The Carpenter's Chapel (9)

The readings for today are from Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org) and Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk)

Our Daily Bread

The Land Of And

In a TV commercial I saw recently, the kids argued in the back seat of the car about where to stop for dinner. One wanted pizza; another chicken. Mom, in the front passenger seat, said, “No, we’ll stop for a hamburger.”
Dad quickly solved the family disagreement with this idea: “We’ll stop at the buffet restaurant, and you can each have what you want and all you want.” The commercial closes with the words, “Take care of family squabbles about what’s for dinner. Go to _____ Buffet, the ‘Land of And.’”
When I saw that commercial, I thought of another “Land of And”: heaven. It is a place that will have all we need. Foremost, we will be in the very presence of Almighty God. In describing heaven, the apostle John said, “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it” (Rev. 22:3). Our thirsty souls will be completely satisfied from the “pure river of water of life” that proceeds from His throne (22:1), for He says to His people, “I will give . . . freely to him who thirsts” (21:6). Another “and” in this land will be the tree of life for “the healing of the nations” (22:2). What we won’t find in this Land of And are the curse (22:3), death, sorrow, and tears (21:4).
We’ll be completely satisfied in that Land of And. Are you ready to go?


There is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign;
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain. —Watts


Earth—the land of trials; heaven—the land of joys.


Word For Today

You've Got to Pay Full Price26 Jan 2012'"I insist on paying the full price..."' 1 Chronicles 21:24The poet wrote: 'When you get what you want in the struggle for self, and the world makes you king for a day; just go to the mirror and look at yourself, and see what that man has to say. For it isn't your father or mother or wife, whose judgment upon you must pass; the fellow whose verdict counts most in your life, is the one staring back from the glass. He's the fellow to please; never mind all the rest, for he's with you clear to the end. And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test, if the man in the glass is your friend. You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years, and get pats on the back as you pass. But your final reward will be heartache and tears, if you've cheated the man in the glass.' The story's told of a small-town barber who was doing well until a big hair salon moved in across the street. They blitzed the area with signs: 'EVERYTHING FOR A DOLLAR. Dollar haircuts! Dollar perms! Everything for a dollar!' In despair he hired an advertising expert, who called a billboard company and told them to put up a big sign on top of the barber's shop. 'And what do you want us to put on the sign?' they asked. The expert replied, 'In big, bold letters put the words: 'WE FIX DOLLAR HAIRCUTS!' David said, 'I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord...a burnt offering that costs me nothing.' In order to fulfil your God-given destiny in life, you've got to pay full price.

 

The readings for today are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Word For Today

Why You Need Courage (1)27 Jan 2012'Be strong and of good courage...' Joshua 1:6Why did God say to Joshua, 'Be strong and of good courage'? For four reasons: 1) For Joshua's own sake. God had a lot invested in Joshua; the future of an entire nation rested on his shoulders. And since God has a lot invested in you too, you must believe that it's His will for you to succeed. If you grew up in a family or church where you felt unworthy of God's favour and unentitled to His blessing, you must reprogramme your mind with the Scriptures. '...then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success' (Joshua 1:8 NKJV). 2) For the Lord's sake. God told Joshua, '...do not be afraid...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go' (Joshua 1:9 NKJV). God's reputation was on the line. The nations in Canaan had heard how He delivered the Israelites from slavery, drowned the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, and fed His people with food from heaven every day. Had Joshua failed to conquer the Promised Land it would have brought reproach to God's name and made His people a laughing stock. The Lord had a bigger stake in Israel's success than anyone else. His plan to bring forth the Messiah depended on their success. His desire was to turn a bunch of slaves into the greatest nation on earth - one that served the true and living God. And Joshua had a big part to play in it. Where did Joshua's strength come from? This promise: '...the Lord your God is with you wherever you go' (Joshua 1:9 NIV).


My Utmost For His Highest

Look Again and Think

Do not worry about your life . . . —Matthew 6:25

A warning which needs to be repeated is that “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” and the lust for other things, will choke out the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.

“I say to you, do not worry about your life . . . .” Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, “That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.” Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.

“Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been looking into your life and saying, “What are your plans for next month— or next summer?” Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the “much more” of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).

 

The readings for today are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily bread (www.odb.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Word For Today

Why You Need Courage (2)28 Jan 2012'Be strong and of good courage...' Joshua 1:6Joshua discovered four reasons why you need to be strong and demonstrate courage. Yesterday we looked at the first two. Today let's look at the next two: 3) For the sake of others. People are watching you. They want to know if you'll face the situation with courage or buckle before it in fear. Your ability to demonstrate faith in the midst of difficulties will give them courage. The battle is not just about you, it's about those God has planned to bless through you. You may not have money or fame, but you have influence. The attitudes you display and the decisions you make will influence your children and your grandchildren. You say, 'But I am afraid.' We all experience fear. But the Psalmist declared, 'Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You' (Psalm 56:3 NKJV). 4) For your enemies' sake. David wrote: 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...' (Psalm 23:5 NKJV). God will not only fight for you, He will vindicate you in the eyes of your critics. It's good to have critics and competitors. Sometimes a foe can press you into victory where a friend cannot. Who would ever have heard of David, without Goliath? Who would have known about Moses, if there had been no Pharaoh oppressing God's people? And what would have been known about Esther, without Haman's evil plot against the Jews? What's your dream? Is there an enemy standing between you and its fulfilment? Dare to confront them and they will become an instrument in God's hand to press you into your destiny.

Our Daily Bread

Feeding Frenzy

People who study sharks tell us that they are most likely to attack when they sense blood in the water. The blood acts as a trigger to their feeding mechanism and they attack, often in a group, creating a deadly feeding frenzy. Blood in the water marks the vulnerability of the target.
Sadly, this is sometimes how people in the church respond to those who are hurting. Instead of being a community where people are loved, cared for, and nurtured, it can become a dangerous environment where predators are looking for the “blood in the water” of someone’s failings or faults. And then the feeding frenzy is on.
Instead of kicking people when they are down, we should be offering the encouragement of Christ by helping to restore the fallen. Of course, we’re not to condone sinful behavior, but our Lord calls us to display mercy. He said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7). Mercy has been described as not getting what we deserve, and we all deserve eternal judgment. The same God who shows us mercy in Christ calls us to show mercy to one another.
So when we see “blood in the water,” let’s seek to show mercy. The day may come when we will want someone to show mercy to us!


Lord, help us to be merciful
To those who fall in sin,
Remembering You rescued us
And cleansed us from within. —Sper


We can stop showing mercy to others
when Christ stops showing mercy to us.

 

The devotionals for today are My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk).

My Utmost For His Highest

How Could Anyone Be So Ignorant

2012
Who are You, Lord? —Acts 26:15


“The Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand . . .” (Isaiah 8:11). There is no escape when our Lord speaks. He always comes using His authority and taking hold of our understanding. Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you. God speaks in the language you know best— not through your ears, but through your circumstances.
God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do”-and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He . . . rebuked them, and said, ’You do not know what manner of spirit you are of’ ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13 .
Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” (Psalm 40:8).


Word For Today

Why You Need Courage (3)29 Jan 2012'..."Be strong and of good courage, and do it..."' 1 Chronicles 28:20In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested in Alabama for refusing to give her seat on the bus to a white man. Boycotts and bloodshed followed until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional. Later Rosa wrote: 'Knowing what must be done does away with fear. When I sat down on the bus that day I'd no idea history was being made, I was only thinking about getting home. But I had to make up my mind. After many years of being a victim...not giving up my seat, and whatever I had to face afterwards, wasn't important...I felt the Lord would give me the strength to endure whatever I had to face. It was time for someone to stand up - or in my case, sit down.' Courage is displayed at unexpected moments; what you do in such moments can change you, and those around you. The story's told of a spy who was sentenced to death by a general in the Persian Army. The general had a strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and 'the big door.' When the general asked, 'What will it be?' the spy chose the firing squad. Turning to his aide the general said, 'They always prefer the known to the unknown, yet, we gave them a choice.' The aide asked, 'What lies beyond the big door?' The general replied, 'Freedom.' Then he added, 'Few are brave enough to take that door.' The dividing line between mediocrity and success is courage. That's why David told his son Solomon upon ascending the throne: 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it.'

 

The readings for today are from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk).

My Utmost For His Highest

The Dilemma of Obedience

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision —1 Samuel 3:15


God never speaks to us in dramatic ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Then we say, “I wonder if that is God’s voice?” Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him “with a strong hand,” that is, by the pressure of his circumstances (Isaiah 8:11). Without the sovereign hand of God Himself, nothing touches our lives. Do we discern His hand at work, or do we see things as mere occurrences?

Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance (1 Samuel 3:9). Every time circumstances press in on you, say, “Speak, Lord,” and make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline— it is meant to bring me to the point of saying, “Speak, Lord.” Think back to a time when God spoke to you. Do you remember what He said? Was it Luke 11:13 , or was it 1 Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.

Should I tell my “Eli” what God has shown to me? This is where the dilemma of obedience hits us. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences and thinking, “I must shield ’Eli,’ ” who represents the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli— he had to decide that for himself. God’s message to you may hurt your “Eli,” buttrying to prevent suffering in another’s life will prove to be an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own risk that you prevent someone’s right hand being cut off or right eye being plucked out (see Matthew 5:29-30).
Never ask another person’s advice about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will almost always side with Satan. “. . . I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . .” (Galatians 1:16).


Word For Today

Henry John Heinz 30 Jan 2012 'Her children rise up and call her blessed...' Proverbs 31:28At age six, Henry John Heinz began helping his mother tend the small garden behind their family home. At twelve, he was working three and a half acres of garden, using a horse and cart for his three-times-a-week deliveries to grocery stores throughout the city of Pittsburg. He went on to found his own company and named it 57 Varieties. The Henry John Heinz Company was incorporated in 1905, and today, over one hundred years later, it sells more than thirteen hundred products worldwide, ranging from ketchup to baby food. But there are other things you need to know: Henry John Heinz loved Jesus and was deeply involved in the promotion of Sunday school in Pittsburg and around the world. His company was noted for pioneering safe and sanitary food preparation and for being ahead of its time in employee relations. He provided free medical benefits, swimming and gymnasium facilities, and promoted women to positions of greater responsibility, making them supervisors. He earned a reputation for enhancing the working and living conditions of his workers. In his will, Henry John Heinz said: 'I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which there were unusual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left to me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith, and to it I attribute any success I have attained.

 

Our devotional readings today come from Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

Word For Today

In spite of Yourself 31 Jan 2012

'..."The Good Shepherd...lays down His...life for the sheep."' John 10:11
There are two ways in which we are like sheep: 1) Without a shepherd to guide us, we get into stuff that hurts us. God has no 'super-sheep.' The Bible says: 'All of us, like sheep, have strayed...We have left God's paths to follow our own...' (Isaiah 53:6 NLT). Like sheep, sometimes we are clueless and headstrong, choosing things that turn out badly unless God intervenes. 2) Sheep aren't smart enough to hide their shortcomings. Indeed, their willingness to be what they are is one of their strengths. F.B. Meyer said, 'I used to think God's gifts were on shelves, one above the other, and the taller we grew the more easily we could reach them. I now find they're on shelves one beneath the other, and it's not a question of growing taller but stooping lower.' Solomon said, '...with humility comes wisdom' (Proverbs 11:2 NLT). Since God already knows everything about you, why bother pretending? Plus, the things you refuse to acknowledge and deal with just stunt your growth and limit your usefulness to God. That's too high a price to pay! God values truth and He expects you to be truthful with Him, other people and yourself. Paul writes: '...express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]...' (Ephesians 4:15 AMP). And James adds: 'Confess your [faults] one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed...' (James 5:16 NKJV). We all have our pluses and minuses. But when you give God all that you are (and aren't!), He will bless and use you in spite of yourself.


Our Daily Bread

The Prince of Peace

Years ago I came to know a young man who rode with a motorcycle gang. He had grown up on a mission field where his parents served. When his family returned to the US, he seemed unable to adjust to life. He lived a troubled existence and was killed in a street fight with a rival gang.

I’ve helped at many funeral services, but this was by far the most memorable. It was held in a park where there is a natural grassy bowl surrounding a small lake. His friends parked their bikes in a circle and sat on the grass around a friend and me while we conducted the service. We spoke simply and briefly about peace among warring factions and the inner peace that Jesus’ love can bring.

Afterward, a motorcycle gang member thanked us, started to walk away, but then turned back. I’ve never forgotten his words. He said that he had “a putt, a pad, and an old lady” (a bike, apartment, and girlfriend), and then added, “But I ain’t got no peace.” So we talked about Jesus who is our peace.

Whether we’ve got a chopper or a Cadillac, a mansion or a tiny apartment, a loved one or no one—it makes no difference. Without Jesus, there is no peace. He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). This gift is for all who trust in Him. Have you asked for His peace?


Lord, I want to have peace in my life.
To be at peace with You, with others, and with myself.
Your Word says that comes from You.
Please give me Your gift of peace. Amen.

Jesus died in our place to give us His peace.

 

The devotional readings for today are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily bread (www.odb.org)

Word For Today

BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE AHEAD01 Feb 2012''Arise...go...to the land which I am giving to [you].'' Joshua 1:2Joshua had already tasted the joys of the Promised Land. But now he had to go back and wait until Moses died and every doubter in Israel was buried. Observe: 1) Some of our old ways must die. Moses represented the old system. It was good for then, but not now. When you align yourself with what was, instead of what is, you're not ready. There are still too many folks you need to impress. You're so bound by certain philosophies that when God says it's time to move, you have to consult somebody else. When God told Joshua, 'Moses My servant is dead...arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them,' there was only one correct response: 'Yes, Lord!' You must honour the past, but not get stuck in it. You must stand on the truth, but seek God for fresh instructions and insights if you're to reach your destiny. 2) Your doubts must be buried. Only two out of the twelve spies who went into the Promised Land believed God would give it to them. The other ten saw giants, caved in to doubt, died and were buried in the wilderness. And every doubt that's holding you back has got to die and be buried too, including the voice of your low self-esteem, your childhood fears, your anxieties and your critics. Gather them up, put them in a box, bury it, stand on top of it and say, 'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.' Before you can move ahead you must understand and live by these principles

Our Daily Bread

The Spirit of Christmas

The acts of generosity and good will that flourish in December often fade quickly, causing many to say, “I wish we could keep the Christmas spirit all year long.” Why does it seem that kindness and compassion are chained to the calendar? Is there an ever-flowing fountain of compassion deeper than warm holiday feelings that pass with the season?
In the first two chapters of Luke, it is striking that the Holy Spirit is mentioned seven times. His work is cited in the lives of the unborn John the Baptist (1:15), Mary (1:35), Elizabeth (1:41), Zacharias (1:67), and Simeon (2:25-27). Here, in what we often call “the Christmas story,” there is no mention of people having something just come to mind or of feeling strangely moved. Instead, the Holy Spirit is identified as the One who guided Simeon, filled Zacharias and Elizabeth, and created the baby in Mary’s womb.
Do we, like them, recognize the Spirit’s voice in the midst of all others? Are we alert to His promptings and eager to obey? Will we allow His warmth and love to fill our hearts and flow through our hands?
Today, the presence and power of Christ remain with us through the Holy Spirit, who is the true, eternal Spirit of Christmas—all year long.


Let the fullness of Thy Spirit
Fall upon us here this hour.
How we need a new anointing
Of the Holy Ghost and power. —Jarvis


Jesus went away so the Spirit could come to stay.

 

The devotional readings today are from Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Word For Today

SHOWING HONEST EMOTION 02 Feb 2012
''Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"'' John 11:35
Some of us are like a closed book; people never get to know what's on the inside of us. Jesus was not afraid to be vulnerable. He wept openly at the grave of His friend Lazarus. So, can you show honest emotion? Do you talk of the trophies you have won but not the tears you have shed? When you speak only of your success but fail to share what you went through to achieve it, you leave people feeling like they'll never be able to rise as high as you have. Is that what you want? Jesus was infuriated when the strong took advantage of the weak; it's why He threw the moneychangers out of the temple. Yet He wept over the people of Jerusalem because He knew what the consequences of their rejecting Him would be. Now we're not talking about displays of uncontrolled temper, or dissolving into tears each time trouble comes. But unless you have the ability to show an appropriate level of empathy and transparency, you will have no credibility. The Bible says: 'For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven...A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance' (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 NLT). If you are able to be tough but not tender, people may admire your achievements and comply with your instructions, but they will keep you at a distance. And you will be lonely. But it's a self-imposed loneliness brought on by your unwillingness to open up and let them in. Jesus showed honest emotion; you must too.


Our Daily Bread

God's Plan, Not Ours

Everybody was wrong about the ark of the covenant (an item in the tabernacle that represented the throne of God). After losing a battle to the Philistines, Israel sent messengers to Shiloh to ask that the ark be hauled to Ebenezer, the site of their army camp.

When the ark arrived, the Israelites celebrated so loudly the enemy heard them all the way over in Aphek. The ark’s arrival caused the Philistines to fear and the Israelites to have courage.

They were both wrong. The Israelites took the ark into battle and were again clobbered by the Philistines, who captured the ark. Another mistake. The Philistines got sick and their false gods were destroyed.

We can understand the Philistines’ error—they were idol-worshipers. But the Israelites should have known better. They failed to consult God about using the ark. While they knew that the ark was earlier carried in battle (Josh. 6), they didn’t consider that God’s plan, not the ark’s involvement, allowed Israel to defeat Jericho.

No matter our resources, we will fail unless we use them according to God’s plan. Let’s study the Word, pray for God’s direction, and trust His leading (Ps. 91:2) before we step out in any venture of faith.


My times are in my Father’s hand;
How could I wish or ask for more?
For He who has my pathway planned
Will guide me till my journey’s o’er. —Fraser

We see in part; God sees the whole.

 

Today's readings are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

Word For Today

WHAT STINKS? 03 Feb 2012
''Lord, by this time he stinketh.'' John 11:39
Sometimes when we have a problem we do what Mary and Martha did with their deceased brother Lazarus. We bury it and roll a stone in front of it. Then Jesus comes along and tells us to roll the stone away so He can deal with it and make us whole again. It takes honesty, humility and courage to roll away the stone on a stubborn or shaming issue. But you will never become healthy and whole until you are willing to do that. Can you imagine the state Lazarus was in after four days in the grave? Martha said, 'He stinketh.' Yet Jesus said, '...If you [will] believe you [will] see the glory of God' (John 11:40 NKJV). The great thing about this story is that no matter how far gone your situation may be or how unpleasant it is, Jesus can turn it around for you. But you must be willing to roll the stone away and allow Him to work. If you'll let Him, He can give you back what life has taken from you. People may give up on you but Jesus won't. Have you ever changed a baby's nappy? If anything else smelled that bad you would throw it in the trash, right? But not your child; you love them and you know that with a little help they are capable of outgrowing it and becoming something good. Like Mary and Martha, you may think it's too late for a miracle, but it's not. Your finances may stink, your relationship may stink, your prospects for the future may stink, but if you will believe you will 'see the glory of God.'

Our Daily Bread

Pleading The Lord's Cause

Charles Finney, a 29-year-old lawyer, was concerned about his soul’s salvation. On October 10, 1821, he retreated to a wooded area near his home for a time of prayer. While there, he had a profound conversion experience. He wrote: “The Holy Spirit . . . seemed to go through me, body and soul. . . . Indeed it seemed to come in waves of liquid love.”

The next day, he met with a client who had come to him for legal representation. Finney told him: “I have a retainer from the Lord Jesus Christ to plead His cause and cannot plead yours.” He left his law practice and entered the ministry. Later, he would be used mightily of God to bring others to Christ.

The apostle Paul was also called to plead the Lord’s cause. He wrote, “I am appointed for the defense of the gospel” (Phil. 1:17). The word translated “defense” was used in the ancient world for an attorney pleading his case in a court of law. All believers are called to share the wonderful news of the saving grace of God. “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

What a great privilege to be used of God to bring others to Christ!


Do we really care for those
Who live beneath God’s wrath?
The gospel must be shared with them,
To turn them from death’s path. —Sper

The good news of Christ is too good to keep to yourself.

 

The devotional readings for today are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Word For Today

STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS (1) 04 Feb 2012
''He who observes the wind will not sow.'' Ecclesiastes 11:4
Too many of us stand on the dock waiting. We want the ship in place, the gangplank perfectly positioned, the weather right, and an engraved invitation before we're willing to launch out. It will never happen! Dreams don't move toward us, we have to move toward them. One author writes: 'It's time to quit waiting for perfection, inspiration, permission, reassurance, someone to change, the right person to come along, the kids to leave home, the new administration to take over, an absence of risk, someone to discover you, a clear set of instructions, more self-confidence, or the pain to go away. Instead of saying, 'We've never done it before,' say, 'We have the opportunity to be first.' Instead of saying, 'We don't have the resources,' say, 'Necessity fuels invention.' Instead of saying, 'There's not enough time,' say, 'We'll change how we work.' Instead of saying, 'We've already tried that,' say, 'We learned from experience.' Instead of saying, 'We don't have the expertise,' say, 'Let's network with those who do.' Instead of saying, 'Our vendors and customers won't go for it,' say, 'Let's show them the opportunities.' Instead of saying, 'We don't have enough money,' say, 'Maybe there's something we can cut.' Instead of saying, 'We're understaffed,' say, 'We're a lean, hungry team.' Instead of saying, 'It'll never get any better,' say, 'We'll try one more time.' Instead of saying, 'Let somebody else deal with it,' say, 'I'm ready to learn something new.' Instead of saying, 'It's not my job,' say, 'I'll be glad to take the responsibility.' Instead of saying, 'I can't,' say, 'By God's grace I can!'

My Utmost For His Highest

The Compelling Power Of His Majesty


The love of Christ compels us . . . —2 Corinthians 5:14


Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us . . . .” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.

When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . .” (Acts 1:8). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . . .” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but “witnesses to Me . . . .” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane-he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.

 

The devotionals for today are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org). I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Word For Today

STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS (2) 05 Feb 2012

''Faith is being sure of what we hope for.'' Hebrews 11:1

Successful people do not spend the majority of their time thinking about what must be done. Instead, they spend twice as much time reflecting on what they have already accomplished, and on how they are capable of accomplishing what they set out to do. Football coach John Wooden said, 'Things turn out best, for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.' Pursuing a God-given dream is a bumpy ride, as every leader in the Bible found out. And only those who think right succeed. The greatest gap between successful people and unsuccessful people is the thinking gap. This is especially so when it comes to failure. Successful people see failure as a regular part of success, and they get over it. Jonah Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine, said: 'As I look upon the experience of an experimentalist, everything that you do is, in a sense, succeeding. It's telling you what not to do, as well as what to do. Not infrequently, I go into the laboratory, and people would say something didn't work. And I say, "Great, we've made a great discovery!" If you thought it was going to work, and it didn't work, that tells you as much as if it did. So my attitude is not one of pitfalls; my attitude is one of challenges and "what is nature telling me?' ' Such tenacity only comes from right thinking, and it is the hallmark of all successful people. They keep trying, keep learning, and keep moving forward. They win the battle in their minds, and then it overflows into what they do.

My Utmost For His Highest

Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)

Feb 05 2012

If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all—Philippians 2:17


Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, “I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’ “

It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a “doormat” under other people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, “I know how to be abased . . .” (Philippians 4:12). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket—to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted—not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.

 

Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) is the first of our devotionals today, followed by Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org)

Word For Today

STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS (3)06 Feb 2012''...He kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.'' Hebrews 11:27There is a strong relationship between our movement toward our dreams, and the resources we need becoming available to us. Too often we want to see the resources, or have them in hand before we start moving forward. When we do that, we have neither the resources nor the movement. We need to be like the snail that started climbing up the apple tree one cold day in February. As he inched his way upward, a worm stuck his head out from a crevice in the tree and said, 'You're wasting your energy. There isn't a single apple up there.' The snail kept on climbing, and replied, 'No, but there will be by the time I get up there!' Over and over in Scripture God sent people out with what seemed like little, or inadequate resources. But when they got to where God wanted them to be, the resources needed to get the job done were in place waiting for them. Vision doesn't follow resources, it happens the other way around. First we have a dream, then we have to move forward. Then-and only then-do people and resources follow. Then the plan God has given to us begins to fall into place. A wise man once said, 'Effort only releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.' People who succeed 'see' what others don't. It's what keeps them moving forward. 'It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.'

Our Daily Bread

Consider The Source

Read: James 1:12-18

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. —James 1:17

Bible in a year:
Numbers 4-6



I love cinnamon. I love cinnamon rolls, cinnamon graham crackers, cinnamon candies, cinnamon toast, cinnamon apples, and cinnamon pretzels. Cinnamon is one of those spices that makes other things taste better. However, it never crossed my mind to think about where cinnamon comes from. Then, on a recent trip to Sri Lanka, I learned that 90 percent of all the cinnamon in the world comes from that island nation located in the Indian Ocean. For all of the cinnamon I’ve enjoyed over the years, I never stopped to consider its source.

Sadly, my walk with Christ is sometimes like that. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, five children, and grandchildren who are more fun than a barrel of monkeys. In the midst of my enjoyment of them, however, I sometimes fail to consider the source of those blessings—what the hymnwriter called the “fount of every blessing.” James put it like this: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (1:17).

How ungrateful we would be to enjoy the rich blessings of life without thanking the Father who is the source of all of creation.

Dear Lord, from whom all blessings flow,
Most precious gifts dost Thou bestow;
So truly faithful may I be
As Thou art gracious unto me. —Roworth


Gratitude is a God-honoring attitude.

 

Today the devotionals are taken from Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

Word For Today

STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS (4)07 Feb 2012''Faith...if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.'' James 2:17There's a wonderful story behind the success of Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield's Chicken Soup for the Soul books. At first they had a very difficult time getting anyone to publish the book, and an equally hard time getting anybody to buy it. Then one day they got a piece of advice from a teacher called Scolastico, who told them, 'If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five swings at it with a very sharp axe, eventually, no matter how large the tree, it would have to come down.' So Hansen and Canfield developed what they call 'the rule of five.' Every day they did five specific things that would move them closer to their dream of selling books. They write: 'Every day it meant having five radio interviews, or sending out five copies to editors who might review the book, or calling five network marketing companies and asking them to buy the book as a motivational tool for their sales people, or giving a seminar to at least five people and selling the book in the back of the room...We wrote press releases, we called in to talk shows (some at 3:00 a.m.)...we even got petrol stations, bakeries and restaurants to sell the book. It was a lot of effort-a minimum of five things a day, every day, day in and day out -for over two years.' As a result, Chicken Soup for the Soul has sold 112 million copies in forty-one languages. With tenacious faith, you too will begin to make progress toward your dream.

Our Daily Bread

Great Is Your Reward

Many businesses have “points programs” that offer rewards to loyal customers. You can stack up these rewards by using their companies’ services, like eating at local restaurants, staying at certain hotels, or flying on particular airlines. Choosing to spend your money this way makes a lot of sense.
God has a rewards program as well. Jesus often spoke of His desire to reward us for loyally serving Him. When we are persecuted for His sake, for example, He says to “rejoice . . . for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:12). In contrast to the Pharisees’ pious habit of giving, praying, and fasting in public, Jesus instructed us to do these things privately, because “your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (6:4,6,18). When it comes to living for Jesus, faithfulness never ultimately puts your life in a deficit position, regardless of what it costs.
But we don’t serve Jesus for the rewards. When He died for us on the cross, He did far more for us than we deserve. Loyalty to Him is an act of worship that expresses our loving gratitude for His love toward us. In return, He delights to encourage us with the assurance that ultimately His rewards will outweigh whatever we have given up for Him.

Live for Jesus—regardless of the cost.

 

The devotional readings today are Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

Word For Today

THE GRACE TO HANDLE IT 08 Feb 2012

''He gives more grace.'' James 4:6

Nancy and Ed Huizinga were at church rehearsing for the Christmas programme when their home burned down. It wasn't their first tragedy that year. Three months earlier when a friend, a widow with two teenagers, died of cancer, the Huizingas took her kids to live with them as part of the family. So when their house was destroyed it wasn't just their home they lost, it was home to two kids who'd already lost their parents. The following week as they sifted through the ashes they found a slip of paper that survived the fire. On it they read these words: 'Contentment: Realising God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.' God gives you 'more grace' when you walk through fiery trials. One Bible teacher says: 'Our perspective changes when we catch a glimpse of the purpose of Christ. Take that away, and it's nothing more than a bitter, terrible experience. Suffering comes in many forms, but His grace is always there to carry us beyond it. I've endured a sufficient number of trials to say without hesitation that only Christ's perspective can replace resentment with rejoicing. Jesus is the central piece of suffering's puzzle. If we fit Him into place, the rest begins to make sense.' Donna VanLiere writes: 'When life blindsides us...and the diagnosis, abuse, foreclosure, broken marriage, death or financial collapse brings us to our knees...grace says there's more love after infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis, and more life after financial ruin...grace is real...an indomitable gift with power to change your life. But it comes with one condition-like any gift, you have to reach out and take it.'

Our Daily Bread

Just Because He's Good

Joel and Lauren decided to move from Washington State back home to Michigan. Wanting to make one last special memory, they bought coffee from their favorite cafe and then stopped at their favorite bookstore. There they picked up two bumper stickers with a favorite motto of the town they were saying goodbye to: “It’s an Edmonds kind of day.”

After 2 weeks and a 3,000-mile drive, they entered Michigan. Hungry and wanting to celebrate their arrival, they stopped and asked about where to find a restaurant. Although they had to backtrack a few miles, they found a quaint little cafe. Emma, their waitress, excited to learn they were from her home state of Washington, asked, “What city?” “Edmonds,” they replied. “That’s where I’m from!” she said. Wanting to share the joy, Joel got their extra bumper sticker from the car and handed it to her. Amazingly, the sticker was from her mother’s store! It had gone from her mom’s hands to theirs, across 3,000 miles, to her hands.

Mere coincidence? Or were these experiences good gifts orchestrated by a good God who loves to encourage His children? Proverbs tells us, “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord” (20:24 NIV). In response, let’s “bless His name. For the Lord is good” (Ps. 100:4-5).


Bestowed with benefits daily,
Sent from the Father above;
Mercies and blessings abounding,
Gifts of His marvelous love. —Anon.

Every good gift comes from the Father.

 

The Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily bread (www.odb.org)are the readings for today.

Word For today

SEEING THE HAND OF GOD IN IT10 Feb 2012''...Lord, open his eyes so he may see...'' 2 Kings 6:17The Bible records: 'When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those are who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.' (vv.15-17 NIV). By God's power, the servant saw angels. And God can help you to see His hand at work in what you're going through today. He never promises to remove us from our struggles, but He promises to change the way we look at them. After listing many of his problems, Paul writes: 'In all these things we have complete victory throughHim...' (Romans 8: 37 GNT). We'd prefer another preposition. We'd opt for 'apart from all these things,' but Paul says, 'In all these things.' The solution is not to avoid trouble, but to change the way we see it. God asks, 'Who gives a person sight?' Then answers, 'It is I, the Lord' (Exodus 4:11). God let Elisha's servant see an army of angels, Jacob see a ladder that went into heaven, and Saul of Tarsus see Jesus on the road to Damascus. The blind man said to Jesus, '...I want to see' (Mark 10:51 NIV), and he walked away with clear vision. Today ask God to let you see His hand in it.

Our Daily Bread

Flawed

A well-known actor commented that he enjoyed playing “flawed” characters in movies because people could relate better to an imperfect character. Most of us would agree that it’s easier for us to understand people who aren’t perfect because we know that we are imperfect.
God included stories in the Bible of people who were deceitful, weak, unreliable, and angry. Take Jacob, for example, who deceived his father so that he would receive a blessing (Gen. 27:1-29). Then there was Gideon, who was so unsure of God that he asked Him twice for proof that He would be faithful to do what He said He would do (Judg. 6:39). And then there’s Peter, who for fear of his own safety, denied even knowing his friend and Lord (Mark 14:66-72).
But when we read the rest of their stories, we observe that these people were able, with God’s help, to overcome their shortcomings and ultimately be useful to Him. That happened when they depended not on themselves but on God.
Just like the people who lived thousands of years ago, each of us comes with flaws. But by God’s grace we can overcome those imperfections by embracing His “strength [which] is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).


God’s strength is made perfect in weakness,
For when we are weak He is strong;
He gives us His grace and His power
To overcome in us what’s wrong. —Sper


It’s good to learn of our weakness
if it drives us to lean on God’s strength.

 

The readings for today are from Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org) and My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org).

Our Daily Bread

A Covenant With My Eyes

Our friend is a computer “techie.” One night when our family was at his house, I noticed a verse taped to his monitor: “I have made a covenant with my eyes” (Job 31:1). Evidently, he understood the potential danger of spending hours alone in front of a computer with easy access to indecent images.
Our friend’s “reminder verse” is a quote from Job, and it continues, “Why then should I look upon a young woman?” Like many of us, Job had promised himself to stay free of lust. Reflecting on that oath, he said, “Does [God] not see my ways, and count all my steps?” (v.4). The Bible assures us that God does (Heb. 4:13), and that we are accountable to Him. This is why believers must “abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3). While some want to debate the boundaries of morality, the Bible says, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).
If you have made a covenant with your eyes, consider how Scripture might help you keep this pledge. Post a verse on your computer screen, television, or the dashboard of your car, and remember, “God did not call us to uncleanness” but to holiness (1 Thess. 4:7).


When lustful thoughts assail your mind
To play with immorality,
Remember that God’s will for you
Is holiness and purity. —Sper


A look that lingers can lead to lust.

My Utmost For His Highest

Is Your Mind Stayed on God?


Feb 11 2012


You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You —Isaiah 26:3


Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant’s life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (see Isaiah 45:22).
Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature-the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in service to God.
“We have sinned with our fathers . . . [and] . . . did not remember . . .” (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don’t say to yourself, “But God is not talking to me right now.” He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

 

The readings for today are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

My Utmost For His Highest

Are You Listening To God?

They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ `—Exodus 20:19


We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.

“You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . .” We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, “Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth.”

Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, “Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?” This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.

Our Daily Bread

Unanswered Prayer

The apostle Paul had one overriding desire: that fellow Jews would embrace the Messiah he had encountered. “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart,” he said. “For I could wish that I myself were . . . cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers” (Rom. 9:2-3 NIV). Yet in city after city his fellow Jews rejected him and the Christ he preached.

In his most elegant letter, Paul set as his centerpiece (Rom. 9–11) a passionate passage in which he struggled openly with this great unanswered prayer of his life. He acknowledged one important side benefit of this distressing development: The Jews’ rejection of Jesus led to His acceptance by the Gentiles. Paul concluded that God hadn’t rejected the Jews; to the contrary, they had the same opportunity as Gentiles. God had widened, not closed, the embrace of humanity.

Paul’s prose began to soar as he stepped back to consider the big picture. And then came this burst of doxology:
Oh, the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out! (Rom. 11:33).
The unsolved mysteries and unanswered prayers all fade to gray against the panorama of God’s plan for the ages.

In the end, unanswered prayer brings me face to face with the mystery that silenced Paul: the profound difference between my perspective and God’s.



Prayer imparts the power to walk and not faint. —Chambers

 

The readings for today are from Word For Today (www.ucb.co.uk) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

Word For Today

THE BLESSINGS OF THE COMPASSIONATE HEART (3)13 Feb 2012''...They gave themselves...to the Lord and then to us...'' 2 Corinthians 8:5Have you ever encountered a homeless person, given them some money, watched them shuffle away and wondered, 'Have I just paid for their next drink or drug, or rewarded laziness?' In some cases you may be right, in other cases wrong. So what should you do? In Second Corinthians chapter eight God gives us a plan we can understand and follow. The Macedonian church did it this way: 1) Both the well-off and the needy participated. They all gave, even those in 'extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity...[and] gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability' (vv. 2-3 NIV). 2) They gave gladly, not under pressure. '...Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing...' (vv.3-4). 3) Their giving flowed from their devotion to Christ. 'They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us' (v.5). They didn't give to impress others, or for a tax deduction, or to get the preacher off their backs, or because they 'felt bad' for the needy. No, it was a natural response to being in love with Jesus. 4) The church leaders received, oversaw and distributed their collective giving. They didn't give naively, trusting the integrity of the unknown and unproven. Their leaders handled and distributed their gifts openly, consistently, and with accountability. They knew the finances were handled honestly '...in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men' (v. 21). Bottom line: you can give without loving, but you can't love without giving to those God loves.

Our Daily Bread

Wings Like A Dove

David sighed, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (Ps. 55:6). As for me, I’d build a cabin in the Sawtooths, or take a permanent post in a fire-lookout tower. When life weighs on me, I too yearn to fly away and be at rest.

David wrote freely about his circumstances: Violence, oppression, and strife surrounded him on all sides, stirred up by the disloyalty of an old friend (55:8-14). Fear and terror, pain and trembling, anxiety and restlessness overwhelmed him (vv.4-5). Is it any wonder he longed to fly away?

But escape was impossible. He could not evade his lot. He could only give his circumstances to God: “As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (vv.16-17).

Whatever our circumstances—a burdensome ministry, a difficult marriage, joblessness, or a deep loneliness—we can give them to God. He has lifted the burden of our sins; will He not lift the weight of our sorrows? We have trusted Him with our eternal souls; can we not entrust our present circumstances to Him? “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (55:22).


Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. —Oatman


Because God cares about us, we can leave our cares with Him.

 

The reading for today is taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.org).

Taking the Initiative Against Despair

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Feb
18
2012

Rise, let us be going —Matthew 26:46


In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, “Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing.” In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.” If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.

Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

 

The readings for today are taken from My Utmost For His Highest (http://utmost.oprg) and Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org).

My Utmost For His Highest

Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery


Feb 19 2012


Arise, shine . . . —Isaiah 60:1


When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit”

Our Daily Bread

A Word From The Lord

Noted preacher and theologian Helmut Thielicke (1908–1986) endured great opposition from the Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Yet he remained committed to proclaiming God’s presence and power in Jesus Christ during a difficult and perplexing time. Scholar Robert Smith said that as Thielicke addressed modern issues and problems in his sermons, “he sought to answer the question, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’”
Isn’t that what each of us is seeking today? What has God said that will strengthen and guide us through the difficulties and opportunities we face?
First Samuel 3 describes a time when “the word of the Lord was rare” (v.1). When God spoke to young Samuel, the boy mistakenly thought it was the aging priest Eli calling him. Eli told the boy to respond to God’s voice by saying, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” (v.9). Samuel listened, and he became known as a man who lived faithfully and fearlessly, “for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (v.21).

Whenever we open the Bible, listen to a sermon, or pause to pray, it’s a wonderful practice to say, “Lord Jesus, speak to me. I’m ready to listen and eager to obey.”


God who formed worlds by the power of His word
Speaks through the Scriptures His truth to be heard
And if we read with the will to obey
He by His Spirit will show us His way. —D. De Haan


God speaks through His Word to those who listen with their heart.