Monday, September 30, 2013

Drink Lots of Water by David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread)

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. —John 4:14 (Our Daily Bread)

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John 4:7-14

New International Version (NIV)

⁷When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.^[a])
¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
¹¹“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
¹³Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

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Drink Lots Of Water

September 30, 2013 — by David C. McCasland

from: http://odb.org/

Visitors to Colorado often become dehydrated without realizing it. The dry climate and intense sun, especially in the mountains, can rapidly deplete the body’s fluids. That’s why many tourist maps and signs urge people to drink plenty of water.

In the Bible, water is often used as a symbol of Jesus as the Living Water who satisfies our deepest needs. So it’s quite fitting that one of Jesus’ most memorable conversations took place at a well (John 4:1-42). It began with Jesus asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water (v.7). It quickly progressed to a discussion of something more when Jesus said to her: “Whoever drinks of this [physical] water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (vv.13-14).

As a result of this conversation, the woman and many people in the village where she lived came to believe that Jesus was “the Christ, the Savior of the world” (v.42).

We can’t live without water. Nor can we truly live now or eternally without the living water we receive from knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior. We can drink of His life-giving water today.

Gracious and Almighty Savior,
Source of all that shall endure,
Quench my thirst with living water,
Living water, clear and pure. —Vinal

Only Jesus, the Living Water, can satisfy the thirsty soul.

Bible Reading

Color Courage by Anne Cetas (Our Daily Bread)

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. —1 Corinthians 11:1 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 Corinthians 4:10-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. ¹²We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ¹³when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

¹⁴I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. ¹⁵Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. ¹⁶Therefore I urge you to imitate me. ¹⁷For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

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Color Courage

September 29, 2013 — by Anne Cetas

from: http://odb.org/

A radio ad for watches suggests that listeners buy a watch with a bright color band and then wear it with clothes of other colors. When people notice your watch because of its contrasting color, the ad says, “They’ll see that you have ‘color courage.’ And they’ll want to be like you.” Something in us enjoys having others follow our example.

If you do a quick reading of 1 Corinthians 4, you might think the apostle Paul sounds a bit boastful when he says to follow his example of self-sacrifice (v.16). But a closer look at Paul’s words shows why he wrote so confidently. He could ask people to imitate him because he imitated Christ (11:1), the greatest Servant of all.

The persecution he endured and the position he held in the church (4:10-17) all happened because Paul followed Jesus. When he mentioned that even if the Corinthians had 10,000 teachers he would still be their father in the faith (v.15), he was acknowledging that Jesus is the only reason people could trust his teaching.

If we want people to imitate us, we must first imitate our Lord. If we have any reason for people to follow our example—if we have any courage to point others to the Savior—it is because of Him, not us.

Joyfully following Jesus the Lord
And trusting His lead every day
Makes us examples that others can see
To follow when trials come their way. —Sper

Others should imitate us only as far as we imitate Christ.

Bible Reading

Who Am I? by Jennifer Benson Schuldt (Our Daily Bread)

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” —Exodus 3:11 (Our Daily Bread)

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Exodus 3:7-15

New International Version (NIV)

⁷The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁹And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
¹¹But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
¹²And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you^[a] will worship God on this mountain.”
¹³Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
¹⁴God said to Moses, “I am who I am.^[b] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
¹⁵God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,^[c] the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
“This is my name forever,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.

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Who Am I?

September 28, 2013 — by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

from: http://odb.org/

Years ago, world-famous evangelist Billy Graham was scheduled to speak at Cambridge University in England, but he did not feel qualified to address the sophisticated thinkers. He had no advanced degrees and he had never attended seminary. Billy confided in a close friend: “I do not know that I have ever felt more inadequate and totally unprepared for a mission.” He prayed for God’s help, and God used him to share the simple truth of the gospel and the cross of Christ.

Moses also felt inadequate when God recruited him for the task of telling Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Ex. 3:11). Although Moses may have questioned his effectiveness because he was “slow of speech” (4:10), God said, “I will certainly be with you” (3:12). Knowing he would have to share God’s rescue plan and tell the Israelites who sent him, Moses asked God, “What shall I say to them?” God replied, “I AM has sent me to you” (vv.13-14). His name, “I AM,” revealed His eternal, self-existent, and all-sufficient character.

Even when we question our ability to do what God has asked us to do, He can be trusted. Our shortcomings are less important than God’s sufficiency. When we ask, “Who am I?” we can remember that God said, “I AM.”

Dear Lord, help me to remember that You are
with me, even when I’m unsure of my own
abilities. Give me the faith to believe that You
can help me to do anything You ask me to do.

You need not be afraid of where you’re going when you know God’s going with you.

Bible Reading

Fire and Rain by Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread)

In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth . . . judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness. —Isaiah 16:5 (Our Daily Bread)

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Isaiah 16:1-5

New International Version (NIV)

16 Send lambs as tribute
    to the ruler of the land,
from Sela, across the desert,
    to the mount of Daughter Zion.
²Like fluttering birds
    pushed from the nest,
so are the women of Moab
    at the fords of the Arnon.

³“Make up your mind,” Moab says.
    “Render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
    at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,
    do not betray the refugees.
⁴Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
    be their shelter from the destroyer.”

The oppressor will come to an end,
    and destruction will cease;
    the aggressor will vanish from the land.
⁵In love a throne will be established;
    in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
    one from the house^[a] of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
    and speeds the cause of righteousness.

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Fire And Rain

September 27, 2013 — by Julie Ackerman Link

from: http://odb.org/

When a wildfire raged through the beautiful canyons near Colorado Springs, Colorado, it destroyed the habitat of all kinds of wildlife and hundreds of homes. People across the nation cried out to God, pleading with Him to send rain to douse the flames, put an end to the destruction, and give firefighters relief. Some people’s prayers had an interesting condition attached to them. They asked God to show mercy and send rain without lightning, which they feared would start even more fires.

This reminds me of how we live in tension between things that save us and kill us. With fire, we cook our food and keep warm, but in it we can be consumed. With water, we keep our bodies hydrated and our planet cooled, but in it we also can drown. Too much or too little of either is life-threatening.

We see the same principle at work spiritually. To thrive, civilizations need the seemingly opposite qualities of mercy and justice (Zech. 7:9). Jesus scolded the Pharisees for being sticklers about the law but neglecting these “weightier matters” (Matt. 23:23).

We may lean toward justice or mercy, but Jesus keeps them in perfect balance (Isa. 16:5; 42:1-4). His death satisfies God’s need for justice and our need for mercy.

Father, for personal reasons I sometimes lean toward
showing mercy, and sometimes I just want justice now.
Teach me the balance as I look at Your character and
give me the wisdom I need in specific situations.

God’s justice and mercy met at the cross.

Bible Reading

The Path of Wisdom by Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)

In You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. —Psalm 38:15 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 38:1-15

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 38^[a]

A psalm of David. A petition.

¹Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.
²Your arrows have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
³Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
⁴My guilt has overwhelmed me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵My wounds fester and are loathsome
    because of my sinful folly.
⁶I am bowed down and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.
⁷My back is filled with searing pain;
    there is no health in my body.
⁸I am feeble and utterly crushed;
    I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹All my longings lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.
¹¹My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
    my neighbors stay far away.
¹²Those who want to kill me set their traps,
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
    all day long they scheme and lie.

¹³I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
¹⁴I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
¹⁵Lord, I wait for you;
    you will answer, Lord my God.

New International Version (NIV)

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The Path Of Wisdom

September 26, 2013 — by Bill Crowder

from: http://odb.org/

Albert Einstein was heard to say, “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Sadly, it does seem that far too often there is no limit to the foolishness we get ourselves into—or the damage we create by our foolishness and the choices it fosters.

It was in such a season of regret that David poured out his struggle and complaint to God in Psalm 38. As he recounted his own failings, as well as the painful consequences he was enduring because of those failings, the shepherd-king made an insightful comment: “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (v.5). Although the psalmist does not give us the details of those choices or of his worsening wounds, one thing is clear—David recognized his own foolishness as their root cause.

The answer for such destructive foolishness is to embrace the wisdom of God. Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Only by allowing God to transform us can we overcome the foolish decisions that cause so much trouble. With His loving guidance, we can follow the pathway of godly wisdom.

Loving Father, forgive me for the seemingly
limitless capacity I have to be foolish. Teach me
in Your wisdom, so that my life might be pleasing
to You and a blessing to others around me.

God’s wisdom is given to those who humbly ask Him for it.

Bible Reading

Insignificant by David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread)

The Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. —Luke 3:2 (Our Daily Bread)

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Luke 3:2-6

New International Version (NIV)

²during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
⁵Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
⁶And all people will see God’s salvation.’”^[a]

Luke 3:15-18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with^[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

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Insignificant

September 25, 2013 — by David C. McCasland

from: http://odb.org/

“Movers and shakers” are people climbing the ladder of influence and success. Luke 3 mentions seven prominent leaders who exercised control in the society of their time. Roman Emperor Tiberias Caesar held the power of life and death over people in his far-flung empire. Pontius Pilate represented Rome as governor of Judea; while Herod, Philip, and Lysanias kept people in line at the regional level. Annas and Caiaphas served as high priests, taking their religious authority seriously.

While these power brokers flexed their political muscles, “the Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness” (v.2). Who could seem less important than this obscure man living in the desert and listening for God’s voice? What could John the Baptist possibly accomplish by “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”? (v.3). Yet multitudes came to John seeking truth, turning from their wrongs, and wondering if he could be the Messiah (vv.7,15). John told them, “One mightier than I is coming . . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (v.16).

John’s life helps us understand what it means to be significant in God’s eyes. Like John, may everything we say and do point others to Jesus.

Lord, help us to surrender our desire for influence
and success to You. May our heart’s desire ever be to be
used by You to further Your kingdom.
Make our lives a living testimony of You.

Our surrender to God precedes His significant work in our life.

Bible Reading

A Friend In Need by Dennise Fisher (Our Daily Bread)

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. —1 John 3:18 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 John 3:11-18

New International Version (NIV)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹²Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. ¹³Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if the world hates you. ¹⁴We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

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A Friend In Need

September 24, 2013 — by Dennis Fisher

from: http://odb.org/

Not long ago my wife, Janet, and I bought a quantity of beef from a friend who raised cattle on a small farm. It was less expensive than meat from a grocery store, and we put it in the freezer to use throughout the coming months.

Then a terrible lightning storm cut power throughout our area. For the first 24 hours we were confident that the freezer would keep the meat frozen. But when the second day came with still no word of getting our power back, we began to be concerned.

We contacted Ted, a member of our Bible-study group, to see if he had any advice. He canceled an appointment he had and showed up at our doorstep with a generator to provide power for the freezer. We were thankful that Ted helped us, and we knew it was because of his love for Christ.

The old saying “a friend in need is a friend indeed” took on new meaning for us. John reminds us in 1 John 3:18, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Sometimes this means inconveniencing ourselves to care for the interests of others or receiving that help when we ourselves are in need. After all Christ has done for us, it’s a blessing to be His hands and feet in loving one another.

Father, thank You for making me a part of Your
family by giving Your Son Jesus for me. Help me
to accept the care of others and also to serve them
out of gratitude and out of my love for You.

When we love Christ, we love others.

Bible Reading

Confidence In Troubled Times by Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread)

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. —Psalm 91:1 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 91

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 91

¹Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹²they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴“Because he^[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

New International Version (NIV)

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Confidence In Troubled Times

September 23, 2013 — by Joe Stowell

from: http://odb.org/

Some kids love to brag about their dads. If you eavesdrop on neighborhood conversations, you’ll hear children saying, “My dad is bigger than your dad!” or “My dad is smarter than your dad!” But the best brag of all is, “My dad is stronger than your dad!” This boast is usually in the context of a warning that if kids are threatening you, they’d better beware, because your dad can come and take them all down, including their dads!

Believing your dad is the strongest guy on the block inspires a lot of confidence in the face of danger. This is why I love the fact that God our Father is almighty. That means that no one can match His strength and power. Better still, it means that you and I “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1). So, it’s no wonder the psalmist can confidently say that he will not “be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day” (v.5).

Regardless of what today may bring or the trouble you are now going through, don’t forget that your God is stronger than anything in your life. So, be confident! The shadow of His all-prevailing presence guarantees that His power can turn even the worst situation into something good.

Father God, in the midst of my trouble, teach
me to rest in the fact that You are almighty.
Thank You for the confidence I have that You are
stronger than anything that threatens my life.

God is greater than our greatest problem.

Bible Reading

The Good and the Bad by Cindy Hess Kasper (Our Daily Bread)

My servant David . . . followed Me with all his heart. —1 Kings 14:8 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 Kings 14:7-16

New International Version (NIV)

⁷Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. ⁸I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. ⁹You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.
¹⁰“‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free.^[a] I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. ¹¹Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’
¹²“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. ¹³All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.
¹⁴“The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen.^[b] ¹⁵And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles.^[c] ¹⁶And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

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The Good And The Bad

September 22, 2013 — by Cindy Hess Kasper

from: http://odb.org/

Recently, I began studying the kings of the Old Testament with some friends. I noticed on the chart that we were using that a few of the leaders of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah are labeled good, but most of them are labeled bad, mostly bad, extra bad, and the worst.

King David is described as a good king who “followed [God] with all his heart” (1 Kings 14:8) and is an example to follow (3:14; 11:38). The bad kings are noted for their willful rejection of God and for leading their subjects into idolatry. King Jeroboam, the first king to rule Israel after the kingdom was divided, has the legacy of being remembered as one of the worst kings—“who sinned and who made Israel sin” (14:16). Because of his bad example, many kings who came after him are compared to him and are described as being as evil as he was (16:2,19,26,31; 22:52).

Each of us has a unique sphere of influence, and that influence can be used for evil or for good. An unfettered faithfulness to God is a light that will shine brightly and leave a legacy of good.

It’s our privilege to bring glory to the Lord. May others see His light shining through us and be drawn to His goodness.

Oh, make me, Lord, so much like Thee,
My life controlled by power divine,
That I a shining light may be
From which Thy grace may ever shine. —Robertson

The smallest light still shines in the darkest night.

Bible Reading

A Prize For Peace by C.P. Hia (Our Daily Bread)

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. —John 16:33 (Our Daily Bread)

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Ephesians 2:11-18

New International Version (NIV)

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— ¹²remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

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A Prize For Peace

September 21, 2013 — by C. P. Hia

from: http://odb.org/

Alfred Nobel made a fortune from the invention of dynamite, which changed the course of warfare. Perhaps because of the horrors that wars inflicted with the use of dynamite, he made a provision in his will for a prize to be given annually to those who work to promote peace. Today it’s called the Nobel Peace Prize.

God’s expression of peace to the world was His Son. When Jesus was born, the angels’ clear, unmistakable message to the shepherds was “on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14).

The biblical definition of peace is, first of all, peace with God (Rom. 5:1). Sin makes us enemies with God (v.10), but Jesus’ coming to this earth and dying on the cross turned away God’s wrath. We can now be reconciled with Him. Having put right our relationship with God, Jesus now enables us to work at breaking down the barriers between us and others.

Another kind of peace is having the peace of God (Phil. 4:7). There is no need to be anxious about anything, for we are told that we can make our requests known to Him.

Having brought peace, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 12:2). Today, we can have peace with God and the peace of God.

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild—
God and sinners reconciled!” —Wesley

True peace is not the absence of war; it is the presence of God. —Loveless

Bible Reading

A Difficult Place by Randy Kilgore (Our Daily Bread)

I will never leave you nor forsake you. —Hebrews 13:5 (Our Daily Bread)

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Acts 8:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

Philip in Samaria

⁴Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ⁵Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ⁶When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸So there was great joy in that city.

Acts 8:26-35

New International Version (NIV)

Philip and the Ethiopian

²⁶Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
³⁰Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
³¹“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
³²This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
³³In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”^[b]

³⁴The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” ³⁵Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

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A Difficult Place

September 20, 2013 — by Randy Kilgore

from: http://odb.org/

When a sudden change in technology made his job obsolete, a highly trained scientist found himself working in a fast-food restaurant. One evening after our Bible study he described the situation as difficult and humbling. He said, “One good thing I can say is that the young people there seem very interested in my faith.” A member of the group responded, “I admire you for being humble. I know your faith must have something to do with it.”

Like my acquaintance, Philip may have wondered why God would pull him off an assignment in Samaria (Acts 8:4-8) and plop him in the middle of the desert (v.26). But then he found that the Ethiopian needed help understanding the Scriptures (vv.27-35), and his place made sense.

When Jesus promised He would never leave us alone (Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5), He meant in the hard times as well as in the good times. Our mission in the difficult seasons of life is to work or serve remembering we are doing it for God, and then to watch as God works to accomplish His purposes.

Look for God in your difficult place and discover what He’s doing in and through you there.

Disappointment—His appointment,
No good thing will He withhold;
From denials oft we gather
Treasures of His love untold. —Young

What’s better than answers to our why questions?

Trusting a good God who has His reasons.

Bible Reading

Time for a Change by Dennis Fisher (Our Daily Bread)

There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. —Genesis 12:8 (Our Daily Bread)

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Genesis 12:1-8

New International Version (NIV)

The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

²“I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.^[a]
³I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”^[b]

⁴So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. ⁵He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

⁶Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
⁸From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

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Time For A Change

September 19, 2013 — by Dennis Fisher

from: http://odb.org/

Many believers long to spend daily time with God, praying and reading His Word. Ironically, they are often distracted by a busy schedule. Frustrations mount as busyness seems to crowd out an opening in their schedule.

Oswald Chambers has wisely commented on the transforming power of even 5 minutes in the presence of the Lord. Indeed, even a short time spent in intercession and the Word still has great value: “It is not the thing on which we spend the most time that moulds us, but the thing that exerts the greatest power. Five minutes with God and His Word is worth more than all the rest of the day.” Now, it may sound like Chambers has made an overstatement. Yet powerful results can come from even a short time of prayer, because God is powerful.

Sometimes our days are filled with busy demands that crowd out time spent in listening to and responding to God. But no matter where we are, any time taken to build our own spiritual “altar” to the Lord as Abram did (Gen. 12:8) opens the door to His transforming power. If you are having trouble establishing a time with God, you could start with just 5 minutes and see where it leads. Our God longs to meet with us and show His power in our lives.

Lord, it’s amazing to me that You, Almighty God,
would want to spend time with me! Thank You.
I stumble with my words at times but am in awe of
You. Thank You that You want to hear from me.

Talk with God—He wants to hear your heart.

Bible Reading

God Had Other Plans by Julie Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread)

A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. —Proverbs 16:9 (Our Daily Bread)

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1 Peter 1:1-9

New International Version (NIV)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ²who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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God Had Other Plans

September 18, 2013 — by Julie Ackerman Link

from: http://odb.org/

My friend Linda grew up planning to become a medical missionary. She loves the Lord and wanted to serve Him as a doctor by taking the gospel to sick people in parts of the world where medical care is hard to find. But God had other plans. Linda has indeed become a medical missionary, but not the way she expected.

At age 14, Linda developed a chronic health problem that required her to be hospitalized for major surgery several times a year. She survived bacterial meningitis that left her in a coma for 2 weeks and blind for 6 months. She once celebrated two birthdays in a row in the hospital—without going home in between. She has had several experiences when she was not expected to live. But yet Linda is the most vibrant, grateful, and cheerful person you will ever meet. She once told me that her mission field, as she hoped and planned, is the hospital. But instead of serving God as a doctor, she serves Him as a patient. No matter how sick she is, the light of the Lord radiates from her.

Linda exemplifies the teaching of the apostle Peter. Despite her trials, she rejoices, and the genuineness of her faith brings “praise, honor, and glory” to Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Lord, I’m so thankful that no matter where
we are, we can serve You. Help me to reflect
Your image in my current situation, even
if it’s not where I hoped I would be.

Write your plans in pencil and remember that God has the eraser.

Bible Reading

Seeing God in Familiar Places by Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread)

The whole earth is full of His glory! —Isaiah 6:3 (Our Daily Bread)

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Isaiah 6:1-6

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

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Seeing God In Familiar Places

September 17, 2013 — by Joe Stowell

from: http://odb.org/

Because of where I live, I’m treated to spectacular displays of the magnificent, creative glory of God. Recently, on a drive through the woods, I was struck with a breath-taking display of deep rich reds and a variety of yellows that decorated the trees of autumn—all artfully arranged against the backdrop of a brilliant blue sky.

And soon, as the temperatures plummet and winter blows in, I’ll be reminded that no two snowflakes are ever the same as they pile on top of one another to create a rolling landscape of pristine white drifts. After that will come the miracle of spring, when that which seemed hopelessly dead bursts into life with buds and blossoms that will grace the meadows with a multiplicity of colors.

Wherever we look in the world around us, we see evidence that “the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:3). What is amazing is that the creation that surrounds us is damaged by sin (see Rom. 8:18-22), yet God has seen fit to grace our fallen landscape with these loving brushstrokes of His creative hand. It serves as a daily reminder that the beauty of His grace covers our sin and that His love for that which is fallen is always available to us.

Lord, may we be ever mindful of Your grace and love
in all that surrounds us. Thank You for making Yourself
visible through the beauty of Your creation. Teach us
to look beyond the beauty to see Your hand at work.

Never pass up an opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty—it’s the handwriting of God.

Bible Reading

God's Will by David H. Roper (Our Daily Bread)

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. —Psalm 37:23 (Our Daily Bread)

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Psalm 37:23-40

New International Version (NIV)

²³The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
²⁴though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread.
²⁶They are always generous and lend freely;
    their children will be a blessing.^[a]

²⁷Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[b];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

³²The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
³³but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[c]
³⁸But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future^[d] for the wicked.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

New International Version (NIV)

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God’s Will

September 16, 2013 — by David H. Roper

from: http://odb.org/

We’re often looking for God’s will—especially when we’re in a difficult situation. We wonder, What will happen to me here? Should I stay or does God want me somewhere else? The only way to know for sure is to do what He asks you to do right now—the duty of the present moment—and wait for God to reveal the next step.

As you obey what you know, you will be strengthened to take the next step and the next. Step by step, one step at a time. That’s how we learn to walk with God.

But you say, “Suppose I take the first step. What will happen next?” That’s God’s business. Your task and mine is to obey this day and leave the future to Him. The psalmist says our steps are “ordered by the Lord” (37:23). This day’s direction is all we need. Tomorrow’s instruction is of no use to us at all. George MacDonald said, “We do not understand the next page of God’s lesson book; we see only the one before us. Nor shall we be allowed to turn the leaf until we have learned its lesson.”

If we concern ourselves with God’s will and obey each day the directions and warnings He gives, if we walk by faith and step out in the path of obedience, we will find that God will lead us through this day. As Jesus put it, “Tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matt. 6:34).

God knows each winding way I take,
And every sorrow, pain, and ache;
His children He will not forsake—
He knows and loves His own. —Bosch

Blessed is the person who finds out which way God is moving and then goes in that direction.

Bible Reading

Monday, September 30, 2013

John 4:7-14

Drink Lots Of Water

Sunday, September 29, 2013

1 Corinthians 4:10-17

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

Color Courage

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Exodus 3:7-15

Who Am I?

Friday, September 27, 2013

Isaiah 16:1-5

Fire And Rain

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Psalm 38:1-15

Psalm 38[a]

A psalm of David. A petition.

The Path Of Wisdom

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Luke 3:2-6

Luke 3:15-18

Insignificant

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

1 John 3:11-18

More on Love and Hatred

A Friend In Need

Monday, September 23, 2013

Psalm 91

Psalm 91

Confidence In Troubled Times

Sunday, September 22, 2013

1 Kings 14:7-16

The Good And The Bad

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Ephesians 2:11-18

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

A Prize For Peace

Friday, September 20, 2013

Acts 8:4-8

Philip in Samaria

Acts 8:26-35

Philip and the Ethiopian

A Difficult Place

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Genesis 12:1-8

The Call of Abram

Time For A Change

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

1 Peter 1:1-9

Praise to God for a Living Hope

God Had Other Plans

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Isaiah 6:1-6

Isaiah’s Commission

Seeing God In Familiar Places

Monday, September 16, 2013

Psalm 37:23-40

God’s Will

Psalm 38^[a]