 |
  
|
|
Weekly Devotionals  |
|
Good News DailyVolume VIII Sunday, September 14 If you remember back to the beginning of the book of Job, it is interesting to see the irony in the great winds. One was the source of Job’s tragedies, killing his sons and daughters. Another was the place from where God speaks. After the first storm, Job was drawn into a heavy debate with his friends about why these catastrophes happened to him: was it Job’s sin or not? He calls on God relentlessly to answer the puzzling question of why these things have happened to him and not to those who lead wicked lives. Then God appears out of the great whirlwind of a storm. Aged and haggard from the turmoil, Job has no where to look but up and exclaim, “God, it’s about time you showed up!” It is significant to note that God did not come to Job after the storm was over but spoke right out of the middle of the rains, the lightning, thunder and the howling winds; in other words, right smack in the middle of life. In a barrage of questions God gives a “tour” of creation. God does not humiliate Job but reassures him that everything, all of his life circumstances, are still under God’s control, including him. It is not easy to accept sufferings and trials in life. Life’s answers can be extremely complicated. Sometimes “stuff” happens to us. Sometimes a lot of “stuff” happens to us! We are only left with one thing to do—let go, throw our arms up, look up to God in heaven, and accept that God has divine plans for our life. His plans may seem mysterious, but they are always wise and always perfect. He just begs us trust Him and trust in His big picture. Psalms 24, 29; Revelation 18:1-8; Matthew 5:21-26 Monday, September 15 I once heard it said the greatest crimes against the Kingdom of God are crimes against love. Crimes against love undo all that we speak about, and what we hurt most is Jesus and his mission here on earth. How sad, after serving well together, these giants of the faith, Paul and Barnabas, come to a point where their disagreements made it so they could no longer work with each other. It makes me wonder, in a world of many denominations and factions of believers, what message we Christians send to the world! Isn’t it amazing how God can redeem all things? He took the infighting of two brothers in Christ and doubled the missionary efforts for His Kingdom. Through his grace, they kept focus on the mission set before them, and God provided a way for them to continue in ministry without grudges and without setting themselves up to be in fierce competition with each other. We know God’s redeemed plan worked because, later in life, Paul writes favorably about Barnabas and Mark and the fruit of their ministry. As we serve the Lord with others, may we stop often to confess our failures. May we also raise our hearts in thankful praise that the Lord is able to take even our deepest divisions and still further His kingdom. Job 40:1-24; Psalms 56, 57, 58; John 11:55—12:8 Tuesday, September 16 Paul wanted very much to take the Gospel to Asia (Turkey), but as much as he tried, the Lord prevented them from going. It was as if the door was slammed in his face. It was not until the door was closed tight that Paul learned through a vision that he was to head west into Europe. He was head strong to go in one direction, but God wrenched him in another. It is often said in our family that when life takes some pretty sharp curves and dips, when it filled with a number of surprises, jerks, turns, and thrills then we have been on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Many of you may have ridden on this great ride at Disney World. Paul must have wondered at times about the ride he was on. It was not always easy and he endured a great number of hardships. Yet one thing is clear: his life was wholly yielded to the Lord and it was most satisfying. In the middle of all the twists and turns he could honestly say that he had no regrets about strapping in with God for the ride of his life. Have you had a door shut in your face? It may be God protecting or redirecting you. Perhaps He is preparing you for another adventure. God will not waste our willingness to be used by Him. Wait for Him to open the right door. Who knows? It might be a stroll in the park—or it just may be Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Whatever, God is in control. He will lead us and bring joy and blessings to our lives as we follow Him. Job 40:1, 41:1-11; Psalms 61, 62; John 12:9-19 Wednesday, September 17 Imagine having to look over your shoulder because you are studying a Bible or worshiping in church. Imagine the worry you might feel knowing that if you are caught, you could be jailed, beaten, or even have your loved ones taken away from you. There are an estimated 200 million Christians throughout the world who are a part of the persecuted Church. These people of God suffer the constant abuse and hatred of individuals, religious groups, and even governments—China, Sudan, and Indonesia, to name a few. It is easy for us sleep peacefully every night, never thinking about them, because we simply do not own the same experience. This is not comfortable to think about. Yet, somehow, we must wake up from our slumber and be aware of what the Church is undergoing. We have to pray daily for courage for those who will face persecution. We have to find a way to speak against those oppressive regimes where atrocities still happen. My heart is heavy when I hear about religious persecution. Maybe you feel helpless like I do at times. I am reminded that I serve a powerful God who hears our prayers and honors our actions. Let our hearts cry out and pray for the persecuted Church. Let us do this for others, as we would want them to do so for us. Job 42:1-17, Psalm 72; John 12:20-26 Thursday, September 18 I was given beautiful Gerber Daisies last week at work. Unfortunately, I forgot to take them home over the weekend. When I returned in a few days, I saw they desperately needed water and were drooping over in the most sad-looking way. It made me think about the Christian life and ask the question: Do we live like “droopy Christians”? Are we people who live with the hope of Christ inside of us or do we “droop”? In our daily lives, I think some of us fall into the temptation of being a “don’t haver,” rather than a “do haver.” “Don’t havers” are sad inside. They are always looking at what they don’t have. On the outside “don’t havers” are often complainers, but on the inside they live in self-pity. Maybe they do not want to be sad but they do not know how to get out of their rut, because deep down they do not feel worthy of God’s love and do not believe their life is significant in the Kingdom of God. On the other hand, “Do havers” know what they have as Christian. They are focused, looking ahead. They are in the habit of recalling the goodness of God and understand what God has done for them. “Do havers” have hope! If you are “drooping” today, hold your chin up and start again. Recall our hope. We have hope in Christ’s victory over sin, hope that we can never be separated from His love, hope in His sufficiency to guide us in every aspect of our life. We have hope in His righteousness. We have hope in His promises for He sees us forgiven and will bring us to a maturity of faith. We have hope that we will live forever with Him in eternity. Think about the victories—we have been given everything! Live in hope and let the Lord restore you with the joy your salvation. Job 28:1-28; Psalm 70; Acts 16:25-40; John 12:27-36a Friday, September 19 This is the essence of our Christian faith: Jesus came to be king over the world and king over our hearts. That is the heart of our faith, the center of our proclamation, the foundation of our lives. The phrase “Jesus is King” brings confidence and hope for those who proclaim it and the wrath, the fire, of those who reject it. Let’s face it: when Jesus thought about you and me 2000 years ago, he was on a mission from his heavenly Father to redeem all mankind. He took his role very seriously and he was a troublemaker for the world. So it will be for us, too, if we take our role as Christians seriously. We are at risk of be labeled troublemakers if we proclaim that Jesus is our King and he is the only way, truth, and life. Think of culture today as it speaks about religion. Our culture is very comfortable with a religion that that teaches us peace, unity, and comfort. Unfortunately, I fear that culture has invaded the American Church and we have grown accustomed to being peaceful and comfortable. We have grown accustomed to our lighthearted Sundays, family dinners, and a quiet, joyous religion free of conflict. Certainly Jesus came to bring joy and peace, but he also came to bring division. Faith divides. People will despise and mock us for believing in Christ alone. We can see it in our workplace and even in many of our churches. Remember the apostles who have gone before you. “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus in the Christ” (Acts 5:41-42). Count it all joy that you should suffer for Christ’s sake. Esther 1:1-4, 10-19; Psalm 69; John 12:36b-43 Saturday, September 20 It is important to read, in context, why the apostles write certain things at certain times. Remember that Paul lived in a time where the Greeks were fearful of offending their gods. If you visit the Ancient World you will find altars everywhere. They were built to appease their gods so they would not be destroyed by rains or sickness or other calamities. The Greeks lived in constant fear. This portion of Paul’s speech to the philosophers highlights there is one God who intentionally made mankind and intentionally set us on course for life. He is not one of those semi-human gods of the Greeks who are fickle and did not care if people found them or not. But the God of the universe is omnipresent. We live in him. We move in him. He is all around us. Our God wants us to know him. He orchestrated the whole universe and the whole of our lives, so that all we have to do is reach out and seek for him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when seek me with all your heart.” He made it easy for us. We just have to reach out to him. God wants us to know him! We are important to Him. It is His heart’s desire that we reach for Him. He is there. Esther 2:5-8, 15-23; Psalms 75, 76; John 12:44-50 by Robin Jagoe Used with permission from the BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP |
