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Flawed And Frail Nov 7, 2008 1:39 am
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READ: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

The Bible in One Year:
1 Peter 1-5, Proverbs 14:25-35

God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise.
—1 Corinthians 1:27

One of my boyhood heroes was Davy Crockett, the “King of the Wild Frontier.”
I looked up to him, admiring his courage and exploits.

Years later, my brother gave me a book that traced the experiences of the real-life David Crockett. I was surprised by his humanness. The real Davy Crockett made mistakes and had serious personal problems. The book depicted him as both flawed and frail.

This was both disappointing and reassuring to me. It was disappointing because he was less than I had come to believe, but reassuring because that reality made Crockett more accessible to me—and even more of a hero.

In the Bible we see that God consistently used people who were far less than perfect. That shouldn’t surprise us. God is glorified by showing Himself strong through our weaknesses. It shows us that He desires to work through our lives not because we are perfect but because He is. And since He uses weak and foolish things (1 Cor. 1:27), it means you and I are prime candidates for His work.

The Lord isn’t looking for superheroes. He uses those of us who are flawed and frail, so that He can show His strength and grace. He wants those with a willing and available heart. — Bill Crowder

It’s not in the flash of the style that you hone,
Nor all the degrees you’ve compiled;
The Savior is looking for servants who own
The warm, willing heart of a child. —Gustafson

In God’s service, our greatest ability is our availability.
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WAITING Nov 6, 2008 3:37 am
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READ: Psalm 70

The Bible in One Year
Ezekiel 28-30, Proverbs 14:12-24

Make haste to help me, O Lord! —Psalm 70:1Make haste to help me, O Lord!” the psalmist David prayed (Ps. 70:1)

Like him, we don’t like to wait. We dislike the long lines at super-market checkout counters, and the traffic jams downtown and around shopping malls. We hate to wait at the bank or at a restaurant.

And then there are the harder waits: a childless couple waiting for a child; a single person waiting for marriage; an addict waiting for deliverance; a spouse waiting for a kind and gentle word; a worried patient waiting for a diagnosis from a doctor.

What we wait for, however, is far less important than what God is doing while we wait. In such times He works in us to develop those hard-to-achieve spiritual virtues of meekness, kindness, and patience with others. But more important, we learn to lean on God alone and to “rejoice and be glad” in Him (v.4).

F. B. Meyer said, “What a chapter might be written of God’s delays! It is the mystery of the art of educating human spirits to the finest temper of which they are capable. What searchings of heart, what analyzings of motives, what testings of the Word of God, what upliftings of soul. . . . All these are associated with those weary days of waiting, which are, nevertheless, big with spiritual destiny.” — David H. Roper

Be still, My child, and know that I am God!
Wait thou patiently—I know the path you trod.
So falter not, nor fear, nor think to run and hide,
For I, thy hope and strength, am waiting by thy side. —Hein

God stretches our patience to enlarge our soul.
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Exploratory Procedure Nov 5, 2008 2:52 am
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READ: Hebrews 4:11-16

The Bible in One Year
Ezekiel 22-24, Proverbs 13:13-25

The Word of God is living and powerful, . . . a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. —Hebrews 4:12

I have a friend who recently underwent a laryngoscopy. I winced as he explained how his doctor took a camera with a light on the end and stuck it down his throat to try to find the cause of his pain.

It reminded me that God’s Word is like a laryngoscopy. It invades the unseen areas of our lives, exposing the diseased and damaged spiritual tissue that troubles us. If you’re wincing at the thought of how uncomfortable this divine procedure might be, consider Jesus’ words: “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Internal intrusions may be uncomfortable, but do you really want the disease?

Welcoming God’s Word to penetrate the deep, dark places of our hearts is the only way to find true healing and the spiritual health we long for. Believe me, the procedure will be thorough. As the writer of Hebrews assures, God’s Word is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12)—piercing all the way through the external stuff of our lives, all the way down to our thoughts, intentions, and motives.

So what are you waiting for? With God’s Word you don’t need an appointment. The divine Surgeon is ready when you are! — Joe Stowell

Ever present, truest Friend,
Ever near Thine aid to lend,
Guide us as we search the Word,
Make it both our shield and sword. —Anon.

Let God’s Word explore your inner being.
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CHOOSING OUR LEADER Nov 4, 2008 4:24 am
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READ: Joshua 24:14-25
The Bible in One Year:
Ezekiel 19-21, Proverbs 13:1-12

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. —Joshua 24:15

Today, millions of people in the United States will cast their votes for a slate of political leaders, including President. After months of campaign speeches, television ads, and debates, each voter has the opportunity to say to one candidate, “I choose you.” Not everyone’s favorite will win, but every voter has a choice.

Unlike a political election in which the majority rules, each of us is given the opportunity to select our personal leader each day. In the spiritual election deep within our hearts, our choice will stand no matter what others may decide.

After many years in the Promised Land of Canaan, the aged Joshua called the people of Israel together and issued this challenge: “If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). In a great collective response, the people said, “We will serve the Lord!” (v.21).

Everyone serves some kind of god. Whom will we choose to have rule in our hearts today? — David C. McCasland

Thy will I choose; I give to Thee
All of the life Thou gavest me;
Thy will I choose, no life I ask
Except to do Thy given task. —Anon.

Each day we choose the one we will follow in life.

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God's Catalog Nov 3, 2008 4:53 am
180 Views
READ: John 17:20-26

The Bible in One Year:
Ezekiel 16-18, Proverbs 12:15-28

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. —John 13:35

Tis the season to receive catalogs in the mail. Every trip to the mailbox ends with an armload of slick holiday catalogs. Each one claims to offer me something I need—immediately. “Don’t wait!” “Limited offer!” “Order now!”

The lure works. I open the pages to discover what I didn’t know I needed. Sure enough, I see things that suddenly seem essential, even though a few minutes earlier I didn’t know they existed. Manufacturers use catalog illustrations to create desire for their products.

In a way, Christians are God’s catalogs. We are His illustration to the world of what He has to offer. His work in our lives makes us a picture of qualities that people may not know they need or want until they see them at work in us.

Jesus prayed that His followers would be unified so the world would know that God sent Him and loved them as God loved Him (John 17:23). When Christ is alive in us, we become examples of God’s love. We can’t manufacture love. God is the manufacturer, and we are His workmanship.

As you browse holiday catalogs, consider what the “catalog” of your life says about God. Do people see qualities in you that make them long for God? — Julie Ackerman Link

What does the world see in us
That they can’t live without?
Do they see winsome qualities
And love that reaches out? —Sper

As a Christian, you are “God’s advertisement.” Do people want what they see in you?
1 comment
SHARK TONIC Oct 31, 2008 3:47 am
131 Views
READ: Hebrews 12:1-11

The Bible in One Year:
Hebrews 10-13, Proverbs 10:1-11

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. —Hebrews 12:1

Have you ever heard of shark “tonic”? It isn’t a serum that prevents shark attacks or a medicine given to sharks. The actual term is “tonic immobility,” described as “a natural state of paralysis that animals enter. . . . Sharks can be placed in a tonic immobility state by turning them upside down. The shark remains in this state of paralysis for an average of 15 minutes before it recovers.”

Imagine, a dangerous shark can be made vulnerable simply by turning it upside down. The state of tonic immobility makes the shark incapable of movement.

Sin is like that. Our ability to honor our Lord, for which we are created in Christ, can be put into “tonic immobility” by the power and consequences of sin. To that end, the writer of Hebrews wants us to be proactive. He wrote, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

If we are to run the race of the Christian life effectively, we must deal with sin before it immobilizes us. We need to lay aside the sin that hinders us from pleasing Him—starting today. — Bill Crowder

Start early today to run in the race
That Christians are told they can win;
First wait on the Lord for the strength He will give,
Then lay aside every known sin. —Branon

We must face up to our sins before we can put them behind us.
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A Special Seat Oct 30, 2008 4:59 am
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READ: Luke 10:38-42

The Bible in One Year:
Jeremiah 40-42, Proverbs 6:20-35

[Martha] had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. —Luke 10:39

I’ve never sat in the first-class section of an airplane. But I still hold out the hope that someday I’ll get on the plane and the flight attendant will stop me and say, “Come with me. I have a special seat for you.”

That’s why I was pretty excited when a friend gave my sister some tickets for an event and we realized that they were for box seats. Instead of sitting shoulder to shoulder with strangers all around us, we sat in a private compartment where we could see and hear everything perfectly. That evening, we felt privileged and special.

Remember Jesus’ friends, Mary and Martha? Although Martha had the opportunity to enjoy having Jesus as her guest, she soon became frustrated with her sister Mary and overwhelmed with the busyness of her preparations. Certainly understandable to a lot of us! Jesus made it clear to her, however, that sometimes it’s necessary to step away from the unending pressures of life and spend undistracted time with Him. God has given us the opportunity to have personal moments with Him. By taking the time just to be with the Lord, we are fed, refreshed, and renewed.

Jesus commended Mary for taking time to sit and learn at her Savior’s feet (Luke 10:42). As it turned out—she had the best seat in the house! — Cindy Hess Kasper

Take time to be holy,
The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret
With Jesus alone. —Longstaff

Jesus longs for our fellowship even more than we long for His.
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Joy To The World Oct 29, 2008 5:14 am
128 Views
READ: Deuteronomy 31:9-13

Te Bible in One Year:
Jeremiah 37-39, Proverbs 6:12-19

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:14

When Christmas displays go up before Halloween displays come down, I long for the days when people didn’t think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. However, there may be a legitimate reason to celebrate Christmas in October.

No one knows the exact day when Jesus was born, but December 25 is unlikely. His birth may have been in autumn, when the weather was still warm enough for shepherds to be outdoors with their flocks. We know that Jesus was crucified on Passover, and that the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost. So some scholars have reasoned that Jesus’ birth may have occurred on another Jewish holiday, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot.

Although we cannot know for sure, we do know that it would be in keeping with God’s way of working to send His Son—the Word made flesh who “dwelt” (“tabernacled”) among us (John 1:14)—on the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot was a time when observant Jews lived in temporary dwellings and listened to the Word of the Lord being read (Deut. 31:10-13).

For Jews, Sukkot is “the time of our rejoicing.” For all of us, our time of rejoicing is the birth of Christ, who brings the joy of salvation to all the world. — Julie Ackerman Link

Tidings, glad tidings! God is love,
To man He sends His salvation!
His Son beloved, His only Son,
The work of mercy hath begun. —Montgomery

The date of Christ’s birth may be debatable, but the fact of His life is indisputable.
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Erasmus Oct 28, 2008 5:59 am
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READ: Psalm 119:17-24

Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
—Jeremiah 15:16

The Bible in One Year:
Jeremiah 31-33, Proverbs 5:15-23

For centuries, many Christians were not permitted to read God’s Word in their own language. Instead, they were encouraged to attend Latin services that few could understand.

Then, in 1516, the Dutch scholar Erasmus compiled and published the first New Testament in the original Greek language. This landmark work was the basis for the later publication of Luther’s German Bible, Tyndale’s English Bible, and the King James Version. These translations made the Scriptures understandable to millions of people around the world.

Erasmus could not have known the influence his Greek New Testament would have, but he did have a passion for getting its message to laypeople from all walks of life. In the preface he wrote: “I would have [the Gospels and the Epistles] translated into all languages . . . . I long for the plowboy to sing them to himself as he follows the plow [and] the weaver to hum them to the tune of his shuttle.”

The prophet Jeremiah reflected this same passion for the Word: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (15:16).

Having God’s Word in our own language allows us to experience the joy of meditating on it each day. — Dennis Fisher

More precious than gold is God’s Word to me,
Much better than pearls from deep in the sea;
For in the Lord’s Word I take great delight,
And it is my joy each day and each night. —Fitzhugh

The treasures of truth in God’s Word are best mined with the spade of meditation.
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Life According To Plumb Oct 27, 2008 5:03 am
151 Views
READ: Psalm 119:9-16

The Bible in One Year:
Psalm 119

Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. —
Psalm 119:11

Charlie Riggs has been called “the man behind Billy Graham.” For nearly 40 years, Riggs was the director of counseling and follow-up for Mr. Graham’s evangelistic meetings. In his counselor training classes, Charlie taught thousands of people the basic principles of how to live for Christ and share their faith with others.

At Charlie’s 90th birthday celebration, many tributes mentioned his lifelong practice of memorizing Scripture. His goal was not merely to know the Bible, but to know Christ and live by His Word.

Charlie followed Psalm 119:9-11, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word. . . . Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” He likened the Scriptures to “plumb bobs” for his heart. Like the weight that holds a builder’s plumb line straight and true, these divine principles never change, no matter what the circumstances. He sought to measure his own thoughts, feelings, and behavior by God’s Word, not the other way around.

Charlie Riggs’ life was quiet and steady behind the scenes. His example challenges us today to hide God’s Word in our hearts and let it guide our lives. Charlie demonstrated what it means to live according to plumb. — David C. McCasland

The Bible will transform our lives
And turn us from our sin,
If we will read it and obey
God’s principles within. —Sper

The Bible: Know it in your head, stow it in your heart, show it in your life, sow it in the world.
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