Isaiah 6:1-8

A stunning sunset, a rainbow, the first blooms of spring, and many other displays of nature will elicit strong reactions. In a similar way, God’s holiness is so magnificent that it causes people to respond in various ways.

Isaiah had a vision of the Lord’s moral purity and holiness. When he saw God seated on a throne in all His glorious splendor, the prophet cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (v. 5). A glimpse of divine perfection caused Isaiah to recognize the depths of his own sinful condition and to acknowledge the holiness of God. Peter had a similar reaction when he was in the presence of the Savior. After the Lord miraculously filled the fishing nets to overflowing, the disciple “fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!’” (Luke 5:8). However, the religious leaders of the day had a different attitude. The more they heard Jesus’ preaching and saw His work, the angrier they became.

We are Christ’s ambassadors to a hurting world, and we must always act with love toward others. But sometimes those who are not abiding in Christ will experience what I call “holy heat.” People who have rejected Jesus may act as if we are trying to force them to believe in Him. And Christians living in rebellion toward God may become uncomfortable around those who abide in Jesus; they may even ignore the advice of believers who have loved and advised them for years.

God wants us to live out our faith in love, regardless of others’ reactions. Has your faith permeated the many areas of your life?

Bible in One Year: Matthew 13-15

Revelation 4:1-11

God is without sin. There’s no evil in His thoughts, motives, or actions. Because of His holy character, He is against all iniquity. He truly loves the sinner, but He despises sin.

The heavenly Father’s holiness is revealed not only in His moral purity, but also in His separateness from all evil. Because of His righteous character, He cannot tolerate or ignore sin. His justice requires that wrongdoing be paid for, and the only acceptable payment is death (Rom. 6:23).

Only faith in Jesus Christ bridges the gap between holy God and sinful man. The Son of God, having lived a perfect life, died to pay our sin debt in full and provide a way for each of us to have a relationship with righteous God. The heavenly Father, having accepted Jesus’ payment for sin, invites all people to become His children.

First, we must acknowledge we cannot pay for our own sins. Then we must confess our wrongdoing and ask Him to pardon us, based on the fact that Christ fully paid the penalty for our sins after suffering God’s wrath, condemnation, and judgment in our place. God justifies us the moment we receive Jesus as our personal Savior—the Judge of all humanity declares we are no longer guilty. He accepts the transfer of our guilt to His Son, who stood as our substitute.

Pardoned of all our sin. Clothed in Jesus’ righteousness. Made a child of holy God. These are the free gifts the Father gives us once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior through faith in Him. When we give Him our lives, He gives us His. Can you think of a better trade off?

Bible in One Year: Matthew 11-12

Colossians 1:18

When most people hear the word “church,” the first thing they think of is a certain type of building. But let’s see what Christ said about the church so we can more fully understand its biblical meaning.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus proclaimed, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (KJV). He obviously had in mind something much greater than a mere architectural structure. In fact, He was referring to the whole body of Christ, which is comprised of all believers worldwide—everyone who has trusted Jesus as personal Savior and is a child of the heavenly Father. The church began on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came and anointed a group of Jesus’ followers (Acts 2). It will continue until an event referred to as the rapture of the church, when every believer in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the sky (1 Thess. 4:17).

The church is not merely a place for social action or fellowship, though these are important aspects of its ministry. Rather, the church is the entire body of Christ, both corporately and individually filled and enabled by the Holy Spirit to carry out the task designated by Jesus Himself. In other words, the purpose of the church is to bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and to make disciples, instructing them and growing them up in the things of God (Matt. 28:19-20).

Our responsibility is to obey. Have you asked yourself what role you should be playing in the ministry of the church?

Bible in One Year: Matthew 8-10

1 Samuel 18:1-3

We all long to be in genuine relationships. God created us with this need, as we were not meant to live in isolation.

Our world is so driven by technology that many people today try to ease their loneliness through computer interactions. However, we cannot deny that if a friendship relies solely on social media, it doesn’t compare to the human fellowship. But healthy friendships don’t just happen. They require intentional effort.

Yesterday, in looking to Jonathan and David for a biblical model of godly companions, we saw how mutual respect is vital in a healthy friendship. Now, let’s look at two more aspects of their relationship. These men had an emotional love for one another; their hearts were knit together (1 Sam. 18:1). When one man experienced joy or sadness, the other man felt it too.

They also had genuine devotion to each other, which is a type of commitment that involves giving: To show loyalty, Jonathan gave his friend material items—his robe and weapon. But both of these men selflessly offered more. Jonathan even risked his life and future kingship in order to save David from execution. Notice, too, that Jonathan was often the initiator and the one who gave more. He was a prince, whereas David was a lowly shepherd. Social status shouldn’t interfere with cultivating a true friendship.

We were designed for true companionship based on mutual respect, genuine love, and commitment. This requires time, selfless devotion, and transparency—which means being real, even about our faults. Taking such a risk requires trust, but genuine relationships are well worth the effort.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 1-4

James 2:14-18

The Lord calls us to share His truth with others, but oftentimes our actions and attitude completely contradict the words that are coming out of our mouths. This is an area in which we all seem to struggle.

Every day, every one of us communicates something to someone. We send messages by what we say and by what we don’t say, by what we do and by what we don’t do.

For example, if a father quietly decides to stop tithing, he is sending a loud message to his children. Without ever opening his mouth, he is declaring, “Kids, you can’t trust the Lord with your money. God isn’t faithful to meet your needs, so you better hold on to as much as you possibly can.” Is that the message you want to pass on to your sons and daughters?

You might argue, “Well, I’m not really a tither, but I would never tell my kids that you can’t trust God.” However, you have already sent an unspoken yet very clear message. What people—especially children—witness in our behavior speaks much louder than what we actually say with our mouths.

The apostle Paul understood what powerful lessons we teach by our actions. For this reason, he made sure he modeled the right behavior and values for his spiritual children to emulate (2 Thess. 3:7-9).

It is not an issue of whether or not we will communicate a message. Rather, the issue is, What kind of message are you already communicating? Search yourself for any disparity between what you say and what you do, and choose to share a complete, unified message of hope with the world.

Bible in One Year: Zechariah 6-10

1 Peter 5:6-7

Our heavenly Father is interested in every detail in 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 of our control 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 surrendered. I realized I needed to deal with it, or 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 a place of being able to say, “Lord, if that’s what You desire, I 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 on to something too tightly. The Lord wants our attachment to be exclusively to Him. 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 the freedom you’ve been craving.

Bible in One Year: Obadiah, Jonah 1-4

1 Thessalonians 5:18

As we determined yesterday, if you are not going through a difficult time, you likely will encounter one soon. Jesus assured us that we’d have many hardships in this life (John 16:33).

As unpleasant as trials are, there are still many reasons for giving thanks. Yesterday, we looked at three provisions believers can count on during adversity: God’s presence, a pathway through the trouble, and potential to grow. Today, let’s explore two more.

1) Protection. God doesn’t necessarily keep believers from suffering or disappointment. Stopping the storms may be our goal, but from His point of view, the adversity may be necessary to mature us spiritually. However, the Father offers protection by staying with us in the struggle. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are promised that God’s Spirit indwells us and will never leave. What’s more, we have assurance that nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38-39). So our ever-present God walks with us through the hardships, providing guidance and speaking truth into the situation.

2) Peace. While difficulties cause many people anxiety, God’s peace is available to His children. This inner serenity does not depend on whether circumstances improve. Rather, it’s a result of our relationship with Him. Our main focus shouldn’t be on fixing the problem; rather, we should concentrate on our dependence upon God.

As we recognize the Lord’s provision during trials, we can genuinely express gratitude. We often don’t know what the purpose is for each ensuing difficulty, but we do know that our God is good and trustworthy.

Bible in One Year: Amos 5-9