Turning Point with David Jeremiah

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, February 3

Who Holds the Future

Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers.
Song of Solomon 1:4

Recommended Reading
James 4:13-17


Forbes magazine is famous for its lists, one of them being "The 20 Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings." Among the astounding number of dollars spent on cakes, dresses, and honeymoons, at least five of the twenty couples spent money on a fairy-tale setting for their wedding: a castle. Scotland's Skibo Castle was used twice, and Italy's Odescalchi Castle was also used along with England's Sudeley Castle and India's Umaid Bhawan Palace.

While not exactly a castle in the strict sense, King Solomon's palace in Jerusalem probably fulfilled all his bride's expectations when they married. No wonder she said to him early in the Song of Solomon, "Draw me away!" What young girl doesn't dream of that most romantic of days in her future--her wedding day? Yet what a comfort to know that God holds the real-life answers to every heart's dream. We may not know what the future holds, but we definitely know who holds the future.

If you have dreams or questions about tomorrow, commit them to the God of the future. If your dream doesn't come true, it's only because God has something even better in store.

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to his love, and the future to his providence.
Augustine

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Leviticus 13:45-15:33

[Judy Harder]

Friday, February 4

Careful Currency

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
John 17:17

Recommended Reading
Judges 12:2-6


In this age of political discourse, media spin, and sound bites, it can be difficult to know what words actually mean. Consultants can be paid large sums of money to produce words that take up space without saying anything. But in the kingdom of God, words are currency--a medium for meaning, an exchange tool for communication.

In marriage, the most intimate and trusting of human relationships, it is important for spouses to create a culture of confidence--and to create that culture by careful communication. The admonition of Jesus is a worthy model for marital words: "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'" (Matthew 5:37). The more words that are spoken, the greater the likelihood of misspeaking or misinterpreting. "But he who restrains his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19b). Is "I love you" just a phrase spoken when parting in person or on the phone, or does it mean "I choose to commit my all to your well-being forever, regardless of the cost"? Words are ultimately defined by actions, so couples have the opportunity to teach one another what they are saying.

Recommit yourself today to the kingdom proposition that words have meaning. And spend your currency wisely.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Leviticus 16:1-18:30

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, February 5 & 6

"I Love You"--The Fact of God's Love

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Recommended Reading
1 Cor. 13:4-8a


For the Weekend devotionals this month, we will look at the progression of God's love for us: The fact of God's love, the nature of God's love, the surprise of God's love, and the permanence of God's love.

The aspect of Christianity that sets it apart from all other world religions is the fact of God's love. Instead of requiring us to sacrifice ourselves to gain God's approval, He sacrificed Himself for us in order to satisfy His own nature and fulfill His own attributes. God doesn't love us because of something we did, He loves us because it is in His nature to love: "I love you," God says to us. And the sign of His love is the fact that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. God turned love into a verb--an action word. There can be no doubt that God loves us. He proved it by what He did for us.

And therein lies the template for all who claim to belong to God: We must love as God loves us. We love God and love others because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). If we are to be recognized as belonging to God, it will be first because of how we love (John 13:35).

None walk so evenly with God as they who are assured of the love of God.
Thomas Manton

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Leviticus 19:1-24:23

 

[Judy Harder]

Monday, February 7

Behold, What Love!

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
1 John 4:16a (NIV)

Recommended Reading
1 John 4:7-16


In a scene in a popular movie, Johnny Depp  played a character who lectured his friend about the important things in life. "There are only four questions," he said. "What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for?"

Then he said softly, "The answer to each is the same: only love."

That's true, though not as Hollywood thinks. To the world, love is a shallow sentiment. To the Christian, it's a divine reality. God is love, and He demonstrated His love at Calvary. This love is sacred; it's from Him. It prompted Him to form our spirits and make us in His image. It gives meaning to our lives and calls us to give ourselves for others. The language God used to share His love for us is found in His Word, in His actions at the cross, and in His plan for our eternal future.

Behold what love is lavished on us! It's a love we can both know and rely on today.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Leviticus 25:1-26:46

[Judy Harder]

Tuesday, February 8

Lovesick

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am lovesick!
Song of Solomon 5:8

Recommended Reading
1 John 3:1-3


Recently a lonely reader wrote to the advice columnist for an online magazine, asking: "I love someone who doesn't feel the same way. Everyone tells me to move on, but that's just not working. What do I do?"

Do you remember when your heart filled with joy because of a phone call from one you loved, or a note, a hug, or even the wave of a hand? Conversely, have you ever known the pain of loving but not feeling loved in return?

The woman in Song of Solomon was struggling with her emotions after a disagreement with her husband--she was expressing how sick of heart she was as she struggled with her feelings for Solomon. Unfortunately, we can't control how another views us, nor can we command love from another person. But the Lord's love for us will never falter; we're secure in Him. Furthermore He promises to meet all our needs in life as we seek Him first (Matthew 6:33). If you feel lonely, rest in His love. Be proactive in meeting the needs of others, and trust Him to meet the deepest needs of your own heart in His own time and way.

Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee; Thou only knowest what I need; Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself.
Francois Fénelon

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Leviticus 27:1-Numbers 1:54

[Judy Harder]

Wednesday, February 9

Sitting in a Puddle

To be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:6b

Recommended Reading
Hebrews 13:20-25


When we're disappointed or distraught--whether about health or money or prodigals or whatever--we need a biblical plan for recovering God's peace. Perhaps you're separated from someone you love, and the loneliness is intense. To love is to sometimes hurt. We need the peace that exceeds understanding.

Try underlining Bible verses. Sit down with a cup of tea and search the Scriptures looking for verses to underline and memorize.

Try journaling. Write out your feelings, but also jot down the verses God gives you. You can also compose written prayers as the Psalm writers did long ago.

Try reading. Find an inspirational book. Whether an old classic like Pilgrim's Progress or something just off the press, read it with a highlighter in hand.

Try exercise. Even something as simple as walking around the block can clear your mind. Whatever you do, don't fall into self-pity. Sitting around in a puddle of worry isn't good for anyone. Whatever ailment we face, the Word of God is the medicine and the peace of God the cure.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Numbers 2:1-3:51

[Judy Harder]

Thursday, February 10

Mayonnaise on the Road

You enlarged my path under me; so my feet did not slip.
2 Samuel 22:37

Recommended Reading
Psalm 1


A load of mayonnaise recently fell off a truck in the Hyogo prefecture of Japan. Mayo contains eggs, vinegar, and oil, and the shattered bottles created a slippery stretch of highway that police said was slicker than snow. It caused an eight-car pile-up, resulting in three injuries and a five-hour road closure.

The highway of life can get slippery, too. Sometimes we come to major intersections like choosing a life's partner; other times we have bends in the road. But finding the right pathway is vital, and Jesus is the only Way. He told us the gate is narrow, but the destination is certain (Matthew 7:13-14). Psalm 85:13 tells us that when righteousness goes before us, it makes firm footsteps for our path. The Book of Acts calls Christianity "the Way" (Acts 19:23). And Isaiah 35:8 says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness."

The most important thing about life's journey is being on the right road so our feet don't slide and our footsteps are secure.

Revival is just you and I walking along the Highway in complete oneness with the Lord Jesus and with one another, with cups continually cleansed and overflowing.
Roy Hession

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Numbers 4:1-5:31

[Judy Harder]

Friday, February 11

Thomas Austin's Rabbits

The righteous should choose...carefully.
Proverbs 12:26a

Recommended Reading
Proverbs 14:15-18


In his book, History's Worst Decisions and the People Who Made Them, Stephen Weir tells the story of Thomas Austin's ill-fated plan in 1859 to have a Christmas hunt on his land 60 miles from Melbourne, Australia. Austin imported 24 rabbits from England and released them onto his property, where they promptly started multiplying like, well...rabbits. Within a few years, over 3,000 square miles of farmland around Austin's estate had been stripped of vegetation by the rabbits; and by 1866, the devastation spread as far as 2,000 miles north to Queensland. By the 1940s, the rabbit population was estimated at 800 million, and each rabbit was figured to have cost one Australian dollar in damage. To this day, Australians are still fighting Thomas Austin's rabbits.1

Bad decisions have long-lasting effects. Our choices often come with unintended consequences. They set the direction of our lives, whether for good or ill. The value of making wise decisions is a lesson we all need. As you make decisions big and small, pray for guidance and make them prayerfully and thoughtfully.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Numbers 6:1-7:59

1Stephen Weir, History's Worst Decisions and the People Who Made Them (Millers Point, Australia: Murdoch Books Australia, 2005), 83-86.

[Judy Harder]

Weekend, February 12 & 13

"I Love You"--The Nature of God's Love

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
John 15:13

Recommended Reading
John 15:14-17


A 1970 film, by the same name as the novel on which it was based, Love Story, became famous for its tag line: "Love means never having to say you're sorry." That's just one of many examples of how people have defined and illustrated love through the years. Jesus Christ gave to the world the way to recognize true love in its ultimate manifestation--the greatest form of love possible. That kind of love is manifested by one person being willing to lay down his or her life for a friend. Ultimately, "lay down" means "to die for." But it could mean a less drastic sacrificial act of love as well. True love is when one person gives of himself for a friend.

John 3:16 says that God loved the whole world. But John 15:13 says that Jesus loves you personally because, as His follower, you are His friend (John 15:14-17). If ever you feel small in terms of God's love as part of the entire world, you can erase that feeling by taking Jesus' words to heart. You are His friend if you are His follower, and He laid down His life for you.

Love personalized is love individualized. Let a friend know today that you love him or her just because you are friends.

Every Christian would agree that a man's spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God. 
C. S. Lewis

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Numbers 7:60 -12:16

[Judy Harder]

Monday, February 14

"I'm Bored With Marriage"

I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua 1:5b

Recommended Reading
Hebrews 13:1-6


Actress Courteney Cox recently played a woman bored with her marriage, and she admitted in an interview that the movie was true to her life. Describing husband David Arquette, she said, "We've been married for ten years...I'm bored with my life and bored with my marriage." The couple has since separated and friends don't expect their marriage to survive.1

That's a sad example of the world's approach to marriage. They enjoy it for a while, then get bored and move on to something else. But Christians think differently because we have a God who is neither bored nor boring. He's eternally committed to us, and He expects us to reflect His loyalty to those we love and marry.

The Lord said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." As believers, we have security in the love and faithfulness God shows us. Commitment in marriage is based not on moods or impulses but on the fidelity we find in our walk with God.

Don't get bored. Get biblical. Dedicate yourself afresh to the Lord Jesus and to the spouse He has given you.
 
In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage.
Robert Anderson

1John Shearer, "Courtney Cox Talks About 'Being Bored With My Marriage' in Film" US Weekly, October 16, 2010, <usmagazine.com>, accessed on October 22, 2010.

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Numbers 13:1-14:45