Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals May 28, 2009

Witnesses
READ: Acts 1:1-11
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me . . . to the end of the earth. -Acts 1:8

In a criminal court case, witnesses provide vital information about a possible crime. Being a witness means telling the court the truth about what you know.

Just as the criminal justice system relies heavily on witnesses, Jesus uses bold, faithful, and credible witnesses to spread His Word and build His church.

Before Jesus ascended to His Father, He gave His disciples a final command-to launch a worldwide witnessing campaign. The Holy Spirit would come upon them and give them supernatural power to be His witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:.

Jesus called these early apostles to go into a world where people did not know about Him and to give a truthful account of what they had seen, heard, and experienced (Acts 4:19-20). Since they had witnessed His perfect life, teachings, suffering, death, burial, and resurrection (Luke 24:48; Acts 1-5), they were to go out and give a truthful testimony about Him.

In taking the gospel to the ends of the world, we are called to testify to the truth about Jesus and how He has changed our lives. "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Rom. 10:14). What are you doing to tell others?  - Marvin Williams

Lord and Savior, Christ divine,
Reign within this heart of mine;
May my witness ever be
Always, only, Lord, for Thee. -Brandt


God has left us in the world to witness to the world.

Inquire of the Lord

1 Samuel 30:8 tells us what David did next as He sought to deal with the troubles that besieged him.  After grieving and strengthening himself in the Lord, here is what he did,

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop?  Shall I overtake them?"  And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

David inquired of the Lord.

There is a story in the book of Joshua that shows the importance of inquiring of God, of seeking His guidance, no matter how things may seem.

The nation of Israel had entered the Promised Land and they were gaining great victories.  One day a group of Gibeonites showed up.  They had bags full of old moldy bread, their sandals were worn out, their water skins were cracked and old, and their clothing was old and worn.

They told Joshua and the leaders that they had come from a country far, far away.  They went on to tell them they had heard about the great things God was doing through Israel, and they wanted to make sure they would not be attacked.  So they had traveled from afar to make a covenant so that when Israel eventually reached them in the future, they wouldn't attack the Gibeonites. 

The Bible says specifically that Joshua and the men did not inquire of the Lord.  Rather, they looked at the people's provisions...the moldy bread, the old sandals, the old water skins...and they made a covenant with them.

It turns out they were the next door neighbors and Israel had been deceived.  And it caused huge problems in Israel's future.

I am telling you, things are not always as they appear.  It pays to inquire of the Lord when you are going through difficult times.  He will lead you. 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!


Read: Ephesians 4:17-32
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Romans 12:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
There's an old saying about ideas that are straightforward to some people but incomprehensible to others: "For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't understand, no explanation is possible." Many Bible passages fall into this category, as a lack of understanding often has to do more with the will than the intellect.
Today's passage is a good example. You could gain a lifetime's worth of wisdom by reading Paul's instructions to the Ephesians in these verses without additional commentary. The truth is easy to follow and simple to understand. Were it not for that matter of our old selves residing in our flesh, Paul's exhortation would be extremely easy to apply as well. But someone who doesn't believe that this is the Word of God might not understand this text.

The opening three verses read like a commentary on today's society. Paul put a particularly strong emphasis on the importance of the mind. The Gentile culture was so desensitized and steeped in spiritual ignorance that people had an insatiable addiction to gross sensual indulgence. Their minds were clouded and their hearts hardened. It's interesting that their downfall was mental and spiritual before the physical aspect ever came into play.

Believers were not immune to that same kind of lust-in fact, they were saved from it. Paul insisted on a simple internal adjustment that would result in a complete lifestyle transformation: cast aside the old self and put on the new by accepting a new, godly mindset. His portrait of what their new lives should look like is not the stuff of advanced theology. Any believer can understand these commandments. By God's grace we are saved from the darkness of a worldly mindset and the hardened hearts bred by skepticism and self-sufficiency. The new life God has for us is one of righteousness, holiness, and service that benefits others.



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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Don't ever believe the accusation that Christianity forbids thinking. A mind clouded in ignorance is just another feature of the old self that Paul insists we do away with. Today, try to make a connection between the things you do, feel, and say and the mindset behind each one of them. Are your activities based on biblical truth or personal desires? Is your conversation or emotional state fueled by anger or governed by the Word and Spirit of God? Ask God to renew your mind where it is most needed.

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals May 29, 2009

Armed For The Fray
READ: Ephesians 6:10-18
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. -Ephesians 6:11

Paul the apostle, a spiritual warrior, testified as he came to the end of his embattled life: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).

Years earlier, that valiant soldier of Jesus Christ had pleaded with his fellow Christians to put on the armor of God that would enable them to stand firm in their conflict with the powers of darkness. He knew the vital importance of donning that armor every day. In his service for Christ, Paul had been whipped, beaten, stoned, and imprisoned, and was often hungry, thirsty, cold, and weary (2 Cor. 11:22-28).

Strapping on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (God's Word) enabled Paul to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:14-17). With God's armor we too are fully covered and prepared for battle.

The prince of darkness with his hosts of demonic helpers is an incredibly crafty foe. That's why we need to guard against his deceitful devices and put on the whole armor of God every day. When we do, like Paul when he was nearing the end of his days, we can be confident that we have "kept the faith."  - Vernon C. Grounds

Sound the battle cry! See-the foe is nigh!
Raise the standard high for the Lord;
Gird your armor on, stand firm, everyone;
Rest your cause upon His holy Word. -Sherwin


God's armor is tailormade for you, but you must put it on.

Global Harvest

In Mark 16:15 Jesus said,

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

In Matthew 13:38 He said,

"The field is the world..."

We need to lift up our eyes upon the harvest field "of the world."

It may sound crazy, but God is expecting us to do something about the salvation of the whole world!

In James chapter five, we are told that God is like a farmer waiting patiently for the precious fruit "of the earth."  The implication there is that the Lord is coming, but there is a great global harvest coming first.

Here are some things you can do to be a part of reaching the world for Christ:

·        Pray - Matthew 9:37-38 says, Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

·        Give - Generously support ministries that are reaching the lost.  Make the mission outreaches of your own church a priority.

·        Go - Jesus' command to go is to all believers.  At the very least, take a short term missions trip to share the Good News with others.

Remember, the only things we will take to heaven with us are the precious souls we have brought to Christ.   

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. - 1 Corinthians 15:42-43

TODAY IN THE WORD
To children familiar with the Bible, John 11:35 may be a helpful bit of trivia as the shortest verse in the Bible. But to anyone whose spirit is bending under the load of grief from losing a loved one, the two-word verse can be a source of immense encouragement. Because the death of a good friend, even one who would be raised to life in mere moments, deeply affected even our Lord and Savior. When He visited the grave of Lazarus, "Jesus wept."
As bottomless as our mourning over death may be, there is no limit to the joy of knowing that God gives us the ultimate victory over death through Jesus Christ (v. 57)! To capture the monumental significance of Jesus' power, Paul quoted from two Old Testament prophets. The first was Isaiah 25:8, which contains a promise of salvation; the second, Hosea 13:14, originally served as a proclamation of death and judgment. The ironic interplay of these passages shows how the fulfilled promise of grace ultimately absorbed and conquered the penalty of man's original sin, "You will surely die" (Gen. 2:17).

Every sickness, injury, and sign of aging we feel in our bones is a reminder of our mortality. Weakness and suffering have no place in the kingdom of God, and by His grace we will be free of all those impurities when we receive our inheritance, even the lethal impurity of sin (v. 56). Unlike the raising of Lazarus, we won't just return to life when the angelic trumpet calls us home (1 Thess. 4:16-17); rather, we will be changed into a incorruptible form superior to our fallen flesh.

Some may wonder if the promise of future glory makes our current struggles in this sinful world a moot point, but the exact opposite is true. While our work toward earthly goals may have little bearing in eternity, our service of Christ for the kingdom of God has effects that will last forever! We are working on the side of victory, and spiritual treasure is an investment that bears everlasting fruit.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 is filled with uplifting, challenging teaching about the resurrection in which we share through our faith in Christ. Read through the chapter and observe the dual purpose of Paul's exhortation to the church at Corinth, and indeed to all who believe. First, the teaching gives us peace of mind when circumstances might cause us grief or worry. But secondly, the truth of eternal resurrection dramatically affects the way we live-ask God for an eternal focus and the purity of heart that it demands.

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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals May 30, 2009

Wow!

READ: Romans 11:33-36
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? -Exodus 15:11

One blustery day in June, our family, holidaying in the Canadian Rockies, went to a tourist site that was billed as a "must see." The cold wind made me reluctant to go on until I saw a group of people returning from the scenic spot. "Is it worth it?" I asked. "Definitely!" was their response. That gave us the incentive to go on. When we finally reached the spot, its beauty rendered us virtually speechless. "Wow!" was all we could manage.

Paul reached that point as he wrote about the work of God in saving Jew and Gentile in the book of Romans. Three things about God "wowed" him.

First, God is all-wise (11:33). His perfect plan of salvation shows that He has far better solutions to the problems of life than we are capable of devising.

Second, God is all-knowing. His knowledge is infinite. He needs no counselor (v.34) and nothing surprises Him!

Third, God is all-sufficient (v.35). No one can give to God what He has not first given to them. Nor can anyone ever repay Him for His goodness.

We can say with Moses, "Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Ex. 15:11 ESV). What a marvelous God we serve!  - C. P. Hia

By God's grace I stand on tiptoe,
Viewing all His wonders grand,
Praising Him who freely gave me
Simple faith to understand! -Bosch


In God's character and in His creation, we see His majesty.

Two Voices that Cry Out

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.  You have heaped up treasure in the last days.  Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (James 5:3-4).

These words are written to believers, to Christians who are hoarding up wealth rather than giving to support the spread of the gospel.

The reapers in verse 4 are those preaching and working out in the harvest fields of the world.  Notice it says that the Lord has heard their cry.  But if you read carefully, you will find that another cry has entered the Lord's ears as well.

"The wages" of the laborers cry out to God as well!  The tithes and offerings that have been withheld cry out.  Monies that should have been sown into the cause of Christ are raising their voices in a mighty chorus to heaven!

Large amounts of undesignated and unused funds that sit in bank vaults cry out.  Funds God has graciously given to His people that have been withheld from their purpose-to bring a living Jesus to a dying world-cry out and cry out and cry out!

Are you sitting on a talking wallet today?  Is your purse crying out to God?  If you could hear their voice, what would they cry?  "China!  Europe!  Africa!  The Middle East!"??

Are you generously supporting the work of your own local church?  Do not let your money testify against you!  Give where, when, and how much God directs- consistently-into the work of His Kingdom.

If the precious fruit of the earth is going to be reaped, we have to support those who labor in the field.   

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!


Read: 1 Peter 1:14-25
"Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." - Leviticus 19:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the third book in his series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams introduced a strategy for flying that just might be the definition of "easier said than done." He wrote that the knack of flight "lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
Unfortunately for believers, sin often seems to be as irresistible a force as gravity. Yet Peter issued the simple command without reservation: be holy as God is holy. The holiness that Peter described was more than just living a life of good works, another product of our salvation. Peter was calling believers to be distinct or set apart from the world and the worldly desires that had dominated their lives. Rather than desiring to succeed in this material world, we should be looking to break free from it. Believers should live in this world as outsiders who fear the sovereign God more than the status quo (v. 17). But is that easier said than done?

It helps to remember that we have "outside" help, in that we were purchased with currency that is absolutely foreign to this world. In that sense, we already have been made strangers by faith in the perfect Lamb sent from heaven to redeem us (vv. 19-21). And we have been purified and reborn, not through our own ideas or the wisdom of this world, but instead by the Word of God. The lives left for us to live are the product of heavenly fruit, and remembering that truth can help us avoid falling into earthly temptation.

"Be holy, because I am holy," may seem at first glance as an oversimplified approach to life, but ultimately, it is a straightforward decision. With whom will we identify? With the world surrounding us, all the entertainment, possessions, and pleasures that it offers? Or will we identify with God, who bought us with the blood of Christ and gave us life through power of His Word? If our hearts truly long for Him instead of for the things of this world, holiness will be the end result. It is God's holiness that actually makes it possible for us, His followers, to follow in this way.



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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Practically speaking, it's important to recognize what holiness isn't. It isn't a life away from those below your superior qualifications. The main practical application of holiness given in this passage is love. If you believe God calls you to holiness, then you should follow God's example of holiness. Although He wanted no part of the world system, He loved the world so much that He would give the life of His Son to redeem us. Practice holiness today by loving people in an unlovely world, no matter the cost.

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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 1, 2009

Holy Fools
READ: Genesis 12:1-5
If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. -Mark 9:23

When God spoke to Abram, he obeyed at once, departing for an unknown land based only on a promise. Childless, he trusted God to make of him "a great nation" (Gen. 12:2).

God often does His work through "holy fools"-dreamers who strike out in ridiculous faith. Yet I tend to approach my decisions with calculation and restraint.

My church in Chicago once scheduled an all-night vigil of prayer during a major crisis. At length we discussed the practicality of the event before finally putting it on the calendar. The poorest members of the congregation, a group of senior citizens from a housing project, responded the most enthusiastically. I wondered how many of their prayers had gone unanswered over the years, yet they showed a childlike trust in the power of prayer. "How long do you want to stay-an hour or two?" we asked, thinking of van shuttles. "Oh, we'll stay all night," they replied.

One woman in her 90s explained, "We can pray. We got time, and we got faith. Some of us don't sleep much anyway. We can pray all night if needs be." And so they did.

Meanwhile, a bunch of yuppies in a downtown church learned an important lesson: Faith often appears where least expected and falters where it ought to thrive.  - Philip Yancey

Faith looks across the storm-it does not doubt
Or stop to look at clouds and things without.
Faith does not question why when all His ways
Are hard to understand, but trusts and prays. -Anon.


Prayer is the voice of faith.


 

Through Kindness and Love

In Romans 12:20 we read a startling truth,

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

Our natural inclination is to hate our enemies, isn't it?  But the Bible gives us a very different perspective and direction.  We are to care for and love our enemies.  In fact, some of the greatest antagonists to the gospel have been won through love.

We once had a neighbor next to our church building who was very set against us and very vocal against the church.  He would voice his opinion in meetings at the city hall and, on occasion, he would even accost people as they were walking to church.  He would shout things at them and harass them a bit from his front yard.

Well, we had one of our pastors go out of his way to show this guy love.  He would compliment this man on how well he took care of his lawn, and he began to build a relationship with him.  Then one day he actually led the man to Christ!

That same man who would yell at the church members as they walked by his house came into our auditorium and repented before me with tears in his eyes and apologized.  He said he had lashed out because he was afraid.  But now he had come to Christ, and he had been saved.

It is a glorious thing.  He was won to the Lord through kindness and through love.

Think about God.  I am so glad that He did not judge us and let the hammer fall on us because of our sins.  Instead He extended kindness and mercy to us.

Win your enemy to Christ by showing him kindness and loving him today! 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!



Read: Micah 1:1-2
Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth, and all who are in it. - Micah 1:2

TODAY IN THE WORD
Some people tend to like their spirituality quick and easy. After all, there's work to do, places to go, people to see. Holiness? I'll listen to a podcast while I exercise. Servanthood? Our Sunday school class is doing a DVD series on that. Bible study? The One-Minute Bible-and yes, there really is such a thing-is a lifesaver. Patience? Who's got time for that? Products abound to feed us Christianity in bite-size servings, especially while we do other activities such as commuting, cooking, and answering e-mail.
Treating our faith as eat-and-run fast food does not do it justice, and certainly leaves no room for appreciating the "minor prophets." But Micah, Habakkuk, and Malachi, the three books we'll study this month, are "minor" only in the sense that they are short. In fact, they are as Spirit-inspired as every other book of the Bible. Micah's name means "Who is like the Lord?", a rhetorical question that indicates God's incomparable greatness. Micah prophesied during the same general period as Isaiah (v. 1). His themes include judgment, hope, salvation, idolatry, injustice, worship, covenant faithfulness, leadership, repentance, and the coming of the Messiah.

During his ministry, the kings were mostly disappointing-Jotham was weak, Ahaz was wicked, and only Hezekiah initiated spiritual reforms. Micah may not have seen these bear fruit, however, since it is believed he died early in Hezekiah's reign. Other than his hometown of Moresheth, a village 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem, nothing is known of his biography.

The summons to listen in verse 2 is repeated two other places in the book (3:1; 6:1). These calls serve to divide Micah into three main sections, each of which communicates a message built around the main themes of judgment and salvation. Interestingly, the call is to all the peoples of the world, not only Israel and Judah. "Holy temple" is a figurative expression for heaven and a reminder of the covenant. Through this book, heaven is calling earth to come and witness the justice of God.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear" Jesus said (Luke 8:. As we study Micah, Habakkuk, and Malachi this month, pray for ears to hear and a heart open to receive God's words as given through these three "minor prophets." God was speaking for the benefit not only of the original audience, but also to believers like us. Pray that the Holy Spirit will teach you key truths and show you how to apply them in your daily spiritual walk.

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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Pay It Forward
READ: John 13:3-15
I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. -John 13:15

Pay It Forward is a movie about a 12-year-old's plan to make a difference in the world. Motivated by a teacher at his school, Trevor invites a homeless man to sleep in his garage. Unaware of this arrangement, his mother awakens one evening to find the man working on her truck. Holding him at gunpoint, she asks him to explain himself. He shows her that he has successfully repaired her truck and tells her about Trevor's kindness. He says, "I'm just paying it forward."

I think this is what Jesus had in mind in one of His last conversations with His disciples. He wanted to show them the full extent of His love. So before their last meal together, He took off His outer garment, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began to wash His disciples' feet. This was shocking because only slaves washed feet. It was an act of servanthood and a symbol that pointed to Jesus' sacrifice, passion, and humiliation on the cross. His request to His disciples was: "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14). They were to "pay it forward."

Imagine how different our world would look if we gave the kind of love to others that God has given us through Jesus.  - Marvin Williams

Christ's example teaches us
That we should follow Him each day,
Meeting one another's needs,
Though humble service be the way. -Hess


To know love, open your heart to Jesus. To show love, open your heart to others.


Aiming at God's Pleasure

In John, chapter 8, Jesus made a statement that I wish I could make.  He said, "I always do those things that please the Father."  Wouldn't it be great if we could all say that? 

Paul points us in that direction in 2 Corinthians 5:6-9,

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  For we walk by faith, not by sight.

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Whether we are still in this earthly body or we are standing before the Lord in heaven, he says, "We make it our aim to be well pleasing to Him."

But you know what?  You cannot aim at a target that you can't see.  You can't make it your aim to be well pleasing to Him if you don't know what pleases Him.  And it is to your advantage to find out, as Paul points out in verse 10,

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

So let me ask you, what is your aim today?  Are you aiming at what pleases God?  My prayer is that you will come to truly know and understand what pleases God as you spend time each day with me in this devotional...and that you will make that your aim!

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!


Read: Micah 1:3-16
The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. - Micah 1:4

TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent national survey reported that 71 percent of Americans believe in God and 58 percent pray daily. Only about 25 percent, however, attend religious services weekly. In addition, 74 percent of Americans believe in a heaven "where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded," while only 59 percent believe in a hell "where people who have led bad lives, and die without being sorry, are eternally punished." In other words, many conceive of God as a benevolent grandfather who rewards the righteous but doesn't have the heart to punish the wicked.
Such a belief is quite different from what Scripture tells us. God's justice certainly includes judgment on sin, as today's reading makes clear. The passage opens with an impressive picture of the Lord coming to render a guilty verdict (vv. 3-4). These images highlight His power and awesomeness and are meant to inspire fear in the hearts of evildoers. The judgment is then summarized-the people are guilty of idolatry, of worshiping false gods at "high places" rather than the true God at His temple (v. 5). Finally, sentence is passed (vv. 6-7). Israel's capital city of Samaria will be completely destroyed. The emptiness and impotence of the false gods will be clear for all to see.

Micah took no pleasure in delivering this grim message. Rather, he expressed extreme grief over the future of his country: "I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl" (v. . The places he lists, including his own hometown, represent the route a potential invader might take. Though it will seem that a foreign enemy is doing the conquering, it should not be forgotten that ultimately God is the one responsible (v. 15). He is the one who will send His people into exile (v. 16), an especially devastating punishment for the inheritors of the Promised Land. Implied in all this is a call to national repentance.



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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sin and its effects are pictured in at least two ways in today's reading-as prostitution (v. 7) and as a wound (v. 9). Additional Bible study in this area can help us understand what God thinks about sin. What images, metaphors, or other figures of speech does Scripture use to portray human sinfulness? Compile a list of other word pictures, and interpret each in terms of which dimensions or consequences of sin are emphasized or highlighted. Through your list, what can be learned about God's perspective on and response to sin?

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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 3, 2009

The Lord Of Our Years
READ: Psalm 90
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. -Psalm 90:2

When the Concise Oxford English Dictionary announced in 2006 that the word time was the most-often used noun in the English language, it didn't seem surprising. We live in a world where people are obsessed with using days, saving minutes, and trying to find more hours in the day. Although each of us has all the time that there is, few of us think we have enough.

Perhaps that's why Psalm 90 is such a treasured passage. It shifts the focus from our time-bound lives to our eternal God. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God" (v.2).

A stanza in Matthew Bridges' well-known hymn "Crown Him With Many Crowns" begins: "Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time." A potentate is a sovereign, a monarch, an anointed majesty-one who does not seek appointment or run for election.

God created time. He rules and transcends it. When we feel frustrated by the calendar or captured by the clock, a quiet reading of Psalm 90 reminds us that our days and years are in the hands of our eternal God.

As we humbly bow before Him, we see time from a new perspective.  - David C. McCasland

Crown Him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime. -Bridges


We must have a right view of eternity to know the real value of time.

The Antidote to Fear

Have you ever driven down the highway and noticed the "check engine" light? Even if there was no strange engine noise or visible smoke, you knew the warning light meant something was wrong-and most likely you promptly took the car to a mechanic. Why? Because you knew that the warning light was connected to the engine-though you could not see the problem, you saw the warning message.

A similar connection occurs between fear and faith. We may think that our life is running fine, but then the red light of fear begins flashing. That fear signals that it is time to check our engines of faith. Most fears are based on the "what if's" we generate in our minds, which are often rooted in a distrust in God.

Jesus warned against worrying over these questions: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:25, 34).

Many people try to escape their fears through alcohol or medication or activity. These are temporary at best, and only compound the problem. The source of the fear remains. The antidote to fear is in the promises of God, not in escapism.

If we do not learn how to master our fears, our fears will master us. In order to conquer our fears, we must do two things: pray our fears out, while praying faith in; and claim the very power of God.

When we cry out to God, He will listen to us. God loves to hear the cries of His children who seek to grow in faith. The psalmist declared, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). When we realize our own inadequacies and our total dependence on God, we take a first step in overcoming our fears. We can be confident that a prayer for faith is one that will be answered.

God will help us when we acknowledge our fears in prayer. He wants us to share with Him the cause of our concerns. Even when we don't know the source of our anxiety, the Holy Spirit will work on our behalf when we seek His help. We may fool the people around us with a brave face, but our masks never fool God. He knows what is in our hearts, and He wants us to confess those fears to Him.

Once you have confessed your fears out, begin praying faith in. Turn to the Word of God and incorporate His promises into your prayers. Draw strength from God's promises as Abraham did: "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised" (Romans 4:20,21).

Pray for God's power in your life. Part of the reason for Jesus' time here on earth was to demonstrate His power. He showed us that God's Messiah has power to redeem us from our sins, to heal diseases, and to still whatever storms we face in life. God wants to show us that power today. He waits until we run out of human solutions before manifesting His power to His children. When we try to draw on our own strength, peace and sufficiency instead of God's, we end up in the stormy waters. Only the power of God which sustains the universe can sustain us in every circumstance we face.

Are you trying to escape your fear, or conquer it through human methods? Or do you seek the power of God, the only One who gives victory over anxiety? Spend time in prayer today, sending fear out and faith in, and drawing upon the power of God.

*****

Don't be tempted to toss in the towel and give up running the race.  Shore up your confidence in God, today.  Michael Youssef explores this topic in our free resource this month-"Don't Lose Your Confidence." Download it today.

By Passionately Proclaiming Uncompromising Truth, Leading The Way is revolutionizing lives at home and around the world. Discover more at www.leadingtheway.org.

And don't forget to listen to Dr. Michael Youssef at OnePlace.com

Read: Micah 2:1-5
For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. - Psalm 71:5

TODAY IN THE WORD
A small, remote-controlled spy plane is giving "foreknowledge" to American soldiers. Called the Raven, it weighs only four pounds and has a wingspan of just 4.5 feet. It has the ability to hover quietly 500 feet above the ground and transmit live video to troops on the ground. Commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan who want to know if an ambush lies down the road or if enemy soldiers wait on the other side of a hill can use these tiny planes to find out. The same company that makes the Raven makes an even smaller one-pound model dubbed the Wasp.

As useful as such "foreknowledge" is, the sovereign knowledge of God is infinitely greater. Evildoers are mistaken if they believe that God does not know or cannot act against them. In today's reading, they are described as people who unjustly exercise their power and wealth to exploit the poor, for example, by seizing their homes or defrauding them of their inheritances (vv. 1-2). That they do so with intention and even premeditation shows their arrogance and disbelief in God's justice. They think they can get away with it! Such people are still around-corrupt politicians, landlords who overcharge rent to the poor, and financiers who run scams with other people's retirement money.

God's response is that judgment has been passed, justice will be restored, these oppressors will be punished, and their pride will be struck down (vv. 3-5). His righteous plan, as opposed to their plan to duck consequences, will surely come to pass. God is sovereign and has both the knowledge and the power to guarantee it. Instead of being in the driver's seat, they will be mocked and ridiculed. Instead of gaining land, they will lose it. Because God is God, His plan is certain and inevitable. The wicked won't be able to escape. "Many are the plans in a man's heart," Proverbs reminds us, "but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (19:21).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Because of God's sovereignty, we would do well to include humility into every plan we make. James admonished: "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that'" (4:14-15). Resolve to go through this week with this attitude, resisting frustration when things don't go your way. Praying over your calendar might be a good place to start!


PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 4, 2009

The Circle Of Fear
READ: 1 John 2:1-11
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. -1 John 2:1

When the popular band The Eagles prepares a new song for concert, they sit in a circle with acoustic guitars and unamplified voices and rehearse their intricate vocals. They call this exercise "The Circle of Fear" because there is no place to hide and no way to conceal any errors they might make in the harmonies. That sense of absolute exposure for their mistakes is what makes this drill so frightening to them.

Apart from Christ, we would suffer a far worse kind of exposure before the God of all justice. If we had no advocate and no escape, we would also have no hope. But in Christ, the believer has a Defender who stands before the Father on our behalf. First John 2:1 says, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." With our failings exposed, He takes our defense. Our Defender carries our relationship with God beyond a "circle of fear" to a fellowship of grace and truth.

Our challenge is to live lives of purity and integrity that honor our heavenly Father. Yet, when we do fail, we do not need to fear abandonment or ridicule from our Father. We have an Advocate who will carry us through.  - Bill Crowder

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies how tender! How firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. -Grant


The One who died as our Substitute now lives as our Advocate.

The Nature of Faith

In our last devotional, we talked about how important faith is to pleasing God.  It is not just important, it's essential, because without it, you and I cannot please God.

The natural question is, "What is faith?"

In Hebrews 11:1, the writer gives us the technical definition of biblical faith,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith deals with unseen reality.  In fact, Weymouth's translation says, "Faith is a conviction of the reality of things we do not see."

You might think, "That's a nice definition, but what does that really mean?"  That is a good question.  And it is answered by the examples given in Hebrews 11, which show different ways people expressed their faith in God, because there is not just one way to demonstrate faith in God:

Abel shows us that faith is giving our best to God.  He deserves our first and our best.
Enoch shows us that faith is walking with God.  It is living a life in constant connection with God, even when you can't sense or feel Him.
Noah shows us that faith is making preparations as though Christ is coming back today, even when there is seemingly no evidence.
Abraham shows us that faith is obeying God, even though you may not know where He is leading you.
Sarah shows us that faith is receiving God's promise, even when public opinion says, "No way!"
Moses shows us that faith is living life in light of eternity, and allowing that focus to affect all of life's decisions.
Commit today to live this life of faith.  If you do, you will truly please God! 

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!

Read: Micah 2:6-13
Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright? - Micah 2:7

TODAY IN THE WORD
The world ended in a nuclear cataclysm on June 12, 2008. You hadn't heard? "Buffalo Bill" Hawkins, leader of a cult based in Abilene, Texas, prophesied that date as the end of history. His followers were urged to stock up on food and supplies from Life Nutrition Products, a company owned by Hawkins. Many were also persuaded to change their names, since the "prophet" said that God would save only people named "Hawkins." Obviously, he was wrong. What's worse, it was actually his second failed doomsday prediction-he'd previously tagged September 12, 2006, as the end of the world.
False prophets have never been in short supply. As Micah makes clear in today's reading, their falsehoods earn God's condemnation. Truth is indispensable, particularly when one holds a leadership position. As God's prophet, Micah was committed to proclaiming the truth. But the false prophets tried to discourage him from doing so (vv. 6-7a). Perhaps they were fearful, or perhaps they didn't really believe God would go so far as to carry out judgment on them. After all, weren't they the people of God? "Does he do such things?"

God replies: His words do good to the upright, implying the opposite as well, that His truth is bad news for the wicked (v. 7b). And the false prophets, despite their protests, acted in unrighteous ways. Whereas leaders should serve the people, the false prophets were the enemy of men, women, and children (vv. 8-9). The people weren't innocent, either, for they listened only to "prophets" who told them what they wanted to hear (v. 11). The Promised Land was "defiled" by such sinful behavior, and God would cleanse it by sending His people away (v. 10).

This would not be the end of the story, for God also promised a future day of deliverance for a faithful remnant (vv. 12-13). Israel would reap the consequences of breaking the covenant, but God Himself would still keep His promises.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What's the "truth quotient" in your media intake these days? Sometimes we think our books, music, movies, television shows, and video games are exempt from truth standards. "After all," we argue, "we're just relaxing; not everything is a sermon." But from God's perspective, all of life, including work and leisure, need to be evaluated from within a biblical worldview. In this light, review the ideas and influences you've been allowing into your mind recently and submit them to the criteria in Philippians 4:8.

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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!
.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 5, 2009

Adopted
READ: Colossians 3:1-12
Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness. -Colossians 3:5

In ancient Rome, adoption was occasionally used by the emperors to pass on succession to competent heirs. Augustus Caesar was adopted by his great-uncle Julius Caesar. Other notable adoptees include the emperors Tiberius, Trajan, and Hadrian. All of them proved to be strong rulers because each lived like a child of his adoptive father.

Every Christian is an adopted child of the King of kings. We are greatly indebted to Him for His favor. But God, who has everything, does not need us to repay Him.

What does God desire? He wants us to live in a way that befits His children. Activities and values that are not in keeping with our position as God's children must be done away with (Col. 3:5). Selfish and destructive ways are to be replaced by activities and values that showcase our gratitude and love for God and reflect our status as His children. Paul wrote, "Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" (v.12).

Can others around you tell that you are indeed a child of the King? Ask the Holy Spirit what you need to put off and put on in your life so that you can reflect more truly your status as God's adopted child.  - C. P. Hia

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice and an alien by birth;
But I've been adopted, my name's written down-An heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown. -Buell

We honor God's name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.

Standing in the Gap

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.  So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him (Isaiah 59:14-16).

God is not pleased at injustice nor when truth and righteousness do not prevail.   When He sees those who turn from evil becoming a prey, He is not happy.

I remember a young man who an had lived a particularly sordid life.  He heard the gospel and had an amazing conversion experience.  Within a month or so of accepting Christ, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

What happened?  He departed from evil and became a prey!  God was not responsible for his situation, nor was He pleased.

Why did it happen?  At least part of the answer is found in verse 16.  There was no man serving as an intercessor.  No one was keeping a hedge of protection around that young man through prayer.

Before and after people turn from evil we need to intercede to God on their behalf.

I challenge you today to be one of those who stands in the gap and makes up the hedge for new babes in Christ.  May God find pleasure in you and me as we take our position as intercessors.

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!



Read: Micah 3:1-12
Should you not know justice? - Micah 3:1

TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the great injustices in American history was the government-authorized theft of Cherokee land in Georgia. Through previous treaties, the Cherokees had legal title to their land, a claim supported by a Supreme Court decision in their favor against the federal government. Nonetheless, in 1838 President Andrew Jackson ignored the Supreme Court, seized the land, and ordered the Cherokees to move to Oklahoma. They were forced to leave their homes and businesses. Many died on the long and arduous journey, which we remember today as the "Trail of Tears."

In today's reading, Micah spoke out against leaders who were unfaithful to the Lord and who perverted justice. Like the false prophets who perverted truth, and whose evil deeds and impending punishment are described again in verses 5 through 7, these leaders failed to respect or obey the requirements of the covenant. Their basic sin was that they used their positions of power to oppress the people, a fact communicated through horrifying images of cannibalism (vv. 1-3).

Worldly leaders use their power to benefit themselves. Control or domination is the name of the game (Matt. 20:25-28). Godly leaders, on the other hand, should use their authority to serve God and His people. Micah himself was an excellent example of this kind of leader (v. . The Israelite leaders would be punished for their unfaithfulness to their calling, and God would not listen to their cries for help (v. 4).

Micah 3 closes with a summary indictment of the nation's bad leaders, false prophets, and faithless priests (vv. 9-12). They despised and distorted God's values, including justice, righteousness, service, and truth. They acted out of greed, yet hypocritically invoked the Lord's name. They exploited the poor and took God lightly. Because of them, judgment was coming. Righteous leaders would have seen spiritual realities more clearly and called the people back to God. As things stood, it was left to Micah to declare the word of the Lord.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
By the time bad leaders come under condemnation, as in today's passage, it's too late. This should spur us to pray for our own leaders, including political (local, state, and national), professional (workplace), and spiritual (church). Take some extra time today to pray for at least three leaders who hold authority over you, in obedience to Paul's instructions: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority" (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 6, 2009

Day Of Days
READ: 2 Timothy 2:1-4
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. -2 Timothy 2:3

In the television miniseries Band of Brothers, the 101st Airborne is flown over their drop zone during D-Day, the major offensive to liberate Europe from Nazi control. As the main character, Lt. Richard Winters, parachutes from the plane, the crack of antiaircraft and machine-gun fire fills the air.

Winters later reflected on his first day in combat: "That night, I took time to thank God for seeing me through that day of days . . . . And if somehow I manage to get home again, I promise God and myself that I would find a quiet piece of land someplace, and spend the rest of my life in peace." Winters knew he must endure until that day came.

The Bible tells us that believers are caught in a conflict initiated by Satan's rebellion against God. Because of this, we are challenged to "endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). In Paul's day, the Roman legionnaires suffered in service for the emperor. As followers of Jesus, we may be called upon to do the same for the King of kings.

In heaven, we will no longer experience such difficulties but will enjoy lasting peace with the Savior. For now, we are to persevere by faith.  - Dennis Fisher

Lord, the trials we face at times seem too much to bear. We're grateful, though, for the reminders in Your Word that You will stay by our side and help us endure till You call us Home. Amen.


Victory is sure for those who endure.

God's Pleasure...Your Blessing

In Psalm 35:27 we are told,

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

This Psalm says it clearly-God is pleased when you are blessed.  The Revised Standard Version translates this verse this way, God delights in the welfare of His servant.

In Luke 12, when talking about God meeting our practical, physical, and material needs, Jesus says, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

You do not need to somehow convince God to meet your needs.  In fact, God desires to bless you. 

It is like the son who felt his father had not provided for him when his dad passed away.  His father left one sibling some property, another one some valuable stock, and all the son got was a box of what looked to him like junk.

One day, because of financial trouble, the son had to move out of his apartment.  As he cleaned things out, he found the box of junk he had thrown in the back of a closet.   Noticing there were some stamps and trading cards in the box, he decided to see if they were worth anything.

It turned out the trading card collection was filled with rare baseball cards in mint condition.  And every one of the stamps was very rare-very valuable.  The combined appraisal of the two collections was over $450,000!

His father had provided for him, but the son had lived far below those privileges because he didn't believe his father had blessed him!

Our heavenly Father delights in, He takes pleasure in, the prosperity of His servant.  And that means you!

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!

Read: Micah 4:1-5
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. - Micah 4:3

TODAY IN THE WORD
A nonprofit organization in northern California helps soldiers returning from war zones learn new job skills and find new places of employment. They recently reported helping at least 23 veterans a month, most of them in their early to mid-20s, and most of them lacking real-world job skills because they enlisted in the military immediately after leaving high school. The organization helps them prepare for new careers and find affordable housing. Appropriately enough, its name is Swords to Plowshares, a direct reference to today's verse.
"Swords to plowshares" summarizes Micah's awe-inspiring vision of the future. His prophecy of the mountain of the Lord is given in much the same words as those used by Isaiah (2:2-4). Though the near future held judgment, defeat, and exile, the prophets could see hope and victory in a more distant future. A mountain is a picture of grandeur and beauty and would also have reminded Micah's original listeners of Mount Sinai. Not just for Israel but for all the world, the "mountain of the Lord" will be a center for worship, a place from which the word of God will go out and to which the nations will come for instruction and truth (vv. 1-2; cf. Matt. 8:11).

Under the rule of God and His Messiah (vv. 3-4), there will be peace. Conflicts will be settled, rather than dragging on indefinitely as they often seem to in today's world. There will be order and justice in the solutions, rather than military force or clever politics. There will be no more war or even training for war. Weapons will be of such little use that they will be turned into farming implements. Finally, there will be prosperity and security, with people sitting under their vines and fig trees as a picture of peace and contentment. Given such a vision of the future, others can do whatever they like, but we choose to trust and follow the One who is bringing it to pass (v. 5).

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The future spoken of by Micah, with the mountain of the Lord and worldwide peace, encourages us as believers that God has a plan for history and that His plan will in due course reach its perfect fulfillment. Our knowledge that God's plan cannot fail can give us peace that His plans for our lives are also perfect. If circumstances have filled you with worry, review Jeremiah 29:11-12. Take comfort that even though situations may seem bleak, our God sees our end and intends our good.
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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!
.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals June 7, 2009

Words And Numbers
READ: John 17:20-26
I and My Father are one. -John 10:30

My husband is a "numbers" person; I am a "word" person. When my incompetence with numbers gets the best of me, I try to boost my ego by reminding Jay that word people are superior because Jesus called Himself the Word, not the Number.

Instead of trying to defend himself, Jay just smiles and goes on about his business, which consists of much more important things than my silly arguments.

Since Jay will not defend himself, I feel compelled to do so. Although I am right about Jesus being the Word, I am wrong in saying that He didn't refer to Himself as a number. One of the most moving passages of Scripture is Christ's prayer just before His arrest and crucifixion. Facing death, Jesus prayed not only for Himself, but also for His disciples and for us. His most urgent request on our behalf involved a number: "[I pray] that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:21).

As people who live by the Word, we need to remember that "right words" sound hollow to the world unless we, being one in Christ, are glorifying God with one mind and one voice.  - Julie Ackerman Link

Make us one, Lord, make us one;
Holy Spirit, make us one.
Let Your love flow so the world will know
We are one in You. -Cymbala
© 1991, Word Music. All rights reserved.


God calls His children to unity.
 
A Prosperous Attitude

In our previous devotional, we learned that God is pleased to bless us.  But that prosperity must be accompanied by a special attitude...an attitude that is captured in 1 Kings 3.

This passage records God's appearance to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon.  In the dream God said to Solomon, "Ask!  What shall I give you?"

What an incredible statement, and question!  Equally incredible is Solomon's response, which revealed the attitude of his heart, the attitude which must accompany our prosperity.  That response is captured in verses 7-10,

"Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.  And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.  Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.  For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"  The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

God is pleased when, in our hearts, we put others before ourselves.  God delights in prospering us when prosperity is not our chief aim.  When we get it right, and in our hearts we do place others before ourselves, God can bless us beyond our wildest dreams.

God will give you everything you need to fulfill His plan for your life. He will give you richly all things to enjoy, as long as you have a prosperous attitude that puts His plans and His people first.

Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
and
click here to listen to Bayless Conley at OnePlace.com.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Godly Wisdom for a Great Marriage

Although it's God's plan for husband and wife to flourish in their marriage, it won't happen by accident. A great marriage takes work. In this 4-part series, Bayless and Janet explore God's Word relating to marriage and share personal insight from over 25 years of experience. You will learn about the specific roles that God gives to both husbands and wives along with how God's commandments can be applied to strengthen and improve your marriage, and much more!


Read: Micah 4:6-13
They do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan. - Micah 4:12

TODAY IN THE WORD
One key date in American history is October 19, 1781. That's the day British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. American and French armies pinned British and German forces against the sea, while French naval vessels blocked British ships bringing reinforcements. Cornwallis had little choice but to surrender, which effectively marked the end of the Revolutionary War. Peace negotiations began in 1782 and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. Today the National Park Service maintains the Yorktown battlefield as a national historic site.
Victory is sweet. When the Millennium arrives and God's rule is fully established, all the peoples of the earth will acknowledge the Messiah as their king. In today's reading, Micah envisions events following the Exile as foreshadowing that glorious day (vv. 6-8). First, the scattered will be gathered. The "lame" and the "exiles," who are lost and powerless on their own, will be gathered once more into a nation. Second, the weak will become powerful. This unpromising "remnant" will once again become a "strong nation" and "the former dominion will be restored." And third, kingship will come again to Israel. This is in keeping with God's covenant with David of an eternal kingship (2 Sam. 7:16). From our vantage point in history, we know this promise refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

In the back-and-forth rhythm of Micah's prophecy, we find that embedded in this panoramic vision of the future are more reminders of impending judgment (vv. 9-13). Babylon is even specifically named as Judah's conqueror, an event that would occur in 586 B.C. The big picture, however, remains one of hope and victory. The coming defeat and exile can be compared to labor pains, as if all of history were giving birth to God's kingdom. His sovereign plan is beyond anyone's complete comprehension, but we can put our faith in the triumph of His justice, righteousness, and love.



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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God makes the weak strong, as in today's reading when the "lame" become a strong nation (v. 7). He also says that the last shall be first and the first last (Mark 9:35) and that as believers we must die in order to truly live (John 12:24-25). What other biblical paradoxes can you think of? Why do you think God uses paradoxes in Scripture? One reason might be to catch our attention, to force us to consider that God's ways are not our ways. You can record your thoughts and observations in your notes or journal.

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PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

GOD BLESS!
.