Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

March 31, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


Helpful or Heartless Toward Others?
It is Christ . . . who also makes intercession for us. . . . the Spirit . . . makes intercession for the saints . . . -Romans 8:34, 27

Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors-that Christ "always lives to make intercession" (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit "makes intercession for the saints"? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.

Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don't worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.

Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power

In Acts 9:32-35, we are given the fifth and final "P" of evangelism, and that is power,

Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.  There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.  And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you.  Arise and make your bed."  Then he arose immediately.  So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Two entire cities turned to Christ because of one display of God's power!  One man who had been paralyzed was healed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and two cities came to God.

We have the same gospel.  It is the same Holy Spirit; we serve the same blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  We have to pray that God will, if necessary, do the miraculous to save people.

Paul, writing in the book of Romans, says he fully preached the gospel with miracles, signs, and wonders.  People will respond today just like they did then.  But we need to be bold, step out, and pray for things to happen.

When I was living in Oregon, there was an Indian girl who was very sick and actually at the point of death.  The doctors told her she was going to die.  She came to a small meeting one night and the evangelist prayed for her.  She was healed and then gave her life to Christ.  As a result, her dad, a famous rodeo rider, got saved, and her mom was saved also.  Then a large group of people from her tribe came to Christ as well.

Evangelism through power.  We need to trust God for the supernatural.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read: Nehemiah 4
All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him." - Psalm 22:7-8

TODAY IN THE WORD
Marion Donovan was born into a family of inventors in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She received numerous patents for her own inventions, including the Zippity-Doo, designed to help women zip up the backs of their skirts or dresses. But one product earned nearly universal scorn when she first introduced it: the disposable diaper. Critics laughed. Manufacturers didn't want to produce what they thought would be a huge waste of money. Donovan persevered, and in 2009 sales of disposable diapers in the United States approached nearly $2 billion.
Not every project or product is welcomed with open arms at first. The ridicule found in our passage today, however, was motivated by anger at the success of God's people (v. 1). This was not doubt about whether the project would succeed-this was an attempt to intentionally derail the construction of Jerusalem by undermining the confidence of the Jews.

Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite have appeared in our reading before (see Neh. 2:10, 19). They were leaders of people who had settled in the land that had been Israel and Judah, and so the return of the Jews from exile posed a threat to their own power and control over the territory. Their opposition to Nehemiah, introduced in chapter 2, runs throughout the book and escalates in this text from ridicule to plans for assault.

In response to the taunts, Nehemiah followed the example of the psalms and prayed to the Lord for justice (vv. 4-5; see Psalm 75). When Sanballat and Tobiah threatened to attack, Nehemiah and the builders prayed to God and posted a guard (vv. 6-9). And after the report came that their enemies planned to exploit any weakness by killing the workers, Nehemiah assessed his resources. True, he armed the builders and stationed people strategically around the wall. But more importantly, he reminded the people of their ultimate resource: "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. . . . Our God will fight for us!" (vv. 14, 20). With a plan for action and the promise of the Lord's help, the construction continued.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
When we encounter opposition, we need spiritual wisdom to discern if it is warranted criticism or ungodly taunting. Does it seek to undermine our commitment to God's instruction? Does it attack the character of God and His promises? Our response should be like Nehemiah's: seeking the Lord and focusing on His character. If you are struggling with opposition to your spiritual growth, write verse 14 on a card to remind you to "remember the Lord, who is great and awesome."

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 04, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


The Way to Permanent Faith
Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you will be scattered . . . -John 16:32


Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God's blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.

". . . you . . . will leave Me alone." Have we been scattered and have we left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God's blessings is fundamental

". . . be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faithful to Another

Jesus, in Luke 16:12, makes a very interesting statement...one that provides a perspective on faithfulness you would not expect,

"And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?"

Jesus makes it clear.  You have to be faithful in something that is someone else's before He will fulfill your dream or open doors for you.

God gives each of us opportunities to help others.  And He looks for us to faithfully help others before He blesses us.  For example, Joseph had to help Pharaoh with his dream, before God allowed Joseph's dream to come to pass.

Maybe you have a dream to be super rich for the purpose of spreading the gospel.  You would like to see the gospel go around the world.  Or you would like to pay off the debt on your church's building.  Or you would like to fund a certain missions organization.

I think the Kingdom could use a multitude of very wealthy people who have a heart for the lost and a desire to see God's work succeed and expand.

But first you need to be faithful working for that person who has hired you.  You have to be faithful in that which is another man's.  God is not going to open a door for you to fulfill the dream you have if you do not show up for work on time, or if you do not put in a full day's work.  Why would God open the door for you to lead your own successful business if you have not been faithful working for someone else?

You must serve that other person with all of your heart, or that other company you are working for first, before God will prosper you.  It is a Kingdom principle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read: Luke 2:21-52
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. - Luke 2:52

TODAY IN THE WORD
The St. Chad Gospels are a rare treasure. A beautifully illustrated, eighth-century Latin manuscript containing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and part of Luke, it has endured for more than a thousand years. It is preserved at a cathedral in Litchfield, England, and is in delicate condition. Scholars from the University of Kentucky have recently been able, however, to use digital imaging techniques to make this manuscript available without further wear and tear. Computer technology allows those who wish to study the text and illustrations without having to travel to England or handle the physical manuscript.
The St. Chad Gospels manuscript tells the same story as the printed English Bible you hold in your hands today. In Luke's Gospel, the story is that the direction and purpose of Jesus' life were clear right from the beginning. This is seen in today's reading in two events that take place at the temple.

The first happened when Jesus was still a baby. Joseph and Mary came to offer ritual sacrifices for her post-birth purification and to dedicate their son to the Lord. While fulfilling these religious responsibilities, they encountered two faithful servants of God who had long been awaiting the Messiah. The Holy Spirit led first Simeon, then Anna, straight to the unremarkable-looking young couple and their baby. Simeon declared that God's saving love was found in this baby, not only for Jews but for all humanity-"a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel" (vv. 30-32).

The second occurrence at the temple took place years later, when the boy Jesus was twelve years old. His family had gone to Jerusalem for Passover, then headed home to Nazareth. Mary and Joseph thought that Jesus was among their travel group, and when they realized they had left Him behind they hurried back to the city. After several days of searching, they found Him in the temple, conversing as an equal with the rabbis. Though at the time no one understood, this episode revealed Jesus' awareness of His identity as well as His commitment to honor and obey His heavenly Father (v. 49).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
Anyone who's ever lost a child at a playground or the store has doubtless felt the same emotions as Mary and Joseph: sad, panicked, irritated, frantic, regretful, upset. I thought you were watching him! The humanity that permeates the Gospel narrative is here in all its richness. But Jesus was not only human, He was also divine. And so this very human story ends with a wonderful moment of divine strangeness: "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (v. 49).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 05, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


His Agony and Our Access
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples . . . . 'Stay here and watch with Me' -Matthew 26:36, 38


We can never fully comprehend Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don't have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique- they are the gateway into life for us.

It was not death on the cross that Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. In fact, He stated very emphatically that He came with the purpose of dying. His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God- Satan could not touch Him there. But Satan's assault was that our Lord would come through for us on His own solely as the Son of Man. If Jesus had done that, He could not have been our Savior (see Hebrews 9:11-15). Read the record of His agony in Gethsemane in light of His earlier wilderness temptation- ". . . the devil . . . departed from Him until an opportune time" (Luke 4:13). In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again. Satan's final assault against our Lord as the Son of Man was in Gethsemane.

The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Way Up May Be Down

It is not unusual for God's promotion to look like a demotion at first, to feel like you are going backward rather than forward.

There are a couple of great examples of this in the Bible.  For instance, do you remember how Joseph in Genesis 37 dreamt he would one day rule over his brothers?  That God was going to promote him to a place of prominence?

So what happened?  His brothers threw him into a pit, he was sold to Midianite traders as a slave, and then he was put on the auction block and sold again in Egypt.  On top of that, he ended up in prison on false charges and spent several years there, seemingly forgotten.

But without those experiences, Joseph would have never been ready to rule.  Preparation comes before promotion.  The way up may go down for awhile at first.

David is another example of how God will "demote" in order to promote.  Do you remember in 1 Samuel 16:12-13 how David was anointed king while still just a shepherd?

Now he [David] was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking.  And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!"  Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.  So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

This is a pretty big promotion for a shepherd boy, don't you think?  But for years, David lived a fugitive's life-moving from place to place, living in caves, being hunted.  He was separated from everyone and all the things that he loved.

His promotion ended up looking more like a demotion, which is often the way God works.  In the process of your promotion, He will take you through difficult times to prepare you for that promotion.

Just remember, the way up is often down.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read: Luke 3
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. - Luke 3:8

TODAY IN THE WORD
Both Matthew and Luke include genealogies of Jesus in their Gospels. According to New Testament professor Grant Osborne, Matthew organizes his genealogy into three groups of fourteen names each, thus emphasizing Jesus' kingly ancestry in the line of David. Luke's purpose, though, is a bit different. His genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, thus focusing on Jesus' universal humanity as well as affirming the claim that He is the unique Son of God. That's why Luke placed his genealogy between Jesus' baptism and temptation (see 3:22; 3:38; 4:3), instead of at the beginning of the narrative (as in Matthew).
Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist marked the beginning of His public ministry. John's own ministry of preparing the way had begun, like that of previous prophets, when the word of the Lord came to him (v. 2). His mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah, and he was well aware that in doing so he was fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah (vv. 4-6). His message was one of repentance and forgiveness. This was not an easy message to bring, for it included strong condemnations of sin and warnings of God's wrath, from which the Jews' status as God's chosen people would not protect them. "Speaking truth to power" landed him in jail when he dared to condemn King Herod's immorality. But those who believed John were baptized, signifying faith and a public commitment to live out his words.

We might legitimately wonder why Jesus was baptized. He had no sins to confess and no need for repentance. But by allowing John to baptize Him, He identified Himself with John's ministry and message. Indeed, the themes of repentance and forgiveness would be at the heart of His own ministry and of the gospel.

In addition, this event revealed the person and ministry of Christ as recognized and approved by the other two members of the Trinity: "The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased'" (v. 22).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
Repentance is much more than a prayer. Confession must be followed by turning away from sin toward righteousness: "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (v. . Scripture gives specific, concrete instructions to those who repent, such as to share with those in need and not to abuse positions of power. Jesus preached this: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (6:43). Seek to live in accordance with your confession and repentance today.

GOD BLESS !

[Judy Harder]

April 06, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


The Collision of God and Sin
. . . who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree . . . -1 Peter 2:24


The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God's judgment on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross- He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.

The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus- He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:. The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating "God was manifested in the flesh. . ." from ". . . He made Him. . . to be sin for us. . ." (1 Timothy 3:16 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.

The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.

The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preparation for Promotion

It is easy for us to be impatient with God's timeline of blessing, or to wonder why God is not prospering us as we think we should be.

In 1 Samuel 22:1-2, we are given a snapshot of how God prepared David, a little shepherd boy, to be king,

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.  So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.  And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.  So he became captain over them.  And there were about four hundred men with him.

Just think how David must have felt.  God tells Him, "David, you're going to be Israel's next king!" but Saul is chasing him across the countryside and the people who are following him are all the outcasts, the people with problems, the people who are unhappy, the people who don't have any money.

On top of that, the next few verses of this passage talk about how David had to move his family to a foreign country just to keep them safe.  Some promotion!

But you know what?  Through it all David was learning how to trust God and how to manage people.  His character was being tested.  He was being fitted by God to wear the garments of a king:  the garment of mercy, fairness, and wisdom, the shoes of decisiveness, the belt of strength, covered with a robe of gentleness.

The fullness of his promotion came in due season, and so will yours.  David was not ready to be king when he walked out of the field as a young shepherd boy, so do not be surprised if you also need to be prepared for your promotion!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read: Luke 4
Do not put the Lord your God to the test. - Luke 4:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
If the Gospel of Luke were a courtroom drama, today's reading marks a shift from testimony to hostile cross-examination. Yesterday, not only John the Baptist but also God the Father and God the Holy Spirit testified to the reality of the arrival of the Messiah and His identity as God the Son. The Father said, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased" (3:22). Now Satan entered the scene like an opposing lawyer finally given permission to question the defendant. His clear intention was to disprove or call into doubt the person and mission of Christ.
He planned to do that by tempting Him to sin. If he could get the Son of God to sin, the mission of redemption would be over. The plan of salvation would be finished, wrecked before it had really begun.

The first temptation was straightforward, trying to provoke Jesus to use His divine power to meet a physical need (for food). The second was more subtle, taunting Jesus to establish His kingdom by a road other than suffering and death. The third was even more devilish, as Satan used biblical words to try to manipulate Jesus to perform a sign that would gain Him public recognition as the Messiah.

Full of the Holy Spirit and quoting Scripture, Jesus successfully resisted these temptations. To the first, He responded that His power was not for selfish use. To the second, He rejected an alternative road as one that would involve disobeying His Father and the blasphemous act of worshiping Satan. To the third, He saw through the tempter's twisting of Scripture to justify wrongdoing and dismissed both Satan and his specious reasoning.

Then Jesus walked out of the desert and began His public ministry. His first public words quoted Isaiah to identify Himself as the Messiah (vv. 15-21). He taught. He cast out demons. He worked miracles of healing. He encountered some faith, but more often surprise, anger, and rejection. These narrative events in Luke 4-temptation, miracles, and rejection-form a preview or microcosm of the entire life and ministry of Christ.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
Jesus experienced temptations throughout His life (v. 13). How can we resist them as He did (Heb. 4:14-16)? One key is to know and use the Word of God-Jesus quoted Scripture in response to all three temptations. Another key is to be full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him. With the Spirit at the wheel, one cannot steer wrong. Finally, because He saw Satan's shortcuts as dead ends, Jesus was unwilling to consider anything less than full obedience to His Father.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 07, 2011


Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


Why We Lack Understanding
He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead -Mark 9:9


As the disciples were commanded, you should also say nothing until the Son of Man has risen in you- until the life of the risen Christ so dominates you that you truly understand what He taught while here on earth. When you grow and develop the right condition inwardly, the words Jesus spoke become so clear that you are amazed you did not grasp them before. In fact, you were not able to understand them before because you had not yet developed the proper spiritual condition to deal with them.

Our Lord doesn't hide these things from us, but we are not prepared to receive them until we are in the right condition in our spiritual life. Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). We must have a oneness with His risen life before we are prepared to bear any particular truth from Him. Do we really know anything about the indwelling of the risen life of Jesus? The evidence that we do is that His Word is becoming understandable to us. God cannot reveal anything to us if we don't have His Spirit. And our own unyielding and headstrong opinions will effectively prevent God from revealing anything to us. But our insensible thinking will end immediately once His resurrection life has its way with us.

". . . tell no one . . . ." But so many people do tell what they saw on the Mount of Transfiguration- their mountaintop experience. They have seen a vision and they testify to it, but there is no connection between what they say and how they live. Their lives don't add up because the Son of Man has not yet risen in them. How long will it be before His resurrection life is formed and evident in you and in me?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At Just the Right Time

It is easy for us to get anxious when it seems like God is moving more slowly than we would like.  But Scripture is clear, God's purposes have their appointed times.  They are fulfilled in their season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says,

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

And there is 1 Peter 5:6-7, which says,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Humility and God's exalting of you are two things that are tied together.  Perhaps you are feeling pretty frazzled, wondering, "God, when's it going to happen?"  Just continue to cast your cares on Him.  He will promote you in due time.  Do not worry about it.

In fact, the phrase that says, that He may exalt you in due time, literally means "at the set time" or "at the time prearranged by God."

When your character has been shaped and molded enough, and when other events are ready and in their proper place, then God will promote and exalt you.

Think about Moses who had it in his heart to be a deliverer and a judge, but when he first acted on it he failed miserably.  He was 40 years early! (See Acts 7:23-34).  The Israelites were not ready to be delivered yet.  God had to work at the other end of the line.

Remember, God may have put some things in your heart, but the timing may not be quite right.  There may be some work He needs to do in your life, or there may be some other factors God is working on.  Until those things come together, God will not push you into that position.

So, focus on being faithful and let God worry about just the right time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read: Luke 5:1-32
Follow me. - Luke 5:27

TODAY IN THE WORD
Dr. Amit Goffer of Israel has created a robotic suit that can help paralyzed individuals to walk. Created after Dr. Goffer himself was disabled in an accident, the ReWalk suit is a kind of exoskeleton with leg supports, motion sensors, and a computerized control box. According to one news report: "With the assistance of crutches, which offer balance and support, people paralyzed from the waist down can walk, bend, sit and even climb stairs when they wear the suit." Benefits are said to include better physical health and a stronger sense of personal dignity.
Jesus needed no modern technology to help the paralyzed man in today's reading walk. He had the power to heal at a word. What's more, He had the power to forgive sins. When the paralytic's friends lowered him through the roof, in fact, this was the issue Jesus dealt with first (v. 20). As the Pharisees recognized, Jesus was claiming to be God-because only God can forgive sin. When Jesus backed up His claim with divine healing power, what could they say? They could have praised God, as did others who were present (v. 26), but instead they took offense and continued to oppose Him. They saw not with eyes of faith, but with small minds and petty hearts (v. 30).

We see a variety of examples of Jesus' power in Luke 5. He healed a leper as well as the paralytic. He demonstrated power over nature by filling nets with fish. His teaching was powerful, as people crowded around to hear the word of God (v. 1) and the call to repentance (v. 32). He clearly believed in the power of prayer, for He cultivated it as a personal discipline that sustained His inner spiritual life (v. 16). He also showed spiritual power in calling individuals to follow Him, and it is notable that He chose not from among the ranks of religious leaders but instead called fishermen (vv. 10-11) and a tax collector (vv. 27-28). Unlike the Pharisees, these new disciples responded to the person of Christ in wholehearted faith-they "left everything and followed him."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
Where do you stand in relation to Jesus. Are you a Levi, a forgiven sinner eager to introduce others to Him? Are you a face in the crowd, attracted by His teachings or miracles but still undecided? Are you a skeptic, offended by the idea that Jesus is the only way to God? Are you a fisherman, unsure of what this extraordinary Jesus person is going to say or do next, or why, but still ready to follow Him anywhere? Wherever you are, Jesus stands ready to welcome you as His follower.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 08, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     

His Resurrection Destiny
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? -Luke 24:26

Our Lord's Cross is the gateway into His life. His resurrection means that He has the power to convey His life to me. When I was born again, I received the very life of the risen Lord from Jesus Himself.

Christ's resurrection destiny- His foreordained purpose- was to bring "many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10). The fulfilling of His destiny gives Him the right to make us sons and daughters of God. We never have exactly the same relationship to God that the Son of God has, but we are brought by the Son into the relation of sonship. When our Lord rose from the dead, He rose to an absolutely new life- a life He had never lived before He was God Incarnate. He rose to a life that had never been before. And what His resurrection means for us is that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life. One day we will have a body like His glorious body, but we can know here and now the power and effectiveness of His resurrection and can "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Paul's determined purpose was to "know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Philippians 3:10).

Jesus prayed, ". . . as You have given Him authority over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him" (John 17:2 . The term Holy Spirit is actually another name for the experience of eternal life working in human beings here and now. The Holy Spirit is the deity of God who continues to apply the power of the atonement by the Cross of Christ to our lives. Thank God for the glorious and majestic truth that His Spirit can work the very nature of Jesus into us, if we will only obey Him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attractive... or Unattractive?

Titus 2:9-10 says this,

Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Let's focus on that phrase at the end, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.  We adorn the gospel.  We dress it up in clothes, as it were.

The New International Version says this,  And not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.  We make the gospel attractive or unattractive.

I was returning from Europe one time when, just before they closed the door of the plane, a woman rushed in and sat next to me.  She was wearing a baggy wool cap pulled down low, a pair of glasses sticking out from underneath the cap, a big baggy woolen sweater, and a bright orange sweat suit.

When we took off, I closed my eyes and took a little snooze.  When I opened my eyes and looked at her, I was startled because there was this beautiful woman sitting next to me.  I was really shocked.

She turned out to be an actress who, I guess, was traveling incognito.  There was this amazing lady hidden under all this frumpy stuff.  Sometimes we take this amazing gospel that we have, and we adorn it in such a way that it is unattractive.

We must be careful to make the gospel attractive. But in order to do that, I believe it is important to see how we make the gospel unattractive first.

Our next few devotionals will deal with that subject.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read: Luke 5:33-6:16
Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? - Luke 5:34

TODAY IN THE WORD
"I used to believe in God," wrote actor and comedian Ricky Gervais. "I loved Jesus. He was my he-ro." But then one day his "cheeky" brother came in and asked their mother, "Why do you believe in God?" She panicked and could give no answer. Startled, young Ricky felt she must be hiding something, and very soon he concluded that Jesus was as big a fake as Santa Claus. "Within an hour, I was an atheist." Now he tries to do the right thing and be a good person, but he thinks that God, heaven, and hell are security blankets for people who can't handle the truth.
Rejection of Jesus and God's truth is nothing new. Though it was present from the beginning of Jesus' ministry, opposition becomes a major theme from this point forward in Luke.

Several conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees take center stage in today's reading. The first involved a challenge to His disciples' spirituality (5:33-39). The setting was Levi's evangelistic dinner. Jesus answered their question about why He shared a meal and fellowship with sinners with a rebuke that implied they didn't understand His ministry (5:30-32). Their pride stung, they attempted to regain face by asking Jesus why His disciples didn't fast. Fasting is a spiritual discipline indicating devotion or self-denial, so the question was obviously an insult. Who does this rabbi think He is? they might have been thinking. Choosing such ridiculous disciples! Jesus' answer was a wise surprise. Days of fasting would come, but the arrival of the Messiah meant the present time was one of joy and celebration (5:34-35).

Two additional conflicts involved challenges to Jesus' righteousness (6:1-11). The Pharisees accused the disciples, then Jesus, of doing "work" on the Sabbath and thus breaking the fourth commandment. To count rubbing heads of grain together or speaking words of healing as "work" seems strange, but it broke their traditional regulations. Jesus responded with a biblical reference to David, identified Himself as "Lord of the Sabbath," and asked a rhetorical question-about whether doing good was "against the law"-that exposed their spiritual blindness.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
If many of us are honest, the attitude of the Pharisees might feel familiar. It's often easy to critique someone's choice of friends or seeming lack of piety. We become indignant when others don't follow our interpretation of what's appropriate. When we are tempted to react like the Pharisees, we should search the Scriptures and pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to search our own hearts. We want to follow Jesus in having the spiritual wisdom to know what is truly important and honoring to God.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 11, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


Complete and Effective Divinity
If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection . . . -Romans 6:5


Co-Resurrection. The proof that I have experienced crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a definite likeness to Him. The Spirit of Jesus entering me rearranges my personal life before God. The resurrection of Jesus has given Him the authority to give the life of God to me, and the experiences of my life must now be built on the foundation of His life. I can have the resurrection life of Jesus here and now, and it will exhibit itself through holiness.

The idea all through the apostle Paul's writings is that after the decision to be identified with Jesus in His death has been made, the resurrection life of Jesus penetrates every bit of my human nature. It takes the omnipotence of God- His complete and effective divinity- to live the life of the Son of God in human flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house- He invades all of it. And once I decide that my "old man" (that is, my heredity of sin) should be identified with the death of Jesus, the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything. My part is to walk in the light and to obey all that He reveals to me. Once I have made that important decision about sin, it is easy to "reckon" that I am actually "dead indeed to sin," because I find the life of Jesus in me all the time (Romans 6:11). Just as there is only one kind of humanity, there is only one kind of holiness- the holiness of Jesus. And it is His holiness that has been given to me. God puts the holiness of His Son into me, and I belong to a new spiritual order.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Remember

Titus 3:1-7 says,

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.  For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Paul tells us to remember where we have come from.  Notice he said to show humility to all men and speak evil of no one.  Why?  Because we also used to be foolish and deceived and disobedient.

I thank God I am a new creation in Christ, but I still blush when I think about some of the stuff I got involved in before I was saved!  Disobedient?  Been there.  Serving various lusts and pleasures?  Up to my eyeballs!  Plus all the other things Paul mentions in this passage and a few more!

It is amazing how people in the church forget what they were like before the grace of God came into their life.  When that happens they tend to get very haughty and judgmental towards those still lost in their sin.  A harsh, judgmental church that lacks humility while verbally lashing out at sinners is one of the ugliest garments you can dress the beautiful gospel in.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read: Luke 8
The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables. - Luke 8:10

TODAY IN THE WORD
Sweet potatoes might be an ancient solution to the modern problem of hunger. They have been grown as a food crop for more than 5,000 years. Ninety-five percent of the global sweet potato crop is currently grown in developing countries, where they rank fifth in importance as a food source. Adaptable and hardy, as well as rich in carbohydrates and vitamin A, sweet potatoes have often served as lifesavers in times of famine. The American Society for Horticultural Science recently published research that will help small-scale farmers in developing countries raise even more of this valuable crop.
Planting sweet potatoes can help fight world hunger, and planting the seed of the gospel can help fight world sin. The Parable of the Sower, the first of 29 parables recorded by Luke, is well placed in his Gospel.

The narrative to this point has revealed who Jesus was, why He came, and the central themes of His message. Jesus had already encountered the responses described in the parable (vv. 11-15). First is unbelief, as the devil "takes away the word from their hearts." Second, people accept it-if it's convenient. "They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away." The third response is stunted growth. "As they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." And the fourth response to the seed of the gospel is obedient faith. They "hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." These four are meant to be illustrative rather than exhaustive. That is, they do not cover all possible scenarios, but rather represent a spectrum of possible responses to Jesus.

The rest of the chapter gives us plenty of reasons to respond to Christ in faith. We can trust in the One who rules over nature and is able to calm storms and heal diseases. We can trust in the One who rules over the supernatural world and is able to cast out demons. We can trust in the One who reverses death itself and raises a dead girl to life. If we "hear God's word and put it into practice" (v. 21), this is the One who counts us as family!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
Time and relationships are key to discerning responses to the gospel. A seed is planted, and then we must wait to see what happens. For example, Nicodemus was a Pharisee, but he sought deeper spiritual truths and eventually accepted Jesus' explanation of spiritual rebirth. This should encourage us in our own witness. The Spirit might be working in the heart of that friend or neighbor who seems so resistant to the gospel. Keep praying for them!
GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 12, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     

Complete and Effective Dominion
Death no longer has dominion over Him. . . . the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God . . . -Romans 6:9-11


Co-Eternal Life. Eternal life is the life which Jesus Christ exhibited on the human level. And it is this same life, not simply a copy of it, which is made evident in our mortal flesh when we are born again. Eternal life is not a gift from God; eternal life is the gift of God. The energy and the power which was so very evident in Jesus will be exhibited in us by an act of the absolute sovereign grace of God, once we have made that complete and effective decision about sin.

"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . ." (Acts 1:- not power as a gift from the Holy Spirit; the power is the Holy Spirit, not something that He gives us. The life that was in Jesus becomes ours because of His Cross, once we make the decision to be identified with Him. If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we refuse to make this moral decision about sin. But once we do decide, the full life of God comes in immediately. Jesus came to give us an endless supply of life- ". . . that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). Eternal life has nothing to do with time. It is the life which Jesus lived when He was down here, and the only Source of life is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even the weakest saint can experience the power of the deity of the Son of God, when he is willing to "let go." But any effort to "hang on" to the least bit of our own power will only diminish the life of Jesus in us. We have to keep letting go, and slowly, but surely, the great full life of God will invade us, penetrating every part. Then Jesus will have complete and effective dominion in us, and people will take notice that we have been with Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's Your Motive?

The Bible says in James 4:3,

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James says that you ask, but you do not receive, because you ask amiss.  The word amiss here comes from the Greek root word that means to harm or to injure.  His point is:  God will not grant you anything that is going to harm or injure your spiritual life, whether in the short term or in the long term.

When you pray, God is looking out for your best interests.

But then he also said, You ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures.  The word pleasures has the idea of sensuality, which means, if I am asking for something just to stroke my fleshly ego, then I short-circuit the prayer by my wrong motivation.

For example, it is great to pray for a car.  I live in Southern California where we need a car to get around.  And I think God will give you a car that you like.  After all, the Bible says He gives us richly all things to enjoy.  Jesus said, "Ask, that your joy might be full."  So I think God wants us to be happy, and He generally has no problems granting your request for a car you would like.

Yet some people go a step beyond that, and their real motivation is, "Man, I want that car because I would look good in that car!  If I came to work in that car, I would really show up so-and-so.  People would think I'm pretty fine if I had that car.  If I had that car, the chicks would dig me."

Be careful when you pray to not slip over into a motivation that is not really pure.  Because you will short-circuit your faith and you will not receive an answer-except "no". 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read: Luke 9
Take nothing for the journey. - Luke 9:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
While it's easy to focus on Jesus' dramatic miracles and confrontations with the Pharisees, His most significant ministry-apart from our salvation-is found in His relational mentoring and teaching of His twelve closest disciples. A classic article in Discipleship Journal titled "If Jesus Led Your Small Group" suggests key principles based on how Jesus led His own "small group" of unlikely future church leaders. These principles include preparation or setting aside dedicated time, modeling what you say, room for questions, a safe atmosphere or forgiveness for failure, mutual friendship (rather than know-it-all authoritarianism), and flexibility.
We see these principles in today's reading. Luke 9 seems to focus more on these personal dimensions of Jesus' ministry. When He sent out the Twelve, it's as if He were saying, "Here, you take the wheel." This was a powerful and encouraging experience for them, so much so that Jesus afterward took them on a ministry debriefing retreat. When the crowds interrupted, He was disappointed that the disciples seemed to doubt He could do something as simple as provide lunch. His miracle told them once again that He was the Son of God. The leaders and crowds had varying opinions, but He wanted His disciples to have no doubts about His identity. With divine help (Matt. 16:17), Peter boldly declared that Jesus was "God's Messiah" (v. 20).

Discipleship is a journey filled with highs and lows. There are moments of exhilarating insight, as in Peter's confession. There are moments of beholding God's glory, as at the Transfiguration. There are also times of shame and suffering as we live counter to the world's priorities. Giving one's life for Christ's sake is part of what it means to be His disciple (vv. 23-26, 57-62). Following Him must be our absolutely top priority. Thankfully, it's about God's strength, not our own, for there will be times when we fail (as when the disciples couldn't cast out an evil spirit) or embarrass ourselves (as when they argued about who was the greatest). Once we've put our hand to the plow, though, there's no turning back!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
It is possible to understand some spiritual truths but remain clueless about others. Though Peter knew exactly who Jesus was, he didn't grasp what Jesus told him about the suffering and death He would soon undergo (vv. 22, 44-45). Though the disciples had experienced Jesus' power, they didn't grasp that this power was for love and service, not conquest or revenge (vv. 51-56). We must trust that God is the One who enlightens our spiritual understanding at just the right times.

GOD BLESS!

 

 

   

[Judy Harder]

April 13, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


What To Do When Your Burden Is Overwhelming
Cast your burden on the Lord . . . -Psalm 55:22


We must recognize the difference between burdens that are right for us to bear and burdens that are wrong. We should never bear the burdens of sin or doubt, but there are some burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off. God wants us to roll them back on Him- to literally "cast your burden," which He has given you, "on the Lord . . . ." If we set out to serve God and do His work but get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility we feel will be overwhelming and defeating. But if we will only roll back on God the burdens He has placed on us, He will take away that immense feeling of responsibility, replacing it with an awareness and understanding of Himself and His presence.

Many servants set out to serve God with great courage and with the right motives. But with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, they are soon defeated. They do not know what to do with their burden, and it produces weariness in their lives. Others will see this and say, "What a sad end to something that had such a great beginning!"

"Cast your burden on the Lord . . . ." You have been bearing it all, but you need to deliberately place one end on God's shoulder. ". . . the government will be upon His shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6). Commit to God whatever burden He has placed on you. Don't just cast it aside, but put it over onto Him and place yourself there with it. You will see that your burden is then lightened by the sense of companionship. But you should never try to separate yourself from your burden.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overcoming Barrenness

I Samuel 1:10-11 says,

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.  Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."

These words are written about Hannah, who was barren.  But God answered her prayer by giving her a son, and he became one of the most prominent figures in Biblical history-Samuel.

Perhaps there is a "barrenness" in some area of your life, and like Hannah, who was tormented by her adversary-so it is with you.  Prayer can change things.  It did in Hannah's life, and it can in yours.  But there are several things about Hannah's prayer that we need to consider:

1.      Hannah's prayer was not casual.  It was heartfelt and deep.  Too much of our praying is "skin deep."  Only prayers that originate from deep within us get God's attention.  James 5:16 declares that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

2.      Hannah's prayer was specific. She asked for a male child.  Too much of our praying is too general.  Don't be afraid to be specific in your requests.

3.      Hannah wanted the answer to her prayer to glorify God.  Her boy would be dedicated to God's service.  When our prayers take on the purpose of glorifying God, we have moved into a higher realm.

If you are experiencing a barrenness in any arena of life, pray.  And let your prayers be heartfelt, specific, and for the glory of God.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Read: Luke 10
You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. - Luke 10:21

TODAY IN THE WORD
A hit-and-run driver struck a 78-year-old man on a busy city street in Hartford, Connecticut. Car after car drove by the injured man, and bystanders gawked. Several people did call 911, but a surveillance camera captured most people's unwillingness to get involved or help. The same month, again captured by video, a woman who had been waiting for a bed for 24 hours in a Brooklyn hospital collapsed on the floor, writhing in pain. Staff and patients in the waiting room noticed her convulsions but made no move to help. When someone did check on her over an hour later, it was too late-the woman was dead.
Whether in ancient or modern times, it seems that the sacrificial love of the Good Samaritan remains the exception rather than the rule. Jesus shared this parable about truly loving one's neighbor in response to a test question from a religious leader about the greatest commandment (vv. 25-37).

The story teaches many things about love. Love is not predictable-those who might be expected to obey the commandment (two religious leaders) did not do so. Love crosses boundaries of ethnic and cultural prejudice, as the Samaritan helped the Jew. Love goes the extra mile and makes a personal investment, seen in the ways the Samaritan cared with his own resources for the robbery victim. Love loves when no one is watching, on a lonely road, not for human praise.

Jesus' story illuminated the true nature of love, exhorted His hearers to love in this manner, and revealed the deep love and mercy of God. The "neighbor," after all, turned out to be the one who showed mercy to the helpless man in need, just as God has done for us (vv. 36-37).

God's merciful love enables another kind of love, that of friendship between human beings and God (John 15:15). Mary was one of Jesus' closest friends, and at the end of the chapter she showed her devotion by choosing "what is better," that is, to sit quietly and listen to her friend and Savior (v. 42).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
As when Jesus sent out the Twelve, His sending out of the 72 in today's reading was a training exercise in leadership and ministry. But even more, it was an act of love for the people of Israel. The preaching and miracles done by this larger group of disciples gave many more people a chance to learn about Jesus than would otherwise have been possible. As He so often does, God was giving people maximum opportunity to turn to Him (see 1 Tim. 2:3-4).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

April 14, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     


Inner Invincibility
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . -Matthew 11:29


Whom the Lord loves He chastens . . ." (Hebrews 12:6). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, "Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!" Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That's why Jesus says to us, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:30). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.

". . . to those who have no might He increases strength" (Isaiah 40:29). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.

". . . the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.

If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God's strength.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power in Numbers

I believe the Bible teaches us that when we join together the impact is multiplied far beyond just the addition of those who join together.  One plus one equals far more than two.  Let me show you what I mean.     

In Deuteronomy 32:30, it says,

How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had surrendered them?

While this verse deals with Israel's disobedience to God and subsequent retreat from their enemies, think of what might be possible when God's people obey Him!  It says that one could chase a thousand, but two could put ten thousand to flight.

While one person can impact a thousand, two people can impact ten thousand.  That is a ten-fold multiplied effect!

Leviticus 26:7-8, when God was giving promises to His people if they would walk in His ways, states this,

You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.  Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight;  your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

Notice God says five will chase a hundred, and a hundred will chase ten thousand.  By increasing the number of people times 20, their effectiveness would increase times 100.  Again, that is a multiplied effect.

You have probably heard of the Clydesdale horses, those big, strong workhorses that can pull a lot of weight.  One horse by itself can pull two tons, but if you yoke two together they can pull 23 tons!  That is incredible!

And that is how it works when we pray together with one another.  When we join our forces in prayer and connect with heaven, that is what happens.  There is a multiplied effect. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read: Luke 11
How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! - Luke 11:13

TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book, Read, Think, Pray, Live, youth pastor Tony Jones suggested that an old approach to prayer might be just the thing for modern young people. The approach is called lectio divina, and it involves four steps: reading a Scripture passage both aloud and silently, meditating on the passage, praying aloud about issues that God puts on one's heart during the previous step, and finally, contemplating God and resting in Him. The idea is that youth today are exceptionally busy and, thanks to technology, constantly multitasking. For this reason, they have a hard time "being still" before the Lord (Ps. 46:10). "Lectio divina" is one way for them to slow down and find silence in which they can hear God's voice.
Jesus taught His disciples another kind of model prayer in today's reading (vv. 1-4; cf. Matt. 6:5-13). It begins with "Father"-how gracious of Almighty God to encourage us to address Him with such an intimate term! This is not to take Him for granted, however-"hallowed be your name, your kingdom come" recognizes His holiness and sovereignty and prays for the whole world to do the same.

The first personal petition, "Give us each day our daily bread," is a request for basic physical needs to be met. The second, "Forgive us our sins," covers our most basic spiritual need and is followed by reminders that we, too, should forgive others and need God's help to resist sin's temptation. Jesus' expanded teaching on prayer emphasized persistence (vv. 5-8), boldness (vv. 9-10), and faith (vv. 11-13). We should pray tenaciously, believing that God can and will answer.

As seen in the rest of the chapter, prayer is important because it prepares the soul for spiritual experiences and conflicts beyond human strength. This included not only demonic opposition but also human opposition, as Jesus' enemies made the illogical argument that He was casting out evil spirits using Satan's power, demanded a sign in addition to all the miracles already performed, and focused on legalistic trivia like hand-washing and spice-tithing rather than justice and love (v. 42).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLY THE WORD
Young people are not the only busy Americans who use technology to multitask. Who among us is beyond the reach of our cell phone? How often does the background noise of a car radio or MP3 player fill our ears while we're doing something else? Is "being still" before the Lord a lost art in our daily spiritual walk? Using the "lectio divina" approach, or simply using the model of the Lord's Prayer, might slow things down enough for us to be able to savor prayer and listen to God.

GOD BLESS!