[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 6] For This I Have Jesus

Read: Psalm 66:1-15

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." 

--Hebrews 13:5

In an evangelistic meeting in Ireland, the speaker was explaining what it means to abide in Christ and to trust Him completely in every trial. Concluding his message, he repeated several times, “It means that in every circumstance you can keep on saying, ‘For this I have Jesus.’ ”

The meeting was then opened for testimonies. One young woman said, “Just a few minutes ago I was handed this telegram. It reads, ‘Mother is very ill; take train home immediately.’ When I saw those words, I knew that tonight’s message was meant just for me. My heart looked up and said, ‘For this I have Jesus.’ Instantly a peace and strength flooded my soul.”

Three or four weeks later the evangelist received a letter from this woman. It read, “Thank you again for the message you gave that day. Life has become an uninterrupted psalm of victory, for I have come to realize that no matter what life brings, for this I have Jesus.”

That believer in Christ had found in her Savior the One who would be with her “through fire and through water,” and who would bring her “out to rich fulfillment” (Ps. 66:12).

If you are enduring a great trial of affliction, remember—for this you have Jesus! --Henry G. Bosch

I've found  refuge from life's care in Jesus,

I am hiding in His love divine;

He fully understands my soul's deep longing,

And He whispers softly, "Thou art Mine." --Christiansen

 

REFLECT ON THIS:

If every circumstance finds us abiding in Christ, we will find Christ abiding with us in every circumstance.

[MARCH 29] Thanks, God!

Read: Psalm 105:1-5

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord!"

--Psalm 105:1

At RBC Ministries, our human resources team has developed an effective and encouraging program that centers around gratefulness.

When an employee notices something good another employee does here at the office, he or she can take a special "Thank You" card provided by human resources and write a note of appreciation. It's a good feeling to walk into your office and find one of those cards on your desk.

Isn't it great to be thanked for a job well done? Doesn't a good hearty "thank you" brighten your day? And doesn't it make your relationships a little more special--just to know that your work is not being taken for granted?

Everybody loves to be thanked. Even God. Our heavenly Father finds pleasure in our expression of thanks to Him. It's His will that we tell Him "Thank You." Give thanks in all circumstances," Paul said, "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV). The writer of Hebrews took it a step further by saying, "Let us be thankful, and so worship God" (12:28 NIV).

Keep looking for ways to improve your relationship with God. Don't forget what may be the most basic way to worship and honor Him: Tell Him "Thanks." --Dave Branon

Then let us adore and give Him His right,

All glory and power, all wisdom and might,

All honor and blessing, with angels above,

And thanks never ceasing for infinite love. --Wesley

REFLECT ON THIS:

The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful heart.

[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.

[MARCH 7] God's Helpers

Read: Psalm 103:19-22

"Bless the Lord, you His angels" 

--Psalm 103:20

I was having a conversation with some children about God and superheroes when Tobias asked a question. An imaginative, curious 5-year-old, he asked anyone listening: “Does God have a sidekick like Hercules does?” His wiser, older brother, age 7, quickly responded: “Yes, He has thousands of them—they’re His angels.”

Angels are a popular topic of discussion, and people believe a number of myths about them. For instance, some people pray to angels, thinking they are on the same level as God Himself. And some believe that people become angels when they die. But here’s what the Bible, our authority, teaches:

• God created angels (Col. 1:15-17).
• Angels worship God (Neh. 9:6), and are known by these terms: archangels (Jude 1:9), cherubim (2 Kings 19:15), and seraphim (Isa. 6:1-3).
• They minister to God’s people (Heb. 1:13-14) by guarding and protecting them (Ps. 91:9-12).
• They are given special assignments by God (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26).
• God’s angels rejoice when we repent of sin and turn to Christ for salvation (Luke 15:7,10).

Only God deserves our worship. So let’s join the angels in singing His praises! --Anne Cetas

All hail the power of Jesus' name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all. --Perronet

REFLECT ON THIS: 

Angels are God’s special helpers.

[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.

[JANUARY 28] Quiet Time with God

Read: Psalm 23

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters" 

--Psalm 23:2

The word connected captures our contemporary experience of life. Many people rarely go anywhere without a cell phone, iPod, laptop, or pager. We have become accessible 24 hours a day. Some psychologists see this craving to stay connected as an addiction. Yet a growing number of people are deliberately limiting their use of technology. Being a “tech-no” is their way of preserving times of quiet, while limiting the flow of information into their lives.

Many followers of Christ find that a daily time of Bible reading and prayer is essential in their walk of faith. This “quiet time” is a disconnection from external distractions in order to connect with God. The “green pastures” and “still waters” of Psalm 23:2 are more than an idyllic country scene. They speak of our communion with God whereby He restores our souls and leads us in His paths (v.3).

All of us can make time to meet with God, but do we? In Robert Foster’s booklet “7 Minutes With God,” he suggests a way to begin: Start with a brief prayer for guidance, then read the Bible for a few minutes, and close with a short time of prayer that includes adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication for others. It’s vital to take time today to connect with the Lord, who is our life.

We need to set aside the time

To read God's Word and pray,

And listen for the Spirit's voice

To guide us in His way. --Sper

REFLECT ON THIS:

Time spent with God is time well spent.

[JANUARY 19] A Constant Companion

Read: Psalm 119:129-136

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end." 

--Psalm 119:33

When my wife and I are preparing for a trip, one of the first things we do is get out the road atlas. We study it intensely to learn the best routes, determine the number of miles we’ll have to travel, pick out interesting places to visit, decide how far we can get in a day, and estimate expenses. On the journey, the atlas is our constant companion, and we consult it many times a day. We couldn’t get along without it.

For Christians, the Bible is an atlas for their spiritual journey, but it is much more. It is described as:

• sweeter than honey (Psalm 19:10; 119:103)

• a lamp (Psalm 119:105)

• rain and snow (Isaiah 55:10,11)

• a fire (Jeremiah 23:29)

• a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29)

• water (Ephesians 5:26)

• a sword (Ephesians 6:17)

• solid food (Hebrews 5:12)

• a mirror (James 1:23)

• milk (1 Peter 2:2)

Like the highway traveler, we as Christians are on a long and sometimes hazardous journey. We face many decisions and will have many needs on our pilgrimage to paradise. The Bible has been given to us to help us make those decisions and to meet those needs. It should be our constant companion–studied diligently and consulted often along the way. We can’t do without it. --Dave Egner

I have a companion,a dear, faithful friend,

A union of blessing that never shall end;

Till Jesus returns with His saints from on high

We'll travel together, my Bible and I. --Anon.

REFLECT ON THIS:

The Bible is like a compass—it always points the believer in the right direction.

[JANUARY 16] Respect for Life

Read: Psalm 139:13-16

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" 

--Psalm 139:14

In Psalm 139, David describes God as fashioning his tiny body together in the darkness of his mother’s womb. God loved David before he ever existed.

God designed the person David was to be, and He brought that person into being according to His predetermined plan. In this psalm, David used the intriguing metaphor of a journal in which God first wrote His plan and then brought that plan into fruition through His handiwork in the womb: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written” (v.16).

Put another way, David was shaped by his heavenly Father’s love into a unique creation. He came from the inventive heart and hand of God. What was true of David is true of you. You are special—along with everyone else in the world.

This being true, we must be pro-life in the purest sense of the word. We are to respect and cherish all human life: the born and those still in the womb; winsome children and weary seniors; the wealthy executive and the financially destitute. All persons are unique productions of our Creator’s genius. With David, let’s exclaim: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (139:14). --David Roper

By God's wise designing

We are wonderfully made,

Every part essential

And in every balance laid. --Anon.

REFLECT ON THIS:

All life is created by God and bears His autograph.