Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Read Luke 13-15

Luke 14:28 says, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?"  There are people who are afraid to come to church, afraid to accept Jesus as Savior because they know they will have to give up some things they love too much at the moment.  They don’t want to give up drinking, smoking, sleeping around, gambling, or any one of a multitude of other vices they are enjoying.  They don’t realize they can come to the Lord exactly as they are right now—without giving up anything yet.

Things like that we can’t give up easily soon become empty or dangerous.  Vices eventually bring disease, loneliness, and futility.  Then we’re glad to get rid of them for something better.

God’s call on our lives is both free and costly.  The Lord loves us and accepts us as we are right now.  But He will mold us and make us to be the best selves we can be—more and more like Jesus every day.  And that will cost us everything.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 16-18

Scorpions From The Lord

Read Luke 10-12

Luke 11:12 says, "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?"  It certainly seems like God gives us scorpions when we ask for eggs.  We lose our house because God wants to move us elsewhere.  We lose our jobs because God’s plan is for us to be working at a better place—eventually.  We get sick so we can be a witness to a whole different group of people.

We have sorrow and pain on our way to being what God want us to be.  Surely there’s a better way!

When we’re going through our worst times it’s hard to keep in mind that God is still in control.  We want His will for our lives, but it would be nice if it didn’t involve suffering.  All we can do is keep trusting the Lord and remember all the times He brought us through.  We’ll get through this, too.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 13-15

Fun With Candles

Read Luke 7-9

Luke 8:16 says, "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light."  The point of lighting a candle is to give as much light as possible.  Not only would the examples in this verse not enhance the light, they would make things worse.  Covering it with a vessel would soon put the candle out, since it would deprive the flame of oxygen.  Putting it under a bed would probably set the bed on fire.

So you light a candle and then put it in a candle holder so it will be safe and everyone can see and enjoy it.  The only times we use candles now are when the electricity is off, when we’re celebrating, or when we’re creating ambiance.

God wants us to be candles in this world for Him.  He wants us to be lights in the darkness all around us.  We are to avoid being snuffed out or destroying things, but to bring celebration and atmosphere whether the power is off or on.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 10-12

Raw Vegetables

Read Luke 4-6

Luke 6:1 says, "And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands."  When we were kids, we would gather around my mom while she was cooking dinner in the kitchen if she was preparing potatoes.  We wanted a piece of raw potato.  It never seemed strange to me until I noticed that of all the raw vegetables that you find in an appetizer or at a party, I haven’t seen raw potatoes served.

The disciples went us one better.  They ate corn fresh off the stalk, although I can’t figure out if rubbing them in their hands means they rubbed the kernels off the ears before eating.

God has created a wonderful variety of food for us to enjoy.  He tantalizes our taste buds with delicious flavors and textures.  God’s goodness reaches beyond bare necessities.  Food can be downright entertaining.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 7-9

A Bad Sign

Read Luke 1-3

Luke 1:18 says, "And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."  Zacharias’ sign turned out to be that he was unable to speak until John was born.  Usually when people asked for signs, they were either good or neutral things.  Poor Zacharias probably regretted mentioning a sign.

It’s reasonable to want proof.  We learn early on that not everyone who says something is speaking the truth.  People lie to get what they want and sometimes don’t mean to be untruthful.  Even people who claim they speak for God need to be investigated.

Usually God doesn’t get angry with us when we ask Him for clarification or proof.  However, after He has given us the proof, we need to believe.  At some point, we need to set doubt aside, no matter how incredible God’s promises to us are.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 4-6

Always Be Unprepared

Read Mark 13-16

Mark 13:11 says, "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost."  When we are sure the Holy Ghost is going to be speaking through us in the moment, it makes sense that’s nothing we can prepare for ahead of time.  But when we know we’re going to be sharing, we want to be able to rehearse so things will go smoothly.

In Toastmasters, both types of speaking get a workout—preplanned speeches and impromptu speaking.  We want to be able to organize our thoughts quickly so what we say makes sense to our listeners, especially if we are speaking about the Lord.

But too much preparation can confuse us, rather than prepare us.  When we try to keep everything in mind all at the same time, we can’t think straight.  As long as we are sure of what we know, we can relax and deal with one issue at a time—the perfect mix of planned and unplanned.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 1-3

Nothing is Impossible

Read Mark 10-12

Mark 10:27 says, "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."  I was trying to open an old file, but my computer refused.  It kept saying it was incompatible.  No matter how many times I reinstalled it or how many angles I tried to sneak into it, it was impossible to get my information.

Our lives are filled with impossible things like incurable diseases or running out of money before the end of the month with bills still needing to be paid.  We do our best to figure out how to get around it—keeping up with the latest medical research or making sure we haven’t forgotten money hidden somewhere.  Still we come up short.

We don’t have to fix our impossible problems, because we have a God with whom nothing is impossible.  Since He created all things out of nothing, miracles are no problem for Him.

Tomorrow’s reading: Mark 13-16

What We Can Do

Read Mark 7-9

Mark 9:41 says, "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."  There is such great need in the world.  Haiti is having yet another catastrophe, natural disasters are wiping out communities, people are hurting.  Even if we had the resources to help, we can’t be in so many places at once.

But we can look around us and help those we see in need in our neighborhoods, at work, in our churches.  We can make a difference in one person’s life.  We may not be able to fix all that is wrong, but we can do something—anything would help.

That all God requires from us.  He expects us to reach out to the person next to us and do whatever we can do.  He can take care of everything we can’t do.

Tomorrow’s reading: Mark 10-12

Homegrown Miracle

Read Mark 4-6

Mark 5:19 says, "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee."  Jesus cast devils out of a man, so the man wanted to join Him and His disciples.  But Jesus turned him down, and urged him to stick around home and testify what the Lord had done for him.

We hear about miracles happening all the time.  Someone comes on TV and tells what incredible thing happened to him.  Someone else writes a book detailing her before-and-after miracle.  We have no reason to doubt the word of these people, but we didn’t see it for ourselves, so who knows how great a miracle it might be?

Jesus recognized that a lot of people knew this man.  Some knew him or his family personally, but everybody had heard about him.  He had a ready-made audience he could tell his story to, who would have to believe it was true, since they knew him before.  He might have made a wonderful preacher to strangers, but his most effective work was going to be in his hometown.  When we see miracles for ourselves, no one can make us doubt.

Tomorrow’s reading: Mark 7-9

Before Twitter

Read Mark 1-3

Mark 2:1 says, "And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house."  Crowds happened wherever Jesus went.  As soon as he stopped anywhere, word got out and people showed up to see Him, to hear Him, and to be healed by Him.

They didn’t have even the most basic telegraph system, let alone anything as sophisticated as what we have with the Internet, television, and radio.  Still the news that Jesus was there went viral.

We can spread the news of all the Lord has done for us, even the little things He does every day to let us know He loves us.  We know He not only loves us, He loves those who aren’t aware He is with us.  Now they need to know.

Tomorrow’s reading: Mark 4-6

Buy For Yourselves

Read Matthew 25-28

Matthew 25:9 says, "But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves."  Those virgins might have been wise, but they don’t seem to have been very kind.  They had planned ahead and were prepared, but they didn’t share with the foolish virgins.  They looked further into the future and realized they hadn’t brought so much oil that they had any to spare—only enough to get by on.

The Bible often speaks about giving unto others, sharing what we have, not worrying about running out because we have helped someone in need, so it seems strange that Jesus didn’t condemn the wise virgins for not sharing with the foolish virgins.  Instead His lesson was about being prepared for what we know is coming.

There are some things we simply must do for ourselves.  We can’t accept Jesus’ forgiveness for sins for other people, no matter how much we love them, no matter how close we are to them, no matter how worried we are about them.  We can only receive salvation for ourselves.  All we can do for those we love is urge them to accept Christ’s forgiveness for themselves.

Tomorrow’s reading: Mark 1-3

The Ultimate Stability

Read Matthew 22-24

Matthew 24:35 says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."  Because I was given the task of photographing my coworkers, I discovered I already had over four hundred pictures on my computer.  It gave me the opportunity to look through some  of them again to weed out and delete duplicates.

Some of the pictures were of ancestors that I only know through their pictures.  They are all gone and their way of life along with them.  Our way of life is quickly fading, too.  There isn’t anything that can’t be lost—homes through foreclosure, jobs through downsizing, loved ones through death.  Even the landscape can be changed through floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes.

The one thing that hasn’t changed, isn’t changing, and will never change is God’s word.  We can believe on Him and depend on Him.  He will always be there for us.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 25-28

One Wish

Read Matthew 19-21

Matthew 20:32 says, "And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?"  Jesus was talking to the two blind men who created a ruckus as He passed by.  They were yelling for mercy and the crowd was trying to get them to hush.

Jesus would have known that they were blind.  But when they were shouting, they asked for mercy rather than their eyesight.  Once Jesus addressed them, He asked them what they wanted, and they said for their eyes to be opened.  That’s when Jesus healed their blindness.

God knows what we need and what we want.  He knows the things we hardly dare dream of, let alone ask for.  When what we ask for is mercy and for our eyes to be opened, that’s what the Lord desires for us to want.  He will take care of those other things when we focus on letting God make us more Christ-like.  Our one wish won’t be wasted.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 22-24

Between Thee and Him

Read Matthew 16-18

Matthew 18:15 says, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother."  It’s not easy to let someone know they’ve hurt us.  We don’t want to seem petty or overly sensitive.  We don’t want them to retaliate with a list of offenses they’ve suffered from us.

So we sit and stew and the hurt gets blown all out of proportion.  Or we tell somebody else about it, trying to get perspective or to unburden ourselves that might only add to the numbers of those participating in our drama.

We might benefit from talking it out with a trusted loved one, but we eventually have to confront the person who annoyed us.  God wants us to learn how to do this with kindness and gentleness—one of the benefits of practicing it.  We can look each other in the face, knowing we’ve cleared the air and strengthened the relationship between us as best we can.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 19-21

Memorable Parables

Read Matthew 13-15

Matthew 13:10 says, "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?"  Jesus’ answer was because the disciples were supposed to know the meanings behind them and not just anybody.  Writers are urged to find anecdotes for articles to make them more interesting.  Pastors keep our attention best when they are telling us stories to illustrate their sermon points.

Even commercials use images.  They connect their product to memorable scenes and catchy jingles so we remember their name when we shop.  We’d quickly forget a bunch of facts, if we'd even remain attentive in the first place.

We need a system to help us face truth, learn truth, and remember truth.  Parables, anecdotes, and stories give us examples to use.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 16-18

The Importance of Words

Read Matthew 10-12

Matthew 12:37 says, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."  Politicians, actors, musicians, evangelists, and other celebrities are often in the news because of something they have said, and it’s rarely because of something wonderful.  Usually it’s because they’ve been unkind, offensive, or foolish.  No one wants make history that way.

We might not find our faces in the newspaper because of something we wish we hadn’t said, but those who heard us will remember.  It’s not easy to stop and think when we are angry or hurt.  Words seem to spew from us without passing through our brains for inspection and quality control.

We can learn to control our words in the heat of emotion.  We can bite our lips, leave the room, snap at a rubber band around our wrists, or any number of other tricks we can think of that could work for us.  We just need to get into the habit of control.  That way all our words will justify us, and not condemn us.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 13-15

Keeping It quiet

Read Matthew 7-9

Matthew 9:30 says, "And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it."  The men Jesus was talking to were blind.  He gave them their eyesight back.  How in the world could they have kept it a secret?

People who knew them would certainly notice they were no longer blind.  They’d pester the men to tell them how it was they were able to see now.  The men couldn’t pretend to continue to be blind—that would have been crazy.

The difference in the men would draw attention to them.  They wouldn’t need to seek opportunities to tell people about Jesus—they wouldn’t be able to stop the questions others would have about what happened to them.  The difference Jesus makes in our lives should be as obvious.  Others will demand to know how we got this way and we’ll have the opportunity to tell them.  Just like those blind men.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 10-12

Let Your Light Shine

Read Matthew 4-6

Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  We have a clear view of ourselves that we show to the world.  We say certain things and act in certain ways, sure that others view us exactly the way we present ourselves.  We can be surprised, pleasantly and unpleasantly, when we discover folks around us are not seeing us the way we would expect.

It’s too frustrating to try to change others’ minds about us.  We can’t become better liked, more respected, or better understood through persuasion and lobbying.  People will draw their own conclusions.

So it’s important to concentrate of pleasing God and doing what He commands.  Our actions, our words, our attitudes, and our thoughts can be influenced by what the Lord wants from us.  When we do what’s right as unto the Lord, others will begin to see Him shining through us.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 7-9

The Egyptian Nazarene from Bethlehem

Read Matthew 1-3

Matthew 2:23 says, "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene."  Earlier in the reading, it said He would be called out of Egypt and also come out of Bethlehem.  I wonder if anyone taking a test on Messianic Prophecy during Biblical times would have gotten an A.  Jesus fulfilled everyone of the scriptures, even when they contradicted themselves.

It’s a good thing we’re not required to figure everything in scripture out before we can believe.  Even seeing how God works everything out in the end for so many of the Old Testament gang, we can’t help but wonder if we’ve finally discovered something that God can’t handle.

We can’t imagine any possible way for God to get us and Himself from where we are now to where He promised we’d be, whether it’s financial, health-wise, family-wise, or circumstances.  Fortunately, He doesn’t depend on our best efforts.  He will do what He has said He will do, just like He has always done.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 4-6

Turning Hearts

Read Malachi 1-4

Malachi 4:6 says, "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."  Recently experts have admitted that children need fathers.  For the longest time experts insisted that children could grow up perfectly fine without fathers in their lives.  After all, many have no choice.

But children need a strong father-like influence in their lives.  They need someone who challenges them, someone who holds them accountable, and someone to look up to.  Society is suffering because of all of the fatherlessness in way too many people’s lives.

God knew we would need fathers and that fathers would need children.  Fathers are softened and humbled by the neediness of their children.  Now we’re seeing those hearts turned and more fathers taking their responsibilities on.  And when those responsibilities overwhelm, we have a Heavenly Father we can turn to.

Tomorrow’s reading: Matthew 1-3

Bargain Hunting

Read Zechariah 11-14

Zechariah 11:12 says, "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."  These people didn’t want to mess around with a prophet of God.  And Zechariah didn’t sound open to negotiation.  He demanded a price and they willingly paid it.

We look around for the best bargains for what we need and what we want.  We aren’t stuck with paying a price we may not agree with.  Even in small towns where there may not be too many options, the Internet opens the whole world of low prices for us.

But getting a word from the Lord is priceless.  No matter what it might cost us, if we knew we were hearing straight from God we would go anywhere anytime at any price.  Since the Lord speaks to us through His word, through preachers, teachers, books, and even others around us, we aren’t charged to hear it.  All we have to do is listen.

Tomorrow’s reading: Malachi 1-4

Hard at Work

Read Zechariah 7-10

Zechariah 8:9 says, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built."  Lots of infomercials talk about products that will help you lose weight by the exercise video or machine or by eating and drinking the items they’re selling.  Other regular commercials talk about a drug that will fix what ails you or foods that will help you.  They all promise to make you look and feel better.

But only a few of them show people able to work more easily.  Most of them show people relaxing and enjoying family or partying more successfully.  This verse doesn’t mess around.  It tells us God commands us to be strong so we can work.

Even when we look forward to retirement, we can’t imagine doing nothing for long.  We get bored when we don’t have something we must do, something we can avoid doing, and something we can rest after accomplishing.  We are created to want to work and it doesn’t have to be  hard manual labor.  God has created us differently for different purposes to all work together.

Tomorrow’s reading: Zechariah 11-14

Start to Finish

Read Zechariah 4-6

Zechariah 4:9 says, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you."  Each one of Rachel Ray’s 30-Minute Meals shows begins with her telling her viewers she is going to make an entire meal from start to finish in the thirty minutes it takes to watch the show.  And she does, so the viewer can, too.

Beginnings are easy.  A project starts with a plan and with enthusiasm, but it’s easy to get bogged down in the middle.  The end is so far away and seems like it will never come.  So either the project takes twice as long to do because we have no energy and have to force ourselves to keep going, or it gets abandoned altogether and never gets completed.

But God ends what He begins.  He never leaves us hanging and never grows weary in the middle.  He will see us through whatever we’re going through from start to finish.

Tomorrow’s reading: Zechariah 7-10

Christmas in Zechariah

Read Zechariah 1-3

Zechariah 2:5 says, "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."  I couldn’t help it—this verse reminded me of Christmas.  The wall of fire round about reminded me of lights hung outside and all around—some folks get very elaborate with their outside decorations.  The glory in the midst of her reminded me of the Christmas tree.

We have to move furniture around for the tree to be in a place of honor.  We want to be able to see it and enjoy it for the duration of the season—season defined differently in different households.  Decorating the tree is one event that brings the family together.

God’s fire round about is our protection He brings us.  When we keep our eyes on Him, nothing can shake us.  He is also the glory in our midst, at the very center of our lives.  Inside and outside, He is everything for us.

Tomorrow’s reading: Zechariah 4-6

I Am With You

Read Haggai 1-2

Haggai 1:13 says, "Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord."  That is one of the most comforting phrases in scripture.  No matter what is going on, no matter what is happening around us, no matter what we’ve done, God is with us.

We can be surrounded by a crowd of people and be alone.  We can even be with those we love and who love us and still feel like we’re alone.  No one else sees the world exactly like we do and everyone has their own needs and own agenda.  Sometimes we feel alone because we are alone.

But God is always with us.  He understands us.  He knows us and loves us just as we are.

Tomorrow’s reading: Zechariah 1-3

Undo All

Read Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah 3:19 says, "Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame."  When you’re using a computer, you don’t have to be too worried about typing the wrong thing or putting numbers in the wrong column.  No matter what you’ve done, there’s an undo button you can use to go back.  And if you regularly save your work, you can close out and reopen to the last time you had everything right.

Life doesn’t have an undo button.  When you’ve said the wrong thing, it’s out there hurting someone.  When you’ve eaten a piece of the pie someone baked to take to tomorrow’s pot luck social, it’s left a gaping hole.  Once something is done, it’s done.

God brings relief to our afflictions and comfort to our sorrows.  He can show us ways to make things right with each other and sets things to rights in our circumstances.  It’s as close to an undo button as you can get.

Tomorrow’s reading: Haggai 1-2

Knowledge and Glory

Read Habakkuk 1-3

Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."  When I read a historical romance, I can’t help but feel sorry for the characters.  I think how much easier their lives would have been with modern conveniences and how much better our lives are today.

We live in such incredible times.  There isn’t anything we can’t find out using the internet.  Any question we might have, the answer is out there somewhere.

But the more scientists discover, the more awesome God is.  We’re just finding these things out, but this is knowledge God had all along.  His glory is in all those things we know and in all those things we still don’t know.

Tomorrow’s reading: Zephaniah 1-3

Good News Coming

Read Nahum 1-3

Nahum 1:15 says, "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off."  When the phone rings in a soap opera, TV show, or movie and everyone stops talking and stares at it, you know it’s going to be bad news.  When the phone rings in the middle of the night, you figure it’s going to be bad news.

But my dad used to love the phone ringing in the middle of the night.  It meant his brother Lynn, who lived in New Mexico and never worried about time differences, only night rates, was calling.  A phone call in the middle of the night meant good news.

Messengers from the mountains could have been bringing bad news, but Nahum happened to know these would be bringing good news.  We dread getting bad news, but anticipating good news is exciting.  Knowing good news is coming is refreshing—it encourages us and gives us the strength to keep going.

Tomorrow’s reading: Habakkuk 1-3

Big and Small

Read Micah 4-7

Micah 7:15 says, "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things."  When we hear somebody talk about seeing miracles, we think big.  Miracles like healing someone who is terminal or someone rising from the dead.  Things like the parting of the Red sea—now that was a miracle.

But if we look, we can see how God blesses us with small miracles every day.  The unmarked sale of a dress you want, but couldn’t have afforded.  The movie not having yet started, even though you are late.  A special kindness from a stranger when you’re feeling down.

When we see how often God blesses us and all the little things He does for us, we can see how much God loves us.  All we have to do is notice.

Tomorrow’s reading: Nahum 1-3

Full of Power

Read Micah 1-3

Micah 3:8 says, "But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."  We don’t want to believe a harsh word when we get one.  If we hear something from the pulpit or read something that convicts us, we want to reject it.  Change is too hard and we don’t want to be uncomfortable based on what someone else says.

But that is one of the ways God speaks to us.  No one has come personally to us with something we need to know.  No one else needs to know what God is telling us.  This is just between Him and us.

That’s because God wants to correct us gently.  If we are willing to take heed and take action, He’ll show us the next step.  We can grow in the Lord and become ever closer to God and what He has created us to be.

Tomorrow’s reading: Micah 4-7