Grasping God’s Word / ODB

 

Grasping God’s Word The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy. Psalm 19:7 READ Psalm 19:7–14 A rugged, cast-iron ring stood strong against the harsh Minnesota winter as it hung on the doorframe of my great uncle’s old farmhouse. More than a hundred feet away was another ring, firmly fixed to the dairy barn. When there was a blizzard, my uncle would attach a line between both rings so he could find the path between the house and the barn. Keeping a firm grip on the line kept him from losing his way in the blinding snow. My uncle’s use of a safety line in a snowstorm reminds me of how David used lines of Hebrew poetry to trace how God’s wisdom guides us through life and guards us against sin and error: “The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:9–11). A firm grasp of the truths of Scripture informed by God’s Spirit working in our hearts keeps us from losing our way and helps us make decisions that honor God and others. The Bible warns us against wandering from God and shows us the way home. It tells us of the priceless love of our Savior and the blessings that await all who place their faith in Him. Scripture is a lifeline! May God help us cling to it always. By James Banks What promises from Scripture give you hope? In what ways will you hold on to its truths today? Heavenly Father, help me to treasure Your teaching today. Thank You for the rich, deep blessings of Scripture! Learn more about New Testament Basics.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT In Psalm 19, using the poetic device of Hebrew parallelism, David listed six things “of the Lord” that guide us: the law, the statutes, the precepts, the commands, the fear, and the decrees. Most of these might appear to be synonymous, but each has a slightly different connotation. Each “of the Lord” phrase is followed by a statement describing its individual properties or benefits. In total, they refresh the soul, make us wise, give joy, give light, endure forever, and exhibit God’s righteousness (vv. 7–9). Most distinctive is “the fear of the Lord” (v. 9), which is a healthy and proper reverence for God. Tim Gustafson

Wisdom from the Psalms / November 2

 Psalm 131:2

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

 

Thomas got so sick of his sister telling him to grow up and act his age. Sure, he blew his temper sometimes, but so what? Everybody does. Who did she thing she was, telling him to grow up? He was plenty grown-up. It was other people who needed to grow up, not him. Anybody who thought differently just didn't know what he was talking about.

 

At some point in our lives, we pass from thinking only of ourselves to thinking of others. We become less defensive and more peaceful. We admit when we are wrong, and we affirm others in their opinions. The Apostle Paul says that we must come to a place in our lives where we put aside childish things. Christian maturity comes when we begin to think less of self, more of those around us. There are times in all our lives where the message is clear: We need to grow up.

 

Prayer: Help me to grow and mature in my faith, Lord. Turn my attention to the needs of others. Turn my selfishness into selflessness. Amen.

 

When Logic Fails/ Chuck Swindoll

 When Logic Fails

by Pastor Chuck SwindollScriptures: Hebrews 6:20

Human logic breaks down in crisis. The mystery is enormous, and it is the enormity of it all that calls for faith. I'm sorry if that sounds like an overused bromide. But if we could unravel it, why would we need faith? If that were true, all we'd really need is the answer in the back of the book and someone to point it out to us; we'd read it, and that's all there would be to it. But God's plan is that we walk by faith, not by sight. It is faith and patience that stretch us to the breaking point. Such things send doubt running. 

When you find yourself dealing with doubt, let me give you three things to remember. First, God cannot lie. He can test, and He will. He can say no, and He sometimes will; He can say yes, and He will; He can say wait, and occasionally He will—but God cannot lie. He must keep His word. Doubt says, "You fool, you're stupid to believe in a God who puts you through this." By faith, keep remembering that God cannot lie. 

Here's the second piece of advice that helps me: We will not lose. Doubt says, "You lose if you trust God through this. You lose." If I read anything in this whole section of Hebrews 6, I read that in the mysterious manner of God's own timing, for some unexplainable and yet unchangeable purpose, those of us who trust Him ultimately win—because God ultimately wins. 

There's a little chorus Christians love to sing. It is quiet and tender, yet tough and true: 

In His time, in His time, 
He makes all things beautiful 
In His time. 
Lord, please show me every day, 
As You're teaching me Your way, 
That You do just what You say, 
In Your time.1

God cannot lie. We will not lose. Your mate has walked away from you, an unfair departure—you will not lose, child of God. Your baby has been born and for some reason, it has been chosen to be one of those special persons on this earth. You will not lose. You've waited and waited, and you were convinced things would improve, yet things have only gotten worse—keep remembering, you will not lose. God swears on it with an oath that cannot change. You will not lose. 

Third—and I guess it's the best of all—is that our Lord Jesus does not leave. To quote a verse from Scripture, He "sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). 

"Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever . . . " Hebrews 6:20. That means He is there at any time . . . and always. 

God cannot lie. He will always keep His Word. 
You cannot lose. God is trustworthy.
Our Lord Jesus does not leave. He is with you even now.

Love One Another / David Jeremiah

 

Love One Another By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 In the first century, two rabbinic schools of thought held sway among Jewish scholars: the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai. Hillel and Shammai held what might today be called liberal and conservative views (respectively) on matters of the law and practice among Jews. The followers of the two rabbis were known by their adherence to the two teachers’ views. It was common for first-century rabbis to have followers (disciples) whom they taught and who promulgated their teachings.

Recommended Reading: 1 John 3: 14

Jesus was often referred to as Rabbi (or Teacher) by His disciples and followers (Mark 9:5; 11:21) as well as by others who observed His role as a teacher (John 3:2). Jesus expressed His followers’ responsibility to spread His teachings when He commissioned His disciples to teach others “to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). But more than any teaching, He told them there was a trait that would mark them as His disciples: “love for one another” (John 13:35). Love is the best way to reveal Christ to a loveless world. Through an unexpected act of love, show others Whom you follow. If we love God we’ll love His children. A. W. Tozer

What Are You Getting from God’s Word? / Senior Living

 What Are You Getting from God’s Word?

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” - Proverbs 30:5-6

Dr. Chuck Swindoll, in his introductory notes to the book of Romans, shares a story about a pastor named Donald Barnhouse, who started his ministry at Tenth Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Barnhouse stepped into the pulpit on his first Sunday morning and preached from the first verse of Romans 1.

The next Sunday morning, he stood up and preached on the second verse of the same chapter – but didn’t even finish that verse. So the next Sunday morning, he picked up where he had left off in the second verse and moved on into the third verse.

For 42 months – three and a half years – Barnhouse never preached on a text outside of Romans.

God’s Word is so rich – so full of truth that you can read and meditate on just one verse for hours. Yet it’s easy to just jump in and out of your devotional time, checking your box and forgetting what you just read, isn’t it?

Don’t turn your Bible reading into a race against the clock – trying to get as much in as you can. Take it verse by verse, absorb it slowly, and let incredible truth change your life!

Prayer Challenge:

Pray that God would use His Word – every word of it – to transform your life.

Questions for Thought:

What have you been reading and learning in the Scriptures this week?

What’s one way you might be able to modify your devotional time to get more out of God’s Word?

Determined to Do Right / Alistair Begg

 

Determined to Do Right

Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, 

“You are witnesses this day that I have bought 

from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech 

and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 

Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, 

I have bought to be my wife.”

Ruth 4:9-10

The question we must ask ourselves every day when faced with various circumstances is “What is the right thing to do?” 

This is what Boaz considered when he determined to go to the city gate. He wanted to marry Ruth and provide for and protect her as her kinsman-redeemer. But he knew there was a relative closer to Ruth than him, who could choose to take on that role. Boaz was a man of integrity, unable to simply allow himself to rush off in a great swell of emotion when Ruth proposed to him on the threshing floor. His vision was set clearly on winning Ruth legitimately. 

Boaz prioritized doing the right thing over his reputation. He went to the most public place—the city gate—in order to pursue a marriage with a foreigner, which potentially could have harmed his reputation and legacy. The closer relative was not willing to take this risk (Ruth 4:6). This man isn’t even given a name in Scripture. This is a lesson to us: we shouldn’t strive to make and safeguard a name for ourselves. Let someone else make a name for us and praise us. We should simply strive to do right.

Boaz’s words reveal that one of his motivations was to “perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance” (Ruth 4:10)—to preserve the name of Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband, by continuing his family. That’s selfless. That’s impressive. If Boaz had only been concerned for himself and his desires, he could have whisked Ruth away as his wife. Instead, he carried out his responsibility and publicly owned the situation. At the time, the passing of the kinsman-redeemer title was customarily sealed with the public exchange of a sandal (v 7). This exchange symbolized something greater—namely, Boaz’s commitment, love, and personal sacrifice for Ruth. Similarly, the cross stands in public view, and there we see Christ’s commitment, love, and sacrifice on our behalf. It cost Boaz financially to marry Ruth. It cost Christ His very life to redeem us and make us His beloved bride. 

Both of these sacrifices—Boaz’s and Christ’s—won great rewards and legacies, providing a future and a hope: one for a young Moabitess and her mother-in-law, the other for all of humanity. Boaz’s pursuit of rightness resulted in a marriage that played an integral part in all of history by continuing a lineage that eventually led to the birth of our Savior (Matthew 1:5). And because of Christ’s sacrifice, we now look forward to the day when we will stand in glory, see His face, and praise His name forever. Our Bridegroom came and rightfully won us at great cost to Himself. Imagine Ruth’s joy when she heard that Boaz had given his sandal and confirmed that he would marry her. A similar joy should be ours as we look at the cross and know we are Christ’s. And the example of Boaz should be ours as we look at our day’s decisions and difficulties and learn simply to ask, “What is the right thing to do?”

Ruth 4:1-12

Inward Trembling / Spurgeon

 

Inward Trembling

Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, 

who forsake your law.

Psalm 119:53

My soul, do you feel this holy trembling at the sins of others? For if you do not, you lack 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 deeply troubled by the conduct of the men of Sodom. Those upon whom the mark was set in Ezekiel's vision were those who sighed and cried for the sins of Jerusalem. Gracious souls cannot help but be grieved to see what pains men take to go to hell. They know the evil of sin experimentally [experientially], and they are alarmed to see others flying like moths into its blaze.

Sin makes the righteous shudder because it violates a holy law that it is in every man's highest interest to keep; it pulls down the pillars of the nation. Sin in others horrifies a believer because it makes him think of the baseness of his own heart: When he sees a transgressor he is reminded of his own frailty and vulnerability: "He fell today, and I may fall tomorrow." Sin to a believer is horrible because it crucified the Savior; he sees in every iniquity the nails and spear. How troubling it should be when the Christian learns to tolerate rather than shrink from it in disgust.

Each of us must examine his heart. 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 dreadful a doom is prepared for the ungodly! My soul, never laugh at sin's fooleries, lest you begin to smile at sin itself. It is your enemy, and your Lord's enemy: Learn to detest it and to distance yourself from it, for only then can you give evidence of the possession of holiness, without which no one can see the Lord.

Humbled and Healed / Greg Laurie

 Humbled and Healed

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. (2 Kings 5:1 NKJV)

The great Syrian general Naaman was famous. He was celebrated. But he also had leprosy, and at that time, leprosy was incurable. However, Naaman heard about a prophet in Israel named Elisha, whom God had used to heal people.

Naaman made the journey to meet with Elisha, no doubt expecting that as soon as he rolled in with his entourage, the prophet would come to greet him and promptly heal him.

However, when Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house, Elisha sent his servant with a message for the general: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10 NKJV).

This offended Namaan. He effectively thought, “What? He didn’t even come out to greet me! I’m going home. We have better rivers in Syria.” But then he realized that he didn’t have many options, and he decided he should give it a try.

Why was Namaan reluctant? Immersing himself in the Jordan River meant that he would have to remove his beautiful breastplate. He would have to lay aside his royal robes. He would have to take off the helmet that he hid behind. Basically, he would have to expose the fact that he had leprosy. And that would be humiliating and embarrassing.

Naaman was a proud man, a military man. But he also was someone who needed to humble himself in the sight of God.

So Naaman went down to the Jordan and immersed himself in it one time. Nothing happened. He immersed himself a second time, and again nothing happened. Nothing changed either after the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth time he immersed himself. But when he came up from the water the seventh time, he was healed. That’s because he humbled himself and did what God wanted him to do.

Naaman had to see his real condition before God. We need to do the same.

Hope For the Future / Billy Graham

 

Hope For the Future

If you are moving to a new home, you want to know all about the community to which you are going. And since we will spend eternity some place, we ought to know something about it. The information concerning heaven is found in the Bible. When we talk about heaven, earth grows shabby by comparison. Our sorrows and problems here seem so much less, when we have keen anticipation of the future. 

In a certain sense the Christian has heaven here on earth. He has peace of soul, peace of conscience, and peace with God. In the midst of troubles and difficulties he can smile. He has a spring in his step, a joy in his soul, a smile on his face. But the Bible also promises the Christian a heaven in the life hereafter.

Daily Prayer

Father, as I face whatever trials come my way, I will take heart in the glorious promise of heaven—knowing I shall be with You!

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Daily Blessings / November 2

 Daily Blessings

“And such were some of you—but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Cor 6:11

Justification and sanctification are distinct blessings. The first springs out of, and is connected with, the finished work of the Son of God; the other springs out of, and is connected with, the work of the Holy Spirit on the soul. Sin has defiled our persons externally, as well as polluted our souls internally. We cannot, therefore, stand before God unless washed in the blood of the Lamb, and clothed in his spotless righteousness. This righteousness forms our title to heaven, as holiness constitutes our fitness. The former is our wedding robe, the latter our spiritual qualification. The hymn well draws this distinction–

“Tis he adorned my naked soul,

And made salvation mine;

Upon a poor, polluted worm

He makes his graces shine.

And, lest the shadow of a spot

Should on my soul be found,

He took the robe the Savior wrought,

And cast it all around.

The Spirit wrought my faith, and love,

And hope, and every grace;

But Jesus spent his life to work

The robe of righteousness.”

Without these two qualifications, what entrance could there be into heaven, or what happiness there, could entrance be gained? For consider not only the infinite purity and holiness of God, but the blazing splendor of his immediate presence, the piercing ray of his deep-searching eye. Who or what can live in his presence but what is absolutely perfect without and within? But this the Church could not be, unless she were washed in the blood and clothed in the righteousness of God’s dear Son, and perfectly sanctified by the operations and indwelling of his Spirit. We therefore read—“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Expectations Beyond Us / Streams

 Expectations Beyond Us

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.”

When God Entered Time / Max Lucado

When God Entered Time

Click below to listen to today's devotional

WHEN GOD ENTERED TIME 

When God entered time and became a man, he who was boundless became bound. For more than three decades, his once limitless reach would be limited to the stretch of an arm. His speed would be checked to the pace of human feet.

I wonder, was he ever tempted to reclaim his boundlessness? When the rain chilled his bones, was he tempted to change the weather? If he ever entertained such a thought, he never gave in to it.

Not once did Christ use his supernatural powers for personal comfort. With one word he could’ve transformed the hard earth into a soft bed, but he didn’t. With a wave of his hand, he could’ve boomeranged the spit of his accusers back into their faces. With the arch of his brow, he could’ve paralyzed the hand of the soldier as the soldier braided the crown of thorns. But Jesus didn’t. 

Bible in One Year: November 1

 Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 24-26; Titus 2

Individual Discouragement and Personal Growth / Oswald Chambers

 

Individual Discouragement and Personal Growth Do you not know that…you are not your own? 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block. The first thing God does is get us grounded on strong reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, “Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.” If God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours? Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 24-26; Titus 2

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. from So Send I You, 1330 L