double trouble
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags (v.6). READ: Isaiah 64:1-8 I saw a funny commercial on TV. A young boy stood near home plate and shouted, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!” He tossed a baseball into the air, swung mightily, [...]
my two cents
June 16, 2009
READ: Acts 2:40-47
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. —Proverbs 3:27
Recently, our family had to change Internet cable services. Our former provider promised to send us a postage-paid box to mail their equipment back to them. We waited. No box came. I phoned. The promised box still did not arrive, but we did get a bill for the equipment!
Wanting to get this resolved, I decided to return it at my own expense. I sent several faxes asking if they received it—but no reply. Then I got a refund check of $.02 for the returned equipment! An experience like that can be frustrating. A simple transaction was complicated by poor communication.
Sadly, some people in our churches may encounter an impersonal response to their needs. Whether seeking marital counseling, childcare, guidance for a troubled teen, or a loving community, they come away feeling uncared for.
The first-century church was not perfect, but it faithfully helped others. The church at Jerusalem “divided [their goods] among all, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:45).
Good communication is the starting point for learning others’ needs. This enables us to provide personal and practical help to people when they need it. Resources, both material and spiritual, can then be directed to each person as the object of God’s personal love. — Dennis Fisher
God cares for you—care for others.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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Loading ...audience of one
Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven (v.1).
READ: Matthew 6:1-18
As a father of three kids, I am highly interested in their words and actions. Likewise, God is concerned with the behavior of His children. He expects them to do good works in this world (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 5:16). More than that, He wants them to have the right motivations. That’s why Jesus warned us about wrong and right motives in Matthew 6.
Jesus identified the three great duties of every religion—giving to the poor (vv.1-4), praying to God (vv.5-15), and fasting (vv.16-18). He warned us not to use our relationship with God as a platform to show off how spiritual we are. When we do that, we miss the reward reserved for us.
Jesus did not say that it was wrong to do these things. He was not focused on the how or how often but why. The Pharisees were doing “good deeds publicly, to be admired by others,” seeking self-praise and man’s praise (vv.1,5,16, 23:5). Jesus said, “They have received all the reward they will ever get” (Matthew 6:2,5,16). Paul added, “When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them” (2 Corinthians 10:18). Jesus condemned the Pharisees for such self-gratifying hypocrisy (Matthew 23:13-33).
Our acts of devotion to God are to be carried out simply, sincerely, and secretly. He knows who is authentic and who is a hypocrite (Jeremiah 23:24; Proverbs 15:3). Our unseen “Father, who sees everything, will reward us” (Matthew 6:4,6,18).
As we do good deeds, it boils down to one simple question: Who is my audience? Can it be said of us, “You gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the One who alone is God”? (John 5:44). —K.T. Sim
Why is it hard for us to keep our good deeds a secret? Why will God reward those who do things without seeking the kudos?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ongoing encouragement
June 15, 2009
READ: Colossians 3:14-25
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. —Colossians 3:21
Father’s Day is celebrated in many countries worldwide. Although the origins, activities, and actual day of observance differ widely, they all share the common thread of honoring fathers for their role as parents.
This year for Father’s Day, I’ve decided to do something different. Instead of waiting to receive a card or phone call from my children, I’m sending words of appreciation to them and to my wife. After all, without them, I wouldn’t be a dad.
Paul instructed fathers to be a positive part of their children’s development rather than a source of anger and discouragement. He wrote, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:21). Both of these verses are embedded in passages about loving and honoring each other in family relationships.
The role of a father changes as children grow, but it doesn’t end. Praise and encouragement are welcomed whether a child is 4 or 40. Prayer is always powerful. And it’s never too soon to mend a broken relationship with a son or daughter.
Fathers, now is a good time to tell your children how much you love and appreciate them. — David C. McCasland
The greatest gift a father can give to his children is himself.
Source: Our Daily Bread
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in the tent
So Joshua conquered the entire region— the hill country, the entire Negev (v.16).
READ: Joshua 11:15-23
As I was sorting through the daily mail, my life suddenly merged with the lives of fellow believers thousands of miles away. As I looked at the simple foldout from a magazine, the brown and white colors of the map muted the violent attacks these persecuted Christians endure. The map, pinpointing places where the gospel goes forth with great struggle, reminded me of Paul’s call to pray for those who boldly speak the Word of God (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
Whether we share the gospel in a country where religious freedom is upheld or in one where persecution abounds, the battles are real. To be victorious, it’s vital that we possess perseverance and resolve.
Intimacy with the Lord both solidifies our purpose and sustains our obedience when circumstances seem uncertain. In Exodus 33, we read that the Israelites would stand at the door of their tents while Joshua followed Moses and moved beyond his place of comfort to the very presence of God. And there Joshua would linger (v.11). His determination to be in close relationship with his sovereign Lord paved the way to the places where God was leading him.
Our own “times in the tent” are essential for our relationship with God. They may include quiet reflection or moments of anguish and days of questioning. As we experience God’s presence, He examines our hearts and purifies our motives. As we experience a time of sustained worship and submission, we begin to see His perspective (1 Cor. 2:12-16).
When the battle seems overwhelming, being “in the tent” determines our response. Communion with the One who holds the future is the only thing that will take us past discouragement to determined faith. From that place, victory is won (Luke 22:41-43). —Regina Franklin
How do you respond when tempted by discouragement? In what ways do you make it a priority to spend time with God?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...meditate on these things
June 14, 2009
READ: Psalm 119:89-105
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. —Psalm 145:5
Some Christians get a little skeptical when you start talking about meditation—not seeing the huge distinction between biblical meditation and some types of mystical meditation. In mystical meditation, according to one explanation, “the rational mind is shifted into neutral . . . so that the psyche can take over.” The focus is inward, and the aim is to “become one with God.”
In contrast, biblical meditation focuses on the things of the Lord, and its purpose is to renew our minds (Rom. 12:2) so that we think and act more like Christ. Its objective is to reflect on what God has said and done (Ps. 77:12; 119:15-16,97) and on what He is like (48:9-14).
In Psalm 19:14, David wrote, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord.” Other psalms reflect on God’s love (48:9), His deeds (77:12), His law (119:97), and His testimonies (119:99).
Fill your mind with Scripture and focus on the Lord’s commands and promises and goodness. And remember this: Whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, “if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8). — Cindy Hess Kasper
To become more like Christ, meditate on who He is.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...steering clear
For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? (v.32).
READ: 2 Samuel 22:26-37
It would have been easy for Teresa Clarke to get discouraged and pitch the whole idea. She had failed her driving test 12 times over the past 27 years—never managing to get her license. During that time, she spent more than $25,000 on 450 hours of driving instruction.
But Teresa got behind the wheel again last summer and passed test number 13! The woman from Wroxham, England, now can finally drive wherever she chooses.
In 2 Samuel 22, we read about David and how he could have been driven to discouragement because of “all his enemies” (v.1). His adversaries were many and varied. Some were human (Goliath, Saul, Absalom, the Philistines), and some were personal struggles (backsliding, lust). He had failed many times (Psalm 51:3-4), but his hope was found in a faithful God (v.26) who could dispel his darkness with holy light (v.29).
The song found in 2 Samuel 22 (also presented nearly verbatim in Psalm 18) highlights the character of God—who He is. Israel’s king could write these words of victory, for the truly Victorious One had proved to be a shield (v.31), rock (v.32), and fortress (v.33) for him and his people. David was able to overcome discouragement because he took his eyes off himself and focused them on the One of whom he wrote, “Who is God except the Lord?” (v.32). That same God helps us overcome enemies and personal failures today and forever. As Paul wrote, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18).
Teresa Clarke knows this truth. When asked why she wanted to drive, her first words were, “I’m looking forward to taking people to church.” She wants more people to know the One who has “made a wide path” (v.37) for her—helping her steer clear of discouragement. —Tom Felten
How have you been trying to deal with your challenges and enemies? What will it mean for you to seek God and His deliverance today?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...getting “in the way”
June 13, 2009
READ: John 14:1-6
Jesus said . . . , “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” —John 14:6
The ancient Romans were known for their roads, which crisscrossed their empire with wide, heavily traveled highways. It’s what Jesus’ audience would have pictured when He claimed, “I am the way” in John 14:6.
While this verse indicates that He is the way to heaven, there’s really more to His statement. Cutting through the underbrush of the dense jungle of our world, Jesus is our trail-guide who makes a new way for us to live. While many follow the way of the world by loving their friends and hating their enemies, Jesus carves out a new way: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you” (Matt. 5:44). It’s easy to judge and criticize others, but Jesus the Way-maker says to take the plank out of our own eye first (7:3-4). And He cuts a path for us to live with generosity instead of greed (Luke 12:13-34).
When Jesus said “I am the way,” He was calling us to leave the old ways that lead to destruction and to follow Him in His new way for us to live. In fact, the word follow (Mark 8:34) literally means, “to be found in the way” with Him. You and I can make the choice to travel the familiar and ultimately destructive ways, or we can follow Him and be found in the way with the One who is the way! — Joe Stowell
We don’t need to see the way if we’re following the One who is the Way.
Source: Our Daily Bread
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Tip: Repeat or not (1)
By Isaac Tan, Singapore “Stop! I say Stop!” As a child, we’ve been psyched to recognize that there is a purpose behind repetition—it is for emphasis. God in His perfect wisdom, inspire His writers to use repetition to drive home a salient point too. For example, in 1 Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child, [...]
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