2 Corinthians 4:16–5:8

He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit. —2 Corinthians 5:5

After a week’s vacation with her daughter and 4-month-old grandson, Oliver, Kathy had to say goodbye until she could see them again. She wrote to me saying, “Sweet reunions like we had make my heart long for heaven. There, we won’t have to try to capture memories in our mind. There, we won’t have to pray for the time to go slowly and the days to last long. There, our hello will never turn into goodbye. Heaven will be a ‘forever hello,’ and I can’t wait.” As a first-time grandma, she wants to be with her grandson Oliver as much as possible! She’s thankful for any time she can be with him and for the hope of heaven—where the wonderful moments will never end.

Our good days do seem too short, and our difficult days far too long. But both kinds of days cause us to long for even better days ahead. The apostle Paul said that he and the Corinthians longed to be “clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor. 5:4 NIV). Although the Lord is with us in this life, we cannot see Him face to face. Now we live by faith, not by sight (v.7).

God made us for the very purpose of being near to Him always (v.5). Heaven will be a forever hello. —Anne Cetas

Face to face—O blissful moment!

Face to face—to see and know;

Face to face with my Redeemer,

Jesus Christ who loves me so! —Breck

Now we see Jesus in the Bible, but then, face to face.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 43-44; 1 Thessalonians 2

Insight

The opening words of today’s passage are beautiful and encouraging: “We do not lose heart.” Despite the afflictions we face, we know something greater is coming—an “eternal weight of glory” (v.17).

John 16:25-33

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. —John 16:33

In C. S. Lewis’ book God in the Dock, he wrote: “Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable, and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable.” Lewis cleverly used this contrast between a hotel and a prison to illustrate how we view life based on our expectations. He says, “If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.”

Sometimes we expect that life should be happy and pain-free. But that is not what the Bible teaches. For the believer, this world is a place of spiritual development through both good times and bad. Jesus was realistic when He explained what to expect in life. He told His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In facing life’s blessings and bruises, we can have the inner peace that God is orchestrating events according to His sovereign plan.

Christ’s presence in our lives enables us to “be of good cheer” even in the midst of pain. —Dennis Fisher

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best—

Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest. —Berg

In the midst of troubles, peace can be found in Jesus.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1

Insight

Knowing that He would soon be betrayed and killed, Jesus gave His disciples a farewell speech, which is recorded in John 13:31–16:33, also known as the Upper Room Discourse. Warning of difficult times ahead for Him and His disciples (16:32), Jesus assured them of God’s presence and peace (vv.32-33). He concluded His speech on a triumphant note: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (v.33).

Psalm 62:1-8

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. —Psalm 62:5

Cha Sa-soon, a 69-year-old Korean woman, finally received her driving license after 3 years of trying to pass the written test. She wanted the license so she could take her grandchildren to the zoo.

She was persistent in what is normally an instant world. When we want something and cannot get it, we often complain and demand. At other times, we give up and move on if what we want cannot be quickly gratified. “Wait” is a word we hate to hear! Yet, many times the Bible tells us that God wants us to wait on Him for the right timing.

Waiting on God means patiently looking to Him for what we need. David recognized why he had to wait on the Lord. First, his salvation came from Him (Ps. 62:1). He learned that no one else could deliver him. His only hope was in God (v.5), for God alone hears our prayers (v.8).

Our prayers often revolve around asking God to hurry up and bless what we want to do. What if God’s answer to us is simply, “Be patient. Wait upon Me”? We can pray with David: “Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly” (Ps. 5:3 NLT). We can trust His response, even if it doesn’t come in the time we expect. —C. P. Hia

When we call out to You, O Lord,

And wait for answers to our prayer,

Give us the patience that we need

And help us sense Your love and care. —Sper

The bottom line of every prayer should be, “Your will be done.”

Bible in a year: Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

Insight

This psalm is divided into two sections (vv.1-4 and vv.5-8) with almost identical wording in both (vv.2,6). Each section begins with the affirmation that David’s soul waits silently for God (vv.1,5), and in both David describes Him as a rock. Because of God, David will not be moved (vv.2,6-7). Though David speaks to himself in the opening verses of each section, he moves on to address others in later verses. In verses 3-4, he addresses those who stand against him with a warning that they will be defeated. And in verse 8, he encourages the people of God to trust Him for refuge and protection.

Psalm 136:1-9,23-26

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. —Psalm 136:1

More than ever, we live in a disposable culture. Think for a minute about some of the things that are made to be thrown away—razors, water bottles, lighters, paper plates, plastic eating utensils. Products are used, tossed, and then replaced.

This disposable culture is also reflected in more significant ways. Many times true commitment in relationships is seen as optional. Marriages struggle to survive. Long-term employees are discharged just before retirement for cheaper options. A highly revered athlete leaves to join another team. It seems as if nothing lasts.

Our unchanging God, however, has promised that His loving mercy endures forever. In Psalm 136, the singer celebrates this wonderful promise by making statements about God’s wonder, work, and character. He then punctuates each statement about God with the phrase, “For His mercy endures forever.” Whether it is the wonder of His creation (vv.4-9), the rescue of His people (vv.10-22), or His tender care for His own (vv.23-26), we can trust Him because His mercy will never fail. In a temporary world, the permanence of God’s mercy gives us hope. We can sing with the psalmist, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (v.1). —Bill Crowder

I sing of mercies that endure,

Forever builded firm and sure,

Of faithfulness that never dies,

Established changeless in the skies. —Psalter

God’s grace is immeasurable; His mercy inexhaustible; His peace inexpressible.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

Insight

Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote of Psalm 136, “We know not by whom this Psalm was written, but we do know that it was sung in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 7:3,6), and by the armies of Jehoshaphat when they sang themselves into victory in the wilderness of Tekoa. From the striking form of it we should infer that it was a popular hymn among the Lord’s ancient people. Most hymns with a solid, simple chorus become favourites with congregations, and this is sure to have been one of the best beloved.” (Treasury of David)

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

Do this in remembrance of Me. —1 Corinthians 11:24

When I was growing up, one of the rules in our house was that we weren’t allowed to go to bed angry (Eph. 4:26). All our fights and disagreements had to be resolved. The companion to that rule was this bedtime ritual: Mom and Dad would say to my brother and me, “Good night. I love you.” And we would respond, “Good night. I love you too.”

The value of this family ritual has recently been impressed on me. As my mother lay in a hospice bed dying of lung cancer, she became less and less responsive. But each night when I left her bedside I would say, “I love you, Mom.” And though she could say little else, she would respond, “I love you too.” Growing up I had no idea what a gift this ritual would be to me so many years later.

Time and repetition can rob our rituals of meaning. But some are important reminders of vital spiritual truths. First-century believers misused the practice of the Lord’s Supper, but the apostle Paul didn’t tell them to stop celebrating it. Instead he told them, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).

Rather than give up the ritual, perhaps we need to restore the meaning. —Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, when we observe the Lord’s Supper, help

us avoid the trap of letting our observance

grow routine. May we always be moved with

gratitude for the wonderful gift of ritual.

Any ritual can lose meaning, but that does not make the ritual meaningless.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4

Insight

On the evening Jesus celebrated His last Passover with His disciples, He also established His own memorial supper. The unleavened Passover bread symbolized the exodus from Egypt, and the cup echoed the Old Testament promise, “I will redeem you.”

Psalm 5

Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them. —Psalm 5:11

A news item from Australia told the story of Pascale Honore, a paraplegic woman who, after 18 years of being confined to a wheelchair, has taken up surfing. How?

Ty Swan, a young surfer, straps her to his back with duct tape. After getting the balance perfect, Ty paddles out into the ocean so they can catch a wave and Pascale can experience the exhilaration of surfing. This requires a tremendous amount of trust; so many things could go wrong. Yet her confidence in Ty is enough to enable her to enjoy a dream come true, in spite of the danger.

Life is like that for the follower of Christ. We live in a dangerous world, filled with unpredictable challenges and unseen perils. Yet, we have joy because we know Someone who is strong enough to carry us through the churning waves of life that threaten to overwhelm us. The psalmist wrote, “Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You” (Ps. 5:11).

In the face of life’s great dangers and challenges, we can know a joy borne out of our trust in God. His strength is more than enough! —Bill Crowder

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end. —Stead

Our faith is stretched by exchanging our weakness for God’s strength.

Bible in a year: Isaiah 1-2; Galatians 5

Insight

In Psalm 5, David celebrates the nearness of God. Though He is Lord, God, and King, He is near to those who love and trust Him. God defends those who trust in Him (v.11), blesses the righteous, and surrounds them with a shield (v.12).