United In Prayer

From: Our Daily Journey

Read:

John 17:20-26
I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me (John 17:21).

A Chinese couple, a South Korean couple, and my Mongolian friend and I had the privilege of praying together every morning for nearly an entire year. This experience brought us together in unity as brothers and sisters in Jesus, made us more aware of the glimpses of truth He had placed in each of our cultures, and gave us strength and boldness to be light to those around us. It was a sweet taste of the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17.

In His prayer, Jesus revealed His heart in a truly powerful and distinct way. He prayed for His disciples, as well as for all the believers. He said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:20-21). This means he prayed for all those who believe in Him today!

Jesus prayed that they would “experience such perfect unity that the world will know that [God the Father] sent me” (John 17:23). He was looking ahead to the time when people from every nation, tribe, social class, culture, and language would bow their knee and pledge allegiance in unity to the great I AM (Revelation 7:9-10). Jesus was implying that the unity of the believers would convince people the gospel is true.

Over the centuries, despite what Jesus prayed, believers have not always walked in unity. My experiences with my Chinese, South Korean, and Mongolian friends, however, give me hope that we can be united in Christ. May we live out a deep belief in what Jesus said to His Father: “Your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them” (John 17:26). Our unity presents the beautiful union of our triune God.

From A Tent To A Mansion

 

From: Get More Strength

The family tent was old by the time I came along. I was the youngest of three children by many, many years and my family had thoroughly broken it in. To me, it seemed ancient! I can’t absolutely prove it, but I am pretty sure that our tent came from Corinth and was stitched personally by Paul. (Acts 18:1-3)

I especially remember our tent during a camping trip to Bankhead National Forest in Double Springs, Alabama. Night was already falling when we arrived. My brother and I set up the tent as Mom and Dad pulled together a quick meal. Then off to bed so that we’d be rested for a fun day of activities. Unfortunately, the zipper broke on the tent as Dad was closing up for the night. Mom and Dad did the best they could to hold the flaps together with any pins and clips Mom happened to have in her purse. But, we all awakened to itchy and swollen eye lids, ears and cheeks from the persistent mosquitoes that found their way through the gaps and holes that just couldn’t be patched up.

We recovered during a day filled with swimming and relaxing under the blue Alabama sky; only occasionally scratching at the bites from the night before. After dinner that night, we gathered around the picnic table and played Flinch under a lantern hanging from a tree limb above us. Laughter filled the warm night until we finally made our way to bed. Although somewhat nervous about another attack by those blood thirsty mosquitoes, Dad had made repairs during the day that brought us some sense of security. Nonetheless, I was going to keep my head under the covers, just in case. But, another surprise awaited us during the night.

At first it was just random flashes gently illuminating the tent. Then we heard the rumbles following those flashes as the wind began to swirl around the trees above us. Our tent held firm. Eventually, the heavens opened with torrents of rain. It was not just one of those passing storms, by no means, this one lingered. The poor tent did its best to defend us from the onslaught but it eventually began to sag and leak as the canvas became increasingly saturated. Dad finally relented and gave the command. We all jumped into action as we quickly packed up in the pouring rain to head home. We jammed our personal belongings and camping utensils into the trunk of the car with the poor tent being the last item smashed in to the cramped trunk. The tent was never the same after that night.

These days I relate more and more to that old family tent. I’m tending to sag and droop as the years pass. I might not be losing a zipper, but other body parts are beginning to fail, usually at the most embarrassing moments. There is no rush; but fortunately, I’ll set aside my frail tent one day.

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 2 Peter 1:13-14 NIV

Point People To Jesus

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 10–12; John 6:45–71

God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

There’s a street with an intriguing name in the city of Santa Barbara, California. It’s called “Salsipuedes,” which means “leave if you can.” When the street was first named, the area bordered on a marsh that sometimes flooded, and the Spanish-speaking city planners dubbed the location with a not-so-subtle warning to stay away.

God’s Word cautions us to stay away from the “wrong road” of sin and temptation: “Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way” (Prov. 4:15). But Scripture doesn’t just say “leave if you can.” It offers assurance and tells us where to turn: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Lord, I praise You that You are willing to give me all the strength I need!

The promise that God will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to withstand is an encouraging reminder. When we turn to God in the moments when temptation comes, we know He is more than willing to help us stay away.

The Bible affirms that Jesus is able “to empathize with our weaknesses.” But He was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus knows the way out of every temptation. He will show us as we run to Him!

Thank You, Lord, for Your promise to be faithful to me and provide a way out whenever I face temptation. I praise You that You are willing to give me all the strength I need!

God promises to help us when we are tempted.

Time For A Break

 

From: Our Daily Journey

Read:

Deuteronomy 5:12-15
On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you (Deuteronomy 5:14).

 

One morning, I was surprised to see my mail carrier lugging his heavy bag. I asked him why he was delivering mail on Sunday, and he curtly responded with a single word: “Amazon.” The online retailer had started offering Sunday delivery, so it was no longer a day of rest for postal workers.

In Deuteronomy 5, God mandated that Israel observe the Sabbath with its rest requirements. Not just the men and women of Israel were to rest on Saturday—but their children, their servants, and even their work animals (Deuteronomy 5:14). In Exodus 23:10-11, we see that the land itself was also supposed to enjoy a Sabbath rest every seven years.

There’s a very good reason for the all-encompassing nature of this command: If the people of Israel didn’t observe the Sabbath, then neither could their servants, the most vulnerable and likely overworked group. The foreigners of Israel, being of a lower social standing and with fewer resources, would also not be able to afford to stop working. That’s why God “commanded” all people to rest (Deuteronomy 5:15)—not to be domineering, but because each person’s Sabbath was interconnected with the wellbeing of others.

I often fail to recognize the interconnected nature of our lives, how my personal lack of rest can rob other people of their rest in turn. But as 1 Corinthians 12:12 tells us, believers in Jesus are one body, and what affects one part of the body affects the others. A manager might make a personal choice to never take a break at work, but the truth is that everyone around her is affected by that choice as well.

Regardless of the day, may we choose to regularly rest to honor God and bless those around us! (Deuteronomy 5:14).

Living Simply-Yet Focused

From: Utmost.org

Look at the birds of the air….Consider the lilies of the field… —Matthew 6:26, 28

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin”— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me.” In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as “the lilies of the field.”

The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.

If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live— yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.

Living With Lions

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: Daniel 6:19–28 | Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25–47

He is the living God and He endures forever. Daniel 6:26

When I visited a museum in Chicago, I saw one of the original Striding Lions of Babylon. It was a large mural-type image of a winged lion with a ferocious expression. Symbolizing Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and war, the lion was an example of 120 similar lions that would have lined a Babylonian pathway during the years of 604–562 bc.

Historians say that after the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem, the Hebrew captives would have seen these lions during their time in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. Historians also say it’s likely that some of the Israelites would have believed Ishtar had defeated the God of Israel.

Dear God, give me the strength to continue to trust in You when I am discouraged.

Daniel, one of the Hebrew captives, did not share the doubts that might have troubled some of his fellow Israelites. His view of God and his commitment to God stayed steady. He prayed three times a day—with his windows open—even when he knew it would mean entering a den of lions. After God rescued Daniel from the hungry animals, King Darius said, “[Daniel’s God] is the living God and he endures forever . . . . He rescues and he saves” (Dan. 6:26–27). Daniel’s faithfulness allowed him to influence Babylonian leaders.

Staying faithful to God despite pressure and discouragement can inspire other people to give Him glory.

Dear God, give me the strength to continue to trust in You when I am discouraged. Help me to experience Your never-ending love and stay close to Your side.

Faithfulness to God inspires other.

God Knows Your Needs

…you may be partakers of the divine nature… —2 Peter 1:4

We are made “partakers of the divine nature,” receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, “Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle.” And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.

Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, “All my springs are in You” (Psalm 87:7). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you…may have an abundance…” (2 Corinthians 9:8)— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.