November 17, 2016 

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)

“Oh, Dad . . .Dad, he said with equal parts love and horror. Pointing at his father’s shocking blue pants, he went on: “It looks like you’re an aging youth pastor trying to look young.”

Truth hurts. But telling the painful truth about a garish pair of pants isn’t nearly as vital as the genuine accountability that seems so scarce today. We’re not lacking for confrontation. (Social media, anyone?) What we’re missing is helpful accountability, delivered in appropriate, loving doses and free of contempt.

When Paul wanted to build up a local church he’d started, he wrote a letter that author and pastor Ray Stedman calls “delightfully personal.” Paul said, “We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people” (1 Thessalonians 1:4). Then he acknowledged their persecution and identified with it because he himself was suffering, stating, “God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition” (2:2). Paul wasn’t about to lord it over them or criticize their performance. Rather, he came alongside them because he was one of them. And so he gave them instructions as one of their brothers-in-arms, saying, “We loved you so much that we shared with you” (v.8).

Genuine accountability doesn’t mean nitpicking about a friend’s fashion choices (though it may mean making a gentle suggestion at the right time). Instead, real accountability motivates us to identify with our brothers and sisters. Together we help each other grow into the men and women God created us to be.

About those blinding blue pants: I gave them to charity. Some 17-year-old somewhere ought to be able to rock those pretty well.

—Tim Gustafson

365-day plan: Acts 27:27-44

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November 16, 2016 

READ: Daniel 6:1-28 

When Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and . . . prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God (v.10).

I was 8 years old when we went to South Africa’s Kruger National Park as a family. We’d seen many amazing animals but no lion as we concluded our safari by car, and I felt bitterly disappointed. As we stopped at the exit gate, I took one last look down the dusty road behind us and there she was! Without thinking, I jumped out of the car and began running towards her shouting, “Lion, it’s a lion!”

This story came to mind as I was thinking of Daniel in the lion’s den. King Darius had made Daniel an administrator,who protected the interests of the king (Daniel 6:1-2). Daniel had been living in Babylon as a captive since his youth and had served three monarchs. Even though he lived in a pagan culture, Daniel remained faithful to God and experienced His intervention in his life.

King Darius so valued Daniel and his abilities that he planned “to place him over the entire empire” (v.3). This caused the other administrators to become consumed with jealousy, and they plotted to take him down (vv.4-5). They proposed a new law, signed by the king, which stated that for 30 days any person who prayed to anyone except the king— whether divine or human—would be thrown into a den of lions (v.7). Daniel’s response revealed his deep, complete confidence in God: “He went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open . . . . He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (v.10).

Unlike my foolish jog in the park, Daniel was wise to trust in God’s power and provision. We too can rest confidently in Him and His faithful ways today, knowing that He actively intervenes in our lives.

—Ruth O’Reilly-Smith

365-day plan: Acts 27:1-26

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November 15, 2016 

READ: James 5:13-18 

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (v.16).

Evangelist George Mueller was on a ship when a thick fog settled over the ocean. It was Wednesday, and Mueller told the captain he had to be to his destination by Saturday. “Impossible,” he said. Mueller then bowed in prayer. When he stood up, the captain asked if he too could pray. “No,” Mueller said. “First, you do not believe He will answer; and second, I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to pray about it. . . . Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog gone.” Indeed, it had vanished.

Many believers—including pastors—say prayer changes us more than it changes circumstances. Prayer transforms us. But it can have real-world effects. Prayer can change people and circumstances according to God’s will. Not all prayers lead to spectacular results such as George Mueller experienced, but as James wrote, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (5:16).

Moses and Daniel, among others in Scripture, found this to be true. After the Israelites worshiped the golden calf while Moses was on the mountain speaking to God, He threatened to destroy the Israelite nation (Exodus 32:5-10). But after Moses pleaded with God, He chose not to do so (v.14). In another account, an angel appeared to the prophet Daniel in a vision and said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer” (Daniel 10:12).

Yes, within God’s grace and sovereignty, prayer can change things—but He will decide what’s best. Bring your prayers about hardships, requested healing, dealing with sin, and more to Him today (James 5:13-16). He’s listening!

—Marlena Graves

365-day plan: Acts 26:1-32

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)