him from the gloom of dungeons and from the martyr’s flames; yet they never uttered an ill word of Him, but died extolling His surpassing charms. To keep our gaze on the Lord Jesus is noble and pleasant employment. Is it not unspeakably delightful to view the Savior in all His works and to perceive Him matchless in each? To shift the kaleidoscope, as it were, and to find fresh combinations of matchless grace? In the manger and in eternity, on the cross and on His throne, in the garden and in His kingdom, among thieves or in the midst of cherubim, He is everywhere glorious in His beauty.

Examine carefully every little act of His life and every trait of His character, and He is as lovely in the minute as in the majestic. Judge Him as you will, you cannot censure; weigh Him as you please, and He will not be found wanting. Eternity shall not discover the shadow of a spot in our Beloved, but rather as ages revolve, His hidden glories will shine with even more inconceivable splendor, and His unutterable loveliness will continually ravish all celestial minds.

The family reading plan for May 22, 2012

Isaiah 23 | 1 John 1

How are you to respond when you experience times of rejection? Should you curl up in a dark corner and engage in self-pity? Will you withdraw from life completely and disown the people who love and accept you? No!

You are to do three specific things when you feel an intense need to belong.

1. Believe what God says about you.

Through the years, I have had a number of divorced or widowed people say to me, “I feel like a nobody.” My response to them is, “That’s not what God says about you.”

God says you are a somebody. You are so special and valuable to Him that He sent His Son to die for your sins, and He made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell within you. He did that to remind you on a daily basis that you are valuable beyond measure in His eyes.

“But I feel so all alone in the world,” someone might say.

You aren’t alone, because God is with you. He has promised to stay right by your side, regardless of what happens to you. Even if everybody you know has rejected you, God will not leave you. Be assured that you are forgiven and a full-fledged member of God’s family. In Christ, we are His children, never to be denied, rejected, or turned away from His presence.

2. Seek God’s acceptance first.

Divorce is devastating because it destroys a person’s sense of belonging. It creates an even greater need to belong, a need that isn’t felt as keenly or as deeply when a person is happily married.

A woman whose husband had recently divorced her confessed to me, “I don’t feel as if I belong anyplace anymore. My life has been ripped apart. What can I do?”

“Go to Christ,” I said. “Trust the Lord to be the One who provides for you. He alone can give you identity and supply comfort in your loneliness. Do everything obediently in service to Him, trusting Him to direct your path. Know that He will shelter you from evil, uphold you, and provide daily guidance. Depend on Him with your entire being, and surrender completely to His will.”

Is God’s acceptance of you more important than acceptance by other people? You have been given the ability and prerogative to ignore God, continue on your own way, and rebel against His desire enjoy a growing relationship with you. But why not spend time in His Word to see the deep, unconditional love He has for you? Why not give in and yield to His compassionate, fatherly embrace?

3. Recognize that God will never reject you.

Perhaps you are afraid that you might one day lose God’s acceptance and love. Nothing, my friend—absolutely nothing—can destroy your standing in Christ or diminish the love He extends to you. Not now, not ever.

When my grandson was very young, the first thing he would do when he came to my house was demand to sit on my lap. He had a sense—rightly so—that there was no other person I would rather have been with in that moment.

Friend, that’s the way God feels about you and me. He delights in being with us. He holds us tenderly. And there is no other person in the world He would rather be with. The amazing truth about our infinite God is that He is capable of expressing to us all His love and attention. In our finite minds, we can not grasp that. But in God’s great and infinite love, He can completely meet my need for belonging, just as surely as He can fully meet yours.

When you feel as if you don’t belong, come to God with a desire to sit for a while in His presence. Come with a willingness to be held, like a child, in His everlasting arms. Allow yourself to relax. You are 100 percent welcome there. The Father longs for you to be with Him.

Adapted from “Our Unmet Needs” by Charles F. Stanley, 1999, pp.197-203.

For the past decade, doctors and psychologists have been taking notice of the health benefits of reflective writing. They note that wrestling with words to put your deepest thoughts into writing can lift your mind from depression, uncover wisdom within your experiences, provide insight and foster self-awareness. Similarly, a recent news article discussed the benefits of confessional writing, where one is freed to “explore the depths of the emotional junkyard.” In my own experience, writing has no doubt been a helpful way to sift through the junkyard, though perhaps most effectively when open to being surprised by beauty and not merely reveling in the messes.

Writing is helpful because the eye of a writer seeks the transcendent—moments where the extraordinary is beheld in the ordinary, glimpses of clarity within the junkyard, beauty in a world of contrasts. When Jesus stooped over the crumbled girl at his feet and wrote something in the sand, the written word spoke more powerfully than the anger of the Pharisees and well beyond the sins of the prostitute. As singer songwriter Michael Card writes of Jesus’s scribbling, “It was a cup of cold water for a thirsty adulteress and an ice-cold drenching in the face to a group of angry Pharisees.”  Writing is a tool with which we learn to see ourselves more clearly, a catalyst for which we can learn to see thankfully beyond ourselves.

In the C.S. Lewis novel, Til We Have Faces, the main character, Orual, has taken mental notes throughout her life, carefully building what she refers to as her “case” against the gods. Finally choosing to put her case in writing, she describes each instance where she has been wronged. It is only after Orual has finished writing that she soberly recognizes her great mistake. To have heard herself making the complaint was to be answered, for she now sees the importance of uttering the speech at the center of one’s soul. She profoundly then observes that the gods used her own pen to probe the wounds. With sharpened insight Orual explains, “Til the words can be dug out of us, why should [the gods] hear the babble that we think we mean?  How can they meet us face to face til we have faces?”

There is something about writing that can introduce us to ourselves and to the image of another. Daring to utter the words at the center of our souls we may find the words leading us to truer selves. What if God could use your own pen to probe the wounds of your life? In the intimate descriptions of life recorded in the Psalms, the writers of the Psalms express loneliness, joy, even frustration with God. “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?” (Psalm 30:9). Yet the psalmists walk away from their words with a clearer sense of reality. And, I would add, their words have been a source of encouragement to countless lives, pointing many to wisdom, to beauty and depth, to a God enthroned on high.

As Jesus stood with the girl at his feet in the middle of a group armed with stones and hatred, the Word that brought life into existence and worked the heavens with his fingers, crouched down in the sand and with his finger changed a life. Might this Word so move us also such that our own words bring us to know ourselves, the beauty and the mess, each other, and God.

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

Morning “He led them forth by the right way.” Psalm 107:7

Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to inquire “Why is it thus

with me?” I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold,

trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm; I shall never be moved.

Lord, thou dost hide thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I

could read my title clear; today my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are

clouded. Yesterday, I could climb to Pisgah’s top, and view the landscape o’er,

and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; today, my spirit has no

hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God’s plan

with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven?

Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the

fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God’s method of making

you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials

are for the testing and strengthening of your faith–they are waves that wash

you further upon the rock–they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly

towards the desired haven. According to David’s words, so it might be said of

you, “So he bringeth them to their desired haven.” By honour and dishonour, by

evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by

distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life

of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh,

think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God’s plan; they are necessary

parts of it. “We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom.” Learn,

then, even to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”

“O let my trembling soul be still,

And wait thy wise, thy holy will!

I cannot, Lord, thy purpose see,

Yet all is well since ruled by thee.”

Evening “Behold, thou art fair, my Beloved.” Song of Solomon 1:16

From every point our Well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are

meant by our heavenly Father to furnish fresh standpoints from which we may view

the loveliness of Jesus; how amiable are our trials when they carry us aloft

where we may gain clearer views of Jesus than ordinary life could afford us! We

have seen him from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, and he

has shone upon us as the sun in his strength; but we have seen him also “from

the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards,” and he has lost none of

his loveliness. From the languishing of a sick bed, from the borders of the

grave, have we turned our eyes to our soul’s spouse, and he has never been

otherwise than “all fair.” Many of his saints have looked upon him from the

gloom of dungeons, and from the red flames of the stake, yet have they never

uttered an ill word of him, but have died extolling his surpassing charms. Oh,

noble and pleasant employment to be forever gazing at our sweet Lord Jesus! Is

it not unspeakably delightful to view the Saviour in all his offices, and to

perceive him matchless in each?–to shift the kaleidoscope, as it were, and to

find fresh combinations of peerless graces? In the manger and in eternity, on

the cross and on his throne, in the garden and in his kingdom, among thieves or

in the midst of cherubim, he is everywhere “altogether lovely.” Examine

carefully every little act of his life, and every trait of his character, and

he is as lovely in the minute as in the majestic. Judge him as you will, you

cannot censure; weigh him as you please, and he will not be found wanting.

Eternity shall not discover the shadow of a spot in our Beloved, but rather, as

ages revolve, his hidden glories shall shine forth with yet more inconceivable

splendour, and his unutterable loveliness shall more and more ravish all

celestial minds.

There is grain for sale in Egypt.   Genesis 42:2

Famine pinched all the nations, and it seemed inevitable that Jacob and his family should suffer great want; but the God of providence, who never forgets the objects of electing love, had stored a granary for His people by giving the Egyptians warning of the scarcity and leading them to treasure up the grain from the years of plenty. Little did Jacob expect deliverance from Egypt, but there was grain in store for him.

Believer, though all things are apparently against you, rest assured that God has made a reservation on your behalf; in the roll of your griefs there is a saving clause. Somehow He will deliver you, and somewhere He will provide for you. Your rescue may come from a very unexpected source, but help will definitely come in your extremity, and you will magnify the name of the Lord. If men do not feed you, ravens will; and if the earth does not yield wheat, heaven will drop manna.

Therefore be of good courage, and rest quietly in the Lord. God can make the sun rise in the west if He pleases and can make the source of distress a channel of delight. The grain in Egypt was all in the hands of the beloved Joseph; he opened or closed the granaries at will. And so the riches of providence are all in the absolute power of our Lord Jesus, who will dispense them generously to His people. Joseph was abundantly ready to help his own family; and Jesus is unceasing in His faithful care for His brethren.

Our responsibility is to go after the help that is provided for us: We must not sit still in despondency, but stir ourselves. Prayer will bring us quickly into the presence of our royal Brother. Once before His throne we have only to ask and receive. His stores are not exhausted; there is still grain: His heart is not hard; He will give the grain to us. Lord, forgive our unbelief, and this evening constrain us to draw largely from Your fullness and receive grace for grace.

The family reading plan for May 21, 2012

Isaiah 22 | 2 Peter 3

Romans 12:2

Today’s verse outlines the commitment and steps necessary in developing a godly lifestyle. Paul was urgently warning believers not to be conformed to the world. Our susceptibility to compromise is one of the greatest dangers in the church today.

Through ungodly relationships and the impact of media, we’re being influenced by people who are not following God’s ways. Our society tells us to to put self first, take what we want, protect our rights, and promote our own interests above others’. In contrast, Jesus said that our heavenly Father will provide what we truly need (Phil. 4:19), we are to deny self and follow Him (Luke 9:23), and the humble–not the proud–shall receive honor (James 4:10). Conformity to the world’s ideals will lead us away from God.

At the same time, Paul urged us to pursue godly transformation of our minds: to set our thoughts on things above (Col. 3:2) and to focus on what is true, right, pure, and admirable (Phil. 4:8). Adopting a Christian worldview will lead to Christlike actions. It requires making adjustments in how we view life until our thoughts line up with Scripture. We must also protect our minds with biblical truth and surround ourselves with mature believers who can warn us when we start to stray.

Ask yourself, Am I focusing on what is important to the Lord?…avoiding compromise?…making a conscious effort to adhere to biblical truth?… demonstrating a pattern of godly transformation? Let God’s Holy Spirit empower you to make the changes necessary to be more like Christ.

Some time ago my wife, Margie, returned from an errand visibly shaken by a heartrending conversation she had experienced. She was about the very simple task of selecting a picture and a frame when a dialogue began with the owner of the shop. When Margie said that she would like a scene with children in it the woman quite casually asked if the people for whom the picture was being purchased had any children of their own. “No,” replied my wife, “but that is not by their choice.” There was a momentary pause. Suddenly, like a hydrant uncorked, a question burst with unveiled hostility from the other woman’s lips: “Have you ever lost a child?” Margie was somewhat taken aback and immediately sensed that a terrible tragedy probably lurked behind the abrupt question.

The conversation had obviously taken an unsettling turn. But even at that she was not prepared for the flood of emotion and anger that was yet to follow, from this one who was still a stranger. The sorry tale quickly unfolded. The woman proceeded to speak of the two children she had lost, each loss carrying a heartache all its own. “Now,” she added, “I am standing by watching my sister as she is about to lose her child.” There was no masking of her bitterness and no hesitancy about where to ascribe the blame for these tragedies. Unable to utter anything that would alleviate the pain of this gaping wound in the woman’s heart, my wife began to say, “I am sorry,” when she was interrupted with a stern rebuke, “Don’t say anything!”  She finally managed to be heard just long enough to say in parting, “I’ll be praying for you through this difficult time.” But even that brought a crisp rejoinder, “Don’t bother.”

Margie returned to her car and just wept out of shock and longing to reach out to this broken life. Even more, ever since that conversation she has carried with her an unshakable mental picture of a woman’s face whose every muscle contorted with anger and anguish—at once seeking a touch yet holding back, yearning for consolation but silencing anyone who sought to help, shoving at people along the way to get to God. Strangely, this episode spawned a friendship and we have had the wonderful privilege of getting close to her and of praying with her in our home. We have even felt her embrace of gratitude as she has tried in numerous ways to say, “Thank you.” But through this all she has represented to us a symbol of smothered cries, genuine and well thought through, and of a search for answers that need time before that anger is overcome by trust, and anguish gives way to contentment.

Of all the stories in the Scriptures, none so reflects those varied needs as the story of the woman at the well in her conversation with Jesus. In the fourth chapter of John’s Gospel we read of the encounter Jesus had with the Samaritan woman.  The disciples had left him to get a little rest while they went into town to buy some food.  When they returned they were astounded to see him talking to this Samaritan woman, but they were afraid to ask why he would talk to her or to question what prompted this curious familiarity.

The woman represented all that was oppressed or rejected in that society. She was a woman, not a man. She was a Samaritan burdened with ethnic rejection. She was discarded and broken from five failed marriages. She identified God with a particular location, not having the faintest clue how to reach this God. Was it possible to have any less self-esteem than in her fragmented world? Jesus began his tender yet determined task to dislodge her from the well-doctored and cosmetically dressed-up theological jargon she threw at him, so that she could voice the real cry of her heart.  Almost like peeling off the layers of an onion, he steadily moved her away from her own fears and prejudices, from her own schemes for self-preservation, from her own ploys for hiding her hurts, to the radiant and thrilling source of her greatest fulfillment, Christ himself. In short, he moved her from the abstract to the concrete, from the concrete to the proximate, from the proximate to the personal. She had come to find water for the thirst of her body. He fulfilled a greater thirst, that of her soul.

In the Psalms, David described himself as one wounded and crying in his bed at night. This same David spoke of the happiness that came when he took his cry to the Lord. With that same confidence, let us begin our journey to respond to the cries of the heart. We might be surprised to know how much bottled-up sentiment will be uncovered. When God speaks we will not respond by saying, “Don’t say a thing;” rather, we will be soothed by God’s touch and will rest in God’s comfort, knowing that God has bothered to hear our cries and to come near in our need.

Ravi Zacharias is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Morning “I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the

earth.”  Ecclesiastes 10:7

Upstarts frequently usurp the highest places, while the truly great pine in

obscurity. This is a riddle in providence whose solution will one day gladden

the hearts of the upright; but it is so common a fact, that none of us should

murmur if it should fall to our own lot. When our Lord was upon earth, although

he is the Prince of the kings of the earth, yet he walked the footpath of

weariness and service as the Servant of servants: what wonder is it if his

followers, who are princes of the blood, should also be looked down upon as

inferior and contemptible persons? The world is upside down, and therefore, the

first are last and the last first. See how the servile sons of Satan lord it in

the earth! What a high horse they ride! How they lift up their horn on high!

Haman is in the court, while Mordecai sits in the gate; David wanders on the

mountains, while Saul reigns in state; Elijah is complaining in the cave while

Jezebel is boasting in the palace; yet who would wish to take the places of the

proud rebels? and who, on the other hand, might not envy the despised saints?

When the wheel turns, those who are lowest rise, and the highest sink. Patience,

then, believer, eternity will right the wrongs of time.

Let us not fall into the error of letting our passions and carnal appetites ride

in triumph, while our nobler powers walk in the dust. Grace must reign as a

prince, and make the members of the body instruments of righteousness. The Holy

Spirit loves order, and he therefore sets our powers and faculties in due rank

and place, giving the highest room to those spiritual faculties which link us

with the great King; let us not disturb the divine arrangement, but ask for

grace that we may keep under our body and bring it into subjection. We were not

new created to allow our passions to rule over us, but that we, as kings, may

reign in Christ Jesus over the triple kingdom of spirit, soul, and

body, to the glory of God the Father.

Evening   “And he requested for himself that he might die.”    1 Kings 19:4

It was a remarkable thing that the man who was never to die, for whom God had

ordained an infinitely better lot, the man who should be carried to heaven in a

chariot of fire, and be translated, that he should not see death–should thus

pray, “Let me die, I am no better than my fathers.” We have here a memorable

proof that God does not always answer prayer in kind, though he always does in

effect. He gave Elias something better than that which he asked for, and thus

really heard and answered him. Strange was it that the lion-hearted Elijah

should be so depressed by Jezebel’s threat as to ask to die, and blessedly kind

was it on the part of our heavenly Father that he did not take his

desponding servant at his word. There is a limit to the doctrine of the prayer

of faith. We are not to expect that God will give us everything we choose to ask

for. We know that we sometimes ask, and do not receive, because we ask amiss. If

we ask for that which is not promised–if we run counter to the spirit which the

Lord would have us cultivate–if we ask contrary to his will, or to the decrees

of his providence–if we ask merely for the gratification of our own ease, and

without an eye to his glory, we must not expect that we shall receive. Yet, when

we ask in faith, nothing doubting, if we receive not the precise thing asked

for, we shall receive an equivalent, and more than an

equivalent, for it. As one remarks, “If the Lord does not pay in silver, he

will in gold; and if he does not pay in gold, he will in diamonds.” If he does

not give you precisely what you ask for, he will give you that which is

tantamount to it, and that which you will greatly rejoice to receive in lieu

thereof. Be then, dear reader, much in prayer, and make this evening a season of

earnest intercession, but take heed what you ask.

. . . later . . .   Hebrews 12:11

How happy are tested Christians, later. There is no deeper calm than that which follows the storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain?

Victorious banquets are for well-accomplished soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty,1 we sit down in the arbor to rest; after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with Apollyon, the shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of life. Our sorrows, like the passing hulls of the ships upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy light behind them “later.” It is peace, sweet, deep peace, that follows the horrible turmoil that once reigned in our tormented, guilty souls.

Consider, then, the happy condition of a Christian! He has his best things last, and therefore in this world he receives his worst things first. But even his worst things are “later” good things, hard plowings yielding joyful harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives by dying, and he becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life, what will be the full vintage of joy “later” in heaven? If his dark nights are as bright as the world’s days, what shall his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in heaven! If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then?

Oh, blessed “later”! Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown that comes afterwards? But here is work for patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the present, but “later.” Wait, my soul, and let patience have her perfect work.

1Pilgrim’s Progress

The family reading plan for May 18, 2012

Isaiah 17 , 18 | 1 Peter 5

Romans 12:1

The apostle Paul lived in an age when sensuality, the pursuit of pleasure, and rebellion against the Lord were prevalent. In response, he wrote letters urging Christians not to follow in the ways of the world. Like those early believers, we are to pursue godliness by…

1. Presenting our bodies to God. Our total being–mind, will, emotions, personality, and physical body–are to be turned over to our heavenly Father (James 4:7a). Submitting ourselves to the Lord requires a definite decision to give Him control and a daily commitment to remain under His authority. By surrendering to Him, we will position ourselves for godly living.

1. Becoming living sacrifices. The Christian life is built around the concept of sacrifice. Jesus left the perfection of heaven to dwell among a sinful people so He might reconcile us to God. He offered up His life to make payment for our sins (1 John 3:16) and brought us into His family. As believers, we are to follow His example. Paul called it a living sacrifice, because it is ongoing–one that is repeated daily.

Life is full of options. Many decisions involve a choice between following God’s way or our own. Maturing Christians will increasingly sacrifice their own desires and embrace His will.

A life of godliness is characterized by a heart and mind bent toward the things of God. Although we will live imperfectly, our focus is to be on obeying His will and pleasing Him. Let’s commit to becoming more like Jesus, the One who willingly gave Himself to God as a sacrifice for us

One of the most publicized events of the last decade was the execution of a Texas woman who had been convicted of murdering two people 14 years earlier. During her time in prison, she became a Christian. The evident genuineness of her conversion elicited calls from all over the world to spare her life. Even the Pope pleaded with the Governor of Texas to intervene. In the end, those who sought justice for the crime she committed prevailed. With a lethal cocktail running through her veins, Karla Fay Tucker “coughed twice, let out a soft groan, and fell silent.”(1)

The debate raised by this case was gripping enough, but what I found to be most fascinating was the intense contest that was unfolding outside the premises where the execution was scheduled to be carried out. Both the proponents as well as opponents of the death penalty camped outside, each side trying to drown the other’s voices. The news of the execution was greeted by a boisterous cry of triumph from those who had so vehemently sought justice for the crime. Others were left wondering where, when, and how mercy applies when the life of an individual hangs in the balance.

This drama was a classic representation of the two most disparate poles of justice and mercy. How are the guilty to be spared in cases where absolute justice is administered? If there are no shortcuts, no bribes, and no turning of a blind eye against evil, what hope is there for those wedged between the jaws of justice? The tension between justice and mercy is a reality with which we all live, and depending on the circumstances, our hunger for vindication is only matched by our plea for mercy and forgiveness.

The biblical solution to this conundrum is uniquely ingenious in both logical and relational terms. It was at the Cross of Jesus where God’s justice was perfectly administered and his eternal mercy publicly displayed when God took upon Himself the punishment meant for the guilty. The perfect, sinless, infinitely just God devised the means whereby sinful, guilty human beings could be justly reconciled to God without an ounce of guilt being swept under the carpet. No other proposed means of liberation for humanity in the world even begins to address this dilemma.  The rhetorical force of the question posed by the author of Hebrews ought forever to haunt every seeker of justice, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation”?

Unfortunately, some stumble over the gospel of Christ even while incessantly seeking either justice or mercy in matters they deem themselves entitled to judge. When our sense of justice is threatened, we rarely hesitate to demand answers, whether the object of our wrath is a mere child or a perfect God. This is nowhere more evident than in attacks on the character of God based on his administration of justice, especially in the Old Testament.  But at the root of this reaction lies the failure to appreciate the full implications of what one really asks for when one demands justice.  If justice is to be absolutely served, the guilty cannot go unpunished.  The only recourse for the guilty is to seek mercy, and mercy cannot be demanded.

Old Testament saints harbored no illusions about God being subject to their standard of justice, for they were no strangers to his terrifying holiness and hence the gravity of sin. The fact that the Israelites were his chosen people did not keep them from facing the consequences of their own disobedience, as even a casual reading of the book of Lamentations will show. It was not without reason that the script writer for the motion picture Fiddler on the Roof, which chronicles the struggles of a Jewish family, has the lead character suggest that God choose other people the next time around.

Part of the reason why we are disinclined to recognize our own need for mercy may be due to the fact that our clamor for justice, however impassioned, is almost always skewed in our favor. Narrow indeed is the path to the dark recesses of our own hearts. But there the light of the gospel must shine, and our strong sense of justice demands that we agree with God’s assessment of our true condition. Nothing short of the kind of repentance that produces humble love within those who turn to Him can ever point humanity towards their identity and purpose.  Without a clear glimpse of our own sinfulness, not even God can measure up to our lopsided, self-righteous standards.

But if God is anything like the Scriptures say, then not only should we expect God to judge sin but we can also be confident that, in the end, no one will be able to find fault with his verdict. That is why Abraham was able to trust in God’s righteous judgment, even beyond the grave, when he chose to sacrifice Isaac at the behest of his Creator. He reasoned that God is able to raise the dead. Whenever we demand justice and obedience, we affirm the same standard that also condemns us. They are blessed indeed whose passion for justice is informed by the mercy of the Cross.

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

(1) Jesse Katz, “Texas Executes Born-Again Woman After Appeal Fails” LA Times, February 04, 1998.

Morning   “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in  him.”

Colossians 2:9-10

All the attributes of Christ, as God and man, are at our disposal. All the

fulness of the Godhead, whatever that marvellous term may comprehend, is ours to

make us complete. He cannot endow us with the attributes of Deity; but he has

done all that can be done, for he has made even his divine power and Godhead

subservient to our salvation. His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence,

immutability and infallibility, are all combined for our defence. Arise,

believer, and behold the Lord Jesus yoking the whole of his divine Godhead to

the chariot of salvation! How vast his grace, how firm his faithfulness, how

unswerving his immutability, how infinite his power, how limitless his

knowledge! All these are by the Lord Jesus made the pillars of the temple of salvation; and

all, without diminution of their infinity, are covenanted to us as our perpetual

inheritance. The fathomless love of the Saviour’s heart is every drop of it

ours; every sinew in the arm of might, every jewel in the crown of majesty, the

immensity of divine knowledge, and the sternness of divine justice, all are

ours, and shall be employed for us. The whole of Christ, in his adorable

character as the Son of God, is by himself made over to us most richly to enjoy.

His wisdom is our direction, his knowledge our instruction, his power our

protection, his justice our surety, his love our comfort, his mercy our solace,

and his immutability our trust. He makes no reserve, but opens the recesses of

the Mount of God and bids us dig in its mines for the hidden treasures. “All,

all, all are yours,” saith he, “be ye satisfied with favour and full of the

goodness of the Lord.” Oh! how sweet thus to behold Jesus, and to call upon him

with the certain confidence that in seeking the interposition of his love or

power, we are but asking for that which he has already faithfully promised.

Evening   “Afterward.”   Hebrews 12:11

How happy are tried Christians, afterwards. No calm more deep than that which

succeeds a storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious

banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the

honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty, we sit down in the arbour to rest;

after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with Apollyon, the

shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of life. Our sorrows,

like the passing keels of the vessels upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy

light behind them “afterwards.” It is peace, sweet, deep peace, which follows

the horrible turmoil which once reigned in our tormented, guilty

souls. See, then, the happy estate of a Christian! He has his best things last,

and he therefore in this world receives his worst things first. But even his

worst things are “afterward” good things, harsh ploughings yielding joyful

harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives

by dying, and becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions

yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life, what shall be the full vintage

of joy “afterwards” in heaven? If his dark nights are as bright as the world’s

days, what shall his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the

sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can sing in a dungeon, how

sweetly will he sing in heaven! If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how

will he extol him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him now, what

will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then? Oh, blessed “afterward!”

Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown

which cometh afterwards? But herein is work for patience, for the rest is not

for today, nor the triumph for the present, but “afterward.” Wait, O soul, and

let patience have her perfect work.

You are my servant, I have chosen you.   Isaiah 41:9

If we have received the grace of God in our hearts, its practical effect has been to make us God’s servants. We may be unfaithful servants, we certainly are unprofitable ones, but yet, blessed be His name, we are His servants, wearing His uniform, eating at His table, and obeying His commands. We were once the servants of sin, but He who made us free has now taken us into His family and taught us obedience to His will. We do not serve our Master perfectly, but we would if we could. As we hear God’s voice saying unto us, “You are My servant,” we can answer with David, “I am your servant. . . . You have loosed my bonds.”1

But the Lord calls us not only His servants, but His chosen ones—”I have chosen you.” We have not chosen Him first, but He has chosen us. If we are now God’s servants, it wasn’t always so; the change must be ascribed to sovereign grace. The eye of sovereignty singled us out, and the voice of unchanging grace declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”2 Long before time began or space was created, God had written upon His heart the names of His elect people, had predestinated them to be conformed unto the image of His Son, and ordained them heirs of all the fullness of His love, His grace, and His glory.

What comfort is here! Having loved us for so long, will the Lord then reject us? He knew how stiff-necked we would be, He understood that our hearts were evil, and yet He made the choice. Our Savior is no fickle lover. He does not feel enchanted for a while with some gleams of beauty from His church’s eye and then afterwards reject her because of her unfaithfulness. No, He married her in old eternity; and He hates divorce! The eternal choice is a bond upon our gratitude and upon His faithfulness, which neither can disown.

1Psalm 116:16 2Jeremiah 31:3

The family reading plan for May 17, 2012

Isaiah 16 | 1 Peter 4

2 Timothy 1:3-5

The most precious thing we can pass down to children is our faith–the confident conviction that God is who He says and will do all He has promised. Timothy’s strong relationship with Christ didn’t materialize out of thin air; it grew as a result of his mother and grandmother’s example.

Here are ways we, too, can hand down a rich legacy to the next generation:

1. Teach practical biblical principles. Kids need to know God’s views on material wealth (Ps. 24:1), meeting needs (Phil. 4:19), and direction in life (Prov. 3:5-6).
2. Model character through lifestyle. How we live–whether with transparency, peace, and perseverance, or with fear, anxiety, and self-reliance–loudly communicates what we believe about God.
3. Serve God by serving others. Actions show that our faith is real (James 2:26). If we want kids not to develop a self-centered perspective, servanthood is key.
4. Intercede for them. Children won’t forget hearing us pray regularly for them.
5. Communicate love. Young people need to know we love them the way God loves us–unconditionally rather than based on what they do or don’t do. Spoken words of love breathe life into their hearts. And as we affirm them for trusting God, they see that we value their spiritual growth.

As parents, we must be intentional about leading and inspiring our sons and daughters to follow Christ. But even those without children of their own can leave a legacy. The example to follow is Paul: though neither married nor a natural parent, he was a spiritual father to many (1 Cor. 4:14-16).

In Daniel Goleman’s excellent book Emotional Intelligence he writes about the last moments of Gary and Mary Jean Chauncey battling the swirling waters of the river into which the Amtrak train they were on had plummeted. With every bit of energy they had, both fought desperately to save the life of their young daughter Andrea, who had cerebral palsy and was bound to a wheelchair. Somehow they managed to push her out into the arms of rescuers, but sadly, they themselves drowned.

Some would like to explain such heroism as evolution’s imprint, that we humans behave this way by virtue of evolutionary design for the survival of our progeny. One is hard-pressed not to ask, “Why did the healthier preserve the weaker and not themselves?” But even the author was unable to explain it all in mere Darwinistic terms. He added that “only love” could explain such an act.

In another story, you may recall the chess victory of the computer “Deep Blue” over the world champion Gary Kasparov, which caused many to compare the similarities of machines and humans. Yale professor David Gelertner disagrees. He writes:

“The idea that Deep Blue has a mind is absurd. How can an object that wants nothing, fears nothing, enjoys nothing, needs nothing, and cares about nothing have a mind?  It can win at chess, but not because it wants to. It isn’t happy when it wins or sad when it loses. What are its [post]-match plans if it beats Kasparov?  Is it hoping to take Deep Pink out for a night on the town?”(1)

He continues: “The gap between the human and the surrogate is permanent and will never be closed. Machines will continue to make life easier, healthier, richer, and more puzzling. And humans will continue to care, ultimately, about the same things they always have: about themselves, about one another, and many of them, about God.”

What a unique capacity God has put within us—the capacity to feel. From the selfless sacrifice of loving parents to our own personal thought lives, we recognize that this ability is one aspect of the insurmountable differences between us and machines. In the words of the biblical writer, it is we—and not our PC’s I might add—who have been made “a little lower than the angels.” Life, feeling, and thought are God’s gifts to us. And where we follow God’s thoughts, we feel and act in highest measure.

 Ravi Zacharias is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

 (1) David Gelertner, “How Hard Is Chess?” Time Magazine, 19 May 1997.

Morning   “So to walk even as he walked.”   1 John 2:6

Why should Christians imitate Christ? They should do it for their own sakes. If

they desire to be in a healthy state of soul–if they would escape the sickness

of sin, and enjoy the vigour of growing grace, let Jesus be their model. For

their own happiness’ sake, if they would drink wine on the lees, well refined;

if they would enjoy holy and happy communion with Jesus; if they would be lifted

up above the cares and troubles of this world, let them walk even as he walked.

There is nothing which can so assist you to walk towards heaven with good speed,

as wearing the image of Jesus on your heart to rule all its motions. It is when,

by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are enabled to walk

with Jesus in his very footsteps, that you are most happy, and most known to be

the sons of God. Peter afar off is both unsafe and uneasy. Next, for religion’s

sake, strive to be like Jesus. Ah! poor religion, thou hast been sorely shot at

by cruel foes, but thou hast not been wounded one-half so dangerously by thy

foes as by thy friends. Who made those wounds in the fair hand of Godliness? The

professor who used the dagger of hypocrisy. The man who with pretences, enters

the fold, being nought but a wolf in sheep’s clothing, worries the flock more

than the lion outside. There is no weapon half so deadly as a Judas-kiss.

Inconsistent professors injure the gospel more than the sneering

critic or the infidel. But, especially for Christ’s own sake, imitate his

example. Christian, lovest thou thy Saviour? Is his name precious to thee? Is

his cause dear to thee? Wouldst thou see the kingdoms of the world become his?

Is it thy desire that he should be glorified? Art thou longing that souls should

be won to him? If so, imitate Jesus; be an “epistle of Christ, known and read of

all men.”

Evening   “Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee.”   Isaiah 41:9

If we have received the grace of God in our hearts, its practical effect has

been to make us God’s servants. We may be unfaithful servants, we certainly are

unprofitable ones, but yet, blessed be his name, we are his servants, wearing

his livery, feeding at his table, and obeying his commands. We were once the

servants of sin, but he who made us free has now taken us into his family and

taught us obedience to his will. We do not serve our Master perfectly, but we

would if we could. As we hear God’s voice saying unto us, “Thou art my servant,”

we can answer with David, “I am thy servant; thou hast loosed my bonds.” But the

Lord calls us not only his servants, but his chosen ones–“I have

chosen thee.” We have not chosen him first, but he hath chosen us. If we be

God’s servants, we were not always so; to sovereign grace the change must be

ascribed. The eye of sovereignty singled us out, and the voice of unchanging

grace declared, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” Long ere time

began or space was created God had written upon his heart the names of his elect

people, had predestinated them to be conformed unto the image of his Son, and

ordained them heirs of all the fulness of his love, his grace, and his glory.

What comfort is here! Has the Lord loved us so long, and will he yet cast us

away? He knew how stiffnecked we should be; he understood that our hearts were

evil, and yet he made the choice. Ah! our Saviour is no fickle lover. He doth

not feel enchanted for awhile with some gleams of beauty from his church’s eye,

and then afterwards cast her off because of her unfaithfulness. Nay, he married

her in old eternity; and it is written of Jehovah, “He hateth putting away.” The

eternal choice is a bond upon our gratitude and upon his faithfulness which

neither can disown.