In step

[RiverOL]

The Pastor and his son
A good reminder of God's Love.

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?""Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son."

"Thanks Dad!"

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. his eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch! He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have any testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU." Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated.

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son... Except for One.

Our Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

 

[RiverOL]

The Affliction to Give Advice

"Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business."1

In much younger and far less experienced days, I recall how a psychologist friend described some people as being "cursed with the affliction to give advice." At that time I had no idea what he meant.

Today, however, perhaps a "nicer" way to describe these people is that they can be very officious. According to Google, being officious basically means to be intrusive in a meddling or offensive way, marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted [or unsolicited] services or advice to others. It means generally … sticking your nose in places where it's not wanted."

The Australians have an interesting saying for people who stick their nose into other people's business and that is, they are being "sticky beaks!"

Certainly the Bible doesn't use slang terms, but it does make it clear that we are not to meddle in other people's business. This doesn't mean that we are not to give help where help is needed and requested, but it does mean we are not to give unsolicited advice or help when such is not wanted. Actually, for me to give you unsolicited and unwanted advice is basically a "put down" in that I am implying that I know more about your situation than you know, and that I know better about what you need to do than you know. This is rather presumptuous to put it mildly.

Furthermore, it is important that we don't do for others what they are quite capable of and need to do for themselves. Doing this for others keeps them over-dependent on us and both of us immature. Be assured too, that neither will God do for us what he has already equipped us to do for ourselves.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me not to be a 'sticky-beak' by meddling in other peoples' business but just to be available if my help is requested and genuinely needed. In all such situations, please help me to be 'as Jesus' to the person in need. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Acts 5
The first part of this chapter contains one of the most troubling stories in Acts. Believers named Ananias and Sapphira are drawn to the new Church, and along with many others sell land and donate the proceeds. But they lie, saying they've given everything when they've kept some for themselves. Judgement falls on them and they die.
At one level, this story speaks of the importance of holiness in the life of the people of God. There are other stories in the Old Testament of similar things happening (Leviticus 10.1–2, 2 Samuel 6.1–8, 2 Chronicles 26.16–20). In this case, what matters is not ritual uncleanness but lies. Ananias and Sapphira were free to give as much as they wanted, but they wanted to seem as though they had given more.

At another level, the story is about the importance of integrity. We may not go as far as Ananias and Sapphira, but the temptation to seem better than we are is one we all face. And perhaps it was made harder for them to be honest because – in the first excitement of the new Church, when everyone was full of enthusiasm – to be a little more cautious and reserved in their giving would have made them stand out. Perhaps people would have questioned their commitment, or even doubted whether they were real Christians.
Ananias and Sapphira did wrong and suffered for it. But perhaps in today's Church, we can help each other live better by being more accepting of each other and more honest about our own failings, so that it's easier to tell the truth.

Prayer
God, help me to tell the truth about who I am to others, and help me to make it easier for others to tell the truth to me.

 

[RiverOL]

How to Grow in Love

"Therefore her sins—and they are many—are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love."1

You may recall the story where Jesus was invited to have lunch with one of the Pharisees. While he was there a woman of the streets—a prostitute—heard that Jesus was there and came, fell at his feet, weeping, and wiped her tears from his feet with her hair, and then anointed his feet with expensive perfume.

In our jargon, the religious Pharisee was horrified and in his heart judged Jesus for accepting this sinful woman's loving attention and humble attitude.

Jesus, knowing what was in the Pharisee's heart went on to explain that because this woman came to him pouring out her heart, her many sins were forgiven. Then he made a very simple but profound statement: "He who has been forgiven little loves little."

Or to put it another way: "He who has been forgiven much loves much."

This is so true, when in genuine humility we confess our sins, not only to God but to a trusted friend or two, and experience their love and acceptance, little by little we learn to forgive and love ourselves. So the more honest and open we are, the more we can be forgiven and loved. And the more we are forgiven and loved the more loving and forgiving we become.

Suggested Prayer: "Dear God, please give me the honesty and courage to bring to the light and confess every secret sin, mixed motive, jealousies, pride, acts of sin, sins of the spirit, sins of failure—every sin—confess these not only to You, but also to a trusted friend or two and experience Your love and forgiveness, their loving acceptance, and become a much more loving, accepting and forgiving child of yours. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Acts 6: How conflict shows us who we are
Acts 6 is a story of conflict. As ever, the Bible is entirely realistic about human nature. Even in those early, heady days, believers fell out. The leaders in the new Church – the Apostles – spoke Aramaic. But in Jerusalem there were many Jews from all over the Roman Empire who spoke Greek. It was hard to make sure both groups were treated equally, but right at the beginning of the Church we can see a concern for justice.

'It's not fair' was the cry of one group. 'It's not right' was the cry of another. While some accepted the message of the Apostles, others did not. Out-argued by Stephen and overwhelmed by the 'great wonders and signs' he performed, they resorted to making up the kind of story that would get him into serious trouble.
Stephen's character meant that he was trusted to keep the peace between quarrelsome groups of people. He must have been patient, sympathetic and willing to listen. But he also knew when to hold firm in the face of accusations he must have known were very dangerous.
Very often, conflict shows us how strong we really are. Sometimes we might need to bend and compromise. At other times there's no room for negotiation.

Prayer
God, thank you for examples like Stephen. Help me to be strong in the right way at the right time.

 

[RiverOL]

Which Type of Man Are You?

. . . my God, in whom I trust—Psalm 91:2

One type of Christian man trusts that what Jesus teaches is true . . . but only on an intellectual level. This man appreciates a good sermon, but then goes away and lives out the moments of his life in ways that make it indistinguishable from the lives of those who do not trust Jesus at all. This type of man doesn’t trust Jesus with his life, and so lives “like a shrub in the desert” (Jeremiah 17:6). There is another type of man, though, one who chooses to trust the truth of Jesus deeply, authentically, and practically. This type of man lives the moments of his life in ways that are markedly different than they’d be otherwise . . . because of his trust. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream . . .” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). When we trust Jesus—when we actually live like we trust him—we then come to life. When we live like we trust him, we become spiritually strong and healthy and fruitful, like trees planted by the water, and we begin to move into the full lives that God dreamed about so long ago (John 10:10; Ephesians 1:3-6).

Which type of man are you? What are you doing in your life that distinguishes you as a follower of Jesus? What are you doing that you’d never do, but for your trust in Jesus? If your answer is “nothing” or “not much,” then it’s time now, brother, to begin. Do something practical that demonstrates your trust. Whatever you do, it need not be clever or complex. Just use the two great commandments as your guide (Matthew 22:37-39) and do something . . . today.

 

[RiverOL]

Acts 7: Truths that are hard to hear
Acts 7 tells the story of the first martyr. Stephen, whose face 'looked like the face of an angel' when he was brought to trial, gives the Sanhedrin a history lesson, outlining in forensic detail – as a Jew speaking to fellow-Jews – all the ways in which the people of God had fallen short. He concludes by denouncing them personally: in condemning Jesus, they themselves have now 'betrayed and murdered' the Righteous One the prophets foretold (verse 52).

The story echoes that of David after his sin with Bathsheba, when in 2 Samuel 12 the prophet Nathan confronts him face to face. 'You are the man,' he says, as David works himself into a rage about the sins of someone else. Stephen tells the Council that they, not he, are guilty. But unlike David – or those who heard Peter's similar words in Acts 2.37 – they are not driven to repentance but to fury. The sober Sanhedrin turns into a lynch mob and Stephen is murdered.
It's never easy to be accused of doing wrong. We would rather dwell on our virtues than on our vices. But what matters is what happens next. We can blame others and deny reality, or grieve and repent. If our response is anger and rejection, the results can be dreadful.

Prayer
God, help me to see the truth about myself even when it's hard to hear.

 

[RiverOL]

Caretaking

"For each one should carry his own load."1

Caretaking, when it is a symptom of codependency, is being so concerned about taking care of others that we neglect to take responsible care of ourselves. It's also feeling responsible for somebody else's happiness and for their negative feelings as well.

It is good to be kind to others, but when we do things for them that they should, could and need to be doing for themselves, we are not being helpful or loving. We are encouraging overdependence.

The bottom line is motive. The codependent caretaker may look like he is doing something for someone else but he's really doing it for himself—to be liked, to have others think he is wonderful, to feel needed and wanted, or trying to earn love. But love cannot be earned. It's a gift. If it has to be earned, it's conditional and isn't love—it's need.

One of the kindest things we can do for ourselves is to take responsible care of ourselves and be responsible for our own happiness. And one of the kindest things we can do for others is to allow them to do the same. This is a part of what I believe Paul meant when he said, "Every man shall bear his own burden or carry his own load."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to help another where he or she can't help him/herself, but help me not to take over another's responsibilities when he/she needs to be taking care of him/herself. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Galatians 6:5 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Acts 8: The Spirit is not for sale
Bible Society's Daily Reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of its four daily chapters.


Pray
Lord, prepare me to receive your word. Clear my mind and warm my heart. Assure me of your loving purposes for me, and speak into my life today.


Read

• Genesis 8
• Matthew 8
• Ezra 8
• Acts 8

The End of the Flood
1God had not forgotten Noah and all the animals with him in the boat; he caused a wind to blow, and the water started going down. 2The outlets of the water beneath the earth and the floodgates of the sky were closed. The rain stopped, 3and the water gradually went down for 150 days. 4On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the boat came to rest on a mountain in the Ararat range. 5The water kept going down, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains appeared.
6After forty days Noah opened a window 7and sent out a raven. It did not come back, but kept flying around until the water was completely gone. 8Meanwhile, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down, 9but since the water still covered all the land, the dove did not find a place to alight. It flew back to the boat, and Noah reached out and took it in. 10He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again. 11It returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water had gone down. 12Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove once more; this time it did not come back.

13When Noah was 601 years old, on the first day of the first month, the water was gone. Noah removed the covering of the boat, looked round, and saw that the ground was getting dry. 14By the 27th day of the second month the earth was completely dry.
15God said to Noah, 16“Go out of the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives. 17Take all the birds and animals out with you, so that they may reproduce and spread over all the earth.” 18So Noah went out of the boat with his wife, his sons, and their wives. 19All the animals and birds went out of the boat in groups of their own kind.

Noah Offers a Sacrifice
20Noah built an altar to the LORD; he took one of each kind of ritually clean animal and bird, and burnt them whole as a sacrifice on the altar. 21The odour of the sacrifice pleased the LORD, and he said to himself, “Never again will I put the earth under a curse because of what people do; I know that from the time they are young their thoughts are evil. Never again will I destroy all living beings, as I have done this time. 22As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”


Reflect on Acts 8
The death of Stephen in the previous chapter marks the beginning of the first great persecution of the Church, in which the man who was to become the Apostle Paul played a leading part. Scattering the believers led to the spreading of the gospel, though. One who heard it was Simon, a sorcerer in Samaria, who believed and was baptised. When he tried to buy the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit, the Apostles condemned him.

What seems to have happened is that the giving of the Spirit was accompanied by ecstatic experiences that were very impressive. Simon saw himself as a fellow-practitioner, and proposed a transaction in the same way that a magician might buy a trick from a colleague. But the Apostles were very clear: that's not how it works. Simon is rebuked and repentant.

It's easy to condemn him, but we ought to learn from him as well. He was applying the world's methodology to the Church, as though they worked in the same way. Many churches and church leaders are prone to this: the right techniques for leadership or church growth drawn from the worlds of business or marketing, they think, will solve the Church's problems. But God's kingdom is quite different. Nothing good happens unless our hearts are right.


Pray
God, help me to trust you rather than seek to control everything.

 

[RiverOL]

Parable of the Sparrows

"Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God … not on earthly things."1

Once upon a time a loaf of bread fell from a bakery truck and as it hit the ground a crumb broke loose. Three sparrows all eyed the crumb and swooped down to grab it, but began fighting over it.

Eventually one of the sparrows succeeded in scooping up the crumb in its beak and flew away with it—hotly pursued by the other two sparrows. A frenzied aerial fracas took place until the crumb was completely consumed.

The only thing these sparrows saw was the crumb. None noticed the loaf still on the ground.

How often we consume our energies squabbling over trivialities while the true riches of life go unnoticed and escape us. And how often we concentrate our energies on non-essential issues while the needs of the hurting are neglected and the lost go to hell!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the wisdom to see and the good sense to major on the majors and not get carried away majoring on the minors. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

1. Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Purposeful Prayer

"In all your ways acknowledge God and he will direct your path (or make your paths straight)."1

A NASA official involved in space exploration was talking to a reporter about humans landing on Mars. The reporter was concerned about how they would be able to return to earth.

"That involves a highly complex plan," the space official said. "It begins with the words, 'Our Father who art in Heaven.'"

Jokes aside, the reality is that most people do pray at some time or another. Even those who rarely pray often do when they are in trouble. How much better to daily commit and trust our life to God and seek his guidance in all that we do at all times—regardless of our circumstances.

Sometimes it's difficult to see how God is directing us or making our path straight—especially when we've been going through a series of rough times. In time, however, if we have daily trusted our life to God and look back, we will see how God has led us all the way. It is true, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him"2—even if it is eventually!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to remember to daily commit and trust my life and way to You for every decision I will be called on to make and for everything I need to do each day. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. King Solomon, in Proverbs 3:6.
2. Romans 8:28 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Goodness and Greatness

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."1

Georgie Anne Geyer, a syndicated columnist and author wisely observed: "I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to have a moral community or nation without faith in God, because without it everything rapidly comes down to 'me' and 'me' alone is meaningless….

"If anyone thinks there is not a direct and inviolable relationship between personal integrity … and that society's prosperity, that person has simply not studied history. And this should not surprise us. Great moral societies, built upon faith in God, honor, trust and the law blossom because they are harmonious; because, finally, they have a common belief in something beyond themselves.

"Alexis de Toqueville said it best when he realized even at the very beginning of our national life: 'America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.'"2

The same is true of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, New Zealand, South America, and the rest of the world. Nations only become truly great and remain great to the degree that they are moral and upright, that they retain integrity at every level of society, and that they put and keep their trust in God and abide by his rules as found in his Word which says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."1 and "Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."3

Righteousness with moral and upright living begins with you and me.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, today I pray that You will send a great moral and spiritual awakening to my country and let that awakening begin in me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

 

[RiverOL]

An Antidote for Worry

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."1

Dale Carnegie writes, "If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying. Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars … or your two legs … or your hands … or your hearing? Add up what you do have, and you'll find that you won't sell them for all the gold in the world. The best things in life are yours if you can appreciate yourself."

Years ago when I was a student in Chicago driving a city passenger bus in the summer, I was greeted by a very refined elderly woman passenger who tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Young man, you're a millionaire!" That was news to me. However, after a pause, the lady continued, "You have your health!"

She was right. Counting our blessings, as Carnegie suggests, is not going to take away our problems but it certainly can help us handle them much better—especially if we daily give God thanks in every circumstance—good or bad.

It also helps me when I am worried or stressed to write down all the things I have to take care of and list them in order of priority and try to tackle just one thing at a time. But the best antidote of all is to pray and tell God that I am scared and am worried, but I choose to trust him to help me work through the things that have me worried. In time my feelings catch up with my choice to trust God.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I commit and trust my life and way to You afresh this day. Here are my concerns [spell them out to God one by one]. Help me to see things as they really are. I surrender them all to You and choose to trust You to help me work through each one. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

 

[RiverOL]

Sweet Temptation

Jesus said, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."1

I read a while back about certain ants that have a passion for the sweet glandular substance given off by the caterpillar of a large blue butterfly. According to the article, the ants can become so enthralled by the substance they carry the supplier into their nest with great delight. What they don't realize is that the caterpillar gorges himself on the ant larva.

Usually such a threat would be attacked by an army of ants and destroyed or repelled. However, because they enjoy the caterpillar's tasty secretions so much, they become "addicted" to it. In so doing they are oblivious to the fact that their young are being destroyed!

In reality many of us are addicted to something. It may not be drugs or alcohol, but anything we habitually or compulsively use or do to avoid facing our inner unresolved problems (such as fears, hurts, losses, anger, guilt, inadequacies, etc.), is an addiction. It may be work, religion, gambling, spending, eating, smoking, relationships, sex or any of a score of other things—some of which may be very enjoyable.

Of one thing we can be sure, when our life is being controlled by addictions, we don't grow and we can damage and even destroy our children, our closest relationships, and our physical, emotional or spiritual health. Besides, an addiction is often a counterfeit of the real thing and when we settle for the counterfeit we can stop ourselves finding the genuine.

Only when we are ruthlessly honest with ourselves, and admit to God and at least one other safe person that we are addicted, can we get God's help to face the causes behind our addictions and seek the help we need to overcome them.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, if there is anything I am doing or using to medicate or deaden any unresolved problems in my life, please deliver me from the sin of denial, and give me the courage to admit my problems and find the help I need to face and resolve them. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

1. Matthew 26:41 (NIV).

 

[RiverOL]

Anatomy of an Adventure

. . . unless a grain of wheat falls . . . and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit—John 12:24

When men head off, toward something in the distance, toward something good and worthy—but also into unknown obstacles, detours, deprivations, dangers—those are adventures. We tend to think of them as journeys of ascent, like climbing to a summit. But are they, really? Aren’t adventures actually journeys of descent? And, actually, doesn’t therein lay their power? Our culture teaches that ascending brings us life: ascending in school; our careers; our social standing; in the sizes of our houses and our bank accounts. Our King, Jesus Christ, teaches the opposite. He teaches that we come alive, instead, by descending. And he teaches that we come alive by listening to God, trusting God, and relying on God. That’s why adventures are so important. On them, we descend voluntarily. We forgo “comfortable” and “secure.” We welcome discomfort and danger. We relinquish control—all toward a far off, good and worthy goal. We put ourselves, quite literally, in the hands of God. On adventures, we allow him to teach and shape us, awaken and recharge us. Jesus’ road to the cross was the ultimate adventure. He set upon something of immeasurable goodness and worth. He faced obstacles, detours, deprivations, dangers. He descended . . . but he didn’t do it so we wouldn’t have to. He descended to show us how. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).

Adventures are all around—great opportunities to descend into situations that’ll make you apprehensive, that’ll make your heart pound even: walking beside someone who isn’t at all like you, but needs your help nonetheless; confessing to brothers that thing you’ve never confessed to anyone; giving monetarily, until it hurts. Take some time, today—notice the adventures around you. Then, pick one and go.

 

[RiverOL]

The Sense of a Supreme Being

"For the truth about God is known to them [all mankind] instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God."1

Dorothy Bull asks:

Why does the earthworm always look clean,
When you consider where it has been?
How does the butterfly with new-formed wings
Know how to fly with such cumbersome things?
Where does the spider keep all its thread?
Who put the web-pattern into its head?
How does the ant carry food twice its size,
And store for the winter?
Who made it so wise?2

We can say it was chance or we can say it was God. No matter what we say, belief in God is instinctive. Every person is born with an innate sense of a divine, all-powerful Supreme Being. To act on this belief, however, is a choice. We basically believe what we want and choose to believe.

Sometimes doubts are genuine and cause us to think, and that is good. But sometimes they are a smoke screen to hide a moral problem … we fear that if we come to Christ, believe in him and accept him as our Savior, we will have to give up some things we know instinctively are wrong.

Thus it is choice, not chance, that determines our beliefs and therefore our eternal destiny. As God's Word says, "Choose today whom you will serve."3

Indeed, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."4

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, if You have planted in the heart of all mankind a sense of Your divine being, please open the eyes of my understanding so that I will see and know that You are indeed the God of all creation. In so doing please give me the courage this day to truly serve and live for You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer, gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

 

[RiverOL]

The Answer Is In Your Hands

"Don't store up treasures here on earth … Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value."1

Zig Ziglar wrote that according to legend, it was reputed that a very wise old man who lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage.

"Tell us," they asked, "is the bird in our hand dead or alive?"

The wise man replied, "Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. The answer is in your hands."

And so it is with life. Whether we succeed or fail, live a meaningful or empty life, lay up treasures in heaven or go empty handed to meet our Lord and Savior, it's all in our hands! For whatever we sow we reap. It's the law of the harvest.2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to invest my life in eternity and lay up treasures in heaven so I will reap abundantly in this life and the next—all for Your praise and glory. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name. Amen."

1. Matthew 6:19-20 (TLB).
2. Galatians 6:7.

 

[RiverOL]

Better Get Used to Mystery

. . . my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts—Isaiah 55:9

We men go through lengthy stretches of our lives with an “I’ve got this” posture. We convince ourselves we know what’s best in any particular situation or what’s right against any particular problem. We convince ourselves that we “get it.” We maintain this belief . . . until we can’t anymore . . . until we find we don’t actually know all that we think we know. We maintain it until we finally face the reality that God is God and we are not. “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish” (Isaiah 44:24-25). Never can we have God’s knowledge or wisdom. Because of who he is, because of who we are, there’ll always be a tremendous amount of mystery in the relationship. We must be willing to accept and embrace it—and not let it become an impediment. We may “need” to know why something is the way it is or why something happened the way it did, but most times we simply cannot—and still we must believe, and still we must obey. To be in right relation to God we must instead adopt a posture of “I don’t know . . . and I’ll do what he asks nonetheless.”

Fill in the following blanks, brother, according to your story: I don’t know why ____________ happened, but I’ll trust God nonetheless. I don’t know why I had to experience ____________, but I’ll love him nonetheless. I don’t know why I am experiencing ____________ right now, but I’ll follow him nonetheless. I don’t know why he is pushing me out of what’s comfortable by ____________, but I’ll go nonetheless.

 

[RiverOL]

Redeeming the Time

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil."1

Chuck Colson tells about one prisoner he met who had been on death row for fifteen years. His name was John Irving.

John was allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day. The rest of the time he was studying to become a minister—preparing to serve God.

Noticing that John had nothing in his cell but a few books, Colson offered to give him a TV.

"Thanks," John said, "but no thanks. You can waste an awful lot of time with those things."

Can you imagine wasting time on death row?

Colson goes on to say, "The real evils of the entertainment industry are not the violence and profanity—offensive though they are. No, it's the banality: the sheer waste of time. When we turn the TV on, we turn our minds off; studies have shown that the analytical areas of the brain nearly shut down during extended TV viewing."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, without going to extremes and ignoring TV altogether and/or becoming a workaholic, may I learn to use my time wisely, including quality time with my loved ones and making time to take proper care of myself with adequate rest and relaxation … and making time to spend with You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Ephesians 5:15-16 (RSV).

 

[RiverOL]

On Anger

"If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil."1

What do you do when you get mad? Do you explode and "blow your top"—or try to hide how you are truly feeling? Do you deny being angry altogether, or just say you are upset, or do you go quiet and withdraw, or act in a phony saccharine sweet manner? Or do you handle your anger in a healthy and creative way?

Anger, for many of us, isn't easy to handle, but when we deny it, try to hide it, or repress it, it comes out in many self-destructive ways such as a negative and critical attitude, nagging, sarcasm, personal or marriage conflicts, or many physical symptoms such as ulcers, asthma, arthritis, heart ailments or any of a score of others.

There is nothing of itself wrong with anger. It is a God-given legitimate and needed emotion. For instance, we ought to get angry at evil and at actions that destroy people. Recall how Jesus dealt with the money changers who misused God's temple. He drove them out with a whip.2 It's what we do with our anger and how we handle it that counts. It isn't helpful or right to lash out and hurt others. Neither is it helpful or right to nurse our anger (grudges). As today's Scripture reminds us, it is important that we resolve anger (and all negative emotions) as quickly as possible.

To handle anger creatively—that's the key. For help be sure to read the article, "Taming Your Anger" at: www.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=61&d=1&c=5&p=1.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you have created me with many emotions all of which are needed for healthy and creative living. Whenever I am hurt or angry, deliver me from the sin of denial, and please help me to be honest about my feelings, admit what I am truly feeling, and learn how to handle them in a creative, loving and healthy manner all for your glory. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Ephesians 4:26 (TLB) (NIV).
2. John 2:15.