February 2, 2015 

READ: Numbers 21:4-9 

“We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people (v.7).

When my oldest daughter was very young, it was always difficult to get her to admit when she had done something wrong. She was skillfully evasive and seemed to have a knack for explaining away a bad situation. Her indiscretions were usually very minor—she was essentially a ‘good girl’. But her habit of never admitting her mistakes was a source of concern to us.

One day, she decided—without permission—to play with her Mum’s diamond engagement ring . . . and promptly lost it! The enormity of her ‘crime’ overwhelmed her, and she ran to my wife and literally begged for forgiveness. She then offered her Mum all the money she possessed (less than one thousandth of the value of the ring) and said she would do anything to try to make up for the loss.

The response from my wife was an immediate warm embrace, the wiping away of my daughter’s tears and the experiencing of great joy in that her daughter had been so honest and contrite. The ring simply didn’t matter as much.

The people of Israel were a contentious and hard-hearted bunch. They moaned about God and Moses all the time (Numbers 21:5). Finally, God sent serpents to strike them (v.6). The people became aware of their wrong behaviour and threw themselves on the mercy of God. They knew that only He could save them (v.7). But if they were doomed, they understood that they deserved it! They were finally contrite and willing to repent of their wrong ways.

That’s the gateway to grace. Only when we admit that we’re helpless and hopeless, deserving of the wrath of a holy God, are we ready to receive salvation in Jesus. He lavishes His grace on people whose hearts are truly broken before Him. —Russell Fralick

365-day plan› Exodus 3:1-22

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February 1, 2015 

READ: 1 Samuel 23:7-14 

Saul hunted [David] day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him (v.14).more›

A man dealing with despair confessed to a Bible teacher, “My life is really in bad shape.” “How bad?” asked the teacher. Burying his head in his hands, the man moaned, “I’ll tell you how bad—I’ve got nothing left but God.”

The man thought that life had dealt him a bad hand. He didn’t understand that “but God” is an frequently repeated comforting expression found in the Bible.

Here’s a few examples:

• “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” (Genesis 50:20).
• “David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him” (1 Samuel 23:14).
• “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever” (Psalm 73:26).
• “[Jesus] said, ‘Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26).
• “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!” (Acts 3:15).
• “Most people would not be willing to die for an upright person . . . . But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:7-8).

There are times that life may seem to be hopeless. Perhaps you feel that way today. But God is there and He has not forsaken you.

Pastor and writer Ray Stedman wrote: “Whenever we face an impossible challenge or obstacle, we must remember those two words: ‘But God . . . ’ His power is limitless. His character is dependable. His promises are sure. Whatever He says, He will do.”

When you find that you have nothing left but God, remember: God is all you need. —Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan› Exodus 2:11-25

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January 31, 2015 

READ: 1 Timothy 4:1-16 

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come (v.8).

I like to write out my thoughts before I type them. But when I use an old pen that rolls roughly across the paper, my thoughts thump along in fits and starts. When I can’t squeeze the ink out, I can’t squeeze the words out, and I quickly toss the pen aside for a better one. A free-flowing pen opens my mind, and the words often come pouring out as fast as I can write them.

I’m not surprised that the operation of my mind depends on the quality of my pen. I’m a physical being, so it’s natural for my body to have a direct line into my soul. Our bodies influence our spiritual lives in at least two ways:

1. Healthy bodies promote healthy souls. Paul was assuming the benefits of physical exercise when he told Timothy that spiritual training is even better. He recognised the importance of a healthy body and instructed Timothy “to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often” (1 Timothy 5:23). A healthy, fit body can help provide vigour and alertness as we strive to attain a more disciplined soul.

2. Body posture changes the posture of our souls. In C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, a demon told his protégé that kneeling in prayer tends to bow the heart before God. The demon must persuade Christians “that the bodily position makes no difference to their prayers; for they constantly forget what you must always remember, that they are animals and that whatever their bodies do affects their souls.”

God gave us baptism so that our whole being could symbolically experience dying and rising with Christ. And He gave us the Lord’s Supper, where the bread and cup impress our hunger for Jesus deep into our souls. May these things that involve the use of our bodies help us stay spiritually strong.

—Mike Wittmer

365-day plan› Exodus 1:8-2:10

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