“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)

How far is the east from the west? Let’s suppose you decide you want to measure the distance between east and west. If you were to get into an airplane and start traveling east, you could circle the earth for the rest of your life and never find the end of east. You could fly west around our planet a zillion times and never find a point where west meets east. The fact is, neither east nor west has an end, and the space between east and west is infinite.

When you trust in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made on Calvary, He forgives your sins and removes them from you as far as the east is from west. In other words, God will not judge you for the sins you have committed. He erases the penalty of those sins completely.

Are there sins in your life that are burdening you? Have you ever trusted Christ and asked Him to forgive you of your sin? Have you committed sins since you became a Christian that you have not repented of? God will forgive you if you will pray and ask Him. What a comfort to know that your God will remove your sin as far as the east is from the west!

God forgives you when you repent of your sins, and He erases the penalty completely.

My Response:
» Are there sins in my life that I need to confess and turn from?

“The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” (Psalm 37:12-13)

Does it ever seem like the disobedient kids you know get all the attention? Everyone knows who they are, and it can seem as though they get chosen to receive special attention. At least, the teacher spends extra time with them. If you’ve ever noticed this before, you probably agree with the psalmist in Psalm 73:3 when he says, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” The psalmist had begun to feel a little bit jealous, because he had been trying so hard to keep doing what was right – yet it seemed to him that those who were habitually sinning were getting rewarded for wrongdoing!

But the psalmist’s jealous heart changed when he began to think about the real situation that wicked people are in. His psalm goes on to say that he stopped being jealous of the way the wicked seemed to be prospering. He talked to God about how he had been feeling, and God made it clear that the wicked were soon going to be destroyed – destroyed quickly and completely (Psalm 73:19).

God’s Word reveals clearly that He is laughing at the wicked. He is a merciful God, and He is a kind God. In one sense, God is open to the wicked and invites them to change their ways: If wicked people were to repent of their sins and trust Christ as Savior, God would gladly and graciously welcome them into His family. But there is another sense in which God delights to see justice brought upon unjust people. If there are wicked people who seem to be “winning” here on Earth while people who love and obey God seem to be “losing,” you can trust that God is aware (He knows) and that God will see that justice is done.

That’s why the Bible says God laughs when the wicked plot (plan evil things to do) against His people. God laughs because He knows what the wicked people cannot know. From His view in heaven, God can see everything happening – past, present, and future – and He knows the future of wicked people. For a little while, it may appear that wicked people are blessed while obedient people suffer. But that is not how it will always be. One day, God Himself will destroy those wicked people who do not repent of their wrongdoing. He knows about the destruction of the wicked. He also knows how He will one day bless those who are being faithful to Him.

God laughs at the wicked because He knows that their destruction is coming soon.

My Response:
» Am I one of the wicked ones who God is laughing at? If yes, should I confess that to Him and ask Him to help me change?
» Am I jealous of the wicked? If yes, should I confess that to God and ask Him to give me faith in His faithfulness?

“I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, ‘What doest thou?’” (Daniel 4:34-35)

Hunter and Cammie were playing on the dirt pile in the back yard. “I’m the king of the mountain!” yelled Hunter from the top of the pile, his arms raised high in the air.

“Not so fast, there!” yelled Cammie as she charged up toward him and attempted to take his place. As she pushed him out of the way, she exclaimed, “Now I’m the queen of the mountain!”

Laughing and out of breath, Hunter gasped, “So what does the queen of the mountain actually rule over?”

“Whatever she wants, of course!” replied Cammie, grinning.

Maybe, like Hunter and Cammie, you might like to be a ruler of some kind, in control of something – if only over something as small as a dirt pile. But do you remember Who is really in charge of everything? In Scripture, God is called “the Most High God.” Do you know why He is called that? He is called “the Most High God” because He is the most high! He has more authority and power than anyone else. He created the universe, and He controls the universe He created! He does whatever He sees fit to do. No one is in a position to question Him!

The truth that God is the Most High God should be encouraging, if you belong to Him. He has all things under perfect control. But at the same time, this truth should be a reminder that you are not the one in charge; God is. He has the right to “call the shots” when it comes to your life, and He carries out His own plans in His own way and in His own good time – because He is the Most High God.

God rules over everything and does everything He knows to be best for His glory and for our good.

My Response:
» Do I thank the Most High God that He rules over everything – even situations that are hard for me to understand?
» Do I submit in spirit when the Most High God controls things in my life, or am I trying to “call the shots” myself?

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11)

Have you ever spent a long time trying to find just the right gift for someone? It may have been for Christmas, for a birthday, or for another special occasion. Sometimes you buy gifts, and sometimes you make them; but you still put time and thought into what you decide to give. Your dad has to get just the right tie, and your mom needs the best-written poem. Your sister can’t get just any game. It’s so exciting to watch your loved one’s face as he or she opens up that good gift after you have put so much into choosing or making it.

Have you ever asked for something for months – and then finally received just what you’d been wanting? What a great feeling! You definitely feel loved when you get that specific thing you’ve been wanting for so long. Imagine that for months – like starting in the summer – whenever your family members ask what you want for Christmas, you say you would really like a new electronic game system. Over and over they hear you say it: A new game system. Now imagine that Christmas morning finally arrives, and there under the tree is a new game system! Wow! For you, that would be a good gift!

You love to give and to get good gifts. But the Bible talks about a big difference between just good gifts and perfect gifts. The apostle Matthew wrote that if a son were to ask his father for some bread to eat, no good father would give him a stone to eat instead. Similarly, no good mother would give her daughter a snake to eat if her daughter were to ask for some fish. Parents often seem to know how to give pretty good gifts. They know you well and try to get things for you that you need or will like. They also know what you don’t need to get – sometimes they know that better than you do! You’ve probably experienced that kind of parental goodness before, too – some time when you didn’t get something you’d asked for because your parents knew that it was not the best thing for you to have.

As good as your earthly parents might be at giving good gifts, the heavenly Father is the only One Who can give perfect gifts. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.” Now that’s exciting! Even better than your earthly loved ones, your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need and don’t need. He can make sure you receive the right things. You can trust His perfect goodness and His perfect gifts.

We may know how to give good gifts, but God knows how to give perfect gifts.

My Response:
» Am I looking to earthly good gifts to make me happy, or to God’s perfect gifts?
» How can I help others hope in God Himself?

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9)

One of the best ways to get to know God is to learn the different names that describe Him. Each of His names describes something about Who He is and what He does. One of the most often-used names of God in the Bible is the name Father. What is a father? What is a father like? Why might it be important that God is called a father? How should I think about a fatherly God?

To be a father, you have to have children. Usually a father lives with the children he helped bring into the world. Some fathers are fathers because they have adopted a child. If a husband and wife adopt a child, it means they go and get a child who does not have parents for some reason, and they take him into their home. An adoptive father treats his adopted child the same way he would treat a biological child.

A father is responsible to take care of his children. He provides them with food, clothes, a place to live, things they need, and maybe even some things they just want. He does that because he loves his children and wants to see them healthy and happy. No human father could ever be a perfect father, but most human fathers try at least to be good fathers. A good father teaches his children right from wrong, and he helps them to do what is right. Sometimes he has to discipline his children for doing wrong. Have you ever been disciplined by your father for doing wrong? If so, it was because he loves you and wants the best for you. A father also helps his children make the right choices. He hugs his children and tells them he loves them. He is there to comfort his children when they are hurt or are sad, or when they have a bad day.

God is a father, too. He has many, many children. His children are those who have turned away from their sin and are trusting in Him. He is everybody’s God and everybody’s Creator, because He created everyone, and it is because of Him that everyone has breath and life. But He is known as “Father” only to those who trust in Him, His adopted children. If we are God’s adopted children, it means God brought us into His family just like a human father adopts a child and brings him into his family. If we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, Jesus is like an “older brother” to us. He has gone before us and made it possible for us to have father-child relationships with God.

God adopts children into His family because He loves them and wants the best for them. Because He loves us, He provides food and houses and air and every good thing in our lives. He teaches us right from wrong by giving us His Word. He helps us to under-stand His Word by His Holy Spirit and the parents and teachers He gives us. He also disciplines us when we do wrong because He knows doing wrong will hurt us. In these ways – through His Word and through the things He gives us – He reminds us that He loves us. And He is always there to comfort us when we get hurt or have a bad day.

What is so much more special about a father-child relationship than other kinds of relationships? If you have turned from your sins and trusted in Christ, then you are not just God’s “pet.” He doesn’t just feed you and teach you new tricks. You are not God’s “invention” or “robot.” You don’t exist just because God wants to boss you around or boast about all the neat talents He’s built into you. If you really have turned away from your sins and entered into God’s family by adoption, then you are (and always will be!) His child. God’s children can expect Him to act like a father.

Is God truly your father? Have you turned away from your sins? Are you trusting in Christ as your Savior and “older Brother”? If so, how do you feel about being a child of God? It should make you happy because you can trust He is always there for you, no matter what happens. He loves you very, very much – not just as any father, not just as any good father, but as the only perfect Father.

God is the heavenly Father of any who trust in Christ as Savior.

My Response:
» Do I know God as my Father?
» Am I happy and thankful for all He does for me?
» Do I really love Him as a child loves a father?

“Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.” (Judges 5:3)

During this Christmas season, some people are going out to do “caroling.” “Caroling” is when a group of people gather together and visit the homes of their family and friends, where they sing Christmas carols – songs about Jesus’ birth. Sometimes they bring cookies or hot chocolate or presents to give to the people they visit. But most of all, they give their time – they come sing as a way of saying “Merry Christmas!” and cheering up people who might be feeling sad or lonely. Often, groups of carolers will visit nursing homes or hospitals, in hopes of bringing some Christmas cheer to the residents and patients. Elderly people or sick people are usually unable to get out around town, or else they may not have friends and family – which is especially hard during the holiday season.

Some carolers even go out into the streets or public shopping malls and stand together and sing as crowds of people walk by. Unlike other times of the year, Christmas is a time where it is considered acceptable to sing religious songs in public. Even people who do not really know Jesus as their personal Savior are happy to hear Christmas carols as they go about their errands and do their last-minute Christmas shopping.

Have you ever gone caroling? Some of the more popular carols are very familiar songs to us – like “Silent Night” or “Joy to the World” or “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” Have you ever gotten so excited about singing Christmas carols that you discover you have forgotten to listen to the words you have been singing? In all the hustle and bustle of Christmastime, it can be easy to forget why we have so many popular songs about Jesus’ birth.

The whole celebration of Christmas is a very big reminder that God does exist, that we are a world full of natural sinners, and that we need a Savior. For some people, Christmastime is a very difficult season because it brings them face-to-face with the reality of God and their sins against Him. But it is also a time of great hope, because Jesus came to Earth to seek and save sinners like us.

During Israel’s early years as a nation, the people were ruled by judges whom God appointed. During the time of the judges, the Israelites often behaved very wickedly. They did not act like God’s people at all. The world was full of sinners, people who did whatever they thought was right for themselves – not even caring whether God thought their choices were right. But there were some people who knew God and loved Him. Deborah was a godly leader during the time of the judges. In the book of Judges, chapter 5, we can read a song that Deborah sang publicly in praise to God.

In Judges 5:3, Deborah sang, “Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.” She did not mind who heard her. Even the greatest rulers alive back then (kings and princes of other nations) could not compare to the Israelites’ God, Jehovah. From her heart, Deborah sang about God and all that He had done for His people, because she knew He was worthy of public praise.

This Christmas, you might have an opportunity to sing in public. Not just in front of the church and people who know and love your LORD, but maybe even in front of unbelievers who do not know Him. Isn’t it good news that God has come to Earth to seek and save sinners like you, and like those sick people or those shoppers at the mall? A God like that is worth singing about. We should not be bashful or scared when it comes to praising God. No one compares to Him, not even the greatest of human beings. We should listen to the words we sing, and we should mean them from our hearts, because God is worthy of genuine, heart-felt praise from His people.

God deserves to be praised publicly by His people.

My Response:
» Am I acting like a worldly person even though I say I am a Christian?
» How can I praise God publicly with my actions and words (and even songs)?
» Is there someone I can encourage today with the good news of the Savior?

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:10-14)

In France, there is a traditional Christmas dessert known as La Bûche de Noël (“la byOOsh duh noEL” – a Christmas log). Have you ever seen a bûche de Noël? Also known as “a yule log,” the bûche is not really a log at all. It is a chocolate sponge cake with cream filling (or a chocolate ice cream cake) that is made to look like a log ready to be put into a fireplace.

Like many traditions, it is hard to be sure exactly how the tradition of the bûche de Noël began in the first place. But one story goes like this:

Back in the early 1800s, Napoleon I was ruling France. Doctors back then had not learned yet about some things that doctors know now, in the 21st century. Napoleon was told that cold air can cause illness. So he made a law, saying it was for the good of the people, and he made everyone in the city of Paris obey it.

What was this “good” law? Because cold air might come down into their houses through the chimneys, Napoleon declared that nobody could use their fireplaces during winter. Everybody had to seal off their chimneys so no cold air could get in. The problem was that no smoke could get out, either. The people were not able to use their fireplaces to keep their homes warm. This story is a little silly, if it is really true. The people had to endure cold air, anyway, both outside and inside their homes!

Not only did the Parisian homes have to go without heat, but many of the Christmas traditions back then involved family and friends sitting around the fireplace. They would tell stories and play games in front of the fire. To help spread Christmas cheer, the Parisian bakers created a fake substitute for a fireplace – a cake decorated to look like a log for the fireplace. So the families in Paris would buy a bûche de Noël and set it on the table. Instead of spending time around the fire together at Christmas, they spent time around the bûche de Noël (in their freezing cold houses!).

Napoleon was not a perfect ruler. He made mistakes, and there were some things he could not have known. Aren’t you glad that God knows everything and never makes mistakes? When God reveals good news to us, we can always trust that it really is for our good. When God sent a great angel to announce the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the angel told the shepherds exactly where the Baby could be found, and exactly how they would find Him – wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Not only that, but the angel made it very clear that this baby Jesus Christ was born to be the Savior! The Bible records how a whole crowd of angels joined this one, singing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Now, that is good news! And because it was God Who sent these angelic messengers, and because it was God Who included their message in His Word for us to read today, we can be sure that this good news truly is good news. The angel’s announcement of “good will toward men” was nothing like the “good” law that Napoleon announced to his kingdom (a law which really wasn’t very “good,” after all). God’s news is reliable (trustworthy). God always speaks truth. He never makes mistakes about His own glory and our own good. Unlike a decree from some human king, the word of the God of the universe is trustworthy. The shepherds went and found Jesus exactly as they had been promised. We too can find Jesus Christ to be exactly Who God said He is: the Savior!

We can trust that God’s Word is really true and really for our good.

My Response:
» Have I been doubting God’s Word about something?
» Is there a promise that God has given that I have forgotten and need to remember?
» How can I show that I believe God’s Gospel (good news) about Jesus Christ?

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35b)

One of the most incredible facts about Christmastime is that it is the celebration a miraculous birth, a birth that never could have happened if it had not been for a divine miracle (a miracle of God). There was no human way possible for Mary, a God-fearing woman (but still a sinner), to have been able to give birth to God Himself in human form. Jesus was 100% man, but He was also 100% God. Not only is it impossible for a normal birth to happen without an earthly father, but even the earthly mother of Jesus was a human being. Jesus’ birth was not going to be “normal,” because even though He was coming in authentic human form, He is also God (the Creator of humans). He always has been and always will be God. For a sinful human being to give birth to God would have to have been a miracle!

We are human beings, and all of our mothers were sinners, too, like Mary was. Some of us have been given God-fearing homes, and some of us have parents who do not even know Who Jesus Christ was. As human beings, we are limited by our sinfulness and by our human limitations. We cannot explain the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, and we cannot even understand it. But we can trust in it as a true fact – however incredible it is – because God’s Word teaches it clearly, and God’s Word is our most reliable Source of truth.

Think about your mother, and think about yourself. She is not perfect, and neither are you. You are probably reminded every day that you are not perfect. What a miracle it was for God to send Himself, in all His divine perfections, down to Earth to seek and to save sinful human beings.

This Christmas season, celebrate the incredible yet trustworthy truth: God accomplished that miracle of the virgin birth. He did it for His own glory and for our best good.

Jesus Christ had a miraculous birth, and God deserves all the glory for it.

My Response:
» Is the doctrine of the miraculous birth of Christ difficult for me to understand?
» Do I believe the Bible is God’s Word to me, even when it teaches difficult truths?
» Am I praising God for all the good and great things He did in sending His Son to be the Savior?

“That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” / “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12 / Ephesians 5:17)

William Law was born in 1686, and he died in 1761. Maybe you have never heard of him. He was not a celebrity or a politician or a war hero. He was not even a popular evangelist or a missionary martyr. Whatever he did in his life was not “important” enough to get him fame or to keep him memorable to us who are living now, more than 200 years after he has gone to be with the Lord.

But William Law – whoever he was – wrote this:

      “From morning to night, keep Jesus in thy heart,
       long for nothing, desire nothing, hope for nothing
       but to have all that is within thee changed into
       the spirit and temper of the holy Jesus.”

What is your idea of “success”? Is it that you would make a lot of money? Is it that people would know your name and remember all the things you did in your life? For William Law, “success” meant becoming more and more and more like Jesus Christ, from the inside out. He wanted to keep Jesus as his main goal. He wanted to be Christlike more than he wanted anything else. We don’t remember much about William Law today. In the world’s eyes, he was probably never very “successful.” But Christians can learn from his writings, and Christians can learn from his personal example.

If you are trusting in Christ as your Savior, is it your desire to learn God’s will for your life? God’s idea of “success” is not that a person does a lot of famous things or earns a lot of money. The Bible teaches that God wants Christians to glorify Him by becoming more and more like His Son, Jesus Christ. That is God’s idea of “success” for His people. This is what God wills; this is what God wants. 1 Thessalonians 4:3a says, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.”

Sanctification is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. Sanctification is what William Law was longing for. Why? Because it was William Law’s greatest desire to please God by becoming like Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

To trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, yet never think about Him, never read the Bible, never pray to Him, and never tell others about Him – that must be a disappointment to Him. Because of Who Christ is and what He has done for us, becoming more like Him should be our greatest desire – no matter what else we are able to do in our lives, and no matter what else we might be remembered for.

God is pleased when we are becoming more like His Son.

My Response:
» Am I more concerned about pleasing myself or pleasing God?
» What is my idea of a “successful” life, and does it match up with God’s idea of “successful”?
» How have I been changing to become more like Jesus Christ?

“And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.” (Deuteronomy 6:24)

Eileen’s class was getting ready to put on a play, and they had been working on the scenery for several days. The play was about the Pilgrims, and yesterday the students had painted a long strip of paper bright blue to represent the ocean. They had carefully carried the paper to the gym and laid it on the floor to dry. This morning, their teacher, Mrs. Grimes, told them they were all going to walk to the gym and check to see if the paint on their “ocean” had dried. If it had, they would carry it back to the classroom and practice for the play.

“Remember,” said Mrs. Grimes, “when we get to the gym – we’re going to walk.”

Eileen could hardly contain her excitement enough to stay quietly in line as they walked down the hall. She couldn’t wait to see how the “ocean” had turned out. As soon as her feet hit the gym floor, she gave up trying to walk. It wasn’t that she had forgotten Mrs. Grimes’s rule exactly, but it would be so much fun to run, and weren’t gym floors made for running anyway?

But Eileen had forgotten one thing – she didn’t have her gym shoes on. Splat! Her feet slipped out from under her, and she fell hard. She hit her chin on the floor, and blood started running from the cut.

Mrs. Grimes hurried over to help Eileen up. “See?” she said. “This is why I told you not to run. Let’s go get your cut cleaned up.”

Mrs. Grimes had made the rule about walking on the gym floor to keep her students safe. Eileen disobeyed because she didn’t like the rule. She thought the rule was meant to keep her from having fun. But as soon as she fell, she realized that the rule was good after all.

God tells us in His Word that His law is for our good. Think about the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. Did God tell us to stay away from idols to keep us from having fun? Did he command us not to lie, steal, or murder to cause trouble for us? No, just the opposite is true. Obeying brings us good. Trouble and pain come to us when we break God’s laws. Keeping God’s commandments does not save us – only Jesus can do that. But after we are saved, obeying God’s commandments is the only way to ensure our happiness (Psalm 1:1-3). God’s laws are good, and they are given for our good.

God has given us commandments to follow for our own good.

My Response:
» Do I believe that God’s commandments are loving?
» Do I believe that He has given His commands for my good?
» Am I trying hard to obey them with God’s help?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9)

Have you every wondered how God can really be just (fair, righteous, faithful) in His choice to forgive a sinner’s sins simply because this sinner confesses his sins?

The word “justice” in the Bible first appears in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 19:35-36. For example, God commands Israel to have “just” balances and “just” weights. Justice always involves at least two parties. Not parties like birthday parties, but parties like people. If you go to the grocery store to buy a pound of apples, and the apples cost fifty cents, then you have an obligation (a responsibility, a duty) to pay the shopkeeper that fifty cents. There is an understanding, an agreement, between two parties – between you and the shopkeeper. You know you owe him fifty cents, and he knows he owes you a full pound of good apples for your money. If you hand him only thirty-five cents, you are not holding up your end of the bargain. You are not being just. And if the shopkeeper were to give you less than a pound of apples but still charge you fifty cents for less than a pound, then he would be unjust toward you.

“Justice” has a lot to do with “fulfilling one’s obligation.” In other words, a just person is someone who is fair, who does right, who keeps his word, who acts consistently with what he has agreed to do.

So, going back to the original question: How can God, Who is perfectly just, forgive a sinner who is unjust, and declare that sinner to be just? Doesn’t any sin deserve punishment? Doesn’t the book of Hebrews in the New Testament teach that “without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness of sin)”? So how can a just God choose not to punish a guilty sinner? How can a just God choose instead to declare that sinner just (as though the sinner had fulfilled all his obligations)?

Maybe this story will help us understand:

There was once an island village whose chief was known for his goodness and justice. One day, a serious theft was reported in the village. Someone had stolen someone else’s pet goat. Immediately, the chief called together his whole village and declared that if the thief was caught, he would be punished. The thief would be beaten twenty times with a stick, and he would have to give back the pet goat.

A few days later, another theft was reported! Someone’s cow had been taken. This time, the chief increased the punishment to fifty beatings. Still, the thefts continued! Finally, the chief declared the maximum penalty would be given to this rebellious thief. The thief would be beaten one hundred times! Such a severe punishment would nearly be enough to kill a very strong man!

The search for the thief continued until the villagers finally found the guilty person: It was the chief’s own elderly mother! All the people of the village loved their chief and took pity upon him and his poor mother. They came to the chief and encouraged him to let her go without punishment. They told him it would be all right to make an exception for his elderly mother in this case. Surely such a harsh punishment would kill the poor old woman. But the chief refused to go back on his word. He had to stay just. He had to stick to his decisions.

On the day set for the old woman’s punishment, all of the villagers gathered to see what would happen. The chief’s feeble old mother was tied up to a pole, and the executioner was waiting for the chief’s signal to start the punishment. The chief nodded his head, but at the moment the executioner lifted up the stick to start beating the woman, the chief grabbed his arm. Then, the chief took off his shirt and and went to his mother and wrapped his body around her tiny frame. Then he told the executioner: “NOW, you may begin the beating!”

The Bible says God’s decision to forgive repentant sinners is just. How can that be? Because Jesus Christ, Who Himself is God, has already taken the full punishment for sinners. Just as this island village chief took his guilty mother’s punishment upon his own body, Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins upon Himself and died in our place. In that way, God’s justice was fully applied and satisfied. God the Son took the part of the sinner’s party, fulfilling all His obligations, taking all the sinner’s punishment. And God the Father took the part of the righteous Judge, fulfilling all His obligations, and declaring the punishment to be done and the sinner to be righteous, because of Jesus Christ’s righteousness.

God is perfectly just in forgiving sinners whose sins are covered by Jesus Christ.

My Response:
» Am I trusting in Jesus Christ as the One Who can take the punishment for my sins?
» Do I sometimes have doubts about whether God is really just and fair in all He does?
» What does the Bible teach me about God’s character?

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9)

One of God’s most wonderful attributes is His faithfulness. Unlike man, God never fails to do what He says He will do. The Bible is full of examples of GOD’s promises to man, each one designed for God’s glory and man’s best good and happiness.

After an elderly Christian lady passed away, her children and grand-children gathered in her house. They found her Bible in her room. The old woman had never been without her old copy of God’s Word while she was alive. When her children and grandchildren opened it up, they found it was marked all over with these two little letters:

      T.  P.

At first, the woman’s family could not figure out what all the “T”s and “P”s could mean. They were written there, in her careful handwriting, next to so many verses!. But then, in the back page of her Bible, they finally found an explanation for them: “T” stood for “Tested” and “P” stood for “Proved.”

Slowly, the children and grandchildren of the woman began to understand what had happened. Over the years, this Christian lady had been “testing” and “proving” the promises of God. She had been reading verses, learning about the kind of God Who would write such promises, and then she would claim them in her life. She would read something like “But my God shall supply all your need” and she would pray about her needs based on that promise. Over and over again, year after year, this dear lady had put God’s promises “to the test.” And year after year, over and over again, God’s Word had “proven itself” to be faithful and true.

One of God’s greatest desires ever since He created human beings is that they would learn to trust His Word. Our unbelief is a great sadness to Him. God is faithful, which means we can put our faith in Him. We can trust Him, because His Word is true, tested and proved over and over again. Even when we cannot understand God’s thoughts and actions, we can trust Him that He knows what He is doing. Other human beings, even the greatest and strongest ones, will have to let you down sometimes. God is the One Person most worthy of our trust. Because God is faithful, we can be full of faith in Him.

In 1 John 1:9, God is inviting us to confess our sins, because they separate us (keep us apart) from Him. God promises that if we will confess (agree with Him about) our sins, then He is faithful and just (righteous, perfectly able) to forgive us of those sins and cleanse us from all our sinfulness and shortcomings. The Bible is full of examples of awful sinners (sinners who were just as we are). These sinful men and women tested this promise of God and found that it proved true for them in their lives. David was one of those sinful men. David committed adultery, lying, and murder. Even though those were serious sins against an infinite God, God was still able to wash them away. God keeps His Word. He is faithful to His Word, and He is faithful to us. We can trust that His mercy and love are great enough to cleanse us from all our sins and guilt.

God, Who is faithful, invites us to trust His promise to forgive our sins.

My Response:
» Have I ever done something that I regret so much that I wonder whether God could really forgive me of it?
» Is God ABLE to wash away my sins when I confess them to Him?
» Is God WILLING to wash away my sins when I confess them to Him?
» Is God WAITING to wash away my sins when I confess them to Him?
» What is keeping me from confessing my sins and shortcomings to God right now?

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10 – and read verses 1-10 for context)

In Bible times, Jewish tax-collectors were hated men. Do you know why? They were considered to be traitors – because they worked for the Roman government. They were considered to be thieves – because they cheated their own countrymen out of money that was not rightfully supposed to be taken. Maybe you have heard a song about Zacchaeus, who was a Jewish tax-collector during the time of Jesus’ ministry. Zacchaeus may have been rich, but he was hated by his fellow-Jews, and he was not a happy man. His riches and his job did not make him happy. If Zacchaeus believed that quitting his job as a tax-collector would help him be friends again with his countrymen and help make him happy, he might have tried it – but he must not have thought that, because he did not quit collecting taxes. Instead he decided to try something unusual: He decided to listen to what Jesus had to say.

Zacchaeus was not a tall man. In fact, he was such a short man that he could not see Jesus above the crowds of people who gathered around Him. So Zacchaeus climbed up into a tree to get a better look. This might have been humbling for such a rich man, to climb up into a tree like a little child trying to see over the crowd. But maybe Zacchaeus was used to being mocked by his fellow-Jews, anyway, or maybe he just wanted to see Jesus so much that he didn’t care what people might think of him.

This little man was open to Jesus’ message. He was learning a lot about himself and how short he had fallen of God’s glory. The Bible says that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. From his place up in the tree, Zacchaeus was getting a glimpse of his own sinful heart.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Zacchaeus. If he was able to hide before, there was no possible way of hiding now. Jesus had looked up into his tree and told Zacchaeus to come down. Jesus was inviting Himself to Zacchaeus’ house for supper. What was this little sinful man’s reaction? Zacchaeus got down out of the tree joyfully and took Jesus to his home. The Jewish people were not happy about Jesus’ decision to dine in the home of Zacchaeus, of all people – a cheating, stealing, unpatriotic tax-collector!

Neither Zacchaeus nor Jesus seemed to mind what the people were saying. For Zacchaeus’ part, he had learned that he was a sinner, and he was sorry for what he had done. He stood before Jesus and told Him he had decided to give half of everything he owned to the poor, and he promised Him to pay back four times the amount of anything he owed to anyone he had cheated. After promises like that, Zacchaeus would probably not be a rich man anymore, at least not for a long time! The Bible does not say he stopped collecting taxes after that, but he was a saved tax-collector after that, not a cheating or traitorous tax-collector. And best of all, Zacchaeus was a joyful man after that.

Jesus wasn’t listening to the people’s complaining, either. When Jesus heard Zacchaeus’ testimony of faith and repentance, He said, “This day is salvation come to this house”! And Jesus did eat with Zacchaeus and his family, even though the people said He was eating with sinners. Jesus said He had “come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Maybe the people did not think they were sinners who needed saving, but Zacchaeus knew for a fact that he was lost and needed to be saved from his sin. Because this little man humbled himself and placed his trust in the only Savior of lost sinners, he was gloriously saved. Jesus did not come to help those who think they can save themselves; He came to help those who know – by faith, through grace – that He is their only hope for salvation.

Jesus came to seek and save sinners who need His salvation.

My Response:
» Do I sometimes look at others and think of them as worse sinners than I am?
» Did Jesus really come to save only the sinners who look better off than other sinners?
» How can I, like Zacchaeus, show others by my life that I have changed my mind about sin and following Jesus?

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a slave? Imagine being forced to stand in front of a bunch of rich people who want to buy a slave. You are waiting for someone to buy you so that you can work for them. You are probably watching their faces closely, trying to guess whether they are kind people or mean people. If they look kind, you will probably stand up straight, smile, and try to look your best, hoping to get them to choose you. If only you can look good enough, maybe you will be picked by a nice master instead of a nasty one.

But imagine that before you became a slave, you had been a thief and a liar. In fact, the reason you are now a slave is that the city guards had chased you through the villages because you had stolen something and lied about it. Imagine that, during the chase, you had tripped over a sharp rock with your bare foot and fallen right in a mud puddle. The guards had picked you up and dragged you here to the slave sale, and now you are covered in dripping mud, your hair looks like it was caught in a blender, and your bad foot has you limping. Even if you try to stand up straight and tall, you are pretty sure none of the nice people will want to buy you, looking like this. If a mean master chooses you, you will probably have a miserable life serving him. If no one buys you at all, you will be put to death as punishment for your crimes.

Can you imagine being in that situation? (We’ll find out what happens to you later.)

But, believe it or not, you are a slave too! You may not have to scrub dirt floors or serve grapes to a human master, but every person living is a “slave” to someone or something. Either you are a slave to the world, to your own flesh, and to the devil – or you are a slave to Jesus Christ.

Now some people think that if they serve themselves, they couldn’t possibly be a slave. But each of us is born into bondage (slavery). Without Jesus Christ, we are all born slaves to our own sinful flesh and to the father of lies, Satan himself. Satan is a vicious master. He hates people because God loves them, and Satan hates God. Satan will never again have a chance at freedom from his own slavery to self and sin – so he wants to wreck people by tempting them toward sin and away from God.

Let’s go back to the imaginary story of you as a slave in the market waiting to be bought. You are standing there, a thief and a liar, looking muddy and wounded, deserving death for what you have done. Suddenly, you see the kindest face ever! He looks at you, sees the terrible condition you are in, and you realize he must have heard what you did; he must know what a terrible person you really are. Your hopes fall. You understand that someone as kind as he is would never want you in his household.

You are shocked when this person calls the guards over. He tells them there is only one arrangement that could possibly pay the price for someone like you. He tells them to exchange you for his own son. The surprised guards take his son instead of you. His son is now a slave for sale, under the penalty of death, and they let you go. You go home with your new master, this kind man who traded his son for you. Wouldn’t you serve this kind master from the bottom of your heart? Wouldn’t you want to do everything you could to please him? Is there anyone or anything in the whole world that you would love more than you love your new master?

This is more of a true story than you might think! Adam sinned and brought all of us into slavery to sin. God sent His Son to pay the price of that sin, which was death and separation from God. When believers are bought with the blood of Christ, they become slaves to God instead of slaves to themselves or the world or the devil.

You must have one master or another, so which one would you rather have? God is the loving Master Who bought you even when you were vile and dirty and undeserving of anything but death. Satan wants us to get what we deserve: eternal death and separation from God. God freely offers us mercy: eternal life and His amazing love.

God loved us enough to purchase our redemption, freeing us from sin and self to serve Him.

My Response:
» Have I been choosing bondage to sin and self instead of serving a loving Master?
» How can I show my love and gratitude toward God for His gift of His Son?

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

    “Please, try not to look at all the clutter around here!”

    “Sorry – I didn’t have time to clean off my desk.”

    “I can’t let you come in my room right now – it’s just such a mess!”

We all have been in situations where our living place was in such a mess that it would not have been polite to invite guests in. It is hard to have to say, “I can’t let you come in right now.” It is not fun to have to admit, “I’m just not ready for company today!” – how embarrassing!

Now, imagine how it would be to live in a room or stay in a whole house that did not have any light. If we cannot keep things neat and clean in the daylight or by the lamplight, then surely we could not keep things neat and clean in the dark! The place would soon become unlivable because of the mess that would start piling up. You might try to clean your bedroom in the dark, but you would not be able to see anything or do anything without breaking or bumping into something. You would probably hurt yourself just trying to get your room cleaned up!

If we want to be able to walk around and live properly in a bedroom, we need to have light enough to see where everything is and light enough to use what is in the room properly. If we want to clean up a mess, we have to have enough light to see the mess!

Have you ever compared your life to a messy house or bedroom? Sometimes our lives get busy and we stop paying attention to the sin problems that are piling up. These sins that we let go can come between us and God. We cannot enjoy fellowship with God if we have unconfessed unrighteousness in our hearts. We let our lives get cluttered and clogged with stuff that blocks our fellowship with God. Sometimes we do not even realize how “dirty” we have let our lives become. We cannot see how messy things are in our hearts!

How can we get a clear view of the mess our sins cause? The Bible teaches us that in order to walk (live) properly and be in close fellowship with God, we have to “walk in the light, as He is in the light.” What does that mean – to “walk in the light”? The Bible teaches in 1 John and other places that God is light. Do you walk with God? Do you acknowledge Him (honor and remember His presence) in everything you do? Do you remember that your sin is before Him and against Him, and do you ask His forgiveness when you sin? If you do these things, you are walking in righteousness and light. Everything is clean and clear.

On the other hand, those who reject Christ are without light. They hate light because it reveals all their evil doings. This is how it is for every person who does not have God in his life. He lives in spiritual darkness, and his life is just a mess! He cannot see how much sin has been piled high in his heart. He cannot see what a mess his life is becoming. He does not know what great fellowship with God that he is missing.

If we waited until our hearts were “ready for company,” we would never be ready for God to “visit” us. We cannot clean up our own mess before letting God in to see it. On our own, we could never get our lives cleaned up “enough” for God to be pleased with the results. To pass His inspection and to enjoy His company, we have to “receive” Him, let the “light” shine in, and let Him do a cleansing work in our hearts first. Through Christ’s righteousness, we can have light to keep on seeing our sin for what it is. We can keep on enjoying fellowship with Him as long as we walk in His light.

God gives the light we need to “see” the mess in our lives. Only through Him can we ever be “cleaned up” enough to fellowship with Him.

My Response:
» Have I received God into my heart and life?
» By God’s “light,” am I able to “see” the messiness that sin causes in my life?
» How can I keep on walking “in the light”?

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 107:1)

Thanksgiving might be your favorite holiday. Many American children love everything to do with Thanksgiving. Maybe when you think of Thanksgiving, you think of a banquet – turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and brown sugar on top, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh-baked dinner rolls and various vegetables. Of course, there are the pies, ice cream, and other desserts. Maybe you love the tradition of getting together with family and friends. Perhaps your loved ones come from a long way away to spend the holiday with you. Many families think of Thanksgiving as a time to play games, remember the past, play out-side and just enjoy being together again. For you, Thanksgiving might bring back many memories – good memories.

More than anything else, the observation of the Thanksgiving holiday ought to remind us of the God the pilgrims came to America to worship. These people left everything they knew and moved their families thousands of miles so that they could worship God the way they believed the Bible teaches. They were treated badly in their homelands because they would not give in to the way everyone else had decided religion should be done. They wanted to teach their children according to the doctrines of the Bible. They wanted to trust and obey God and His Word over the opinions of men and women. So they risked their lives to cross the ocean and come to America. God was that important to them.

Not everything went well once they reached America, either. There were difficulties they could never have imagined. Some of the natives were hostile and fought against them. The winters were very harsh, and sickness took some of their lives. But God, in His great kindness, provided for them. He provided relationships with some kind natives who helped them. They helped the pilgrims understand how to farm and taught them how to get along in this world that was so new to them. Surely, in many other ways God provided for them. The pilgrims were thankful for all these things.

All of us have many things for which we can be thankful. But it is God Himself Who ought to cause us to feel most grateful. He is the Giver of so many of our gifts. But we ought to love and praise the Giver more than we love and praise the gifts He has given us. God chose to be good to us and provide good things for us. He did so because He Himself is good. Even when we are not as good as we should be, God is still good. And all that is good comes from God. That’s what we are told in God’s Word, the Bible that the pilgrims held in such high honor. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

This Thanksgiving – and every day! – remember all the good things God has given you and your family. And remember what the psalmist did: “give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good!”

God is worthy of our thanks because He Himself is perfectly good and gives such good gifts.

My Response:
» Do I have a thankful heart every day?
» What am I most grateful to God for in my life?
» How can I show every day that God’s goodness and greatness are worth my praise?

“Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” (Psalm 31:2-3)

Have you ever met someone who was “in charge”? Sure, you have! We all know someone who is in charge of something, or in charge of someone else. To be “in charge” means to be responsible to take care of something.

If your parents put you “in charge” of the new pet puppy dog in your home, that means you have to feed the puppy, give him water, wash him, teach him to obey commands, and take him outside for walks. If the puppy has a clean, shiny coat, and if he is friendly and well-behaved, then people will tell you that you are doing a great job training him and taking care of him. On the other hand, if the puppy damages something very valuable, makes a mess, or bites someone’s hand – you might find yourself in a little trouble! Anything bad that the puppy does could be blamed on you! Your hard work and special care is reflected by your puppy’s behavior and appearance. But if you neglect (forget or ignore) your responsibilities with your puppy, his behavior and appearance will show that, too!

God is in charge of us – did you realize that? If you are God’s child, He has adopted you and brought you into His household. You bear His name now. Your appearance and your behavior ought to reflect Him – they ought to show to other people the good character your Heavenly Father has and the great works that He has done. If you act like an unbeliever, someone who doesn’t know or love God, then your life cannot reflect God’s character and works very well to other people.

Did you know that God is the perfect refuge (place to hide, place to find safety and comfort), and that He will lead you along and point you in he right direction when you are not sure what to do or where to go? That’s what King David believed in the Old Testament, and he was worshipping the same Heavenly Father that we know and love. Read Psalm 31:1-5. What can you learn about God from that part of Scripture?

God takes His responsibility for us seriously. He never messes up. He never does anything accidentally, and He is never surprised. He has a reputation to uphold. Unlike us, God is right to be concerned about His own reputation (His name, or His glory). Being the only perfect God, He has every right to care about His glory. God’s character is always holy and perfect, and He will be faithful for eternity. Because He is all these things (and more!), God cares a great deal about His glory – His good name – and those who bear His name are in His charge.

If you are trusting Him, God is in charge of you. He will lead you and He will guide you. He does that not just for your sake, but for His own name’s sake. He loves to give us the wisdom and guidance we need. He loves to help us and protect us. His care for us is one way He shows publicly what a great and good God He is.

God takes care of His own people, for His glory and for their good.

My Response:
» Is it easy for me to forget Whose name I bear and Who is in charge of my life?
» What do I do or say that reflects upon the glory (the good name) of my Heavenly Father?
» What must I change so that my thinking and behavior line up with the Bible’s true teachings about God’s goodness and greatness?

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Have you ever been lost? Danny was only eight years old when he and his brother Steve got lost one day during their walk home from school. Instead of walking down the streets they knew well, they decided they wanted to follow a creek for a while, thinking it would take them toward home. But it didn’t. Instead, the creek went another direction. When Danny and Steve realized they were lost, they got a little scared. Finally, a man came by, and they asked him if he knew where their home’s street was, and he told them. When they followed his guidance, they were able to find their way back to familiar territory, and back home!

What Danny and Steve did is exactly what Proverbs 3:5 tells us not to do. They leaned on their own understanding. They thought they knew what they were doing, but they didn’t. This is how many people behave for most of their lives. They think they know what they are doing on their own. Instead of getting their guidance from the Lord, they go their own directions, doing things their own ways. And something always goes wrong – every time!

Why is that we always get confused or “lost” when we lean on our own understanding? It is because no one has the ability in himself to go the right direction, to do the right thing, on his own. The prophet Jeremiah admitted this fact to God when he said, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (See Jeremiah 10:23.)

So, how can we ever be sure we are going in the right direction? How can we ever be sure we are doing the right things? If it is really true that we don’t have the ability in ourselves to go the right way or to do the right thing – then how can we get it? We must trust, honor, and obey the Lord. If we do, He will make sure we go the right direction and do the right thing. That is the promise of Proverbs 3:6. The Lord tells us all we need to know. He is the Giver of all the guidance and counsel we could ever need.

We do not have to plan our own paths – all we have to do is trust the Lord’s plans and obey what He commands. If we will honor Him in our decisions, rather than thinking we can make it without Him, then we will find He is worthy of our trust. Leaning on God, we can never get lost. The Lord’s guidance will always take us the right direction. It will always take us closer to “home” – always closer to Him.

God is the perfect Guide and Counselor, worthy of our wholehearted trust, honor, and obedience.

My Response:
» Am I acknowledging (honoring) God in all my ways, or am I mostly concerned about my own opinions and wishes?
» Does God know what He’s doing and what He’s going to do in my life better than I could ever know?
» How can I change my thinking and actions to show that I am trusting in, honoring, and obeying a perfect Guide and Counselor?