Tag Archives: Jesus

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Thoroughly Prepared 

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So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.  The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. Nehemiah 2:9

It is very hard to over-prepare, as most people do not struggle with over-preparation. One’s temptation is to neglect the real need of being thoroughly prepared. When you rush ahead of God, you expose yourself to the nagging details you could have intentionally prayed about and thought through. Pride tends to shun preparation, as it assumes too much and prays too little. When you take the time to prod those areas you are unsure of, you discover insights that are invaluable to success. If, on the other hand, you go off half-cocked with a Pollyannaish naïveté, you are an excellent candidate for disappointment, or even worse, failure. Irresponsible assumptions are foreign to faith because faith thoroughly prepares on one hand and humbly prays on the other.

Preparation also includes the involvement of others because you will not accomplish big things for God by yourself. Jesus didn’t. He called the Twelve to join Him. He has also placed people in your life whose hearts have been inexplicably moved to join you in this God-created opportunity. Let them in and do not be intimidated because they possess skills and experiences you don’t. Instead of lamenting the different backgrounds, personalities, and skills that surround you, celebrate them. A well-rounded variety of relationships and resources bring strength to the whole. A true team is diverse, and a secure leader accepts diversity as a key ingredient in the recipe of success.

“Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people” (Isaiah 57:14).

So unfetter your team from the fear of failure by giving them the freedom to try new things and to test long-held assumptions and methods. Help others prepare by removing obstacles. A team—thoroughly prepared—produces. Prayer is the most potent part of your preparation. You cannot pray too much about your methods and motives. Pray for God to be glorified and for His will to be done. Pray for His provision and resources. Pray for relationships you have yet to enter into that will become critical alliances in your God-sized project. It is through prayer that you persevere in preparation.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Standing on a Firm Foundation

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Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15

When was the last time you had a Bible study on the topic of feet? In all likelihood, you haven’t ever had such a lesson. In fact, you might even be squeamish at the thought of focusing on feet. The apostle Paul, however, did not avoid the subject. He made feet a focal point of one of his most powerful messages: the discussion in Ephesians 6:10-18 about the armor of God. Let’s take a closer look.

Four times in four verses (vv. 11-14 NIV), Paul declares that the armor’s purpose—the value in putting it on piece by piece—lies in its ability to help us “stand,” “stand against the devil’s schemes,” “stand [our] ground,” and “stand firm.” And of course, armor would be incomplete without shoes—which Paul identified as “the preparation of the gospel of peace” (v. 15). Clearly, he knew Christians needed to be on a solid foundation when facing opposition.

The Roman soldier’s sandals had an often overlooked feature: a long spike at the heel of the shoe. Its purpose was to allow the warrior to plant his feet firmly in the ground when an opponent approached. With his feet secured in this way, the soldier had an obvious advantage: He would be able to stand his ground. This part of his uniform enabled him to keep his footing even as he faced the danger.

That is precisely what the heavenly Father wants for every one of His children: the ability to stand firm in the face of troubles. This is possible, however, only when we plant our feet on a firm foundation—the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Is your faith well grounded?

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 26-28

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Prepare the Child

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Read: Psalm 78:1–8

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 7–9; John 6:22–44

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.—Psalm 78:4

A phrase on many parenting websites says, “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” Instead of trying to remove all obstacles and pave the way for the children in our life, we should instead equip them to deal with the difficulties they encounter on the road ahead.

The psalmist wrote, “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes . . . , which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them . . . and they in turn would tell their children” (Ps. 78:4-6). The goal is that “they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands” (v. 7).

Think of the powerful spiritual impact others had on us through what they said and how they lived. Their conversation and demonstration captured our attention and kindled a fire in us to follow Jesus just as they did.

It’s a wonderful privilege and responsibility to share God’s Word and His plan for our lives with the next generation and the generations to come. No matter what lies ahead on their road through life, we want them to be prepared and equipped to face it in the strength of the Lord. —David McCasland

Father in heaven, we seek Your wisdom and guidance to prepare the children we know and love to walk with You in faith.

Through conversation and demonstration, help prepare children to follow the Lord on the road ahead.

INSIGHT: Psalm 78 is an “historical psalm” (a psalm full of historical facts). Other historical psalms are Psalm 105-107, 114, 135, and 136. In Psalm 78 Asaph recounts key events covering 450 years of history, reminding the Jews that God has commanded them to teach their children and children’s children about Him so that future generations will love and worship Him (vv. 5-8). In His covenant with Abraham, God said Abraham was chosen for this same purpose: “so that [Abraham] will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord” (Gen. 18:19). Deuteronomy also emphasizes that parents have been entrusted with the sacred duty and divine privilege of teaching their children about God (4:9; 6:6-9; 11:19-21).

Look for opportunities this week to talk with your children, grandchildren, or others in your life about God and His Word.  Sim Kay Tee

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Who God is.

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Wherever one might be in declarations of belief or disbelief, God is so often not the God these declarations expect, and often it is shocking to discover it. God comes near and offends our sense of understanding; God affronts ategories and overturns our sense of familiarity. Jesus of Nazareth does the same—indeed, quite particularly so in the language of the parables. With his stories, he offends both the believing and unbelieving, his disciples, the scribes, and crowds alike. With the same stories, he continues to jar hearers awake and move followers near.

The Greek word for parable literally means “a placing beside.” It is a comparison of one thing beside another, an association of pictures that teaches. In a wider sense, the parable is a figurative discourse, a riddle full of light and shadows. In his parabolic language, Jesus vividly lays a full and layered picture beside us: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed; it is like yeast, or a mustard seed, or a master who prepared a great banquet. His comparisons often offer simple scenes or everyday images, and yet they are bafflingly difficult. How on earth is the kingdom of heaven like a seed?

We are pulled into a parable on multiple levels. At the narrative level, there are countless nuances and peculiarities that compel us to listen and question. We react to the characters before us—to the foolish prodigal son and what seems a foolishly loving father, to the master of a great banquet and the guests that cruelly shun him. But we also react to the character of God on some level, his kingdom and its economy. Just what kind of a kingdom is this? How is this forgiving, welcoming father like God? How am I like this wasteful son or this frustrated older brother? And how, then, does this image call me to live? We are jarred awake by a story; but so, we are moved to reckon with its implications.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Who God is. →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Be a Lifetime Learner

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Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…—Ecclesiastes 9:10

Over the years we have released several great people from the ministry because they did not continue with their training, even when we offered it to them, so they could go into the future with us. It has always amazed me how some people will be aggressive and obtain whatever training they need to be all they can be in life, while others do nothing but complain because nobody is dropping opportunities in their lap.

We don’t deserve a promotion and pay raise just because we sit in a company chair for another year. We must be willing to be more valuable to our employer, and the only way we can do that is by taking more responsibility or doing the job we do better than we have done it in the past.

Be a lifetime learner. Read, listen, and learn. Go to school or take special classes to keep up with advancing technology in your field. If you make an investment, you will reap a reward. The more you know about what you are doing, the more confidence you will have. The more confidence you have, the more confidence others will be able to place in you. If you get prepared now, you will be promoted later.

Lord, I don’t want to be left behind in my life because I was too lazy or inattentive to get the training I need to stay current and relevant. Help me to invest in the right things that will reap a reward. Amen.

From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Overflowing Blessings

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“Lord, I am overflowing with Your blessings, just as You promised” (Psalm 119:65).

As the father of Dr. Harry Ironside, famous Christian leader, pastor and author, lay dying, he seemed to have a recurring view of the descending sheet which Peter saw in a vision.

“A great sheet and wild beasts,” he mumbled, over and over, and…and…and.”

The next words would not come, so he would start over again.

“John,” a friend whispered to him, “it says, ‘creeping things.'”

“Oh, yes,” the dying man said, “that’s how I got in – just a poor, good-for-nothing creeping thing. But I got in, saved by grace.”

And considering the fact that each one of us, in ourselves, outside the Lord Jesus Christ, is but a poor creeping thing saved by grace, we must marvel anew as we overflow with His blessings.

What an exalted place we can have Children of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, indwelt by His Holy Spirit, we are recipients of eternal life, given supernatural, abundant life as we yield ourselves to Him.

God has dealt well with each one of His children. He has given us work to do – to serve Him is to reign. He has given us provision. He has given us encouragement. He has given us many tokens of the pay we shall receive at the end of life’s journey. He has dealt with us according to His Word.

Even the testings and trials are for a divine purpose: to conform us to His image; to make us more Christlike. Truly, we are on the winning side; how important it is that we tell men and women, boys and girls, around us each day, that they too can be on the winning side.

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:66-72

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will make a special effort to count my blessings today, and in deep gratitude share the good news of the gospel with others.

 

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Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Love Isn’t Selfish

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Forgive me for being the one to tell you, but you are infected. You’re a victim—a diseased carrier. You have a case of—brace yourself—selfishness!

Don’t believe me? Do your fingers ever wrap and close around possessions? Do fangs ever flare when you’re interrupted or irritated? Any inflammation from patting yourself on the back?

Listen to the words of James: “Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things” (James 3:16 CEV). Is it any wonder Paul writes, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves…” (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB).

Looking after your personal interests is proper life management. Doing so to the exclusion of the rest of the world is selfishness. Desire success? Fine. Just don’t hurt others in achieving it. Love isn’t selfish.

From A Love Worth Giving

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – My position on President Trump

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During a press conference yesterday, President Trump was asked if he had urged then-FBI Director James Comey to slow or stop an investigation into Michael Flynn. His response: “No. No. Next question.” This morning’s CNN claims that “in those four words, Trump staked the viability of his presidency.”

Today’s news is dominated by the growing conflict in Washington. How are Christians responding? On the eve of the 2016 election, Christians were divided into seven camps:

1.    For Donald Trump because they believed he was the right person to be president.
2.    For Mr. Trump because of his party’s positions on the Supreme Court, abortion, tax reform, and other issues.
3.    For Mr. Trump because they opposed Hillary Clinton.
4.    For Hillary Clinton because they believed she was the right person to be president.
5.    For Mrs. Clinton because of her party’s positions on cultural and moral issues.
6.    For Mrs. Clinton because they opposed Donald Trump.
7.    For another candidate or not voting.

On the 118th day of the Trump administration, it seems to me that most Christians are still where they were when Mr. Trump was elected. As a result, we find ourselves divided over partisan politics and the issues they raise. Meanwhile, political turmoil in Washington is escalating with no end in sight.

Since our ministry engages cultural issues, we will need to address controversial political subjects even more frequently in the coming days. Therefore, it seems appropriate for me to state clearly my position regarding our seven options: none of the above.

The Denison Forum on Truth and Culture is called to fuel a movement of culture-changing Christians by engaging cultural issues with biblical truth. As a result, three principles motivate our work:

One: We focus on Kingdom issues.

We exist to help people know Christ and make him known. Our ultimate enemy is spiritual, so the ultimate answer to our challenges is spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we address cultural issues as a means of addressing the underlying spiritual issues of our day.

Two: We serve the Lord through his church.

The church is the body of Christ in the world today (1 Corinthians 12:27). As C. S. Lewis observed, “The whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts—we are his fingers and muscles, the cells of his body.” Therefore, we are called to help the church change the world.

Three: Our mission transcends politics.

In engaging cultural issues, there are times when we must address partisan topics and political leaders. When we do so, we sometimes frustrate readers who want us to be more supportive or more critical of the leader in question. We have received a few such letters since Mr. Trump’s election. We received similar letters when Mr. Obama was president and when Mr. Bush was president before him.

I believe strongly that God is calling more Christians into political service than are answering his call. However, our ministry exists to serve people across the political spectrum. Therefore, we seek to advance God’s Kingdom rather than political agendas.

As events in Washington unfold over coming days and weeks, “speaking the truth in love” remains our mission (Ephesians 4:15). It is a privilege to share this mission with you each day, to the glory of God.

Denison Forum

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –A Purpose of Adversity

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Psalm 37:23-28

When we’re going through an intense time of adversity, it seems we usually focus exclusively on the momentary trouble. We frequently fail to see any value whatsoever in our suffering. God, however, has specific purposes for bringing us through times of hardship.

One reason He may allow adversity in our life is to teach us to hate evil. Now, you may be hesitant to use the word hate in any situation, and yet this is exactly what the Word of God instructs us to do. Psalm 97:10 proclaims, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord.”

Isn’t it true, however, that we often don’t act as if we hate evil? In many instances, in fact, our tendency is to play around with it, keeping it close by for our own amusement, and making excuses for its presence in our lives. We may say, “Well, I can’t escape evil in this world. It’s all around me! I guess the best I can hope to do is to try and manage it appropriately.” What a deception this is. We are not commanded to manage or manipulate evil; instead, we are instructed to hate its very presence. Psalm 37 says, “Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever” (v. 27). When we see evil, we are to turn around and run in the opposite direction!

Yes, we live in a world that is permeated by evil, and we cannot avoid it at all times. However, we can remove ourselves from particularly tempting situations. The heavenly Father can help us recognize the evil one’s pitfalls in our life. Pray and ask Him today for the wisdom and strength to avoid such traps.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 24-25

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Clothed by God

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Read: Zechariah 3

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 4–6; John 6:1–21

See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.—Zechariah 3:4

When my kids were toddlers, they would play outside in our sodden English garden and quickly become covered in mud and dirt. For their good and the good of my floor, I’d remove their clothes at the door and wrap them in towels before sticking them in the bath. They’d soon move from dirty to clean with the addition of soap, water, and hugs.

In a vision given to Zechariah, we see Joshua, a high priest, covered in rags that represent sin and wrongdoing (Zech. 3:3). But the Lord makes him clean, removing his filthy clothes and covering him in rich garments (3:5). The new turban and robe signify that the Lord has taken his sins from him.

We too can receive God’s cleansing as we become free of our wrongdoing through the saving work of Jesus. As a result of His death on the cross, we can have the mud and sins that cling to us washed away as we receive the robes of God’s sons and daughters. No longer are we defined by what we’ve done wrong (whether lying, gossiping, stealing, coveting, or other), but we can claim the names God gives to those He loves—restored, renewed, cleansed, free.

Ask God to remove any filthy rags you’re wearing so you too can put on the wardrobe He has reserved for you. —Amy Boucher Pye

Lord Jesus, through Your saving death on the cross we can find acceptance and love. May we receive this gift for Your glory.

Who can wash away my sin? Jesus!

INSIGHT: In today’s passage Satan is not rebuked because he has no grounds to accuse Joshua. Satan is rebuked because Joshua’s current condition (dressed in dirty clothes—symbolic of judgment and sin) was not his final condition. God changed his situation by clothing him with clean garments, symbolic of God’s righteousness.  J.R. Hudberg

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Casting Stones

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“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” This thought is often given as rationale for casting any type of public moralizing aside. Evidently, we cannot completely shake off our bequest from a Christian worldview. Ironically, this moral conviction is often given with the reminder that all morality is a private matter and not for public enforcement. But if all moral convictions are a private matter, why is this very conviction itself not kept private too? Why is it publicly enjoined?

When I ask citers of this verse if they are aware of the context in which these words were uttered, it is often unknown. One said it had to do with the woman in adultery. I asked if he was aware of what prompted that imperative and to whom Jesus aimed those words. There was silence. Significantly, the entire confrontation came about because the Pharisees were seeking to trap Jesus into either explicitly defending the Law of Moses or implicitly overruling it. The whole scenario was a ploy, not to seek out the truth of a moral law, but to trap Jesus.

Fascinatingly, Jesus exposed their own spiritual bankruptcy by showing them that at the heart of law is God’s very character. There is a spiritual essence that precedes moral injunctions. So when we vociferously demand that only the one without sin may cast the first stone we also need to grant credence to God’s character in numerous other pronouncements. But for some, sin is not even a viable category. This selective use of Scripture is the very game the questioners of Jesus were playing. When the law is quoted while the reality of sin is denied, self-aggrandizing motives can override character. Thus, in our spiritually amputated world, the art of obscuring truth has become a science in courtroom and political theatrics.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Love Can Change People

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…The righteous gives and does not spare.—Proverbs 21:26 NKJV

I once read a story in Guideposts magazine, a remarkable account of how love changed a person’s life. A Christian woman lived next door to an elderly lady who never came out of her house or even raised her window shades to let light into her home. This lady’s husband had died, and she herself had endured a stroke, which had left her lonely and bitter.

The Christian woman and her two young children began trying to reach out to the elderly recluse, but every time they did, she rejected their advances. They baked cookies every week for a long time and delivered them to their neighbor’s door. The first time, she opened the door just a crack, accepted the cookies, thanked them, and closed the door.

The neighbor’s response was not what the Christian woman had hoped for, but she lovingly persisted. And eventually love did work! The elderly lady accepted a casserole from her and said more than just a short thank-you. As the visits continued, the elderly woman gradually began to chat longer. Finally, one day, the Christian woman’s children picked some flowers from their garden and delivered them to their neighbor. Eventually, they all became good friends. The elderly lady got her life back. She opened her blinds, her door, and her heart, and she began to live again—all because someone who loved God was determined to love her.

Many people in the world today are just like the elderly neighbor. They have had sadness or difficulties in their lives and have become bitter. They seem to reject love, yet love is what they need most. Be a person who gives of yourself and your resources to reach out and show love to someone who desperately needs it.

Love Others Today: Do you know someone who is angry, sad, or bitter? How can you show love to that person?

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Best Counsel

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“The godly man is a good counselor because he is just and fair and knows right from wrong” (Psalm 37:30,31).

Mary had gone to several psychologists and psychiatrists, and even religious leaders, seeking help, but no one had been able to help her. Consequently, she had been committed to a mental institution. Now, in desperation her family had come to seek help.

It did not take long to discover the root of her problem – she was plagued with a deep sense of guilt. Mary had been sexually promiscuous as a teenager, and prior to that she had been violated by her step-father who had taken advantage of her when she was a very young girl.

All of this tormented her greatly, but no one had taken her to the Word of God to help her understand that she did not have to carry the burden of her own sin. There is forgiveness. Scripture teaches that if we confess our sins, God is waiting to forgive and cleanse us.

There are three things we need to know about confession. First, the word “confess” means, in the original Greek language, “to agree with.” If I agree with God concerning my immorality, stealing, dishonesty, whatever it may be, I am saying, “Lord, I know it is sin.” Second, we know from Scripture that Christ has paid the penalty for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. And third, we must repent, which means we change our attitude toward that sin. This results in a change of action. When we do this, we have the promise that what we confess, God forgives, and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

When Mary understood the truth of God’s promise, she and I knelt together and by faith she surrendered all of her guilt and frustration to Christ, who died for her, and she claimed God’s forgiveness.

Only God could liberate her from the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and bring her into kingdom of light – the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary sensed God’s immediate liberation and began to rejoice in the assurance of forgiveness and eternal life with Christ. She became a radiant, joyful and victorious witness for our Savior.

Bible Reading: Psalm 37:22-40

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Not only will I seek the counsel of godly men and women, but I will, with God’s help, become a godly person myself. I will saturate my mind with the truth of His holy Scripture, so that I will know what is right and wrong according to the Word of God, and I will then be able to give wise counsel to others.

 

http://www.cru.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Wearing Jesus

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Paul said, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ”  (Galatians 3:27 NIV). We wear Jesus! And those who don’t believe in Jesus note what we do. They make decisions about Christ by watching us. When we are kind, they assume Christ is kind. When we’re gracious, they assume Christ is gracious.

But if we are brash, what will people think of our King? Our Master? No wonder Paul says, “Be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should” (Colossians 4:5-6).

Common courtesy honors God and his children. “Do your best,” the Scriptures say, “to live in peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Just do your best. You can’t control their attitude, but you can manage yours.

From A Love Worth Giving

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How should Christians respond to political turmoil?

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Yesterday, the stock market suffered its biggest one-day loss in eight months, a decline Reuters attributes to continued turmoil in Washington. We should not expect this turmoil to die down any time soon.

The Justice Department has appointed Robert J. Mueller, a former FBI director, as special counsel to oversee its investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. This after the Senate Intelligence Committee asked former FBI Director James Comey to testify during a public hearing.

They are also asking for memos prepared by Comey detailing his conversations with the White House and Justice Department about the FBI’s Russia investigations. Democrats are escalating their criticisms of his administration while Republicans are divided.

The president’s supporters blame the media and other groups they believe are aligned against his reform agenda. His critics see recent events as further evidence of his alleged shortcomings. We should not be surprised that a nation as polarized as ours would be polarized over these events.

This is a time for Christians to stand apart from the crowd.

As followers of the One who is the Truth (John 14:6), we are commanded to “speak the truth to one another” (Zechariah 8:16). As followers of the One who is love (1 John 4:8), we are commanded to do so “in love” (Ephesians 4:15). As followers of the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16), we are commanded to respect those in authority (Romans 13:1) while serving our highest authority (Acts 4:19–20).

Continue reading Denison Forum – How should Christians respond to political turmoil? →

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley –Advancing Through Adversity

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Psalm 56:3-4

There is a slogan that has worked its way into popular usage over the past few years: the stalwart cry, “No Fear!” Generally, this phrase is attached to some daring athletic attempt. But can the expression also find a deeper meaning related to our Christian life?

Clearly, it is impossible to live in this world without ever facing uncertainty, doubt, confusion, and even honest fear. Scripture does not dismiss these concerns. Instead, the Word is truthful about the adversity that we all face. The right response to these hardships is to admit our fears to the Lord and trust that He will work the situation out for His own glory and our good. (See Psalm 56:11.)

Too many people try to excuse God from responsibility when they come up against an apparently immovable obstacle. What we often fail to realize is that God may desire to use that hardship to shape us into the person He wants us to be.

You see, adversity is an opportunity for God to purify our faith. Because God alone is sovereign in the universe, He desires to be sovereign in our individual lives as well. If we place our faith in anything other than God, He is swift to remove those obstructions that hinder our walk with Him.

If you are going through adversity, pray for the discernment to ask yourself, Is this something that God may be allowing to occur in my life in order to bring me closer to Him? If so, trust Him to reorder your life so He may remain Lord of your faith.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 21-23

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Living With Lions

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Read: Daniel 6:19–28

Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25–47

He is the living God and He endures forever.—Daniel 6:26

When I visited a museum in Chicago, I saw one of the original Striding Lions of Babylon. It was a large mural-type image of a winged lion with a ferocious expression. Symbolizing Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and war, the lion was an example of 120 similar lions that would have lined a Babylonian pathway during the years of 604-562 bc.

Historians say that after the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem, the Hebrew captives would have seen these lions during their time in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Historians also say it’s likely that some of the Israelites would have believed Ishtar had defeated the God of Israel.

Daniel, one of the Hebrew captives, did not share the doubts that might have troubled some of his fellow Israelites. His view of God and his commitment to God stayed steady. He prayed three times a day—with his windows open—even when he knew it would mean entering a den of lions. After God rescued Daniel from the hungry animals, King Darius said, “[Daniel’s God] is the living God and he endures forever . . . . He rescues and he saves” (Dan. 6:26-27). Daniel’s faithfulness allowed him to influence Babylonian leaders.

Staying faithful to God despite pressure and discouragement can inspire other people to give Him glory. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Dear God, give me the strength to continue to trust in You when I am discouraged. Help me to experience Your never-ending love and stay close to Your side.

Faithfulness to God inspires others.

INSIGHT: Daniel’s brave faith has inspired countless generations. Not only was his deliverance rightly perceived by the pagan king as a miracle, but it also resulted in a public declaration of the incomparable greatness of Yahweh. Do you need courage to face a trial today? By faith commit it to our faithful God.  Dennis Fisher

 

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Praying for Bread

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Huckleberry Finn first heard about prayer from Miss Watson, who told him that prayer was something you did everyday and that you’d get what you asked for. So he tried three or four times praying for hooks to complete his fishing line, but when he still didn’t get what he asked for decided that “No, there ain’t nothing in it.”

Prayer is a curious activity. Regardless of belief or creed, prayer is an activity we seem at times almost naturally inclined toward, while other times, like Huck, we might almost as naturally conclude we either can’t make it work or there ain’t nothing in it.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.’”(1)

The Lord’s Prayer, which Christian’s around the world still hold and practice today, comes out of this context—that is, out of a plea for help with prayer and out of the praying of Jesus himself. It is not just the good advice Jesus had to offer about praying; it is his praying. In fact, giving his followers this prayer, Jesus, like John, was following a common rabbinic pattern. When a rabbi taught a prayer, he would use it to teach his disciples the most distinctive, concise, essential elements of his own theological teachings. Thus, disciples of a particular rabbi would learn to pray as their teacher prayed, and from then on, when a disciple’s prayer was heard, it would sound like that of his teacher’s prayers, bearing his own mark and posture before God.

Continue reading Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Praying for Bread →

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Always Available

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…The upright shall dwell in Your presence (before Your very face). —Psalm 140:13

The fact that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us proves His willingness to always be available to speak to us and help us when we need Him. As we continue to grow spiritually, we will experience temptation, but God has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to resist it and make right choices instead of wrong ones.

Nevertheless, no human being is perfect and we will make mistakes. But God’s forgiveness is always available to us through Jesus Christ. Receiving this forgiveness strengthens us and enables us to keep moving forward with God. It also puts our hearts at peace, sets us free, and helps us hear God’s voice clearly.

Feeling defeated and condemned by every mistake we make weakens us. Instead of using our energy to feel bad about ourselves, we should use it to make sure ours hearts are tuned to God’s voice as He leads us into greater strength and deeper relationship with Himself. His forgiveness and His Presence are always available to us through the Holy Spirit. As you seek God today, I encourage you to receive His love and mercy. His arms are open and He is waiting to spend time with you.

God’s word for you today: Remember that the Holy Spirit is always available to you.

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Freedom From Fear

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“He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him” (Psalm 112:7).

Sarah was a hypochondriac, a bundle of nerves, plagued by all kinds of fears – fears that she would become ill, fears that she would have an accident, fears that something would happen to her husband or children or that they would experience financial reverses. Her every conversation was negative. And of course, her attitude alienated her from others, and the more isolated she found herself, the more fearful she became.

Completely absorbed with her own problems, she was seriously thinking of committing suicide when a Christian couple moved in next door to her. They began to demonstrate the love of God and share the good news of His forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Few people had taken an interest in Sarah, but this godly, Christian couple, especially Mary, the wife, embraced her with understanding compassion and a loving heart.

Together they began to study the Bible and after a brief time, Sarah received Christ and began to grow as a Christian. She began to memorize Scripture and took great delight in hiding large quantities of the Word in her heart. Now her mind and her conversation were saturated with the things of God – His attributes, His holiness, His love – and His promises became a joyful reality to her.

A year had passed when one day she remarked to me with great enthusiasm, “I have been liberated. Christ has set me free. I seldom think of my own problems anymore, but find my mind absorbed with God and His truth, and how I might reach out in love and compassion to others as Mary reached out to me in my deepest need.”

Sarah was no longer afraid. The fears that had plagued here were gone, because it was settled in her mind that Jehovah would take care of her and her family. No matter what happened, she knew that she could trust a loving, gracious, holy, righteous God, who had become her very real heavenly Father. Jesus Christ had become more real to her than her own flesh and blood.

Bible Reading: Psalm 112:1-6

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will seek to know more and more about my Lord by hiding His Word in my heart and meditating upon His many attributes. For I am convinced that He will watch over me, protect and care for me so that nothing can happen to me that He does not allow for my good.

 

http://www.cru.org