What is the biblical way to look at human relationships? Listen to what David Gibb has to share. ABOUT DAVID: Born in 1968, David Gibb had served as the Vicar of St Andrew’s Church in Leyland, the north of England. He was Chairman of the North West Partnership of Churches—a network of local churches committed […]
February 25, 2015
READ: Ezekiel 2:1-7
I am sending you to say to them, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says!” And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember, they are rebels —at least they will know they have had a prophet among them (vv.4-5).
One day I had an interesting conversation with a young man. Although he believed that God existed, he didn’t think that He was directly involved in the affairs of humanity—a belief known as deism.
There are times when we wonder where God is in this broken, noisy world. But from Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:8) to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2) to the activities of the early church, we see God consistently involving Himself in the affairs of human beings.
In the Old Testament, God often spoke to people through the prophets. After years of consistent disobedience, He allowed the people of Judah to be taken captive by the Babylonians (1 Chronicles 9:1), yet He never gave up on them. Instead, He sent—among other prophets—His “watchman” Ezekiel to speak to the exiles through a series of visions (Ezekiel 1:1-3, 2:1-8, 3:17, 33:7).
The people had been overcome with grief (Jeremiah 8:18-21), for they had lost their homes and were now living in a foreign land as a result of their rebellious, hard hearts. God, however, revealed through Ezekiel that He had not forgotten them (Ezekiel 2:4-5). He remained faithful and reminded them that they would once again be restored (28:25, 39:25-29).
God speaks to us today in many ways: through the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17), His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14; 2 Peter 1:20-21), other people, the natural world (Job 12:7-9; Psalms 50:6, 97:6) and dreams and visions (Job 33:15). God’s plan is to restore all creation to Himself through Jesus (Romans 8:20-24), and He continues reaching out to us today. Let’s remain still and listen for His active voice above the din of this world (Psalm 46:10). —Ruth O’Reilly-Smith
365-day plan› Deuteronomy 31:1-8
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
February 25, 2015
READ: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
God from the beginning chose you for salvation. —2 Thessalonians 2:13
When our children were small, I often prayed with them after we tucked them into bed. But before I prayed, I sometimes would sit on the edge of the bed and talk with them. I remember telling our daughter Libby, “If I could line up all the 4-year-old girls in the world, I would walk down the line looking for you. After going through the entire line, I would choose you to be my daughter.” That always put a big smile on Libby’s face because she knew she was special.
If that was a smile-worthy moment for her, think of the grace-filled fact that the Creator-God of the universe “from the beginning chose you for salvation” (2 Thess. 2:13). Before time began, He desired to make you His own. This is why Scripture often uses the picture of adoption to communicate the amazing reality that, through no merit or worthiness of our own, we have been chosen by Him.
This is stunning news! We are “beloved by the Lord” (v.13) and enjoy the benefits of being part of His family. This glorious truth should fill our lives with humility and gratitude. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us . . . establish you in every good word and work” (vv.16-17).
— Joe Stowell
It’s God’s choice to love you and to make you part of His family.
Is there a biblical way to look at rights? Listen to what David Gibb has to share. ABOUT DAVID: Born in 1968, David Gibb had served as the Vicar of St Andrew’s Church in Leyland, the north of England. He was Chairman of the North West Partnership of Churches—a network of local churches committed to […]
February 24, 2015
READ: Galatians 6:1-3
Share each other’s burdens (v.2).
In 2014 a pod of pilot whales was found floundering in perilously shallow water off the shore of Florida, America. Forty or fifty short-finned whales remained close to a narrow shoreline—choosing not to swim out to the deeper waters, where they would be safe. Several of the blackfish were ill, which caused conservationists to worry. Pilot whales are intensely loyal creatures, and when one in their group is sick or in jeopardy, the rest of the pod simply will not leave. They form a circle and stay close together.
The Scriptures call God’s people to this kind of life, where we stick close to each other and find our life alongside others. We’re called to help meet one another’s needs, to tend to one another in our time of weakness and to protect one another during perilous stretches that we will inevitably endure. If any find themselves overwhelmed by temptation, we shouldn’t reject them, but “gently and humbly help them back onto the right path” (Galatians 6:1). If any find themselves in distress or grief, isolation or pain, we should “share [their] burdens” (v.2).
We may not know what to do or say. In fact, we may have no idea how to help. We can, however, simply walk close to our brothers and sisters. We can put our shoulder next to theirs and say, “I don’t know what to do. I have no answers here. But I can carry your burden alongside you.”
I find it instructive—and hopeful—that Paul didn’t say we’re to fix one another’s burdens. We’re simply to bear them. Their burdens are also our burdens, and—in time—our burdens will also be their own. Let’s choose to walk next to our hurting brothers and sisters in Jesus today. —Winn Collier
365-day plan› Deuteronomy 30:1-20
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
February 24, 2015
READ: Matthew 1:18-25
She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. —Matthew 1:21
The movie Man of Steel, released in 2013, is a fresh imagining of the Superman story. Filled with breathtaking special effects and nonstop action, it drew crowds to movie theaters around the world. Some said that the film’s appeal was rooted in its amazing technology. Others pointed to the enduring appeal of the “Superman mythology.”
Amy Adams, the actress who plays Lois Lane in the movie, has a different view of Superman’s appeal. She says it is about a basic human longing: “Who doesn’t want to believe that there’s one person who could come and save us from ourselves?”
That’s a great question. And the answer is that someone has already come to save us from ourselves, and that someone is Jesus. Several announcements were made regarding the birth of Jesus. One of them was from the angel Gabriel to Joseph: “She [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
Jesus came—He did so to save us from our sin and from ourselves. His name means “the Lord saves”—and our salvation was His mission. The longing for rescue that fills the human heart ultimately is met by Jesus.
— Bill Crowder
Jesus’ name and mission are the same— He came to save us.
February 23, 2015
READ: Colossians 2:1-7
Let your roots grow down into [Jesus], and let your lives be built on him (v.7).
Snuggled in blankets, we settled in for one of the worst ice storms our usually temperate climate had ever experienced. Roads had been closed, schools cancelled and citizens warned to stay safely inside their homes. With our power out, we cooked pizza rolls in the fireplace, watched films with our reserve computer battery and slept under layers of blankets to keep warm. In the middle of the night, however, I awakened to loud intermittent cracking sounds. Layers of ice and snow had weighed the branches of the tall trees behind our house. Unable to bear the burden, they were taking turns crashing to the snowy ground below.
Declaring that He alone would be our ongoing source of life, Jesus gives us the picture of a vine and its fruit-bearing branches (John 15:5-7). Just like the lifeless branches that littered our garden, we can’t expect to flourish if we separate ourselves from the truth of God’s Word (1 John 2:3-5).
Satan would love to see us weighed down with man-made rules, meaningless arguments and broken ideologies. Layer upon layer, each lifeless, frozen word settles upon the next, until our faith is weakened, hearts are deceived and minds darkened. Our focus bent in the wrong direction, we will then forget the freedom of God’s love as our hearts grow cold (Mark 8:15-17).
Yet, the love of God persists (Song of Solomon 8:6-7).
Storms invariably will come, but we don’t have to be deceived. Paul’s encouragement is clear: “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him” (Colossians 2:6-7). Let’s keep our eyes on Christ (3:1-4). —Regina Franklin
365-day plan› Deuteronomy 29:1-29
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
February 23, 2015
READ: Numbers 22:21-31
The Angel of the Lord [was] standing in the way. —Numbers 22:23
Did you know that the microbes on just one of your hands outnumber all of the people on the earth? Or that millions of microbes could fit into the eye of a needle? These one-celled, living organisms are too small for us to see without a microscope, yet they live in the air, soil, water, and even in our bodies. We constantly interact with them, even though their world is completely beyond our senses.
The realities of the spiritual world are also often not visible to us humans, as the prophet Balaam discovered. He was trudging along the road with his two servants when his donkey “saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand” (Num. 22:23). To avoid the angel, the animal walked into a field, crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall, and lay down with Balaam still on her back. Balaam was angry and struck the donkey. He didn’t realize something supernatural was going on—until God opened his eyes (v.31).
The Bible tells us that a spiritual world does exist, and we may sometimes encounter realities from that realm—both good and bad (Heb. 13:2; Eph. 6:12). Because of this, we are encouraged to be watchful, prayerful, and prepared. Just as God rules the world we see, He also rules the unseen world.
— Jennifer Benson Schuldt
All that is seen and unseen is under God’s sovereign power.