Are You Being Prepared?

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: 1 Samuel 17:8, 32–37, 48–50 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 13–15; Acts 19:21–41

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and . . . the bear will rescue me. 1 Samuel 17:37

I worked at a fast-food restaurant for over two years in high school. Some aspects of the job were difficult. Customers verbalized their anger while I apologized for the unwanted slice of cheese on the sandwich I didn’t make. Soon after I left, I applied for a computer job at my university. The employers were more interested in my fast-food experience than my computer skills. They wanted to know that I knew how to deal with people. My experience in unpleasant circumstances prepared me for a better job!

Young David persevered through an experience we might well call unpleasant. When Israel was challenged to send someone to fight Goliath, no one was brave enough to step up to the task. No one but David. King Saul was reluctant to send him to fight, but David explained that as a shepherd he had fought and killed a lion and a bear for the sake of the sheep (1 Sam. 17:34–36). Confidently he stated, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and . . . the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (v. 37).

God uses present circumstances to prepare us for the future.

Being a shepherd didn’t earn David much respect, but it prepared him to fight Goliath and eventually become Israel’s greatest king. We may be in difficult circumstances, but through them God might be preparing us for something greater!

Lord, help me to hold on during the unpleasant times in my life knowing that You may be preparing me for something greater.

God uses present circumstances to prepare us for the future.

Face To Face With Jesus

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: Exodus 33:7–14 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 10–12; Acts 19:1–20

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11

Although the world is connected electronically like never before, nothing beats time together in person. As we share and laugh together, we can often sense—almost unconsciously—the other person’s emotions by watching their facial movements. Those who love each other, whether family or friends, like to share with each other face to face.

We see this face-to-face relationship between the Lord and Moses, the man God chose to lead His people. Moses grew in confidence over the years of following God, and he continued to follow Him despite the people’s rebelliousness and idolatry. After the people worshiped a golden calf instead of the Lord (see Ex. 32), Moses set up a tent outside of the camp in which to meet God, while they had to watch from a distance (33:7–11). As the pillar of cloud signifying God’s presence descended to the tent, Moses spoke on their behalf. The Lord promised that His Presence would go with them (v. 14).

We can speak to the Lord as a friend.

Because of Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection, we no longer need someone like Moses to speak with God for us. Instead, just as Jesus offered to His disciples, we can have friendship with God through Christ (John 15:15). We too can meet with Him, with the Lord speaking to us as one speaks to a friend.

Face to face! O blissful moment! Face to face—to see and know; face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so! Carrie E. Breck

We can speak to the Lord as a friend.

God See's You

From: Our Daily Journey

II Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

Read:

Genesis 16:1-16
She said, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).

Susan had suffered one disappointment after another, and she was feeling disillusioned with God. She asked me and another friend to pray with her, and we gladly did. I’ll never forget my friend’s prayer, “Lord, let Susan know You love her—that You see her.” The next day Susan thanked us for our prayers. She said she’d been feeling invisible, and our prayers helped her to feel visible again. She knew afresh that God saw her.

This really is the key, isn’t it? The toughest part of any trial is wondering how much we and our problems matter to others. We can endure most anything when we know we count—that we’re seen.

The story of Hagar is a powerful illustration of this. Hagar had been abused by the first family of our faith. Sarai had forced her to become a subordinate wife to Abram to give them a child through her and then became jealous when Hagar became pregnant and stopped respecting her. Perhaps her pregnancy made her see herself as more than a slave. In response, “Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away” (Genesis 16:6).

But an angel found Hagar in the wilderness and told her to name her son “Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’)”, because “the Lord . . . heard [her] cry of distress” (Genesis 16:11). Although the path ahead wouldn’t be easy, Hagar now knew God would not abandon her. She called Him El-roi, which means, “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).

What difficulty has you wondering whether you matter to God? The One who heard Hagar’s cries in the desert also has His eyes locked on you. He knows where you are and what pain you’re enduring. The road ahead may be difficult, but you’ll walk every step in full view of El-roi, the God who sees you.

Approaching God

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: Hebrews 4:14–16 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 4–6; Acts 17:16–34

But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge. Psalm 73:28

A woman desiring to pray grabbed an empty chair and knelt before it. In tears, she said, “My dear heavenly Father, please sit down here; you and I need to talk!” Then, looking directly at the vacant chair, she prayed. She demonstrated confidence in approaching the Lord; she imagined He was sitting on the chair and believed He was listening to her petition.

A time with God is an important moment when we engage the Almighty. God comes near to us as we draw near to Him in a mutual involvement (James 4:8). He has assured us, “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). Our heavenly Father is always waiting for us to come to Him, always ready to listen to us.

God is everywhere, is available every time, and listens always.

There are times when we struggle to pray because we feel tired, sleepy, sick, and weak. But Jesus sympathizes with us when we are weak or face temptations (Heb. 4:15). Therefore we can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (v. 16).

Lord, thank You that I can pray to You in all places at all times. Put the desire to come near to You in my heart. I want to learn to come to You in faith and in confidence.

God is everywhere, is available every time, and listens always.

Get In To God's Will

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: James 4:6–10 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 1–3; Acts 17:1–15

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

They call it “The Devil’s Footprint.” It’s a foot-shaped impression in the granite on a hill beside a church in Ipswich, Massachusetts. According to local legend the “footprint” happened one fall day in 1740, when the evangelist George Whitefield preached so powerfully that the devil leaped from the church steeple, landing on the rock on his way out of town.

Though it’s only a legend, the story calls to mind an encouraging truth from God’s Word. James 4:7 reminds us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The prayer of the feeblest saint . . . is a terror to Satan. —Oswald Chambers

God has given us the strength we need to stand against our adversary and the temptations in our lives. The Bible tells us that “sin shall no longer be your master” (Rom. 6:14) because of God’s loving grace to us through Jesus Christ. As we run to Jesus when temptation comes, He enables us to stand in His strength. Nothing we face in this life can overcome Him, because He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

As we submit ourselves to our Savior, yielding our wills to Him in the moment and walking in obedience to God’s Word, He is helping us. When we give in to Him instead of giving in to temptation, He is able to fight our battles. In Him we can overcome.

Lord Jesus, I give my will to You today. Help me to stay close to You in every moment, and to love You by obeying You.

The prayer of the feeblest saint . . . is a terror to Satan. Oswald Chambers

Restoration Of Everything Satan Took

From: CBN, By: Martha Noebel

Prophecies for the future are already beginning to come to the body of Christ. Last night at a prayer meeting at the church I attend, the pastor shared that he believed God was calling the year ahead as the year of “rest.”

Resting sounded like a wonderful thing to do. But since we should be preparing for the end-times, I didn’t understand how we had the time to spare by doing nothing.

Then the Lord spoke to my heart this acronym:

Restoration of
Everything
Satan
Took

Wow! The picture of getting back all that the enemy has stolen from us would certainly line up with progress in spite of the lack of struggle. I could not help but think of the world striving and realized that with rest … all striving would cease. We could see God prospering us financially, spiritually, physically, and know that in every area of our lives, we would know victory.

I pictured our churches filling up without the gimmicks we are using to attract the lost. Away with the free turkey if you visit. Away with the competition to come up with the sharpest looking church Website. And away with the yard sales, candy sales, etc. in order to raise money for various church building projects.

God is going to give back to the church all that Satan took. He has robbed us of our finances, lured our loved ones into sin, and tried to weaken us in our physical bodies. But the Lord is saying, “Enough!”

Here is a promising scripture:

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. Isaiah 58:11-12 NIV

The Lord has promised to guide, satisfy, prosper, refresh, rebuild, raise up, repair, and restore his people. The church of the future will be a mighty church that will be able to do more and will not have to try so hard for the results.

This sounds unbelievable I know, but I believe it. Our God is a God of increase and blessing. He will hear and answer our prayers as we declare what He says about things and then we begin believing it.

Why don’t you join me in trusting God for many surprising miracles in the future? Let’s see what great and mighty works He will do if we let Him.

Be Joyful And Show Mercy

From: Our Daily Bread

Read: 2 Chronicles 7:1–10 | Bible in a Year: Job 38–40; Acts 16:1–21

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Psalm 100:1

My granddaughter’s favorite tune is one of John Philip Sousa’s marches. Sousa, known as “The March King,” was a US composer in the late nineteenth century. Moriah isn’t in a marching band; she’s only twenty months old. She just loves the tune and can even hum a few notes. She associates it with joyful times. When our family gets together, we often hum this song along with claps and other boisterous noises, and the grandchildren dance or parade in circles to the beat. It always ends in dizzy children and lots of laughter.

Our joyful noise reminds me of the psalm that implores us to “worship the Lord with gladness” (Ps. 100:2). When King Solomon dedicated the temple, the Israelites celebrated with praises (2 Chron. 7:5–6). Psalm 100 may have been one of the songs they sang. The psalm declares: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. . . . Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (vv. 1-2, 4). Why? “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever”! (v. 5).

Praise is the overflow of a joyful heart.

Our good God loves us! In grateful response, let’s “shout for joy to the Lord”! (Ps. 100:1).

Dear Lord, give us thankful hearts to praise You, because You are good and all that You do is good. Your love endures forever!

Praise is the overflow of a joyful heart.