We Are Valuable

We Are Valuable

by Max Lucado

Value is now measured by two criteria: appearance and performance.  Where does that leave the ugly or uneducated?  Where hope does that offer the unborn child? The aged?  The handicapped? Not much at all. We become nameless numbers on mislaid lists.

This is man’s value system.  But it is not God’s.  His plan is much brighter.  In God’s book man is heading somewhere.  He has an amazing destiny.

We’re being prepared to walk down the church aisle and become the bride of Jesus. We’re going to live with him.  Share the throne with him. We count.  We’re valuable.

Jesus’ love does not depend on what we do for him. If there was anything that Jesus wanted everyone to understand it was this: A person is worth something simply because he is a person. That’s why Jesus treated people the way he did.

You have value simply because you are!

You are His.

The Unraveling of a Legacy

The Unraveling of a Legacy
LYSA TERKEURST

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” 1 Kings 11:4 (NIV)

I don’t think anyone wakes up and says, “I’m going to make a total mess of my life today. I plan to purposefully ignore all the wisdom God has ever given me, sin like crazy, and then ruin all I hold dear.”

No. I think the unraveling of a life starts slowly. Much like what happened to one of my favorite sweaters. It was the kind of sweater that snagged easily if I wasn’t careful. For the longest time, I was mindful of the delicate nature of this sweater, protecting it so I could make it last and enjoy wearing it time and again.

But one day I got in a hurry and pulled a huge snag in it. And instead of taking the time to properly repair it, I snipped the loose threads and hoped for the best. That decision started an unraveling process that ended the life of my beautiful sweater.

It’s a process that makes me stop and think about the life of King Solomon — a king who forgot to carefully guard his heart (Proverbs 4:23) and ended up making choices that led to the unraveling of his legacy.

Solomon started out well. He was a king who sought the Lord for wisdom. He built the temple and prayerfully dedicated it to the Lord.

But Solomon had an area of sin that became a snagging point for him in his relationship with the Lord.

Pay close attention to the word “however” in this verse: 1 Kings 11:1 tells us, “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter — Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.”

This was a big issue because God had warned His people not to intermarry with those who didn’t worship the God of Israel. He knew their hearts would be led astray. (Exodus 34:12-16) You cannot enter into a love relationship with someone without that person affecting not only your mind and body but also your soul.

Sadly, this king who prayed during the temple dedication that the Lord would turn the hearts of the people of Israel toward Him (1 Kings 8:58) later clung to his forbidden wives and ended up with his own heart being turned away from the Lord.

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:4).

I find it so interesting that this Scripture verse references Solomon’s father David. David was also a man whose heart had been led astray by his sinful desire for a woman. His snagging point was not so different from his son’s — leading David to commit sin upon sin upon sin. (2 Samuel 11) But instead of being labeled a man who did evil in the sight of the Lord as Solomon was (1 Kings 11:6), David was called a man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22)

Why?

Because David’s response to his sin was quite different from Solomon’s response.

David owned his sin. He chose to repair the breach in his relationship with God using the thread of repentance — confessing his sins and placing his affection and his devotion firmly on the Lord once again. (Psalm 51)

Solomon continued in his sin. And his refusal to repent and realign his desires with the Lord's desires resulted in God declaring He would tear the kingdom away from Solomon during the rule of his son. Solomon’s legacy would not be all that God had originally designed and desired. (1 Kings 11:9-12)

Oh, sweet friends. God’s reminders to us in today’s passage should not be taken lightly. God isn't after our earthly accomplishments. And He doesn't want us going through the motions of devotion. He's after our hearts. God wants to be our soul's sole desire. And the minute we turn our hearts away from God is the minute our intimacy with Him and our legacy with others begins to unravel.

Let’s ask the Lord to reveal anything that holds our attention and affection more than Him. And then let’s take the time to repair those seemingly small snags — the ones that can have devastating consequences — by going to God in repentance. An act of humility that beautifully re-ties the knot between our heart and His.

Father God, You know the worthless idols I often cling to. Please forgive me, Lord. Help me guard my heart as I choose to release my grip on lesser things. I want to be found clinging wholeheartedly to You alone. You, Lord, are my soul's greatest delight. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Jonah 2:8, “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them.” (NIV)

Do What It Says

Do What It Says
by Matt Brown

The Jesus Bible explains,

“The book of James is filled with practical commands for authentic Christian living. In his letter, James, the brother of Jesus, instructed Christians to control their tongues, be slow to anger and fight selfish ambition. But James was not interested in simply sharing a list of things Christians should not do — he also included a number of positive commands for believers.

Just as Jesus spent much of his ministry among those neglected by society, followers of Jesus are commanded to care for and show concern for people who are orphans and widows, the underprivileged, and for sinning brothers and sisters. James placed a specific emphasis on believers emulating the everyday ministry of Jesus within their own lives by showing compassion toward the broken-hearted and poor and by avoiding sin.

 The disciples of Jesus should not merely listen to the words of Jesus; they should actively seek opportunities to engage the world with his life-changing message. Just as with Jesus, a believer’s relationships with others—be it family, friends, co-workers or a person who is begging on the street—should be defined by love, mercy, patience and grace.”

There’s no excuse for believers—who have God’s Word—not to carry out God’s commands. The Bible is not something we should read or listen to and then go on our way as if nothing applies to how we should be living and acting. The Bible is God’s story for us, it contains amazing truth, and it helps us know how to live our earthly lives. If we only read God’s Word and don’t live it out, we are truly missing out on God’s best for us. 

"Is there an area of your life that doesn't line up with what the Bible says, and you know it? Don't keep looking for another solution, when you know what you need to do. Repent, turn from ways you know are wrong, and obey what God has spoken to you through His Word. This is the real power of the Word of God, when we allow it to transform the way we think, speak, act and live. Continue in the Word. Don't forget what you've heard. Do it. You will be blessed in ways you cannot begin to imagine.”

Why Paul Wasn't a Zombie

Why Paul Wasn't a Zombie
by John UpChurch

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29 

Worn out. Exhausted. Please oh please oh please be Friday. Those words probably describe many of our weeks—often by Monday afternoon. The surge of the weekday tide sucks us under and spins us around and strips away our energy by making us swim to the surface over and over again. Gasp. Bills. Gasp. Long meeting. Gasp. Kids biting each other.

What more can we give than that? What else can God expect from us than just trying to keep from drowning in the mess of life?

Paul says everything and more. Yep, you read that right. We’re supposed to slap down every last ounce of ourselves to the cause of Christ. We’re supposed to surrender every modicum of ourselves to the purpose of “proclaiming Him” with our joy-filled words and our peace-in-the-midst-of-this-hurricane-called-life actions.

Everything. Every single bit. For Him.

Feeling tired yet? I hope you don’t. You see, there’s something in here that we too often overlook. It does take energy—loads of it—to live a life of surrender. We wouldn’t expect anything less from being a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). That means using all that we are to make all that He is known to all. But even with all those alls, you won’t be using up your energy.

Look again at what Paul says here: “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” He doesn’t say, “I did it all myself until I burned out and crashed into the dirt and hated my life and decided it was just too hard to do anything and wanted to move to Alaska forever and hide in a cave.” Instead, he tells us that the source of his oomph is Christ.

Christ didn’t save us so that we could barely keep going, dragging our way like zombies down the road of life. Instead, we’re operating with power—His. He jumpstarted our lives with a spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7), cranking up the juice through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). After all, like Paul, we’re wrestling with the tasks God’s called us to do. We aren’t supposed to do this by tapping into our own reserves. God takes these fragile clay pots that we are and supplies His power so that He gets the glory (2 Corinthians 4:7). He adds the zing, and His zing is potent.

Intersecting Faith & Life: When you try to make it all work on your own guts and grit, you’ll eventually drain down and sputter out. Instead, take Him up on His “by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6) thing—that is, not your own strength. That doesn’t mean you’ll never get tired or weary. You will. But you can be sure that He specializes in renewing the worn out and exhausted (Isaiah 40:30-31).

A Prayer for the Work Day Ahead

A Prayer for the Work Day Ahead
By Renee Davis

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. - Colossians 3:23-24

Things (and people!) would be so much easier to deal with if we could stay home every day. Close the drapes, lock the doors, and shut out the rest of the world.

You’re nodding your head, aren’t you?

But most of us need to pay off our mortgages and eat something besides Ramen. That means we’ve got to work. And that means there’s a good chance we’re going to be hit by some things during the day that will push us to our limits, make us feel stressed, hopeless, and even angry.

Thankfully, we followers of Christ have help, to prepare us for and guide us through our workday woes, in the form of God’s Word.

Setting aside time to spend in Scripture each morning not only deepens our understanding of God and our relationship with Him but also sets the tone for the rest of our day. When we take time to put Him first we’re exhibiting our trust in Him to walk with us throughout the day.

I once heard a story about a guy who’d taken a job many of us would refer to as a “last resort.” One that definitely wasn’t part of his plan for his future—a menial job. Though this man didn’t understand why God would put him in such a place, he committed to do his very best no matter what.

This job that had at one time made no sense would, in fact, be the origin of what would become a worldwide ministry. God had placed him in this position so he could meet other Christians who would help him achieve a dream he could never have imagined. He also met his future wife at this very same job.

Maybe your current job is a bit of nightmare. But, what if God has positioned you there for a reason—as part of a better plan? What if you just need to be patient and make the best of it?

Just in case your dream takes a while longer to materialize, keep Colossians 3:23-24 handy, and pray this prayer today:

Father, thank you for all the ways you’ve blessed me, specifically with this job that pays my bills and puts food on my table. Thank you that ALL work has significance because work is good. Help me bring you glory today, through my actions, my words, through the good work I do to bring order to my little corner of the world. Help me view my work as a blessing and not a curse. Give me grace and strength for the hardest aspects of my job. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Be Honest — Honest to God

Be Honest — Honest to God
by Max Lucado

Prayer really is simple. Resist the urge to complicate it. Don’t take pride in well-crafted prayers. Don’t apologize for incoherent prayers. No games. No cover-ups. Just be honest—honest to God.

Climb into His lap. Tell Him everything that’s on your heart. Or tell Him nothing at all. Just lift your heart to heaven and declare, "Father... Daddy." Stress. Fear. Guilt. Grief. Demands on all sides. And all we can summon is a plaintive, "Oh, Father." If so, that’s enough. Your heavenly Father will wrap you in His arms!

Breakfast with Jesus

Breakfast with Jesus ASHERITAH CIUCIU “When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread … Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’” John 21:9, 21:12a (NIV)  Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. So when I read today’s key verse, I was delighted to peek into this intimate moment between Jesus and His disciples, but I never imagined how applicable it would be to us 2,000 years later. Let me set the scene. Jesus called a handful of fishermen to be His disciples, and for three years they enjoyed a close relationship with Him until He was betrayed and crucified. Their hopes had been dashed until Jesus surprised them all when He appeared to them in His resurrected body. Of course they were elated, but still a bit confused. Jesus was alive, but He wasn’t living with them anymore; they were disciples without a rabbi. He’d promised to send them His Spirit, but He hadn’t ascended to heaven yet, so they were men without a mission. They went out to fish, but caught nothing all night, and now they were fishermen who couldn’t even catch fish. We can’t know exactly why they reverted to their old occupation, but don’t we do the same thing? When we’re waiting for God to act, but He’s not doing what we expect, don’t we often try to distract ourselves to numb our discomfort? For me, it can look like shoveling spoonfuls of cookie dough ice cream while scrolling social media. Perhaps you turn to online shopping, a glass of rosé, a rom-com binge or a toxic relationship. Distractions promise momentary comfort, but they often fail to resolve our deeper issues, only serving to compound our problems. These men had been up all night and hadn’t caught anything. Now they were exhausted, famished and demoralized. It’s in this moment of desperation that Jesus entered the scene. As dawn lit the sky, He called out to them to let down their nets on the other side, and they miraculously filled with fish. Jesus accomplished for them in a moment what they’d failed to do on their own all night. It’s fascinating to me that Jesus didn’t berate them for going back to their old occupation. He didn’t admonish them for doubting His purpose for them. Instead, He sought them out, provided for their needs and invited them to join Him for breakfast. Breakfast. That most simple meal of the day for many of us, void of fancy silverware and linen napkins, is often shared with people who see you before you shower … and who love you anyway. It’s into this most intimate setting that Jesus invited His friends that morning. As they were toiling at their nets, Jesus was waiting for them, cooking their breakfast. And when they drew close to shore in defeat, Jesus invited them to abandon their distraction in order to come eat breakfast with Him. The conversations that followed that meal brought healing, life and joy to those disciples’ wounded hearts. (Read more in John 21:15-23 for the most touching breakfast conversation ever recorded.) And thankfully, that breakfast invitation is issued to each of us today too. If anyone understands our pain, it’s Jesus. Physical, emotional and relational? Yes — Jesus experienced it all, and He did it out of love for us. When we’re hurting, Jesus doesn’t send us away to get our act together. He invites us to find mercy and grace as we draw close to Him. Over breakfast? Yes. Morning breath and all. Lord, forgive me for the ways I’ve tried to numb my hurt with distractions. I want to turn to You instead. You’ve promised to never send away those who seek You wholeheartedly, so please help me seek You first each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)

Spiritually Shortsighted

Spiritually Shortsighted

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 16:19-31

In Luke 16, Jesus told a story about a rich man who lived for himself and ignored God. After death, he experienced the consequences of his choices—eternal separation from the Lord.

Jesus described him as one who lived in luxury every day (v. 19), providing for himself the best that money could buy but giving little to the poor at his gate. It is important to realize that this man wasn’t judged harshly by God because of his wealth. The heavenly Father is not opposed to our success. Nor was the man separated from the Lord because of his lack of charity toward others. He did not deliberately harm others but, rather, overlooked those in need and focused on himself.

The rich man’s mistake was that he prepared everything for the body but nothing for the soul. Our culture practices a similar style of living. Acquiring material riches and satisfying self is the primary pursuit of many in our world. Having what one wants seems to be the goal whether it’s a struggle to make ends meet or the bank account is overflowing.

Scripture says we were created to be in a relationship with the Father through faith in His Son. The rich man ignored God and paid the ultimate price. Our eternal destiny depends on our decision about Christ.

Despite what our culture thinks, life is not about us. It’s about having a relationship with the Lord. Whoever accepts Christ’s gift of salvation will live eternally with Him in heaven. Those who reject God will suffer. If you know any spiritually shortsighted people, pray that they will trust in Jesus.

The Integrity of Job

The Integrity of Job
by Bible Pathway

Job could have used all the things happening to him as an excuse to sin. Sometimes, in the reading of scripture, it would seem that the friends of Job might have been more content if they had found him in open sin. This would have justified the assault they had launched on him. They would not have had to speculate about any hidden sin that Job might be concealing.

When it came to matters such as sin, Job had taken the high road through all that had happened. He did not allow himself to go in that direction. He held true to his upright walk before God. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world (John 11:9).

A careful look at Job 27:5-6 shows how serious Job is about maintaining his witness. He first calls out his friends that we spoke of before. Job tells them he would never do anything to allow their accusations to be truth. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God (Rom. 6:13).

Job spoke that he would not allow integrity to leave him. This is something that is truly lacking in the world today. It is not easy to find someone willing to hold so close to their integrity. In today's society, many compromise their integrity every day. There was a time when you might have heard the phrase "a man is only as good as his word". In those days, there was many a business deal conducted on a handshake alone. People of integrity could be trusted to do what they said they would do.

This is not to say there are not people today who value their reputation. There are many who do. However, you will find just as many who see no problem in telling a "little white lie" as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. The problem is deception is deception regardless of the size or value of it. Deception always harms someone. The character of the person telling the lie will be damaged for sure.

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:2).

Thought for Today:
Although our flesh is weak, God gives strength during our times of testing.

The "Whys" of Life

The "Whys" of Life
by Kelly Givens

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Towards the end of work some weeks ago, our office was informed that a few cars in our parking deck had been broken into. The vandalism and robberies had been contained to Level 2—the level I had parked my car. Thankfully, my car had been left untouched. The SUV directly across from me, however, hadn’t fared so well- the shattered glass on the ground evidenced the vandals’ quick and effective work. As I began my drive home I prayed God would give the owners of the busted up cars a measure of his peace, mercy and patience.

Nearing my exit, I noticed cars slowing down, and around the bend in the road I saw why. A cop was getting out of his car; he had been called for a minor fender bender and traffic was slowing to accommodate. I inched past, glancing at the guy in truck that had been hit. He had his head in his hand and was looking up at the sky in exasperation. You could tell he was thinking, “I can’t believe this happened. Why me?! What did I do to deserve this?!” I thought back to the owners of the cars in the parking deck, knowing they would be asking those same questions when they discovered their vehicles had been broken into.

The “whys” of life point us to a story larger than our own. When we ask why bad things happen, we’re acknowledging that the way life is right now is not how it ought to be. Why is that significant? It’s significant because, in a world which wants us to believe we were created at random and have lived on through survival of the fittest or just good luck, our souls actually cry out against randomness and unjust advantage. We crave order, justice, and mercy, and we feel angry and sad when a seemingly arbitrary, awful thing in life happens. There’s a disconnect between what we believe should happen and what really does happen.  I find it interesting that my friends who believe in a random, chance creation still feel indignant when apparently random, chance events work against their lives. Their heads may believe one thing, but their hearts believe something else. As Christians, our heads and hearts are more aligned.  

At the beginning of Creation, we’re told “God saw all he had made, and it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). You were created to live in a perfect world, where the question of why bad things happen was never supposed to exist. But then man sinned and the world was corrupted (Gen. 3:6-7). Adam and Eve immediately recognized sin for what it was, and in their guilt hid from God (Gen. 3:10). In the same way, we recognize evil as evil because it goes against the very nature of our intended existence. We cry out against suffering because we were never meant to suffer. We are distraught over death because no one was ever supposed to die.  As believers, we can take encouragement from this gut reaction to pain and suffering. It reminds us we were created for a world absent of these things, and we can look forward to the day when Jesus comes back and takes away our tears and frustrations. We will never utter “Why me?” again.  Everything good that can be, will be. Everything evil will be undone. That is such good news; it fills me with joy and hope to think on it.

Are you experiencing seemingly random suffering and sorrow in your life? Cling to the comforting truth of your faith - all suffering is temporary, it is not random, and Jesus is coming soon to restore this world and everything in it - including you - to perfection.

Don't Get Lost in Your Troubles

Don't Get Lost in Your Troubles
by Max Lucado

Our minds cannot be full of God at the same time they are full of fear! Don’t get lost in your troubles. Lift up your eyes! “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! (Isaiah 26:3 TLB).

Are you troubled, restless, sleepless? Then rejoice in the Lord’s Sovereignty. I dare you. I double-dog dare you—to expose your worries to an hour of worship. Your concerns will melt like ice on an August sidewalk!

Jeremiah draws a direct connection between faith and peace. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV).

No Matter What

No Matter What
LYSA TERKEURST

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)

I remember the day Art and I settled in our hearts we would choose to trust God’s love for us and pursue a relationship with Him, no matter what.

We were in the hospital with our middle daughter who was 6 weeks old. She had seemed a perfectly healthy baby until an allergic reaction landed us in the intensive care unit. The doctors told us on the fourth day of our visit that Ashley needed emergency surgery, and they did not expect her to survive.

They gave us five minutes to tell our baby goodbye.

My heart was shattered.

I so desperately wanted to scoop her up and run out of the hospital. I wanted to somehow breathe my life into hers. I wanted to take her place. I could handle my own death so much easier than the death of my child. Art prayed over Ashley, we both said our goodbyes, and then, with tears streaming down our faces, we let her go.

When Art took me outside to the hospital parking lot, I collapsed into his arms. He gently cupped my face in his hands and reminded me Ashley was God’s child to give and His to take back.

“Lysa, God loves Ashley even more than we do,” he gently told me. “We must trust His plan.”

Art then asked me to do something, and it changed my whole perspective on my relationship with God. “We have to get it settled in our hearts that we will love and trust God no matter the outcome of Ashley’s surgery,” he said.

At first, I resented Art’s desire to trust God in this way. I feared it might give the impression it was alright for Him to take Ashley.

With all my being, I wanted to hold on to my child and refuse God. Yet, though I was heartbroken, I also felt God’s compassion. I felt Him drawing me close and pouring out His tender mercy. God knew firsthand the pain we were feeling because He’d felt it Himself. I knew I ultimately had no ability to control my child’s future.

With tears pouring from our eyes, Art and I released our sweet Ashley to the Lord and promised to love and trust Him no matter what.

It was as if the more I fell into God’s arms, the less the pain of the moment seared my heart. Feeling the power of God took away the fear of the unknown. I stopped thinking about the what-if scenarios and let my soul simply say, OK. God, in this minute I choose rest with You. I will not let my mind go to the minutes that are coming. I will simply be in this moment and face it with peace.

That day we settled our love for God not just for this situation, but for all time. Though we did not feel at all happy, a gentle covering of unexplainable calm settled over our hearts. Knowing that the One who loved Ashley even more than we did was taking care of her, and that His plan for her was perfect, brought me peace in the middle of heartbreak.

The end of this chapter of Ashley’s life was miraculous, and we are so grateful. Though the doctors can’t explain how, she made a full recovery. Who can understand why God answers prayer the way He does?

I’ve lived the devastating other side of situations like this where my little sister didn't recover, and we stood at her grave, helpless and heartbroken.

But both situations have taught me that no matter God’s answer, our hearts can be settled to trust and love Him. I don't have to understand; I just have to trust. This kind of total surrender brings about a depth of peace and relationship with God you can’t get any other way. It all stems from living out today’s key verse, loving God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5b).

Nothing in life is certain. Circumstances roll in and out like the ocean’s tide. And the unknown can sometimes seem so frightening.

We can’t stop or control things that roll our way any more than we can stop the water’s edge.

But we can make the minute-by-minute choice to let our souls rest in God.

Dear Lord, I want to love You with all my heart, all my soul and all my strength like Your Word instructs. Teach me how to give up the control I try to maintain as I experience uncertainties and hard times. Help me trust You, no matter what comes my way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (NIV)

Paying Attention to How We Live

Paying Attention to How We Live

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 12:16-21

One day we’ll give an account of ourselves to the Lord (Romans 14:12). We must, then, pay attention to how we live.

The rich man in Luke 16:19-31 made the tragic choice of living for himself without regard for the Lord. He also made two other mistakes.

First, he invested everything for himself and nothing for the life to come. When we are blinded by our own desires and personal satisfaction, it is easy to become lukewarm about spiritual matters. We forget that this life is not all there is. Scripture tells us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Where our treasure is reflects where our heart is (Matthew 6:19-21).

The rich man’s other mistake was to prepare everything for himself and nothing for others. Crumbs falling from his table (v. 21) were the only form of assistance he gave a poor man named Lazarus. The one who had much wealth did not share it with the one who had little. Jesus explained what our priorities should be to love the Lord wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

We see the rich man’s mistakes repeated in another parable. This time a wealthy man builds bigger barns to store crops so he will have plenty for the future. God calls him a fool for such shortsightedness (Luke 12:20).

The Bible repeatedly warns us to pay attention to spiritual matters—the Lord is to have first place in our lives and be the center of our affections. He urges us to store up heavenly treasure by caring for the lost and hurting people around us. On whom is your attention focused?

The Best Method for Bible Study

The Best Method for Bible Study
by Alex Crain

Sometimes, Christians complain that following an orderly Bible study method seems to squeeze out the Holy Spirit. At least it feels that way to them. But if we want to know what God is saying in His Word, our feelings must give way to disciplined and principled study. Otherwise, we'll only be hearing our own thoughts and ascribing them to God.

If you want to read the Bible to know God and know what His Word says, here are some basic steps to Bible study:

1. After praying for God’s help, survey the entire book you're studying.

After asking God to give you understanding into His Word, open a bible dictionary or a good study Bible and find out some basic background information about the book. Who is the human author? When did he write this book? 

What was his situation? Is it a historical book? A letter? Poetry? Prophecy? Next, skim read the book for what each chapter's main point is. Jot down a title for each chapter. Many Bibles today already have titles added by the publisher. You might follow along with those as you skim read the book, or write your own chapter headings. When you're done surveying the book, try to summarize the book's major themes and main message in your own words.

2. Observe.

Now you're ready to dive in to a specific passage and make careful observations about it. Examine the text carefully to see what it says. Underline the verbs. Note any key words that stand out. Take enough time to observe facts that are stated, words or phrases that are repeated, contrasts or comparisons that are made in the text. Note any questions about the text that come to mind.

3. Interpret.

Define those key words and concepts that you found in the observation step.  When you interpret, remember three essential rules: (1) context (2) context (3) context. As one clever writer put it: "never read a bible verse." (Meaning, always read a verse in its larger context.) Seek explanations for any words or phrases that were hard to understand. Write a summary on what the passage means.

4. Apply the passage in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The key question to ask here is: "Now that I know what God's Word says in this text, what am I to do about it?" We also might ask: "What does this text have to say about my relationships? Is there a command to obey? A promise to believe? A sin to confess or avoid? A character quality to pursue? An example to follow? These are the kinds of questions to ask as you seek God's help in applying Scripture.

Remember that a sensible method of Bible study doesn't diminish the importance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our powerful Guide, who helps us as we read, observe, interpret, and apply His Word to our lives. Let's pray now for strength and disciplined consistency to spend well-ordered time in the presence of God as we seek to know Him through His Word.

A Prayer for Grace as You Navigate Life

A Prayer for Grace as You Navigate Life
By: Jack Graham

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” – Colossians 3:23

I remember several years ago when I was teaching my kids how to drive. Talk about nerve-racking! Sitting in the passenger seat, I felt absolutely helpless. All I could do was give them guidance and allow them to follow it. And when they first began driving on their own, I don’t think I slept for days!

Now when it comes to teaching kids how to drive, you can do it one of two ways. You can start by showing them the first aid kit, the map, the insurance card, and where to put their Starbucks while the car is moving. Or (the best way), you can let them start driving and show them what to do along the way.

God wants us to know how to steer through life. One way He could’ve taught us that is by telling us exactly how to respond to any and every situation that might arise. All we’d have to do is memorize His instructions, and we’d be good to go.

But like driving, God knows the best way for us to learn is to get out and experience life for ourselves, walking by the Spirit and listening to Him as we go. So if you want to get the most out of life, live teachable. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps and you’ll learn how to excel in every aspect of life!

Dear Lord, allow us to take every experience we possess and use it for good in this lifelong journey. Teach us to be wise, and to use that wisdom for your glory. Teach us to strive for excellence in everything we do. May our actions always be righteous, and our hearts always be sensitive to your voice. Amen.

Words of God

Words of God

Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (NIV)

James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (NIV)

The Work of the Believer

The Work of the Believer

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 12:5-7

The world's definition of success differs greatly from God's. Take the role of a pastor, for example--it would be easy to accept accolades for church growth, as many people equate high attendance numbers with a minister's effectiveness. But the Lord desires that we obey Him with humility. Whether we draw a crowd or not, success is measured by obedience.

 

This looks different for each believer. Some Christians have very visible jobs, so their efforts are public and obvious. Others serve Christ in quiet, less noticeable ways.

 

God bestows upon His followers gifts tailored to each one's ordained assignments. The Holy Spirit reveals our calling, and we're to give our best effort. Of course, no matter what the task may be, the result will be worthless unless the Father breathes life into it. In other words, we are entrusted with God-appointed work. He assigns the duty, provides the skills, and causes growth. The Lord deserves all of the glory. We are blessed simply to be a part of His plan.

 

As mere vessels that God uses, we should be thankful for anything He accomplishes through us. And by giving Him all the credit, we need never feel defeated with disappointment. Rather, in spite of how things may appear, we trust Him to achieve His good purpose.

 

Honor is misplaced unless it goes directly to the One who creates, sanctifies, and sustains. God created you for specific tasks to further His kingdom. He wants to use your life--and will allow you to watch His powerful hand at work. Listen for His leading, and praise Him for all He accomplishes.