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Today's Devotional
June (click
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Tuesday June 1
“But the word of the Lord stands forever.” 1Pe 1:25 NIV
Read Your Bible!
Jana Jones says, “During the day I take a few moments to unwind by reading the Bible. After seeing me do this for several years, my four-year-old daughter became concerned: ‘Aren’t you ever going to get finished reading that book?’” You could read the Bible for a lifetime and not “scratch the surface.” There’s no other book like it. Observe:
(1) No human being would have written a standard so high. Stop and think of the best person you know. You must admit, even they would have left certain things out, wouldn’t they? (2) There’s an aura the Bible generates which no other book does. Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.” Try laying a newspaper on your table at a restaurant and no one will give you a second look. But lay your Bible on it and they’ll stare at you, watch you chew your food, and maybe even read your license plate when you get into your car. That’s because the Bible creates a sense of God’s presence that forces a reaction in the hearts of men and women. (3) We are changed as we read it. Our core values are altered, peace enters our spirit, joy wells up within our heart. “The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us to what we really are” (Heb 4:12 NLT). The answers you need are in your Bible, so make it part of your everyday life.
Wednesday June 2
“Give me this [mountain] that the Lord promised me.” Jos 14:12 NIV
Keep Climbing
Admiral Joe Fowler served in both world wars. As a naval architect he designed two of America’s largest aircraft carriers, the USS Lexington and the USS Saratoga. He retired from the Navy in 1948. Shortly after, Walt Disney asked him to head up the design and construction of his first theme park in California. Nothing like it had ever been done before. Not only did Fowler complete the project in 1955, he managed its operation for many years. Later when Disney wanted to build another theme park in Florida, he called Fowler to do it. When Fowler completed the project in 1971, he was seventy-one. End of story? No, when Fowler was eighty-seven Disney called on him again to build a futuristic theme park called Epcot Center. When asked why he would take on such a project at eighty-seven Fowler replied, “You don’t have to die until you want to.” In 1993 he completed the job, and laid down his drawing board at the age of ninety-nine. Mission accomplished!
At eighty-five years of age Caleb said to Joshua, “Give me this [mountain] that the Lord promised me [forty-five years ago]” (See Jos 14:12). Did he get it? Yes. So keep climbing. Will you make mistakes along the way? Sure! Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear in his first car. He also went bankrupt five times before becoming the father of the automobile industry. You’ll stumble on your way to the top, but if you seek God’s help and stay with it, you’ll get there. The truth is, you’re not defeated until your doubts and regrets take the place of your dreams.
Thursday June 3
“Look at the birds in the sky!” Mt 6:26 CEV
What’s Good for the Goose (1)
Speaking to an anxiety-ridden crowd, Jesus said: “I tell you not to worry about your life…Look at the birds in the sky!” You say, “What can I learn from looking at a bunch of birds?” Have you ever been to Pennsylvania in early winter? If so, you’ve seen the skies literally darken as multitudes of Canadian geese gather for their annual flight to the sunny south. For the next few days let’s look at their behavior, and learn:
They fly united. Geese don’t fly separately, in random style, because no goose alone can go that distance. They’re designed to fly in their characteristic “V” formation. When a bird flaps its wings the air movement created provides an uplift, easing the work load of the bird behind it. Together, their flight range increases about 71 percent. Even the youngest, weakest and oldest geese can make the trip. They accomplish together what they could never accomplish separately. There’s a lesson here: when the Bible says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Heb 10:25 NIV), it means, “Stay in fellowship with one another, and enjoy the uplift it provides.” You’re not called to fly solo. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1Co 12:21 NIV). Occasionally a goose strays off on its own but soon becomes exhausted, loses altitude and ultimately pulls wearily back into the formation. “Look at the birds,” and learn.
Friday June 4
“Look at the birds in the sky!” Mt 6:26 CEV
What’s Good for the Goose (2)
Every goose is a “pinch-hitter.” When one goose gets in a pinch, another “goes to bat” for him. Every formation has to have a “point goose,” out front, leading, setting the pace for the others. It’s a tough position because the point goose cuts the headwinds, meets the changing weather conditions, is first to feel the rain in his face, the snow in his eyes and the ice on his wings. He keeps the formation on target whatever the situation. It’s hard, exhausting and lonely at times because there’s nobody ahead of him to be the wind beneath his wings. The formation depends on him to persevere, stay on track and get them safely to their destination.
Every church has its point goose: the pastor. Each department has its point geese: youth, finance, evangelism, care ministries, etc. They lead, set the pace and give direction to those who follow. There are two common roles in the church: the under-employed and the over-functioning. Point ministries are the latter, so they tend to burn out frequently. Just before the point goose is exhausted, a space opens in the formation and he slips back into it while another bird replaces him, seamlessly becoming the next point goose. Pinch-hitting for each other preserves the life of the formation. This is what Paul meant: “The whole body [is] held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part” (Eph 4:16 NAS). Don’t be content to be a consumer, be a producer! A great church isn’t about paid staff; it’s about volunteers willing to pinch-hit whenever needed.
Saturday June 5
“Look at the birds in the sky!” Mt 6:26 CEV
What’s Good for the Goose (3)
In the world of geese, the aged, very young, and infirm are kept protected in the rear of the formation. But they aren’t isolated, discounted or considered useless; they fulfill a vital role. They become the honking section and cheer for the leaders. Inevitably bad weather threatens the mission. The going gets tough and the tough are struggling. From the rear of the formation a lone honk sounds, initiating a goose chorus honking encouragement to the point goose. Paul understood this: “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1Th 5:11 NIV). He knew we need a “honking section” supporting us with uplifting words and prayer. We need those who say, “We are behind you. We’ve got your back!” “But…you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good” (2Th 3:13 NKJV). Many a servant of Christ has crossed their deepest valley on a wing, a prayer, and a honk from some old pock-marked, battle-hardened, straggle-feathered, half-bald honker of encouragement who was too stubborn to let a brother or sister quit on their watch! Occasionally a strident, out-of-tune goose complains loudly and irritatingly. Within moments the honking section kicks in, drowning out the grumbler, restoring order and unity. The church’s problem isn’t too many people speaking negatively, it’s too few speaking positively! When someone cries, “defeat,” honk back, “victory.” When they cry, “fear,” honk back, “faith.” A few words of encouragement can overpower a storm of complaints. So join the honking section and be known like Barnabas, whose name means “Son of Encouragement” (Ac 4:36 NIV).
Sunday June 6
“Look at the birds in the sky!” Mt 6:26 CEV
What’s Good for the Goose (4)
With geese, their relationship is “till death do us part.” They take it seriously. They’re fully committed. When the ravages of time or circumstances make it impossible for a bird to continue the trip and it begins to lose altitude or fails to keep abreast of the formation, the gaggle provides it comfort, nurture and protection. Two strong geese leave the formation, flying with the “patient” safely between them, find a sheltered location with food and water and make a home for the needy bird. They’ll stay with their ward till it either recovers or dies before joining another formation. For them, everything goes “on hold” to care for another bird! What an example of Christ-like relationship and self-sacrificing love. “God has combined the members of the body…that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1Co 12:24-26 NIV). In today’s culture we discount and marginalize the needy, including those no longer functioning as they once did. But God demands we “have equal concern for each other,” especially with those suffering. If a gaggle of birds can do it, surely God’s family ought to do it too. “Look at the birds in the sky!” Jesus directs. If they can do it for each other, “Aren’t you worth more than birds?” (Mt 6:26 CEV). One of the two greatest commandments (not suggestions) Christ gave us is, “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater” (Mk 12:31 NIV). When word circulates that we love each other this way, they’ll beat down the doors of our church to get in!
Monday June 7
“Look at the birds in the sky!” Mt 6:26 CEV
What’s Good for the Goose (5)
Lost and stray geese are always welcomed into the formation. It’s not an exclusive club for the elite. Birds separated from other formations, isolated by weather, accident or infirmity are given full family status. The formation will alter its plans, reschedule its arrival time and inconvenience itself to accommodate any strangers seeking its acceptance. Many newcomers arrive dirty, bedraggled and ill-fed. They’re never turned away. God’s church isn’t a museum for masterpieces, it’s a hospital for those who have been hurt by life. (Even self-inflicted hurt.) Jesus said: “All…who are weary and carry heavy burdens” are accepted (See Mt 11:28 NLT). “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also…there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (Jn 10:16 NIV). Christ has no higher agenda than to recruit, save and adopt the stranger into His flock. You say, “But they’re not my kind of people; they don’t look, talk or smell like me!” So what? We don’t get to choose our biological or spiritual siblings; God does. If they rub us like sandpaper they’re helping rub off rough edges and polish us up. Want to see the material God builds the church with? Prepare for a shock. “The unrighteous…fornicators…idolaters…adulterers…homosexuals…thieves…covetous…drunkards…revilers…extortioners…And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1Co 6:9-11 NKJV). We were taken into the formation, washed, sanctified, justified and given full family status!
Tuesday June 8
“God is…a very present help in trouble.” Ps 46:1
“Very Present”
Randy Reid, a thirty-four-year-old construction worker, was welding on top of a nearly completed water tower outside Chicago. According to writer Melissa Ramsdell, Reid unhooked his safely gear to reach for some pipes when a metal cage slipped and bumped the scaffolding on which he stood. It tipped, and Reid lost his balance. He fell 110 feet landing face down on a pile of dirt, just missing rocks and construction debris. A fellow worker called 911. When paramedics arrived they found Reid conscious, moving, and complaining of a sore back. Apparently the fall didn’t cost Reid his sense of humor. As paramedics carried him on a backboard to the ambulance, Reid had one request: “Don’t drop me.” (Doctors later said Reid came away from the accident with just a bruised leg.)
Sometimes we resemble Randy Reid. God protects us from harm in a 110-foot fall, yet we are not willing to trust Him to get us over the next two-foot hurdle. Being sinful, we fail. Being prone to sickness, we hurt. Being mortal, we die. Pressure wears on us. Anxiety gives us ulcers. People intimidate us. Criticism offends us. Disease scares us. Death haunts us. What’s the answer? “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Note the words “very present.” When we hit life’s rough spots our tendency is to feel abandoned, yet the opposite is true. At that very moment we are more than ever the object of His love and concern. Yes, even when our vision is blurred, our thinking foggy, our faith fleeting, and we look up and can’t see Him clearly—He is “very present.”
Wednesday June 9
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13 NIV
Fénelon’s Formula for Prayer
Is your prayer life consistent? Is it rich and rewarding? Do you see measurable growth in it? If not, François Fénelon, a 17th-century Frenchman, tells us how to pray and get results. It’s a tried and true formula worth following:
“Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles that He may comfort you; tell Him your longings that He may purify them; tell Him your dislikes that He may help you conquer them; tell Him your temptations that He may shield you from them; show Him the wounds of your soul that He may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved taste for evil, your instability. Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride hides you from yourself and from others. If you thus pour out all your weaknesses, needs, and troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject, for it is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subjects of conversation. They do not weigh their words for there is nothing to be held back. Neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of their heart. Without consideration, they simply say just what they think. When they ask, they ask in faith, confident that they will be heard. Blessed are those who attain such familiar, unreserved communication with God.”
Thursday June 10
“The Lord was with Joseph.” Ge 39:2 NKJV
You Can Rise Above Your Beginnings!
Joseph didn’t come from an ideal family. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, a con man and a conniver. By this time, however, Jacob had gotten his spiritual act together. But his ten older sons took after their dad. They once deceived and killed an entire town of men because one of them raped their sister (See Ge 34). Now they’re about to commit another deed of treachery, selling Joseph into slavery. Yet Joseph turned out to be a man of greatness. Bottom line: You can rise above your beginnings! Look at Joseph. Perhaps you’ve been rejected, or discovered the people you thought loved you really didn’t. That’s Joseph’s story. But, “The Lord was with Joseph.” Those words change everything! Regardless of what happened yesterday, if you remain faithful to God He can rearrange tomorrow in your favor. Many people who’ve been mistreated are still focusing on the people who hurt them, waiting for them to make things right. In a lot of cases that isn’t going to happen. If you’ve been wronged you need to turn to the One who won’t hurt you, and who is there to help and heal you. Face it, some relationships aren’t going to get fixed! Your parents may never accept you. You may not be able to escape the problem you’ve been living with or resolve it to your liking. God’s not limited by your past, He’s only limited by your lack of faith. So trust Him. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Ro 8:31 NIV). If God is for you, in the final analysis it doesn’t matter who’s against you.
Friday June 11
“Seek out…men of good reputation…whom we may appoint over this business.” Ac 6:3 NKJV
Four Qualities of a Good Leader
Good leaders practice: (1) Submission. Only a leader who has followed well, knows how to lead others well. “Connecting” with people becomes possible because you’ve walked in their shoes. Leaders who’ve never submitted to authority tend to be proud, unrealistic and autocratic. (2) Self-discipline. To make consistently good decisions requires character and self-discipline. To do otherwise, is to lose control of ourselves. British essayist John Foster writes, “A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself. He belongs to whatever can make a captive of him.” Peter writes, “Knowing God leads to self-control” (See 2Pe 1:5-6 NLT). (3) Patience. Leaders look ahead, think ahead, and want to move ahead. That’s what makes them leaders. But the true goal of leadership is not to cross the finish line first, but to take as many others with you as you can. For that reason you have to deliberately slow your pace, stay connected to your people, keep them informed and inspired, enlist the help of others to fulfill your vision, and keep going. And you can’t do that if you’re running too far ahead of everybody. Solomon writes: “Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride” (Ecc 7:8 NLT). (4) Accountability. Many people feel that accountability is a willingness to explain your actions. No, real accountability begins long before you take action. Most wrong actions come about because we are not being accountable early enough. To lead well, you must have these qualities.
Saturday June 12
“We are not ignorant of [Satan’s] devices.” 2Co 2:11 NKJV.
Don’t Take the Bait
Satan, whom the Bible refers to as “the tempter,” works in two ways like a seasoned fisherman: (1) He knows fish get hungry and he knows when they’ll be biting. Understand this: you were born with a hole in your soul that only God can fill. And unless you turn to God and build a relationship with Him, you’ll keep trying to fill that hole with the wrong things. “Where can I find the right things?” you ask. The Psalmist answers, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps 16:11 NKJV). There’s a marked difference in how Joseph responded to temptation with Potiphar’s wife and how David responded to it with Bathsheba. David looked, and kept looking, but Joseph fled. As a result David reaped terrible heartache and Joseph reaped great blessing. The Bible says, “If sinners entice you, do not consent” (Pr 1:10 NKJV). Be honest with yourself. Acknowledge that there are places you shouldn’t go, habits you shouldn’t indulge, and company you should never be in. (2) He knows what bait will hook them. Next time somebody fails and you’re tempted to think, “I’d never do that,” stop and ask yourself, “What would it take to make me bite?” You may not know the answer to that question at the moment, but Satan does. And he is patient; he’ll wait a lifetime if he has to; he’s in no hurry. He doesn’t mind whether you fall through “youthful lusts,” or on the last few laps through more subtle sins, so long as you lose the race. So, “don’t take the bait.”
Sunday June 13
“We…are…one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Ro 12:5 NIV
Working Together
If you’re wise you’ll pray: “Lord, who do I need in my life at this time?” and, “Who do you want me to help?” The first question requires humility, the second requires unselfishness. There’s no limit to what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit. A great illustration of this is Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa born in Nepal. He tells how he and Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, accomplished what no other human beings ever had: conquering Mount Everest. Tenzing says, “For each level we reached, a higher degree of teamwork was required. One group would exhaust themselves just getting the equipment up the mountain for the next group. Two-men teams would work finding a path, cutting steps, securing ropes, spending themselves to make the next leg of the climb possible for others. You don’t climb a mountain like Everest by trying to race ahead on your own or by competing with your comrades. No, you do it slowly and carefully, by unselfish teamwork. Certainly I wanted to reach the top myself; it was the thing I’d dreamed of all my life. But if the lot fell to someone else I would take it like a man, not a crybaby. Where would Hillary and I have been without the others? Without the climbers who made the route? The Sherpas who carried the loads? Those who cleared the path ahead? It was only through the work and sacrifice of them all that we had our chance at the top.” The Bible teaches, “We…are…one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” So let’s keep that in mind today and try to work together!
Monday June 14
“When he saw him, he had compassion.” Lk 10:33 NKJV
“Do I Have Compassion for Others?”
The priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan saw the plight of the dying man, but the Good Samaritan exercised compassion and did something about it. So, ask yourself, “Have I become too calloused to care or too busy to be bothered?” There’s so much need around us, and God knows, we can’t meet all of it. But what needs are you called to meet? Next time you see the Salvation Army ringing their bell and taking donations, remember how it all started. There was a couple who lived in London 155 years ago. For the first ten years William Booth was in a quandary: what was God calling him to do? One day his wife Catherine, a Bible teacher, was invited to speak in London. While they were there William took a late-night walk through the slums of London’s East End. Every fifth building was a pub. Most had steps at the counter so little children could climb up and order gin. That night he told Catherine, “I seem to hear a voice sounding in my ears, ‘Where can you go to find such heathen as these, and where is there so great a need for your labors?’ Darling, I have found my destiny!” Later that year, 1865, the couple opened the “Christian Mission” in London’s slums. Their life’s vision: to reach the “down-and-outers” that other Christians ignored. That simple vision of two people grew into the Salvation Army, which ministers through three million members in ninety-one countries. Now, stop and ask yourself, “Do I have compassion for others?”
Tuesday June 15
“Let us follow the Spirit’s leading.” Gal 5:25 NLT
Get Serious About Living a Godly Life
Charles Spurgeon said, “If we are not seeking the Lord, the Devil is seeking us.” And he gets us, when we lower our guard and become complacent. If you’re serious about living a godly life, read on:
“Live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict…when you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group. Envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin…But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control…those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (See Gal 5:16-25 NLT). When you get serious about living a godly life, God will help you.
Wednesday June 16
“Bring me seventy…who are known…as leaders.” Nu 11:16 NIV
Work from Your Core Strengths
A group of neighborhood kids built a tree house and formed their own club. When the grownups were told who had been selected for which office, they were astonished to hear that a four-year-old boy had been elected president. “He must be a born leader,” one dad observed. “How did it happen that all you bigger boys voted for him?” His son replied, “Well, he can’t very well be secretary because he doesn’t know how to read or write. He couldn’t be treasurer because he can’t count. He would never do for sergeant-at-arms because he’s too little to throw anybody out. If we didn’t choose him for anything, he’d feel bad. So we made him president.” Life doesn’t work that way! You don’t become successful by default, you must work from your God-given strengths. In life, your purpose is always connected to your giftedness. God doesn’t call you to do something you’ve no talent for. God told Moses, “Bring me seventy…who are known to you as leaders.” You cannot grow to your full potential if you continually work outside your core strengths. Improvement is always related to ability. Do you know what happens when you spend all your time working on your weaknesses, and never develop your strengths? If you work really hard you could claw your way up to mediocrity, but you’ll never get beyond it. Economic necessity and family responsibility may require you to work for a season outside the area of your core strengths, but don’t settle there. Seek God’s guidance, sharpen your gifts, be patient, and God will open doors for you.
Thursday June 17
“Love your neighbor.” Mk 12:31 NKJV
Learn to Value Others
Here are two things we should never do: (1) Expect to feel fully at home in this world, because “we are citizens of heaven” (Php 3:20 NLT). (2) Become so heavenly minded that we are no earthly use. The “salt” and “light” principles Jesus taught call for us to influence and illuminate others for good and for God. That means taking responsibility to do things better at home, on the job, and in all our dealings. If the only people you show genuine care for are in your church, your salt isn’t flavoring and your light isn’t dispelling darkness. Christ’s command to “Love your neighbor” includes the less-than-lovable. And you only love others when you add value to their lives! You ask, “How do I do that?” (1) By truly valuing them. That calls for believing in them before they believe in you, serving them before they serve you, loving them before they love you, and giving to them without expecting anything in return. (2) By making yourself more valuable. But you can’t give what you don’t have. So you must earn and grow, in order to give and guide. (3) By knowing what they value. What happens when you’re interested only in your own agenda? You know very little about the people around you. Make others’ priorities, your priorities. Ask to hear their stories. Discover their hopes and dreams. Make their success part of your mission. (4) By doing things that God values. When your life is done, what will you have lived for? Eventually everything on earth will turn to dust—including you! So give yourself to things that will last beyond your lifetime.
Friday June 18
“I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” Ac 26:19
When God Gives You a Vision (1)
Paul had a “heavenly vision.” But there are those who “speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jer 23:16 NKJV). So you must be sure you are operating according to God’s plan, not your own, or somebody else’s. The story of the Tower of Babel teaches us two things: (1) When people make up their mind to do something, they often succeed. (2) Succeeding doesn’t mean that you’re in the will of God. The word Babel (confusion) means others can think you’re right, yet you’re wrong. You ask, “But isn’t it okay to make plans and set goals?” Yes, but your plans and goals should come out of a vision that God has given you.
When Paul said, “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,” he meant that there’s only one acceptable response to God’s plan—obedience! Partial obedience, selective obedience, or delayed obedience are still disobedience. William Carey, who is considered the father of modern missions, gave up comfort and fortune to go to India and introduce the gospel. One of his more memorable quotes is: “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God!” But you can only say that with confidence when you know what God has called you to do. What He ordains, He sustains! When you set your own goals you lack a heart-deep confidence that God is doing the work, so you wear yourself out thinking it’s all up to you. However, when you know God has given you a vision for your life, you trust Him, even when you can’t see any way to bring it to pass.
Saturday June 19
“I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” Ac 26:19
When God Gives You a Vision (2)
When God gives you a vision: (1) It will interrupt you. Sometimes God will speak in a voice you can’t tune out. Other times, like Jonah, God will let you go to the bottom to get your attention. Either way, things won’t go right until you say yes to Him. (2) It will illuminate you. You may not like what God says. Ananias didn’t like going to pray for Saul of Tarsus, a man with the power to put Christians to death. But God said, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel…I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Ac 9:15-16 NKJV). Notice the word “suffer.” The Devil isn’t going to send you a congratulatory telegram because you have decided to do God’s will, so be prepared for attack. (3) It will inspire you. You will accomplish things you never dreamed possible. Look at Gideon. When God found him he was hiding in a winepress (See Jdg 6:11 NKJV); not exactly a promising start. When the angel called him “a mighty man of valor” (v. 12 NKJV), he replied, “I am the least in my father’s house” (v. 15 NKJV). When the angel said, “The Lord is with you,” he replied, “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (vv. 12-13 NKJV). When he finally took the job, he wondered, “How can so few of us defeat so many of them?” Yet at that very moment his enemies were having nightmares about him (See Jdg 7:13-15). The secret of victory lies in knowing: “It is God working in me” (See Php 2:13).
FATHER’S DAY – Sunday June 20
“These words which I command you…teach them diligently to your children.” Dt 6:6–7 NKJV
Keep Bending the Twig
On Father’s Day a pastor was making the point that it’s not enough to “talk the talk,” you must also “walk the walk.” He said, “It doesn’t matter what you tell your kids, they’ll turn out just like you. That scares me. Does it scare anyone else?” Looking over the congregation he saw that the only hand raised was his son’s! “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” As a father it’s your responsibility to “Point your kids in the right direction” (Pr 22:6 TM). Just as you nourish them with good food, the attitudes you transmit become food for their minds. Don’t feed them cynicism and half-baked theology; feed them spiritually by talking to them about the things of God “wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street” (Dt 6:6 TM). Dr. D. James Kennedy observed: “Sending children to public schools and [expecting] school to teach them everything is a relatively recent development. From the 1600’s until the mid 19th century parents maintained responsibility for their children’s education. And…the curriculum included Bible reading and prayers. Today…society has allowed the eradication of both. We can no longer rely on the school system to support Christian views, we must work even harder to ensure our children grow in Christ. How do we bend the twig? With a God-centered education that teaches sound moral principles…kids need high academic standards…and direction towards attaining them through discipline…guidelines, boundaries and rewards…Those of you who have children…don’t give up. Keep bending the twig…[and] one day you’ll have a tree that stands tall and bears fruit for God’s glory.”
Monday June 21
“Take the stumbling block out of the way.” Isa 57:14 NKJV
Stumbling Blocks
To fulfill your God-given purpose in life you must confront your defects of character, see them as stumbling blocks and begin to remove them. Here are six of the most common ones: (1) Pride. Spiritual pride, social pride—God hates all forms of pride. His Word says, “With humility…regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Php 2:3 NAS). Pride toppled Satan from the number two position in heaven, and it will topple you too if you let it. (2) Insecurity. Insecure people aren’t willing to take risks. They complain about their lot in life, yet they’re afraid to embrace change and do something about it. They prefer to remain comfortable. What’s the solution? Stepping out in faith, being confident in God! (3) Moodiness. Moody people are like the wind, you don’t know which way they’ll blow. You can’t depend on them. Confidence is never built on a person who’s fickle. (4) Perfectionism. Perfectionism is the obsessive need to perform flawlessly. It stifles your creativity, and turns others off. Perfectionists can’t affirm themselves, therefore it’s difficult for them to affirm anybody else. (5) Over-sensitivity. Over-sensitive people are always licking their wounds and looking inward; as a result they’re unaware of the needs of others. Ironically, they never understand why they’re so lonely. (6) Negativity. Negative people are hard to be around. Their personality says no to life in general, and folks tend to avoid them like the plague. Do you recognize any of these stumbling blocks in your life? If so pray, ask God for help, and go to work removing them.
Tuesday June 22
“God has given gifts to each of you.” 1Pe 4:10 NLT
Use Your Talents to Glorify God
Your work is important to God. Your job uses up forty hours in your week, so it should represent Him. “God has given gifts to each of you…Manage them well…then God will be given the glory.” We’ve each been given talents for the purpose of honoring God in this world. Undiscovered, undeveloped gifts dishonor Him; so do misused ones. God has gifted you to do something in a way nobody else can. By tapping into your unique abilities and using them to promote His kingdom, you’re fulfilling His will in the truest sense. Paul says, “Everything comes from him…and is intended for his glory” (Ro 11:36 NLT). The breath we breathe, the blood that courses through our veins, the gray matter between our ears are God’s investment in us. And He expects a return. Max Lucado writes: “We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush strokes, papers for his pen, soil for his seeds, and glimpses of his image…He un-commons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafes into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures…When you magnify your Maker with your strengths…your days grow suddenly sweet.” So, be like the great New England preacher Jonathan Edwards, who lived by two resolutions: “Resolved first: that all men should live for the glory of God. Resolved second: that whether others do or not, I will.”
Wednesday June 23
“Who may enter your presence…Those who…do what is right.” Ps 15:1-2 NLT
Image or Reality?
Charles Swindoll writes: “Behind the scenes…life can be…a façade held together with cheap material. Solomon was a man upon whom God showered wisdom, success and wealth…[But] he let his relationship with the Lord slip…Some say success can ruin a man. I say [it] reveals who he was all along. Success doesn’t destroy character, it exposes it. During Solomon’s reign Israel’s wealth continued to build. David had won peace with an aggressive military campaign, and surrounding kingdoms held Israel in high regard…The threat to Solomon’s kingdom came from within. Like his father David, Solomon had many wives. They enticed him into idolatry, and when Rehoboam became king Israel was divided. The public man appeared genuine…but behind the scenes he emulated his father and grandfather (2Ch 11:18-23). He nurtured a public image while passing on a dark legacy to his sons…polishing his image by appearing to seek wise counsel, then rejecting it in favor of advice from his peers…When the kingdom’s wealth was pilfered by Egypt, Rehoboam replaced the gold shields with bronze ones polished to shine like gold, but worthless in comparison…a third-class substitute after a first-class blunder…‘Like produces like’—a lust for sensuality produced children with lust in their hearts. Within a generation or two a seed of compromise grew to rebellion in full bloom. David’s compromise weakened Solomon, and Solomon’s impacted Rehoboam. Finally, the sin mom loved and dad permitted, entangled the son. Have you fooled yourself into thinking you can manage the consequences of sin? Or considered the effect on the people you influence? If cameras were pulled behind the scenes of your life, what would we see?”
Thursday June 24
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Php 4:13 NKJV
You Have What’s Required!
When David first arrived at King Saul’s palace he was a simple, unknown shepherd boy. But he had an impressive résumé! And God, in essence, said, “I saw you kill the bear and the lion; I was watching when you didn’t realize it.” Solomon wrote, “A man’s gift maketh room for him” (Pr 18:16). David’s gift may have been only a slingshot, but it opened the door to his future as Israel’s king. So even though what you’ve got doesn’t seem like much—give it to God and watch what He can do with it. You say, “But I’m not formally trained.” All God requires is that you show up, say yes, and make yourself available. When you give God what you’ve got, He gives you what He’s got; that makes your odds unbeatable. “But I don’t have the right credentials,” you say. So what? Benjamin Franklin had less than two years of formal schooling. Yet at twenty-five he founded America’s first library, at thirty-one he started its first fire department, at thirty-six he designed a heating stove that’s still in use today, at forty he harnessed the power of electricity, at forty-five he founded the nation’s first university, and at seventy-nine he invented bifocals. He was an economist, philosopher, diplomat, inventor, educator, publisher, and linguist who spoke and wrote in five languages. Chances are, you already have more education than he had when he was your age. Add to that these two promises, “The Lord is my helper” (Heb 13:6 NKJV), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and you have what’s required!
Friday June 25
“The Child grew and became strong.” Lk 2:40 NKJV
Start Where You Are!
When do we get our first clue that Jesus knows He is the Son of God? In the temple when He was twelve years old. His parents are three days into the return trip to Nazareth before they notice he’s missing. The temple is the last place they search, but it’s the first place Jesus goes. By the time Joseph and Mary locate their son He has confounded the most learned scholars in the temple. As a boy Jesus already senses the call of God. But what does He do next? Recruit disciples and preach sermons? No, He goes back home and learns the family business. That’s what you should do! Before you attempt to do great things for God, go home, love your family and take care of business. “But I’m called to be a missionary,” you say. Good, your first mission field is where you live! What makes you think you’ll be believed by those who barely know you, if you’re not credible to those who know you best? Charity begins at home! The Psalmist says, “I will lead a life of integrity in my own home” (Ps 101:2 NLT). For His first thirty years Jesus’ neighbors remembered Him as a worker. “He’s just a carpenter” (Mk 6:3 TM). Jesus spent years developing a work ethic, sharpening His vocational skills and supporting His family. “He had to enter into every detail of human life” (Heb 2:17 TM). Why did Jesus do it that way? So He would know how we feel. So we’d be confident in going to Him with our needs, knowing He’s qualified and able to meet them. So, start where you are!
Saturday June 26
“Those you allow to remain will become…thorns in your sides.” Nu 33:55 NIV
Knowing Who Belongs in Your Life
Earthquakes result from two tectonic plates on a fault line shifting against one another, then lurching in opposite directions. And that’s what happens when you bond with the wrong people. It’s why God instructed the Israelites concerning the hostile nations in the Promised Land: “Those you allow to remain will become…thorns in your sides.” When a relationship is not working, when your efforts to rehabilitate it have failed, acknowledge it. Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and admit that instead of lifting them up, they’re dragging you down. Releasing somebody doesn’t mean they’ll never improve, it just means God is better suited to the job. Be careful around those who are always trying to make you feel guilty for not “being there.” Only God can always be there! There’s a difference between helping somebody and carrying them. Your help may actually be a hindrance. Why should they even try, if you’re always there to do it for them? Your need to be needed could be getting in the way of their need to grow. Step back and let them walk on their own. Not everybody will be happy when you do that, but they’re not supposed to be. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you” (Lk 6:26 NKJV). Don’t let fear of criticism overwhelm your common sense. People don’t take confrontations well, but this is a matter of survival. Every relationship is for a reason, and a season. Discern those who belonged in your past, from those who belong in your life now.
Sunday June 27
“Don’t just do the minimum that will get you by.” Col 3:23 TM
Always Give Your Best
One of Michelangelo’s greatest masterpieces was his sculpture of David. He worked on it with such passion that he often slept in his clothes, resenting the time it took to take them off and put them on again. He repeatedly examined and measured the marble to see what pose it could accommodate. He made hundreds of sketches of possible attitudes, and detailed drawings from models. He tested his ideas in wax on a small scale, and only when he was satisfied did he pick up his chisel and mallet. He approached the painting of the Sistine Chapel with the same intensity. Lying at uncomfortable angles on hard boards, breathing the suffocating air just under the vault, he suffered from inflamed eyes and skin irritation from the plaster dust. For the next four years he literally sweated in physical distress—but look at what he produced! Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” If you’re not passionate about what you do, find something you can be passionate about! Don’t just strive to make money, strive to make a difference. Significance should be your goal, not survival. Paul gives us the ultimate reason for always giving our best: “Don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best…Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ” (vv. 23-24 TM).
Monday June 28
“The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” Ps 32:10 NIV
Work on Your Attitude!
The most important choice you make each day is your choice of an attitude. So choose:
(1) An attitude of thanksgiving. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God…for you” (1Th 5:18 NKJV). Paul was in prison when he wrote those words, so his attitude wasn’t based on his surroundings; it was a choice he made. (2) An attitude of trust. “The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” Where does such trust come from? Feeding daily on God’s Word! Nehemiah’s wall builders were surrounded by enemies, yet they were able to “celebrate…because they understood the words which had been made known to them” (Ne 8:12 NAS). God’s Word gives you confidence! Satan doesn’t fear your sin, he knows God can forgive it. He doesn’t fear your depression, he knows God can drive it away. He doesn’t fear your lack, he knows God can provide. He fears your discovery of God’s Word, because your ignorance of it is the most effective weapon he can use against you. (3) An attitude of love. “These things I have spoken to you…that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another” (Jn 15:11-12 NKJV). Love says, “I accept you as you are, care when you hurt, desire only what’s best for you, and erase all offences.” It refuses to look for ways to run, and opts for working things through. It’s resilient. While the world around gives the opposite counsel, love stands firm.
Tuesday June 29
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Ac 1:8 NLT
You Have the Power, Use It!
When Ray and Dorothy Buker went to Burma in 1926, there were other missionaries there. These missionaries had established their own banking system and afternoon tea routine, complete with trained butlers—none of which fit Buker’s concept of preaching the gospel. A former Olympian, accustomed to hardship, he wanted to go where others wouldn’t, and that brought him north into China. When his wife suffered a nervous breakdown and help wasn’t available, Buker prayed, read to her, and nursed her back to health. During WWII he fled for his life from the Japanese army, and when he died at ninety-two he left a legacy of souls won to Christ. Where did Buker get his grit and tenacity? Jesus said, “When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to preach with great effect.” During the early days of computers, when the power went out, if you hadn’t saved your work you lost it. Now an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) stops that from happening. God never intended us to operate on the world’s system, His Spirit gives us: (1) Power to choose. By keeping us “established…[strong in…purpose]…having control over [our]…will and desire” (1Co 7:37 AMP). (2) Power to endure. Handling trials with grace proves “our…power is from God…not from ourselves” (2Co 4:7 NLT). (3) Power to overcome. “We are weak…but…we…live…by the power of God” (2Co 13:4 RSV). (4) Power to minister. “According to the…working of his power” (Eph 3:7 RSV). (5) Power to witness. “For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power” (1Co 4:20 RSV). You have the power, use it!
Wednesday June 30
“God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 2Co 9:7 NLT
Make Giving a Lifestyle
A kid who had just learned to tie his shoes was crying, so his mom asked, “Is it that hard?” “No,” he sobbed, “but now I’ll have to do it for the rest of my life!” Is that how you feel about giving? You want to learn, but you’re not sure that you want to make it a lifestyle?
Some swallows were teaching their young to fly from a branch overhanging a lake. One by one the mother bird pushed each of her chicks to the end, until somewhere between the branch and the water they discovered they could fly. Their mother understood what they didn’t—until you learn to fly you’re not really living! Understand this: giving is an action built into us by God; it’s the air into which we were born. But until you realize that, you’ll cling to everything you have! The Bible says, “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2Co 9:6 NIV). Everything in life begins with a seed. Your seed is anything that can multiply: your love, your time or your money. Your harvest is what comes back to you in benefits like joy, good relationships, and yes, finances. If what you have is not enough to be a harvest, sow it as a seed, believing God will multiply it back to you in the areas you need it most. Go ahead, you’ll love the results! Giving is like flying. When you learn to let go of what you’re clinging to and launch out, you realize, “This is how I was born to live!”