Dealing with Sadness

Psalm 90:10, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

Sadness is either the direct or indirect result of sin, and, since we live in a fallen world, sin is a normal part of life (Psalm 90:10). The psalms are filled with David’s pouring out to God the sadness of his heart. 

Not all sadness is caused by sin we commit, of course. Sometimes it’s just living in a sin-cursed world among fallen creatures. Job was one who experienced great sorrow and sadness, through no fault of his own. His wealth and ten children were all taken from him at one time, leaving him sitting on an ash heap covered in boils and sores (Job 1–3). To add to his misery, his three “friends” came to comfort him by accusing him of sinning against God. Why else, they reasoned, would a man find himself in such circumstances? But as God revealed to Job and his friends, sometimes God causes or allows circumstances that cause sorrow and sadness in our lives for His holy purposes. And sometimes, too, God doesn’t even explain His reasons to us (Job 38–42).

No greater suffering has ever been experienced than that of Jesus, a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). His life was one continued series of sorrows, from the cradle to the cross. In His infancy His life was in danger from Herod, and his parents had to take Him and flee into Egypt (Matthew 2:19-20). His entire ministry was characterized by the sorrow He felt from the hardness and unbelief of men's hearts, from the opposition of the religious leaders, and even from the fickleness of His own disciples, not to mention from the temptations of Satan. The night before His crucifixion, He was “exceedingly sorrowful unto death” as He contemplated the coming wrath and justice of God which would fall upon Him as He died for His people. So great was His agony that His sweat was as great drops of blood (Matthew 26:38). Of course the greatest sorrow of His life was when on the cross His Father hid His face from the Son, causing Jesus to cry out in agony, “Why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Surely no sadness experienced by any of us compares with that of the Savior.

While life among sinful humanity in this world will never be perfect, we know that God is faithful and that when Christ returns, sorrow will be replaced with rejoicing (Isaiah 35:10). But in the meantime, we use our sorrow to glorify God (1 Peter 1:6-7) and rest in the Lord God Almighty’s grace and peace.

Dear God, I praise You for Your assuring presence in my life during times of both happiness and sorrow and I am grateful for the joy that is in my heart because of assurance of living with You forever!

Praying for Others

Ephesians 3:14-19, "14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Praying for others—and this applies to prayer in general—is an easy thing to question. Why should we pray if God already has our best interests at heart? He is wiser than we are, by a long shot. Why does He need us to pray? Wouldn’t it be better to just trust Him to do what’s best? It’s true that God is wiser than we are (1 Corinthians 1:25) and that we should trust Him (Proverbs 3:5–6). And it’s for those very reasons that we need to pray, because praying for ourselves and praying for others is something God commands us to do.

Praying for others is recommended as a source of healing (James 5:16) along with confession. James tells us that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Does this mean that only the prayers of good people are heard? No, the word righteous in the Bible refers to those who have faith and are covered by Jesus’ righteousness (Romans 5:1; 3:21–22; 4:2–3).

Jesus told us to pray in His name (John 14:13–14). If you do something “in the name of” someone else, it means you do it according to his wishes. Therefore, knowing God and understanding Him is an integral part of prayer. Now we begin to see why praying for others is important. Prayer is not about getting everything we want or keeping others safe, healthy, and problem-free at all times. Prayer is a powerful way in which we get to know our Savior, and it also brings believers together.

For most of us, praying for others tends to run along these lines: Lord, provide my friend with a job, a car that runs, good health, and safety. If we really know someone well, we might pray for his or her marriage or other relationships. There is nothing wrong with praying for these things; in fact, the Bible encourages us to pray for everything and, doing so, quell our anxieties (Philippians 4:6). It is right to pray for health and for good things to happen (3 John 1:2).

However, most of the prayers recorded in the Bible are of another type. When Jesus was praying for others, He prayed for their faith (Luke 22:32), He prayed against temptation in their lives (Luke 22:40), He prayed for their unity (John 17:11), and He prayed for their sanctification (John 17:17). Paul prayed for the salvation of the lost (Romans 10:1); he prayed that the brothers would stay on the right path (2 Corinthians 13:7); he prayed that believers would be strengthened by the Spirit, rooted and grounded in love, able to comprehend God’s love, and filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14–19). These are all prayers for spiritual blessings; they are all “in Jesus’ name” and according to the Father’s will—prayers that are guaranteed to find a “yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Dear God, may my prayers today glorify You and help to build up the body of Christ.

All things work together for good

Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

God works all things together for good—both His good and our good. As God is glorified, His people benefit.

Those who love God can trust His goodness, His power, and His will to work out all things for our good. We journey together with Him.

The promise that God works all things together for good does not mean that all things, taken by themselves, are good. Some things and events are decidedly bad. But God is able to work them together for good. He sees the big picture; He has a master plan.

The fact that God works all things together for good means God’s plan will not be thwarted. In fact, we are part of His plan, having been “called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). When we trust God and His way, we can be sure that He is active and powerful on our behalf (see Ephesians 3:20).

God knows the future, and His desires will be accomplished. “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:10). Even when things seem chaotic and out of control, God is still in charge. We sometimes worry about what’s happening to us because do not know what is best for us. But God does.

After promising that God works all things together for our good, Romans 8 concludes with the wonderful fact that God trumps everything that comes against Him and His. The Christian is assured that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35–39). God’s love is everlasting, and His wisdom is infinite. It doesn’t matter who or what attempts to thwart God’s plan; no one and nothing can. God will work all things together for the good of those who love Him. 

Dear God, As I go through times in my life that are hard and which I don;t understand, I rest in the Truth of this Word.  I rest in Your sovereignty.

My Identity in Christ

Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"

That God is sovereign impacts our sense of identity. When we understand how powerful God is and how much He loves us, we can know we are secure in Him. As the objects of God’s sovereign love, we allow God to define us and give us our worth rather than look to the changing ideals of the world to do so. When we understand that God is in complete control, we are freed to live our lives.

We need not fear ultimate failure or final destruction (Romans 8:1).

We need not fear worthlessness. We can be confident that God will have His way and that it will be good.

We can trust that the One who says He loves us is fully able to act on that love in all ways.

We can trust that, even when the world seems completely out of control, God is in control. 

We know He has the big picture covered, so we can trust Him with our daily details.

Dear God, I am so grateful for my new identity and security in Christ!  Praise be to God!

Thankfulness

Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Did you catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths.

Digging into the Scriptures a little more deeply, we understand why we should be thankful and also how to have gratitude in different circumstances.

Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Here we have two reasons to be thankful: God’s constant goodness and His steadfast love. When we recognize the nature of our depravity and understand that, apart from God, there is only death (John 10:10; Romans 7:5), our natural response is to be grateful for the life He gives.

Psalm 30 gives praise to God for His deliverance. David writes, “I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. . . . You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:1-12). Here David gives thanks to God following an obviously difficult circumstance. This psalm of thanksgiving not only praises God in the moment but remembers God’s past faithfulness. It is a statement of God’s character, which is so wonderful that praise is the only appropriate response.

We also have examples of being thankful in the midst of hard circumstances. Psalm 28, for example, depicts David’s distress. It is a cry to God for mercy, protection, and justice. After David cries out to God, he writes, “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song” (Psalm 28:6-7). In the midst of hardship, David remembers who God is and, as a result of knowing and trusting God, gives thanks. Job had a similar attitude of praise, even in the face of death: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21).

There are examples of believers’ thankfulness in the New Testament as well. Paul was heavily persecuted, yet he wrote, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14). The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Peter gives a reason to be thankful for “grief and all kinds of trials,” saying that, through the hardships, our faith “may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is only right to credit Him for “every good and perfect gift” He gives (James 1:17). When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.

Dear God, I am so grateful to You!  For the many gifts You've given me, for the dear people to love, and even for the difficult situations that You've used to draw me closer to You.  I praise You and love You forever!

Reading through the Bible-Self love

Luke 10:25-27, “ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶ He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? ²⁷ And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself."

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, there was only one who showed himself to be a true neighbor to the man in need. There were two others, a priest and a Levite, who refused to help the man in need. Their failure to show love to the injured man was not the result of loving themselves too little; it was the result of loving themselves too much and therefore putting their interests first. The Samaritan showed true love—he gave of his time, resources, and money with no regard for himself. The Samaritan was able to love fully because he was secure in the love that God had for him.  We love others based on God’s abiding love for us in Christ.  The more we understand and accept God's love for us, the more we can love others.

1 John 4:16–19, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”

Dear Holy and Loving God, Thank you for Your perfect love for me!  It centers me and fills me, and I pray that Your love also overflows into the lives of all around me!

Sunday's Message-The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-28, " And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ²⁶ He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? ²⁷ And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. ²⁸ And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

In this passage a theist asks Jesus how one can inherit eternal life. This Jewish lawyer knows that God exists and that he is accountable to that God, so his question is particularly focused: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" If God exists, then the goal of life must be related to his purpose for us.

The lawyer assumes that he must do something to gain life everlasting. In effect he asks how he can be sure to participate in and be blessed at the resurrection of the dead. Jewish scribes would have great interest in such questions, not only for personal reasons but because they were interested in interpreting the law for the community.

The lawyer's question seems to assume that he must earn such a reward, though when Jesus probes him we see that he knows that works are not the issue. Jesus calls for reflection on the law, asking, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" He is asking for scriptural support.

The lawyer responds well (v. 28) by citing Deuteronomy 6:5, a text that has become known as the "great commandment": "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This text could well be called "the law of love." The reply shows that the issue is not action per se but the heart. Do I love God fully? That is the starting point. Everything else grows out from that relationship.

This is a relationship of trust and devotion, a truth that lies at the heart of Jesus' reply and explains why Jesus' approval is not an endorsement of works righteousness. When Jesus says, "Do this and you will live,"he is saying that relationship to God is what gives life. The chief end of humankind is to love God wholly. 

The lawyer is confused, even though his answer is correct, because he still thinks that eternal life is earned rather than received in the context of a love relationship with God. It is also important to set this discussion in its context. Jesus has just said that to know the Father one must know the Son (vv. 21-24). So to love the Father will also mean to love Jesus. If Jesus brings the kingdom message, then he must be heeded as well.

Dearest God, Thank You for Your infinite love for me!  Help me to grow in my love for You and to love others out of the overflow of Your love in me!

Knowledge and Wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:16, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ"

All that God deemed essential knowledge for His children is found in His Word—the Bible. Beyond that, all truth is God’s. God has, however, revealed His truth to all humans in the things created (Romans 1:20) called general revelation, and in His written Word called special revelation (1 Corinthians 2:6–10).

There is a difference between “earthly wisdom” and the “wisdom that comes from above” (James 3:14–18). To tap into God’s wisdom, we must, first of all, desire it and ask God for it. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). The next verse specifies that we must “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (verse 6).

We acknowledge that true wisdom comes from God and that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). To trust in Christ and yield to His Holy Spirit is to walk in wisdom; as Christians, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Dear God, I trust in Christ alone and yield to His Holy Spirit.  Praise God for the mind of Christ!!! 

Celebrating my new birth!

I used to struggle on my birthday.   longed to feel the adoration and appreciation of the people that I loved.  And while I blessed to be well loved by many, I longed for a deep, unconditional love for me as I truly am.  I wanted someone to want to know me, warts and all, and love me anyway.

Trouble was, I did not recognize the impact of my sins on my eternal life with God.  Basically, I wanted unconditional love without having to humble myself to God.  But lovingly, through His Word, God showed me my sins against Him and my inability to make up for them or become pure enough to have a relationship with God through anything I can do.

Blessedly, God also also convinced me that His work on the cross is the only perfect sacrifice for sin, and by accepting it I am made clean and perfect before Him on Judgment Day.

The day I accepted that gift I was born again!  I finally know what Jesus meant when He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”    The ultimate birthday gift!  Praise be to God!!!

I also finally can believe and accept the fullness of His love for me as evidenced in His Word, "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will delight over you with loud singing."

So today, I praise God for my new life with Him through Jesus Christ my Lord! Amen!!

Reading through the Bible-A lesson about selfish attitudes

1 Corinthians 10:1-5, "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness."

Moreover, brethren: 1 Corinthians 10 carries on the subject introduced in 1 Corinthians 8, and continued in chapter 9: what should the Corinthian Christians think and do in regard to meat which has been sacrificed to idols?

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul established two principles. First, an idol really is nothing, and it was fine for Corinthian Christians who understood this to act according to this knowledge, in regard to themselves. Second, for Christians love is more important than knowledge. So even though I may "know" eating meat sacrificed to an idol is all right for myself, if it causes my brother to stumble, I won't do it, because it isn't the loving thing to do.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul showed how important it is for Christians to give up their "rights." Just as Paul gave up his "right" to be supported by his own preaching of the gospel, so some of the Corinthian Christians must sometimes give up their "right" to eat meat sacrificed to idols, based on the principle of love towards a weaker brother. In the end of chapter 9, Paul showed how a Christian must be willing to give up some things - even "good" things - for the sake of winning the race God has set before us, otherwise we will become disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27) in the competition of the Christian life.

I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers: Paul wrote about the need to finish what God has set before us, and how dangerous it is to refuse to give up something that gets in the way of finishing. Now, he will use Israel's experience in the Exodus from Egypt to illustrate this principle.

Our fathers passed through the cloud: The cloud of Shekinah glory overshadowed Israel throughout their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. During the day, the cloud sheltered them from the brutal desert sun, and during the night, it burned as a pillar of fire. It was a constant, ready reminder of God's glory and presence (Exodus 13:21-22).

All passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses: All Israel came through the Red Sea and saw God's incredible power in holding up the walls of the sea so they could cross over on dry ground. Then they saw God send the water back to drown the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:21-31). This was not only an amazing demonstration of God's love and power, but also a picture of baptism - by "passing through water," all of Israel was identified with Moses, even as by "passing through water," a Christian is identified with Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-4).

All ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink: All of Israel was sustained by God's miraculous provision of food and drink during their time in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35 and 17:6). This was a remarkable display of God's love and power for Israel, and a pre-figuring of the spiritual food and drink we receive at the Lord's table (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ: Israel even had the presence of Jesus Christ with them in the wilderness! Here, in identifying the Rock that followed them, Paul builds on a rabbinical tradition that said Israel was supplied with water by the same rock all through the wilderness, a rock that followed them. Some Bible scholars today debate as to if the rock followed Israel, or if the water followed Israel (as in a stream). The point is the same: Jesus Christ was present with Israel in the wilderness, providing for their needs miraculously. What blessing, what privilege!

But with most of them God was not well pleased: Despite all these blessings and spiritual privileges, the Israelites in the wilderness did not please God. In light of all those blessings, gratitude should have made them more pleasing to God, but they were not.

Most of them: This is a hard-hitting understatement. Only two men from the adult generation that left Egypt came into the Promised Land (Joshua and Caleb). Most indeed!

For their bodies were scattered in the wilderness: The displeasure of God with the Israelites was evident because they never entered into the Promised Land, but died in the wilderness instead. For all their blessings and spiritual experiences, they never entered into what God really had for them.

Paul's point hits hard: the Corinthian Christians were probably taking all sorts of liberties (like feasting in pagan temples, stumbling their brothers), thinking that they were "safe" because of past blessings and spiritual experiences (especially baptism and communion). So Paul warns them to beware, because just as Israel was blessed and had spiritual experiences, they still perished - and so some of the Corinthian Christians might also!

"It seems as if the Corinthians had supposed that their being made partakers of the ordinances of the Gospel, such as baptism and the Lord's Supper, would secure their salvation, notwithstanding, they might be found partaking of idolatrous feasts; as long, at least, as they considered an idol to be nothing in the world." (Clarke)

Dear God, I praise You for saving me from the wilderness and I pray that I will trust in my relationship with You through Jesus for my salvation and not on ordinances or idols.

Reading through the Bible-The race to proclaim the gospel

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

These verses come at the end of a long reflection of Paul's "rights" as a called proclaimer of the good news and how he chooses to divest himself of these rights for the sake others. He could preach a gospel with strings attached but chooses to "make the gospel free of charge" (verse 18) so that as many people as possible might hear the good news. This athletic imagery is meant to help the Corinthian believers understand why he leads life this way, why he becomes "all things to all people."

In our culture today, we might be tempted to see the athletic metaphor here as an appeal to a rugged individualism in our faith, an exhortation to individual self-control and self-improvement. Paul here is not drawing our minds primarily to the lonely and long miles a marathon runner must complete in training or to the positive aspirations to become physically fit. Paul does not imagine primarily that moment of victory when speed and determination allow us to finish the race before anyone else and we stand alone and victorious on the medal stand.

Instead, the wider context of the letter is an exhortation towards unity (see 1 Corinthians 1:10). The athletic metaphor is not meant to highlight the athlete, her discipline, or her achievements so much as her aims and the motivating force behind her efforts. In this case, Paul does not run or box for the sake of his self-improvement or to enhance his body. The aim is proclaiming the good news to others (1 Corinthians 9:23). The motivating force is the unswerving call of God (1 Corinthians 9:17).

Dear God, may I live each day a life that proclaims the gospel of Your grace to everyone in my sphere of influence.

Reading through the Bible-How Paul dealt with people’s weakness

1 Corinthians 9:22-23, "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

When people receive a message from God, they should obey it at once. The person who brings that message may belong to their nation, or not. He may follow their laws and customs, or not. These things should not matter to the people; they must obey God. However, the reality is that people do care about these things, because of their weakness.

People also do many other foolish and wrong things because of weakness. Like Cain, they are jealous of the person whom God approves of (Genesis 4:4-5). Like Joseph’s brothers, they hate the person who receives God’s message (Genesis 37:5-8). Like Jonah, they dislike the message that God has given (Jonah chapter 4).

Paul understood this human weakness. He knew that it comes from a person’s desire to please himself. It becomes very clear when a person allows his emotions to control his decisions, attitudes or behavior.

Of course Paul was not doing that. Instead, he recognised people’s weaknesses. He could help those people, because he too had felt such feelings. In fact, for many years, he had behaved like that (Galatians 1:13-14). But now he wanted to save people from it.

So Paul declared God’s message to everyone. He lived humbly among them. He served them in every kind of way. He did not consider himself greater than them. He urged them to trust God as he himself had done. And the result would be that, together, he and they would share God’s goodness.

Dear God, I pray that all those I love will trust You fully!

Special Prayers

When you can't sense what God is up to, may you trust even more, His heart towards you. When your journey is different than you would choose, may you see His invitation to make you new. When you the storm rages overhead, may you know-with everything in you-that new mercies are on the other side. And when you're tempted to overstate your problems and understate His promises, may you step back and find your footing again. On Christ the solid Rock you stand, all other ground is sinking sand. He is mighty to save and He is doing a new and beautiful thing in you! 

Dear God, I pray for healing and peace for dear Andrew and his family today.

Reading through the Bible-Paul’s work among people who were not Jews

1 Corinthians 9:21, "To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law."

Paul worked hard to bring people into a right relationship with God. He did not want to offend anyone, unless God’s message itself offended that person.

Paul often worked among people who were not Jews. In other words, unlike Paul, those people did not belong to the nation that received God’s law by means of Moses. Other Jews separated themselves from people who were not Jews.

But Paul did not do that. He respected everyone, whether they knew God’s law or not. He wanted everyone to invite God into their lives.

Paul was anxious not to cause any unnecessary difficulty for the person who trusted Christ. Such a person should not try to follow the laws that the Jews followed. Paul persuaded the other Christian leaders that this is correct (Galatians chapter 2).

The Jews accepted Paul as a Jew (9:20). And people from other nations which did not know God’s law, accepted Paul too. He worked among them as if he were one of them. But Paul never forgot his duties to God. He always remembered that he must obey Christ. And Christ’s law was that he must love other people (Galatians 6:2; John 15:12).

That was why Paul acted in this manner. He wanted to show God’s love to people who were not Jews. In the same manner, he followed the law in order to show God’s love to the Jews. His constant desire was that God would save people.

Dear God, I pray that Your love will be obvious to all who I love and that I can demonstrate Your love for others.

Reading through the Bible-Paul’s work among the Jews

1 Corinthians 9:20, "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law."

The Jews are God’s special people, who come from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Paul belonged to their nation, as did Jesus.

In each town or city that Paul visited, he first declared God’s good news to the Jews. He urged them to trust God to save them by means of Christ’s death. God wanted to use them to declare his message to people from other nations.

Paul was careful not to offend the Jews by his behavior. He respected their laws and customs. He tried to live as they did. He only acted differently from them if that was necessary in order to obey Christ.

Paul loved the laws that God had given to the Jews. He tried to show them how, by those laws, God was teaching them to trust Christ.

The Jews had added many rules and traditions to those laws. Paul could not approve of many of those rules and traditions. However, he still respected the people who were sincerely trying to serve God by means of those rules and traditions. He used God’s law to teach them, so that they could serve God in a better manner.

Paul knew that God had made him free. A Christian has God’s Spirit to guide him instead of the law (Galatians 5:18). A person’s life pleases God when the Holy Spirit guides that person (Galatians 5:22-23). Such a person is free, but he should not use his freedom to please himself. Like Paul, he should use his freedom to serve other people on behalf of God (Galatians 5:13-14).

Dear God, I pray so much for any of the people I love who are still under the burden of any laws created by religion!  If if is Your will, I pray that You will use me and my freedom in Jesus to serve other people and point them to You!

Reading through the Bible-Why Paul did not claim his rights

1 Corinthians 9:19, "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them."

The Christians in Corinth were complaining that Paul was not acting like a free person. They believed that they should take advantage of all their rights as Christians. But Paul did not do that, so they considered it hard to respect his authority.

For example, they claimed a right to eat any food, even food that people had offered to a false god. Paul agreed that they had that right. However, he refused to do it. He did not want anyone to imagine that he was giving honor to a false god (1 Corinthians chapter 8).

They also claimed that their church leaders had the right to receive wages. Paul agreed, but he refused to accept the money (9:6-18)!

Now Paul explains the reason for his attitudes, which seemed so strange to them. He did such things because he wanted to bring more people into a relationship with Christ. If any of Paul’s rights made it more difficult for someone to trust Christ, then Paul would not claim that right.

Only a free person has the right to become like a slave. That was the right that Paul wanted to claim. He would serve all people as he brought God’s good news to them.

Dear God, I claim the right to become like a slave as I share the good news of the gospel to all I meet.

Random verse of the day

Promise #12: I am at work in your life through the desires of your heart.

I like how the Amplified Bible translates Philippians 2:13... [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. (AMP)

The Christian life is a life of learning how to live from our heart, not from our head. If Christ lives in us, then we have the Spirit of the living God living in us too. If Christ lives in us, we have a new heart and we can trust our new heart to guide us in all that we do. In today's promise, the Apostle Paul says that it is God Himself who is at work in us, giving us both the desire and the power to accomplish all that He has purposed for our lives.

It is amazing to think that God actually directs us by the godly heart's desires that He has already placed in our hearts. I believe the Christian life is a life where we learn to live from our hearts. May we all learn to trust the still small voice that resides within us. For it is God who is already at work in you and it gives Him great delight to see His kids living from their hearts.

Dear God, I am so grateful that You reached into my life and saved me from the death I deserved to give me a new life and a new heart.  I pray that I will trust that You reside there and that I will follow You by listening to the desires of my heart.

1 Corinthians 9:15-18, "But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel."

Paul did not always refuse gifts from the Christians, as Philippians 4:15-18 shows. However, he did not want to receive personal gifts when he was establishing a new church. He did not want the people to hear any appeal from him apart from God’s message (9:12). He did not want them to think that he just wanted money. God’s message was too important for Paul to declare anything else.

God had given Paul the right to receive his wages from the new Christians (9:14).

But God had also made Paul strong enough to do physical work. So Paul made tents to earn money for himself and his companions. When the new Christians wanted to give, Paul collected the money to help poor Christians in Judea (16:1-4).

Paul knew about a reward that is much better than money. It was that he could declare God’s good news freely, without a price (Isaiah 55:1-3; Revelation 22:17). Paul did not want to be like someone who was just carrying out his duties. It is an honor to be able to declare God’s message. It is an honor to do God’s work. It is an honor to see how God changes people’s lives by means of his good news.

Because Paul wanted that reward, he chose not to claim his rights.

Dear God, I am so grateful for the reward of being able to share the good news of the gospel!

Reading through the Bible-Wages for the person who declares God’s good news

1 Corinthians 9:13-14, "Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel."

At the temple (God’s house) in Jerusalem, God told the priests to eat some of the food that people offered to him. Paul previously discussed similar arrangements at the temples of false gods (1 Corinthians chapter 8), but here he refers to the real God’s temple. You can read God’s rules for his priests in Leviticus 6:14 to 7:36.

For God’s priests, there was both a right and a duty to eat that food, as Leviticus 10:16-20 shows.

That was because the food was evidence of the relationship between God, his priests and his people. The priests ate the food as evidence that God had accepted his people’s gifts.

God wanted his priests to receive that food because he wanted to provide for them. There was food not just for the priests, but also for their families (Leviticus 22:10-13).

So God rewarded the priests for the work that they did for him. Now, of course, there is no temple and all Christians serve God as priests (1 Peter 2:9). But still God rewards people for their work for him. As he did before, God uses the gifts of his people to do that. He has made it possible for people who declare his good news to receive their wages from it.

That brings joy both to the giver and to the person who receives the gift. The giver sees that God has accepted his gift. And he knows that God is using it to declare his good news. The person who receives it can be glad with him. For that person, the gift shows that God is providing for him. And therefore, they both can give thanks to God, together.

Dear God, I praise You for the many gifts You have given me as a result of my willingness to share the good news of the gospel with others.  You are Wonderful!!

Reading through the Bible-Paul Surrenders His Rights

1 Corinthians 9:1-2, "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? ² If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord."

After Paul left Corinth, the Christians there began to argue about him. Many of them became Christians later, so they had not known Paul. It seemed difficult for them to accept Paul’s authority. They felt that a genuine apostle should be impressive. He should demand his rights. But Paul had behaved in a humble manner. He cared about other people more than he cared about himself.

The word ‘apostle’ originally meant someone whom an important person had sent to carry out an important task. In the Bible, it means someone whom God has sent to declare his good news. It mattered very much to the Christians in Corinth whether God was guiding someone by his Holy Spirit.

Paul did not pretend that God had sent him as an apostle to all people (Galatians 2:7-8). And Paul had not known Christ during his life on earth. But Paul insisted that Christ had sent him, like the other apostles, to declare God’s message. (See Mark 3:13-19, Acts 22:17-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:8).

Dear God, Help me to care about others more than myself and if it is Your will, to bring others to You.

Reading through the Bible-How stronger Christians should deal with weaker Christians

1 Corinthians 8:12-13, "Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

In Corinth, Christians were arguing about food. It seems as if Paul could hardly believe it. Paul himself would refuse ever to eat meat if, by that means, he could help another person to trust God.

Jesus gave similar advice in Mark 9:42. Christians must be very careful not to do anything that may spoil someone else’s relationship with God. That is especially important when stronger Christians are dealing with weaker Christians.

Dear God, I am so grateful for a strong conscience based on the finished work of Christ on my behalf!  Guide me to love others from that place of peace and hope.

Reading through the Bible-He died for all

1 Corinthians 8:11, "And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died."

Christians often ask how to deal with a person whom they do not like. Of course, they already know how God wants them to deal with that person. God wants them to show love to that person. But every feeling in their bodies seems to urge them to avoid that person. So it becomes hard to obey God and to overcome those wrong feelings.

In 1 Corinthians 8:11, we can see how Paul dealt with such feelings. He thought about people in a way that encouraged him to show love.

Firstly, he used words that emphasized the relationship between people. Here, the word is ‘brother’. Brothers and sisters have a duty to look after each other.

Paul used the word ‘brother’ here because he was writing about another Christians. All Christians are brothers and sisters of each other because God considers them his children. They all belong to God’s family.

However, Christians also have a duty to show love towards people who are not Christians. In Luke 10:27, Jesus chose the word ‘neighbor’ when he mentioned this duty. He then told a story to show that he even considered foreigners to be ‘neighbors’ (Luke 10:29-37).

Secondly, Paul urged Christians to remember Christ’s love for the person whom they may dislike. Christ died for that person, so that the person could have a right relationship with God. That is the greatest love that anyone could ever show (John 15:13). Because God loved so much, we should also show love.

Dear God, thank You for dying for me so that I could be adopted into Your family.  Help me to remember that You offered the same to everyone else!

Reading through the bible-When one person’s rights cause trouble for someone else

1 Corinthians 8:9-10, "Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."

People today care very much about their rights. It seems that many of the first Christians had the same attitude.

Christ had made them free, they said. They had a right to eat whatever they wished. They could even eat food after someone had offered it to a false god. It was wrong to give honour to a false god; but they were not giving any honour to that god. They were only eating the food, and they had the right to do that.

The problem is that one person’s rights can cause serious trouble for another person. A Christian should not behave in such a manner. Christians must show love to other people. They should not insist on their rights if other people will suffer as a result.

So Christians cannot always do the things that they have a right to do. It is more important that they should show love, both towards God and towards other people even those who are weaker in their relationship with God.

Dear God, I am grateful for the freedom that Christ died to give me.  Help me to use my freedom to point others to You!

Reading through the Bible-Can food spoil someone’s relationship with God?

1 Corinthians 8:7-8, "⁷ However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do."

In many religions, people offer food to their gods.

Many of the Christians at Corinth had formerly belonged to such religions. At that time, they believed that it was an important part of their religion to eat that food. The food gave them a relationship with that false god.

Now that they were Christians, they served only the one real God. So they did not want to have any connection with a false god. For that reason, they refused to eat any food that someone had offered to a false god. They were careful to avoid that food.

Those Christians were right to be careful. A Christian should avoid any behaviour that may offend God. That Christian’s relationship with God matters more than anything in that person’s life.

However, those Christians had a wrong idea about that food. When Christians eat any food they should give God thanks for it. They accept that food as something that God has provided for them. Wrong thoughts, words or actions can spoil a Christian’s relationship with God. But food cannot have that effect (Mark 7:18-23).

Because of that fact, some other Christians believed that they could eat any food. They were even eating food that other people had offered to false gods. Their behaviour offended the Christians who refused that food.

Paul told the Christians, that, in such circumstances, they must not eat that food (8:11-13). They should show love towards other Christians. They must not do anything that would upset another person’s trust in Christ (Mark 9:42).

Dear God, I thank you for the freedom you have given me and I pray that I will lie in this freedom in such a way that it points others to You!

Reading through the Bible-Conscience

Weak Conscience

Strong Conscience

1 Corinthians 8:7, "However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled."

There is not in everyone that knowledge: The Corinthian Christians who felt free to eat at the pagan temple may have based their freedom on correct knowledge (knowing that idols are nothing). But for some, they have consciousness of the idol, and they eat meat sacrificed to the idol as a thing offered to an idol.

Paul asks the Corinthian Christians who know there is nothing to an idol to remember that not everyone knows this. And if someone believes there is something to an idol, and they eat meat that has been sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Why is their conscience considered weak? Not because their conscience doesn't work. Indeed, it does work - in fact, ii overworks. Their conscience is considered weak because it is wrongly informed; their conscience is operating on the idea that there really is something to an idol.

You can imagine the "free" Corinthian Christians with their superior knowledge saying, "but we're right!" And in this case, being right is important but it is not more important than showing love to the family of God.

Dear God, I am so grateful for the freedom I have in Christ and I pray that I will live that freedom out in love for others.

Reading through the Bible-One God

1 Corinthians 8:4-6, "Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live."

We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one: Because there is only One True God, idols are not competing gods. Idols are therefore nothing in the world, and are only so-called gods.

If meat is offered to Zeus, there is no real Zeus. There is no other God but one. "He" is only one of the so-called gods. "There are many images that are supposed to berepresentations of divinities: but these divinities are nothing, the figments of mere fancy; and these images have no corresponding realities." (Clarke)

What about Biblical passages which some take to suggest there are other gods? For example, in John 10:34, Jesus quotes Psalm 82:8-9, in saying You are gods. But the judges of Psalm 82 were called "gods" because in their office they determined the fate of other men. Also, in Exodus 21:6 and 22:8-9, God calls earthly judges "gods." In John 10, Jesus is saying "if God gives these unjust judges the title 'gods' because of their office, why do you consider it blasphemy that I call Myself the 'Son of God' in light of the testimony regarding Me and My works?" Jesus is not taking the you are gods of Psalm 82 and applying it to all humanity or to all believers. The use of gods in Psalm 82 was a metaphor.

iii. As well, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul calls Satan the god of this age. Certainly, he does not mean Satan is a true god, a rival god to the Lord God. Satan can be called the god of this age because he is regarded as a god by so many people.

As there are many gods and many lords refers to the so-called gods. Indeed, in the ancient world, there were many, many different gods - and even gods known as the unknown god to cover any gods one might have missed (Acts 17:23).

There is one God, the Father . . . and one Lord Jesus Christ: Paul isn't distinguishing Jesus from God, as if Jesus were not God. When Paul calls Jesus Lord, he uses the Greek word kurios, and this word would have meant something to Bible reading people in Paul's day.

Leon Morris on Lord: "This term could be no more than a polite form of address like our 'Sir.' But it could also be used of the deity one worships. The really significant background, though, is its use in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to render the divine name, Yahweh . . . Christians who used this as their Bible would be familiar with the term as equivalent to deity."

Certainly, no one can say through whom are all things, and through whom we live of anyone other than God.

The Corinthian Christians may have reasoned like this: if idols are really nothing, it must mean nothing to eat meat sacrificed to nothing idols, and it must mean nothing to eat in the buildings used to worship these nothing idols. In the following section, Paul will show them a better way.

Dear God, I praise Your Holy Name as the Only God ever!