READ: Galatians 5:16-26 

What kinds of pests would you tolerate in your home? A recent survey revealed some surprising results. Researchers found that people would pay for an exterminator when the following pests were found in their home: Twenty four percent would pay an exterminator to kill spiders; 27 percent would pay to get rid of ants; 56 percent would pay to banish the bedbugs; 56 percent would pay to get rid of rodents; 58 percent would pay to kill cockroaches; and 87 percent would pay to have termites terminated. The shocking thing about this survey is that, with the exception of termites, half of the people surveyed were willing to tolerate some unpleasant pests in their homes.

Paul reminded the Galatians that because of Jesus’ death, they no longer should tolerate the pests of sin in their lives. Through Christ’s death, the power of sin was broken. The Galatians had been set free from the yoke of slavery to sin and legalism. With this new freedom came the responsibility to resist the temptations of the sinful nature and the privilege to live in and according to the power of the Holy Spirit. When they wilfully chose to do this, they would absolutely not tolerate the pests of sexual sins (Galatians 5:19), spiritual sins (v.20), and relational sins (vv.20-21) in their lives. Instead, they would bear fruit, and it would be evidenced in their attitudes and actions (vv.22-24).

Let’s take a spiritual inventory. What pests—sexual immorality, idolatry, hatred, anger, jealousy, fits of rage, divisions, self ambition—have we become comfortable living with? With spiritual diligence, let’s eradicate these pests from our lives through reading God’s Word, praying, dwelling in community with godly people, and living in the power of the Holy Spirit (v.25).

—Marvin Williams

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READ: Numbers 14:10-44 

For a small donation to the Wildlife Conservation Society, you can name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after someone you love. This fundraising event targets sweethearts who want to pay tribute to the long standing nature of their love. The event claims that the cockroach symbolises resourcefulness and resiliency, and says, “Flowers wilt. Chocolates melt. Roaches are forever.”

God’s relationship with the nation of Israel teaches us about His unending love. Just before the Israelites were to inherit the Promised Land, they rebelled against their Maker, testing Him, and “refusing to listen” to His voice (Numbers 14:22). God was furious, and rightfully so. Moses appealed to Him, however, and said, “In keeping with Your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people” (v.19).

God forgave the Israelites, but He refused to spare the rod when it came to their rebellion. He turned His own people into a nation of nomads for 40 years as a punishment (v.34). Although they were not happy about their sentence, it was a sign of God’s love for them. For the Bible says that “the Lord disciplines those He loves” (Hebrews 12:6).

The Lord also shows His care through provision. As the Israelites ambled through the outback for multiple decades, God met their most basic needs. He provided food as well as clothing and sandals (Deuteronomy 29:5-6).

God provides for His children, and He forgives and disciplines them. These actions are signs of His relentless love, which extends through history to reach you and me today. Because of Jesus (John 3:16), we can praise God along with the psalmist who said, “Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens” (Psalm 89:2). —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

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READ: Philippians 1:1-11 

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom, Huck Finn, and Joe Harper sneaked off for a few days away without telling anyone. Back home, their distraught loved ones assumed they had drowned, so they held a funeral. The boys—being boys—sneaked back into town and watched the funeral from the rafters of the church. There they enjoyed hearing the good things that were said about them.

A friend of mine took to heart the idea of telling people the good they had done in life—not waiting for their funeral service to do it. He wrote ‘eulogies’ for several friends as birthday gifts. The response was exceedingly positive.

The apostle Paul understood the value of genuine praise and encouragement. He began most of his letters by building up his intended audience. In his letter to the Philippians, he called them “my partners in spreading the good news about Christ from the time you first heard it until now” (1:5). He expressed confidence that they would be “standing together with one spirit and one purpose” (1:27). He spoke of their “faithful service” (2:17) and called them “my joy and . . . crown” (4:1). He praised them for their generous financial support of his ministry (4:10-19).

All this praise was couched in the context of a faith and unity deeply rooted in Jesus. Paul said, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (1:6). This will result in “the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ,” which in turn “will bring much glory and praise to God” (v.11).

Those of us who follow Christ are “dead to . . . sin” (Romans 6:11). Paul made his life a vibrant eulogy of gratitude to God. We can too. —Tim Gustafson

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READ: Malachi 1:1-5 

Seventeen year old Chris sits on the sofa looking sullen. His father tries to reason with him and tells him with tears that he’s greatly grieved with him. Chris’ dad feels wounded by the ingratitude he’s received, even after lovingly caring for his son. In response, the boy snorts, “Really? Prove it!”

Sound absurd? Well, take a look at Malachi 1. The book of Malachi was written around 450 BC. The Israelites had returned from exile 80 to 90 years before. They had rebuilt the temple, but it was certainly nothing like Solomon’s original version. Also they didn’t have a king, just a governor—an appointee from the Persian government. In the minds of many, God had failed them.

Against this backdrop, God patiently reasoned with His people. He said, “I have always loved you.” The evidence? He chose them and cared for them (vv.2-4).

Ray Stedman paraphrases God’s words this way, “If you want to understand My love, look at one who has not enjoyed My love. Look at Esau and see how different his story is from yours, even though Jacob and Esau were twin brothers.”

Sometimes our circumstances are such that we find ourselves wondering if God truly loves us. The devil is ever ready to whisper that He does not. What’s more, our circumstances seem to prove it! In such instances, let’s remember that God chose us to be His own (Ephesians 1:4-6) before the world began. The cross is evidence of His love. For that’s where “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

Listen to His words again and take heart: “I have always loved you!”

—Poh Fang Chia

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READ: Hebrews 3:7-15 

The film Dead Poets Society introduced me to an old phrase from a Latin poem: carpe diem. It means ‘seize the day’, an urgent call to live life to the fullest, getting the most out of each and every day. Generally speaking, it’s good advice, especially for those of us who to tend to live passively and watch life pass us by.

The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews also focused on the urgency of “today” (3:7-15). Drawing on that tragic time in Israel’s history when its people fell into decades of unbelief and rebellion in the wilderness, he impressed upon his Christian readers a sense of the urgent when it came to their walk with God. In light of what happened to the Israelites in the Sinai desert, the writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers to be careful not to make the same mistake and to warn each other while it is still “today” (v.13).

Like the Israelites, Christians can let sinful unbelief linger in their hearts. Left unchecked, it will eventually harden them toward God. While it’s still “today”, while there’s still opportunity, that is, Christians can spot unconstrained unbelief in themselves or others and do the right thing. Genuinely concerned Christians can offer others the kindness of their involvement and can present loving, truthful feedback that will sound the alarm about the perils of sin’s deceitfulness.

The writer of Hebrews is not encouraging Christians to meddle. He is, however, encouraging us to first “listen” to what God’s Spirit is telling us about any unbelief lying around in our own hearts (v.7). He’s calling us to be involved in each other’s lives so that we can caution a fellow Christian whose heart is in danger of becoming hardened towards God.

—Jeff Olson

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READ: 2 Samuel 22:1-20 

Rhythm and blues artist Rihanna sang of the power of friendship to pull us through cloudy weather in her hit song Umbrella. “Now that it’s raining more than ever,” she sings, “Know that we’ll still have each other; You can stand under my umbrella.” An umbrella is a memorable metaphor for our need to help each other, but it also indicates how little we can actually do for our friends.

An umbrella is flimsy—perfect for a summer shower but useless in a driving rain or stiff wind. I’ll gladly hold the umbrella for the loved ones in my life, but there will be days when they’ll need so much more. When we stagger against the pounding surf of betrayal, cancer, and foreclosure, we don’t need a mere umbrella. We need a rock.

David wrote a song when he was rescued from the stormy pursuit of Saul. Though David’s chorus lacked the catchy Caribbean rhythms of Rihanna, his content was even more inspiring. He said he was drowning in the sea of despair: “The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me.” So “I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies” (vv.4-5).

Rihanna’s song makes an excellent point, but it also illustrates the poverty of those who don’t know Jesus. She sings, “I’ll be here forever. Said I’ll always be your friend. . . . So go on, let the rain pour, I’ll be all you need and more”. Sure, Rihanna means well, but she’s promising her friend more than she can deliver. The fact is that she won’t be here forever. She can’t be “all you need.” No one can.

Thank God for the umbrellas in your life. Take them as His signs for what you really need—a rock, a fortress, and a Saviour. —Mike Wittmer

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READ: 1 Timothy 5:1-8 

Last spring, two 48 year old twin brothers chose not to help their mother after she fell and hurt herself. The duo simply left the injured woman in the entrance of the house they shared with her. Police were contacted after the mother hadn’t been seen by friends for several weeks. They found her body in the spot where she had fallen—3 months after her death. The defence for the two sons, who were charged with murder, claimed the men had mental disabilities that prevented them from helping their mum. What a horrifying, sad story!

The apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy (a young pastor he was mentoring), gives us the right way to answer the age old question of how to care for our aging parents and loved ones:

• Respect. Tender respect should be lavished on those who are nearing the end of life’s race (1 Timothy 5:1-2). Dignity extended to a father who is struggling with the effects of age and loving kindness shown to a mother who can’t reciprocate reveals that one’s heart is reflecting the very heart of God.

• Care. Helping to meet the spiritual, physical, emotional, and social needs of an older loved one is a part of a child’s “[repaying] their parent by taking care of them” (v.4, also vv.3,5-7). It’s something that God, who loves and cares for us so well, expects of His children.

The challenges and burdens of life can sometimes cause us to turn a blind eye to the needs of our senior citizen parents and other aging relatives. Paul states, however, that busyness is no excuse for not being about the business of showing them respect and care. When our reserves are low, we can seek help from others and—best of all—pray to God for strength and wisdom in being truly compassionate care givers. —Tom Felten

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READ: Ruth 1:16-3:1 

The train was packed with rush hour travellers, and my family and I stood on the station platform waiting for the doors to open so we could board. Tired after a long day of sightseeing, we were already anticipating the refuge of our hotel room. I took my son’s hand and entered through the open train doors. As I looked for a hand rail to hold on to, a man suddenly stood up and offered me his seat. While I was very thankful to get off my feet, I also felt deeply honoured by his gesture.

In the hustle and bustle of our world, the sense of expediency can cause us to focus more on what is immediately convenient for us rather than seeing others and their needs. Too busy to stop, too harried to slow down, too cool to be held back. While the cost is usually relational, the slippery slope often begins in the lack of honour we demonstrate toward others.

A fascinating journey of an outsider, Ruth was truly a humble servant. Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honour. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). After the death of Naomi’s husband and sons, she had nothing left. Her life, in her eyes, was bitter. Humbling herself, Ruth revealed a servant heart as she helped her mother in law cope in her desperate days.

Yet the story doesn’t end with Ruth’s sacrifices. As she continued to create a culture of honour wherever she went, God marked Ruth’s life for blessing (Proverbs 18:12; Ruth 4:13-17) and history has never been the same. —Regina Franklin

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READ: Isaiah 58:6-11 

When Gandhi wanted to capture the attention of the powerful and prompt them to act against injustice, he went on a hunger strike. A number of years ago when I was confused and heartbroken, I began a 3 day fast. We are physical creatures, and the state of our soul or the hopes of our heart require physical expression.

Scripture suggests that our use of (or refraining from the use of) food is a natural and expressive way that our body reflects the spiritual realities we experience. Scripture offers many causes that would prompt our fasting from food, but the underlying theme is that our fasting is a response to God. Some of the reasons we might turn to God in fasting include the following:

• A tragedy has struck, and we turn to God in sorrow. For instance, when David mourned the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 3:35).

• A purposeful way of attuning ourselves to God, remembering that God’s presence is what we most crave. Biblical fasts concluded with feasts, declaring that those who are hungry for God are filled.

• An act of solidarity with the poor. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told Israel that the fasting He desired would result in sharing their “food with the hungry” (Isaiah 58:7). Augustine asked this penetrating question: “How many poor can be filled with the

breakfast we have this day given up?”

We can fast for these reasons and many more. Each allows us to physically obey God, to physically pay attention to Him, to seek God with our mouth and our stomachs—all our human sensations. In fasting, we encounter God with our bodies. —Winn Collier

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READ: Luke 15:3-7 

The Bible uses many metaphors to describe people who are not believers in Jesus: Harvest fields (Matthew 9:37-38), fish caught in the net (13:47), guests invited to a banquet (22:10), and sheep—most often as lost sheep without a shepherd (Psalm 119:176; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 18:12; Luke 9:36; 1 Peter 2:25).

Phillip Keller, a shepherd, is the author of A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23; he wrote that sheep must have a shepherd. They require more attention and meticulous care than any other livestock. Defenceless, endowed with neither natural defence nor attacking capabilities, they are helplessly vulnerable against predators. They’re slow, which makes them easy prey. They’re gullible, nearsighted animals (unaware of the threats around them) that must be told what to do and where to go or they’ll wander off into danger. They have no homing instincts. A dog or bird can find its way home, but a lost sheep is lost indeed. So the image of a lost sheep is one of grave concern and danger. In the end, a lost lamb is a picture of imminent and certain death.

What’s the big deal about lost sheep? Let’s say one lamb out of 100 wanders off. Any modern sheep farmer would simply write it off as a business expense. Yet for Middle eastern shepherds, every sheep was valuable. Valuable enough for the shepherd “to leave the ninety nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it” (Luke 15:4). The next snapshot is even more priceless: “And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders” (v.5).

Have you strayed from God? Are you lost? Your Shepherd has gone out on a search and rescue mission for you. When He brings you home, He will rejoice, for He has found you (v.6). —K.T. Sim

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READ: John 1:1-18 

A person’s words are inseparable from the person speaking them. Think about your own words. They come from you and are uniquely yours. Your words communicate your heart. They come from your inner self—your soul—and express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, and character. Your words are spoken with your voice. They are sounded with your own unique mix of accent, pitch, tone, and inflection. They’re made with your breath, your lungs—from deep within you.

Your words have a certain creative power. They can enter my mind and heart and make me laugh, cry, question an old belief or believe something new.

I cannot speak your words as I cannot know your deepest thoughts. I cannot swallow a lungful of your breath and speak with your exact voice and accent. I am not inside you. I am not you. Your words are uniquely yours.

Now, think about the apostle John’s description of Jesus as the “Word” of God:

The revelation of God. “He has revealed God to us,” John says (John 1:18). “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father,” says Jesus Himself (14:9).

The very voice and ‘breath’ of God. “The words I speak are not My own, but my Father who lives in Me does His work through Me” (v.10).

The One who is Creator God. “God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him” (1:3). No wonder John tells us that this Word wasn’t just “with” God at the beginning of time, but “was” God (v.1). God’s Word is inseparable from Him. His Word is uniquely His.

Jesus is indeed the heart, soul, voice, breath, and creative power of God.

—Sheridan Voysey

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READ: Proverbs 24:30-34 

John Ortberg, in one of his sermons, told of an interview with Max Dupree, the former CEO of Herman Miller, a renowned office furniture company. “Max is asked to speak a lot about leadership, and at one session somebody asked him what the most difficult thing was that he personally had to work on. This was Max’s response: ‘It’s the interception of entropy.’ ” Long before Max Dupree recognised this weakness in himself, Solomon gave advice to his audience as to how they could intercept their own entropy.

This story comes straight from the land of a farmer in Israel (Proverbs 24:30-34). When the writer viewed the farmer’s property, he immediately discerned the kind of person he was—complacent, lazy, and one who lacked judgement. His property was overgrown with thorns and weeds and the wall stood in ruins (v.31). The sage’s audience would have been appalled at the farm owner’s carelessness and would have surmised: The owner’s sloppy habits and disorganisation was evidence of his physical and spiritual neglect.

The writer quoted Proverbs 6:10-11 (24:33-34) and rightly concluded: The owner was resting and sleeping when he should have been working. What began as a nap ultimately became a lifestyle of laziness and disregard, leading to decline. His laziness betrayed the God who had blessed him. The lesson was obvious: Hard work is a virtue, necessary for becoming wise and intercepting entropy.

If people walked past your house, looked in your garage, or sat in your office, what would they think? As followers of Jesus, we’re called to intercept entropy with the pursuit of wisdom, hard work, and diligent stewardship, including—but not limited to—organised and orderly lives. Let’s pursue wisdom and work hard in everything we do. —Marvin Williams

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READ: Daniel 3 

Firewalkers fascinate me. These people have a special something that allows them to look down at a bed of hot coals, unbuckle their sandals or peel off their socks, and step right in. Some see it as a rite of passage, a way to conquer fear, or a way to uncover some hidden vein of inner strength. Whatever the reason, something serious is usually at stake.

For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the issue was worship. They braved a personal encounter with fire—not just walking over hot coals, but entering a blazing furnace—because they refused to worship a giant totem-like statue erected by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:18).

So, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames” (v.23). They should have been instantly incinerated. However, watching closely, Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god” (v.25).

The king called the three friends out of the oven (v.26). Amazingly, the fire had not touched the three men; they didn’t even smell like smoke! This prompted Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge the one true God, saying, “[God] sent His angel to rescue His servants. . . . There is no other god who can rescue like this” (vv.28-29).

The Bible says, “People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire” (Job 5:7). Are you in trouble today? Maybe the flames of difficulty are leading you to a place where your future is uncertain—maybe your ‘furnace’ is a pending divorce, a serious illness, or a financial disaster. No matter what it is, God’s presence with you is real. If you continue to trust Him, He can use the outcome for His glory. As a firewalker, you can bring glory to God. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

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READ: Ezra 7:1-26 

In the foreword of R. C. Sproul’s book Knowing Scripture, J. I. Packer writes: “If I were the devil . . . one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible. . . . How? Well, I should try to distract all clergy from preaching and teaching the Bible, and spread the feeling that to study this ancient book directly is a burdensome extra which modern Christians can forgo without loss. . . . At all costs I should want to keep them from using their minds in a disciplined way to get the measure of its messages.”

With that said, you have to believe that Satan was once annoyed at the prophet Ezra. For Ezra “had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel” (7:10). The prophet was known as a “scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses” (v.6), and one “who studied and taught the commands and decrees of the Lord to Israel” (v.11).

I picture Ezra sitting at his desk, carefully copying the holy Word of God. From time to time he pauses to—in the words of German poet Rainer Maria—“lean back and close his eyes over a line he has been reading again, and let its meaning spread through his blood.”

Our reason for studying the Bible is simple—we have a covenant relationship with God. As we study His Word, we’re better able to understand His commands. We need to consistently select an hour, quiet our hearts, and carefully examine the Scriptures. However, we need both understanding and application. Both these things will allow us to reveal its life-changing wisdom to others.

Get the devil mad this week as you dig deep into God’s Word and apply its truth. —Poh Fang Chia.

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READ: John 7:37-39 

A tall, cold glass of water. The condensation on the glass cools my hand. Clear, pure, colourless, odourless; free of man-made chemicals and corruption. I lift the glass to my lips and drink this water that deeply refreshes.

A small, gurgling stream in the forest. Silky ripples, floating leaves, water flowing smoothly around rocks and branches. Liquid as clear as crystal, revealing the pebbles on the stream bed. I scoop my hands and splash my face. It washes clean the sweat and grit—this water that deeply cleanses.

A long awaited storm in a drought-stricken land. Rain falls, soaking soil, trickling down tree bark, dripping off leaves. The soil sprouts new shoots, the tree stands strong again, the leaves begin to flourish, and children jump joyfully in the puddles—all from this water that deeply renews.

Refreshing, cleansing, renewing. Without water we would be thirsty, dirty, and lifeless. So when Jesus uses water as a metaphor to describe Himself, we do well to listen.

This water refreshes us. “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!” Jesus shouts to us (John 7:37). The water He offers refreshes forever, becoming a “fresh, bubbling spring” within us as we drink it in (4:14). This water cleanses our sweaty, dusty feet (John 13:6-10), and washes away our dirty, gritty sins (1 John 1:9). This water renews us. All who drink of it will have rivers of life burst forth from their heart (John 7:38), bubbling springs that bring eternal life (4:14). Indeed, the One who quenches our deepest thirst is making all things new (Revelation 21:5-6).

Jesus is the clear, pure, corruption free water that refreshes, cleanses, and renews. “Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink!” He says (John 7:38). Come again to the very source of life itself. —Sheridan Voysey

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READ: Matthew 7:1-5 

Don’t judge me!” Most of us have used those words to defend ourselves when we believe someone has unfairly called into question something we’ve done.

So, is it wrong to judge people? After all, Jesus Himself said, “Do not judge others” (Matthew 7:1). The answer is yes and no.

It’s essential to understand that the word judge is a neutral word. It can have a positive or a negative meaning, depending on how it is being used. For example, there is a big difference between someone possessing ‘good judgement’ and someone being ‘judgemental’. The first refers to a person having wise discernment. The second is used to describe a person who wrongly condemns others.

Jesus used the word judge in different ways too. On one occasion He said, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly” (John 7:24). Clearly, Jesus was teaching us about an appropriate and wise form of judging people and situations. Yet He used the word in quite a different way when He said, “Do not judge others” (Matthew 7:1). Here, Jesus was focusing on an inappropriate form of judging—the hypocritical kind that scrutinises everyone else but ourselves. He went on to stress that we must first address the problems in our own lives before we can appropriately address a problem that we have with someone else (Matthew 7:3-5).

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus was not saying that all judging is wrong. If He had, then He would have been guilty of violating His own teaching. He was correctly pointing out the hypocrisy of the religious establishment in His day. In so doing, however, He pointed out that we won’t be good judges unless we’re first willing to look at ourselves with the same level of scrutiny.

The way to develop good judgement is to judge ourselves first. —Jeff Olson

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READ: Romans 1:18-32  

A friend of mine left his wife and three children. Although he knows better—he was a theological professor—he continues to lie to his family and is filing for divorce. Another friend abuses her family. She wastes their grocery money on her own wants, and then swears and screams when their bank account runs dry. Both of these friends are behaving irrationally, perhaps because both are guilty of unrepentant and repeated adultery.

There is something about sexual sin that ruins the minds of previously healthy people. Paul explains in Romans 1:18-32 that as people persist in sin, things can swiftly degenerate into a shopping list of “greed, hate, envy, murder, quarrelling, deception, malicious behaviour, and gossip.” Such people “are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning” (vv.29-30).

Like all sin, a person who engages in sexual immorality is opening the door to other dark decisions. Consider that everyone knows sexual immorality is wrong. Everyone knows it’s wrong to break their marriage vows or lust after another person—turning him or her into an object for their own gratification. Even people who claim to have no qualms about extramarital sex still describe their exploits as “being naughty.”

Sexual sin undeniably abuses another person for our own advantage. We know it’s wrong to dehumanise them, but our selfish urges are so strong that we just don’t care. Once we have committed such a blatantly selfish act, what won’t we do? Other sins can come easily for those who have already given in to lust.

Lust is a dead canary in the coal mine, the first sign that something has gone haywire in our walk with Jesus. Don’t make light of this sin. Repent before you do something really foolish. —Mike Wittmer

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READ: 2 Chronicles 6:1-11 

Ever made a promise you didn’t keep? Yeah, me too. It makes me wince to think of my broken promises over the years. The shame comes from the realisation that I had given my word to do something for someone and then back tracked upon further review of what my vow would require of me. Ouch.

We’re all guilty of being “promises, promises” kind of people. However, God is the One we can count on to keep his Word. When He makes a promise, He keeps it. Just ask Solomon. He praised God for His faithful keeping of His promises to see the temple built in Jerusalem and for David, Solomon’s father, to sit on the throne (2 Chronicles 6:6). Both of those things became a reality—David sat on the throne in Jerusalem, followed by Solomon, and the temple was built “just as the Lord promised” (v.10).

Solomon exhibited the appropriate response to God for fulfilling His promises—he praised Him. The king declared to all his people, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise He made” (v.4). God is worthy of our praise, for He has done great things. As we read in His Word of His awesome works and all the promises He has kept, our hearts and minds should be filled with wonder and praise!

To whom did Solomon declare God’s praises? To the entire community of Israel (2 Chronicles 6:3). When we praise God to others, revealing what He has done, they can also experience the reality of our great Promise Keeper.

Today, consider the promises God has fulfilled in the past and the promises that He will fulfil in the future. Choose to live out these words: “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises” (Psalm 34:1). —Tom Felten

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READ: Exodus 35:4-29 

How has your ministry been able to thrive in these tough economic times?” someone asked the leader of a non-profit organisation. “It’s because of the small gifts,” he said without hesitation. “The big gifts dry up when things get tough. But we have a lot of people who make small donations, and they give faithfully out of what they have.”

Big, splashy things impress the world. The wealthy lend their names and mountains of cash to buildings and endowments, and we are the beneficiaries. Generosity by the rich is nice, regardless of their motivation. Yet God isn’t impressed by wealth.

Shortly after the people’s dramatic escape from Egypt, God gave Moses instructions for constructing the tabernacle. Moses said, “Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord,” and he listed the needs (Exodus 35:5). He also said, “Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen” (v.10). Then the people came. Everyone who had a willing heart could play a role. In fact, they were so generous that Moses finally had to say, “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” (36:6).

When we look at all the problems and needs facing us, despair may seem like a tempting option. Yet God uses small things and anonymous people to dissolve impossible predicaments. Our desperation is our cue

to lean fully on Him.

“Little is much when God is in it”, wrote songwriter Kittie Louise Suffield. When we prayerfully and generously do what we can to address the needs God places in our path, He will take care of the rest.

Don’t despise the small gifts. They can lead to great things by God’s gracious hand. —Tim Gustafson

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READ: Genesis 12:1-4 

I’m no gardener. The most certain way to kill your flowers or vegetable plants is to ask me to care for them. So I marvel at those who are gifted at working with all things green and growing. Some gardeners have a practice (whether it is superstition or has merit, I can’t say) of talking to their plants. They’ll lean over their azaleas, daffodils, or young sprouts and whisper, chat . . . even sing. They insist that their words spur growth.

The Bible regularly presents God as one whose words bring things to life. In Genesis, humanity’s early history is ugly. Repeated human rebellion leads to the desolate admission that Abram and Sarai have no children. Sarai is barren. Humanity, as a result of their attempts to make life on their own, is desolate.

As Walter Brueggemann put it, “This family (and with it the whole family of Genesis 1-11) has played out its future and has nowhere else to go. Barrenness is the way of human history. It is an effective metaphor for hopelessness. There is no foreseeable future. There is no human power to invent a future.”

Then, the story turns with these simple words: “The Lord . . . said . . .” (12:1). God spoke into the barrenness and chaos. It was as if He said, You’ve done your best, and this is where it has got you—now step aside.

Still early in the Genesis story, these words remind us of another time God spoke into darkness and chaos. Before God began to create, the “earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters.” Into nothing, “God said . . . ”

God spoke and light erupted, vegetation blossomed, humans appeared. This is still what happens whenever God speaks. —Winn Collier

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