Will You Go Out Without Knowing? by Oswald Chambers

Will You Go Out Without Knowing? He went out, not knowing where he was going.  HEBREWS 11:8 Have you ever “gone out” in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, “What do you expect to do?” You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to “go out” in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don’t know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to “go out,” building your confidence in God. “…do not worry about your life…nor about the body…” (Luke 12:22). In other words, don’t worry about the things that concerned you before you did “go out.” Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do— He reveals to you who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you “go out” in complete surrender to Him until you are not surprised one iota by anything He does? Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to “go out” in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to “go out” through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God. From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success. from My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L

Spectator or Participant? by Charles Stanley

Romans 12:9-13

There’s something in human nature that resists having to lean on others for support. In fact, since its very beginnings, our country has been known for an independent spirit and self-sufficiency. But what may be considered beneficial in a national culture is not what Christ advocates for His church. Although we are each saved individually, the Lord doesn’t intend for us to live as if we’re on an island—set apart to ourselves. We are called the body of Christ, and as such, our lives are meant to touch, intersect, and connect with other believers in a local church. 

The various ways we support one another are summarized in today’s passage, and they cover a large range of experiences, from rejoicing to suffering. No matter where we find ourselves on this spectrum, God calls us to be devoted to one another through service, prayer, and hospitality. Paul also specifies the attitudes we should have as we care for each other: sincere love, unselfishness, honor, diligence, and eagerness. 

As you can see, the church is a place for participants, not spectators. Yet many Christians today think this kind of involvement in others’ lives is too costly. So they come on Sunday, stand to sing, sit to listen, and walk out to get back to their own lives. The term “spectator Christian” doesn’t apply only to those who deliberately avoid going to church. In fact, many churches are filled with observant attendees who sit in the pews each week but never touch a fellow believer’s life. What about you? Are you a spectator seeking what you can get or a participant looking for ways to give to someone else?

January 2 / Elisha's Ridiculous Faith

In 2 Kings 4:38-44, Elisha continues to work miracles that are similar to Jesus’ miracles. In the first miracle, Elisha cures the poison in a stew that was made for the prophets. The second miracle consists of Elisha multiplying 20 loaves of barley bread so that it became more than enough to feed 100 men. These miracles are another example of God using Elisha to meet the needs of others. Chances are you’ve had some “poisoned stew” in your life that God has brought healing to. Maybe it was something physical or something internal within your heart or in your mind. Maybe you have something poisonous in your life right now that you can’t remove on your own and it can only be removed by the power of God. Just like He did with something simple like stew, God can remove any and all poison out of your life and make you new and healthy once again. What poison has God healed your life from? What poison might you need God to heal out of your life right now?

“When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets." Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were. So they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, "O man of God, there is death in the pot." And they were unable to eat. But he said, "Now bring meal." He threw it into the pot and said, "Pour it out for the people that they may eat." Then there was no harm in the pot. Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat." His attendant said, "What, will I set this before a hundred men?" But he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and have some left over.'" So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭4:38-44‬ ‭NASB‬‬

It’s Good to Ask John Blase

It’s Good to Ask

John Blase

Show me the way I should go. Psalm 143:8

Psalm 143:4–11

My father has always had a directional sense I’ve envied. He’s just instinctively known where north, south, east, and west are. It’s like he was born with that sense. And he’s always been right. Until the night he wasn’t.

That was the night my father got lost. He and my mother attended an event in an unfamiliar town and left after dark. He was convinced he knew the way back to the highway, but he didn’t. He got turned around, then confused, and ultimately frustrated. My mother reassured him, “I know it’s hard, but ask your phone for directions. It’s okay.”

For the first time in his life that I’m aware of, my seventy-six-year-old father asked for directions. From his phone.
The psalmist was a man with a wealth of life experience. But the psalms reveal moments when it appears David felt lost spiritually and emotionally. Psalm 143 contains one of those times. The great king’s heart was dismayed (v. 4). He was in trouble (v. 11). So he paused and prayed, “Show me the way I should go” (v. 8). And far from counting on a phone, the psalmist cried out to the Lord, “for to you I entrust my life” (v. 8).

If the “man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) felt lost from time to time, it’s a given we too will need to turn to God for His direction.

What has caused you to feel turned around, possibly confused, maybe even frustrated these days? Why might you be resisting asking God and others for help?
Welcome to John Blase! Meet all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.

Asking God for direction is more than okay—it’s best.

Setting Sail for a New Year by Adrian Rogers

Setting Sail for a New Year

JANUARY 2

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18

Helen Keller was born with sight, but became blind as a young child. Yet she had vision. A reporter asked Miss Keller, “Is there anything worse than losing your sight?” “Yes,” she said, “It is to have sight but no vision.” Do you have a vision for your life at the threshold of a new year? On

New Year’s Day, I review the goals for my life. These are spiritual, relational, intellectual, physical, and financial goals. I pray over these and ask for God’s will to be done in each one. I hold them in an open hand and ask that God would give me wisdom as to the direction He wants for my life. I don’t want to be a man without vision. I don’t want you to be one, either.

Begin to think about some goals you would like for your life. Pray and seek the Lord’s face as you ponder the future.

January 2 / Streams in the Desert

And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst (Ezekiel 41:7).

Still upward be thine onward course:
For this I pray today;
Still upward as the years go by,
And seasons pass away.
Still upward in this coming year,
Thy path is all untried;
Still upward may'st thou journey on,
Close by thy Saviors side.
Still upward e'en though sorrow come,
And trials crush thine heart;
Still upward may they draw thy soul,
With Christ to walk apart.
Still upward till the day shall break,
And shadows all have flown;
Still upward till in Heaven you wake,
And stand before the throne.

We ought not to rest content in the mists of the valley when the summit of Tabor awaits us. How pure are the dews of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how rich the fare of the dwellers aloft, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem! Many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun. Tears mar their faces when they might anoint them with celestial oil. Satisfied I am that many a believer pines in a dungeon when he might walk on the palace roof, and view the goodly land and Lebanon. Rouse thee, O believer, from thy low condition! Cast away thy sloth, thy lethargy, thy coldness, or whatever interferes with thy chaste and pure love to Christ. Make Him the source, the center, and the circumference of all thy soul's range of delight. Rest no longer satisfied with thy dwarfish attainments. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. Upward to heaven! Nearer to God!
--Spurgeon

I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray, till heaven I've found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground!

Not many of us are living at our best. We linger in the lowlands because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steepness and ruggedness dismay us, and so we stay in the misty valleys and do not learn the mystery of the hills. We do not know what we lose in our self-indulgence, what glory awaits us if only we had courage for the mountain climb, what blessing we should find if only we would move to the uplands of God.
--J. R. M

Too low they build who build beneath the stars.

Our First Home by Jon Opgenorth

Our First Home January 2, 2019 Read: Genesis 2:8-24 And the LORD God planted a garden. (v. 8) Thinking about home resurfaces memories and stirs longings. I can still see the linoleum pattern on the kitchen floor of my childhood home, the Formica table with chrome trim, and where each of the kids sat. I can still conjure up the smells and tastes of Sunday dinners with mashed potatoes and homegrown green beans. I see the old barn on the yard and the gravel circle drive lined with apple trees. One detail I’d rather not remember is the cold Wisconsin wind howling through the thin farmhouse walls! What do you remember about your first home? The details of Genesis 2 speak of God’s deep and personal care in making Eden. God rolls up his sleeves and gets to work: he plants a garden, he puts Adam in it, and he makes trees spring up that are easy on the eyes and good for the stomach. There is not just a river, but a river with four forks; one called Havilah contains not just gold but good gold! Then God takes a rib out of sleeping Adam and makes his lovely wife. Vegetation and animals and rivers—all cared for in community by Adam and Eve. Our first home. I ask again, what details do you remember about your first home? How did you stay warm in winter? Who did you sit by around the table? Let’s thank God for his meticulous care in creation and his personal involvement in your life to make each of us at home with him. —Jon Opgenorth As you pray, thank God for how he has cared for you.

Where is the New? / The Upper Room

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable . . . think about these things.   PHILIPPIANS 4:8 (NRSV)

It was December 31, and three-year-old Julu was excited and happy, playing and singing repeatedly, “Tomorrow is the New Year. Everything will be new tomorrow!” After supper, with much expectation, Julu went off to sleep. Early the next morning Julu got up, ran outside, then came back to the drawing room. In a loud disappointed voice he asked, “Where is the new? Nothing is new outside; there is nothing new inside. Where is the New Year?” Then I wondered if sometimes I can’t see the newness in my life. Suddenly Bible verses about newness came to mind. Second Corinthians 5:17 reminded me, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (NIV). I asked myself, Am I in Christ today? What are the signs that I am a new creation? Philippians 4:8 gives a clue: Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy is what I am to think about constantly. A second clue comes from Galatians 5:22-23. If I am a new creation, the fruit of the Spirit — “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” — will be evident in my life. Thank God for the chance to become a new creation in Christ!

TODAY'S PRAYER   Dear God, give us wisdom to guide us in our life’s journey, and lead us to life eternal. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Go to God by Stephen Davey

Go to God

1 Samuel 1:10

She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.

If man had written the Bible without God's inspiration, he would have placed the people found there on pedestals and edited the script to remove all of their mistakes, sins, and failures.  But God, the Master Artist, paints the heroes of the Bible with realistic brush strokes. 

God records the whole story of these men and women—"warts" and all; He records their triumphs and also their tears.  There are no perfect people parading across the pages of Scripture—there are real people with real problems.

There was an article in Newsweek written by a woman who had been the editor for a publisher producing self-help books.  She wrote:

You might expect that people who work for authors and bosses of such a company would, in general, be terribly well-adjusted folks—on a first name basis with all their feelings; bursting with self-esteem; free of type-A stress, phobias, and anxieties.  Think again.  The bosses are even now beginning construction on a second story for our building because the office manager and the head of typesetting cannot stand working in the same room together.  One of the executive staff routinely gets so upset during phone calls that he falls out of his chair onto the floor. 

Two in-house authors of a book on stress are on the verge of suing each other. Our best-selling book on phobias and fears is lacking an author cover photo because—you guessed it—the author has a phobia about having his picture taken!

This is true not only in the secular world but in the sacred world as well.  We are all made of clay!  If anyone ever gives you the impression that he has it all together, you need to look again . . . or just quit looking.

Hannah was unable to have children; she also suffered the indignity of the mocking of her husband's other wife Peninnah, who was able to bear children.  This added insult to injury!  It would be unbiblical to say that Hannah, this great woman of faith, was not affected by this situation—she was miserable.

I Samuel 1:8-9 says, "Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?' Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD."      

And here comes Hannah's flood of tears!

You may have had times like this: tears bathing your cheeks and washing your soul. But the wonderful thing in verse 10 is that Hannah poured out her soul to the Lord. She went to Him, not away from Him, in the time of her deepest sorrow.

Your heartaches are God's concern; your burdens are His to bear for you.  You can take comfort in the knowledge that "casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you," your heart will be eased (1 Peter 5:7).  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). Never forget that God is your greatest source of help; of strength; of comfort; of refuge.    

What is it in your life that causes great distress?  What causes you to weep bitterly?  Whatever  the  reason,  follow Hannah's example . . . go to God.

Prayer Point: Take time to pray to God, using real words about real things. Don't just utter the spiritual words that you think you should say—talk to your heavenly Father about your struggles; your feelings; your desires; your failures. Ask Him to help you trust His provision for your need.

Extra Refreshment:  Read Hannah's prayer of exaltation in 1 Samuel 2, expressing her understanding of God's power.

This Year's Motto by Alistair Begg

This Year's Motto

Continue steadfastly in prayer.
Colossians 4:2

It is interesting to consider how large a portion of the Bible is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, "People began to call upon the name of the LORD;"¹ and just as we are about to close the volume, the "Amen" of an earnest supplication meets our ear.

Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob--there a Daniel who prayed three times a day--and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elijah; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If He has said much about prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of it. So deep are our necessities that until we are in heaven we must not cease to pray.

Do you need nothing? Then I fear you do not know your poverty. Have you no mercy to ask of God? Then may the Lord's mercy show you your misery! A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honor of a Christian. If you are a child of God, you will seek your Father's face and live in your Father's love.

Pray that this year you may be holy, humble, zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and enter more often into the banqueting-house of His love. Pray that you may be an example and a blessing to others, and that you may live more to the glory of your Master. The motto for this year must be, "Continue . . . in prayer."

1) Genesis 4:26

One Resolution by David Jeremiah

One Resolution    For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12    Most people make New Year’s resolutions, but research shows that most people don’t achieve them. Today is a good day to think about simplifying the whole process of New Year’s resolutions. How? By making only one.

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 2:1-6

There is one resolution guaranteed to be achievable and impact all your other goals for 2019: Seek wisdom from God every day. One of the Old Testament meanings of wisdom was skill; a wise person was skilled in living (see the book of Proverbs). If we ask God for wisdom, He will provide it (James 1:5). And if God provides wisdom, then every day we will become more skilled at living life in a way that is fruitful and honoring to God. If we ask for wisdom, and are serious about applying it, then all of life will become better: finances, personal goals, relationships, direction for the future, marriage and family—everything.  We see life dimly now, like looking through a dark glass. Therefore, we need wisdom to see more clearly. Ask God for wisdom today and every day of this year.  He who has a constant longing for wisdom will persistently pray for it.  D. Edmond Hiebert

Courage for the Days Ahead / Senior Living

Courage for the Days Ahead

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. --Joshua 1:9

Each year at this time, thousands of them stand in the cold in Times Square, New York. No big event beckons them. No ballgame is being played. No rock concert is getting underway. It's simply a huge, lighted ball that drops from a tall building. And within a few seconds, hardly worth fighting traffic and crowd pushing for, it descends marking a new year.

Why has this nonevent turned into a huge, money-making holiday? Most other holidays celebrate a reputable person, famous birthdays, document signings, or a noted event. But New Year's Eve only celebrates the passage of time—something that most of us would rather not recognize. We make a huge deal out of it because it signals the end of an old era and the start of a new one.

The old year's problems, heartaches, and struggles seem to vanish and become a faded memory when we think of getting the chance of a new year and a new start. It must have been the same way for the Israelites when they stood with Joshua looking forward to a new era ahead of them. They had wandered for 40 years in the desert, and finally they could see land flowing with milk and honey ahead. Better yet, they had God's promise that He would never leave or forsake them.

As you stand with your back to the old year and look forward to the new one, you can have hope in the promises of God. You will certainly face both trying and joyful times ahead, but you can rest assure that He "will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). That promise is enough to celebrate the new year ahead!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to give you courage, strength, and faith in Him to face the days ahead. Thank Him for being faithful and for never leaving your side.

Ask God For A Dream (2) by Bob and Debby Gass

Ask God For A Dream (2)  Wed, 2 Jan 2019  ‘Then he dreamed still another dream.’ Genesis 37:9 NKJV  If you’ve already fulfilled the dream God gave you, ask Him for another one. A bigger one. The Bible says, ‘Joseph dreamed another dream.’ And the second was bigger than the first. In the first dream he saw sheaves of wheat on the ground bowing down to him, but in the second dream he saw stars in the heavens bowing down to him. Ask God to lift your sights and cause you to aim higher. But a note of caution: before God will give you another dream, He will watch to see what you do with the one He gave you. ‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.’ (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) Great endings usually start with humble beginnings. ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.’ (1 Peter 5:5–6 NKJV) If your dream is to prosper financially, it’s in harmony with God’s promises (see Deuteronomy 8:18; Isaiah 48:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8; 3 John 1:2). ‘Prosper’ in Biblical terms simply means to have enough to bless others. But there are three Scriptural conditions you must meet in order for your dream to be fulfilled:  (1) You must be willing to honour God with your present income (see Malachi 3:8–10).  (2) You must be willing to share what you have and meet the needs of others (see Proverbs 11:25).  (3) You must practise fiscal discipline rather than squandering what God gives you on reckless spending and impulse buying (see Proverbs 21:20). When you meet His conditions, God promises to bless you and fulfil the dream He has given you for your life. SoulFood: Isa 1–3, Luke 1:1–10, Ps 90:1–6, Pro 1:1–4

Becoming What You Are by John MacArthur

Becoming What You Are

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). The Christian life is simply becoming what Christ has already made you. Suppose immediately after you were saved, the Lord stamped your forehead with the words, “Watch me. I’m a child of God.” How would that affect your lifestyle? We may not have a physical mark like that, but we do bear the name of Christ in this world. When we first put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we became part of His family (Gal. 4:1-7). He “freely bestowed” His grace on us (Eph. 1:6). He “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (1:3). And we have a rich, glorious inheritance in heaven (1:18). As God’s children, we indeed have many rights, honors, and privileges, but He expects us to behave like His children. Just as a child honors his father by obeying him, we honor God by walking worthy of Him. Our actions must be actions He would approve. Our desires must be His desires. Our goals and objectives must be His goals and objectives. One of my seminary professors once told me that the whole Christian life is simply becoming what you are. Because you are a child of God, you need to act like a child of God. In fact, the root of the Greek word translated “worthy” in Ephesians 4:1 speaks of equalization and balance. There ought to be perfect harmony between who you are and how you live. We lapse in our commitment to Christ when we fail to live that way. Remember, though, that our obedience to God must not be a conformity to rules and regulations out of fear or legalistic pride. It is instead a conformity to righteousness out of gratitude and a deep love for Christ. Our desire to be worthy children is a result of understanding and appreciating all He has done for us. Philippians 1:27 says, “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” In other words, match your conduct to the gospel. The exalted reality of the gospel demands an exalted lifestyle. Suggestions for Prayer Ask the Lord to help you act like His child. For Further Study Read 1 John 2:6. Christ is our supreme example of the worthy walk.  Find examples in the Gospels where He demonstrates His commitment to the Father. How can you follow His example today? 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.