November 3 / Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning and Evening

Day 307 of 366 Morning - Day 307 "I am the Lord, I change not." It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, there is One whom change cannot affect; One whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow mutability can make no furrows. All things else have changed--all things are changing. The sun itself grows dim with age; the world is waxing old; the folding up of the worn-out vesture has commenced; the heavens and earth must soon pass away; they shall perish, they shall wax old as doth a garment; but there is One who only hath immortality, of whose years there is no end, and in whose person there is no change. The delight which the mariner feels, when, after having been tossed about for many a day, he steps again upon the solid shore, is the satisfaction of a Christian when, amidst all the changes of this troublous life, he rests the foot of his faith upon this truth--"I am the Lord, I change not." The stability which the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a hold-fast, is like that which the Christian's hope affords him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth. With God "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Whatever his attributes were of old, they are now; his power, his wisdom, his justice, his truth, are alike unchanged. He has ever been the refuge of his people, their stronghold in the day of trouble, and he is their sure Helper still. He is unchanged in his love. He has loved his people with "an everlasting love"; he loves them now as much as ever he did, and when all earthly things shall have melted in the last conflagration, his love will still wear the dew of its youth. Precious is the assurance that he changes not! The wheel of providence revolves, but its axle is eternal love. "Death and change are busy ever, Man decays, and ages move; But his mercy waneth never; God is wisdom, God is love." Evening - Day 307 "Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law." My soul, feelest thou this holy shuddering at the sins of others? for otherwise thou lackest inward holiness. David's cheeks were wet with rivers of waters because of prevailing unholiness, Jeremiah desired eyes like fountains that he might lament the iniquities of Israel, and Lot was vexed with the conversation of the men of Sodom. Those upon whom the mark was set in Ezekiel's vision, were those who sighed and cried for the abominations of Jerusalem. It cannot but grieve gracious souls to see what pains men take to go to hell. They know the evil of sin experimentally, and they are alarmed to see others flying like moths into its blaze. Sin makes the righteous shudder, because it violates a holy law, which it is to every man's highest interest to keep; it pulls down the pillars of the commonwealth. Sin in others horrifies a believer, because it puts him in mind of the baseness of his own heart: when he sees a transgressor he cries with the saint mentioned by Bernard, "He fell today, and I may fall to-morrow." Sin to a believer is horrible, because it crucified the Saviour; he sees in every iniquity the nails and spear. How can a saved soul behold that cursed kill-Christ sin without abhorrence? Say, my heart, dost thou sensibly join in all this? It is an awful thing to insult God to His face. The good God deserves better treatment, the great God claims it, the just God will have it, or repay His adversary to his face. An awakened heart trembles at the audacity of sin, and stands alarmed at the contemplation of its punishment. How monstrous a thing is rebellion! How direful a doom is prepared for the ungodly! My soul, never laugh at sin's fooleries, lest thou come to smile at sin itself. It is thine enemy, and thy Lord's enemy. View it with detestation, for so only canst thou evidence the possession of holiness, without which no man can see the Lord. Malachi 3:6 NASB 6 "For I, the L ord , do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. Psalms 119:53 NASB 53 Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law.

NKJV 365 / Inspiration

NKJV 365 Day Reading Plan

Day 307 of 365 Inspiration Two types of thoughts continually vie for your attention. One says, "Yes you can." The other says, "No you can't." One says, "God will help you." The other lies, "God has left you." One speaks the language of heaven; the other deceives in the vernacular. . . . One proclaims God's strengths; the other lists your failures. One longs to build you up; the other seeks to tear you down. And here's the great news: you select the voice you hear. Why listen to the mockers? Why heed their voices? Why give ear to peabrains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God? (From Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado) Taken from The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible Judges 4:14-23 NASB 14 Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day in which the L ord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the L ord has gone out before you." So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 The L ord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left. 17 Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 He said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, 'No.'" 21But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. 22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple. 23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel.

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / IT IS FINISHED

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 306 of 365 IT IS FINISHED "It is finished" - a simple sentence, made of only three simple words, but the significance of this sentence has eternal consequences for billions of people. When Jesus declared, "It is finished," he indicated that his work of salvation was finished; that he had paid the full price for our sins. The cross is about so much more than a man enduring pain and suffering; it is about so much more than a man being abandoned by his friends and family. The cross is about Jesus, the eternal Son of God, being forsaken by his Father. Jesus, who had forever been one with the Father, was willing to come to earth and identify with sinners like us. He was even willing to become our sin (2Co 5:21), so that on the cross he could die in our place. On the cross, the hellish punishment that we deserved was placed on him; he willingly endured God's wrath in order to set us free. The prophet Isaiah says of him, "You who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger" (Isa 51:17) - this is what Jesus did on the cross for everyone who believes in him. Our sins have been paid for, and the work of redemption is, gloriously, "finished"! Jesus, I shudder to think that you became my sin. It's unimaginable what you must have endured to finish this fight for us. Thank you, Savior. Amen. John 19:30 NASB 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

The Absence of Arrogance by David Jeremiah

Friday, November 3 The Absence of Arrogance    By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4    One day Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel attended a luncheon in Washington, D.C., hosted by Katharine Graham, the far-famed publisher of The Washington Post. Mrs. Graham’s parties were legendary, and she rubbed shoulders with the greatest statesmen on earth. “Mrs. Graham,” asked Dr. Bethel, “you have hosted all the greatest leaders from around the world. What is the single most important trait of all great leaders?” Mrs. Graham answered without even pausing to think. “The absence of arrogance,” she said.1

Recommended Reading: James 4:10

When you think of influential leaders—those whose legacy has grown over time—you think of people with a streak of humility, whose desire for service eclipsed the desire for fame and fortune. Great leaders are those who listen and who pause to speak to others without concern for rank or status. The best leaders on earth are gracious, not grandiose. They seem to possess an absence of arrogance.    We’re all leaders in one way or another. To be effective, we should display God’s humility, not a false pretense of our own. Let’s all develop the quality of being humble, not haughty.    The greatness of man is great in that he knows himself to be wretched. A tree does not know itself to be wretched. Blaise Pascal    1 Sheila Murray Bethel, A New Breed of Leader: 8 Leadership Qualities that Matter Most in the Real World (New York City, NY: the Penguin Group, 2009) 326.

Powerful Baby / Our Daily Bread

Powerful Baby November 3, 2017

Read: Psalm 13 Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 30–31; Philemon How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? . . . But I trust in your unfailing love.—Psalm 13:1, 5 The first time I saw him, I cried. He looked like a perfect newborn asleep in his crib. But we knew he would never wake up. Not until he was in the arms of Jesus. He clung to life for several months. Then his mother told us of his death in a heart-wrenching email. She wrote of “that deep, deep pain that groans inside you.” Then she said, “How deeply God carved His work of love into our hearts through that little life! What a powerful life it was!” Powerful? How could she say that? This family’s precious little boy showed them—and us—that we must depend on God for everything. Especially when things go horribly wrong! The hard yet comforting truth is that God meets us in our pain. He knows the grief of losing a Son. In our deepest pain, we turn to the songs of David because he writes out of his own grief. “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” he asked (Ps. 13:2). “Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death” (v. 3). Yet David could give his biggest questions to God. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (v. 5). Only God can bring ultimate significance to our most tragic events. —Tim Gustafson Where do I turn when a crisis hits me? Do I ever get angry with God when facing grief and loss? Am I afraid to share my true emotions with Him? Have I ever asked God for His peace? God can do the most with what we think is least. INSIGHT: We may be surprised to hear a cry of abandonment coming from David, a man who knew God intimately. Psalm 13 describes David’s struggle. He was threatened by powerful enemies and distressed by God’s seeming prolonged apathy and absence, feeling forsaken in the time of his greatest need. “How long, Lord?” he asks. David questioned if God would ever come to his rescue (vv. 1-2). Even as he felt the sting of abandonment, David turned his turmoil over to God, asking Him for a deeper understanding of his circumstances (vv. 3-4). Anchoring himself in God’s unfailing covenantal love, David renews his trust in God (vv. 5-6). Like David, you may be going through a rough patch, engulfed by feelings of dread and abandonment. God may seem silent, but He is never absent. Scripture confirms He will never leave or forsake anyone who calls on Him (Heb. 13:5-6). Sim Kay Tee

Obedience or Independence? by Oswald Chambers

Obedience or Independence? If you love Me, keep My commandments.  JOHN 14:15 Our Lord never insists on obedience. He stresses very definitely what we ought to do, but He never forces us to do it. We have to obey Him out of a oneness of spirit with Him. That is why whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an “If,” meaning, “You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so.” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Luke 9:23). In other words, “To be My disciple, let him give up his right to himself to Me.” Our Lord is not talking about our eternal position, but about our being of value to Him in this life here and now. That is why He sounds so stern (see Luke 14:26). Never try to make sense from these words by separating them from the One who spoke them. The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself. Jesus Christ will not force me to obey Him, but I must. And as soon as I obey Him, I fulfill my spiritual destiny. My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When God’s redemption brings a human soul to the point of obedience, it always produces. If I obey Jesus Christ, the redemption of God will flow through me to the lives of others, because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be. from Conformed to His Image, 354 L

A Commitment to Obey by Charles Stanley

Psalm 1:1-6

Scripture proclaims God’s great power and majesty while also revealing His deep mercy and love. He is worthy of wholehearted, passionate submission but doesn’t often get it. Are you among the few who offer themselves to Him without reservation?

Complete obedience is a choice to follow God regardless of the consequences. This means that we obey the Lord even if our friends choose a different path or when suffering and embarrassment are guaranteed. Seeing His will done is more important than our own comfort or personal ambition. We commit the consequences to God and cling to His promises: He will never leave us (Deut. 31:6), and He makes good out of every situation (Rom. 8:28).

Notice the word commitment in the title of today’s devotion. I’m not writing about obedience that is born of the moment (as in, I choose to follow God in this instance) but about total submission as a way of life. Setting restrictions on compliance is so tempting—we want to be able to change our mind when obeying upsets our lifestyle, the final result is unclear, or we’re just plain scared. But let me ask you this one sobering question: If Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, what right do you have to limit how and when you’ll do His will?

Believers have no right to set their own limits; their one criterion for making decisions should be, What does God want me to do? The answer at times may cause suffering, but obedience is always right. And following God in all things is the surest path to favor and spiritual growth.

Proving You Are Wise by John MacArthur

Proving You Are Wise “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (James 3:13). Divine wisdom produces a changed life. The one who possesses godly wisdom will show it in his life. That’s why James says, “Let him show by his good behavior his deeds” (3:13, emphasis added). The phrase “let him show” is a command to demonstrate one’s wisdom and understanding. That is the thrust of James 2:14-26, summarized in verse 26: “Faith without works is dead.” A person’s claim to have faith will be validated by his works. Similarly, James is saying that if you claim to be wise, you need to demonstrate it. From God’s perspective, wisdom is made manifest by the way a person conducts his life. How will a person show he has true wisdom? By his “good behavior” (3:13). The Greek word translated “good” means “lovely,” “beautiful,” “attractive,” “noble,” or “excellent.” The term translated “behavior” speaks of one’s lifestyle or activity. If a person truly has divine wisdom and living faith, he will show it by his good conduct and excellent lifestyle. James becomes specific when he says, “Let him show by his good behavior his deeds” (v. 13, emphasis added). He is focusing on the details. The wisdom of God alters not only your general conduct, but also what you do specifically. Every act within a person’s life is consistent with how he conducts his entire life. If it’s a life based on the wisdom of God, each aspect of his life will reveal that. The general pattern of his life and the specific things he does will reflect the work, the way, and the will of God. Take time to examine your life and see whether your conduct proves that you possess the true wisdom of God. Suggestions for Prayer A wise person will manifest good behavior. Read Psalm 119:33-40, making the prayer of the psalmist your own. For Further Study Your conduct will reveal whether you’re living wisely. What do the following verses say about how you should live: Philippians 1:27; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12; and 2 Peter 3:11? 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.

November 2 / Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman

But prayer (Acts 12:5).

But prayer is the link that connects us with God. This is the bridge that spans every gulf and bears us over every abyss of danger or of need.

How significant the picture of the Apostolic Church: Peter in prison, the Jews triumphant, Herod supreme, the arena of martyrdom awaiting the dawning of the morning to drink up the apostle's blood, and everything else against it. "But prayer was made unto God without ceasing." And what was the sequel? The prison open, the apostle free, the Jews baffled, the wicked king eaten of worms, a spectacle of hidden retribution, and the Word of God rolling on in greater victory.

Do we know the power of our supernatural weapon? Do we dare to use it with the authority of a faith that commands as well as asks? God baptize us with holy audacity and Divine confidence! He is not wanting great men, but He is wanting men who will dare to prove the greatness of their God. But God! But prayer!
--A. B. Simpson

Beware in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think.

Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ; and expect great things.
--Andrew Murray

Our prayers are God's opportunities.

Are you in sorrow? Prayer can make your affliction sweet and strengthening. Are you in gladness? Prayer can add to your joy a celestial perfume. Are you in extreme danger from outward or inward enemies? Prayer can set at your right hand an angel whose touch could shatter a millstone into smaller dust than the flour it grinds, and whose glance could lay an army low.

What will prayer do for you? I answer: All that God can do for you. "Ask what I shall give thee."
--Farrar

Wrestling prayer can wonders do,
Bring relief in deepest straits;
Prayer can force a passage through
Iron bars and brazen gates.

Purchased at a Precious Price by Adrian Rogers

November 2

Purchased at a Precious Price

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” - 1 Corinthians 6:20

Matthew 26:28 says, “For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” The word “testament” is from the Greek word diatheke, which means “covenant.” Christ has purchased us with His blood. We have entered into a covenant with Him. The church is the bride, He is the bridegroom. We are betrothed to Him in a covenant bought with His blood.

Samuel J. Stone wrote these powerful words in a hymn we sing in our church, “The Church’s One Foundation.”-- “From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.”

Let this powerful truth sink deep into your heart today. Meditate on what it meant that Jesus came and sought you, then bought you with His blood.

November 2 / Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning and Evening

Day 306 of 366 Morning - Day 306 "The church in thy house." Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round--Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would father's heart leap for joy, and mother's eyes fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service. His master's prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon's house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him partake in the same earnest entreaty. If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance. As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of his name. Evening - Day 306 "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Universal was the doom, neither rich nor poor escaped: the learned and the illiterate, the admired and the abhorred, the religious and the profane, the old and the young, all sank in one common ruin. Some had doubtless ridiculed the patriarch--where now their merry jests? Others had threatened him for his zeal which they counted madness--where now their boastings and hard speeches? The critic who judged the old man's work is drowned in the same sea which covers his sneering companions. Those who spoke patronizingly of the good man's fidelity to his convictions, but shared not in them, have sunk to rise no more, and the workers who for pay helped to build the wondrous ark, are all lost also. The flood swept them all away, and made no single exception. Even so, out of Christ, final destruction is sure to every man of woman born; no rank, possession, or character, shall suffice to save a single soul who has not believed in the Lord Jesus. My soul, behold this wide-spread judgment and tremble at it. How marvellous the general apathy! they were all eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the awful morning dawned. There was not one wise man upon earth out of the ark. Folly duped the whole race, folly as to self-preservation--the most foolish of all follies. Folly in doubting the most true God--the most malignant of fooleries. Strange, my soul, is it not? All men are negligent of their souls till grace gives them reason, then they leave their madness and act like rational beings, but not till then. All, blessed be God, were safe in the ark, no ruin entered there. From the huge elephant down to the tiny mouse all were safe. The timid hare was equally secure with the courageous lion, the helpless cony as safe as the laborious ox. All are safe in Jesus. My soul, art thou in him? Philemon 1:2 NASB 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Matthew 24:39 NASB 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

NKJV 365 / Personal Training

NKJV 365 Day Reading Plan

Day 306 of 365 Personal Training In a world where education seems to be offered everywhere, the biblical description of the church as God's training center for holy living is often overlooked (2:1-15). This error becomes obvious when a church lacks leaders. Effective leadership in a church is the result of proper training. When young believers have not been trained the church begins to flounder. Paul was one of the most effective leaders of the early church. He preached the gospel tirelessly, founded a succession of churches throughout Asia Minor and Greece, and grounded these churches in God's Word and the essentials of the Christian faith. But to be truly effective, Paul had to nurture others to follow in his footsteps and faithfully lead the church into the next century. Titus was one of the young men Paul was training for leadership. He had accompanied Paul early in his ministry (Gal. 2:1-3), had served as Paul's representative (2 Cor. 7:5-16), and was considered a "fellow worker" (2 Cor. 8:23). When Paul wrote this letter, he had begun to pass the reins of leadership to this capable young man who was overseeing the churches on the island of Crete. In his instructions to Titus, Paul reminds him of the traits of a spiritual leader (1:5-16). Paul had chosen Titus as a helper because he had evidenced these qualities. Now he had to model such traits to others, searching for those who could become leaders in the newly planted churches. Paul instructed Titus to place the responsibility of moral leadership on the elders. Older men and women (2:1-5) had to lead the way in personal holiness. If their lives demonstrated the transforming power of the gospel, they would leave a lasting impact on following generations. Young men who saw older men diligently maintaining their faith in Christ would do likewise (2:2). Young women who heard older women encourage them to "love their husbands, to love their children" (2:4) would be more likely to take the counsel to heart if they saw their mentors doing that themselves. Titus himself was to exhort "young men" (2:6), while making sure that he was consistently following the pattern of life he was teaching (2:7). The degree to which sound training exists in a local church practically determines the health of that church. The pastor may be the designated teacher, but the Bible makes everyone both a trainer and a trainee. Church members should rely on each other for spiritual guidance. The older generation should pass on to the next generation their vital Christian faith by word and example. The character that results from this process of spiritual training truly is an eye-catching advertisement for the gospel. Taken from NKJV Study Bible Titus 2:1-5 NASB 1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / RANSOM AND REDEMPTION

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 305 of 365 RANSOM AND REDEMPTION Relentless judgment seems to be rampant throughout the pages of Hosea. But God's love is revealed to be even more unstoppable than divine judgment when readers view this Scripture through the lens of love personified - that is, through Jesus Christ. The extensive judgment in this text is followed by rhetorical questions that point toward redemption and ransom: God seems to be asking himself, "Will I ransom my people?" and, "Will I redeem them from death?" The unfaithfulness of the people has incited extreme judgment and wrath, yet God still holds out a promise of hope (Hos 14:4 - 8). Despite their sin, God was faithful and loving to save his people. There is no more beautiful expression of this love than when Jesus arrived on the scene hundreds of years later, leaving heaven to walk on earth with the primary purpose of ransoming his people and defeating death once and for all. Hosea 13:14 is quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:55 - 57, in what is perhaps one of the most triumphant and victorious exclamations of the finished work of Jesus: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." God's people are redeemed from punishment into glorious life both now and forever. Jesus, even though I deserve God's wrath, you saved me anyway. Thank you for ransoming my soul and rescuing me from the grave. Amen. Hosea 13:14 NASB 14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight. Hosea 14:4-8 NASB 4 I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. 6 His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. 7 Those who live in his shadow Will again raise grain, And they will blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. 8 O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NASB 55 O death , where is your victory ? O death, where is your sting ?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Day By Day With Billy Graham / Triumph in Affliction

Day By Day With Billy Graham

Day 306 of 366 Triumph in Affliction May I remind you that physical illness is not the worst thing that can happen to you? Some of the most twisted, miserable people I have ever met had no physical handicap. Some of the world's greatest and most useful people have been handicapped. "The Messiah" was composed by Handel, who was suffering from a paralyzed right side and arm. Catherine Booth, in the last year of her life, said that she could not remember one day free from pain. Helen Keller has written, "I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and God." Some of the most radiant Christians I have ever met were "wheelchair" saints. May God give you grace to "triumph in affliction." Daily Prayer When physical afflictions come into my life, may they draw me closer to You, my beloved Lord Jesus Christ. John 13:7 NASB 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."