Today's One Thing

[Judy Harder]

As you read the Bible and praise God, you will affirm Jesus' Lordship in your life.   

Those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." —Matthew 14:33 (ESV)


Recall His Acts
"We see throughout the Bible," theologian R.C. Sproul wrote in Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness, "that when someone in antiquity encountered the holy God, the experience was almost uniform. To a person they stood quaking in terror, trembling before the Most High God. They were frightened; they were humbled; they were disintegrated; but they certainly were never bored."

Such was the reaction of the disciples in today's verse—and understandably so. They had just witnessed one of Jesus' most remembered miracles. "After he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea." (Matthew 14:23-25 ESV) The disciples were frightened because they thought Jesus was a ghost floating over the waves; they were humbled because He asked one of them, Peter, to join Him on His supernatural stroll; and they were disintegrated when He challenged their lack of faith. Then they knew: He must be the Son of God!

As you read the Bible and learn of Him and from Him, you will affirm His Lordship in your life. Open up His Word, recall His great acts, and deepen your relationship with Him.
 
Today's One Thing
Spend at least 10 minutes worshipping Jesus—simply for who He is.
 
Going Deeper
Daniel 10:1-19; Luke 12:22-31; Revelation 5:6-14

[Judy Harder]

Plug into the power source and don't be anxious about anything.   
 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) 
     
Power Down and Plug In
An ambulance had come and taken her neighbor friend away early this evening and she didn't know why. It had felt like a long day, especially after the argument with her son. Ever since he had become a teenager, their relationship had been strained.

Janine washed her face as she prepared for bed. God, give me your peace that goes way beyond my comprehension. I need it tonight.

As she checked for any last email updates on her laptop, a message popped up with the familiar "ding." Janine had unplugged to work a bit more from the comfort of her bedroom. The message read, "Plug in or find another power source." As she stared at the notification, Janine knew what she needed to do. Powering down, she pulled out her Bible and read until she grew drowsy, and God's peace enveloped her.

Are you running low on energy to face the new day? Do you have concerns cluttering up your mind? It's time to tap into the One power source that can truly help.
 
Today's One Thing
Spend a few minutes reading your Bible today, as you pray about what concerns you.
 
Going Deeper
1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:31-34

[Judy Harder]

God's provision often comes from surprising places.
 
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. —Matthew 6:33 (ESV)   


God's Surprising Provision
Money was tight, but John knew it was important to pay his debts. As he looked over his bills, he set aside money to repay his brother, who had voluntarily given him and Susan money to help with their move. Being so young and newly married, they hadn't even realized they would need the extra cash, so it was such a blessing for Jason to even think of it.

Sending a check off to his brother, John informed his wife that they would have to be even more frugal this month with the added expenses of their new baby.

A week later Susan opened a letter they had received in the mail. As tears welled up in her eyes, she couldn't help but call John at work, "John, Jason sent the check back. He wrote, 'Paid in full!'

Have you ever been in awe by God's provision? Do you have a need right now that you're waiting to see how He will take care of it? Be faithful with what God has given to you, pray and watch how He provides.
 
Today's One Thing
Act with responsibility regarding your finances today, doing one thing to reduce debt.
 
Going Deeper
1 Timothy 6:17, Matthew 6:25-34

[Judy Harder]

In God's capable hands, there is peace amidst transition.
 
Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you... So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. —Genesis 12:1&4 (ESV) 

Moving in Peace
Monique had no desire to move. She had just told her best friend that if she could live anywhere, right here was where she would choose to live. She was close to her friends and family. She enjoyed the temperate year-round weather and the ability to be outside biking, hiking and enjoying the beautiful sunsets. Yet her husband, Michael, had said they would most likely have to relocate within the next year due to his job.

Distraught, Monique began to pray and ask God to help her accept this news, or to change it so that they wouldn't have to uproot their family far from the place she called home.

As she was reading through her Bible study lesson, something caught Monique's eye and stopped her in her tracks. When God told Abram to move his family, the Bible says that he went as the Lord told him to do. It doesn't say that he argued or whined. It just says that he went.

With newfound resolve, Monique told Michael, "I will trust God with where He takes us." Then she began to sort her closets and cabinets in preparation for the upcoming transition. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she had peace because she knew she was in God's capable hands.
 
Today's One Thing
Trust God with where you are today and take the next step toward His direction.
 
Going Deeper
Proverbs 3:5-6

[Judy Harder]

Be courageous, because you are special to God and have great purpose in Him! 

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. —2 Corinthians 5:6 (ESV) 
       
Zest For Living
Cheryl met Brie when she, her sister, and her grandmother sat next to her at a McDonald's—and she immediately knew Brie was special.

Although smaller than her pre-school aged sister, Brie's new front teeth suggested she was older. "Yes, tomorrow will be her eighth birthday," the grandmother answered with a smile, then went on to share with Cheryl about the child.

Brie suffered from Spina Bifida, meaning she was born with a spinal column that did not close all the way. For the longest time, Brie couldn't get around at all, and only recently had learned to use the restroom without help. She'd endured numerous surgeries for stomach problems. Because her parents were divorced, Brie and her sister lived with her grandparents. Cheryl's heart ached, but the grandmother pointed out, "Brie is the happiest child I know. If she is sad, it lasts only for a moment."

As they said good-bye, Cheryl's eyes welled with tears. Although she'd known Brie for only minutes, she'd made a lasting impression. Her quick smile and cheerful spirit proclaimed a courageous zest for living. One Cheryl wished she had more of in her life.

It's easy to feel so overwhelmed by life we sometimes wish we could just be with the Lord and leave it all behind. Yet today's verse encourages you to be courageous like Brie, and "walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV) Why? Because you're special to God, and still have great purpose in Him!
 
Today's One Thing
Write down three things you are grateful for in life, and then praise God for them.
 
Going Deeper
Job 10:1-13; Psalm 57:1-11; Romans 8:28-39
 
Suggested Intentional Living Broadcast
Finding Purpose in the Pain. 04-09-2014 

[Judy Harder]

Share His Word and love to all who will listen, no matter the opposition.
 
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. —2 Corinthians 3:12 (ESV)   

Trust and Proclaim
In Paul's day, the church at Corinth had been infiltrated by false teachers who were challenging both Paul's personal integrity and his authority as an apostle. Because he had announced a change in his itinerary, with the result that he would now pay the Corinthians one long visit instead of two short visits, these opponents of the church were insisting Paul's word could not be trusted.

In response, Paul writes 2 Corinthians to affirm that his personal life in their midst was always honorable and that the life-changing message of salvation in Jesus Christ remained trustworthy indeed. In today's verse, he boasts in a Godly way that he is so certain of the Lord's promise of eternal life that he could—and would—declare it without reservation. The man who was once Saul of Tarsus and Christianity's greatest persecutor knew without a shadow of a doubt that what he believed was true.

You'll honor the Lord and draw others to Christ as you understand, trust and proclaim His Word and love to all who will listen, no matter the opposition. Endeavor to be bold for Him, and then find direction and encouragement from Paul's closing appeal to the Corinthians:

"Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)
 
Today's One Thing
Ask the Lord to give you the name of one person you can witness to this week.
 
Going Deeper
Acts 4:23-31; Romans 5:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
 
Suggested Intentional Living Broadcast
Taking Christ to Your World - 04/04/2014 

 

[Judy Harder]

Sometimes the desire of your heart doesn't come about the way you think it will.   
 
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. —Psalm 127:3-4 (ESV) 
 
Give God Permission
Karen closed the door to the nursery gently, careful not to make a sound that might wake the sleeping twins. She stepped back and took a deep breath. The house was quiet. She cherished the moment because she knew it would not last long.

She slipped down the hall and into the kitchen as she adjusted her robe a bit more snuggly. She poured herself a cup of coffee and opened the sliding glass door, stepping out into the patio. The early morning air was crisp, almost cold but refreshing. She sat down in her favorite patio chair and waited for the sun to rise.

She sipped her coffee and brushed her hair from her face, taking in the moment. Her thoughts turned to God and the blessings he had poured out on her life in the last six months. After six years of marriage without children, God opened the door to adoption—not with just one child, but two.

She knew her purpose was to be a mother. It didn't happen the way she and her husband had hoped, but it did happen. She lifted her eyes to God—like she lifted her eyes to the sunrise sitting out on the patio—and thanked the Lord for making another way.

Sometimes the desire of your heart doesn't come about the way you think it will. God's purpose and plan will make your dreams a reality when you are open to Him doing things the way He sees as best.
 
Today's One Thing
Open your eyes today to the possibility that your dream could be fulfilled, but it may not look the way you think it should. Give God permission to do things His way.
 
Going Deeper
Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 19:20-21
 
Suggested Intentional Living Broadcast
The Intentional Choice of Adoption 

[Judy Harder]

You can know God's will.   
 
And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws." —Exodus 18:15-16 (ESV) 
   

Answers to Your Questions
Moses was a miracle child, hidden away from Pharaoh's mandate to kill Hebrew baby boys, and then drawn from his hiding place and saved from the death decree by the hand of Pharaoh's own daughter, who adopted him and eventually raised him in the palace as her child and Pharaoh's grandson.

But Moses, story was only beginning. God positioned him and he was the one God used to deliver His people from slavery and bring them to the edge of the Promised Land. Moses searched for God's will and plan at every turn as he led the Israelites through the desert for many, many years.

In Exodus, 18, Moses speaks of how the Israelites constantly came to him to "seek God's will" about various matters and quarrels. But look closely at how Scripture says Moses dealt with this weighty responsibility: "When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God's decrees and give them his instructions" (Exodus 18:16 NLT). Moses turned to the law—God's decrees, standards, rules for living, His Word—to define God's will for the people. Moses applied it to every circumstance or situation brought before him.

The answers you have for your life can be found today in the Bible. As you discover His Word, you will grow in your understanding of His plans, His purposes, His character and His nature. Pleasing Him will align you with His will for your life each day.
 
Today's One Thing
Set aside a time each day to get alone with God and read His Word. 
 
Going Deeper
Exodus 18:13-27; 1 Peter 2:15-35
 
Suggested Intentional Living Broadcast
Intentional Decisions with Dr. Tony Evans 

[Judy Harder]

Through Jesus' sacrifice for sin, you were made a child of God without fault, created to shine like stars in the universe. 

 
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. —Romans 8:1 (ESV) 
   

Time to Shine
Kimberly carried the hot teacup over to the dining room table and set it down in front of her friend, Sara. Through her tears, Sara looked up at her mentor and friend, and nodded her thanks.

Sara choked the words out, "I just feel so worthless and guilty. I know God has forgiven me for my past, but the consequences continue to remind me of what I've done, where I've been and what a mess I've made of my life."

"You can't continue to beat yourself up over the things you can't change," Kimberly encouraged. "What's done is done. It seems harsh to say, but I'm going to say it. You can sit here, criticize yourself and feel guilty, or you can get up and live every moment God gives you becoming the new person He knows...and I know...you can be."

"So, what do I do when I think those thoughts that condemn me," Sara asked.

"You go to the Bible, and find scriptures that affirm who you are in Christ. You are His child, a joint-heir with Jesus. The Bible says old things are passed away, all things are new. Replace the things you think and say about yourself, with what He thinks and says about you."

"Sara smiled, "I can do that. Thank you!"

How often do you criticize yourself to the point of hopelessness because of difficult circumstances? It's easy to do, but it's not the choice God has for you. Romans 8:1 is your promise straight from the Father's heart. God, through Jesus' sacrifice for sin, has made you blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
 
Today's One Thing
Are there some thoughts or words that you tell yourself that need to be replaced with God's thoughts or words today?
 
Going Deeper
Romans 8:1-11; Romans 8:12-17
 
Suggested Intentional Living Broadcast
It's What's On the Inside that Counts 

[Judy Harder]

God doesn't forgive us because we forgive others, but His great mercy compels him to forgive us. 


But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. —Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV) 


Choose to Show Mercy
There was a servant who owed his master a large sum of money, but he didn't have the funds to pay what he owed. The servant went to his master and begged his master to forgive the debt. The master's heart, filled with compassion for his servant, forgave the large debt.

That same servant then went to someone who owed him money and showed him no mercy at all. The master learned that the very one he had forgiven, refused to forgive. The master became angry with the servant because he didn't pay it forward. He refused to show the same compassion for another that was given to him.

In a similar situation, a woman secretly borrowed money from her company, fully intending to pay it back with the hope of not being found out, but she was caught. She feared losing her job and faced possible criminal charges. As she stood before her boss waiting for his decision, surprisingly her debt was forgiven and she was asked to stay on with the company with the opportunity to rebuild her reputation as a trustworthy employee.

When she asked her boss why he would do such a thing, he replied, "I made mistakes early on in my career and was shown mercy. I want to pay it forward and give you another chance, just as I was given a second chance.

Today's One Thing
Is there someone you need to forgive and extend mercy to today? Ask God to help you show His mercy to them.
 
Going Deeper
Matthew 18:23-35; Luke 11:1-12
 
Suggested Intentional Living Broadcast
Forgiveness When All Else Fails