 March 10, 2008
Fast Feet READ: Philippians 4:10-19
The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. —Habakkuk 3:19 While in Chile for a Bible conference, I was resting at the hotel when a rugby match came on the television. Though I don’t fully understand rugby, I enjoy it and admire the courage it takes to play such a dangerous sport. During the match, one of the French players was injured and had to be taken to the sidelines. As the trainers attended to him, the camera showed a closeup of his shoes. With a black marker the player had written the words: “Habakkuk 3:19” and “Jesus is the way.” Those expressions of faith and hope were a strong testimony of that young athlete’s priorities and values. The verse cited on that rugby player’s shoes is not just one of heavenly hope and persevering faith. It is one of practical value—especially to an athlete dependent on speed for success. It says, “The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” In all of life, we need the strength and supply of our God. He alone can give us “feet” that are swift and strong. He alone can equip us for all of the uncertainties of life, for He alone is our strength. With Paul, we can be assured: “My God shall supply all your need” (Phil. 4:19). — Bill Crowder
In You, O Lord, I take delight, my every need You will supply; I long to do what’s true and right, so, Lord, on You I will rely. —D. De Haan
We always have enough when God is our supply.
Fast Feet. Our Daily Bread. 10 Mar. 2008<http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/03/10/devotion.aspx> January 14, 2008
Rediscovering The Passion READ: Revelation 2:1-7
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works. —Revelation 2:5 A Major League baseball player announced his retirement, saying, “All of a sudden, that passion isn’t there anymore. Physically, I think I could still do it. But something that I loved my whole life and had such a passion for became a major, major job for me. It’s not like it used to be.” What can we do when something that once energized us has become a burden? A career can be changed, but the deepest matters of the heart, especially our relationship with Christ, cry out to recapture the fervor that fueled earlier days. The risen Lord praised the church in Ephesus for their faithful service and perseverance, but added, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (Rev. 2:4-5). Oswald Chambers reminds us that “the old writers used to speak of the Cross as the Passion of Our Lord. The Cross is the great opening through which all the blood of Christian service runs.” If our spiritual passion has grown cold, let us remember again the great sacrifice of Christ for our sin (Heb. 12:3), turn away from grudging service and allow the wonder of His cross to rekindle our love for Him. —David C. McCasland
O make my life one blazing fire of pure and fervent heart-desire, the lost to find, the low to raise, and give them cause Thy name to praise. —Marshall
A passion for Jesus should become a passion for telling others about Jesus.
Rediscovering The Passion. Our Daily Bread. 14 Jan. 2008<http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-14-08.shtml> January 13, 2008
Scriptural Songs READ: Colossians 3:15-17
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. —Colossians 3:16 John W. Peterson, the beloved songwriter, was a master at using Scripture in his songs. When I was a teenager in the church choir, we performed his cantata “Jesus Is Coming” and sang these words taken from 2 Timothy 3, verse 1: “In the last days perilous times shall come. Men shall be lovers of themselves.” Then he wrote of the grim signs that we would recognize in the last days (vv.2-7). The steady rhythm of his music helps me remember that list even today. While some of us have trouble memorizing verses from God’s Word, something in our brain helps us to remember words in songs. If we analyze some of our favorite Christian songs and choruses, we find that they have been derived from Scripture. Thus, we can use the memory boost of music to hide away God-breathed words in our hearts (2 Tim. 3:16). Songs such as “Open the Eyes of My Heart” (Isa. 6:9-10; Eph. 1:18) or favorites like “Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart” (Ps. 119:11,105) are taken from the Bible. With these words hidden in our memory, a song of praise comes quickly to our lips. No matter what kind of voice you have, when you sing the words of Scripture back to God, it is sweet music to His ears. —Cindy Hess Kasper
You are the chosen of the Lord to sing His highest praise, and through the melody of song to show His wondrous ways. —Anon.
Hymns are the incense of a worshiping soul praising God!
Scriptural Songs. Our Daily Bread. 13 Jan. 2008<http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-13-08.shtml> January 8, 2008
When Life Goes Bad READ: 1 Samuel 30:1-6
David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. —1 Samuel 30:6 Everything looked bleak to David and his men when they arrived at Ziklag (1 Sam. 30:1-6). The Amalekites had attacked the city and taken their wives and children captive. The men were so discouraged that they wept until they had no more energy. And David, their leader, was “greatly distressed” because the people were contemplating stoning him (v.6). In the end, David’s army rescued their families and defeated the Amalekites. But the story takes a great turn even before that when “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (v.6). Other translations use the words encouraged or refreshed. The text doesn’t say exactly how David did this. But it makes me wonder, In what ways can we strengthen, encourage, or refresh ourselves in the Lord when we’re feeling discouraged?
First, we can remember what God has done. We can list the ways He has cared for us in the past, and how He has provided for us or answered a prayer request. Second, we can remember what God has promised. “Be strong and of good courage; . . . for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). Like David, let’s learn to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, and then let’s leave the rest with Him. —Anne Cetas
“I will strengthen,” so take courage, child of God, so weak and frail. God has said so, and it must be, for His promise cannot fail! —Anon.
Our greatest strength is often shown in our ability to stand still and trust God.
When Life Goes Bad. Our Daily Bread. 08 Jan. 2008<http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-08-08.shtml> January 7, 2008
Beware Of Open Doors READ: Philippians 1:8-11
Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks uprightly. —Proverbs 15:21 Sometimes Christians follow an “open door” policy. When a door of opportunity opens, they assume that it’s God’s will to go through it. Bestselling author Terri Blackstock knows this is untrue. She never openly rebelled against God, but she found herself far away from Him after walking through open doors of opportunity. “I had allowed myself to believe that God was blessing my career . . . because He had opened all the doors,” she wrote in Soul Restoration. Although she got what she wanted—a successful career writing romance novels for Harlequin and Silhouette—she lost what she needed: a close relationship with God. When she finally admitted that her career was keeping her from God, she turned her back on success and renewed her commitment to the Lord. Since then, her writing career has been revitalized, and she has become an award-winning author of Christian fiction. Just because the Lord doesn’t stop us from something doesn’t mean He wants us to continue. To discern which opportunities to pursue, we need to “approve the things that are excellent” and to be “filled with the fruits of righteousness . . . to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:10-11). —Julie Ackerman
For help with understanding God’s will for your life, read the online study How Can I Know What God Wants Me To Do? at www.discoveryseries.org/q0704
The best way to know God’s will is to say “I will” to God.
Beware Of Open Doors. Our Daily Bread. 07 Jan. 2008<http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-07-08.shtml> |
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