NIV Devotions for Women

Bible Gateway

unread,

Oct 10, 2016, 6:11:39 AM10/10/16

to kanya...@googlegroups.com

Click to view this email in your browser.

Humble Competence

2 Corinthians 3:4–18

You probably know someone who overestimates her competence. She might be a member of your Bible study who has a subtle way of telling others how to run their lives. Maybe it’s a coworker who takes control of everything around her.

On the other end of the scale are those (often women) who revel in false humility. They tell themselves and everyone else how incapable of anything they are.

In contrast, there are those who understand that their abilities are God-given. They realize that their talents are gifts, recognize their limitations and welcome others’ input. They don’t think of themselves as superior but consider others’ needs before their own. Being around these people frees others to be the best they can be.

True competence begins with humility, recognizing our natural abilities but acknowledging that they can only carry us so far. With that knowledge, we begin to realize that our incompetence is merely a starting point. We don’t have to be perfect; we have the freedom to be the uniquely gifted, talented and competent women God created.

Elisa Morgan, president of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International, wrote:

>“I’m probably the least likely person to head a mothering organization. I grew up in a broken home. My parents were divorced when I was 5. My older sister, younger brother, and I were raised by my alcoholic mother.

>“While my mother meant well—truly she did—most of my memories are of me mothering her rather than her mothering me. Alcohol altered her love, turning it into something that wasn’t love.

>“Ten years ago, when I was asked to consider leading MOPS International, a vital ministry that nurtures mothers, I went straight to my knees—and then to the therapist’s office. How could God use me—who had never been mothered—to nurture other mothers?

>“The answer came as I gazed into the eyes of other moms around me and saw their needs mirroring my own. God seemed to take my deficits and make them my offering.”

Reflection

How have you found your natural abilities insufficient?
How does knowing that you can rely on God’s competence give you confidence?
What might you try to do for God’s kingdom if you knew you could not fail?

2 Corinthians 3:4–5
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

Letting Go of the Familiar

Genesis 19:1–26

Letting go of the familiar is tough. Changing careers or colleges or moving to a new city can take an emotional toll on us. It’s even more difficult to leave behind old habits, attitudes and behaviors.

Lot’s wife wasn’t able to let go of her home in Sodom, even though God sent angels to warn her family to run for their lives because judgment was coming. In fact, the angels’ warnings included such grave commands as “Don’t look back” and “Don’t stop.” Why in the world did this woman choose to stop and look back? Could it be that she loved the life she was leaving too much? Though Sodom was full to overflowing with sin and vice, apparently the dark and oppressive city was comfortably familiar to Lot’s wife.

It is difficult to leave the familiar behind. That fact is as true today as it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction—even when God himself is saying, “It’s time to move on.” If you’ve ever struggled with a destructive habit, you’ve felt the pull of the familiar—even as you’ve sensed God’s nudge, “Move on now.” You’ve experienced the temptation to turn back just one more time, for one last look, one last taste, one last “fix”—even as God has whispered, “Don’t look back.” Maybe you’ve agonized over a loved one’s downward spiral, desperately attempting to rescue them time and time again—until finally God impressed upon you, “Stop. Let go.”

Unlike Lot’s wife, none of us has ever become a pillar of salt by turning back for one last peek. Yet we all struggle with the difficulties of letting go of the old in order to grasp the new. Take heart. God understands that letting go of the familiar is hard. Yet he has called us to move on to new life in Jesus Christ by letting go of our old worldly lives, our old habits, our old dreams—to boldly move forward without looking back. When you feel God’s call to move, allow him to guide you. He will give you the grace to do whatever he has asked.

Reflection

What does the passage in today’s reading teach you about letting go in order to move forward?
Why is it so difficult sometimes to let go of the past?
What is one thing you think God may be asking you to let go of right now? Spend some time praying that God will help you let go of whatever is hindering you from moving forward in your spiritual journey.

Genesis 19:26
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Availability Check

Exodus 3:1–22

The good often cannibalizes the best. Think about it: How often do schedules, long to-do lists and our immediate line of sight trump the things we claim to love the most? A pile of laundry certainly seems insignificant the day a close friend wrecks her car or a parent falls ill. Certainly, life involves responsibility, but it also involves a need for responsiveness to urgent situations—a child struggling in school or a severely depressed coworker.

Moses was tending sheep—fulfilling a needed task—when God intervened with an urgent call. A bush burned without being consumed. God called Moses’ name from within the fiery bush. Moses immediately answered. Moses was available and obedient. But then God told him what he wanted: Moses was to go back to Egypt to lead a rescue mission for the Hebrew people.

In the midst of our ordinary days—tending to our families, our jobs, our friends—how do we respond to the persistent pull of God’s call? Regardless of how God makes his wishes known—a burning bush, a burning desire or a burning need—are we willing to have our tidy plans and schedules interrupted to listen to his voice? Or are we too busy or too distracted to answer? Bottom line: Are we willing to be recruited at God’s bidding?

Like Moses, we may feel inadequate for the job: “I’m just a student, just a mother, just an hourly employee. I’m not equipped for this mission!” However, when God calls us to do something bigger than we think we can accomplish, he will equip us by working through us. We learn to rely on his strength, not on our own abilities. Simply put, God doesn’t look for abilities; he looks for availabilities. That’s how we can be confident of success: His great power trumps our lack of talent. We act in the power of the great “I AM” (3:14).

So when you hear the voice of God calling your name, answer without hesitation, “Here I am.”

God’s call. God’s strength. Your availability.

Reflection

In what ways has God indicated he has something for you to do, and how have you responded?
Recount a time when you felt inadequate to do something you knew God wanted you to do. How did God equip you to accomplish it?
What interferes with your availability to answer God’s call?

Exodus 3:4
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Once and for All

Leviticus 16:10, 20–22

In a dusty, desert wasteland, a man slowly unties a rope from the goat’s neck. His fingers trace the dried blood on the goat’s forehead, where a few hours before the priest had laid his hands. The transfer of sin is complete. All that remains is for it to be far removed from sight.

The man slaps the animal’s rump and it jumps. It runs a few paces, then stops and looks back. “Go on,” the man yells. “Run. Run away!” He claps his hands. He chases the goat. And it runs. But it keeps looking back, hesitating, waiting and wondering if the man will change his mind.

But the man doesn’t change his mind—he can’t. When he is sure the goat has gone far enough, he turns to leave. He makes the dusty journey back alone, without the sound of trotting hooves or bleating to keep him company. The sin of the Israelites has been temporarily atoned for, sent away on the head of the goat that was left in the desert.

The Day of Atonement was Israel’s most solemn holy day. On that day, God made a way for his sinful people to set things right with him, the Holy One of Israel. But like the scapegoat that kept looking back, sin and guilt always returned. Year after year, goat after goat, the ritual was repeated: One goat slaughtered to atone for sin, the other sent far into the wilderness to remove the presence of guilt. But it wasn’t enough. It merely symbolized what was to come.

When Jesus died on the cross and was banished to the tomb, he fulfilled the requirement for the two goats on the Day of Atonement. His sacrificial death on the cross atoned for our sin, finally making us one with God for all time. His journey to death removed our guilt for all time. He took our sins with him to the pit of hell, just as the scapegoat was banished into the solitary wasteland.

It was a high price to pay. The scapegoat didn’t have a choice, but Jesus did. He chose to die because of his unfathomable love for us. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16).

Reflection

What do the images of the sacrificial goat and scapegoat tell you about the high price of sin?
What does the image of the scapegoat reveal about how far Christ was willing to go for you?
What guilt are you holding onto? Speak it out loud to Jesus today and ask his forgiveness so he can carry it far away, never to be seen again.

Leviticus 16:22
“The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.”

How to Restore Relationships

Numbers 5:5–8

Sue loved her new sweater. She couldn’t wait to show it to her friend Leslie. The two decided to meet for dinner and a movie. Leslie loved the sweater too. She immediately said, “That sweater would be perfect for my office party. Can I borrow it?” Sue hesitated, but decided a friend was more valuable than an article of clothing, so she agreed. When she got the sweater back, there was a hole under the arm. Leslie apologized profusely, saying, “It must have unraveled. I’m so sorry.” Sue nodded and said, “Oh, it’s okay.” But things were never the same between the two of them. Sue felt that Leslie had taken advantage of her. Leslie thought Sue had overreacted over a simple article of clothing. Over time, the friendship unraveled like the sweater. What would have happened if Leslie had offered to repair or replace the sweater . . . and maybe added a scarf to apologize?

When God gave Moses the Law, he instituted a system of restitution: Anyone who injured another paid the price for what was stolen or destroyed and added 20 percent to the value. We may think of restitution as justice for the wronged party and punishment for the offender. But restitution offers more: It builds a bridge between the two parties, paving the way for relationships to be restored. By confessing the sin and compensating for any loss, the offender no longer has to deal with guilt. Receiving restitution and more frees the injured party from feeling unfairly treated.

Forgiveness from God coupled with responsibility toward the other person are key to restoring relationships. In Jesus’ eyes, those broken relationships are always our responsibility. If someone has something against us, he calls us to go and make it right (see Matthew 5:23–24). If we have something against another, we’re responsible to take the initiative to settle our differences with them (see Matthew 18:15). It’s not always comfortable. But it’s always the right thing to do.

Do you feel taken advantage of? Maybe it’s time to engage someone in conversation rather than detach from your relationship with them. Or maybe you’ve unintentionally mistreated a friend . . . you owe them money or lunch or a favor. Consider what needs to be done and take action: Repay the debt, replace the item and apologize for a wrong. Do whatever it takes to restore the relationship. Do it because it pleases God and because your relationships will be richer for it.

Reflection

Why is restitution necessary?
Think about a relationship that is unraveling. How can you make restitution?
What are some ways you can reconcile with God after you have sinned? What restitution can you offer?

Numbers 5:5–7
The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the LORD, is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged.’ “

Interior Designs

Deuteronomy 6:1–9

“He seemed like such a nice boy.” How many times have we seen the neighbors of a convicted criminal interviewed on TV, shaking their heads in disbelief that an outwardly nice person could hide such evil intentions? Outer appearance can deceive, but the heart reveals itself eventually.

God provides a master guidebook to redesigning our spirits: the Bible. He directs us to tie his Word on our hands as we would tie a cord around a curtain, to bind his commandments to our foreheads as solidly as we would hang a valuable painting, to write his promises on our hearts as carefully as we would follow a blueprint. This is the ultimate form of home improvement.

Redesign must begin with our hearts. That is why God commanded the Israelites to pass on his holy commands, decrees and laws to their children and to allow them to permeate their lives and thought processes. Even today, Jewish families often fasten a small box called a mezuzah, containing Scriptures from Deuteronomy 6:4–9 11:13–21, to the doorposts of their homes to remind them that because “the LORD is one” they should “faithfully obey the commands . . . to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Only God’s Word can do the work of improving the lives of his people, generation to generation.

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees wore phylacteries, literally fastening Scripture to their foreheads. Some of the Pharisees wore their phylacteries pridefully to display how “religious” they were. Unfortunately, many failed to live out what the Scriptures inside their phylacteries said. Christ called them hypocrites. You may succeed in fooling the neighbors, but God is not deceived. He doesn’t want his principles displayed outwardly if they don’t impact us inwardly. When ingrained on our inmost being, his principles will change the way we think, act and live.

Would your neighbors be shocked to see inside your locked rooms? Would your own family? Perhaps you spend so much time on decorating your exterior that you’ve neglected what Teresa of Avila called your “interior castle,” the cloistered rooms of your soul? Take the time to memorize Scripture, meditate on it and tell the children in your life about God. That kind of home improvement is eternal

Reflection

What disconnects your spirit from your outer facade?
Who might God want you to “adopt” as a spiritual child so you can talk with them, teach them and train them to know and love him?
How much time do you spend redecorating the inner rooms of your soul through prayer and Bible reading? How can you deepen and nurture your faith?

Deuteronomy 6:8–9
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Never Too Old

Joshua 13:1–7

In the early 1900s, a desperate father prayed for his sick daughter: “God, spare her life and I’ll serve you with mine.” Miraculously, the girl recovered. The grateful father quit his job, packed his large family (along with a cow and some chickens) and moved to Texas for seminary. In his mid-30s, he became an evangelist who held tent revivals in Texas and Oklahoma.

For many years, the pastor faithfully preached the gospel. Even after reaching the century mark, he’d rise every day and don a three-piece suit. Despite shaky legs and cataract-clouded eyes, he’d wait for his son-in-law, married to the daughter who had nearly died so many years ago, to guide him downtown for coffee. A newcomer asked, “Why do you get so dressed up?” The aged pastor replied, “I never know when I’ll lead someone to the Lord. By the way, son, do you know Jesus?” Reverend A. F. Whitlock understood a simple truth: You’re never too old to serve God.

As a young man, Joshua was sent to spy out the promised land. Only he and Caleb believed the Israelites could conquer the enemies living there. So the people wandered 40 years until the exodus generation perished—save the two spies. Then, succeeding Moses, Joshua led Israel into the promised land. Though he was about 80, Joshua captained Israel to victory over six nations and 31 kings.

Fast-forward 20 years. Joshua 13:1 somewhat understates, “Joshua had grown old.” It is estimated he was around 100 years old. Joshua might have expected God to send him on vacation: go float atop the Dead Sea or fish in the Lake of Galilee. But God didn’t offer Joshua a retirement plan. Instead he said, “There are still very large areas of land to be taken over.” Joshua’s next task was to divide the land.

Maybe you think you’re too old to keep serving God. You’ve offered your tithes, taught Sunday school, led women’s ministry and sung in the choir. What’s left? There are always “lands” left to conquer. There are children to tell stories to, younger women who would love to hear about your history, sick people to visit, prayers to pray, people who have yet to hear the Good News. You’re never too old to tell others about God’s love.

Reflection

How has your age affected your ability to serve God (perhaps people don’t take you seriously because you’re younger or overlook you due to advanced age)?
What areas has God placed before you to “conquer” (neighborhood, work, family, etc.)?
Explain how Joshua’s story encourages you to continue serving God regardless of your age—young or old.

Joshua 13:1
When Joshua had grown old, the LORD said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.”

Femme Fatales

Judges 16:4–22

A femme fatale is a woman who uses the powers of seduction to lure a man into a dangerous or compromising situation. One woman infamous for her influence was Mata Hari. At the turn of the twentieth century in Paris, Mata Hari created a fictitious persona and performed exotic Indian dances to great acclaim. Although her background was fabricated, Parisian society embraced her . . . and men were beguiled by her. Her sensuous dance seduced powerful men in influential positions. Many believe she used feminine guile to extract military secrets. Ultimately, the French tried Mata Hari and executed her as a double agent in World War I. At her trial she said, “Harlot, yes. But traitor? Never!”

In the Bible, we meet another woman who used her feminine allure to affect the destiny of a man. During the time of the judges, Delilah used her influence to discover the secrets of one of Israel’s judges, Samson. Three different times Delilah begged him to give her information about the source of his strength. Three times he resisted. Each time Delilah proved herself false, calling for the Philistines to subdue the strong man. More stunning is that Delilah used the same method over and over again . . . and Samson allowed himself to be tricked each time. Ultimately, Delilah discovered the truth about Samson’s strength and turned him over to her countrymen.

Delilah’s story shows how men can be swayed by women’s wiles and their own desires. Delilah used her sexual attraction and her cunning to bring a man down—for a price. She relentlessly manipulated Samson in order to get the information she needed. When he finally revealed the truth, she rushed to the Philistine rulers to gather her reward. In a heartbeat, Samson lost not just his strength, but the divine gift God had bestowed upon him.

We think it would be great to be able to get our husbands, boyfriends, coworkers, etc. to do what we want. And perhaps, sometimes, we do use feminine wiles, manipulation and nagging to get our way. But are such methods honest? Are they loving? Wouldn’t it be better to be the kind of woman others can trust? How much better to employ honesty, kindness and patience to build up the men we love, rather than trample them in the pursuit of our selfish desires

Reflection

Have you ever nagged, manipulated or tricked a man in order to get your way?
How did it make you feel? How do you think it made him feel?
What words will you use to build up the men in your life?

Judges 16:15–16
Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

Ultimate Surrender

1 Samuel 1:1–28

Probably the hardest thing for me to surrender to God—and this may sound silly because you may be expecting me to say, “My children”—was the huge, five-bedroom home I purchased five years after my divorce. I knew that my home belonged to God and that I was simply a steward of what he had entrusted to me, but that didn’t keep it from becoming an idol. My wonderful house in its expensive zip code supplied status. I couldn’t imagine giving it up, especially if God wanted me to live somewhere I didn’t like.

I eventually realized I was supposed to sell that house, but for a full year I dug in my heels and refused to do it. What a nightmare I lived trying to untangle God’s best for my life while still continuing to weave in my stubborn wishes. But God was persistent. He kept reminding me of his desire through the wise counsel of my brother Paul and sister Cathy. He continued to impress on me the need to downsize and simplify my life.

I finally came to the point where I knew I simply needed to obey God and sell the house. When I moved into a smaller home, I suddenly had much more time and energy. I found that I could focus more earnestly on my writing, which was something I had not been able to do previously with all the repairs, chores and decorating.

As terrible as it sounds, it was easier for me to surrender my children to God than it was to trust him with my home. Sad, huh? But I knew in my heart that my children would be in better hands with God than with me. While it was still excruciatingly hard to turn my children’s lives over to him, I released them to his loving care by saying a simple, heartfelt prayer to that effect. Actually, I had to say that prayer many times. It seemed to take me forever to be able to voice words that were not a lie. Though I did not drop off my kids at the local temple to be raised by a holy man, like Hannah did with her son Samuel, I did choose to trust that God would love them and guide their lives better than I could.

—Katie Brazelton

Reflection

What one thing are you holding back from God?
What would happen if you released it?
Why does God insist we sometimes give up things that seem to bring us joy?

1 Samuel 1:28
“So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.”

Meeting the Enemy

Ephesians 6:1–24

The idea of the devil more often solicits smirks than fear or caution in the world today. In his classic work The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis writes from the point of view of a senior demon, Screwtape, giving advice to his protégé, Wormwood, on how to influence his target. Screwtape tells Wormwood, “The fact that ‘devils’ are predominately comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you.”

The Bible is clear that the devil is real and his schemes can be traced back to Eden. Beyond our limited vision lies a spiritual realm where the war for souls is waged. Jesus Christ has already won the ultimate victory, but battles still rage as Satan tries to make Christians and Christianity ineffective and impotent. Those battles play out in various arenas. Paul described them as “rulers,” “authorities,” “powers of this dark world” and “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Spiritual warfare in unseen realms is as real as the battles waged here on earth.

There are also battles that occur within our thoughts, our relationships, our attitudes and our everyday choices. If the devil can wear us down so that we snap at our children or belittle our husband or pass on a tidbit of gossip, he has weakened our witness.

For every battle we face, God provides us with a full set of spiritual armor. God’s armor is based on truth and righteousness, faith and peace. He asks us to be armed with his attributes, not our own. Above all, we have prayer, which reaches into the spiritual realm and places the battle into the hands of the One who has already won the war.

The presence of evil need not make us suspicious or fearful. We don’t need to look for a demon behind every door. But we should be alert and prayerful so that we are aware of the devil’s schemes when they come and so we can fight the battle in the spiritual realm.

Reflection

How do you picture the devil and the battle in the spiritual realm?
What schemes of the devil have you seen in your own life?
What piece of God’s armor do you most need right now?

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Diamonds on Black Velvet

2 Corinthians 12:7–10

“Why won’t God heal me? Doesn’t he love me?” Perhaps you’ve asked similar questions. Maybe you’ve been frustrated because God didn’t answer a prayer the way you had hoped. Could it be that he is using those very difficulties to keep you dependent on him? Like placing sparkling diamonds on black velvet, our human weakness provides a contrasting backdrop against which God’s power can be displayed.

Paul was faced with such a dilemma. He came from the best family line, studied at the best schools and encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. He experienced revelations from God. It would have been easy for him to be proud. But Paul suffered a thorn in the flesh. Three times Paul asked God to remove his thorn. Three times God said no. Did that mean God didn’t love Paul? Absolutely not! It simply meant that God decided to empower Paul despite his thorn, to keep Paul dependent on God’s strength. God proved to Paul that God’s power was made perfect in Paul’s weakness.

Paul didn’t tell his readers the nature of his thorn. If he had, we might be able to dismiss his words as not applying to us. Because he did not, we can identify with him—and wonder what our own thorns are. Is it a chronic illness, a debilitating disease we’ve suffered with or a painful injury we’ve sustained? Is it a chemical depression or bipolar illness? Is it cancer or chronic fatigue?

All of these “thorns” are hard to live with, especially if we’ve asked repeatedly for healing. They can make us feel weak and spiritually deficient. They can make us feel isolated, undeserving and ineffective. They can cause us to become self-absorbed and self-pitying. But there is another way to look at them: We can offer our illness or disability sacrificially to God and allow it to keep us on our knees, asking God for strength. We can allow God’s love and power to push us through difficult and painful times, to use our “thorns” to make us more tenderhearted toward others. We can see them as the black velvet against which God’s grace glitters.

Memorize God’s words to Paul, and every time you are tempted to feel that your “thorn” disqualifies you from God’s work, remember them: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Reflection

What would you say is your particular “thorn in the flesh”?
How might you have grown prideful had it not been for this “thorn”?
How has God proven himself strong on your behalf?

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Are You Listening?

1 Samuel 3:1–21

When was the last time you heard from God? Think about it. Has God’s still, small voice been drowned out by the hum of too much noise from work, family, church and friends?

The adolescent boy Samuel was lying in the temple. It was still night because “the lamp of God had not yet gone out” (the lamp would not have been allowed to go out before morning). Samuel was probably lonely, having been separated from his family and dedicated by his mother Hannah to work for the old, blind priest Eli in the temple. It seems to have been a discouraging time to work there: “The word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.” But as Samuel drowsed on his pallet, the sound of his name cut through the flickering dimness.

“Samuel!”

Naturally, Samuel thought Eli had called. “Here I am,” replied the boy. Again, “Samuel!” Again, “Here I am.” Samuel listened keenly, but the summons didn’t come from Eli. God himself called Samuel that evening, and Eli taught the boy the right response: “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”

What made Samuel so ready to hear God’s voice? For one thing, he was a faithful and obedient servant. He was ready to respond to his master, and his willingness made him ready to respond to God as well. He was being faithful in the small things of his everyday life and was therefore entrusted with a great thing, to be a prophet of God and to restore the priesthood’s honor.

Samuel was also in the right place to listen. Are you? His posture invited God to speak to him: faithful, obedient, humble, waiting, receptive. His willingness to respond became instrumental in restoring holiness to the land: “[God] revealed himself to Samuel through his word. And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.”

If you want to hear God speak, do what you can to be ready. Be prepared when you’re in a place of outward silence and sanctuary: as you lay awake in the early hours of the morning, while you wait in your car for your children to get out of school, when you walk the dog in the evening. Seek an inner silence and sanctuary also: Let go of mental noise and emotional confusion. Take deep breaths in and out until your heart and respiration rate slow. Humbly and receptively invite God to speak to you, and wait with faithful and obedient readiness. When God calls your name, respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Reflection

What are some things that drown out God’s voice for you? What makes it difficult for you to be still in God’s presence?
Are personal sins blocking you from hearing God’s voice? Take time to confess any wrongs you’ve committed and ask God to cleanse you.
Read Psalm 84 to prepare you to spend time in God’s presence.

1 Samuel 3:10
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Finding Sanctuary

2 Samuel 9:1–13

Claiming sanctuary in a church dates to Britain in AD 600. Though the practice was formally abandoned in the seventeenth century, people seeking asylum still flee to churches today, clinging to the idea that into God’s house no violence may enter. Do you long for a place of sanctuary when you sense imminent judgment? Maybe you’ve told a lie and stand before the wronged party. Perhaps you’re innocent, but face a relative’s creditors. We can all relate to the desire to crawl underground and disappear. Prince Mephibosheth certainly trembled at what King David would do to him.

After all, Mephibosheth was the last survivor in the line of his grandfather King Saul. In ancient Eastern culture, that position usually meant death, especially because Saul had repeatedly attempted to murder David. But David had no intention of handing down a death sentence. Instead he offered Mephibosheth sanctuary in his own palace. Because of Mephibosheth’s relationship to David’s dear friend Jonathan, the king welcomed him as an honored guest at his own table.

We all long for sanctuary. Crippled by sin, we enter God’s presence with death hanging over our heads. But when we accept Jesus Christ’s offer of eternal friendship, we receive eternal sanctuary at the King’s table. At this feast, we will be given white robes to wear, and we will bow down in praise and adoration before the Prince of Peace.

Does an invitation to the King’s palace fill you with fear or excitement? You may think that everything about you—your background, your body’s condition, your emotional state, your past sins—should keep you away from the King’s table. But none of that matters to God. Regardless of how unworthy you feel, you can know that you have been made worthy because you are a child of God.

Today, as you ponder the surprise of finding sanctuary instead of judgment, consider how you will live like a guest who carries an invitation to the King’s table. Awake each day in anticipation of Christ’s royal summons and walk tall, nurturing a longing for the day when you will sit before the King at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

Reflection

Think about sitting at the King’s table. What does this mean to you?
Read Matthew 22:1–14. What is the invitation? Is there anything that keeps you from fully accepting God’s gift of grace? If so, what is it?
Read Revelation 7:9–17. What is your reaction to this passage?

2 Samuel 9:7–8
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

Worship and Wisdom

1 Kings 3:4–15

Dark clouds slip between the guardian mountain peaks and scurry across the empty skies above Death Valley in California. Heat waves tremble over the parched earth as cloud shadows nibble at the eroded badlands and salt pans. Thunder rumbles in the distance. By late afternoon, the rain-gorged sky swings low. Suddenly the heavens burst! Fat raindrops jump like marbles on the hard-packed earth. Gradually the thirsty brown clods drink in water, softening to soak in more. A curtain of silver rain hangs between the churning sky and muddy valley floor. In a few weeks, Death Valley will explode to life in an astonishing feast of wildflowers.

Upon ascending to the throne, young Solomon traveled ten miles northwest to the hills of Gibeon to offer an extravagant sacrifice—a thousand burnt offerings. This was the same place where the sun stood still for Joshua and where twelve of David’s strong men defeated twelve of Saul’s men (see Joshua 10:1–14; 2 Samuel 2:12–17). In the middle of the night, God burst through to Solomon in a dream. Solomon could have requested anything in all the earth. Through time spent in worship, Solomon realized that wisdom was the greatest of all God’s gifts.

Worship is like the rains that prepare the earth for God’s blessings. The story of the youthful Solomon preparing to take the throne is a beautiful reminder to us of the importance of worship. The story of God granting him the gift of wisdom opens with a swell of costly and reverent worship. For us, too, worship creates a context for us to encounter God; it sets our souls in motion in an upward spiral by which we pursue God, and he gladly responds.

Worship book-ended the exchange between the Sovereign God and the new sovereign of Israel. Solomon returned from his heavenly encounter and again made an offering to the God of Israel in Jerusalem before the ark of the covenant.

Like a gathering cloud, worship encircles and protects God’s people. It softens the soil of our hearts like nourishing rain. When we’ve been in a dark place and long for colorful beauty to replace the hardness that has settled into our scorched souls, simple acts of worship can prepare the way for God’s words of wisdom to permeate our hearts. If your life seems parched, won’t you allow God to paint a palette of colorful joy by spending time worshiping your Lord?

Reflection

Why is worship so important to God?
What kinds of extravagant (or at least consistent) worship characterize your life?
If God offered you anything you wish, what would you ask for? Has it changed having read this passage?

1 Kings 3:5, 15
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” . . . He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

Those Exceptions of Life

2 Kings 5:1–14

Is your life happy . . . except for one thing? Perhaps you enjoy a loving marriage, a beautiful home and financial ease . . . except you suffer from infertility. Maybe you have graduated with a master’s degree, founded a business and are in top physical condition . . . except your parents are getting divorced. If you compiled a list of all the positives in your life, what would you include? I have great friends; I’m an accomplished pianist; I’ve inherited a green thumb. But what disrupts your sense of well-being? All of us possess at least one “except” that gets in the way of our happiness.

An unnamed slave girl experienced some poignant “excepts” in her young life. She was one of God’s chosen people. She had faith in God . . . except she was a captive of war in a foreign land. The good news: She found herself in the household of a commander of the army.

Naaman, the commander, also experienced some significant “excepts.” He had great authority and was highly regarded by the king. Although he was a Gentile, he found favor with the God of Israel and was granted military victory. One “except” plagued him: leprosy. If only he could find a cure, his life would be complete.

The slave girl and Naaman had choices to make concerning life’s exceptions. Would they let the exceptions rule their lives? Or would they let God rule without exception? The slave girl could have let her situation make her bitter. Instead, she chose to help the man who was her master. And Naaman chose to take the advice of a servant girl, not allowing his pride to stand in the way of her help.

Is God asking you to take one step of obedience that may bring help and healing to another person? Perhaps it’s as simple as taking up a pen and beginning a note of apology even though you’re still hurting from what they did to you? Maybe you need to carve out time for the one thing you’ve been dreading to do. It could be you’re compelled to take one act of firm discipline for the unruly child you love. That first step of obedience can bring your exception into a different light when you learn step by step what it means to trust God without exceptions

Reflection

What except has disrupted your life?
How have you handled your exception? How has this story lent some perspective on your own situation?
What step has God asked you to take that you are reluctant to try?

2 Kings 5:1
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

Our Secret Weapon

1 Chronicles 5:18–22

Imagine ranks of warriors stretching as far as the eye can see. Their weapons glinting in the morning sunlight, spread over the villages and pastures of the land God had given them. Nearly 45,000 strapping young men—weapon-savvy, war-hungry and expertly trained—fingering their bows and sword hilts impatiently. They had trained for this battle.

In the silence you could have heard a horse snort, a fish jump in the Jordan, a scabbard ring hollow against a shield. But as the battle got underway and the screams tore at their eardrums, you could hear something else: the cries of the warriors calling out to God for help. He was the secret weapon in the battle. And they trusted him for the victory.

Let’s face it; life is more a battlefield than a playground. Every day we face enemies we can’t even see. We are at war “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). We fight battles within ourselves—against insecurity, anxiety, depression. We fight for spiritual territory rather than for plots of land. We fight against the fallen things in this world: materialism, greed, selfishness, addiction, violence, apathy, prejudice, injustice . . . and the list goes on. Daunting enemies, indeed.

As soldiers in God’s army we are called to do battle with evil by putting on the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10–18). Every morning, picture yourself donning each piece like a modern-day Joan of Arc: the belt of God’s truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace. Take up your shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. And then, like the Israelites, employ your “secret weapon”: prayer. Ask God for help, “pray[ing] in the Spirit . . . with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). One commentator said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.” Don’t hesitate to utilize your secret weapon by praying to the Lord of hosts, and trust him to hear your prayers. He’s the one who will lead you to win your battle because he has already won the war.

Reflection

Are most of your battles fought against “inward” or “outward” foes?
What weapons are you finding most effective against your foe?
How often do you utilize your “secret weapon” (prayer)?

1 Chronicles 5:20
They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.

Something Beautiful for God

2 Chronicles 2:1–6

It’s not wrong to want something for yourself—as long as you don’t cling too tightly to it. When it comes to sharing, the fair split goes, “One for you, one for me.”

Solomon had plenty of possessions, and he was generous and played fair. A temple for God, a palace for himself. Do you know someone who’s done the same? They have the money to build a nice house for themselves, and they also fund a church project or a center for the homeless. We can be encouraged by their example and by Solomon’s example: He knew that the most worthy God of the universe deserves the best workmanship, the finest materials and the choicest offerings.

What a daring project: building a house for Almighty God! Solomon understood the irony—that he, a mortal man, would do such a thing. He insisted that nothing be slipshod. He endeavored for seven years to produce the most magnificent temple possible, using gold, silver, precious stones, marble and cedar—most of it collected for years by his father, David, and the rest of it donated by the people of Israel. Even so, would it pass muster for Yahweh’s majesty? Would it cause visitors and worshipers to think great and high thoughts of the God of Israel? Would it reflect God’s beauty and grandeur?

God doesn’t need our things. But he ordains our work and endows us with creativity and talent. He designed us to be busy about the business of doing things for him, of making all kinds of things that reflect his regenerating grace and that glorify him.

In what beautiful enterprise might God be directing you to be involved? It could be people or projects, aptitudes or art. You may have the ability to create something that reveals and reflects some of his greatness. If so, ask him to provide the resources. Find the helpers and materials needed to accomplish the goal. Go ahead and enjoy the process and the fruit of your labor, like Solomon did. But give fairly and generously to the author of your gifts and talents. Do a God-sized work for him.

Reflection

What problems could you foresee in constructing a building for God? What satisfactions?
How much of your time and possessions do you dedicate to God? Is it a fair percentage?
What gifts or resources has God blessed you with? How can you use something of yourself to give back to God?

2 Chronicles 2:1
Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

Total Dependence

Ezra 8:21–34

Lisa realized she needed to depend on God when she discovered she was pregnant. She was excited and happy—but the timing wasn’t perfect. Her husband had two years until he finished his degree. She was supporting both of them by working two jobs. Whenever she thought about the future, she broke out in a cold sweat. How would they make the rent? Would she have to quit one of her jobs? Would her husband have to quit school? She decided that the best course was to pray for God to show them the way.

Ezra sets a great example for anyone facing an unknown future. Before he and a group of returning exiles began their 900-mile trek back to Jerusalem, they all fasted and prayed for a safe journey—literally, a “straight way.” They prayed for God’s favor and protection and trusted “God’s gracious hand” would guide them.

God is also with you to guide you, regardless of your circumstances. Perhaps you’re venturing out, depending on God for the first time. Take a step of faith and follow where he leads. He will surely guide you to the next step . . . and the next. You’ll discover that faith will lead you where reason may not.

Faith and reason have been compared to two travelers. Think of Faith as a woman who can walk 20 or 30 miles at a time without flagging, while Reason is a child who can only muster the strength to go two or three miles. One day Reason said to Faith, “Oh, Faith, let me walk with you.” But Faith replied, “Oh, Reason, you can never walk with me!” Nevertheless, they set out together. When they came to a deep river, Reason said, “I can never ford this,” but Faith waded through it, singing. When they reached a high mountain, Reason despaired. But Faith carried Reason on her back. The writer of this old tale said, “Oh, how dependent upon Faith is Reason!”

Why has God made faith the indispensable ingredient in our journey of faith? Perhaps so that we will become totally dependent upon him. Reason tells us to stay put. Faith calls us to step out, reassuring us that “no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:37).

Reflection

How have you found that your reason some times interferes with your faith?
What makes it difficult for you to depend on God?
How can prioritizing prayer in your life make a difference in preparing you for your faith journey?

Ezra 8:22–23
I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

A Pattern for Prayer

Nehemiah 1:1–11

In 1960s Southern California, the beaches were littered with hippies searching for the meaning of life through free love, psychedelic drugs and communal living. One day, a pastor’s wife went to the beach and was distressed to see the aimless kids and began to weep. Kay Smith determined to do something, so she gathered several of her friends and, as she puts it, “saturated the air with prayer.” She asked her husband, Pastor Chuck Smith, to open his church to this generation. Many people were shocked when the hippies showed up, barefoot and bedraggled, and sat on the floor rather than in the pews. But the Smiths embraced them. Their ministry was a vital part of the “Jesus Movement” that swept the country. It can be said that true revival begins with heartfelt tears but finds its voice in prayer.

Nehemiah, one of the most powerful Jews in Babylon, broke down in tears when he heard of Jerusalem’s miserable condition. He mourned for God’s holy city and scattered people. His compassion compelled him to pray and fast for them. His prayer reflected his heart’s passion and also offers a pattern for our prayers.

First, Nehemiah acknowledged who God is: “the great and awesome God.” When we focus on who God is, it helps to put our own problems into proper perspective.

Next Nehemiah acknowledged who he himself was: God’s servant. When we maintain an attitude of humility toward our heavenly Father, we are reminded of our dependence on God.

Then Nehemiah confessed his own sins and the sins of the Israelites. He didn’t gloss over the transgressions but stated them in honest repentance. Repentance freed him—and can free us—to make the next step in prayer.

Awed, humbled and forgiven—Nehemiah reminded God of his promises to his people. He recounted God’s promises to the children of Israel and interceded for his people, asking God to hear his prayer and favor him.

What situation has brought you to tears? If it is enough to touch your heart, it’s enough to bring you to your knees. Follow Nehemiah’s pattern: Acknowledge who God is and who you are, confess your sins and remind God of his promises. When you do these things, you can come to God knowing that “he hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).

Reflection

When was the last time you wept in prayer for someone who needed God’s help?
What word best describes Nehemiah’s heart? Ask God to give you a heart of compassion like Nehemiah’s.
Follow Nehemiah’s pattern and pray for a person or situation causing you to grieve.

Nehemiah 1:4
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Too Tired?

Esther 7:1–10

Rosa Louise Parks was tired. The petite African American woman sat quietly, grateful to find a seat on the bus after spending most of the day on her feet. When a white passenger demanded she give up her seat, Rosa looked up. Segregation was the law in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Blacks were expected to yield their seats on public transportation to whites. To refuse meant arrest. Rosa stayed seated, and her actions helped change the landscape of the United States. Years later, Rosa wrote that it wasn’t physical weariness that gave her such inner strength. She said, “Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it.”

Centuries earlier, another woman was faced with a decision. Like Rosa, Esther had two strikes against her in the Persian Empire: She was female and a member of an oppressed people, the Jews. Although King Xerxes had chosen Esther to be queen, she was forbidden to approach the powerful king without an invitation. And an evil prime minister named Haman was plotting to annihilate the Jews. Esther’s cousin Mordecai’s plea to intervene meant risking her own life. It took courage for Queen Esther to take a stand, just as it took courage for Rosa Parks to remain seated. Both women’s actions opened the door to freedom for their people.

Many of us may think we’re safe from the type of persecution Rosa Parks and Esther faced. But Christians are being persecuted throughout the world in places like China, the Sudan and North Korea. Every day people die for the privilege of worshiping Jesus. It is estimated that more Christians died for their faith in the twentieth century than all the previous 19 centuries combined, and the numbers appear to be rising in the twenty-first century. Even in places where there is no outright persecution, many people think Christians are naive and out of touch with so-called reality. Some people do not really know or understand the person and mission of Jesus and will take every opportunity to slander his followers.

Wherever God has placed you, he can use you to speak his truth—words of love, justice and faith to a lost world—even if it means being misunderstood or ridiculed. Yes, it may be difficult and you may be weary; but, sister, “never tire of doing what is good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Reflection

How did reading about Rosa Parks and Queen Esther inspire you?
Have you ever felt God nudging you to speak up about a situation? What happened?
What do you need to take a stand on in your home, neighborhood or in the political arena?

Esther 7:3–4
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

To Know God Is to Trust God

Job 1:1–22

Imagine that your neighbor calls you at work, telling you the terrible news that your house and vehicles have been destroyed by fire, and while that person is still speaking, you learn that you’ve been fired from your job. While those words are still coming out of your employer’s mouth, your husband calls: your kids and all their families have been killed while they were vacationing together.

These are the unimaginable circumstances Job encountered. Devastating messages assaulted him again and again—each one coming while the messenger “was still speaking” (vs. 16–18). Who can even begin to comprehend his sheer horror at learning that all ten of his children were dead?

What did Job do? What was his initial response upon hearing of the loss of all he owned and of all he held dear? First, he grieved. He physically responded in the Eastern mode of grief by tearing his robe and shaving his head to display his deep sorrow. Yet no outward sign of grief could capture the inward torture Job felt.

Job’s next step demonstrates faithfulness toward God. He fell to the ground and worshiped. That’s right—he didn’t berate God or ask “Why me?” or “Why them?” Instead, he acknowledged that everything comes from God, and he praised the name of the Lord. Try envisioning that scene. It will take your breath away. Picture this man, deep in the throes of grief, praising God. In light of the horrific blows dealt to him, how did he do that?

Only one answer suffices: Job knew God—really knew him with an uncommon intimacy. His close communion with God had taught him that God was the only one who could give him any kind of real comfort. Job’s knowledge yielded a deep trust in an infallible Lord—a trust that enabled Job’s heart to keep beating even in the face of overwhelming heartbreak. It enabled him to respond to horrible pain with worship and praise.

Yes, times of seeking for answers and grappling for understanding followed that day of destruction, but Job’s initial response reflected a heart that knew and trusted God. What an amazing and beautiful image!

Reflection

How have you responded to bad news in the past? With praise? Anger? Despair? Confusion?
Job knew God well enough to turn to him in grief. How deep does your knowledge of God go? How close is your heart attuned to his?
How might going through tough times or experiencing pain and grief help someone know God?

Job 1:20–21
Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Never Alone

Psalm 13:1–6

At age 46 Peter Marshall, chaplain of the United States Senate, died of a heart attack. Soon after he died, his wife, Catherine Marshall, stood beside his body. Later she wrote how the presence of God comforted her:

“As I opened the door,” she wrote, “there was the instantaneous awareness that I was not alone. Yet the man I loved was not in the still form on the bed. I knew that Peter was near and alive. And beside him was another presence of transcendent glory, the Lord he had served through long years.” God stood beside Catherine to comfort her in her deepest grief.

In this psalm, the writer found himself feeling so alone, so seemingly abandoned by God, that he was plunged into a deep depression and despair that took him to the edge of death. He was wrestling with his thoughts. His sorrow was overwhelming.

Perhaps you can relate to such feelings. Perhaps you know what it’s like when your thoughts are whirling around in aching confusion. You may know what it’s like to plead with God for light, for peace, for an alternative to the spiritual death you think is imminent.

Then comes the “but.” The psalmist, even as he was suffering terribly, stopped himself with that little word. David chose to trust in God’s goodness even when his heart was failing and grieving. Because he knew God, he chose to trust in God’s unfailing love and rejoice even in the midst of sorrow.

Did you get that? He said, “But . . . I will” (verses 5–6). The psalmist made a choice. He made a conscious decision to trust in God’s love even when the dark clouds of terror and depression hid God’s face.

David knew this as a fact. And you can know it too: You are never alone. God is always nearby . . . even when you can’t see his face or feel his presence. When you feel alone, call out to him. No matter how you feel, the fact remains: He is here. He is everywhere. And he hears your cries.

Reflection

Have you experienced a time when you couldn’t feel God’s presence? When?
How did you respond? What did you do?
Based on your understanding of Psalm 13, what will you do next time you find yourself feeling this way?

Psalm 13:5–6
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

From Despair to Hope

Psalm 42:1–11

Throughout the day, many thoughts flow through our minds—from what we will cook for dinner to wondering if our friend’s struggling marriage will survive. In the midst of our thinking, an undercurrent of despair can creep in while we watch the nightly news, hear of a cancer diagnosis, sort out a misunderstanding or deal with whatever we’re facing that day.

Exiled north to Jordan and overflowing with a longing to return to Jerusalem, the psalmist voiced his deep sadness. Rather than denying or minimizing his pain, he clearly identified his sorrow and proclaimed his thirst for God.

Then what? The psalmist spoke to his soul! Was he mad? Did he have a personality disorder? No! He practiced the secret to overcoming hopelessness—the hopelessness that can trickle into our hearts and minds until we find ourselves in the rushing current, tumbling toward a waterfall of despair. Three times in Psalms 42 and 43, the psalmist admonishes his soul to “hope in God, for I will yet praise him!”

The psalmist encouraged his soul to praise God—in other words, to acknowledge, affirm and adore God’s character, even when he was feeling downcast in spirit or disturbed in heart. Our souls need similar encouragement. When we choose to dwell upon God’s character, we always have something to praise him about: his loving-kindness, goodness, power, faithfulness and mercy. If we want to bolster our souls with hope, we can start by filling our mouths with praise. When we choose to dwell on God’s light and truth, our souls can overflow with the comfort of being guided by God (see Psalm 43:3). When we choose to live close to God’s heart, we overflow with delight and joy (see verse 4).

If you are submerged in pain, sorrow, despair or confusion, maybe you need to give your soul a good talking to. What will you say?

Reflection

What thoughts are threatening to overflow and leave you feeling hopeless?
What words does your soul need to hear right now?
What are some specific reasons why you can hope in God? Spend some time meditating on God’s loving-kindness, goodness, power, faithfulness and mercy. Practice sitting quietly in his presence.

Psalm 42:5
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Perpetual Puberty

Proverbs 1:1–33

Junior high. The place where we transitioned to adolescence with pimply faces and few social skills. A time when it wasn’t cool to listen to authority. When sarcasm and spite peppered our speech. We thought we knew it all. Now—after 20, 30 or 40 years—many of us look back with regret on some of the choices we made then. We still wince when we remember the wounds we received from cutting words; we still wince when we remember the wounds we inflicted on others. What was missing during that season of life? Could it have been wisdom?

Actually, wisdom was there all the time, but we probably ignored it. When we allow wisdom to go unheeded, we’re like a teenager stuck in perpetual puberty. In Proverbs 1, Solomon describes the unwise as those who “delight in mockery” (verse 22), reject help (verse 24) and ignore advice (verse 25). It sounds like Solomon knew more than a few spiritual adolescents, doesn’t it?

He goes on to say that those who reject God’s knowledge will “eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes” (verse 31). In other words, we will reap what we sow, or in popular jargon, “we’ll get what we deserve.” Wisdom’s warning is appropriate for all of us, regardless of our age.

Where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you stuck in perpetual spiritual puberty? Here are a few signs: You constantly worry about what others think of you. You overreact to stressful situations. You’re too proud or stubborn to listen to those older and wiser. You stay with one group and ridicule others. If you’ve found yourself in perpetual puberty, then seek wisdom.

God’s wisdom isn’t reserved for a few scholars; it’s available to everyone. Wisdom is found in the book that holds eternal truth—God’s Word. According to Solomon, wisdom comes from listening to God (one of the most frequent commands in the Old Testament) and obeying him. Wisdom comes from letting the Holy Spirit live within you. Wisdom grows when, “like newborn babies, [you] crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2–3). If you’re stuck in spiritual adolescence, listen, learn and grow spiritually mature.

Reflection

When you think back to your junior high years, what feelings do you experience?
Describe a time when you disregarded wisdom. What was the result?
How will you go about growing more and seeking wisdom?

Proverbs 1:24–25
You refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand . . . you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke.

Investments of the Heart

Proverbs 22:1–11

If Dr. Seuss had ended up on Wall Street instead of Mulberry Street, perhaps his book titles may have sounded something like this: Great Day for the Dow! Horton Hears a Hedge and a High Index; Green Backs and Pork. The growth of investment companies and of commercialism demonstrates the continuing deification of the almighty dollar.

We all know that money can’t buy love, happiness or redemption. So why does the book of Proverbs imply that wealth, honor and life will come to those who are humble and fear the Lord? There are Christians who are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, just as there are wealthy Christians who don’t seem humble. Just what is the principle behind this proverb?

First, God’s definition of “wealth” isn’t the same as the world’s definition. King Solomon’s riches were legendary; his yearly income amounted to 25 tons of gold, not counting outside revenues from merchants and traders (see 1 Kings 10:14–15). In terms of finance, King Solomon was clearly qualified to write about wealth and prosperity. But the king soon discovered that God’s inheritance isn’t about quarterly dividends, accelerated land accumulation or a vast collection of chariots and horses. Rather, it is about the heart. In God’s eyes, spiritual riches are acquired by being rich toward him—by exhibiting a humble reverence for his awesome holiness. Spiritual wealth is laced with integrity, bejeweled by honor and polished for eternity. Spiritual riches will pay dividends in prudence, humility, honor, discipline, generosity, purity and graciousness.

This proverb is not a guide for earning wealth but a general principle for living wisely. Although this is not a guarantee that God will make us rich, spiritual riches can help reap financial stability (see Proverbs 21:20). Prudence will teach us to save for a rainy day rather than spend heedlessly. Disciplined giving can benefit us financially as well as spiritually. God delights in giving to the giver. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6:38). But more important than financial wealth is the richness of living a godly life. We may not live on Wall Street, but we can make investments every day that will yield the benefits of humility, the fear of the Lord, honor and eternal life.

Reflection

How do you define wealth? How does God?
What, in your own life, does it look like to “fear God”?
How do you invest the riches you’ve been given by God (your money, time, talents, etc.)?

Proverbs 22:4
Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.

You Gotta Laugh

Proverbs 31:10–31

Oh, the unique challenges awaiting the woman approaching middle age! Imagine waking up one morning to find your face sort of lying in a pool beside you. Your once tight abs have been replaced with something rather squishy that has to be gathered up (starting somewhere around the knees) and tucked into industrial–strength, control-top pantyhose. Imagine suddenly realizing that your thighs almost create sparks when you walk. Your biceps are so deflated that in a strong breeze you worry that they might actually make a flapping sound. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it. Maybe you’re living it.

God might have knit these bodies together out of a more “permanent press” kind of fabric. He could have built in a kind of stretch that wouldn’t lose its elasticity around middle age. But he didn’t. And through our aging and all the challenges we live through, he teaches us what’s really important.

The Proverbs 31 “wife of noble character” got in on that teaching. She could “laugh at the days to come” (verse 25). Her future held flabby abs and combustible thighs too. But she could laugh. Why?

The passage describes a woman who seems just about perfect. Many Bible teachers call her the “virtuous woman,” and she makes Martha Stewart look like a novice. She keeps her husband happy; she works eagerly; she gets up early and stays up late. She gives to others generously, makes her own clothes, is an eloquent teacher, and her kids love her. A woman like this “who can find,” indeed! She is a formidable pattern, an intimidating example.

But look past the outward layer. Look deeper. You’ll see a woman of wisdom who fully understood what was really important. She understood what it meant to work hard and to serve God with her whole heart. She understood that everything of consequence was wrapped up in him. Serving others came as a natural extension of serving him.

There’s only one metamorphosis that matters—and it will keep every woman eternally beautiful. It’s a metamorphosis of the heart. The Scripture says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Having a heart of unselfish service that has been transformed by Christ—that’s what’s important. And that is what gives us the ability to laugh at the future . . . even if it involves flabby thighs.

Reflection

When your attention to appearance gets out of whack and your focus is more on looks than on eternal things, how might “fearing the Lord” turn your focus back to where it needs to be?
What are some of the ways the woman in Proverbs 31:10–31 served others?
How many different types of people did her daily life and ministry touch? How might you underestimate the many lives you touch each day?

Proverbs 31:25, 30
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come . . . Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Remember the Good Ol’ Days?

Ecclesiastes 7:2–14

It’s easy to think the past was better than today. Most of us have selective memories. We only remember what we want to remember. We reminisce about our fun-loving college days but forget how we stayed up all night to study, subsisting on Ramen noodles and completely stressing out because no one had asked us to the upcoming party. We remember being single—enjoying the freedom to have ice cream for dinner—but forget how lonely we felt eating by ourselves. We recall our children as darling babies but don’t remember how frustrated we were when the “terrible twos” hit.

You could make the case that it’s good to forget the bad. However, when we look at the past through rose-colored glasses, we run the risk of being ungrateful for what we have right now. Rather than seeing today’s gifts, we yearn for yesterday’s fun and games, conveniently glossing over the past’s difficulties.

Our days, months and years are made up of both good times and bad. The tapestry of life’s events makes up the very essence of who we are. Think about today and the difficulties you are encountering: The laundry is piling up. The roof needs fixing. Your kids aren’t listening to you. Now consider some of the memories you’re making today: Your baby took his first steps. Your daughter graduated from kindergarten, high school or college. You got that big promotion. You finally started your own business.

Thank God for all your wonderful memories. Take the difficult things to God in prayer. Ask him what he wants you to learn from your present situation. God doesn’t waste any of our experiences. He can use the good ol’ days, as well as the not-so-great days, to benefit us, if we let him. The key is to remember things as they really were, to be content with things as they really are and to trust God to take care of the future.

Reflection

Name some difficulties you’ve faced in the past. What good came out of them?
What difficulties are you facing right now? How might God use them for your good or the good of someone else?
Name some of the women you know who have used their difficulties to help others. How have they glorified God?

Ecclesiastes 7:10, 14
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions . . . When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

The Strongest Love

Song of Songs 8:1–7

From Romeo and Juliet to the movie Titanic, books, films and stories tell us that there is a love that is great enough to die for. Many women would say their greatest earthly desire is for true intimacy with a man—not a vague commitment or wishy-washy affection. Some might say they want a love worth dying for. Maybe you feel the same way. In fact, if you are honest, on many days you long more for the affirmation and passion of a husband or boyfriend than you ache for the love of God.

God is love—even your desire for love points to him as the source of all love. The love between a man and a woman is a beautiful reflection of God’s love, but you only desire that kind of love because God has placed that desire in you.

The Song of Songs presents a picture of love between a man and a woman that reflects the love of God. God doesn’t love you at a distance or remember you as an afterthought. Look at the words used to express his love: seal, strong, unyielding, blazing and unquenchable. He loves everything about you, the way you walk, talk, laugh and brush your hair. He loves you in more ways than you can ever know because he knows you through and through. He knows your thoughts, when you sit, when you rise and when you lie down (see Psalm 139).

God wants you to believe that he loves you! He doesn’t put conditions on his love. He only asks that you respond to his love: “Place me like a seal over your heart.” Imagine God saying to you, “I love you so much that I want to be with you intimately, at all times.” God loves you with the strongest love imaginable—a love that is as strong as death. In fact, he proved his love through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This ultimate gift showed us that his love for us was, in fact, a love worth dying for.

Reflection

What keeps you from believing and fully accepting God’s love?
How would your thoughts and actions be different this week if you fully believed that God loved you?
Read Psalm 139. Memorize as much of it as you can. How does it change your view of yourself to realize how intimately God knows you and loves you?

Song of Songs 8:6
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

Equipped

Isaiah 6:1–8

Who likes to take on trouble? Worse yet, to do so single-handedly? The task Isaiah faced was a difficult and undesirable one. The Israelites were in a mess—again. They were suffering because of their sinful ways. The problem was so immense and overwhelming that no one seemed able or even available to help.

God himself asked the question, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah answered, “Here am I. Send me!”

Wait a minute. What made Isaiah run to the problem rather than following the instinct to avoid conflict and personal danger? Isaiah wasn’t a damage-control expert or a crisis-management counselor. He was a lone prophet. So how was he equipped to intervene?

What prompted Isaiah to step forward and offer himself to God was an experience in worship that altered him forever. Isaiah saw God seated on his throne in heaven. His senses were overwhelmed with the magnificence of God’s presence. He heard the antiphonal singing of the seraphs, whose voices shook the doorposts and thresholds. Smoke filled the sanctuary. Isaiah was humbled and awestruck.

Everything pointed the prophet beyond the current task to the eternal glory of God. The weight of coming face-to-face with God was so intense that it nearly crushed Isaiah. Yet at the same time it revived and rejuvenated him. Seeing God in all his glory and splendor and worshiping him equipped Isaiah to serve God.

Has God called you to a task for which you feel completely inadequate? Perhaps you’re parenting a child with a disability, disciplining a rebellious son, caring for an elderly parent, battling to preserve a broken marriage. The key to taking on the extraordinary challenge is to worship God, to spend time in his presence meditating on just how awesome he is. When we praise God’s holiness and majesty, when we focus on his strength and wisdom, then we are assured of the courage and vigor he makes available to us—the power to go one more mile, to endure one more day, to love one more hour, to forgive one more time. Like Isaiah, we can face these hard assignments with confidence that if God has called us, he will equip us.

Reflection

In what ways has worship sustained and encouraged you in the past?
What difficult task is God calling you to now? Will you say, like Isaiah, “Here am I, send me”?
Take some time to sit quietly and think about God. Let yourself think of his holiness, his majesty, his power, his love. Be still and know that he is God.

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Inside Out

Jeremiah 2:32–33

Like many women each morning, perhaps you wake up, pour yourself a cup of caffeine, take a shower and then get ready to meet the world. You pick out an outfit (preferably one that makes you look five to ten pounds lighter), do your hair and put on makeup. Finally, you add jewelry, a belt and maybe a purse. Voilá! You’re ready to meet the day.

The care involved in our routines begs the question: How much time do we spend getting ready spiritually each morning? Do we take any time at all to ask God to guide us during our day? Do we read the Scriptures, meditate or pray so that we can be more patient, kind and loving with our spouse and children? Or do we worry more about getting out the door than about the condition of our hearts?

Caring for our outward appearance is not wrong . . . as long as we don’t neglect focusing on our inner thoughts and attitudes too. The prophet Jeremiah noted that women are unlikely to forget their accessories, but God’s people are prone to forget him. If we’re honest, we’ll admit that we are much like the Israelites. In the midst of our busy lives, God often gets pushed to the bottom of our to-do lists. But spiritual growth happens from the inside out.

Try this: Tomorrow as you shower, praise God for the cleansing that Jesus’ forgiveness provides. As you’re getting dressed, thank God for clothing you with Christ’s righteousness. When you put on your moisturizer, ask God to soften your heart to his leading throughout the day. As you apply your makeup, thank him for being the foundation of your life. When you put in your contacts, ask God to give you eyes to see his workings in the world. And as you put on your earrings, thank him for beautifying your life with the fruits of the Spirit.

Who knows? After talking to God throughout the morning, you might not even need caffeine!

Reflection

What “enemies of the soul” (busyness, etc.) cause you to sometimes forget to take time with God?
How much time do you spend daily in prayer and Bible study, preparing your heart for the day?
What are some ways you can become more balanced in your life?

Jeremiah 2:32
“Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.”

A Fresh Start

Lamentations 3:21–51

Starting over. It’s the second chance we didn’t think we’d have. It’s a wave of relief that washes over our past mistakes. It is a gift from God we don’t deserve.

In the book of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah looks back at the destruction of Jerusalem. God promised that his people would face punishment for their sinful choices, and he was true to his word. Their city had been ravaged, and they were now living in exile. The temple was completely destroyed.

In the midst of Jeremiah’s lament, however, he remembers the mercy of God. Were it not for God’s mercy, every one of God’s people would have perished. The judgment on them was painful, but God would not leave them ruined. Eventually, after they acknowledged their disobedience and confessed their sin, God would forgive and restore them. He would allow them to start over once more. And he does the same for us.

Maybe you have experienced the discipline of God in your own life. You have suffered painful consequences for sinful choices you have made. Perhaps you feel that God has left you there. If so, remember that although God is just, he is also full of mercy. His compassions never fail. He promises to forgive us when we come to him and confess what we have done or not done. No matter how you have offended God, you can have hope because of his great mercy. You can always have a fresh start with him because his compassions are “new every morning.”

Take some time to thank God for the specific ways he has acted mercifully toward you. Thank him for forgiving your sin. Express gratitude to him for actively restoring you. You may even want to sing or pray the words to the hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”:

>“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

>Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

>Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

>Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!”

Reflection

Recall a time in your life when you experienced God’s discipline for disobedient choices. How did you feel?
When you disobey God, do you quickly respond with repentance and confession? Why or why not?
In what way have you experienced the ever-new compassion of God?

Lamentations 3:21–23
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Wild Inspiration

Ezekiel 1:1–28

Do you ever read Bible passages and just scratch your head in confusion? For most non-scholarly Bible readers, the book of Ezekiel is chock-full of kaleidoscopic visions that seem more like Star Wars than Scripture. After reading Ezekiel 1, can you imagine what fun Hollywood would have in creating their rendition of this scene? Even animatronics wizards might struggle to come up with a four-winged human being with four faces (that of a man, lion, ox and eagle)—on wheels, no less. God is, indeed, more creative than any human being’s imagination.

Why would God give this wild vision to Ezekiel?

The answer might have to do with inspiration. It seems that what enabled the prophet Ezekiel and his contemporaries to press on in their difficult ministries was a powerful, majestic vision of God. Ezekiel’s particular vision left an indelible impression: God was the absolute Sovereign over all of creation and history. The prophet would remember this one-of-a-kind experience and return to it all of his life.

Ezekiel could describe the cherubim in this vision with great detail. However, when he saw “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD,” he groped for words and ultimately could not respond. He could only fall facedown—awestruck by God’s holiness and glory.

Ezekiel, like most Biblical prophets, endured his share of shame and often appeared foolish to his contemporaries. He did not have a dream job . . . so he needed a vision. His visions of God sustained, encouraged, strengthened and directed him in an otherwise difficult and thankless task.

What is your vision of God? What keeps you staying with the job God has called you to do? Is your motivation based on who God has revealed himself to be? Whatever your task today, dare to ask the wild, holy, Sovereign God of Ezekiel to reveal his majesty to encourage and strengthen you

Reflection

Do you ever feel uninspired and unrewarded in your ministry, task or job?
Where do you usually look for motivation?
How has God revealed himself to you in a way that has strengthened and encouraged you?

Ezekiel 1:28
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking

Able to Save

Daniel 3:1–30

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survived a close encounter with martyrdom. Because they defied the ruling authority, they were scheduled to be thrown into a furnace. But trusting God to honor their faithfulness, they vowed fidelity—even if it cost them their lives. While we know the end of the story (they lived), they had no certainty that they would survive the raging blaze of Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace when they stood up for God. And though they were certain of God’s power and willingness to protect them, they didn’t demand that he save them.

Now consider this story that occurred centuries later: A judge summoned Perpetua, age 26, and commanded her to deny God or face certain death. Perpetua, with a newborn infant, faced a dilemma. North African Christians under Roman rule in A.D. 200 ran the risk of being put to death for openly acknowledging their faith. As her father looked on, urging her to save herself for her child cradled in his arms, still she would not do as she was commanded and sacrifice to idols.

Perpetua held fast in her conviction and faith in the living God. When the wild bull that was released to attack her and another believer failed to kill them, the Romans sent in the gladiators. A terrified young man approached her and made several ineffectual stabs. In a final act of mercy, she steered his sword into the lethal blow and died.

Many Christians face persecution today. At some point many more may have to make the choice to denounce God or risk everything they hold dear, including their lives. And many face such choices now, though with less threatening consequences: We may be ostracized from our families or passed over for promotions. We may be treated unjustly or misunderstood.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were faced with dire persecution? Are you willing to risk everything because you are convinced that loving God is worth whatever sacrifices you face? When faced with the choice to remain faithful or cave in to fear, think of the three young men in Babylon and Perpetua in North Africa who counted their own lives as nothing compared to the grace they had been given.

Reflection

What kind of persecution do you face for being a Christian? How do you deal with it?
What would it be like to face dire persecution like so many people around the world today?
What lessons have you learned from Perpetua and Daniel’s three friends?

Daniel 3:17–18
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Real Joy

Hosea 3:1–5

Several years ago, at a women’s retreat where their theme was “Experiencing the Joy!” I remember telling them that “real joy is knowing the depth of your sin and the extent of your idolatry.” Until you believe with your whole being that, given the right set of circumstances, you are capable of committing any sin, and until you know that apart from Christ there is nothing that’s naturally good in you, then you will never know real joy.

Real joy is knowing how bad I am and then comparing it to how much I have been forgiven. Jesus said it himself: Those who have been forgiven much, love much. Their gratitude spills over, and they find themselves crazy in love with God, falling at his feet, worshiping with abandon. They find themselves loving others extravagantly and forgiving others from the heart. For not only do those who have been forgiven much love much, but they forgive much too (see Luke 7:41–48). As the Bible instructs, we are to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Although some sins are more heinous than others—murder is more detrimental to society than entertaining lustful thoughts or stealing a packet of Sweet ‘N Low—all sin is grievous to God. All sin separates us from him. All sin is serious . . .

Whenever my heart starts to grow cold, when I take comfort in being “not so bad” and seek satisfaction in feeling superior to others, all I need is to look at the cross of Christ. Then, once I see clearly that it was me who put Jesus there, I remember his words to another sinful woman: “Your sins are forgiven . . . Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50).

—Nancy Kennedy

Reflection

Put yourself in Hosea’s place. How do you think he felt when he was asked to take back an adulteress wife?
Now put yourself in Hosea’s wife’s place. How grateful do you think she was for Hosea’s love? How does it make you feel to know that God is always willing to take you back—regardless of how “bad” you are?
Spend some time reflecting on the thought that real joy is knowing how much you’ve been forgiven. Thank your heavenly Husband for forgiving you and loving you enough to send his Son to provide perfect peace and joy.

Hosea 3:1
The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

But for a Moment

Joel 2:1–32

After the wicked King Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes and condemned tens of thousands of the noblest men and women of France to torture and to death, many brave women were imprisoned in a huge tower called the Tour de Constance. The dungeon was a terrible place; its walls were 15 feet thick, and it was lighted only by narrow embrasures. The sister of a martyred minister lived for 36 years in that prison, and never gave way.

When at last the Huguenot women were released in 1768, someone found a word scored in the middle of the hard stone floor. The inscription is hardly readable, and to see it on a fine summer day, one has to kneel down and have a candle lighted; otherwise it is too dark. That one word is Resist. It is thought that some woman carved it, perhaps with a needle (the tracing is so faint), toiling at that word to help and strengthen herself and others, so that after she was gone they might be encouraged in their resolve to endure till the end. Surely the powers of endurance that God can give to the human soul are beyond our understanding. These women had not even the comfort of their Bibles. They had nothing, nothing—but God. Can the God who so gloriously nourished them with heavenly strength not feed us also, in our lesser needs, as we wait day by day upon him?

When we think of suffering, such as myriads have endured in all ages, in all lands, and of the suffering, too, that many are enduring today, our own little troubles and difficulties seem too small to think about at all, and we can only find relief in praying for those who suffer. And yet, though this is so, sometimes our trifles can try us a good deal, and those words, “And even this shall pass,” may perhaps bring comfort to some among us. At longest it is “but for a moment,” and then . . . ?

—Amy Carmichael

Reflection

What area of your life seems lost or hopeless? Ask God for the strength to resist giving way to discouragement.
How does God’s promise to “repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” give you hope?
How does the thought that what you are enduring is “but for a moment” in light of eternity bring you comfort?

Joel 2:25, 27
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you . . . Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.”

What About the Poor?

Amos 8:1–14

Ask your neighbor or coworker to list the “top ten” sins, and you will probably hear a version of the Ten Commandments. Murder, stealing, lying and adultery would probably head the list.

But when God revealed to Amos that he was about to bring judgment upon his people, he cited Israel’s treatment of the poor as cause for punishment. In startling imagery, God said Israel had “trampled” the needy and cheated the poor. The poor, the victims of Israel’s greed and exploitation, had no recourse but to appeal to God. And God listened.

In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly takes up the often-overlooked cause of the poor. When Jesus preached in the synagogue in Luke 4:16–21, the prophecy he chose to read to reveal who he was came from Isaiah 61:1–2: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” When Jesus described final judgment in Matthew 25:31–46, he evaluated how well people cared for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the needy and the imprisoned. Jesus so identifies with the poor in this passage that he says that the good deeds done to the “least of these” were counted as being done to him!

How does the way you live reveal your concern for the poor? Are the poor an afterthought? A nuisance? A perplexing problem you’ve quit trying to solve? For many of us, Amos’s message challenges us to serve the poverty stricken in ways besides simply giving money. Volunteering in a food pantry or rescue mission may be the first step to helping poor people with their immediate needs. Working directly with people who are poor helps us to put names and faces on poverty. When we do that, we can no longer objectify and ignore the needy. But are there ways to take our compassion one step further? How can we speak up to make sure the poor aren’t exploited? How can we work to make sure our institutions don’t make the problem worse? How can we vote for policies and practices that are equitable?

It is God’s desire that we be willing to share what we have with those in need and help the poor whenever we can. When we do, our hearts beat in time with his.

Reflection

What are your assumptions about why someone might be poor?
Have you ever been without what you needed to live? What did you do?
Why do you think God identifies himself with the poor? What does that tell you about his character?

Amos 8:4–5
Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”—skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales.

Wishing Them Well

Jonah 3:1–10

Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance who made a wrong choice for every right choice you made, yet in the end your friend seemed to face none of the consequences you faced? It’s hard to take, watching someone come out smelling like roses when you know the stinky stuff they’ve been rooted in.

If you can relate, then you can empathize with Jonah when God told him to go to Nineveh. Now, that was not just any field of service for the ancient prophet. It was Israel’s greatest national enemy. The Ninevites were citizens of Assyria, a brutal nation to the east, and Israel’s greatest threat.

It’s no wonder that when the people of Nineveh did clean up their act (for a while anyway), Jonah was distressed. How could God sanction the redemption of a country like that? It didn’t seem fair. And in truth, at least from Jonah’s perspective, it probably wasn’t.

It’s tough to just do what’s asked of you and leave the fairness issue to God, isn’t it? It’s hard to see people receive good things when they’ve caused you (or someone you love) pain. Like when your ex-son-in-law remarries or when the disloyal secretary down the hall gets a promotion you deserved. It’s even harder to facilitate their good fortune, like Jonah did. Jesus said to love our enemies, but when it comes right down to it, we’d rather not.

How do we get past our feelings and wish our enemies well? We grace them with the same kind of mercy with which God graced us without expectation of getting anything back in return (see Luke 6:35–36). We focus on God and on the good things he has given us and done for us. The key to countering the envy of another’s fortune is to be grateful for our own. And when we do that, we let go of the part of God’s job that we’d like to do—the finger-pointing. It’s just too hard to do our own work and God’s too. And he does it so much better! Since we don’t have his insight into the hearts and minds of those people we’d like to judge and condemn, it’s better for us to push aside our limited understanding of justice and just trust him instead.

Reflection

Think about the feelings you have toward people who live under a completely different set of values than you do. How do your feelings for them compare to the love God has for them?
When it comes to people you dislike, why is it difficult to “wish them well”?
What keeps you from being able to leave that person solely accountable to God? Fear? Anger? Jealousy?

Jonah 3:1–2
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

God‘s Better Way

Micah 4:1–13

Things weren’t going Luci’s way at work. She worked longer and harder than ever without recognition and with no promotion in sight.

Even though she didn’t like change, she started looking for another job. The one most intriguing to her seemed like a long shot—way out of her league. However, just as she was getting ready to accept another offer, the long shot came in. She was the company’s top pick.

It was a perfect match. Luci couldn’t have dreamed of a better job. Looking back, she realized she would never have sought the job if things at her old company hadn’t become difficult. She wouldn’t have chosen to have things turn sour so she would want to leave. At the time, the thought of moving to a new job seemed impossible. And scary.

But God wanted her to experience more. He wanted the best for her. And she would never have found his best if she hadn’t experienced trouble at work. God allowed the problems and ultimately used them for her good, even though at the time it had been a mystery to her. She did not “know the thoughts of the LORD” (Micah 4:12). Many times, neither do we.

Micah spoke of a future time when Jerusalem would experience peace . . . a time when war would end. At the time, it seemed like a crazy message. Things were more than uncomfortable; they were downright horrible. The armies of Babylon had destroyed the temple, killed people and tortured many more. Yet Micah said peace was coming. It didn’t seem possible.

Sometimes, the things God promises for our future don’t seem at all likely in light of what we’re experiencing today. From our limited perspective, we don’t see the big picture, only a tiny thumbnail print. Like Luci, we may be experiencing something difficult or uncomfortable that will result in something better. It’s important to remember that sometimes our troubles are only a momentary detour leading us to God’s best for us.

Reflection

How has God used a difficult situation in your past for your good?
Is there a situation in your life right now that you can look at from a fresh perspective?
How can you share your experiences with someone else who needs encouragement today?

Micah 4:12
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

Bullies

Nahum 1:1–15

Every schoolyard has them. They’re the nemesis of every 43-pound weakling and pig-tailed girl with lunch money. They are the menaces of the playground. It seems they never get caught—and there are very few who can or will stand up to them.

At this time in history, the biggest bullies on Israel’s block were the Assyrians. The Ninevites, who lived in the capital city of Assyria, were vicious and arrogant. Hearing their name made the Israelites cringe and whimper. One hundred years earlier, Jonah had tried to run away from them, and for good reason. Their war crimes were legendary.

And dear Nahum, whose name means, “comfort,” brings Israel some good news: The big bully is finally going to get his due. And who will avenge them? God himself. Jonah had demonstrated God’s compassion toward the bullies and had given them a chance to change. Now, a century after their short-lived revival, Nahum lets them have it.

Nahum draws a terrifying cosmic portrait of the God who can make short work of any bully, no matter how big and pushy. God is slow to anger; he is not impulsive. But when he has waited with infinite patience for the guilty to change, watch out! The most powerful forces of nature—the whirlwind, the storm, the earthquake and the flood—are but a shadow of God’s awesome power; they are his tools, as a hammer is the tool of a worker. The real force is the strength behind the hammer. And this worker, Israel’s God, has declared of the bullies, “They will be destroyed and pass away” (verse 12).

But Nahum’s portrait is a study in contrasts and mystery: God is also “good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (verse 7). God is both stern and kind, just and loving.

The world is full of bullies. Maybe they’ve never looked at Nahum’s portrait of God. The sight should strike as much terror in their hearts as looking up into the eye of a whirlwind. But as for you, keep Nahum’s portrait in mind the next time you face a bully. God sees injustice and, in his time, will avenge the helpless and the innocent. If Jonah’s story reminds us that their day may not be today, then Nahum assures us that their day will certainly come.

Reflection

Do you have experience with being “bullied”? Describe what it feels like.
Describe what it is like to finally have someone stick up for you.
Who are the “big bullies” in your present circumstances? Ask God to deal with them and be your “refuge in times of trouble.”

Nahum 1:3
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

Going Home

Zephaniah 3:14–20

The twentieth century was the bloodiest century in history. Amid millions of lives lost to warfare and violent conflict, international homelessness reached its zenith. Ethnic and religious groups on the fringes of society, hated and destroyed by neighbors, did not merely live without four walls and a roof—they literally had no home. Home embodies a state of well-being to which many will never return.

Some of the displaced peoples even bear the marks of their nomadic past in their names. With a name that can be translated “wanderer,” the Csángó trace their ancestry back to the nomadic Asians of the Carpathian Mountains. Straddling the modern Romanian-Moldavian border, the Csángó; people have never known what it feels like to be “home.”

Many of us can relate to the wandering of the Csángó; people. While we may have the physical comforts of a house, we still experience an indefinable, heartsick longing for home. Even women who appear to lead the ideal life—a seemingly perfect family, a good job, honor and respect within the community—can suffer silently from feelings of alienation. It’s possible to feel displaced instead of secure in the arms of those we love. At the end of the day, lying in bed, one can be safely home and still feel profoundly lost.

In truth, we are all outsiders and wanderers according to God. Imagine what it would mean for a Csángó; woman, always the alien, to hear God’s promise through Zephaniah: “I will bring you home.” Now imagine the hopeful imagery of the joyous homecoming awaiting all of us. We may never experience what it’s like to find our home in an earthly sense. But then again, maybe that’s just as God intended. That homesick feeling reminds us that we’re not yet really home.

Whenever your heart swells with longings for security and rest, remember God’s promise to one day bring you safely home to his house, where he has prepared a room for you (see John 14:1–4).

Reflection

Zephaniah describes home in terms of gathering the scattered. In what areas of your life do you feel scattered instead of grounded?
Why do you think women are vulnerable to feeling emotionally homeless?
How does the future promise of home affect your life today?

Zephaniah 3:19–20
“At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD.

Blessed Are the Desperate

Zechariah 1:1–21

I’m a colorful sinner, and I’ve fallen woefully short of God’s glory. I’m desperate for divine help. We all are.

C.S. Lewis paints a vivid description of how we humans seem to desecrate every good thing God does for us. In his book Letters to Malcolm, Lewis writes, “We poison the wine as He decants it into us; murder a melody He would play with us as the instrument. We caricature the self-portrait He would paint. Hence all sin, whatever else it is, is a sacrilege.”

Maybe you expect rejection from a perfect God because of your less-than-perfect past. Or maybe you’re spiritually crippled by a sin that seems unforgivable. But the good news of the gospel is that our heavenly Father loves us with an everlasting love.

We need to acknowledge the fact that we’re crippled—that there is nothing righteous in us, that we are desperate for his mercy. And when the Spirit prompts us to recognize our need for salvation, God provides a Savior through the sacrifice of his only son, Jesus, who rescues us from barren places and gives us a seat next to him at the Lord’s banquet table.

Because of God’s mercy, our stained hearts have been bleached by the blood of the Lamb. The God who spoke the universe into existence, who breathed life into Adam, who stretched out the heavens and the necks of giraffes, has looked down, taken our hand in his, and said, “Yep, she’s mine.” Even though we’re crippled, we have been royally adopted by the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are listed as his next of kin. Our names are written on his hands and in his book of life. His love for us is based on his character, not our performance. And it is greater than we could ever hope for or imagine.

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Blessed are the desperate.

—Lisa Harper

Reflection

Describe a time when you felt desperate for God’s mercy. How did God rescue you from the barren place?
When did you know that you belonged to God? How does knowing that your name is written on his hand and in his book of life comfort you?
In today’s passage, the Lord spoke of those who would not listen to him. Do you know people like that? Spend time praying that they will begin to hear God’s voice and turn or return to his Son.

Zechariah 1:4, 6
“Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD . . . But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?”

Mine?

Malachi 3:6–10

Have you ever tried to take a toy from a toddler? If so, then you know it’s hardly worth the effort. Even though the child probably doesn’t know where the toy came from, the words my and mine repeatedly resound. It’s hers and no one else’s.

Mine. It’s one of the first words we learn as children. No one has to teach us to be possessive. Hoarding comes naturally. Maybe we fear that we won’t have what we need or that someone will take what we think rightfully belongs to us. Learning to share is so often the challenge.

God instituted the concept of tithing during Moses’ time. Not only was it the way God provided for the Levites, but it was also a spiritual discipline to teach his people to rely on him. By giving God the first tenth of their produce, they acknowledged that all they had was from his hand. In this passage, God lamented that the people were robbing him by withholding their tithe. He asked them to “test” his generosity. And wow! God can pass that test, opening the floodgates of heaven and pouring out so much blessing that there will not be enough room for it.

With a return like that, who wouldn’t want to give to God? But God doesn’t ask us to give out of his own need or for what we receive in return. He asks us to give as a reflection of how generous he has been to us. He has, indeed, poured out mercy, forgiveness, provision and everything else we need. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). The Old Testament tithe was a requirement, but the New Testament offering is a test of the heart. Giving is not a duty but a joyous out pouring of gratitude. And giving is God’s way of making us, his people, a conduit of his love to others.

We cannot receive God’s gifts with closed fists. No, receiving requires open hands. What God pours into our hands, we pour out. And in God’s kingdom, there is always more to spare.

Reflection

Are your hands open or are you tightfisted, like a child with a toy?
Have you practiced the grace of generous giving? If so, what happened? How did giving affect you?
Why would giving to God in order to receive from God not be a good motive? What’s wrong with this way of thinking?

Malachi 3:10
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

The Giver

Matthew 7:7–29

According to recent statistics, parents spend an average of $1,500 a year on clothes for their kids and $450 a year on furnishings for their kids’ rooms. Children as young as elementary school age have cell phones, portable digital audio players, high-definition televisions and multiple video game platforms. Every year, parents in the United States spend tens of billions of dollars on Christmas gifts for their kids.

These statistics reflect more than rampant consumerism. They reflect the desire of parents to give gifts to their kids. Parents have always wanted their children to have good things.

Jesus used this universal truth to teach us of the power of prayer. It is a natural instinct to care for our child, to respond when our child asks for help or food or even a present. How much more will our heavenly Father give good gifts to his children!

Unlike earthly parents, God the Father gives perfect gifts because they are spiritual gifts uniquely suited to each of us. There’s no such thing as a Christian who’s been spoiled rotten with spiritual gifts. God gives us gifts that fit us perfectly, gifts that fill and complete us. How are we to respond to such generosity? By using those gifts to the utmost. Isn’t that what every parent wants their child to do? We offer our children good things, so they’ll know they are loved. But we want them to use their gifts often and take care of them.

And God wants us to delight in his good gifts. What parent wants a child to put a present back under the Christmas tree and walk away disappointed? We want to see joy on our child’s face as she receives gifts from us. We want her to enjoy what we have given her. We know she loves her doll if she picks it up and hugs it. We’re sure he loves his bike if he climbs on and rides it. Our heavenly Father longs for us to enjoy the gifts he gives, to wrap our arms around them and use them for his good pleasure. God’s gifts are there for the taking . . . with pleasure.

Reflection

What is one good gift that God has offered you today? How have you embraced it?
In what ways do your memories of your earthly parents affect how you read this passage?
What spiritual gifts have you been given? Spend some time in prayer, asking your heavenly Father for gifts to build his body, the church

Matthew 7:11
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Buried Treasures

Matthew 13:1–58

Are you digging for buried treasure? If not, you should know that it’s waiting there for you.

But wait. Don’t reach for a shovel just yet. For this kind of digging, you need other kinds of tools: your Bible, a concordance and maybe a reliable commentary or two. And bring along your mind, heart, time and a bit of patience. You may ask, “What kind of treasure can I find with these tools?” The answer is profound. You’ll find a wealth of God’s wisdom that can only be found when you search for it as if you were digging for gold or silver buried beneath the earth’s surface.

You may have noticed that if you read Scripture simply to check it off your to-do list, you don’t gain much insight. But when you pray, when you compare one Scripture with another, when you meditate on verses, then you gain insight—then you find the golden nuggets of wisdom and truth that have been there all the time, buried beneath the surface.

In Matthew 11 and 12, Jesus had pronounced judgment on the unrepentant and especially the religious leaders who were uniting against him. But in Matthew 13, Jesus changed his approach in speaking to the crowds. He started teaching in parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings. Only those who wanted to dig deep enough could understand what he was really saying. Others might pass Christ’s teachings off as simple stories. But these “simple stories” were eternal stories—helping generations understand spiritual principles through physical metaphors. Rural folk could grasp the kingdom of heaven by looking at a farmer working in the fields. People in business could comprehend the kingdom of heaven through stories of faithful or evil servants. All could look forward to Christ’s return via the story of a wedding and bridegroom. Simple stories—profound truth.

Jesus gladly answered his disciples’ questions about his parables and gave them the interpretations. His hidden truths are an open secret for those who are really looking. When you ask the Holy Spirit to give you ears to hear and eyes to see, God will open his treasure house and give you fresh insight into his parables. Ask him for understanding, and he’ll help you unearth buried treasure.

Reflection

What Bible study tools or methods do you use on a daily basis?
Which of the following would you use to describe your time with God’s Word: skimming the surface or digging for treasure?
What new treasure has God revealed to you lately? What could you do with that new insight?

Matthew 13:13
“This is why I speak to them in parables.”

Something Wonderful

Mark 3:13–19

“Who me, Lord?”

“Yes, you. I’m calling you.”

“But what you’re asking of me is too difficult. I don’t have the skills or the training. I can’t possibly succeed at this!”

Does this conversation sound familiar? Many of us know the experience of being asked to take on a task that seems much too demanding for us. We’re afraid of failure. We make excuses. But by doing so, we may miss the joy of being part of something wonderful.

In The Purpose Driven Life, author Rick Warren responds to those who make excuses concerning why they cannot serve the Lord: “Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid.”

The 12 men Jesus asked to be his apostles could have offered lots of reasons why they were not fit to serve. They were common men with no special standing in the eyes of the world. Yet when Jesus called, they came: fishermen, tax collectors and even revolutionaries. History shows that their faith and obedience to Jesus Christ changed the world profoundly.

When Jesus calls us to follow him, he’s not looking for the smartest or the strongest or the most brave. He doesn’t check our resume or call our list of references. Scripture is full of stories of women and men who were used powerfully by God despite their lack of experience or expertise. How about you? Is God asking you to accept an assignment that seems far beyond your comfort zone? Are you afraid that you might fail? Are you afraid that you might succeed?

Take heart from this account of those whom Jesus chose to be his closest companions—those who would carry on his work. They changed the world not because of what they had in themselves, but because of the One who empowered them. And they were part of something wonderful.

Reflection

What is God asking you to do that you are afraid to undertake?
What excuses have you been giving for not accepting the task?
What are the spiritual and physical resources you need to accept God’s call? Ask God to give them to you.

Mark 3:13
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.

No Age Barrier

Luke 2:36–38

By anyone’s definition, Anna was old. Married for only 7 years, a widow until age 84, Anna had witnessed the passing of decade after decade. Her world was not a large one, as she was consigned to living in the temple and devoted herself to fasting and prayer; she mostly worshiped and waited. The years of waiting were finally over when she spotted him: the precious infant lying in the young mother’s arms. Angels had announced this child’s birth. Now an aged woman became another in the line of those who sang the chorus of annunciation: The Messiah had come! What a beautiful message from a beautiful woman who had waited years to proclaim her prophetic message.

Nineteenth-century author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe once wrote, “So much had been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why don’t somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?”

We live in a youth-oriented culture. American women spend millions of dollars each year on products designed to keep us young—or at least to help us appear that way. Older women can easily feel marginalized—as if their days of usefulness are past. Yet Scripture reminds us that God reserves some of his most significant assignments to women who have attained the maturity to handle them—like Anna the prophetess.

As the years pass, do you sometimes wonder whether the best ones are now behind you? Do your options seem limited and your value diminished? When you set your heart to serve God, you can continue to do so whatever your health, age or personal circumstances.

Angels and an elderly woman announced the birth of the Savior of the world. Approximately 33 years later, angels and a select group of women proclaimed the astounding news of his resurrection from the dead. Age and gender present no barrier when God entrusts us with a divine message or mission.

Reflection

What encourages you about the story of Anna in the temple?
Physical limitations sometimes come with age, but what do you see as the positive aspects of advancing years?
How might your opportunities to serve God be broader now than they were when you were younger?

Luke 2:36–38
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Light Keepers

John 1:1–18

Gurnet Point Light in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is distinct from any other lighthouse in the United States: It is associated with Hannah Thomas, the first female lighthouse keeper in America. When Hannah’s husband went off to fight in the War for Independence, Hannah remained behind to keep the great lamp burning to guide ships out at sea.

In spiritual terms, women have been keepers of the light for centuries: Agnes of Rome was martyred for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. Glady Aylward was a missionary to China who shared the gospel in villages and prisons and among lepers. Rose Lathrop, daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne, established homes in the late 1800s for young women suffering from cancer. Like John the Baptist, these women directed and guided others toward the true light that came into the world: Jesus.

Have you ever watched the sun reflecting off prisms hanging from a crystal chandelier? The prisms themselves are not the light; they merely reflect the light produced by the chandelier. Yet they are capable of throwing hundreds of sparkling rainbows throughout a room. In his book Desiring God, John Piper wrote, “We were made to be prisms refracting the light of God’s glory into all of life. Why God should want to give us a share in shining with his glory—shekinah—is a great mystery. Call it grace or mercy or love—it is an unspeakable wonder!”

To reflect the light of God’s presence in a dark and damaged world, we have to stay close to the source: the Son. The more we let his light shine into our eyes and reflect into the eyes of others, the more we become like him. “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Let’s be keepers of God’s light—ensuring that the light of his love burns brightly. We can also reflect that light into the lives of others. It only takes a small beacon of light to dispel the darkness

Reflection

What are your favorite types of light (lamps, candles, firelight, sunshine)? List them.
What positive feeling do you derive from each light source you listed?
How can you emit a Christlike light in your home or workplace?

John 1:7–9
[John] came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

The Wedding Guest

John 2:1–11

Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show, he interviewed an eight-year-old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends from a coal mine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did, Johnny asked, “What are you learning in Sunday school?” “Last week our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine.” The audience roared, but Johnny tried to keep a straight face. Then he said, “And what did you learn from that story?” The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn’t thought about this. But then he lifted up his face and said, “If you’re going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!”

Jesus’ first miracle occurred at a wedding he’d been invited to. It clearly announced his nature, showing that he came to bring joy to his people. God delights in his children. Our joy pleases him. When we celebrate, he celebrates with us.

The hosts of the wedding celebration would have been embarrassed if the wine had run dry. Knowing this, Jesus’ mother turned to the One who can turn sorrow into gladness. Jesus quietly worked behind the scenes to turn the water into wine. When the banquet master tasted the wine, he was surprised that it was better than what had been served at first.

When we invite Jesus into every aspect of our lives, he can exchange our past pain for present comfort and turn our deep sorrow into divine delight. He can take old wounds and turn them into fresh wisdom. He can turn stale, old thoughts into new ideas and creative ways to solve our problems. He can take a cold silence and turn it once again into a warm conversation. If we just ask, he can take those things that we are ashamed of and cast them into a sea of forgetfulness, allowing us to experience true and deep joy. He does not save the best for last, he saves the best for now.

Those who drew the water knew the secret: Jesus has the power to change things. Just imagine what he can change if you only issue the invitation. He’s the guest who can never stay too long.

Reflection

How has Jesus changed difficult circumstances for you in the past?
What would you exchange right now if you could—gladness for mourning, praise for despair, beauty for ashes? Invite Jesus to work a divine exchange for you as only he can.
Who will you share the knowledge of the joy of the Lord with today?

John 2:9
The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

A Mother’s Prayers

Acts 1:1–14

Monica never stopped praying for her son. She had raised Augustine in the Christian faith in their small town in Algeria, but when he was a teenager the family moved to Carthage in North Africa. Possessed of a brilliant intellect and an even stronger will, Augustine rejected his mother’s faith and instead chose a life in pursuit of immorality. In his autobiographical book Confessions, Augustine spoke of his years of debauchery: “Years passed, in which I wallowed in the mire of that deep pit, and the darkness of falsehood . . . All which time that chaste, godly and sober widow . . . ceased not at all hours of her devotions to bewail my case unto You. And her prayers entered into Your presence.”

Three hundred years before the birth of Augustine, we can only imagine how another mother labored in prayer for her children. In addition to Jesus, her firstborn, Mary of Nazareth had several other children. And yet their family was spiritually divided. John’s Gospel clearly tells us that “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5). The skepticism of her younger sons toward their elder half brother must have pierced Mary’s heart.

The black Friday when her oldest son hung on a Roman cross had to be the worst day of Mary’s life. And the Sunday when he rose again was the very best. Among those to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection was his brother James. We don’t need to know the words that passed between them. It’s enough to know that when the disciples and the women gathered to pray in the upper room following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, Mary was among them. And her other sons were with her! Praying. The One they had rejected in life was the One in whom they now placed their faith for eternity.

Monica’s prodigal son Augustine became one of the most famously devout fourth-century Christians: the Bishop of Hippo. The Confessions of St. Augustine is a classic of the Christian faith. Mary’s son James became leader of the church in Jerusalem and wrote the New Testament book that bears his name.

Do you have children, grandchildren or children whom you love—related to you or not—who have turned away from God? Years may pass without any apparent external change. But heaven hears your loving intercession on their behalf. Take heart! God hears your prayers for your children.

Reflection

Speculate on why it wasn’t until the resurrection that Jesus’ brothers believed he was who he said he was.
If you have a prodigal or know a prodigal, how does this devotional offer you hope?
Spend some time praying for those who have walked away from the faith of their mothers. Ask God to hear your prayers and bring the straying children home.

Acts 1:14
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Transformed by Jesus

Acts 4:1–37

When women kindly ask me to sign their copies of my books, I sometimes write, “To Susan the Beautiful!”

“Oh, no!” Susan (or Kathy or Linda) will protest, turning red. “I’m not beautiful.”

“Sure you are,” I insist, as I add my signature. “It says so right in the Bible.” As further proof, I jot down “Psalm 149:4” and encourage them to look it up. You see, it’s God’s gift of salvation that makes us truly beautiful, inside and out. Nothing transforms a woman’s appearance more than being covered from head to toe in the grace of God’s Son.

I know this beautifying process is legitimate because I’ve seen it happen again and again. When women come to know the Lord in a real and personal way, their frown lines begin to soften. A sparkle appears in their eyes, and a radiance falls over their countenance.

We have proven scientifically that such physical changes occur when we fall in love: glowing skin, sparkling eyes, increased heart rate. And for some of us, similar improvements take place when we’re expecting a child. Conventional wisdom says that “all brides are beautiful” and “pregnant women glow.” It’s chemical, hormonal, and very real.

Why not at the spiritual level too? When you allow the Lord to fill your heart with his boundless love, it shows on the outside. This beauty has nothing to do with cosmetics or plastic surgery. On the contrary, it’s an inside job: A heart full of love produces a face full of joy.

When I stepped into a church for the first time as an adult, I was amazed to see pew after pew of attractive women. Is this a requirement of membership? I wondered. Maybe they’re all Mary Kay consultants!

Soon I learned the happy truth: Such beauty is a gift from God. Unlike lipstick and blush, which seldom last longer than a few hours, spiritual beauty is timeless. It literally pours out of your pores and alters your appearance in a most appealing way. People will think you’ve had a face-lift, when in fact you’ve had a faith-lift.

—Liz Curtis Higgs

Reflection

Why were people so astounded by Peter and John’s courage?
Based on your knowledge of the Bible, what had happened to transform them so radically?
How have you experienced a “faith-lift” since walking with Christ? How does it reflect outwardly?

Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

When Words Fail

Romans 8:26–27

Beads of perspiration form on your brow, your heart flutters, your mind swims. An endless loop replays in your head: the scathing, screaming argument with your mother; the prognosis from the doctor; a schedule so full you can’t calm your thoughts enough to fall asleep at night.

You’ve probably been there at some point in your life: You rush before God like an eager child bursting into a room full of toys only to find that you have no idea how to begin to pray. You don’t know if you should be asking for guidance, protection or forgiveness—or all of the above. And what about how to order your list? And should you say special words? How does this prayer thing work?

Maybe you’ve finally got a minute to yourself, so you grab your Bible, look up to the ceiling and think, Now what? That list you’ve been building in your mind goes blank. The phone rings. The kids cry. The TV blares from another room. The dog barks. Anything—and everything—interrupts the moment. Help! How do you pray when words fail?

Enter the Holy Spirit. He perceives our heart’s agony and comforts us in our weakness. He knows our spiritual battle often burns hottest when we fight within ourselves. We wrestle with how to prioritize our prayers. We struggle with imposing our human agendas on a holy God. We cross our arms, grit our teeth and mentally stomp our feet when things don’t turn out as we desperately prayed they would. Life’s frustrations can mute us spiritually: “We do not know what we ought to pray for” (verse 26). But God does not stop hearing us when we’re dumbstruck before him. Both in silence and when our words flow in a jumbled torrent, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf to the Father. He does know what to pray for.

The next time your spirit groans with a weight heavier than you can bear, trust that even when you might not be able to find words to pray, God clearly hears your cries through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. He knows your heart, your thoughts and your greatest needs better than you do yourself. Though your words may fail, your intercessor will never fail you

Reflection

Describe your prayer life. Do you struggle with it or does it flow naturally? Is it structured or hit-and-miss?
Have you ever been at a loss for words during a time of prayer? How did the Holy Spirit intercede on your behalf? (For example: in song, in tears or in inexpressible ways.)
Examine your heart. What things in your life have you been unable to express to God? Now, let the Holy Spirit lift these struggles from you and carry them before the Father.

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

No Distractions

1 Corinthians 7:1–17

What are you doing right now that is keeping you from enjoying what God has for you? Satan will turn this plot around in a number of ways. For example, he often tries to get us so bothered by the one thing we have been commanded by God not to do, that we spend far too much time thinking about it. Ultimately it distracts us from obeying God in other areas.

We become so preoccupied with certain restrictions that God has placed on our lives that we forget, just as Eve did, that those restrictions are for our own good. Without them we would be in big trouble. Sometimes single women and men are so consumed with “trying not to have sex,” or at least trying not to go too far, that they are not enjoying the gift of being single. They see physical intimacy as something that they have to spend inordinate amounts of time and attention trying to avoid. Although they should indeed avoid having sex outside of marriage, singles often get so upset about the fact that they cannot have sex that they miss out on what God does want them to be doing in their relationship—learning about one another.

What joy there is in simply enjoying what God has for us right now. But in order to do that, we must not be consumed with what he has asked us not to do. The rate of adultery in our country has skyrocketed in recent years, and this can, at least in part, be attributed to a simple thing: Satan has dangled the carrot of singleness before the eyes of those who are married, and they have been carried away by curiosity and craving.

If you are single, he tries to cause you to become powerless in your singleness. If you are married, he seeks to make you powerless in your marriage. If you are working in the ministry, he wants you to yearn for more money. If you have children, he wants you to long to be free to do whatever you want, at the risk of abandoning your family. Whatever it is that God has not called you to do right now in your life, Satan will do his best to entice you with that very thing. Beware!

—Priscilla Evans Shirer

Reflection

Are you surprised that God talks about sex in such a candid way? Why?
Do you find yourself focusing on God’s restrictions rather than on what God encourages you to enjoy? How does this impact your view of God?
What has God called you to do right now? Ask God to give you joy in that thing and to keep Satan from tempting you away from the pleasures God’s calling brings.

1 Corinthians 7:1–2
Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.