Taking On Offenses

Read 2 Corinthians 1-3

2 Corinthians 2:10 says, "To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;"  Bill Gothard called it the taking on of offenses.  It’s when we become angry with someone who hurt someone we love.  They didn’t hurt us, they hurt our loved one.

The problem is, when the person who was hurt forgives, we may not be able to forgive as easily.  We continue to be outraged on behalf of someone who has been able to put the incident behind them.

We feel it’s a matter of loyalty to our loved one—how can we not side with them against the world?  But we will suffer unless we learn how to forgive people who hurt us via third party.  The Lord requires it of us and He’ll give us the strength to forgive and keep on forgiving so we can keep our minds, our hearts, and our souls in peace.

Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Corinthians 4-6

Through a Glass Darkly

Read 1 Corinthians 13-16

1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."  Have you ever awakened in the middle of the night and seen a person standing in the corner of your bedroom?  You hardly dare move, lest he discover you’re awake.  Then you notice he’s not moving either, or making any noise.  You summon your courage and turn the light on.  In the corner where you were sure you saw an intruder, you see your bookcase, or a stack of clothes, or something else absolutely harmless and familiar.

Your eyes were playing tricks on you with the help of shadows, poor lighting, and your imagination.  You were scared by something that wasn’t even there, something not real.  Once you knew the truth, you weren’t scared any more.

We can get ourselves worked up by the things we read in scripture.  When we’re trying to understand God and what He wants from us, it can get confusing.  Our minds are finite and the Lord is infinite.  He will reveal Himself to us in ways we can understand.  One day, we’ll know the answers to all the questions we have, but meanwhile, all God requires from us is to receive Jesus as our Savior and follow Him step by step in ways He clearly shows us.

Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Corinthians 1-3

No Hierarchy

Read 1 Corinthians 10-12

1 Corinthians 12:28 says, "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues."  This verse sounds like Paul has set up a hierarchy of gifts.  Some are more important than others, so they’re mentioned first.  Some gifts are so unimportant they were not even mentioned.

Looking at this verse again, it’s not a hierarchy, it’s a history line.  Apostles had to come first, prophets next, then teachers, in order to spread the gospel.  In order to tell somebody about Jesus, you have to know Him first.

Just like all parts of our human bodies work together, all of us are part of the church body and can work together, no matter what our gift is.  Preachers aren’t needed if there’s no one to preach to.  No one will want to come to church if there is no one who keeps it clean and keeps things in order.  No matter how unseen our part is, we’re necessary.

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Corinthians 13-16

Use What You’ve Got

Read 1 Corinthians 7-9

1 Corinthians 7:20 says, “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called."  When we’re kids we imagine all we’ll be able to accomplish when we’re teenagers, or in college, or grown.  When we’re single we imagine all we’ll be able to accomplish when we’re married and have someone to do things with.  When we’re trying to lose weight, we imagine all we’ll be able to accomplish when we’re slim.  We will be better and do more once we reach whatever milestone is ahead.

We forget that we don’t need to wait to become all God wants us to be.  He can use us now whatever and wherever we are.  We don’t have to wait until we’ve become spiritually mature.  When we let God use us here and now, He will guide our growth as He uses us to bring honor to Him.

We don’t have to attend classes or get a certificate to be ready for God to work through us.  He loves us as we are and will allow us to be part of showing Him to others.  All we have to be is willing.

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Corinthians 10-12

All Things Lawful

Read 1 Corinthians 4-6

1 Corinthians 6:12 says, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."  When we’re looking to identify fellow Christ followers, we look at those things they do and don’t do.  When we see people who act in the same ways we’re familiar with, we think we’ve found like-minded Christians.

We can get so caught up in the dos and don’ts of Christianity, we can forget that it’s not actions and activities that define us, it’s what we’ve allowed the Lord to do in our hearts that makes us Christians.

Paul reminds us of our tremendous freedom in Christ.  Since what we are on the inside is what motivates us on the outside, we don’t need to confine ourselves or others.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, we won’t be in danger of being under the control of anything else.

Tomorrow’s reading: I Corinthians 7-9

The Foundation

Read 1 Corinthians 1-3

1 Corinthians 3:10 says, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."  We are the product of everything we’ve done, of everything we’ve seen and heard, and of everyone we’ve met.  Every day we change in increments so small it takes long periods of time to notice any difference.  And it’s usually someone who hasn’t seen us in a long time who notices the change.

Our lives affect the lives of everyone around us, too.  Family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, even strangers are just the slightest bit different for having come into contact with us today.  We can focus on bringing out the best in others around us by doing our best and being our best.  We can form habits of kindness and gentleness so when we’re having a bad day those habits become automatic preventing us from hurting someone who was counting on us that day.

God gives us the best starting place.  When we build our foundation on Him and let Him use those things that influence us to mold us to be what He wants us to be, we’ll be in the best position to have a good effect on the people around us.

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Corinthians 4-6

Get Up and Get Going

Read Romans 13-16

Romans 13:12 says, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."  When it’s hard to get out of bed on a work day morning, I promise myself that I’ll sleep in on the weekend.  But then when the weekend comes and the daylight surrounds me, it seems too wasteful the lie in bed when there’s so much to do.

We have light bulbs and electricity so we don’t need to wait for daylight to be able to see well.  Still, there’s something about sunshine and day time that energizes us and doesn’t happen at night, no matter how well lit our area is.

God encourages us to work for His kingdom while we have his light shining on us, in us, and through us.  When we open our hearts to Him, He will energize us to accomplish whatever He has given us to do.

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Corinthians 1-3

Reality Check

Read Romans 10-12

Romans 12:3 says, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."  Even though we get older, we haven’t aged in our minds.  There is a certain age we think ourselves to be at, no matter what the calendar, birth certificates, and mirrors say.

Our physical limitations surprise us.  We’re frozen much younger in time, where people of our ages in our imaginations would easily have more stamina and energy and could do whatever it is we thought we could do.

Spiritually we can get better as we age.  Our faith builds on God's work in our lives and the older we get, the higher the pile of things God has done for us.  We may have to be realistic physically and others around us will remind us of how great we aren’t, if we’re not careful, but we can aim as high as we please for grace, for faith, and for God’s work in our lives.

 

Tomorrow’s reading: Romans 13-16

Doing and Not Doing

Read Romans 7-9

Romans 7:15 says, "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."  I’m glad Paul had the same problems we do.  We know what we should do and we know what we shouldn’t do.  Then we turn around and do what we shouldn’t do and fail to do what we should do.

You’d think we’d be kept too busy doing what we know we should do to have time to get ourselves into trouble doing things we shouldn’t do.  The things we should do are time consuming enough not to leave us time or energy to do things we shouldn’t do, but we manage somehow.

We need to rely on the Lord every day to give us the strength to first do what we should do.  He’ll help us make those right decisions and stick to them.

Tomorrow’s reading: Romans 10-12

Undeserving

Read Romans 4-6

Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  We can understand when parents make sacrifices for their children or when people make sacrifices for their friends.  That kind of love makes sense.

But if someone were to make a sacrifice for a guilty stranger, we would declare that person crazy.  Imagine someone pleading guilty to a crime they didn’t commit so that the stranger they saw commit the crime wouldn’t have to take the punishment.  How would the stranger ever learn not to do wrong if there were no consequences for what he did?  Or how safe would society be if all criminals were let off the hook by strangers taking their consequences for them?

It doesn’t work in society, but that’s the plan God set up for us.  We are guilty.  We deserve to die in our sins, but Jesus died in our stead, so we can have eternal life.  We don’t deserve it and we don’t have to wait until we feel we’ve earned it.  All we have to do is receive it.

Tomorrow’s reading: Romans 7-9

The Power of Salvation

Read Romans 1-3

Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."  We try so hard not to be offensive.  We know others have their own beliefs and their own ways of doing things.  We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or make anyone uncomfortable.

But God is the God of power.  If we’re too restrained, we’re not giving others a chance to get in on salvation.  If we don’t speak up, how will others know what we know?  If we don’t take our turns to present the Gospel, how will others know the choices they have?

We can be bold without being obnoxious.  We can be gracious without being ashamed.  We can let everyone know that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins and rose from the dead so we can have eternal life.

Tomorrow’s reading: Romans 4-6

Who To Believe?

Read Acts 25-28

Acts 27:11 says, "Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul."  Paul was a prophet and God told him the things he told others.  He warned them of the disaster that was head of them.  But they had experts who told them differently and that’s who they believed.

Sure enough, Paul was right.  A storm came up and they lost the ship.  It isn’t easy to know what we should believe.  Experts tell us conflicting things, so who’s right and who’s wrong and how do we tell?

Fortunately, we have yet another Source to look to when we need answers or direction.  The Lord can guide us and our decisions when we seek answers from Him.  He’ll guide us right.

Tomorrow’s reading: Romans 1-3

Knowing Your Rights

Read Acts 22-24

Acts 22:25 says, "And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?"  Usually we read how the early Christians suffered for their stand in Christ, but this time, Paul did more than just take the punishment.  He challenged those in authority over his rights.

Once he did that, he was shuffled around, giving his testimony wherever he went.  He knew his rights in the Lord and also in the natural.  He didn’t just allow his accusers to get away with persecuting him for no reason.

When we lay down our lives for the Lord, we can be smart about it.  Sometimes you just have to take what’s coming, but not always.  Sometimes it’s right to stand up for ourselves.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 25-28

Knowing the Future

Read Acts 19-21

Acts 20:24 says, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."  Paul said he didn’t know exactly what was going to happen to him, except that it was going to be a lot of hardship and suffering.  He declared none of that rattled him.

We’re ready to go to almost any lengths to find out what’s going to happen to us in the future.  We read the newspaper to find out what economists and other experts say about what next year, or the next several years will be like.  We seek out anyone who might have a word from the Lord for us about what tomorrow holds.

We’re looking for hope and for predictions of prosperity, health, and peace.  Those are the things we want to hear.  If we knew for certain how hard things might get for us, we’d be too depressed and discouraged to face it.  That’s why we put our future in God’s hands.  He knows what all our tomorrows will bring and He will give us the strength to face whatever lies ahead.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 22-24

Our Source

Read Acts 16-18

Acts 17:28 says, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."  When everything in our lives is falling apart and we have no control to stop it, or even slow it down, it’s a relief to remember that nothing surprises God.  He has our backs, He knows all about what’s going on, and He’ll get us through it.

When depression and discouragement come on us and we have no reason to be down, God understands our moods and emotions.  He’ll give us ways to find light in our darkness.

When we are content and thankful for our blessings, we know Who we have to thank.  God enjoys our delight and loves seeing us happy.  God is there all the time, whether we’re up or down.  He strengthens us and upholds us.  He makes life worth living.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 19-21

Joy No Matter What

Read Acts 13-15

Acts 13:52 says, "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost."  Despite everything that happened to them, despite the fact that so many didn’t believe them, despite the fact that the leaders rose against them, the disciples had joy.  They had to shake the dust off their feet against the city where they were preaching when they left because the people rejected them, but they were still filled with the Holy Spirit.

They didn’t let their circumstances dictate how they felt.  They didn’t let public opinion determine their outlook.  They maintained their joy.

We can look beyond our circumstances and not let things around us get us down.  We can maintain our joy because of the Holy Spirit and keep our eyes and our trust in God no matter what’s going on around us.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 16-18

Speaking to God

Read Acts 10-12

Acts 10:4 says, "And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God."  Cornelius was devout and God took notice of him.  One day when Cornelius was talking to God, God spoke back to him, calling him by name.  That gave him pause.

We know how to speak to God—through prayer.  We don’t have to bow our heads and close our eyes.  We don’t have to speak out loud.  God knows when we’re speaking to Him and when we’re not.  He’s always attentive to us.

Knowing He’s always there and always listening to us, we can have a relationship with Him.  We don’t always have to be asking Him for things.  We can simply share the beauty of a sunset, how frustrated we are at the moment, even something amusing we just heard.  We can be as intimate with Him as we are with our loved ones.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 13-15

Great Big Wonderful God

Read Acts 7-9

Acts 7:49 says, "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?"  There’s an old chorus about how we’ve got a great big wonderful God.  In fact plenty of songs and choruses celebrate how vast God is.

He numbers the hairs on our heads and sees the sparrow fall.  He loves us so much Jesus died for our sins.  He is a personal God, an intimate God.

He is the Lord of all the little things, of all the minutia, so it’s easy to forget how grand He is, how huge He is.  He is bigger than earth, bigger than Heaven, uncontainable and limitless.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 10-12

Overlooked

Read Acts 4-6

Acts 4:11 says, "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner."  Jesus created such a stir when He was on earth that it’s hard to see how this verse applies to Him.  People loved Him, people hated Him, and wherever He went, people heard about it and came to Him.

But we’re fickle, we human beings.  No matter what Jesus did, people kept demanding a sign from Him.  When He didn’t bring in another earthly kingdom, like they were expecting, they disregarded Him.  They figured a heavenly kingdom, a change of people in their hearts rather than tangible changes in their circumstances was no big deal.

But changes on the inside are what most affect the world.  Changes in our attitudes, in our beliefs, in our souls cause changes in our behavior.  Those differences we can’t see and are likely to ignore produce life-altering results.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 7-9

Hear What You Want to Hear

Read Acts 1-3

Acts 2:8 says, "And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"  The way this passage reads, it sounds like each person was hearing the same utterances, but each processed it as if it was being spoken in their own language, so each person understood what was being said.  When a bunch of people have witnessed the same event, you get as many different versions about the facts as there were people present.  Each person saw the incident from their own point of view.

That point of view colors the things that commanded the person’s attention, the things the person remembers, and any feelings that might have been stirred up.  Since no two people are alike, no two stories will be a perfect match.  And none will be the complete truth about what happened.

God uses our uniqueness.  He works through us to reach out to others in ways only we can.  We never know when something we’ve said or done was just what someone needed.  The Lord knows and will use us if we let Him.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 4-6

In Our Own Language

Read John 19-21

John 19:20 says, "This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin."  In Europe some places have signs written in several languages.  In Canada signs are written in French and in English.  In some places in the US, signs might be written in Spanish and in English.

They’re written in more than one language so the people expected to be reading the signs will be able to know what they say.  They can do what they’re directed to do, avoid problems if it’s a sign of caution, or at the very least know what to expect next.

When we see something written or spoken in a language we don’t understand, we can get nervous.  What are they trying to tell us that we’ll never know?  Fortunately, God make Himself plain.  When He wants to tell us something, He does it in ways we’ll understand.

Tomorrow’s reading: Acts 1-3

Say It All

Read John 16-18

John 16:12 says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."  When you’re part of a critique group, they recommend that you write down what others say.  That’s because your first reaction is to explain and justify what you’ve written, rather than listen to what all the others have to say.

It’s understandable that you might be angry or hurt and unable to take in everything that might help you create a better piece.  The critiquers might be wrong, but you need distance to really make that determination.

So how sad it was that Jesus had so much more to tell His disciples, but He couldn’t because they couldn’t bear it.  Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if He could have finished all He wanted to say and let them deal with it when they were able!  The Lord lets us know what we need when we need it and doesn’t overwhelm us with how much farther we have to go.  He knows when we’re only able to bear so much.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 19-21

Love One Another

Read John 13-15

John 13:35 says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."  You would think it would be easy to love those who believe as you do.  They work beside you, live beside you, and worship beside you.  The problem is, they don’t always act as they should.

It’s often easier to show love to strangers, to give to people we’ll never meet who are in need.  When we hear of the suffering of folks around the world, we want to do whatever we can to help them through the ordeal.

But sometimes when the people we know are in need, we also know what they have been doing to cause their problems and don’t see them repenting of their actions, so we know they’ll keep repeating the cycle and always be in need.  Still Jesus expects us to show love to our Christian brothers and sisters because that shows the world that God is living in us.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 16-18

Anything You Ask

Read John 10-12

John 11:22 says, "But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee."  Martha at first said Lazarus wouldn’t have died if Jesus had been there to prevent it.  Then when Jesus said Lazarus would be raised from the dead, she said she knew it would happen like with all others, in the last day.  She was trying to understand her brother’s death in the ways she knew.

She knew Jesus could heal sicknesses and about the final days.  She knew Jesus could do anything He wanted to do, but it sounded like she was afraid to hope that Jesus would chooses to raise Lazarus from the dead that day.

When things we pray for don’t happen right away or happen the way we think they should have, we try to understand why.  Our faith is built up when we see answers to our prayers and we don’t want to lose faith just because things aren’t going as we’d hoped.  God doesn’t need for us to make excuses for Him.  All He wants from us is to keep believing.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 13-15

Why Is This Happening?

Read John 7-9

John 9:2 says, "And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?"  So many of the things that happen to us, to our loved ones, and even to strangers seem like they must be punishments for something.  They’re so hurtful, so terrible that there must have been a way to have prevented it—at least something we can do to keep such things from ever happening again.

We’re ready to repent, but we can’t think what we need to repent from.  We’re ready to change, but we don’t know what changes we need to make.

But when those terrible things happen, it may not be a punishment.  It may not even be a consequence for an action taken.  Sometimes those terrible things just happen and what we need is strength from the Lord to see us through and comfort from Him to carry us through to the other side of the pain.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 10-12

Use What You Have

Read John 4-6

John 6:9 says, "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?"  I’ve heard of communities that come together to bake the world’s largest loaf of bread.  Five of those loaves and two whales might have been enough for that many people to each get a bite of food.  But he couldn’t have carried all that too easily.  He had enough for himself, maybe to last all day.

But he gave the disciples his lunch, never allowing its insufficiency to keep him from sharing it.  And while the disciples complained, they took the food the boy offered, despite the fact that it was too little to be of any use.

Than the miracle happened.  Over five thousand people ate and had plenty.  There were even leftovers.  When we give what we have to the Lord, He accepts it and makes our little bit into something useful.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 7-9

Receive Not Our Witness

Read John 1-3

John 3:11 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness."  We don’t always know who to believe.  We start off believing everybody, only to discover the hard way that not everyone can be trusted—not everyone tells the truth.

Jesus came up against this problem.  People didn’t always believe what He said.  Sometimes they wanted more of an explanation, other times doubting Him outright.

We may not be able to win any theological arguments with others seeking to know more about God or just trying to frustrate us, but we own our testimonies.  We know what God has done for us.  Whether or not someone believes us, they can’t take that away from us.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 4-6

Never Too Late

Read Luke 22-24

Luke 23:43 says, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."  Two thieves were crucified with Jesus.  One mocked and one repented.  The one who repented was forgiven right then and there.

Jesus didn’t make him wait to see if his remorse did him any good.  He told him right away that he was forgiven and would be in Paradise with Him.

We can know we are forgiven, too.  It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or how long we’ve waited to repent.  When we finally repent, when we finally ask for forgiveness, God forgives us on the spot and restores our relationship to Him.  It’s not too late.

Tomorrow’s reading: John 1-3

Giving All You’ve Got

Read Luke 19-21

Luke 21:4 says, "For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had."  Jesus was impressed with the widow’s offering and wanted to impress His listeners with an important lesson.  The widow gave all she had while everyone else gave some of what they had.

We may not feel like we’re ready to be used by the Lord.  We’re not smart enough, not old enough or young enough, not rich enough, not important enough, not talented enough.  But God doesn’t have requirements that we have to meet before He can use us.

We can be used where we are and as what we are.  Whatever we have, if we give it all to Him, He’ll find a place for us, He’ll find something worthwhile for us, He’ll find a way to use us to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 22-24

Unprofitable Servants

Read Luke 16-18

Luke 17:10 says, "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."  We get more feedback than we need from everyone around us.  Parents tell their children how they can improve.  Children tell their parents how they are falling short.  We get evaluations regularly at work and criticism often.  Strangers feel free to tell us when we fail to meet their expectations.

Even when we aren’t being criticized, we look for measures of how well we’re doing.  Do we have the same things others have?  Do people seem to like us?  Are we dependable?  We want to know we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.

But God wants us to seek higher than that.  He wants us to look for ways to do more than the minimum.  If we settle for doing our duty, we are unprofitable servants.  It’s when we find the little extras to do that we will be “good and faithful” servants.

Tomorrow’s reading: Luke 19-21