Through HIs Eyes

From: Our Daily Journey

 

Read:

Judges 6:11-16
The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” (Judges 6:12).

 

As I first listened to the Christian song “Through Your Eyes” by Britt Nicole, the image my mind conjured up was of a sinful me cowering before a spotless God ablaze in holiness. The thought of Him seeing me through His pure and perfect eyes left me squirming and uncomfortable—certain He wouldn’t find much good there. When the lyrics finally registered, however, I realized that my guilt had caused me to miss the song’s message of hope. Although I can often only see my failures, God sees something beautiful and goes out of His way to wake me up to that fact.
Gideon must have felt similarly surprised when the angel of the Lord hailed him as a “mighty hero” (Judges 6:12). For someone who’d been hiding in the bottom of a winepress in order to shield his grain from the enemy Midianites, “mighty hero” might have seemed like hyperbole. But the angel didn’t stop there. He turned to Gideon and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” (Judges 6:14). “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (Judges 6:15).
Through God’s miraculous work and Gideon’s obedience, He used Gideon and 300 men to defeat the entire Midianite army (Judges 7:1-25). Yet Gideon had been full of doubt and repeatedly asked God for signs (Judges 6:1-40). It took the reality of victory to open his eyes to what God had already declared about him.
Like Gideon, we may often view ourselves and others through a lens that fixates on weakness and failure. Today, let’s purpose to take a page from God’s book and focus on the very best we each have to offer, all based in His provision.

Give It To God

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: 2 Kings 19:9–19 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 148–150; 1 Corinthians 15:29–58

Then [Hezekiah] went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 2 Kings 19:14

As a teenager, when I became overwhelmed by enormous challenges or high-stakes decisions, my mother taught me the merits of putting pen to paper to gain perspective. When I was uncertain whether to take specific classes or which job to pursue, or how to cope with the frightening realities of adulthood, I learned her habit of writing out the basic facts and the possible courses of action with their likely outcomes. After pouring my heart onto the page, I was able to step back from the problem and view it more objectively than my emotions allowed.
Just as recording my thoughts on paper offered me fresh perspective, pouring our hearts out to God in prayer helps us gain His perspective and remind us of His power. King Hezekiah did just that after receiving a daunting letter from an ominous adversary. The Assyrians threatened to destroy Jerusalem as they had many other nations. Hezekiah spread out the letter before the Lord, prayerfully calling on Him to deliver the people so that the world would recognize He “alone . . . [is] God” (2 Kings 19:19).

Lord, You are my source of wisdom and strength.

When we’re faced with a situation that brings anxiety, fear, or a deep awareness that getting through it will require more than what we have, let’s follow in Hezekiah’s footsteps and run straight to the Lord. Like him, we too can lay our problem before God and trust Him to guide our steps and calm our uneasy hearts.

Do you have a prayer request? Share it with the Our Daily Bread family at YourDailyBread.org.

God is our greatest help in times of distress.

A Little Bit Of Paradise

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: Romans 8:18–23; Revelation 21:1–5 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 146–147; 1 Corinthians 15:1–28

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5

Gazing out my open study window, I hear birds chirping and hear and see the wind gently blowing in the trees. Bales of hay dot my neighbor’s newly tilled field, and large, white cumulus clouds stand out in contrast to the brilliant blue sky.

I’m enjoying a little bit of paradise—except for the almost incessant noise of the traffic that runs past our property and the slight ache in my back. I use the word paradise lightly because though our world was once completely good, it no longer is. When humanity sinned, we were expelled from the garden of Eden and the ground was “cursed” (see Gen. 3). Since then the Earth and everything in it has been in “bondage to decay.” Suffering, disease, and our deaths are all a result of humankind’s fall into sin (Rom. 8:18–23).

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5

Yet God is making everything new. One day His dwelling place will be among His people in a renewed and restored creation—“a new heaven and a new earth”—where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:1–4). Until that day we can enjoy the bright splashes and sometimes wide expanses of breathtaking beauty we see around us in this world, which is just a small foretaste of the “paradise” that will be.

Dear Lord, thank You that in this world that can seem ugly with sin and decay You allow us to see glimpses of beauty.

Read about the life to come at discoveryseries.org/q1205.

God is making all things new.

Stepping Into Faith

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:11–18, 28–36 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 143–145; 1 Corinthians 14:21–40

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

“Will we see any snakes?”

Allan, a young boy in our neighborhood, asked that question as we started on a hike by the river near our home.

Prayer imparts the power to walk and not faint. Oswald Chambers

“We never have before,” I answered, “but we might! So let’s ask God to keep us safe.” We paused, prayed together, and kept walking.

Several minutes later my wife, Cari, suddenly took a quick step backward, narrowly avoiding a poisonous copperhead partially coiled on the path ahead. We waited as the snake left the trail, giving it a wide berth. Then we paused and thanked God nothing had happened. I believe that through Allan’s question, God had prepared us for the encounter, and our prayer was part of His providential care.

Our brush with danger that evening brings to mind the importance of David’s words: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always” (1 Chron. 16:11). This advice was part of a psalm celebrating the return of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. It recounts God’s faithfulness to His people in their struggles throughout history, reminding them to always praise Him and “cry out” to Him (v. 35).

What does it mean to “seek [God’s] face”? It means we turn our hearts toward Him in even the most mundane moments. Sometimes our prayers are answered differently than our asking, but God is faithful come what may. Our Good Shepherd will direct our paths and keeps us in His mercy, strength, and love. May we declare our dependence on Him.

Bitter Or Better

From: Our Daily Journey

Read:

Ruth 1:1-21
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty” (Ruth 1:20-21).

My friend was overjoyed. Following years of failed procedures, she was going to give birth to a daughter. With only weeks to go, however, my friend discovered her husband was having an affair. The weight of pain threatened to drown all hope of happiness.

Today, by God’s grace, the two are still together. They’ve lived through heartache and experienced the power of repentance, forgiveness, and healing. Almost a decade later, their marriage is stronger than before.

Most of us have been through challenging times and our attitude in the midst of these moments has shaped who we’ve become—bitter or better.

Naomi became bitter. Her name actually means “pleasantness,” but that was before life left her feeling broken. Not only was she forced to flee to Moab to escape famine in her hometown, but, after settling there, her husband Elimelech died. This left her alone to raise two sons in a foreign land. Her sons, Mahlon and Kilion, both married Moabite women, but ten years later they also died (Ruth 1:1-5).

When she learned that the famine in Bethlehem was over, Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth returned home. Although people greeted her as Naomi, that isn’t how she felt. “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty” (Ruth 1:20-21). God was working in Naomi’s heart, however, and He used the unwavering devotion of Ruth to restore her true identity (Ruth 4:13-17).

In the midst of the many challenges of life, may we too know the kindness of our heavenly Father, leading us to leave our bitterness behind as we rest in His presence. By God’s grace, we can find hope and a better way in Him!

Don't Run Alone

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: Exodus 17:8-13 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 137–139; 1 Corinthians 13

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses . . . let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

My husband Jack was on mile 25 out of 26 when his strength failed him.

This was his first marathon, and he was running alone. After stopping for a drink of water at an aid station, he felt exhausted and sat down on the grass beside the course. Minutes passed, and he couldn’t get up. He had resigned himself to quitting the race when two middle-aged schoolteachers from Kentucky came by. Although they were strangers, they noticed Jack and asked if he wanted to run with them. Suddenly, he found his strength restored. Jack stood and accompanied by the two women he finished the race.

Who can you encourage to persevere through difficulty today?

Those women who encouraged Jack remind me of Aaron and Hur, two friends who helped Moses, the leader of the Israelites, at a key point (Ex. 17:8–13). The Israelites were under attack. In battle, they were winning only as long as Moses held his staff up (v. 11). So when Moses’s strength began to fail, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him, holding up his arms for him until sunset (v. 12).

Following God is not a solo endeavor. He did not create us to run the race of life alone. Companions can help us persevere through difficulty as we do what God has called us to do.

God, thank You for relationships that encourage me to continue following You. Help me to be a source of strength for others, as well.

Who can I encourage to persevere through difficulty today?

God’s Doing Something New

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: 1 Thessalonians 3:6–13 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 135–136; 1 Corinthians 12

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

“Is God doing something new in your life?” was the question the leader asked in a group I was in recently. My friend Mindy, who is dealing with some difficult situations, responded. She told of needing patience with aging parents, stamina for her husband’s health issues, and understanding of her children and grandchildren who have not yet chosen to follow Jesus. Then she made an insightful comment that runs contrary to what we might normally think: “I believe the new thing God is doing is He’s expanding my capacity and opportunities to love.”

That fits nicely with the apostle Paul’s prayer for new believers in Thessalonica: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thess. 3:12). He had taught them about Jesus but had to leave abruptly because of rioting (Acts 17:1–9). Now in his letter he encouraged them to continue to stand firm in their faith (1 Thess. 3:7–8). And he prayed that the Lord would increase their love for all.

Lord, open my eyes to love.

During difficulties we often choose to complain and ask, Why? Or wonder, Why me? Another way to handle those times could be to ask the Lord to expand His love in our hearts and to help us take the new opportunities that come to love others.

I’ve got my own list of things I could worry about, Lord. Change my thinking. Open my eyes to love.

 Our troubles can fill our prayers with love and empathy for others.