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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
“Do You Now Believe?” by Oswald Chambers
Wait for God’s Peace by Charles Stanley
Many believers look for a sense of peace as a sign to help them determine God’s will in their life. However, a peaceful feeling may not be enough evidence to verify that a person’s decisions line up with the Lord’s plans. It’s wise to ask ourselves, Whose peace are we experiencing? Sometimes our sense of tranquility can be attributed to our own satisfaction about a choice we’ve made.
Today’s passage talks about letting “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col. 3:15). This kind of settledness originates from Jesus Christ and is the umpire that determines whether your decisions fit with God’s will. The word peace indicates harmony and oneness. So to have God’s peace about a matter means your decision must be aligned with His will. The only way to determine this is by comparing your thoughts and choices with His Word. Are you thinking the same way He does? Did you make your decision using scriptural principles or your own human understanding?
One of the reasons we often make choices without the guidance of Scripture is because we want a quicker method for finding an answer. The Lord doesn’t just pour His thoughts into our brain without our cooperation. He molds us gradually, day by day, as we read His Word and let its truths sink into our mind.
Building steadily over time is the only way to internalize a foundation of God’s truth. With His instructions as your basis, you can make decisions with confidence, knowing you are following His will. Then you’ll have a sense of oneness with the Lord, and His peace will guard your way.
Draw Near / UNFINISHED BUILDINGS
UNFINISHED BUILDINGS
When trouble plagues them, the people of Rome say, "It's just like St. Peter's; it is never finished." They have resigned themselves to the fact that St. Peter's Basilica, a beautiful place of worship whose construction was begun more than five hundred years ago, will never be completed. What may be true of St. Peter's is certainly true of a building about which the Bible talks.
Paul described the believer and his growth as a field under God's cultivation, or, if you like, a house being built to his plan (1 Corinthians 3:9, Phillips). Some seem to think the Christian springs fully grown from the womb of conversion. How wrong they are! God's Word repeatedly tells us that knowing Christ involves daily growth. It is as if each day God adds new building blocks to our daily lives. We help Him build by daily devoting ourselves and submitting to His will.
To build properly, nothing is ever left to chance. Therefore, Peter tells us exactly how God will help us grow. God adds to our faith virtue, then knowledge, then temperance, then patience, then godliness, then brotherly kindness, and finally love. Peter said something that staggers the mind: Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble(1 Peter 1:10). May we remember that God is working on and in our lives, and building us for eternity.
When trouble plagues them, the people of Rome say, "It's just like St. Peter's; it is never finished." They have resigned themselves to the fact that St. Peter's Basilica, a beautiful place of worship whose construction was begun more than five hundred years ago, will never be completed. What may be true of St. Peter's is certainly true of a building about which the Bible talks.
Paul described the believer and his growth as a field under God's cultivation, or, if you like, a house being built to his plan (1 Corinthians 3:9, Phillips). Some seem to think the Christian springs fully grown from the womb of conversion. How wrong they are! God's Word repeatedly tells us that knowing Christ involves daily growth. It is as if each day God adds new building blocks to our daily lives. We help Him build by daily devoting ourselves and submitting to His will.
To build properly, nothing is ever left to chance. Therefore, Peter tells us exactly how God will help us grow. God adds to our faith virtue, then knowledge, then temperance, then patience, then godliness, then brotherly kindness, and finally love. Peter said something that staggers the mind: Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble(1 Peter 1:10). May we remember that God is working on and in our lives, and building us for eternity.
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:8 KJV
February 28 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman
Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually (Heb. 13:15).
A city missionary, stumbling through the dirt of a dark entry, heard a voice say, "Who's there, Honey?" Striking a match, he caught a vision of earthly want and suffering, of saintly trust and peace, "cut in ebony"--calm, appealing eyes set amid the wrinkles of a pinched, black face that lay on a tattered bed. It was a bitter night in February, and she had no fire, no fuel, no light. She had had no supper, no dinner, no breakfast. She seemed to have nothing at all but rheumatism and faith in God. One could not well be more completely exiled from all pleasantness of circumstances, yet the favorite song of this old creature ran:
Nobody knows de trouble I see,
Nobody knows but Jesus;
Nobody knows de trouble I see--
Sing Glory Hallelu!
Nobody knows but Jesus;
Nobody knows de trouble I see--
Sing Glory Hallelu!
Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down,
Sometimes I'm level on the groun',
Sometimes the glory shines aroun'
Sing Glory Hallelu!
Sometimes I'm level on the groun',
Sometimes the glory shines aroun'
Sing Glory Hallelu!
And so it went on: "Nobody knows de work I does, Nobody knows de griefs I has," the constant refrain being the "Glory Hallelu!" until the last verse rose:
Nobody knows de joys I has,
Nobody knows but Jesus!
Nobody knows but Jesus!
"Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." It takes great Bible words to tell the cheer of that old negro auntie.
Remember Luther on his sick-bed. Between his groans he managed to preach on this wise: "These pains and trouble here are like the type which the printers set; as they look now, we have to read them backwards, and they seem to have no sense or meaning in them; but up yonder, when the Lord God prints us off in the life to come, we shall find they make brave reading." Only we do not need to wait till then.
Remember Paul walking the hurricane deck amid a boiling sea, bidding the frightened crew "Be of good cheer," Luther, the old negro auntie--all of them human sun-flowers.
--Wm. G. Garnett
--Wm. G. Garnett
New Leaves by Adrian Rogers
FEBRUARY 28
New Leaves
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Some people want to get everything in their life straightened out before they come to Christ. But you'll wake up in hell and still not have it straightened out. It’s like trees that don’t lose their leaves in the fall. The leaves wither and turn brown but hold on until the spring. And when the new leaf comes, it pushes the old leaf off.
That's exactly what happens to your old habits, your old life, when you find the Lord Jesus. The new life pushes your old life off. It’s not a matter of plucking off this leaf and knocking off that one. You'll never do it that way. Let the new life within you do its work.
Have you come to grips yet with the fact that your “old nature” is dead and you are a new creature in Christ? You can’t “kill” him on your own. You have to “reckon” him as dead and allow the “new nature”--the new creature you are in Christ--to come alive and be fed and nurtured by the Holy Spirit.
Rekindling the Flame by Stephen Davey
Rekindling the Flame
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
In my study at home I have a small, yellowed piece of paper framed in glass. It was given to me by a missionary who works with Chinese believers.
Today, millions of Chinese Christians are meeting secretly in house churches to study the Word of God together. Many of them do not have a personal copy of the Bible. Often entire churches do not have access to a complete copy of the Scriptures.
That is why this old piece of paper is so special to me; it happens to be a handwritten page--a portion of the New Testament in the Mandarin language. This piece of paper was once someone's copy of Scripture.
Imagine . . . they didn't have a Bible--they had a page.
Much like the Thessalonians, these believers obviously hungered to hear and have the Word of God. They had no doubt copied it many times over so that other believers could read from God's Word, perhaps never before hearing the truths that were written on this small page.
What a contrast to most of us! The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association estimates that the average church-going family in America owns at least four Bibles.
Perhaps one reason that we don't treasure the Scriptures is because we have such ready access to them. It's easy to take precious things for granted. We may have copies of the Bible lying on tables, closet shelves, and bookcases but this can lead to a serious problem: how does the truth within the pages of that closed Book penetrate our lives?
There is a vast difference between having the Bible inside our home and having the Bible inside our heart.
In 1 Thessalonians 1:6, we are told that the believers received the Word of God. They readily received its truth, even though it would mean tribulation and persecution.
What we take for granted, the early church received with great hunger, as does the Chinese church today.
We conclude these 30 days of contemplation with this challenge: let's ask Christ to rekindle in our hearts a greater love for His Word and a greater desire to hear and study it.
Oh, that He would imprint on our hearts what we hold in our hands!
God does not want you to simply possess a Bible . . . He wants the Bible to possess you.
Prayer Point: Ask God to give you a stronger passion for His Word. That is exactly what we need: a hunger and thirst for the written Word--which leads to a greater love for Jesus Christ, the Living Word.
Extra Refreshment: Read all of Psalms 119 and take note of each verse delivering some truth or principle about the Word of God.
God's Glory in Christ by John MacArthur
God's Glory in Christ
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Christ displayed God’s glory on earth and will again when He comes back. After seeing His glory in Scripture, we should respond in worship and righteousness.
From eternity past Christ had the glory of God. He “is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Heb. 1:3), and He prayed, “And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5).
Christ also displayed God’s glory on earth. Most often He looked like an ordinary man, but one night He appeared in great glory to Peter, James, and John (Luke 9:28-36). “While He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming” (v. 29). Moses and Elijah came and spoke to Him, and the disciples “saw His glory” (v. 32).
When He comes again, He will come “on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30), to the joy of His people and to the terror of those who reject Him. His glory will fill the whole earth (Num. 14:21), and all creation will worship Him.
What should be our response to God’s glory? Like the angels who sing, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14), we should give Him praise. Also, as we see His glory we should change: “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). As we look at God, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and helps us grow and live righteous lives. As “children of God,” we “appear as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).
The purpose of all creation is to glorify God. As a mirror reflects light, we are to reflect His glory to Him and to a sinful world. Seek to live a holy life so this reflection shines as brightly as possible, and make it your desire to glorify Him in everything you do.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank God for the hope of glory we have as we wait for Christ’s return (Titus 2:13). Ask that your life would brightly reflect God’s glory today.
For Further Study
Read about God’s glory in Heaven in Revelation 21:1—22:5. How is His glory displayed?
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Opening Doors by David Jeremiah
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Lost but Found / Our Daily Bread
Lost but Found
February 28, 2018
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Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.—Luke 15:6
When we discovered that my mother-in-law had gone missing while shopping with a relative, my wife and I were frantic. Mom suffered from memory loss and confusion, and there was no telling what she might do. Would she wander the area, or hop onto any bus thinking it would take her home? Worst-case scenarios spun through our minds as we began to search for her, crying out to God, “Please find her.”
Hours later, my mother-in-law was spotted stumbling along a road, miles away. How God blessed us in being able to find her. Several months later, He blessed her: at eighty years of age, my mother-in-law turned to Jesus Christ for salvation.
Jesus, comparing humans to lost sheep, gives us this illustration: “Suppose [a shepherd] has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, . . . he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep” (Luke 15:4-6).
Shepherds counted their sheep to make sure every one was accounted for. In the same way, Jesus, who likens himself to that shepherd, values each of us, young and old. When we’re wandering in life, searching, wondering about our purpose, it’s never too late to turn to Christ. God wants us to experience His love and blessings. —Leslie Koh
Lord, You search for us and find us. Thank You for making us Your own.
Amazing grace! . . . I once was lost, but now am found. John Newton
INSIGHT: In the Bible the word shepherd not only applies to the occupation of shepherd (Genesis 29:3; 46:32) but is also used to indicate a leader (2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Jeremiah 3:15) or spiritual overseer (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). Being a shepherd of sheep required bravery, steadfast watchfulness, and tender care. Sheep are helpless without a shepherd and need guidance to food and water as well as protection from the elements and wild beasts (1 Samuel 17:34-36; Psalm 23; Luke 2:8).
Leading people is far more difficult! Thankfully Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for us so much that He “[lay] down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11-14). He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) and rejoices over each lost person who repents and is found (Luke 15:3-7).
Have you received the salvation offered by Jesus, the Good Shepherd? Alyson Kieda
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Revival Starts with You by Stephen Davey
| Revival Starts with You |
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| Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. How does the church gain the world's attention? How will the local church catch the ears of those who so desperately need to hear the gospel? It will only happen when Christians begin to get real with their faith and start living it out before men. People are watching you. So, when you say you will do something, do it. When you fail at something, admit it. Don't claw and scrape and climb over others like everyone else. Trust that God is at work and settle for nothing less than the holiness and purity that He requires of you. Let this so establish itself in your character that it emanates from you before a needy and watchful world. If our gospel will change the world, it must first change us. These words are from an Anglican bishop who lived a few generations ago. They were found among his last effects: When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older, I discovered the world would not change. So, I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But, it, too, seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family—those closest to me. But, alas, they would have none of it. Now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize, if I had only been changed, then by example, perhaps I could have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and who knows, I may have even changed the world. This is where we must begin. It must start with the person staring back at you from the mirror, the one willing to make any changes necessary—not for your own glory, but for the glory of God. Christ reminds us in Matthew 5 that "they [will] see your good works and glorify [the] Father in heaven." Your ultimate purpose and joy will be in seeing others come to know the Savior as you have, for it is God who changes lives, and we are living testimonies of that. For that reason, we are to be like mirrors in the world, reflecting His character. If the world is ever going to see God, they must first see Him . . . in us. |
| Prayer Point:Pray that you will be a living reflection of Jesus Christ to the world, as well as to your church. Then, pray that God will work in the hearts of Christians in your church, calling them to dedicate themselves in living holy lives, breaching the gap between the church and the world. |
| Extra Refreshment:Read Ephesians 2—reminding the Church how we were called out, and what we have been called to do. |
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus by Oswald Chambers
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Finding Favor With God and Man by Charles Stanley
One of our basic human needs is acceptance. Without it, we feel alienated or maybe even rejected. In the Bible, acceptance is often referred to as “favor.” For example, when Joseph was sold into slavery, Genesis 39:4 says he “found favor” in the sight of his master Potiphar and was put in charge of the official’s entire household. Joseph found acceptance and approval because of his exemplary behavior.
Whose favor are you longing to receive? Do you desire God’s approval? Today’s text shows us how we can find favor with both God and man.
First, we should value the Lord’s teaching. God blessed us by giving us His Word, but not everyone makes it a priority. We should recognize Scripture as our most valuable earthly possession because it is God’s revelation of Himself and His instructions for us.
Second, we should make obedience to God a matter of the heart. Following His commands is about far more than just external rule keeping; it involves not only our actions but our attitudes and thoughts as well.
Third, we are to let kindness and truth characterize our life. When we are wholeheartedly living in obedience to God’s commands, the effect will spill over into our relationships, as kindness and truth become the guardians of our words and actions.
Although the Christian faith may evoke a negative response from some, believers shouldn’t be discouraged. A life that reflects Christ pleases God. And in bringing light to a dark world, an obedient life will also bring the favor of many in its circle of influence.
Draw Near / HOLDING ON
HOLDING ON
During my first airplane ride, I held on. I looked out the window and the ground seemed so far away. Desperately clenching the strap by the window, I tensed every time the tiny plane hit an air pocket. How ridiculous I must have looked to those more accustomed to air travel. After all, clinging to that strap would not help if the plane plummeted to the earth.
While it amuses us to envision someone clinging tenaciously to a tiny strap in a moving plane, many are going through life just as frightened. They seem to wince at every turn and keep their hands on their pulse. Physicians estimate that 33,000 patients each week are not really sick, only afraid. Our generation is clinging to the strap and yet knows that it is not doing any good. Some, however, have learned to live more relaxed. They, too, feel the bumps and see the perils but are confident that everything will be okay. They have learned that our security is in the Christ we love: The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:7).
Confident living comes not by human resolution but by a relationship to Christ. As we are in Christ, we can be assured of His complete control of our lives. We can relax. Paul had learned to love Christ deeply: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). May each of us learn to live more confidently in Christ by fully trusting Him.
During my first airplane ride, I held on. I looked out the window and the ground seemed so far away. Desperately clenching the strap by the window, I tensed every time the tiny plane hit an air pocket. How ridiculous I must have looked to those more accustomed to air travel. After all, clinging to that strap would not help if the plane plummeted to the earth.
While it amuses us to envision someone clinging tenaciously to a tiny strap in a moving plane, many are going through life just as frightened. They seem to wince at every turn and keep their hands on their pulse. Physicians estimate that 33,000 patients each week are not really sick, only afraid. Our generation is clinging to the strap and yet knows that it is not doing any good. Some, however, have learned to live more relaxed. They, too, feel the bumps and see the perils but are confident that everything will be okay. They have learned that our security is in the Christ we love: The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:7).
Confident living comes not by human resolution but by a relationship to Christ. As we are in Christ, we can be assured of His complete control of our lives. We can relax. Paul had learned to love Christ deeply: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). May each of us learn to live more confidently in Christ by fully trusting Him.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalms 46:1 KJV
February 27 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day (Gen. 32:24).
Left alone! What different sensations those words conjure up to each of us. To some they spell loneliness and desolation, to others rest and quiet. To be left alone without God, would be too awful for words, but to be left alone with Him is a foretaste of Heaven! If His followers spent more time alone with Him, we should have spiritual giants again.
The Master set us an example. Note how often He went to be alone with God; and He had a mighty purpose behind the command, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray."
The greatest miracles of Elijah and Elisha took place when they were alone with God. It was alone with God that Jacob became a prince; and just there that we, too, may become princes--"men (aye, and women too!) wondered at" (Zech. 3:8). Joshua was alone when the Lord came to him. (Josh. 1:1) Gideon and Jephthah were by themselves when commissioned to save Israel. (Judges 6:11 and 11:29) Moses was by himself at the wilderness bush. (Exodus 3:1-5) Cornelius was praying by himself when the angel came to him. (Acts 10:2) No one was with Peter on the house top, when he was instructed to go to the Gentiles. (Acts 10:9) John the Baptist was alone in the wilderness (Luke 1:90), and John the Beloved alone in Patmos, when nearest God. (Rev. 1:9)
Covet to get alone with God. If we neglect it, we not only rob ourselves, but others too, of blessing, since when we are blessed we are able to pass on blessing to others. It may mean less outside work; it must mean more depth and power, and the consequence, too, will be "they saw no man save Jesus only."
To be alone with God in prayer cannot be over-emphasized.
If chosen men had never been alone,
In deepest silence open-doored to God,
No greatness ever had been dreamed or done.
In deepest silence open-doored to God,
No greatness ever had been dreamed or done.
The Lord Will Sustain You by Adrian Rogers
FEBRUARY 27
The Lord Will Sustain You
“Man that is born of woman is full of trouble as the sparks that fly upward.”
It starts almost the day we’re born. We’re born crying, and from there it just goes on and on. We have burdens. If you don’t have burdens, the problem is you’re probably not a thinking person. But I want to tell you today what to do with your burdens.
David wrote, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” David was a king; he was wealthy. What do we learn from this? That burdens come to the high as well as to the low. They come to saints as well as sinners. They come to the old as well as the young. What do we do with our burdens? We have to cast them upon the Lord,
Do you have a broken heart? Has one of your children ripped your heart out? Is there a husband who has forsaken you? A physical malady gnawing away at your body? Is there a problem perplexing you? The Bible says you are to cast your burden upon the Lord (Psalm 55:22). He will sustain you.
Me, Myself, and I by Stephen Davey
Me, Myself, and I
Do not give the devil an opportunity.
All too often, the worst enemy of the church is . . . the church. New believers do not grow in Christ because "older" believers who have not matured become the primary stumbling blocks by their poor example. Selfishness and arrogance so often serve in the church's most visible and crucial positions of ministry. One of the church's favorite hymns, Holy, Holy, Holy, has shifted its focus from "God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!" to "Me, Myself, and I!"
Warren Wiersbe wrote, "When the enemy fails in his attacks from the outside, he then begins to attack from within, and one of his favorite weapons is selfishness." Selfishness is defined as having the attitude that people exist merely to meet my agenda, my wishes, my needs, and the value of anything (people, church, God, etc.) is determined only in light of what it can do for me.
This attitude is revealed not only in outward behavior but also in secret thoughts. If left unchecked, it ultimately poisons the heart. Selfishness destroys friendships, marriages, ministries, and churches; it also destroys mission fields and all other sacred projects where God is clearly at work.
The Ephesian church was struggling with this problem, so Paul dedicated nearly an entire chapter to exhort the believers. He wrote, "Speak the truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger; and do not give the devil an opportunity."
These verses clearly warn us that the devil actually watches us. And he longs for opportunities birthed by selfish believers. No wonder he baits his hook with self-centered advice, whispering, "Don't think about others, think only of yourself: your desires, your life, your money, your plans, your career, your retirement, your position, your agenda, your ministry."
Frankly, we are all terminally infected with selfishness, and it lies at the core of every act. That is why selfishness is such a productive and powerful weapon in the hands of Satan. He will use it against us whenever he can. It must never be excused; it must never be coddled; it must be cut away daily! Sometimes . . . moment by moment.
Prayer Point: Thank the Lord for His example of selflessness and servanthood, and ask Him for the discipline to imitate His spirit throughout this day.
God's Glory by John MacArthur
God's Glory
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).
God’s glory is the radiance of all He is.
In Isaiah’s vision of Heaven, angels called out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3). What exactly is the glory of God? It encompasses all that He is, the radiance of His attributes and divine nature.
Moses said to God, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!” (Ex. 33:18), and the Lord answered, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (v. 19). Moses was not allowed to see God’s face, which is the essence of His being: “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (v. 20). But Moses was allowed to see God’s back, which represents the afterglow of His glory.
Perhaps God’s afterglow is like the radiance of the sun. We only see the light that comes off the sun. If we got too close to it, we would be consumed. If the sun is so brilliant, what must God be like? His glory seen in creation is only a dim reflection of His character.
God displayed His glory many times in Scripture. He represented Himself as a great white cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night as He led Israel through the wilderness (Ex. 13:21). After the Tabernacle was built, “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Ex. 40:34). Years later, He filled the temple in a similar way (1 Kings 8:10-11). This manifestation of God’s glory served as the focal point of worship for Israel.
God takes His glory very seriously. He said, “I will not give My glory to another” (Isa. 42:8). We must not steal God’s glory by becoming proud and taking credit for the good things He has done. Instead of taking God’s glory, say with David, “I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever” (Ps. 86:12).
Suggestions for Prayer
Praise God for His glory and majesty.
For Further Study
Read Daniel 4, the story of a powerful man who did not give God the glory. What characterized Nebuchadnezzar in verses 30 and 37?
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Needing Strength by David Jeremiah
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