[APRIL 27] For the Sake of His Name

Read: 1 Samuel 12:19-25

"I will never leave you nor forsake you" 

--Hebrews 13:5

The ancient Israelites gathered at Gilgal for the coronation of Saul as their first king (1 Sam. 11:15). The Lord was not pleased that His people had asked for a king, yet on this occasion Samuel uttered these words: “The Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people” (12:22).

We too are God’s “own special people” if we have trusted Jesus as Savior (1 Peter 2:9). He will not forsake us even though He knows we will fail Him. He knows what we are like—sinful, weak, and frail. He knew it before He called us and drew us to Himself. The certainty of our salvation rests not in ourselves but on the character of God (1 John 5:20). He will keep us to the end.

This does not give us an excuse to continue in sin. Paul said, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom. 6:2). Our choices do reflect on God’s reputation, our witness in the world, and our fellowship with Him. But God will never reject His people, those who are truly His. The Lord cannot and will not forsake His own (Heb. 13:5).

We can rest assured. What God saves, He keeps—for the sake of His great name! --David Roper

"Able to keep!" how sure is the word!

He is my Keeper, Savior, and Lord.

"Never shall perish," one of His sheep,

Glory to God! He is able to keep. --Anon.

REFLECT ON THIS:

Lives rooted in God’s unchanging grace can never be uprooted.

[APRIL 14] Unseen Workers

Read: Romans 12:1-10

"We have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function"

--Romans 12:4

As I was giving myself a manicure, I started feeling sorry for my right hand. It does the most work, but my left hand gets the most attention. My right hand applies nail polish smoothly to my left-hand nails, but my left hand, lacking skill and coordination, does not return the favor. The polish on my right hand is always smeared and messy. One hand does the better work, but the other hand gets all the attention and honor.

As I worked on my fingernails, my thoughts turned toward something much more important—the people in my church, many of whom are highly skilled at tasks that make others look good. These hardworking folks, however, seldom get noticed, because their work puts the attention on someone else. It seems unfair that those who do such good work get little appreciation.

Truly servant-minded believers, though, don’t see it that way. They give preference to others (Rom. 12:10) because they know that God sees what others do not—and that He will reward those whose work is unseen by others (Matt. 6:4,6,18; 1 Cor. 12:24).

Is someone else reaping the benefit of your hard work? Be encouraged. God rewards those who work “invisibly” to make Christ visible to the world. --Jackie Ackerman Link

The service that we do for God

May go unpraised by men;

But when we stand before the Lord,

He will reward us then. --Sper

REFLECT ON THIS:

No service for Christ goes unnoticed by Him.

[APRIL 13] He Never Sleeps

Read: Psalm 121

"He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber" 

--Psalm 121:3

Giraffes have the shortest sleep cycle of any mammal. They sleep only between 10 minutes and 2 hours in a 24-hour period and average just 1.9 hours of sleep per day. Seemingly always awake, the giraffe has nothing much in common with most humans in that regard. If we had so little sleep, it would probably mean we had some form of insomnia. But for giraffes, it’s not a sleep disorder that keeps them awake. It’s just the way God has made them.

If you think 1.9 hours a day is not much sleep, consider this fact about the Creator of our tall animal friends: Our heavenly Father never sleeps.

Describing God’s continual concern for us, the psalmist declares, “He who keeps you will not slumber” (Ps. 121:3). In the context of this psalm, the writer makes it clear that God’s sleepless vigilance is for our good. Verse 5 says, “The Lord is your keeper.” God keeps us, protects us, and cares for us—with no need for refreshing. Our Protector is constantly seeking our good. As one song puts it: “He never sleeps, He never slumbers. He watches me both night and day.”

Are you facing difficulties? Turn to the One who never sleeps. Each second of each day, let Him “preserve your going out and your coming in” (v.8). --Bill Crowder

The Rock of Ages stands secure,

He always will be there;

He watches over all His own

To calm their anxious care. --Keith

REFLECT ON THIS:

The One who upholds the universe will never let you down.

[APRIL 12] The Wrong Stuff

Read: John 14:1-6

"There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" 

--Acts 4:12

It was a simple task, but I was in over my head. One of the items on the grocery list was soy. Problem was, I didn’t know what kind of soy my wife, Sue, had in mind when she made the list. After searching the aisles and asking the advice of a worker who was stacking soup cans, I grabbed a bottle of soy sauce, placed it in the cart, and went on my way.

Only after I unloaded my bags at home did I discover that Sue didn’t want soy sauce. She wanted soy milk for our granddaughter Eliana. I was sincere in my search. I even asked for help and confidently pulled my selection off the shelf. But it didn’t do me (or Eliana) any good. I had the wrong stuff.

Sadly, some people are walking through the grocery store of life with “heaven” on their list, but they are not getting what they need. Despite their sincerity and the intended help of others, they grab something that won’t get them to heaven because they find a “different gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4).

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And Peter said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Trust Jesus. Don’t settle for the wrong gospel. --Dave Branon

Not all roads lead to God,

As many people claim;

There's only one true way--

Christ Jesus is His name --Sper

REFLECT ON THIS:

Christ is the only door into heaven.

[APRIL 9] The Fear of Falling

Read: Psalm 46

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" 

--Deuteronomy 33:27

Have you ever dreamed that you were falling out of bed or from some great height, and you awoke in fright? I remember that as a boy I would often be awakened by such a terrifying feeling.

I heard about a man who had this sensation as soon as he slipped into sleep. He was so rudely awakened by his sense of falling that he was afraid to go back to sleep. He feared he would die, and he imagined he was falling into a bottomless pit.

Then one evening as he was strolling through a cemetery, he saw this phrase engraved on a tombstone:

UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS

These words reminded him that when believers die, they are safely carried by the Lord to their home in heaven. He recalled the assurance of the psalmist, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Ps. 23:4).

The once-fearful man realized that in life and in death— and even in sleep—the “everlasting arms” of our loving Lord are there to catch and hold us. That night he was able to sing what he was taught in childhood, “Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed!” At last he could fall asleep without fear. --M. R. De Haan, MD

I can trust my loving Savior

When I fear the world's alarms;

There's no safer place of resting

Than His everlasting arms. --Hess

REFLECT ON THIS:

You can trust God in the dark as well as in the light.

[MARCH 26] Worthy of Respect

Read: Philippians 2:19-30

"Receive [Epaphroditus] therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem."

--Phil. 2:29

Just before kickoff at a Super Bowl XLIII. Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award--a tribute given to the player who had best combined on-field excellence with off-field community service. "A am humbled the Lord has given me such an amazing life to impact others," said Warner, a dedicated Christian. "Of all the awards, given to NFL athletes, [these one] stands out...because of what it represents." It represents a commitment to giving and sacrificing for others.

Paying homage to those who serve is not a new concept. Paul spoke of it when he reminded the Philippians to honor those who gave themselves in serving Christ. he told them of their friend Epaphroditus, who had nearly died (Phil. 2:30) because of his efforts for Christ in ministering to others--including the people of Philippi. How should they respond? Paul said, "Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem" (v.29). Clearly, when we think of those sacrifice in serving the Savior, they are worthy of our respect and appreciation.

Why nit look for ways to show gratitude to those who have served you spiritually. Give them the honor they deserve. --Bill Crowder

To honor is to show respect,

To meet another's need,

To give someone encouragement,

To love in word and deed. --Sper

REFLECT ON THIS:

We honor God when we honor those who serve God.

[MARCH 24] Worst Possible Scenario!

Read: Job 1:13-22

"When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." 

--Job 23:10

When I used to teach at a Bible college in a large city, I sometimes graded papers at a food court while waiting for  commuter train. One day, I accidentally bumped my large cup of coffee. Its entire contents emptied my open briefcase.

In most cities, there is a quiet reserve on the part of commuters. However, the coffee splash was so dramatic that it could not be ignored. A man sitting nearby said aloud, "Worst possible scenario!"

That comment was obviously an overstatement. But each of us dreads the thought of something in particular: financial loss, the death of a child or spouse, cancer, or another loss or hardship.

The book of Job is a case in study in worse possible scenarios. yet Job wisely assessed God's role in trying circumstance of loss and poor health: "He knows the way that I take, when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). From this wise statement we can learn two valuable lessons: One is that what we dread most can be used to test our character and make us stronger. The other is that God will provide the strength and comfort to see us through.

Cling to God. He has promised to work on our behalf, even in the worst possible scenario. --Dennis Fisher

God often sends me joy through pain,

Through bitter loss, divinest gain;

Yet through it all--dark days or bright--

I know my Father leads aright. --Conklin

REFLECT ON THIS:

The living God can take the fear out of living.

[MARCH 23] Signature Scent

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

"Through us [God] diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place."

--2 Corinthians 2:14

You can't see it , hear it, or touch it, but scent is powerful. The smell of things like crayons, petunias, and colognes evoke memories that transport me to the past and bring to mind people and places I might not otherwise recall.

Some celebrities have fragrances named after them. Fans can identify with an actress or singer by dabbing on the scent bearing her name. Along those lines, Ladies Home Journal published a quiz to help readers determine the perfect fragrance for them. The idea is that every woman, to be memorable, should have a specific scent associated to her.

The idea of a signature scent is not new. God introduced it as a part of worship. In the tabernacle, a certain scent was to be associated with the Lord (Ex. 30:34-35). The people were forbidden to use this fragrance for anything but worship (vv.37-38).

This idea continues under the new covenant, but with a stunning difference. Instead of using incense to make people think of Him, God uses Christians as His "signature scent" to the world (2 Cor. 2:14-15). The fact that God identifies Himself with us in such a powerful way is a truly humbling thought, and causes me to ask, "What do people think about God as a result of being around me?" --Julie Ackerman Link

When we've been alone with Jesus,

There's a difference others know;

And to them it's like a fragrance

That we leave where we go. --Hess

REFLECT ON THIS:

A life lived for God has pleasing aroma.

[MARCH 20] A Worthy Offering

Read: Genesis 4:1-7

"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door."

--Genesis 4:7

I was delighted when a mutual friend gave my neighbor a Bible. But my neighbor told me she stopped reading it because she couldn't understand why God would be so unfair as to reject Cain's offering. "After all," she said, "as a farmer, He simply brought to God what he had. Did God expect him to buy a different kind of sacrifice?" Sadly, she had missed the point. 

It wasn't that God didn't like vegetables. Rather, He knew that Cain's offering was masking an unrighteous attitude. Cain wasn't fully committed to God, as expressed by the fact that he wasn't living according to His ways.

It's easy to worship God on the outside while stubbornly keeping territory from Him on the inside. Jude writes about outwardly religious people who use religious activities to cover the reality of their sinful lives: "Woe to them! For the have gone in the way of Cain" (Jude 11). We can faithfully serve God, sing His praises, and give sacrificially to His work. But God doesn't want any of that without our hearts.

Does the Lord take priority over our plans and dreams? Is He worth more than the sin that tempts us? When we express to Him that He is more worthy than anything or anyone else in our lives, it's offering He won't refuse. --Joe Stowell

Lord, may our worship and our praise,

From our hearts surrendered to Your ways,

Be worthy offerings of love

For all Your blessings from above. --Sper

REFLECT ON THIS:

God won't refuse a heart that is surrendered to Him.

[MARCH 17] A Good God

Read: Psalm 46

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble
--Psalm 9:9

When my brother-in-law was a missionary in Mali, West Africa, he was involved in a traffic accident. A man had wandered into the road in front of Chick's motorcycle. The cycle struck the man and sent Chuck and the bike sliding along the ground for more than 200 feet. Shortly after Chuck regained consciousness in the hospital, his doctor told him he had been "really lucky." Chuck smile and replied, "God is good."

Later he thought about the day events. The man who was struck hadn't received any permanent injuries, and Chuck would also recover from injuries. But what if one of them had been killed? He thought, God would be no less good.

When we experience tragedy, we may wonder about God's goodness. Is God always good? Yes. He is. He never promised that bad things will never happen to us, but He does promise to be "our refuge and strength" (Ps.46:1). He doesn't promise that we will never walk through heart-wrenching circumstances, but He promises that we won't be alone (23:4).

God is good--no matter what suffering we are experiencing. Even we don't understand, we can say with Habakkuk, "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (3:18). --Cindy Hess Kasper

O taste and see that God is good
To all who seek His face;
Yea, blest the one who trusts in Him,
Confiding in His grace. --Psalter

REFLECT ON THIS:
God tests our faith so that we may trust His faithfulness.

[MARCH 16] The Real Hero

Read: John 3:22-30

"He must increase, but i must decrease." 

--John 3:30

Louis B. Neumiller was known for his humility, integrity, and commitment to quality. As president f the Caterpillar Tractor Company from 1941-54, he led the manufacturer of earth-moving ewuipment through the challenges of World War II into global expansion. In the book In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century, authors Mayo and Nohria describe Neumiller's leadership as "success without fanfare." His mark of greatness, they note, was that he took his identity out of the business and "let his company become a hero instead of himself."

We see the same quality of selflessness  in John the Baptist, the dynamic preacher who repeatedly affirmed his mission on paving the way for the Messiah. When John's followers became concerned that Jesus was baptizing people and crowds were following Him, John replied: "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but 'I have been sent before Him.'... He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:28,30).

As followers of Christ, are we lifting Him up instead seeking honor for ourselves? Rather than being disappointed when our contribution is unnoticed, we should be glad because our highest privilege is to magnify the Lord. He's the hero!

Honoring Him is the mark of greatness. --David McCasland

A Prayer: Lord, tech us to be humble. 

May our desire be that You be known, honored, loved, and exalted 

in every thought and action--above ourselves. Amen.

REFLECT ON THIS:

The great Christian is one who is small enough to let God be great in his life.

[MARCH 13] A Safe Pair of Hands

Read: Psalm 138

"Your right hand will save me" 

--Psalm 138:7

Edwin van der Sar, goalkeeper for the Manchester United soccer team, had a “safe” pair of hands. He kept the ball from entering his team’s goal for 1,302 minutes, a world record in one season! That means that for almost 15 games of 90 minutes each, no one was able to score even one goal against his team while he was guarding the goalposts. But one goal by an opposing team in March 2009 ended his record.

The psalmist David found comfort in the safest pair of hands—God’s hands. He wrote of God’s protection in Psalm 138, “You will stretch out Your hand... and Your right hand will save me” (v.7). Like David, we can look to God’s safe hands to keep us from spiritual danger and defeat.

Another assurance from God’s Word for followers of Christ is Jude 1:24-25: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” That doesn’t mean we’ll never stumble. But it does mean we won’t stumble so badly that God cannot pick us up.

God’s safe pair of hands can never fail—ever! --C.P. Hia

From Him, who loves me now so well,

What power my soul can sever?

Shall life or death, or earth or hell?

No--I am his forever. --Small

REFLECT ON THIS:

No place is more secure than to be in God’s hands.

[FEBRUARY 27] Strength in Weakness

Read: Matthew 20:20-28

"Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant" 

--Matthew 20:26

No one wants to be weak, so we find ways to appear strong. Some of us use the force of our emotions to manipulate people. Others use the force of personality to control people, and some use intellect to intimidate. Although these create an illusion of strength, they are signs of weakness.

When we are truly strong, we have the courage to admit our licomitations and to acknowledge our dependence on God. As a result, true strength often looks a lot like weakness. When the apostle Paul prayed that an affliction would be taken from him, God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul responded with these troubling words: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (v.10).

Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, some of His disciples were striving for positions of prominence. Jesus used their argument as an opportunity to teach them that in His kingdom things are different: greatness comes when we willingly assume positions of weakness (Matt. 20:26).

This is a hard truth. I prefer the illusion of strength to the reality of weakness. But God wants us to realize that true strength comes when we stop trying to control people and start serving them instead. --Julie Ackerman Link

The life that we live for God's glory,
Let's live it in biblical light:
God's strength is made perfect in weakness;
He alone controls power and might. --Branon

REFLECT ON THIS:
God’s greatest power can be displayed in our biggest weakness.

[FEBRUARY 26] Under New Orders

Read: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" Matthew 22:37

Herman Wouk’s thrilling World War II novel The Caine Mutiny contains an excellent illustration of what happens when someone becomes a follower of God.

In the novel, a young man from an influential family has enlisted in the Navy. On the day of his induction, his mother drops him off in her fancy car and then kisses him goodbye. He shakes hands with the guard as he enters the building, and the door closes behind him.

His mother, suddenly worried that he might not have enough money, rushes up to the door. But the guard politely stops her. When she demands entrance, he refuses to let her in. She can see her son standing inside the door, so she reaches for the doorknob. “He’s my son!” she cries. The guard gently removes her hand from the knob and says softly, “I know, Ma’am, but he belongs to Uncle Sam now. He’s a sailor.”

When we believe in Jesus Christ and become His followers, we are under new authority. We are subject to new commands. Now we belong to Him. What was once important to us loses its significance. We evaluate things differently. Our new desire is to love and serve the Lord with all our heart (Deut. 6:5-6). Have you joined His ranks? --Dave Egner

Jesus my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no power of evil can sever;
He gave His life to ransom my soul--
Now I belong to Him! --Clayton

REFLECT ON THIS:
Followers of Christ get their marching orders from Him.

[FEBRUARY 23] Foreign Worship

Read: Acts 17:16-31

"[Paul] seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus" 
--Acts 17:18

During a trip to the Far East, I visited an unusual shrine made up of hundreds of statues. According to our guide, worshipers would pick the statue that looked the most like an ancestor and pray to it.

A few years ago, I read about a student named Le Thai. An ancestor worshiper, he found great comfort in praying to his deceased grandmother. Because he was praying to someone he knew and loved, he found this to be personal and intimate.

But when he came from Vietnam to the US to study, Le Thai was introduced to Christianity. It sounded like a fairy tale based on American thinking. To him, it was the worship of a foreign God (see Acts 17:18).

Then a Christian friend invited him to visit his home on Christmas. He saw a Christian family in action and heard again the story of Jesus. Le Thai listened. He read John 3 about being “born again” and asked questions. He began to feel the pull of the Holy Spirit. Finally, he realized that Christianity was true. He trusted Jesus as his personal Savior.

When friends see Christianity as foreign worship, we need to respect their heritage while sharing the gospel graciously and giving them time to explore Christianity. And then trust the Spirit to do His work. --Dave Branon

Man gropes his way through life's dark maze,
To gods unknown he often prays,
Until one day he meets God's son--
At last he's found the Living One! --D. De Haan

REFLECT ON THIS:
God is the only true God.

[FEBRUARY 20] Parked for Now

Read: Numbers 9:19-23

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry" 

--Psalm 40:1

Parking my car has been a lifelong problem for me. It really wasn’t a high priority with my driving instructor, so I never learned to back up into a parking space until many years later. He also skipped the parallel parking lesson, and I still avoid that unless there’s enough space for two or three cars.

I’ve also struggled to understand a statement I heard when I was a young Christian: “God can’t steer a parked car.” I took that as a challenge to shift my life into motion, and along the way God would guide me in the right direction. It’s an interesting thought, but it’s not always the way God works. Occasionally, God does want us to “stay parked” for a while.

At times, when Moses was in the wilderness, God kept the Israelites in one place. He led them by a cloud, and when it stayed still for many days, “the children of Israel... did not journey” (Num. 9:19). Waiting isn’t always easy, but sometimes God wants us to stay right where He has put us. The psalmist reminds us, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” (27:14).

You may feel that you’re stuck and just spinning your wheels in your service for God. But keep your heart open to God’s leading. Then you’ll be ready to shift gears when you hear God say, “Let’s go this way.” --Cindy Hess Kasper

Praying, resting, waiting, trusting--NU
These are words that tell a story;
As we wait for God to lead us,
He responds, "Just seek My glory." --Hess

REFLECT ON THIS:
God orders our stops as well as our steps.

[FEBRUARY 18] Tell it All

Read: Psalm 62

"Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" --Psalm 62:8

A clerk who helped me purchase a small digital voice recorder told me that he kept one just like it in his car when he worked in California. “When I began driving home after work I switched it on,” he said, “and I talked about everything that happened that day on the job, good and bad. When I pulled into my driveway, I hit the erase button.” Then he smiled. After telling everything to his voice recorder, he apparently had no need to go over the day’s problems with his wife or family.

It reminded me of how often I needlessly rehearse my disappointments and problems to others instead of telling them to God. The psalmist wrote: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8). Twice he spoke of waiting silently for God, his rock and salvation (vv.1-2,5-7).

While there is great comfort in sharing our difficulties with a friend, we miss the greatest help if we fail to bring them to the Lord. Joseph Scriven said it so well:

What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer! --David Mc Casland

 

REFLECT ON THIS:
No matter where we are, Jesus is only a prayer away.

[FEBRUARY 17] In the Car Wash

Read: Isaiah 43:1-13

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you" 

--Isaiah 43:2

I’ll never forget my first experience using an automatic car wash. Approaching it with the dread of going to the dentist, I pushed the money into the slot, nervously checked and rechecked my windows, eased the car up to the line, and waited. Powers beyond my control began moving my car forward as if on a conveyor belt. There I was, cocooned inside, when a thunderous rush of water, soap, and brushes hit my car from all directions. What if I get stuck in here or water crashes in? I thought irrationally. Suddenly the waters ceased. After a blow-dry, my car was propelled into the outside world again, clean and polished.

In the midst of all this, I remembered stormy times in my life when it seemed I was on a conveyor belt, a victim of forces beyond my control. “Car-wash experiences,” I now call them. I remembered that whenever I passed through deep waters my Redeemer had been with me, sheltering me against the rising tide (Isa. 43:2). When I came out on the other side, which I always did, I was able to say with joy and confidence, “He is a faithful God!”

Are you in the middle of a car-wash experience? Trust God to bring you through to the other side. You’ll then be a shining testimony of His keeping power.--Joanie Yoder

How wonderful to know that He
Who watches from above
Will always keep us sheltered in
His ever-present love! --King

REFLECT ON THIS:
A tunnel of testing can produce a shining testimony.

[FEBRUARY 11] The Other Side

Read: James 4:13-17

"What is your life? It is even a vapor" 

--James 4:14

When someone said to my friend, “See you in a year,” it sounded odd when he replied, “Yes, see you on the other side.” He meant that he’d see him on the other side of a one-year deployment for the US Navy. But because the phrase is often used of heaven, it made me think about the uncertainty of life. I wondered, Who will be here in another year? Who might by then be on the other side—in heaven?

We certainly don’t know what the next year—or hour—will bring. In his epistle, James wrote about this uncertainty. He rebuked the greedy merchants for boasting about what they would do that day, the next day, or even the next year (4:13). Their sin wasn’t that they were making plans; it was forgetting God and arrogantly boasting about those business plans.

James reminded them: “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (v.14). Commentator Peter Davids says that James was pointing out their foolishness and saying, in essence, “Come now, you who make plans—you don’t even understand how little control you have over life itself.”

No part of life is outside the control of God. So when we make plans, we need to remember, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (v.15). --Anne Cetas

Tomorrow's plans I do not know,

I only know this minute;

But He will say, "This is the way,
By faith now walk ye in it." --Ryberg

REFLECT ON THIS:

Write your plans in pencil and let God have the eraser.

[February 9] God Incidents

Read: Hebrews 11:1-10

"In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" 

--Philippians 4:6

In the normal course of providence, God works in and through creation, not despite it. For this reason, some answers to prayer are difficult to prove with certainty.

“Only faith vouches for the connection,” C. S. Lewis writes. “No empirical proof could establish it.” We believe a prayer has been answered not because of any scientific criteria proving it, but because we have faith.

Most of the ways we encounter God—nature, the Bible, the Lord’s Supper, the church, other people—include things we can touch. God’s own state, though, is the realm of spirit. Prayer reflects that difference between us.

Although we may ask God to intervene directly, it should not surprise us if He responds in a more hidden way in cooperation with our own choices. An alcoholic prays, “Lord, keep me from drink today.” The answer to that prayer will likely come from the inside—from a stiffening resolve or a cry for help to a loyal friend—rather than from some marvel like the magical disappearance of liquor bottles from a cabinet.

Whether God supernaturally intervenes or is giving us the power to obey Him, we trust His character. We see a true partnership, intimate and intertwined. --Philip Yancey

Help me to walk alright,

More by faith, less by sight;

Lead me with heavenly light--

Teach me thy way. --Ramsey

REFLECT ON THIS:

An important part of praying is a willingness to be part of the answer.