Morning  “He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord.” / Micah 5:4

Christ’s reign in his Church is that of a shepherd-king. He has supremacy, but
it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving
flock; he commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of
the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose
voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of
goodness.

His reign is practical in its character. It is said, “He shall stand and
feed.” The great Head of the Church is actively engaged in providing for his
people. He does not sit down upon the throne in empty state, or hold a sceptre
without wielding it in government. No, he stands and feeds. The expression
“feed,” in the original, is like an analogous one in the Greek, which means to
shepherdize, to do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch, to
preserve, to restore, to tend, as well as to feed.

His reign is continual in its duration. It is said, “He shall stand and feed;”
not “He shall feed now and then, and leave his position;” not, “He shall one
day grant a revival, and then next day leave his Church to barrenness.” His
eyes never slumber, and his hands never rest; his heart never ceases to beat
with love, and his shoulders are never weary of carrying his people’s burdens.

His reign is effectually powerful in its action; “He shall feed in the
strength of Jehovah.” Wherever Christ is, there is God; and whatever Christ
does is the act of the Most High. Oh! it is a joyful truth to consider that he
who stands today representing the interests of his people is very God of very
God, to whom every knee shall bow. Happy are we who belong to such a shepherd,
whose humanity communes with us, and whose divinity protects us. Let us
worship and bow down before him as the people of his pasture.

Evening  “Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my
strength.” / Psalm 31:4

Our spiritual foes are of the serpent’s brood, and seek to ensnare us by
subtlety. The prayer before us supposes the possibility of the believer being
caught like a bird. So deftly does the fowler do his work, that simple ones
are soon surrounded by the net. The text asks that even out of Satan’s meshes
the captive one may be delivered; this is a proper petition, and one which can
be granted: from between the jaws of the lion, and out of the belly of hell,
can eternal love rescue the saint. It may need a sharp pull to save a soul
from the net of temptations, and a mighty pull to extricate a man from the
snares of malicious cunning, but the Lord is equal to every emergency, and the
most skilfully placed nets of the hunter shall never be able to hold his
chosen ones. Woe unto those who are so clever at net laying; they who tempt
others shall be destroyed themselves.

“For thou art my strength.” What an inexpressible sweetness is to be found in
these few words! How joyfully may we encounter toils, and how cheerfully may
we endure sufferings, when we can lay hold upon celestial strength. Divine
power will rend asunder all the toils of our enemies, confound their politics,
and frustrate their knavish tricks; he is a happy man who has such matchless
might engaged upon his side. Our own strength would be of little service when
embarrassed in the nets of base cunning, but the Lord’s strength is ever
available; we have but to invoke it, and we shall find it near at hand. If by
faith we are depending alone upon the strength of the mighty God of Israel, we
may use our holy reliance as a plea in supplication.

“Lord, evermore thy face we seek:

Tempted we are, and poor, and weak;

Keep us with lowly hearts, and meek.

Let us not fall. Let us not fall.”

 You take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.  Psalm 31:4

Our spiritual foes belong to the serpent’s brood and seek to ensnare us by subtlety. This prayer presupposes the possibility of the believer being caught like a bird. The catcher does his work so skillfully that simple souls are soon surrounded by the net. The request is that even out of Satan’s snares the captive may be delivered; this is a proper petition, and one that can be granted: eternal love can rescue the saint from between the jaws of the lion and out of the depths of hell. It may need a sharp pull to save a soul from the net of temptations and a mighty pull to extricate a man from the snares of malicious cunning, but the Lord is equal to every emergency, and the most skillfully placed nets of the hunter will never be able to hold His chosen ones. There will be grief for those who are so clever at net laying; those who tempt others shall be destroyed themselves.

“For you are my refuge.” What a wonderful encouragement is found in these few words! How joyfully may we encounter toils, and how cheerfully may we endure sufferings when we can lay hold upon the strength of the Lord. Divine power will thwart all the endeavors of our enemies, confound their politics, and frustrate their foolish tricks. Happy is the man who has such matchless might engaged upon his side. Our own strength would serve us poorly when trapped in the nets of our cunning enemy, but the Lord’s refuge is always available; we have only to ask, and we will find it near at hand. If by faith we are depending solely on the strength of the mighty God of Israel, then our dependence may become the occasion of our prayer.

Lord, evermore Thy face we seek:

Tempted we are, and poor, and weak;

Keep us with lowly hearts, and meek.

Let us not fall. Let us not fall.

Family Reading Plan   Jeremiah 48   Psalm 24

The Scriptures contain many stories of people who waited years or even decades before the Lord’s promises came to pass. What modern believers can learn from the patience of biblical saints like Abraham, Joseph, David, and Paul is that waiting upon the Lord has eternal rewards.

Today let’s look at Israel’s most memorable monarch. David was the chosen heir to Israel’s throne, but he spent years dodging King Saul’s wrathful pursuit. Despite having two different opportunities for vengeance, David resisted the temptation and spared Saul’s life. He chose to adhere to God’s timetable for his coronation instead of dishonoring the Lord by killing the divinely anointed king. David’s psalms reveal his intimate awareness of Yahweh’s work in his life. The shepherd king not only achieved his objective through patience; he also observed that God’s way was always best.

David left behind an incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness for each of us to read and meditate upon. He was committed to waiting upon the Lord, and as a result, he had the Father’s approval and blessing. We cannot underestimate the reward of living in divine favor. That isn’t a special state reserved for “giants of the faith” like David. All who obediently endure until the Lord acts on their behalf abide in His favor.

David didn’t receive his blessings because he was special; he was honored among men because he honored the Lord above all. And since he trusted in God’s faithfulness, he endured hardship with patience. We, too, can expect to be blessed when we wait upon the Lord.

 A few years ago, while traveling across to Europe in a ferry, we found our bus parked next to a truck. It was one of those trucks where there are two levels of storage space for live animals. This time, it was loaded with sheep. There must have been at least a hundred sheep crammed into that vehicle, all on their way to the slaughterhouse. 

 As I observed the animals, they were behaving rather amusingly—some were sticking out their noses sniffing away, while others were trying to peek out curiously as they experienced the new smells, sights, and sounds that were quite different from their usual farmstead. Little did they know they were on their way to be butchered!

In another incident, it was reported a while ago that shepherds in Turkey watched in shock as hundreds of their sheep followed each other over a cliff. It started when one sheep went over the edge, only to be followed by the whole flock. At the end of the episode, more than 400 sheep died in the plunge—their bodies buffering the fall of 1,100 others that followed.

While we might laugh at the silliness of the sheep, it is also a vivid illustration of our human state. On a daily basis, we are offered joyrides that promise pleasure and adventure, opportunities that seem to realize our ambition for recognition, power, material wealth, intimacy, and even meaning. At every turn, we are led by advertisers to believe that their products or services can satiate our thirst for excitement and thrill. Unknowingly, we accept invitations for rides which take us on roads that could result in our slow spiritual deaths. Sadly, we are not often aware of the looming danger as we are too preoccupied taking in the new experience and novelty. By the time we arrive at our destination, it would be too late for us to escape our end.

 Anyone who has been to a sheep pen would tell you that sheep are not exactly the smartest in the animal kingdom. They do, however, have a strong instinct to follow the leader. When one sheep decides to go somewhere, the rest of the flock usually follows, even if the first sheep has no idea what it is doing. The incident in Turkey is a case in point. Apparently, even from birth, lambs are conditioned to follow the older members of the flock.

 Interestingly, sheep are often used to typify humans in the Bible. Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd and how we are like sheep that have gone astray who are in need of a shepherd.(1) Meanwhile, the wisdom of Proverbs warns us that “There is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end it leads to death.”

 Realizing our propensity to follow ways that are dangerous to our souls, how then might we safeguard ourselves from following the wrong leader? Paul, who recognized how easily the human heart is enticed by the things and the ways of the world, urged the Romans to no longer conform to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in the power of one worthy of leading. In short, if we are to follow the Good Shepherd, there is hope for every journey no matter how discouraging it might appear. By renewing our vision with the power of his life and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can discern the options presented to us by the world and avoid the way that leads to far less promising ends.

 I’Ching Thomas is associate director of training at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Singapore.

 (1) cf. John 10:14 Mathew 9:36.

Morning “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.” / Psalm 29:2

God’s glory is the result of his nature and acts. He is glorious in his
character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy, and good, and
lovely in God, that he must be glorious. The actions which flow from his
character are also glorious; but while he intends that they should manifest to
his creatures his goodness, and mercy, and justice, he is equally concerned
that the glory associated with them should be given only to himself. Nor is
there aught in ourselves in which we may glory; for who maketh us to differ
from another? And what have we that we did not receive from the God of all
grace? Then how careful ought we to be to walk humbly before the Lord! The
moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the
universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High. Shall the insect of
an hour glorify itself against the sun which warmed it into life? Shall the
potsherd exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel? Shall the
dust of the desert strive with the whirlwind? Or the drops of the ocean
struggle with the tempest? Give unto the Lord, all ye righteous, give unto the
Lord glory and strength; give unto him the honour that is due unto his name.
Yet it is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to
learn this sentence–“Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be glory.”
It is a lesson which God is ever teaching us, and teaching us sometimes by
most painful discipline. Let a Christian begin to boast, “I can do all
things,” without adding “through Christ which strengtheneth me,” and before
long he will have to groan, “I can do nothing,” and bemoan himself in the
dust. When we do anything for the Lord, and he is pleased to accept of our
doings, let us lay our crown at his feet, and exclaim, “Not I, but the grace
of God which was with me!”

Evening “Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit.” / Romans 8:23

Present possession is declared. At this present moment we have the first
fruits of the Spirit. We have repentance, that gem of the first water; faith,
that priceless pearl; hope, the heavenly emerald; and love, the glorious ruby.
We are already made “new creatures in Christ Jesus,” by the effectual working
of God the Holy Ghost. This is called the firstfruit because it comes first.
As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life, and all
the graces which adorn that life, are the first operations of the Spirit of
God in our souls. The firstfruits were the pledge of the harvest. As soon as
the Israelite had plucked the first handful of ripe ears, he looked forward
with glad anticipation to the time when the wain should creak beneath the
sheaves. So, brethren, when God gives us things which are pure, lovely, and of
good report, as the work of the Holy Spirit, these are to us the prognostics
of the coming glory. The firstfruits were always holy to the Lord, and our new
nature, with all its powers, is a consecrated thing. The new life is not ours
that we should ascribe its excellence to our own merit; it is Christ’s image
and creation, and is ordained for his glory. But the firstfruits were not the
harvest, and the works of the Spirit in us at this moment are not the
consummation–the perfection is yet to come. We must not boast that we have
attained, and so reckon the wave-sheaf to be all the produce of the year: we
must hunger and thirst after righteousness, and pant for the day of full
redemption. Dear reader, this evening open your mouth wide, and God will fill
it. Let the boon in present possession excite in you a sacred avarice for more
grace. Groan within yourself for higher degrees of consecration, and your Lord
will grant them to you, for he is able to do exceeding abundantly above what
we ask or even think.

Job was a man who certainly knew trouble and temptation, and yet he boldly claimed, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). That is commitment. Job had lost his children, his fortune, and his health, but he refused to abandon faith in God. The stricken man was determined to hold on because he trusted the Lord to do right.

Unwavering commitment to trust the Lord in all situations is a cornerstone of unshakable faith. From the vantage point of that foundation, we can focus our eyes upon God alone. It is easy to be distracted by circumstances and allow them to dictate our emotions. But if that’s the case, then when life is good, we’re happy; when times are tough, we’re frustrated; and when hardship pours in, we’re downright miserable and looking for escape.

Unlike Job, we are fortunate to have Scripture, which reveals God’s nature and promises. And it is a wise believer who claims those promises when enduring hardship. For His Word tells us that our Father is always good, always just, always faithful, and always trustworthy. When we take our eyes off the whirl of day-to-day activity and concentrate on honoring Him and following in His way, we find a consistent peace that carries us through both plenty and poverty.

In order to hold on to God through any trial or temptation, commit to trust and follow Him all of your days. Lay claim to His promises: The unchanging Lord and Savior (Heb. 13:8) is committed to caring for you in all circumstances (1 Peter 5:7) and will never leave or forsake you (Heb. 13:5).

There is a part of me that feels the twinge of being scolded whenever my name is spoken to me. “Jill, what are you doing?” “Hurry, Jill, we need to go.” (Perhaps those of us that share this idiosyncrasy got in trouble a lot as kids.) But I have often wondered how Peter felt when Jesus’s scathing rebuke confronted not “Peter,” which would have yet had its sting, but “Satan.”

In those days, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. He began to explain to those who loved him that he would be put to death. Peter, like most of us reacting to the suffering of our loved ones, swore to protect him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” I can only imagine his shock at Jesus’s response. Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Matthew 16:23).

I cannot read that passage without picturing my reaction to those words. I probably would have been devastated. But I also know that when Jesus says something devastating it seems to be something I should pay attention to all the more. The intensity of his reaction to Peter portrays the intensity with which he knew he had to suffer, the weight of history, prophecy, and salvation he felt on his soldiers, and his severe understanding of our need for his affliction. To get in the way of his necessary suffering was to be as an enemy obstructing the plan of God.

As I look at Peter standing before Christ with good intentions, not wanting to see the one he loved broken or defeated, I wonder how many times I, too, have obstructed suffering God deemed necessary. My gut reaction in the face of pain—my own and others—is to make it stop. Like Peter I vow to fix it, not knowing what I mean, just wanting it gone. Yet in the midst of suffering, Jesus warns, we must decide whether we will have in mind the things of humanity or the things of God.

The Christian understanding of suffering might seem odd to the world around it, for it is forged at the foot of the Cross. At the Cross, is the unpopular suggestion that God’s plan for our lives includes suffering. Christ was wounded and crushed for our iniquities. By the suffering and shame he endured, we are healed. Can God not also have a plan for our own pain?

As one theologian notes, “Jesus did not die in order to spare us the indignities of a wounded creation. He died that we might see those wounds as our own.”(1) At the Cross, we see our sin and the suffering that we have caused because of it. But we also find meaning even in suffering that doesn’t come as a result of our sin. We see, as Paul observed, that suffering produces perseverance, that we are purified in its fires, that what was meant for ill God intends for good. We see that Christ who suffered for us, so walks with us in our own suffering. “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5). At the Cross, we see that some suffering is not only necessary but meaningful. 

Peter not only picked himself up from a rebuke more severe than anything he heard Jesus give the Pharisees, he took Jesus’s words to heart. In a letter meant to encourage fellow believers, he wrote, “It is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God” (1 Peter 2:19). Peter chose in the end to keep in mind not on human things, but the things of God.

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

(1) Peter Gomes, Sermons (New York: Morrow, 1998), 72.

Morning “Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide.” / Genesis 24:63

Very admirable was his occupation. If those who spend so many hours in idle
company, light reading, and useless pastimes, could learn wisdom, they would
find more profitable society and more interesting engagements in meditation
than in the vanities which now have such charms for them. We should all know
more, live nearer to God, and grow in grace, if we were more alone. Meditation
chews the cud and extracts the real nutriment from the mental food gathered
elsewhere. When Jesus is the theme, meditation is sweet indeed. Isaac found
Rebecca while engaged in private musings; many others have found their best
beloved there.

Very admirable was the choice of place. In the field we have a study hung
round with texts for thought. From the cedar to the hyssop, from the soaring
eagle down to the chirping grasshopper, from the blue expanse of heaven to a
drop of dew, all things are full of teaching, and when the eye is divinely
opened, that teaching flashes upon the mind far more vividly than from written
books. Our little rooms are neither so healthy, so suggestive, so agreeable,
or so inspiring as the fields. Let us count nothing common or unclean, but
feel that all created things point to their Maker, and the field will at once
be hallowed.

Very admirable was the season. The season of sunset as it draws a veil over
the day, befits that repose of the soul when earthborn cares yield to the joys
of heavenly communion. The glory of the setting sun excites our wonder, and
the solemnity of approaching night awakens our awe. If the business of this
day will permit it, it will be well, dear reader, if you can spare an hour to
walk in the field at eventide, but if not, the Lord is in the town too, and
will meet with thee in thy chamber or in the crowded street. Let thy heart go
forth to meet him.

Evening “And I will give you an heart of flesh.” / Ezekiel 36:26

A heart of flesh is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a
foul imagination, or to have allowed a wild desire to tarry even for a moment,
is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of
stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.

“If to the right or left I stray,

That moment, Lord, reprove;

And let me weep my life away,

For having grieved thy love”

The heart of flesh is tender of God’s will. My Lord Will-be-will is a great
blusterer, and it is hard to subject him to God’s will; but when the heart of
flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven,
and bows like an osier in every breeze of God’s Spirit. The natural will is
cold, hard iron, which is not to be hammered into form, but the renewed will,
like molten metal, is soon moulded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart
there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the
Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection towards him. The hard
heart is selfish and coldly demands, “Why should I weep for sin? Why should I
love the Lord?” But the heart of flesh says; “Lord, thou knowest that I love
thee; help me to love thee more!” Many are the privileges of this renewed
heart; “‘Tis here the Spirit dwells, ’tis here that Jesus rests.” It is fitted
to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is
prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honour and praise of God, and
therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defence against
sin, and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its
watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Have you this heart of
flesh?

And I will give you a new heart …A heart of flesh.  Ezekiel 36:26

 A “heart of flesh” is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a foul imagination or to have allowed a wild desire to linger even for a moment is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.

If to the right or left I stray,

That moment, Lord, reprove;

And let me weep my life away,

For having grieved Thy love.

The heart of flesh is tender to God’s will. Unlike a strong heart that refuses to bow before God’s dictates, when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven and bows like a willow in every breeze of God’s Spirit. The natural will is cold, hard iron, which refuses to be hammered into form, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is quickly molded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection toward Him.

The hard heart is selfish and coldly demands, “Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?” But the heart of flesh says, “Lord, You know that I love You; help me to love You more!” There are many privileges of this renewed heart. It is here the Spirit dwells; it is here that Jesus lives. It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honor and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defense against sin and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Do you have this heart of flesh?

Family Reading Plan Jeremiah 43   Psalm 19

Christ began His public ministry with baptism. At the time, John the Baptist was calling people to confess their sins and demonstrate repentance through immersion in the river. So why did Jesus, the sinless One, ask to be baptized? At first, John actually refused, knowing Christ was the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). But Jesus wasn’t demonstrating repentance; He was sacrificially identifying with sinful humankind.

As Christians, we’re called to follow His example in all things, becoming more like Him as we grow in our faith. That’s why baptism is the first step in following Jesus. As He was willing to identify Himself with us, we publicly identify with Him when we are baptized, which is a symbolic way of declaring, “I have trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and believe that the debt of my sin is fully paid through His sacrifice. I believe that as He rose from the dead, I will also be resurrected through Him. I look forward to walking in God’s will while I’m on the earth and living with Him throughout eternity. Since He loved me enough to identify Himself with me in my sin, I will show my love for Him by following His example right now, and for the rest of my days.”

Baptism demonstrates our connection not only with Christ but also with our spiritual brothers and sisters–past, present, and future. We’re joining everyone who has walked before us in faith, saying that we are members of one body, redeemed and brought to life by the same Lord.

 On my first day at seminary, I met my husband in the cafeteria. We were married a year and a half later. What I remember about our first meeting was my husband’s long, black hair tucked neatly under his New York Yankees baseball cap. The bits and pieces of our first conversation have faded quite a bit. But I do remember, as we dined on institutional fare, that we spoke of our favorite movies, places we had visited, and our plans after seminary. I learned enough about my future husband that night to know I liked him and hoped I would be able to dine with him again, preferably over better food.

 On that night, many years ago now, I skimmed the surface of the depths of the man who would become my husband. Real knowledge of who he was, and who we were together would be an unfolding process. Certainly, learning facts about my husband helped me to get to know him, but simply knowing facts about him did not encompass knowing him. Knowing him emerged as we forged a life together—a life filled with ups and downs, challenges and opportunities, ‘for better and for worse.’ Real knowledge emerged when I stopped looking at the ‘facts’ about my husband, and began to look through him, understanding the world through his perspective, seeing the world through his eyes. Knowing him and loving him became inseparable.

 The knowledge that can arise in the context of intimate relationship offers a helpful picture for understanding the declaration of Jesus that he “is the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Truth is a person and is not simply arriving at all the right facts about a subject, nor is it exclusively contained within the world of philosophical systems, theological constructs, or clever argumentation.  Truth is inherently relational and is bound up in the knowledge of persons. When the author of Hebrews explains that “in these last days God has spoken to us in the Son,” there is the underlying assumption that this person is God’s definitive Word to humanity—God’s truth revealed in the person of Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-2). When we know Jesus we know the truth, and that truth is bound up in relational knowledge.

 The temptation, of course, is to equate knowledge with facts about someone or something. When we think we know certain things about someone, or certain ideas about something, we think we know the truth. This kind of knowledge breeds arrogance, as the apostle Paul suggests in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3. “If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” How does one come to love God? Is it by accumulating doctrines and principles and ideas about God? Or is it by living in relationship—coming to know the God revealed in the person of Jesus? Knowledge, Paul suggests, is bound up in love for God. More than knowing the facts about the God revealed in Jesus, true knowledge flows from relationship; relationship colors our vision, informs our living, and penetrates our very being so that we begin to see truth through knowing Jesus. And as we truly know Jesus, just as in any relationship, we begin to see the world through the eyes of the beloved.

 As I remember my husband now, I think of a shared life together and not simply “facts” about him. Events, memories, impressions, and feelings all serve as the lines and colors of the picture of him in my mind. Even though he is gone, I find that I often think about how he might see something now, what he might think, or how he might respond if he were still with me. 

 In some similar ways, becoming a follower of Jesus encompasses personal and intimate knowledge based on love for the God who gave Jesus as a love gift to the world. As we love God “we are known by God” in return. In this sense, we have a new understanding, and are on our way to a new definition of knowledge as love. This kind of knowledge does not pre-empt study, learning or ‘facts.’ Rather, as N.T. Wright has written concerning the study of Jesus, “We might perhaps expect that in studying Jesus himself we would find the clue to understanding not only the object we can see through the telescope, the voice we can hear on the telephone, but the nature of sight and hearing themselves. Studying Jesus, in other words, might lead to a reappraisal of the theory of knowledge itself.”(1)

 Indeed, real knowledge occurs within the context of relationship since knowledge is relational in character.  Therefore, real knowledge involves love and is greater than simply the pursuit of an object. It is the pursuit of a relational subject. Viewing knowledge as love allows one to stop looking at someone, and start looking through him or her. For people who claim to follow Jesus the same is true: we stop looking at Jesus, and start looking through him.

 Margaret Manning is a member of the Speaking and Writing Teams at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington.

 (1) N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), 96.

Morning “Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work.” / Psalm 92:4

Do you believe that your sins are forgiven, and that Christ has made a full
atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you
should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is
forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, “Smite, Lord,
smite, for my sin is forgiven; if thou hast but forgiven me, smite as hard as
thou wilt;” and in a similar spirit you may say, “Send sickness, poverty,
losses, crosses, persecution, what thou wilt, thou hast forgiven me, and my
soul is glad.” Christian, if thou art thus saved, whilst thou art glad, be
grateful and loving. Cling to that cross which took thy sin away; serve thou
him who served thee. “I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service.” Let not your zeal evaporate in some little
ebullition of song. Show your love in expressive tokens. Love the brethren of
him who loved you. If there be a Mephibosheth anywhere who is lame or halt,
help him for Jonathan’s sake. If there be a poor tried believer, weep with
him, and bear his cross for the sake of him who wept for thee and carried thy
sins. Since thou art thus forgiven freely for Christ’s sake, go and tell to
others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Be not contented with this
unspeakable blessing for thyself alone, but publish abroad the story of the
cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all
the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most
forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it you. Seek it this morning
before you go into the world. When it is the Lord’s work in which we rejoice,
we need not be afraid of being too glad.

Evening “I know their sorrows.” / Exodus 3:7

The child is cheered as he sings, “This my father knows;” and shall not we be
comforted as we discern that our dear Friend and tender soul-husband knows all
about us?

1. He is the Physician, and if he knows all, there is no need that the patient
should know. Hush, thou silly, fluttering heart, prying, peeping, and
suspecting! What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter, and
meanwhile Jesus, the beloved Physician, knows thy soul in adversities. Why
need the patient analyze all the medicine, or estimate all the symptoms? This
is the Physician’s work, not mine; it is my business to trust, and his to
prescribe. If he shall write his prescription in uncouth characters which I
cannot read, I will not be uneasy on that account, but rely upon his unfailing
skill to make all plain in the result, however mysterious in the working.

2. He is the Master, and his knowledge is to serve us instead of our own; we
are to obey, not to judge: “The servant knoweth not what his lord doeth.”
Shall the architect explain his plans to every hodman on the works? If he
knows his own intent, is it not enough? The vessel on the wheel cannot guess
to what pattern it shall be conformed, but if the potter understands his art,
what matters the ignorance of the clay? My Lord must not be cross-questioned
any more by one so ignorant as I am.

3. He is the Head. All understanding centres there. What judgment has the arm?
What comprehension has the foot? All the power to know lies in the head. Why
should the member have a brain of its own when the head fulfils for it every
intellectual office? Here, then, must the believer rest his comfort in
sickness, not that he himself can see the end, but that Jesus knows all. Sweet
Lord, be thou forever eye, and soul, and head for us, and let us be content to
know only what thou choosest to reveal.

I know their sufferings.  Exodus 3:7

The child is cheered as he sings, “This my father knows”; and shall we not be comforted as we discern that our dear and tender Friend knows all about us?

1. He is the Physician, and if He knows everything, there is no need for the patient to know. Calm down, you silly, fluttering heart, prying, peeping, and suspecting! What you don’t know now, you will know later; and meanwhile Jesus, the beloved Physician, knows your soul in adversities. Why does the patient need to analyze all the medicine or estimate all the symptoms? This is the Physician’s work, not mine; it is my business to trust, and His to prescribe. If He shall write His prescription in a fashion that I cannot read, I will not be uneasy on that account, but will rely upon His unfailing skill to make everything clear in the result, no matter how mysterious the process.

2. He is the Master, and His knowledge is to serve us instead of our own; we are to obey, not to judge: “The servant does not know what his master is doing.”1 Shall the architect explain his plans to every bricklayer on the job? If he knows his own intent, is it not enough? The pot upon the wheel cannot guess to what pattern it will be conformed, but if the potter understands his art, the ignorance of the clay is irrelevant. My Lord must not be cross-questioned any more by one so ignorant as I am.

3. He is the Head. All understanding centers there. What judgment has the arm? What comprehension has the foot? All the power to know lies in the head. Why should the member have a brain of its own when the head fulfills for it every intellectual office? Here, then, the believer must rest his comfort in sickness—not that he himself can see the end, but that Jesus knows all. Sweet Lord, be forever eye and soul and head for us, and let us be content to know only what You choose to reveal.

1John 15:15

Family Reading Plan  Jeremiah 42   Psalm 18

Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). As the early church spread the gospel message, baptism would follow a new believer’s response of faith. It publicly signified that the individual was now a follower of Jesus

Metaphors often communicate on a level that words cannot. Baptism is a powerful picture of our salvation experience. Through this act, we proclaim the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again–and testify that we’ve welcomed His transforming power into our life.

The Greek word for “baptize” in Scripture is the same term used to describe a cloth dipped in dye–it refers to total change. So by being plunged into the water, we declare that we’re choosing to die to our old way of life and are uniting with Christ. Our sin is buried with Him, and its power is conquered through His atoning death on the cross (Rom. 6:14). When we’re raised up out of the water, we affirm His resurrection. Baptism is a symbolic way of expressing that just as the Lord conquered death and rose again, we are spiritually resurrected from death into new life. We are “born again” and irrevocably transformed through the power of His Holy Spirit.

In the Bible, the word “believe” isn’t a conceptual word describing intellectual agreement alone. It is a word of action. Our belief should never be hidden like a light placed under a bowl (Luke 11:33)–when unbelieving family and friends look at our lives, they need to see the gospel in action.

Researchers have stumbled onto a subject that has long been tested, though perhaps never before quite so clinically.  Over the last decade, millions of dollars have been spent on testing the effects of prayer in the field of medicine.  The studies, which have targeted an assortment of medical conditions and religious traditions, have attracted criticism from all over the place. Some argue that science has no place exploring matters of religion. Others note the impossibility of creating a controlled environment or securing viable results. Still others argue these experiments at the outset have a faulty understanding of both God and prayer. The opinions of those conducting the studies are equally varied. One scientist insists the tests are meant to answer practical questions and not religious ones; another thanks God in the official report of his findings. Nearly all involved agree that such studies are difficult, but that the subject is one worth testing, however little we understand it.(1)   

 That one’s prayers are with the sick, troubled, or grieving is a promise often uttered. It is a phrase heard both within and outside of Christian circles: “My prayers are with you.” It is a promise that could perhaps be met with cynicism. Is he really praying for me? Are her words a goodhearted turn of phrase and little more? The well-meaning words are undoubtedly uttered from time to time without much follow-through—or intention for that matter. But more often, the thought is received as it is likely intended. It is encouraging to know that someone is thinking of you, that his thoughts and prayers are with you, hoping or crying out with your own. The late atheist Christopher Hitchens said he was touched by the thought that he was in people’s prayers.(2) The assuring words remind the one struggling that they are not standing entirely alone in the darkness. And certainly that is a powerful thought in the midst of pain and uncertainty, as many scientists and psychologists have discovered.

 But what about the times when someone has told you that they are praying for you, and you know that they are doing exactly that: crying out to God on your behalf. Have you ever heard anyone say that they could sense the prayers of believers moving them through a difficult situation? For these people, the power of prayer moves well beyond encouragement.

 In fact, when uttered on sincere lips, “I’m praying for you” can be as frightening a thought as it is encouraging. Someone is standing before God with your name on her heart, rebelling against the status quo, refusing, like the woman before the judge, to take no for an answer. This introduces an entirely new set of concerns: Is she praying for me the way I’d like things to turn out? Is he asking God for the answer I’m hoping for? When my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I was livid when someone told me they were praying that God would take him home quickly—despite the fact that in between our cries for healing, we were praying that God would simply be near and real and in control. As someone once noted, prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue. Knowing that someone is standing before God on your behalf is powerful not because she is standing with you but because she is standing with God.

 The apostle Paul often voiced in his letters gratitude for the prayers of believers on his behalf. In and out of jail, in abundance and in lack, he saw them participate in bringing about God’s purposes in his life through their prayers for him. To the Philippian church he wrote, “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance” (1:19). He did not thank them for praying that what had happened to him would be altogether reversed, but that the purposes of God would be accomplished in all things. Paul saw the power in prayers that hope and expect with all boldness that Christ will be exalted whether by life or by death.

 As one has said, “Prayer is not about overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of his willingness.” Perhaps the best studies in prayer are in the lives of those who see that its power lies wholly in the one in whom we pray. 

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

 (1) Benson H, Dusek JA, Sherwood JB, et al. (April 2006), “Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: a multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer,” American Heart Journal, 934–42.
(2) Ross Douthat, “Prayers For Christopher Hitchens,” The New York Times, July 15, 2010.

Morning “The cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted.” / Psalm 104:16

Lebanon’s cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their
planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is
not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mysterious hand of the
divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which he had himself
prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great
Husbandman as his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent
upon man for their watering; they stand on the lofty rock, unmoistened by
human irrigation; and yet our heavenly Father supplieth them. Thus it is with
the Christian who has learned to live by faith. He is independent of man, even
in temporal things; for his continued maintenance he looks to the Lord his
God, and to him alone. The dew of heaven is his portion, and the God of heaven
is his fountain. Again, the cedars of Lebanon are not protected by any mortal
power. They owe nothing to man for their preservation from stormy wind and
tempest. They are God’s trees, kept and preserved by him, and by him alone. It
is precisely the same with the Christian. He is not a hot-house plant,
sheltered from temptation; he stands in the most exposed position; he has no
shelter, no protection, except this, that the broad wings of the eternal God
always cover the cedars which he himself has planted. Like cedars, believers
are full of sap, having vitality enough to be ever green, even amid winter’s
snows. Lastly, the flourishing and majestic condition of the cedar is to the
praise of God only. The Lord, even the Lord alone hath been everything unto
the cedars, and, therefore David very sweetly puts it in one of the psalms,
“Praise ye the Lord, fruitful trees and all cedars.” In the believer there is
nothing that can magnify man; he is planted, nourished, and protected by the
Lord’s own hand, and to him let all the glory be ascribed.

Evening “And I will remember my covenant.” / Genesis 9:15

Mark the form of the promise. God does not say, “And when ye shall look upon
the bow, and ye shall remember my covenant, then I will not destroy the
earth,” but it is gloriously put, not upon our memory, which is fickle and
frail, but upon God’s memory, which is infinite and immutable. “The bow shall
be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant.” Oh! it is not my remembering God, it is God’s remembering me which
is the ground of my safety; it is not my laying hold of his covenant, but his
covenant’s laying hold on me. Glory be to God! the whole of the bulwarks of
salvation are secured by divine power, and even the minor towers, which we may
imagine might have been left to man, are guarded by almighty strength. Even
the remembrance of the covenant is not left to our memories, for we might
forget, but our Lord cannot forget the saints whom he has graven on the palms
of his hands. It is with us as with Israel in Egypt; the blood was upon the
lintel and the two side-posts, but the Lord did not say, “When you see the
blood I will pass over you,” but “When I see the blood I will pass over you.”
My looking to Jesus brings me joy and peace, but it is God’s looking to Jesus
which secures my salvation and that of all his elect, since it is impossible
for our God to look at Christ, our bleeding Surety, and then to be angry with
us for sins already punished in him. No, it is not left with us even to be
saved by remembering the covenant. There is no linsey-wolsey here–not a
single thread of the creature mars the fabric. It is not of man, neither by
man, but of the Lord alone. We should remember the covenant, and we shall do
it, through divine grace; but the hinge of our safety does not hang there–it
is God’s remembering us, not our remembering him; and hence the covenant is an
everlasting covenant.

I will remember my covenant. Genesis 9:15

Note the form of this promise. God does not say, “And when you shall look upon the bow, and you shall remember My covenant, then I will not destroy the earth,” but it is gloriously put, not upon our memory, which is fickle and frail, but upon God’s memory, which is infinite and immutable. “When . . . the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant.” It is not my remembering God—it is God’s remembering me that is the ground of my safety; it is not my laying hold of His covenant, but His covenant’s laying hold on me. Glory be to God!

The ramparts of salvation are secured by divine power, and even the minor towers, which we could imagine being left to man, are guarded by almighty strength. Even the remembrance of the covenant is not left to our memories, for we might forget; but our Lord cannot forget the names of those whom He has graven on the palms of His hands. It is with us as it was with Israel in Egypt; the blood was upon the lintel and the two side-posts, but the Lord did not say, “When you see the blood I will pass over you,” but “When I see the blood I will pass over you.”

My looking to Jesus brings me joy and peace, but it is God’s looking to Jesus that secures my salvation and that of all His elect, since it is impossible for our God to look at Christ, our bleeding Surety, and then to be angry with us for sins already punished in Him. It is not left with us even to be saved by remembering the covenant. There is not a single thread of human effort in this fabric. It is not of man, neither by man, but of the Lord alone. We should remember the covenant, and we shall do it, through divine grace; but the hinge of our safety does not hang there—it is God’s remembering us, not our remembering Him; and hence the covenant is an everlasting covenant.

Family Reading Plan Jeremiah 41 Psalm 17

The difficulties we face originate from one of three sources. Some are sent to us by the Lord to test our faith, others are the result of Satan’s attacks, and still others are due to our own sinful choices.

As you consider these three causes, which type is the hardest for you to bear? I think most of us would say the last one, because we have nobody to blame but ourselves and it seems as if no good can possibly result. After all, the Word of God says that we will reap what we have sown (Gal. 6:7), so we see nothing ahead except a painful harvest.

What this kind of thinking fails to take into account is the Lord’s redemptive abilities. Although He never promises to remove all the consequences of sin, He can use our failures to teach us to fear Him, hate evil, and walk in obedience. The difficult lessons we learn can also become our protection from sin in the future. Having suffered the pain of going our own way, we’re more likely not to take that path again.

God’s arrows of affliction are sharp and painful so He can get our attention. He won’t let His beloved children get away with sin because He knows it robs us of blessings, opportunities, and even character refinement.

As painful as your situation may be, thank your heavenly Father that He cares enough to send out His loving discipline. Now it’s up to you. How will you respond to His warning? When we learn from experience, the scars of sin can lead us to restoration and a renewed intimacy with God.

 At a funeral service in 1742, two men remembered as giants of the faith stood beside their mother’s grave. John Wesley conducted the services; his brother Charles wrote the epitaph for the tombstone. In part, it read: 

 A Christian here her flesh laid down,
the cross exchanging for a crown.
True daughter of affliction, she,
inured to pain and misery…

The Father then revealed his Son;
him in the broken bread made known;
She knew and felt her sins forgiven,
and found the earnest of her heaven.

 Susanna Wesley was a woman her husband called the best of mothers. Hopeful that her children would come to know and love the Christ she loved, Susanna reserved a specific day and time each week to sit and discuss matters of God and things on their hearts. The time spent together was cherished by all, such that many continued the discussions with their mother well into adulthood through letter-writing. Once asking his mother for a definition of sin, John Wesley received a response fit for the theology books he was writing. “Take this rule,” she wrote to John. “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things…that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.”(1)

 Having an opportunity for education available to few women of her time, as a young woman Susanna seized the occasion. And she continued to seize occasions to learn and teach others. While her husband was away preaching, Susanna adopted the practice of reading sermons from the library aloud to her family. Word of the weekly meetings held in her kitchen quickly spread, until over two hundred were gathering regularly, and the parsonage could hardly contain those who came to hear.   It was in such a setting that John, who would become a fervent preacher, and Charles, who would become a great hymnist, were raised.     

 Though her life was marked by a determined pursuit of God, it was also marked with hardship. Nine of the 19 children born to Samuel and Susanna Wesley died in infancy. Two different times their home was destroyed by fire, one time nearly taking John’s life. They also lived in severe poverty. Yet her determined faith was one she insisted on sharing, and perhaps for this reason there was not a greater force upon eighteenth-century England than her children.  

 Shortly before she died, Susanna had a long talk with John in which she described her greatest struggle in faith. For years, she admitted, she labored with doubt and confusion in regards to her salvation. She had scarcely ever heard, or so believed, that forgiveness of sins was something offered in the present. Yet, she described finding herself one day suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of peace in God’s love for her and forgiveness of everything else. In his journal John recounts her description of that moment.  “Said she, ‘[T]wo or three weeks ago, while my son Hall was pronouncing those words, in delivering the cup to me, ‘The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee,’ the words struck through my heart and I knew God for Christ’s sake had forgiven me all my sins.'”(2)

 Charles alludes to his mother’s experience with Christ in the last lines of the epitaph marking her grave. In the broken bread, the Father revealed his Son to Susanna Wesley: And she knew and felt her sins forgiven, and found the earnest of her heaven. In the cup of faith and broken bread, the love of God was unobscured, handed to her literally. The same gift of God’s assuring touch is something we can hold today.  

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

 (1) Letters of Susanna Wesley, June 8, 1725.
(2) The Journal of John Wesley, Ed. Percy Livingstone Parker, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1951).

Morning “Christ, who is our life.” / Colossians 3:4

Paul’s marvellously rich expression indicates, that Christ is the source of
our life. “You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.” That
same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb raised us to newness of life.
He is now the substance of our spiritual life. It is by his life that we live;
he is in us, the hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought
which moves every other thought. Christ is the sustenance of our life. What
can the Christian feed upon but Jesus’ flesh and blood? “This is the bread
which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” O
wayworn pilgrims in this wilderness of sin, you never get a morsel to satisfy
the hunger of your spirits, except ye find it in him! Christ is the solace of
our life. All our true joys come from him; and in times of trouble, his
presence is our consolation. There is nothing worth living for but him; and
his lovingkindness is better than life! Christ is the object of our life. As
speeds the ship towards the port, so hastes the believer towards the haven of
his Saviour’s bosom. As flies the arrow to its goal, so flies the Christian
towards the perfecting of his fellowship with Christ Jesus. As the soldier
fights for his captain, and is crowned in his captain’s victory, so the
believer contends for Christ, and gets his triumph out of the triumphs of his
Master. “For him to live is Christ.” Christ is the exemplar of our life. Where
there is the same life within, there will, there must be, to a great extent,
the same developments without; and if we live in near fellowship with the Lord
Jesus we shall grow like him. We shall set him before us as our Divine copy,
and we shall seek to tread in his footsteps, until he shall become the crown
of our life in glory. Oh! how safe, how honoured, how happy is the Christian,
since Christ is our life!

Evening “The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” / Matthew 9:6

Behold one of the great Physician’s mightiest arts: he has power to forgive
sin! While here he lived below, before the ransom had been paid, before the
blood had been literally sprinkled on the mercy-seat, he had power to forgive
sin. Hath he not power to do it now that he hath died? What power must dwell
in him who to the utmost farthing has faithfully discharged the debts of his
people! He has boundless power now that he has finished transgression and made
an end of sin. If ye doubt it, see him rising from the dead! behold him in
ascending splendour raised to the right hand of God! Hear him pleading before
the eternal Father, pointing to his wounds, urging the merit of his sacred
passion! What power to forgive is here! “He hath ascended on high, and
received gifts for men.” “He is exalted on high to give repentance and
remission of sins.” The most crimson sins are removed by the crimson of his
blood. At this moment, dear reader, whatever thy sinfulness, Christ has power
to pardon, power to pardon thee, and millions such as thou art. A word will
speak it. He has nothing more to do to win thy pardon; all the atoning work is
done. He can, in answer to thy tears, forgive thy sins today, and make thee
know it. He can breathe into thy soul at this very moment a peace with God
which passeth all understanding, which shall spring from perfect remission of
thy manifold iniquities. Dost thou believe that? I trust thou believest it.
Mayst thou experience now the power of Jesus to forgive sin! Waste no time in
applying to the Physician of souls, but hasten to him with words like these:–

“Jesus! Master! hear my cry;

Save me, heal me with a word;

Fainting at thy feet I lie,

Thou my whisper’d plaint hast heard.”