Morning “The eternal God is thy refuge.” / Deuteronomy 33:27

The word refuge may be translated “mansion,” or “abiding- place,” which gives

the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fulness and sweetness

in the metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the

humblest cottage, or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God,

in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel

safe: we shut the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are with

our God we “fear no evil.” He is our shelter and retreat, our abiding refuge.

At home, we take our rest; it is there we find repose after the fatigue and

toil of the day. And so our hearts find rest in God, when, wearied with life’s

conflict, we turn to him, and our soul dwells at ease. At home, also, we let

our hearts loose; we are not afraid of being misunderstood, nor of our words

being misconstrued. So when we are with God we can commune freely with him,

laying open all our hidden desires; for if the “secret of the Lord is with

them that fear him,” the secrets of them that fear him ought to be, and must

be, with their Lord. Home, too, is the place of our truest and purest

happiness: and it is in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We

have joy in him which far surpasses all other joy. It is also for home that we

work and labour. The thought of it gives strength to bear the daily burden,

and quickens the fingers to perform the task; and in this sense we may also

say that God is our home. Love to him strengthens us. We think of him in the

person of his dear Son; and a glimpse of the suffering face of the Redeemer

constrains us to labour in his cause. We feel that we must work, for we have

brethren yet to be saved, and we have our Father’s heart to make glad by

bringing home his wandering sons; we would fill with holy mirth the sacred

family among whom we dwell. Happy are those who have thus the God of Jacob for

their refuge!

Evening  “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.” / Matthew 10:25

No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant

to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the

treatment he received? Were his claims acknowledged, his instructions

followed, his perfections worshipped, by those whom he came to bless? No; “He

was despised and rejected of men.” Outside the camp was his place:

cross-bearing was his occupation. Did the world yield him solace and rest?

“Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man

hath not where to lay his head.” This inhospitable country afforded him no

shelter: it cast him out and crucified him. Such–if you are a follower of

Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation–you must

expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward

development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they

treated the Saviour–they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will

admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more

peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how

should they value the jewel in the rough? “If they have called the Master of

the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” If

we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by his enemies. It were a

sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world’s favourite. It is a very ill

omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout “Well done” to the

Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he

has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let

us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world

which scorns and rejects him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honor

where our Lord found a coronet of thorns.

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher.   Matthew 10:25

No one will dispute this statement, for it would not be proper for the pupil to be exalted above his Teacher. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment He received? Were His claims acknowledged, His instructions followed, His perfections worshiped by those whom He came to bless? No. “He was despised and rejected by men.”1 His place was outside the city: Cross-bearing was His occupation. Did the world provide Him with comfort and rest? “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.”2 This inhospitable country provided Him no shelter: It cast Him out and crucified Him.

If you are a follower of Jesus and maintain a consistent, Christlike walk and behavior, you must expect to experience persecution and rejection also. Your Christian testimony will be scrutinized and criticized. People will treat it as they treated the Savior—they will despise it. Do not imagine that pagans will admire you or that the more holy and the more Christlike you are, the more peaceably people will act toward you. If they did not prize the polished gem, do you think that they will esteem the rough cut jewel? If they have referred to Jesus as Satan, how much more will they denigrate the teacher’s disciples? If we were more like Christ, we would be more hated by His enemies.

It is a sad dishonor to a child of God to be the world’s favorite. It is a very bad omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout “Well done” to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character and wonder whether he has been doing wrong when the unrighteous give him their approval. Let us be true to our Master and have no friendship with a blind and base world that scorns and rejects Him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honor where our Lord found only a crown of thorns.

1Isaiah 53:3 2Matthew 8:20

Family Reading Plan    Joel 2       Psalm 142

Romans 12:5-7

In God’s eyes, anyone who sins is rebellious. And Romans 3:23 tells us we all are guilty. Now, it makes sense that an unbeliever would choose to act apart from biblical teaching. But what about those of us who have committed our life to follow Christ–what would cause us to stray from our heavenly Father’s will?

There are two powerful human tendencies that lead to disobedience: doubt and pride. Both can be dangerously misleading.

Doubt is a mental struggle over whether or not to believe God’s promises. From our limited perspective, we cannot understand how God works. Sometimes His way does not feel like the right path, so in order to obey, we must step out in faith. Then it can feel as though we are jumping off a cliff and trusting God’s invisible rope to hold us. If we listen to our doubt, we will surely transgress.

Pride is the sin that caused Satan to fall from heaven, and it is a deceptive obstacle for believers as well. Pride has to do with thinking that our way is best, putting more faith in our ability than God’s promises, and desiring praise. Anything we do out of pride is rebellion against the Lord.

Whatever the cause, sin leads to death. God’s way is the only road resulting in fulfillment, peace, and life.

The Enemy wants to lure us with doubt and pride: both feel right and are easily justifiable from our human perspective. But believers should follow Joshua’s wisdom instead: “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” wrote Henry David Thoreau.

I thought of these words as I was playing tourist one summer in my hometown near the shores of Lake Michigan. On a guided ride through the massive sand dunes of Silver Lake, we stopped at the highest point of the dunes. With lines he’d been using for years, our guide offered a few statistics as he pointed out the scenes around us. From the hill we could see Lake Michigan, a historic lighthouse, and the endless shifting dunes that slowly engulf the small forests around them. Most of his words were lost in the beauty of the scene itself, but I tuned in as he described the survival tactics of the trees beside us. “These trees,” he said, pointing to trees that were no more than 10 feet high, “are upwards of 35 feet tall.” They are trees assailed each year by shifting sands and changing hillsides. When their branches are enveloped by sand, leaves die from lack of sunlight, but the branches become roots.

I don’t know why Thoreau’s words hit me at that moment as I took in the clever tactics of a handful of scrappy trees. I was impressed with their display of life, their fight to survive in a world that kept smothering them year after year. Perhaps it was their quiet perseverance in shifting darkness that drew a sharp contrast to my own behavior in stifling moments. Looking out from that which overwhelms me, I am easily resigned to a world without light.

In 1845, Henry David Thoreau left his pencil-manufacturing business and moved to the woods of Massachusetts. Walden is the lyrical record of the 26 months he spent in withdrawal from society in a cabin on the shore of Walden Pond. Written 150 years ago, many of his words still meet us as he hoped them to: like a “chanticleer in the morning, standing on his roost, to wake my neighbors up.” One of Thoreau’s concerns was that the world was being dulled by the bombardment of an unending flow of news, and a fascination with trivial events. “We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas” he wrote, “but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.”(1)

Standing atop the mountains of the information age, it doesn’t take much to see the relevance of this concern. Turning on the news each day or jumping on the Internet for the headlines, a task I do faithfully, I am ashamed at how easily I am taken in by stories that are less “news” and more gossip. But then, even the stories that are certainly newsworthy can all too easily become a weight that buries me in fear, or engulfs me in concern that, though real, is riddled with the possibility that I will miss the point. Though neither Thoreau nor I would contend that news consumption is bad, information abounds in overwhelming degrees. Each fact, each story, owns the potential to move our emotions like sand dunes, cutting us off from hope and light.

We live in a world of shifting ideas where the potential to resign ourselves to fear or hopelessness is real. The Christian story counters this imagination with a different one: The light of Christ is not overcome, no matter how dark the darkness. In Psalm 1 we are reminded that the one whose certainty is the Lord, whose hope is in God’s unchanging presence, is blessed. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” In this changing culture of disheartening headlines and distracting information, many lead lives of quiet desperation. Still many others grow roots where life buries branches, tapping into the living waters of one who does not change.

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

(1) Henry David Thoreau, Walden (New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1854), 84.

Morning   “So walk ye in him.” / Colossians 2:6

If we have received Christ himself in our inmost hearts, our new life will

manifest its intimate acquaintance with him by a walk of faith in him. Walking

implies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; we must

carry out into practical effect that which we believe. If a man walks in

Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act; for Christ being in him, his

hope, his love, his joy, his life, he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and

men say of that man, “He is like his Master; he lives like Jesus Christ.”

Walking signifies progress. “So walk ye in him”; proceed from grace to grace,

run forward until you reach the uttermost degree of knowledge that a man can

attain concerning our Beloved. Walking implies continuance. There must be a

perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think that in the morning and

evening they ought to come into the company of Jesus, and may then give their

hearts to the world all the day: but this is poor living; we should always be

with him, treading in his steps and doing his will. Walking also implies

habit. When we speak of a man’s walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the

constant tenor of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget

him; sometimes call him ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we

do not walk in him. We must keep to him, cling to him, never let him go, but

live and have our being in him. “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so

walk ye in him”; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at

the first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life,

the principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let him be the

same till life’s end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow

of death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of

God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept.

Evening  “His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given

him; his waters shall be sure.” / Isaiah 33:16

Do you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil his

promise? Shall the munitions of rock be carried by storm? Shall the

storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father, though he

knoweth that you have need of food and raiment, will yet forget you? When not

a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the very hairs of your

head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt him? Perhaps your

affliction will continue upon you till you dare to trust your God, and then it

shall end. Full many there be who have been tried and sore vexed till at last

they have been driven in sheer desperation to exercise faith in God, and the

moment of their faith has been the instant of their deliverance; they have

seen whether God would keep his promise or not. Oh, I pray you, doubt him no

longer! Please not Satan, and vex not yourself by indulging any more those

hard thoughts of God. Think it not a light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember,

it is a sin; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal.

The angels never doubted him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the

beings that God has fashioned, dishonour him by unbelief, and tarnish his

honour by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so

basely suspected; in our past life we have proved him to be true and faithful

to his word, and with so many instances of his love and of his kindness as we

have received, and are daily receiving, at his hands, it is base and

inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we

henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God–enemies to our peace

and to his honour; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what he has

promised he will also perform. “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.”

His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.    Isaiah 33:16

Christian, do you doubt whether God will fulfill His promise? Will the fortresses of rock be swept away by a storm? Will the storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father, even though He knows that you need food and clothes, will forget you? When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge, and the very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt Him? Perhaps your affliction will continue upon you until you dare to trust God, and then it will end.

There have been many who have been tried and troubled until at last they have been driven in sheer desperation to exercise faith in God, and the moment of their faith has been the instant of their deliverance; they have seen whether God would keep His promise or not. So I urge you, doubt Him no longer! Do not please Satan, and do not trouble yourself by indulging any more those hard thoughts of God. Do not imagine that it is a small matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember, it is a sin; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal. The angels never doubted Him, nor the devils either.

We alone, out of all the beings whom God has fashioned, dishonor Him by unbelief and tarnish His honor by mistrust. Shame on us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so poorly treated; in our past life we have proved Him to be true and faithful to His word, and with so many instances of His love and of His kindness as we have received and are daily receiving at His hands, it is base and inexcusable that we allow a doubt to lodge within our heart. From now on let us resolve to wage constant war against doubts of our God—enemies to our peace and to His honor—and with an unstaggering faith believe that what He has promised He will also perform. “I believe; help my unbelief!”1

1Mark 9:24

Family Reading Plan      Joel 1      Psalm 141

1 Samuel 15:1-23

God’s plan for each one of us has our best interest in mind. His way leads to fullness of life. Yet He did not create us to be robots that blindly and lifelessly live their godly life. No, the Lord grants us the choice of whether or not to obey Him. Our human nature tends to choose a self-centered path that turns away from God’s authority. But in doing so, we miss His best for us.

Consider the life of King Saul. God chose this man to be king and provided guidelines for him to follow. Though Saul knew the Lord’s instructions, he chose to do things his own way. At times his sin was unquestionably deliberate, such as his attempt to kill David out of jealousy. At other times, however, his rebellion seemed less clear-cut. For example, despite God’s order to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites and their animals, Saul spared the best of the herd, with the justification that they were “to sacrifice to the Lord” (1 Sam. 15:3, 21).

His disobedient choices cost him the throne and eventually led to his destruction. This man chose the road that satisfied his immediate fleshly desires, but as we know from history, the end result was hardly fulfilling. We can learn from Saul’s mistakes. Partial obedience is actually disobedience. And any disobedience falls in the category of rebellion, which is sin.

Each day, we face the same types of choices. Though the details are different, both large and small temptations lure us. We can live according to Christ’s will, following His lead and listening for His voice. Or we can refuse. Choose today to live God’s way–which leads to fullness of life.

A starting point for taking on the responsibility of the work of Christian apologetics is recognizing the role that living out a disciplined Christian life plays. Even a brief examination of the Scriptures reveals this striking imperative: one may not divorce the content of apologetics from the character of the apologist. Apologetics derives from the Greek word apologia, “to give an answer.” 1 Peter 3:15 gives us the defining statement: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

I have always found this to be such a fascinating verse because the apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the hazards and the risks of being an answer-bearer to the sincere questions that people would pose of the gospel. Indeed, when one contrasts the answers of Jesus to any of his detractors, it is not hard to see that their resistance is not of the mind but rather of the heart. Furthermore, I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out. The Irish evangelist Gypsy Smith once said, “There are five Gospels: Matthew Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the first four.” In other words, apologetics is often first seen before it is heard.

For that very reason the Scriptures give us a clear picture of the apologetic Christian: one who has first set apart Christ in his or her heart as Lord, and then responds with answers to the questioner with gentleness and respect.  Therefore, one must not overlook the stark reality that the way one’s life is lived out will determine the impact.  There are few obstacles to faith as serious as expounding the unlived life. Too many simply see the quality of one’s life and firmly believe that it is all theory, bearing no supernatural component.

I remember well in the early days of my Christian faith talking to a Hindu. He was questioning the strident claims of the followers of Christ as being something supernatural. He absolutely insisted “conversion was nothing more than a decision to lead a more ethical life and that in most cases it was not any different to those claims of other ‘ethical’ religions.” So far, his argument was not anything new. But then he said something that I have never forgotten, and often reflect upon: “If this conversion is truly supernatural, why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians that I know?” His question is a troublesome one. After all, no Buddhist claims a supernatural life but frequently lives a more consistent one. The same pertains to many of other faiths. Yet, how often the so-called Christian, even while proclaiming some of the loftiest truths one could ever express, lives a life bereft of that beauty and character.

This call to a life reflecting the person of Christ is the ultimate calling upon the apologist. The skeptic is not slow to notice when there is a disparity, and because of that, may question the whole gospel in its supernatural claim. Yet when they are met with gentleness and respect, we will help meet the deepest longings of the heart and mind, and they will find where true discovery lies. Let us live so accordingly.

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

Morning “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord.” / Colossians 2:6

The life of faith is represented as receiving–an act which implies the very

opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the

earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts

light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of

God. The saints are not, by nature, wells, or streams, they are but cisterns

into which the living water flows; they are empty vessels into which God pours

his salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making

the matter a reality. One cannot very well receive a shadow; we receive that

which is substantial: so is it in the life of faith, Christ becomes real to

us. While we are without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us–a person who lived

a long while ago, so long ago that his life is only a history to us now! By an

act of faith Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart.

But receiving also means grasping or getting possession of. The thing which I

receive becomes my own: I appropriate to myself that which is given. When I

receive Jesus, he becomes my Saviour, so mine that neither life nor death

shall be able to rob me of him. All this is to receive Christ–to take him as

God’s free gift; to realize him in my heart, and to appropriate him as mine.

Salvation may be described as the blind receiving sight, the deaf receiving

hearing, the dead receiving life; but we have not only received these

blessings, we have received Christ Jesus himself. It is true that he gave us

life from the dead. He gave us pardon of sin; he gave us imputed

righteousness. These are all precious things, but we are not content with

them; we have received Christ himself. The Son of God has been poured into us,

and we have received him, and appropriated him. What a heartful Jesus must be,

for heaven itself cannot contain him!

Evening “The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover

with my disciples?” / Mark 14:14

Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had

invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Saviour, and he had no

dwelling of his own. It was by his own supernatural power that he found

himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this

day–Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by his

supernatural power and grace he makes the heart anew. All doors are open

enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for himself or

lodge in the streets. It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord

that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully

opened his guestchamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he

readily accepted the honour which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In

like manner it is still discovered who are the Lord’s chosen, and who are not;

for when the gospel comes to some, they fight against it, and will not have

it, but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that

there is a secret work going on in the soul, and that God has chosen them unto

eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? then there is

no difficulty in the way; Christ will be your guest; his own power is working

with you, making you willing. What an honour to entertain the Son of God! The

heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and yet he condescends to find a house

within our hearts! We are not worthy that he should come under our roof, but

what an unutterable privilege when he condescends to enter! for then he makes

a feast, and causes us to feast with him upon royal dainties, we sit at a

banquet where the viands are immortal, and give immortality to those who feed

thereon. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels’ Lord.

The teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?   Mark 14:14

Jerusalem at the time of the Passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Savior, and He had no dwelling of His own. It was by His own supernatural power that He found Himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. This is still the case today—Jesus is not received among the sons of men except when by His supernatural power and grace He makes the heart anew. All doors are open enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for Himself or lodge in the streets.

On account of the mysterious power exerted by our Lord, the householder raised no question but at once cheerfully and joyfully opened his guest room. Who he was and what he was we do not know, but he willingly accepted the honor that the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In similar fashion we can still discover who are the Lord’s chosen and who are not, for when the Gospel comes to some, they fight against it and will not have it; but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that there is a secret work going on in the soul and that God has appointed them to eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ?

Then there is no difficulty in the way. Christ will be your guest; His own power is working with you, making you willing. What an honor to entertain the Son of God! The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, and yet He condescends to find a house within our hearts! We are not worthy that He should come under our roof, but what an unutterable privilege when He condescends to enter! For then He makes a feast and causes us to feast with Him upon His royal provision; we sit at a banquet where the food is immortal and provides immortality to those who feed on it. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels’ Lord.

Family Reading Plan       Hosea 14       Psalm 139

Psalm 1:1-6

The Bible declares the Lord’s great power and majesty while also revealing His deep mercy and love. He is worthy of wholehearted, passionate submission, but He doesn’t often get it. Are you among the few who offer themselves to Him without reservation?

Complete obedience is a choice to follow God regardless of the consequences. This means that we obey the Lord even if our friends choose a different path or when suffering or embarrassment is guaranteed. Seeing His will done is more important than our own comfort or personal ambition. We commit the consequences to God and cling to His promises: He will never leave us (Heb. 13:5), and He makes good out of every situation (Rom. 8:28).

Notice the word ‘commitment’ in the title of today’s devotion. I’m not writing about obedience that is born of the moment (as in, I choose to follow God in this instance) but about submission as a way of life. Setting restrictions on compliance is so tempting–we want to be able to change our mind when obeying upsets our lifestyle, the final result is unclear, or we’re just plain scared. But let me ask you this one sobering question: If Jesus is the Lord of your life, what right do you have to limit how and when you’ll do His will?

Believers have no right to set their own limits; their one criterion for making decisions should be, What does God want me to do? The answer at times may cause suffering, but obedience is always right. And following God in all things is the surest path to favor and spiritual growth.

 “You have to earn it,” a gentle, elderly man told my husband and me as we drove through the streets of a crowded city. His eyes were smiling even as he told stories obviously weighing on his heart, as if the opportunity to speak his mistakes aloud to a young couple made looking back somehow worth the ache of remembering. In broken English he told of his days after the war; how, filled with questions, he turned to things now regrettable, deeply hurting people he loved with his rebellion. My heart leapt as he seemed to get to the part that ordained his smiling eyes. “I was running from everything, even myself. But God was chasing me,” he said, sounding yet in awe at the thought of it. “There are two roads in life,” he then explained quickly, as if he felt he was about to lose our attention, not knowing whether we would want to hear it or not. “One way moves toward God, the other away from God. I realized that I wanted to go God’s way, towards heaven, towards Christ,” he said, pointing upwards. “But you have to earn it.”

The hope that seemed to grab hold of me as he spoke, as we were beautifully evangelized in a foreign city by our taxi driver, was abruptly stifled. As he told his story I wanted to shout, “God chased me too!” I wanted to tell him that I was so humbled by his unapologetic faith and his resolve to share it. Such were the things I wanted to say when the chance to speak was mine. But at these words I wanted to cry: You have to earn it. The ride ended. We shook hands, exchanged blessings. And he was gone before I could swallow the lump in my throat.

How can you earn God’s love?

In that unexpected moment in transit, the love of God seemed so vast, so wonderfully intrusive. My heart stirred within me as Christ connected three strangers together, two of us far from home. The world seemed gigantic, and yet three were joined together by a name that will outlive us all, and Christ was there among us, three of his own. I think this is why, to my deep regret, I remained speechless in the wake of such a statement:  The idea of earning this love seemed more impossible than usual.

Yet, what if he merely spoke aloud words many of us know not to utter, though we still try to earn God’s favor, God’s forgiveness, God’s love and attention anyway? How often I have to take captive the thoughts that I am struggling to stay in God’s good graces, mentally visualizing gold stars by my name, as if God were a father on the brink of abandoning me lest one more sticker be lost to bad behavior. Though I know better, do I always know differently? “You have to earn it” is a tune not always far from my repertoire. Yet when struggling to earn our way into God’s presence—whether we are admitting it aloud or not—it is usually not the case that we have overestimated our ability to earn. Perhaps it is that we are grossly underestimating the love we are longing to keep.

So wrote one who walked with God’s begotten: “For God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Modern hymnist Stuart Townend reminds us of this great mystery often memorized, but less easily known.

How deep the Father’s love for us.

How vast beyond all measure,

That he should give His only Son,

To make a wretch His treasure.

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart:

His wounds have paid my ransom.

We cannot earn our way into the presence of God. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).  The debt, which was ours, has been paid.  You can neither earn Christ’s heart nor his reward. You are asked only to receive him.

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

 Morning “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” / Isaiah 49:16

 No doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in the word “Behold,” is

excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the preceding sentence. Zion said,

“The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me.” How amazed the

divine mind seems to be at this wicked unbelief! What can be more astounding

than the unfounded doubts and fears of God’s favoured people? The Lord’s

loving word of rebuke should make us blush; he cries, “How can I have

forgotten thee, when I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands? How darest

thou doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is set upon my very

flesh?” O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We know not which most to

wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of his people. He keeps his

promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt him. He never

faileth; he is never a dry well; he is never as a setting sun, a passing

meteor, or a melting vapour; and yet we are as continually vexed with

anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God

were the mirage of the desert. “Behold,” is a word intended to excite

admiration. Here, indeed, we have a theme for marvelling. Heaven and earth may

well be astonished that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart

of infinite love as to be written upon the palms of his hands. “I have graven

thee.” It does not say, “Thy name.” The name is there, but that is not all: “I

have graven thee.” See the fulness of this! I have graven thy person, thine

image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses,

thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that

concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there. Wilt thou ever say again that

thy God hath forsaken thee when he has graven thee upon his own palms?

Evening “And ye shall be witnesses unto me.” / Acts 1:8

 In order to learn how to discharge your duty as a witness for Christ, look at

his example. He is always witnessing: by the well of Samaria, or in the Temple

of Jerusalem: by the lake of Gennesaret, or on the mountain’s brow. He is

witnessing night and day; his mighty prayers are as vocal to God as his daily

services. He witnesses under all circumstances; Scribes and Pharisees cannot

shut his mouth; even before Pilate he witnesses a good confession. He

witnesses so clearly, and distinctly that there is no mistake in him.

Christian, make your life a clear testimony. Be you as the brook wherein you

may see every stone at the bottom–not as the muddy creek, of which you only

see the surface–but clear and transparent, so that your heart’s love to God

and man may be visible to all. You need not say, “I am true:” be true. Boast

not of integrity, but be upright. So shall your testimony be such that men

cannot help seeing it. Never, for fear of feeble man, restrain your witness.

Your lips have been warmed with a coal from off the altar; let them speak as

like heaven-touched lips should do. “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the

evening withhold not thine hand.” Watch not the clouds, consult not the

wind–in season and out of season witness for the Saviour, and if it shall

come to pass that for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s you shall endure

suffering in any shape, shrink not, but rejoice in the honour thus conferred

upon you, that you are counted worthy to suffer with your Lord; and joy also

in this–that your sufferings, your losses, and persecutions shall make you a

platform, from which the more vigorously and with greater power you shall

witness for Christ Jesus. Study your great Exemplar, and be filled with his

Spirit. Remember that you need much teaching, much upholding, much grace, and

much humility, if your witnessing is to be to your Master’s glory.

And you will be my witnesses.Acts 1:8

 In order to learn how to discharge your duty as a witness for Christ, look at His example. He is always witnessing—by the well of Samaria or in the temple of Jerusalem; by the sea of Galilee or on the mountainside. He is witnessing day and night; His mighty prayers are as vocal to God as His daily services. He witnesses under all circumstances. Scribes and Pharisees cannot shut His mouth; even before Pilate He witnesses a good confession. He witnesses so clearly and distinctly that there is no mistake in understanding Him. Christian, make your life a clear testimony. Be like the stream in which you can see every stone at the bottom—not like a muddy creek where you can only see the surface, but clear and transparent, so that your heart’s love for God and man may be visible to all. You need not say, “I am true”; be true. Do not boast of integrity, but be upright. Then your testimony will be such that men cannot help seeing it. Never, on account of fear of feeble man, restrain your witness. Your lips have been warmed with a coal from off the altar; let them speak as heaven-touched lips should do. “In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand.”1

Do not watch the clouds or consult the wind; in season and out of season witness for the Savior, and if it transpires that for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s you must endure suffering in any shape, do not shrink, but rejoice in the honor conferred upon you, that you are counted worthy to suffer with your Lord. And find joy also in this—that your sufferings, your losses, and persecutions shall make you a platform from which with more vigor and with greater power you will witness for Christ Jesus. Study your great example, and be filled with His Spirit. Remember that you need much teaching, much upholding, much grace, and much humility if your witnessing is to be to your Master’s glory.

1Ecclesiastes 11:6

Family Reading Plan Hosea 13   Psalm 138

 John 14:15

For a sermon I gave several years ago, I jotted down a list and titled it “The Evolution of a Passion to Obey God.” That passion doesn’t just spring up, full-blown at salvation. We do enter our new life in Christ with a desire to please Him, and that does include obeying Him. But an intensely determined pursuit of His will develops more slowly.

In fact, the first stage–fear of the consequences of disobedience–barely qualifies as reverence for God. But as we progress in our faith and form a commitment to obey the Lord, we eventually reach the final stage, which is love and devotion to Christ. Wouldn’t you rather follow Him out of love than out of fear?

Getting from the first stage to the last begins with what you might expect–an increasing knowledge of Jesus Christ. As we dig into God’s Word to see how He provided for the saints, we develop a desire for His best. Men like Moses, David, and Paul weren’t satisfied with what the world had to offer, and we won’t be either when we witness His work in the lives of His followers. So we test out obedience and discover that God’s promised blessings are real. As we acquire a record of consistent rewards for doing His will, we recognize the wisdom of obedience.

Can you find yourself on the spectrum between fear and devotion? It is my hope that you have committed to obeying God and that you are reading His Word daily to learn how to keep your promise. God wants your best–your passionate pursuit of His will–because He is giving His best to you.

In today’s world, it is often difficult to summon optimism. Bad news swirls around us blowing our hopes and dreams like leaves in the fall wind. In this gale, we often find it hard to cling to hope and to a sense that the future will be a bright one. In general, I see myself as an optimistic person. I try to find the bright side of bad situations, and I work hard to walk the extra mile to give others the benefit of the doubt in personal relationships. I am not a naïve optimist like the character Pangloss in Voltaire’s biting satire Candide. When it is clear the ship is sinking, I don’t believe everything will be alright nor do I believe, as Pangloss would, that the sinking ship is the best thing that could happen to me. I do all that I can to bail out the rising water, even as I wrestle against the fear and anxiety that accompanies impending disaster!

Yet despite my generally optimistic attitude and outlook, there are times when sadness overwhelms me. It may be a growing storm of weary longing or a tide of lonely isolation that sweeps over me, drowning me with a dolor that submerges my hope. Sometimes it occurs when I think about the aging process and our hopeless fight against it. Sometimes it occurs when I am in the grocery line, looking at the baggers and clerks who wonder if this is all they will ever do for work. Oftentimes, it occurs when I cannot see the good through all the violence and evil that oppresses the world and its people. I can easily become overwhelmed by the numbers of people who are forgotten by our society—the last, the least, and the lost among us—and wonder who is there to help and to save them from drowning.

It is in these times that I befriend lament. And I take great comfort in the loud cries and mourning that have echoed throughout time and history as captured in the poems, songs, and statements of lament. Indeed, a great portion of the Hebrew Scriptures comes in the form of lament, both individual and communal lament. The Psalms, as the hymnal of Israel, record the deepest cries of agony, anger, confusion, disorientation, sorrow, grief, and protest. In so doing, they express hope that the God who delivered them in the exodus from Egypt, would once again deliver by listening and responding to their lament.(1)  The prophets of Israel, who cry out in times of exile, present some of the most heart-wrenching cries to God in times of deep sorrow and distress. One can hear the anguish in Jeremiah’s cry, “Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will God indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?” (Jeremiah 15:18). In addition, Jeremiah cries out on behalf of the people of Judah: “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?” (Jeremiah 8:20-22).

As I listen to Jeremiah’s cries, I recognize that they arise out of a deep love for the very people he often had to speak against. As Abraham Joshua Heschel notes, “[Jeremiah] was a person overwhelmed by sympathy for God and sympathy for man. Standing before the people he pleaded for God. Standing before God he pleaded for his people.”(2) In this same tradition, Jesus cried out with deep longing about the people in his own day, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace” (Luke 19:42). It is more than appropriate for us to weep and lament over the terrible condition of the world—a condition that all too often, we participate in and condone.

Many face realities in life that feel completely overwhelming: death, and loss, poverty, hunger, homelessness, job loss or under-employment, relational disruption. Lament seems the only appropriate response for those who find themselves on the losing end of things, or who through no fault of their own always find themselves in last place or left behind. Lament arises from looking honestly at these realities for what they are, and wishing for something else.

Yet it has been said that “the cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgment that we are not home.” The author continues, “We are divided from our own body; our own deepest desires; our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for utter restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God, ‘What are you doing?’ It is this element of a lament that has the potential to change the heart.”(3) If this is true, then the overwhelming sorrow or feelings of bitterness over having to deal with what feels like more than one’s share of the harsh yet inevitable realities of life are, in fact, the crucible for real change. The same waters of despair that seek to drown and overwhelm are the waters of cleansing. Therefore, let the tears flow! The writers of Scripture give witness to the overwhelming compassion of God in the midst of grief: “For if [the LORD] causes grief, then He will have compassion according to his abundant lovingkindness.”(4) Perhaps, as we remember the one who was described as a “man of sorrows” who was “acquainted with grief,” lament offers a crucible in which we might experience a better compassion and care. Indeed, lament may yet have its own way of transformation.

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

(1) Barish Golan, “A Look at Lament Songs in the Bible,” http://www.disciplestoday.org.

(2) Abraham Heschel, The Prophets (New York: Harper Collins, 1962), 154-155.

(3) Dan Allender, “The Hidden Hope in Lament,” Mars Hill Review, Premier Issue, 1994, 25-38.

(4) Lamentations 3:32.