Declaring Dependence

From: Our Daily Bread

  July 7, 2018  

Read: John 5:16–23 | Bible in a Year: Job 34–35; Acts 15:1–21

Apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Laura’s mom was battling cancer. One morning Laura prayed for her with a friend. Her friend, who had been disabled for years by cerebral palsy, prayed: “Lord, you do everything for me. Please do everything for Laura’s mother.”

Laura was deeply moved by her friend’s “declaration of dependence” on God. Reflecting on the moment, she said, “How often do I acknowledge my need for God in everything? It’s something I should do every day!”

During His days on earth Jesus demonstrated continual dependence on His heavenly Father. One might think that because Jesus is God in a human body, He would have the best of all reasons to be self-sufficient. But when the religious authorities asked Him to give a reason for “working” on a legally ordained day of rest because He healed someone on the Sabbath, He responded, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing” (John 5:19). Jesus declared His dependence as well!

Jesus’s reliance on the Father sets the ultimate example of what it means to live in relationship with God. Every moment we draw breath is a gift from God, and He wants our lives to be filled with His strength. When we live to love and serve Him through our moment-by-moment prayer and reliance on His Word, we are declaring our dependence on Him.

I need You for everything, Lord! Help me to live to serve You. I praise You for being my Savior and my strength!

Prayerlessness is our declaration of independence from God. Daniel Henderson

Hidden Beauty

From: Our Daily Bread

  July 6, 2018  

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1–7 | Bible in a Year: Job 32–33; Acts 14

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Our children needed a little coaxing to believe that it was worth putting on snorkeling gear to peer beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea off the shore of the island of Tobago. But after they dove in, they resurfaced ecstatic, “There are thousands of fish of all different kinds! It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen such colorful fish!”

Because the surface of the water looked similar to freshwater lakes near our home, our children could have missed the beauty hidden just below the surface.

When the prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king, Samuel saw the oldest son, Eliab, and was impressed by his appearance. The prophet thought he had found the right man, but the Lord rejected Eliab. God reminded Samuel that He “does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

So Samuel asked if there were more sons. The youngest boy wasn’t present but caring for the family’s sheep. This son, David, was summoned and the Lord directed Samuel to anoint him.

Often we look at people only on a surface level and don’t always take the time to see their inner, sometimes hidden, beauty. We don’t always value what God values. But if we take the time to peer beneath the surface, we may find great treasure.

Heavenly Father, thank You for not valuing people based on outward appearances but instead by looking at our hearts. Help me to take the time to see beyond simply what my eyes can see in order to discover true and lasting beauty.

God can help me to see the inner beauty in others.

Sin Always Hurts

From: Our Daily Journey

  Jul 5, 2018  

Read:

Psalm 51:1-19
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:4).

Sin will always hurt. One couple found this to be true in a painfully embarrassing way. The two were arrested after they attempted to sell stolen goods at a pawnshop. The only problem with their plan was that the goods happened to be from the house of the pawnshop owner. The owner recognized the items, went home to find that his house had indeed been burglarized, and reported the duo to the police—leading to their arrest.

It seems like it’s easier to sin when the victim is nameless and faceless. But sin will always hurt somebody. As King David realized, it’s always directed toward a name and a face.

After he rationalized and remained silent about his sins, David finally came to a place where he was able to call what he did sin (2 Samuel 11:1-27–2 Samuel 12:1-31; Psalm 32:1-5). Not only that, but in confessing it, the psalmist recognized his offense was against God Himself (Psalm 51:4). David wasn’t denying that what he did harmed others. But the point of his confession was to acknowledge his rebellion against God. This seems to fit David’s response when the prophet Nathan confronted him with his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 12:13). David realized that if God ever took him to court to prosecute his offenses, the Righteous Judge would unquestionably win the case.

Sin will always hurt somebody—primarily God. Fortunately, He’s a merciful Father who generously forgives. The first step in experiencing true forgiveness—and subsequent joy—is to acknowledge that our sins, though they involve and harm others, are primarily against God. Those who conceal their wrongs won’t prosper, but when we confess our sins to God and turn from them, we find true mercy and forgiveness (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9).

A Sure Foundation

From: Our Daily Journey

Read:

Isaiah 33:1-13
In that day he will be your sure foundation (Isaiah 33:6).

Mary’s life today as an office manager and single mother is vastly different from her previous years spent with an abusive husband. Her married life involved intense cycles of injury and apology. When authorities finally ended the violence by jailing her spouse, Mary moved to a new location. There, friends and family helped her begin to rebuild her life after her painful ordeal. During the healing process, Mary was able to co-found Healing Hearts Ministry as a way to help others rebuild their lives after the trauma and devastating effects of domestic abuse.

The people of ancient Israel had to deal with the fear, trauma, and effects of enemy invasions. During those frightening times, God wanted them to know they could trust Him as their ultimate source of help. God said He would be their “strong arm each day and [their] salvation in times of trouble” (Isaiah 33:2), the One they could depend on as their “sure foundation” (Isaiah 33:6).

The Israelites needed this image of God as a solid place to stand when they faced the threat of large-scale violence, death, and loss. An Assyrian victory would result in the collapse of their communities and way of life (Isaiah 33:7-9). They would be marched away to a distant land and have to permanently identify themselves as citizens of a new nation. Everything would be in flux.

Times of transition show us our undeniable need for God. Whether we’re escaping an abusive relationship, breaking free from destructive habits, or trying to turn a long-held dream into reality, we need something steady to hold on to. God is our unchanging rock (Malachi 3:6). Through it all He’s pleased to steady us with knowledge, wisdom, and the assurance of our salvation through Jesus.

I See You

From: Our Daily Bread

  July 3, 2018  

Read: Psalm 121 | Bible in a Year: Job 25–27; Acts 12

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

When Xavier was two, he darted into one aisle after another in a small shoe store. Hiding behind stacks of shoeboxes, he giggled when my husband, Alan, said, “I see you.”

Moments later, I saw Alan dash frantically from aisle to aisle, calling Xavier’s name. We raced to the front of the store. Our child, still laughing, ran toward the open door leading to the busy street outside.

Within seconds, Alan scooped him up. We embraced as I thanked God, sobbed, and kissed our toddler’s chubby cheeks.

A year before I became pregnant with Xavier, I’d lost our first child during the pregnancy. When God blessed us with our son, I became a fearful parent. Our shoe store experience proved I wouldn’t always be able to see or protect our child. But I discovered peace as I learned to turn to my only sure source of help—God—when I struggled with worry and fear.

Our heavenly Father never takes His eyes off His children (Psalm 121:1–4). While we can’t prevent trials, heartache, or loss, we can live with confident faith, relying on an ever-present Helper and Protector who watches over our lives (vv. 5–8).

We may encounter days when we feel lost and helpless. We may also feel powerless when we can’t shield loved ones. But we can trust that our all-knowing God never loses sight of us—His precious and beloved children.

Thank You for watching over our loved ones and us, Lord.

God always keeps His eye on His children.

More than Co-workers

 Jul 2, 2018

Read:

Romans 16:1-16
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus (Romans 16:3).

Abbie had been working in the same company for two years when she began to realize that her colleagues were more than just people who happened to work in the same place. They were an important part of her life. So she began to learn more about them, and they would sometimes even share a meal together. Even though some co-workers were difficult to relate to, Abbie and her colleagues began to create an environment where everyone could grow and develop together.

The apostle Paul had an amazing team of more than twenty co-workers whom he listed by name in his letter to believers in Rome (Romans 16:1-16). One of the reasons he listed each might have been to establish credibility with the church there—letting them know he knew many of their leaders. But he probably also simply wanted to affirm and honor his colleagues by name.

The stories of each of these people are not known in detail. But Paul lists some amazing facts. Phoebe was a deacon, which is translated in some versions as servant, and she helped many believers including Paul (Romans 16:1). Priscilla and Aquila had suffered persecution, yet they persevered and at one time even risked their lives for Paul (Romans 16:3-4; Acts 18:2). Epenetus was the first believer in Asia Minor, who probably led many others there to become believers (Romans 16:5).

Although Paul was focused on advancing the kingdom of God, he didn’t do it alone, nor did he treat his co-workers as mere tools in his mission. Instead, he sought to develop and encourage them by speaking positively about them and giving specific examples of things he appreciated about them. Whenever possible, may we also seek to encourage and honor our colleagues in their work for Christ’s kingdom.

What Is God Like?

From: Our Daily Bread

  July 1, 2018  

Read: Hebrews 1:1–10 | Bible in a Year: Job 20–21; Acts 10:24–48

The Son is . . . the exact representation of [God’s] being. Hebrews 1:3

To celebrate a special occasion, my husband took me to a local art gallery and said I could choose a painting as a gift. I picked out a small picture of a brook flowing through a forest. The streambed took up most of the canvas, and because of this much of the sky was excluded from the picture. However, the stream’s reflection revealed the location of the sun, the treetops, and the hazy atmosphere. The only way to “see” the sky was to look at the surface of the water.

Jesus is like the stream, in a spiritual sense. When we want to see what God is like, we look at Jesus. The writer of Hebrews said He is “the exact representation of [God’s] being” (1:3). Although we can learn facts about God through direct statements in the Bible such as “God is love,” we can deepen our understanding by seeing the way God would act if He faced the same problems we have on Earth. Being God in human flesh, this is what Jesus has shown us.

In temptation, Jesus revealed God’s holiness. Confronting spiritual darkness, He demonstrated God’s authority. Wrestling with people problems, He showed us God’s wisdom. In His death, He illustrated God’s love.

Although we cannot grasp everything about God—He is limitless and we are limited in our thinking—we can be certain of His character when we look at Christ.

Dear God, thank You for making a way for us to know You. Help us to grow closer to You by looking at Jesus.

Looking at Jesus shows us God’s character.