Useful Breath

February 2 - Darkness Is My Closest Friend

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 19:11-20:13
1 Corinthians 7:25-40
Psalm 88:10-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 88:16-18
16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. 17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. 18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend.

Insight:
Psalm 88 begins with the words: "LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry." The Psalmist acknowledges faith in God's power to save, but also expresses frustration with the feelings that God may not be listening. The combined impact of feeling overwhelmed by life and feeling ignored by God is deadly to a person's emotional and spiritual wellness. So the Psalmist pours out his lament and complaint to God.

This bold and honest expression of doubt is surprisingly also an expression of faith. The psalmist's faith in God's goodness, justice, and compassion is what gives him the confidence to be honest and direct in his prayer. If God is who the psalmist believes him to be, then there is freedom to speak honestly about doubts, fears, and frustrations. He wants to be a friend of God, but right now the darkness seems closer to him and more real than God.

Response & Action:
Life is overwhelming and frustrating. I believe in God, but there are many times when the silence and darkness engulf me. Instead of retreating from God in these times, I will boldly and honestly pour out my heart to God. I will tell God when I am frustrated and confused. I will complain and cry out when I feel abandoned or unheard. It is only people of faith who talk to God about their doubts.

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Do not be far away from me, O God. Give me a deep and unshakable sense of your presence. Sustain me in times of trouble. Strengthen my faith in times of doubt. Be my light and my closest friend when the darkness closes in. In your compassion and mercy, be patient with my complaints. By your grace, calm my heart. By your Spirit, guard my heart and mind with the peace of Christ. Be my heart's wellspring of deep and abiding joy, and dispel the shadows of despair. Abide with me and graciously make me able to abide in you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 16:33b
33b "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Resources:
Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent
by Ben Patterson

February 1 - Wives and Husbands

2012-02-01T00:21:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 18:1-19:10
1 Corinthians 7:1-24
Psalm 88:1-9
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Corinthians 7:1-5
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Insight:
Remaining unmarried is a good thing, but it is not advisable for people with strong sexual needs and desires. People must be realistic about their sexuality and the temptations they will face in a sexually immoral culture.

Marriage is the God-given context for sexual activity. It is the sacred context for the fulfillment of sexual needs. Husbands and wives must take sexual intimacy very seriously—caring for each other and considering themselves to be one flesh.

Husbands and wives may, by mutual consent, agree to refrain from sexual activity if it serves a higher spiritual purpose, but even that must be approached as a temporary situation. A healthy sexual relationship in marriage strengthens the relationship and serves as a deterrent to sexual immorality.

Response & Action:
I am a married person. I must treat my wife with loving respect and care. Our marriage is a sacred and committed context for sexuality. Even within marriage, there may be times where spiritual formation and ministry needs may require a season of sexual abstinence. This must be mutually agreed upon. My wife and I belong to each other. Our healthy intimacy strengthens our belonging and safeguards against sexual immorality and temptation.

Lord God, I thank you for the gift of marriage. Help me to love, cherish, and honor my wife. Thank you for this special relationship, and thank you for making it a sanctuary for loving intimacy in a world filled with sexual sin. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 5:3
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

Resources:
The Mystery of Marriage: Meditations on the Miracle
by Mike Mason

January 31 - Your Bodies

2012-01-31T00:27:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 17:1-29
1 Corinthians 6:1-20
Psalm 87:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Corinthians 6:13b-20
13b The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Insight:
Sexual immorality is a product of fallen humanity. The human body is not meant for immorality. The body is intended for glorifying God. God raised Jesus from the dead and by that same power he can raise us from our fallen condition. Sexuality is a very deep part of the human self. That makes it a very dangerous form of sin. Once it takes root in our bodies it is very difficult to root it out, and its impact upon our whole person can be devastating.

We need to think of our bodies as a temple--a holy place for the Holy Spirit to live. We bring honor to God by caring for our bodies and making sure they are used for holy purposes.

Response & Action:
I must avoid sexual immorality. I must recognize the danger sexual immorality poses to my whole self. I need to honor God with my heart, mind, and body. I need to draw upon the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit to rise above my vulnerability and the sexual sinfulness of my fallen world, recognizing that God's power and grace can raise me up. God is the creator of sexuality, and so it follows that if it is to be a blessing to me, and an honor to God, I must acknowledge and heed God's boundaries and purposes for sexuality.

O God, lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Create in me a clean heart. Help me to delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Give me the wisdom and the will and the strength to do what is right. Help me to honor you with my heart, my mind, and my body. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 5:3
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

Resources:
Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity
by Lauren F. Winner

January 30 - Restoring the Fallen

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 15:23-16:23
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Psalm 86:11-17
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Corinthians 5:9-11
9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Insight:
Corinth was famous for sexual immorality. The church there would certainly have had to deal with a wide variety of sexual issues as people were coming to God through faith in Christ. How does the church extend grace and hope to all people—all sinners—and still hold up a standard for holy living?

The case in 1 Corinthians 5 was one of incest. A man was having a sexual relationship with a woman who was or who had been his father's wife. The church was evidently proud of how tolerant they were, thinking that non-confrontation would be the gracious, Christian thing to do. Paul counters this attitude in no uncertain terms. The problem seems to be that the man claimed to be a Christian, but didn't see his sexual behavior as inconsistent with this claim.

Paul says that Christians need to take holiness and morality very seriously because Christian fellowship should be moving people toward maturity and holiness. Sin must be seen as sin if it is to be dealt with. A "toleration" that turns a blind eye toward sin and a deaf ear to Christ's call to holiness is a form of tolerance that denies the need for change and the possibility of transformation.

Response and Action:
I need to pursue holiness and take sin seriously in my life. I also need to take it seriously when I see it in the lives of my Christian friends. To tolerate open and defiant sin in my life or in the lives of my Christian friends would be to ignore the calling of Christ and the resurrection power he offers for our transformation. We must recognize sin in our lives, repent of this sin, and work together toward holiness by the grace of God.

O God, help me to be honest about sin in my life. Help me to be honest and loving with my Christian friends about the sins I recognize in their lives. Help us all to humbly turn to you for the power we need to change. Help us to graciously receive the gentle corrections and admonitions we extend to each other. Help the Christian community I'm a part of to be both loving and straightforward in a spirit of gracious accountability and support. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Resources:
Restoring the Fallen: A Team Approach to Caring, Confronting & Reconciling
by Sandy Wilson, Paul Friesen, Virginia Friesen, and Larry Paulson

January 29 - Bringing Home the Banished

2012-01-29T00:38:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 14:1-15:22
1 Corinthians 4:1-21
Psalm 86:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: 2 Samuel 14:14
14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.

Insight:
Joab's elaborate ruse to convince David to show mercy to his son, Absalom, is very interesting. Why is this type of approach so prevalent in the stories about David? Was David difficult to confront? Did he not take criticism well? Was he so feared even by those closest to him? Whatever the reason, the words Joab put in the mouth of the woman from Tekoa were effective and David was persuaded (even though he saw through the scheme).

The woman's description of God—"he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him"—may have reminded David of his own words of repentance (Psalm 51) he offered up to God after his sin with Bathsheba: "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:11-12)

Response and Action:
I praise God for devising ways to save the lost, welcome back the banished, and restore the estranged. I will praise God for the hope and peace he extends to all who follow Jesus—peace with God, peace among people, and peace of heart and mind. I will make every effort to live at peace with all people, restore relationships, and rebuild the broken.

Thank you, O God, for your gracious and restoring love toward me. Help me to likewise be gracious to others. Thank you for the peace and restoration you extend through Christ. Help me to live in that peace and to live out that peace. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 4:9-10
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Resources:
Rebuilding Your Broken World
by Gordon MacDonald

Reading Schedule for Jan. 29 - Feb. 4

2012-01-29T00:25:00.006-06:00

Proverbs 4:18-23
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Schedule and Tips:
2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, January 29 -
2 Samuel 14:1-15:22 / 1 Corinthians 4:1-21 / Psalms 86:1-10

Monday, January 30 -
2Samuel 15:23-16:23 / 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 / Psalms 86:11-17

Tuesday, January 31 -
2 Samuel 17:1-29 / 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 / Psalms 87:1-7

Wednesday, February 1 -
2 Samuel 18:1-19:10 / 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 / Psalms 88:1-9

Thursday, February 2 -
2 Samuel 19:11-20:13 / 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 / Psalms 88:10-18

Friday, February 3 -
2 Samuel 20:14-21:22 / 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 / Psalms 89:1-8

Saturday, February 4 -
2 Samuel 22:1-23:23 / 1 Corinthians 9:1-18 / Psalms 89:9-13

January 28 - Desolation and Disgrace

2012-01-28T07:00:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 13:1-39
1 Corinthians 3:5-23
Psalm 85:8-13
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: 2 Samuel 13:20-22
20 Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. 21 When King David heard all this, he was furious. 22 Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.

Insight:
Some portions of the Bible are deeply disturbing. Today's reading exposes David's family for the dysfunctional mess it was—a mess that rivals any horror story you could point to in the news today. In this one horrific chapter, we see the house of David engaged in incest, premeditated sexual assault, misogyny, denial, aiding and abetting, injustice, vengeance, and murder. Yikes. So much for reading the Bible for inspiration and heroes to emulate!

Evil is nothing new. The unfolding drama of God's plan to redeem and save humankind is a long, tragic, and messy story. Sin isn't just a problem for humanity; it's an addiction.

It's no wonder the story of our salvation culminates with Jesus dying at the hands of those he came to save. It's why the cross, an instrument of death and violence, has become ironically the symbol of salvation and love. The cross is not just a reminder of Jesus' love and sacrifice, it's a reminder of the violence, death, hate, and sin he came to save us from.

Response & Action:
The first step toward salvation is to recognize the sinfulness of the human heart and the need to be saved. I need to recognize the sin in my life. I need the forgiveness, deliverance, and power of God to turn away from sin. I cannot be saved from sin if I refuse to recognize it and fail turn away from it. I need to embrace the hope, the life, the direction, the grace, and the transformation only Christ can give me.

O God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and do what is right. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, I ask you to lead, teach, transform, shape and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 6:22-23
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches and Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

January 27 - The Deep Things of God

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 12:1-31
1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4
Psalm 85:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Corinthians 2:10b-12
10b The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Insight:
Only the Spirit of God truly understands the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit's indwelling of our mortal bodies (Romans 8) is a gift from God to all who believe in Jesus and surrender themselves to him. The Holy Spirit helps us come to know God in deeper and clearer ways—helping us to understand all that God is freely giving to us through Christ.

Response & Action:
I will seek understanding and guidance from the Spirit of God. I will pray. I will read the scriptures and meditate on them. I will be responsive to the Spirit, being careful to not grieve or quench what the Spirit is doing in my life. I will make time to be quiet before the Lord. I want to grow in my awareness and sensitivity to the Spirit's presence in my life.

O God, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Through your Spirit, help me to understand and know you more each day. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape, and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Encourage me, by your Spirit, through your word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 1:18-19a
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19a and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Resources:
The Knowledge of the Holy
by A.W. Tozer

January 26 - The Power and Wisdom of God

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 9:1-11:27
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Psalm 84:8-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Corinthians 1:20-24
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Insight:
The power and wisdom of God are revealed in Christ Jesus. Philosophy and academics are useful, but they cannot, in and of themselves, give life. The wise man, the scholar, and the philosopher of this age need the truth of God to inform their wisdom, scholarship, and philosophy. Human reason has its limits. Inquiry and research can take us only so far. God has revealed his truth and wisdom through Jesus.

Response & Action:
Ultimate wisdom is found in Jesus Christ. His words, actions, teachings, relationships, prayers, and stories all reveal the truth of God. I will examine all my studies, ideas, and beliefs in the light of what Jesus has said and done, because he is the wisdom of the God.

O God, thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus, your son. Just as the rising sun is visible with each new day, and by its illumination makes all things visible, I believe in Jesus, not just because I see him, but also because by his light and wisdom I become able to see everything else. Help me to grow in wisdom and truth of Christ as I follow closely after him. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Resources:
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God
Dallas Willard

January 25 - Blessed Is the One Who Trusts

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 7:1-8:18
1 Corinthians 1:1-17
Psalm 84:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Psalm 84:1-2,10,12
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. - - - 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. - - - 12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Insight:
Psalm 84 expresses how wonderful it was to worship the Lord at Solomon's Temple. It was so beautiful, and God's presence was so tangible, that reverence and praise came easily (v.4). Even the trip to Jerusalem was a meaningful experience for those who traveled to worship at the Temple. It reminded them of the faith journeys made by their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vv.5-7). Once they arrived and joined into the Temple worship experience, their faith was bolstered. One day of this experience was so encouraging and valuable to the worshipers they felt it was worth more than a thousand days doing anything else.

Response and Action:
Gathering with others to worship and praise God should be a beautiful and encouraging experience for me. It should be something I look forward to with joyful anticipation. As a follower of Christ, I want to do my part to make worship a beautiful and encouraging experience for others. I want my church family, my worship community, to be so filled with God's presence and beauty that people look forward to being together. I want time spent with my church family to be so sweet that it's better than a thousand days elsewhere.

O God, give me a heart that is quick to worship you. Give me a love for your church and an appreciation for time spent with your people. Help my church family to seek you wholeheartedly, and to become a beautiful and attractive witness of your grace and presence. Help me, as part of that community, to be an encouragement and joy to others. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Resources:
The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship
by A. W. Tozer

January 24 - Divisions and Obstacles

2012-01-24T00:29:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 4:1-6:23
Romans 16:10-27
Psalm 83:1-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 16:17-18
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

Insight:
Fellowship among Christians is threatened by those who confuse the clear teachings of scripture with their own opinions, agendas, or selfish interests. These create obstacles to unity. Christians must be on guard against conflicts and circumspect about the people who start them.

Response & Action:
I need to watch out for people and influences that would damage Christian community. Are problems arising out of selfish motives? Are opinions and issues raised contrary to scriptural teaching and precedent? I must be careful to recognize deception and manipulation, and discern when people are putting their own interests over the interests of others and of Christ. I must also guard against self-centeredness.

Reading and studying the Scriptures will help me recognize the things that run contrary to the truth. I will take time for prayer and Bible reading every day in order to learn what Christ and the apostles have taught. I will strive to be humble and selfless and carefully examine my own actions and motives.

O God, help me to recognize those things that are divisive—opinions, arguments, lies, pride, manipulation, and selfishness. Help me to know your word, to live by it, and to bring people together through it. Help us all to turn away from selfish impulses and instead be filled with the desire to serve and honor you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 2:1-3
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Resources:
Antagonists in the Church: How to Identify and Deal With Destructive Conflict
Kenneth C. Haugk

January 23 - Ending Bitterness

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 2:12-3:39
Romans 15:23-16:9
Psalm 82:1-8
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: 2 Samuel 2:26; 3:1
2:26 Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”
3:1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

Insight:
King David's ascent to power was slow, bloody, and bitterly complicated with personal and political deception and intrigue. The feud between the Saul's clan (tribe of Benjamin) and David's (tribe of Judah) would have long-lasting echoes in Israel's future.

The ruthless warrior, Abner, was disturbingly astute when he asked, "Must the sword devour forever?" The sword continues to devour every day, and as Jesus said, those who live by the sword die by the sword. Once the cycle of retribution is in motion, it is nearly impossible to stop it. Even when someone attempts to take steps toward peace, those attempts are undermined by the history of hurts, the scars of skepticism, and the fears of subterfuge.

Response & Action:
The world is corrupted with the destructive patterns of violence, selfishness, power, and deception. I am looking to Christ for the salvation, transformation, guidance, and example I need to escape these patterns. I want to break free from the miserable downward spiral of sin and selfishness. I seek God's renovating and renewing work in my life that I might turn away from violence and become an instrument of righteousness.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me show love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where their is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light. Where there is hunger, food. Where there is homelessness, shelter. Where there is brokenness, restoration. Where there is sickness, healing. Grant that I might not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that I receive; it is in pardoning that I receive pardon; it is in dying that I am born to eternal life. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 12:17-19
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord.

Resources:
Forgiving as We've Been Forgiven
by L. Gregory Jones and Célestin Musekura

January 22 - A Spirit of Unity

2012-01-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
2 Samuel 1:1-2:11
Romans 15:1-22
Psalm 81:8-16
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 15:1-6
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Insight:
Acceptance of others is essential to unity within the Christian community. The strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. The weak should be thankful for the guidance and help of those who are strong. We should work to build up our neighbors and do what is pleasing for their good. We should seek to grow in Christ and be receptive to the ways others are helping us to mature in our faith and become more Christ-like in our living. True community produces true disciples who glorify God in both word and deed.

Response & Action:
I want to experience healthy Christian community marked by unity and acceptance. I must bear with the weaknesses of others and do my best to help them grow in their faith. I must acknowledge my own weaknesses and be responsive to the patience and counsel of Christian brothers and sisters who are doing what they can to help me grow. I will look to God for the grace, encouragement, and strength I need to help my church family to experience unity and maturity. I want my church family to be a strength for each other, a blessing and witness to the world around us, and a praise to God.

O God, give me a love for others. Help me to accept those who are weak and commit myself to helping them grow strong. When I am weak, move others to come around to encourage and help me. By the power of your Spirit and the guidance of your written word, help your people to become servants to each other. Help us to follow Jesus with all our hearts and to bring honor and glory to you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 4:1-3
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Resources:
Community and Submission
by Jan Johnson

Reading Schedule for January 22-28

2012-01-21T17:18:00.004-06:00

Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Schedule and Tips:
2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, January 22 -
2Samuel 1:1-2:11 / Romans 15:1-22 / Psalms 81:8-16

Monday, January 23 -
2Samuel 2:12-3:39 / Romans 15:23-16:9 / Psalms 82:1-8

Tuesday, January 24 -
2Samuel 4:1-6:23 / Romans 16:10-27 / Psalms 83:1-18

Wednesday, January 25 -
2Samuel 7:1-8:18 / 1Corinthians 1:1-17 / Psalms 84:1-7

Thursday, January 26 -
2Samuel 9:1-11:27 / 1Corinthians 1:18-2:5 / Psalms 84:8-12

Friday, January 27 -
2Samuel 12:1-31 / 1Corinthians 2:6-3:4 / Psalms 85:1-7

Saturday, January 28 -
2Samuel 13:1-39 / 1Corinthians 3:5-23 / Psalms 85:8-13

January 21 - Disputable Matters

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 29:1-31:13
Romans 14:1-23
Psalm 81:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 14:1-5
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Insight:
Some matters are disputable. People of genuine faith may have differing views on what to do and how it should be done, especially when there is no clear "thus sayeth the Lord" available to them. Christians may have very different backgrounds, perspectives, freedoms, and weaknesses. These differences may require Christians to live out their faith in very different ways. Learning to acknowledge and allow this freedom among believers is essential to the health and practice of any Christian community.

In such matters of opinion, believers should not judge or look down on each other. Christians should be fully convinced about their own perspectives and convictions, and live according to them out of reverence for God. They should grant that same freedom and responsibility to others who may disagree with them.

Response & Action:
I need to be realistic and accept the fact that Christians will disagree on some matters in life. I need to make sure that my viewpoints and actions are guided by my faith in God and my submission to his will. In disputable matters, I need to graciously respect the viewpoints and actions of others. I will learn and grow as I interact in healthy and loving ways with those who have opinions and perspectives different from my own. I will live my life according to my convictions, while graciously granting that same freedom to others.

O God, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Guide me by your Spirit and by your written word. Help me to live out my faith in my daily life. Give me a humble heart and graciousness toward others who live out their faith differently than I do. Help all of us who follow Christ to be an encouragement to each other. Help us to respect, understand, and forebear each other. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 3:14-16
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Resources:
Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis

January 20 - Love Is the Fulfillment

2012-01-20T10:46:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 26:1-28:25
Romans 13:1-14
Psalm 80:8-19
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Insight:
It's important to keep Romans 12 in mind as I think about today's reading, Romans 13. The life God has called me to live in the world begins with my surrendered relationship with him. My relationship with God is to be lived in Christian community where I serve and encourage others, and, in turn, receive love and support from them. Christian community must relate to the world around it—other religions, competing worldviews, persecution, enemies, governing authorities, political tensions, and social obligations. In all these things, love for God and love toward others should guide our behavior, choices, and attitudes.

Response & Action:
I want to honor God and live in the way of Christ. This is very challenging a world filled with pluralistic beliefs, hostile conflicts, competing political systems, complex laws, and multi-layered governing structures.

In all this complexity, I will be guided by a few straightforward principles: 1) I will surrender my life to God and follow Christ; 2) I will make Christian community a priority in my life by giving my time, sharing myself, exercising my talents, and building authentic relationships; 3) I will love God with my all, and love my neighbors with the same love and concern I would want them to extend to me.

O God, life in this world is more than I can face on my own. By your power and grace, help me to navigate through the many challenges, complexities, and conflicts. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to live with integrity and care toward others in authentic Christian community. Help my Christian community to be an instrument of your grace, truth, peace, and blessing to the world around us. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 4:14-16
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Resources:
Generous Justice
by Timothy Keller

January 19 - Each Member Belongs

2012-01-19T00:05:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 24:1-25:44
Romans 12:1-21
Psalm 80:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 12:1-5
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Insight:
The NIV (New International Version) translation of Romans 12:1-2 used to read, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices" (bodies plural and sacrifices plural), but has now been revised to read, "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice" (bodies plural and sacrifice singular). This revision is consistent with the NAS (New American Standard) translation of the same verses: "present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice."

So, is Paul's exhortation in these verses for individuals or for the church? I think the answer is, "Yes." We are to offer our bodies (plural) as a sacrifice (singular). Because the church—the body of Christ, is a community made up of many individuals, we should think of Romans 12:1-2 in both ways. This community meaning is clear when we read these verses in the context of the chapter, but an individualistic meaning tends to take over when we hear the verses quoted in isolation from their context.

Response & Action:
As an individual, I am to offer myself as a living sacrifice. As a church, we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. The sacrifice and worship I offer to God must be in both my personal walk with Christ and my corporate walk with Christ's Church. Both personal devotion and Christian community are essential to understanding God's good, pleasing, and perfect will.

O God, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as I love myself. Give me a heart that is devoted to you, and a life that is devoted to Christian community. Help me/us to be shaped by you and to honor you. Help me/us to experience and share your grace with each other. Make me/us a testimony of your goodness. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 3:17b-18
17b ...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ...

Resources:
The Pursuit of God in the Company of Friends
by Richard Lamb

January 18 - From Him, Through Him, To Him

2012-01-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 22:1-23:29
Romans 11:13-36
Psalm 79:1-13
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Insight:
God's will and work to save humankind is beyond human comprehension. Why some respond to God's grace and mercy, why others reject it, and how both groups relate and interact with each other is something only the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God can trace out.

And what is God's part in all of this? Just how is he involved? When is he pushing, calling, influencing, revealing, or waiting? It's a mystery beyond our knowledge or reason. But in faith, we accept that all things are from God and through God and for God, and so we give him praise and honor.

Response & Action:
My faith rests in God. The scriptures testify that he is loving, just, all-wise, and all-powerful. I know that life, truth, and even knowledge of myself are too wonderful and deep for me to grasp and comprehend. In humble recognition of my weakness, the limitations of my understanding, the smallness of my being, and the frailty of my life, I place all my hope and trust in God.

In faith, I will take hold of the salvation and hope God has given me through Christ. In faith, I will surrender to the leading and shaping of the Holy Spirit. In faith, I will hide the Scriptures in my heart that I might be an obedient disciple. Since all I have comes from God, I will commit my all to bringing glory and honor to Him.

O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together! O God, you are my God, and I will glorify you. I will seek you in the morning. My hope is in you all day long. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:25
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Resources:
My Prayer Book
Concordia Publishing House

January 17 - Friendship: Love and Commitment

2012-01-17T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
Romans 10:14-11:12
Psalm 78:56-72
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Samuel 20:16-17
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

Insight:
Jonathan's affection and loyalty for David serve as a beautiful example of what friendship can be when friends humble themselves before God and walk with integrity. When people put the Lord first, they become more able to be authentic friends. They are able to be loyal and they are prompted to consider the interests of others.

Jonathan could have easily seen David as a threat to his future, his standing, his prospects and his birthright. Instead, Jonathan accepted that David was God's choice to be the next king of Israel. Because Jonathan and David were both committed to God and trusted in him, they were able to pledge their trust and loyalty to each other.

Response & Action:
I want to be a good friend. By seeking God with my whole heart and living according to his word, I hope to find the wisdom, integrity, and humility I need to be a good friend. I am thankful for the genuine friends God has brought into my life. I will strive to be a true friend and a blessing to others.

O God, I thank you for the friendship Christ Jesus has extended to me. Help me to know him, follow him, and trust him so completely that I am able to be a Christlike friend to others. Teach me to love others as Christ has loved me. I pray through Jesus, my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 4:11-12
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Resources:
Spiritual Friendship
by Mindy Caliguire

January 16 - The One Who Trusts

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 18:5-19:24
Romans 9:25-10:13
Psalm 78:40-55
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 9:14-16; 30-33
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
- - - 30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33 As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Insight:
This chapter of Romans is often very misunderstood because it is not read in context with the entire book of Romans. When we ask, "Who is chosen by God to receive his mercy (9:14)?" The greater context answers, "The one who pursues righteousness by faith (9:30-31) in Christ (9:33)."

God's sovereign choice ("compassion on whom I have compassion") is not some willy-nilly arbitrary groundless whim. The sovereign God has made a way to life and salvation—Jesus. To pursue righteousness through placing faith in Christ is a choice I make. God's sovereign choice is to save all who choose to place faith in Christ Jesus.

Read all of Romans and notice how God holds people accountable for rejecting Christ. Notice that those who do not receive mercy are those who are obstinate toward God's mercy (10:21) Though God has been extending his open arms of love to them, they are unwilling to accept his love. Instead of choosing righteousness through Christ, they exchange the truth of God for a lie (1:25). The sovereign God chooses to hold us responsible for our choices.

Response & Action:
I choose Jesus, who first chose me. I surrender to God and embrace the salvation and forgiveness he extends to me through faith in Christ Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus. I would have no hope or choice apart from God's grace, but God in his sovereignty has offered life for the choosing through Christ.

O God, thank you for extending your compassion and mercy to mankind. Help me to know your compassion and mercy in deeper and fuller ways with each new day. O Lord, I pray that you would soften hearts and open eyes so that more and more people would come to know the hope of Christ and the joy of salvation. Help me to be a witness of your mercy and a testimony of your compassion. Thank you for your promise to save all who put their faith in Christ. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Timothy 2:4-6
4 [God our Savior] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

Resources:
Who Needs Theology: An Invitation to the Study of God
by Stanley Grenz and Roger E. Olson

January 15 - He Remembers We Are Flesh

2012-01-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 17:1-18:4
Romans 9:1-24
Psalm 78:32-39
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Psalm 78:37-39
37 ...their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. 38 Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. 39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

Insight:
This is a teaching song. It begins with an appeal to listen to the psalmist's words as he speaks in parables, as he speaks of hidden things, and as he recounts the things of old. His hope is that the generations to come will learn something from those who have gone before them. He is honest about the good and the bad. He wants their descendants to learn from the mistakes of their forefathers.

Asaph speaks of God's judgment and wrath, but he also speaks of God's love and grace. He speaks of the unfaithfulness and weakness of people, but rejoices in God's faithfulness. God, he says, remembers the frailty and weakness of people—that they "are but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return." God knows our weaknesses and is merciful. Through Christ Jesus, he is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and he is willing and able to help us in our times of need.

Response & Action:
I want to pay attention and be teachable. There is so much to learn from the experiences of God's people recorded in Scripture and throughout church history. I will consider the words, stories, and experiences from people of faith who have gone before me. I will read the Bible and explore the rich supply of Christian biographies, memoirs, letters, poetry, songs available to me.

I will do my best to honestly share my experiences, good and bad, with my children and their children. I will rejoice in God's amazing grace and faithfulness to me. I will give thanks for my merciful God who understands my weaknesses and helps me in my times of need

O God, thank you for your love and faithfulness. Forgive my sins, and have mercy toward me in my weakness. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. I pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Resources:
What's So Amazing About Grace?
by Philip Yancey

Reading Schedule for January 15-21

2012-01-14T17:01:00.000-06:00

Psalm 119:145-147, 174-176
145 I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees. 146 I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. 147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. - - - 174 I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. 175 Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. 176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Schedule and Tips:
2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, January 15 -
1Samuel 17:1-18:4 / Romans 9:1-24 / Psalms 78:32-39

Monday, January 16 -
1Samuel 18:5-19:24 / Romans 9:25-10:13 / Psalms 78:40-55

Tuesday, January 17 -
1Samuel 20:1-21:15 / Romans 10:14-11:12 / Psalms 78:56-72

Wednesday, January 18 -
1Samuel 22:1-23:29 / Romans 11:13-36 / Psalms 79:1-13

Thursday, January 19 -
1Samuel 24:1-25:44 / Romans 12:1-21 / Psalms 80:1-7

Friday, January 20 -
1Samuel 26:1-28:25 / Romans 13:1-14 / Psalms 80:8-19

Saturday, January 21 -
1Samuel 29:1-31:13 / Romans 14:1-23 / Psalms 81:1-7

January 14 - Nothing Can Separate Us

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 15:1-16:23
Romans 8:26-39
Psalm 78:17-31
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Insight:
Because we believe Jesus is the Christ, and because we trust him to keep his promises, we live with confidence. Paul was convinced that nothing could separate him from the love of Christ, and because of this he was able to face suffering, persecution, powers, mysteries, and opposition.

Response & Action:
I want to grow in my faith in Jesus Christ. I want to trust him so completely that I live with confidence. I want to heed his instruction, follow in his steps, and know his promises so well that I am convinced of his faithfulness and love toward me. I want my choices, routines, ambitions, and confidence to be a testimony of my experience and faith in Christ.

O God, help me to know Jesus for who he really is. Give me eyes that see and ears that hear. Help me to follow him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to experience his presence and his power so completely that I am totally convinced about his love and his promises for me. Thank you for the Scriptures that give me such a clear picture of Jesus--showing me his actions and recounting his words. I want to know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the certainty of his love and provision. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Resources:
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
by Eugene Peterson

January 13 - If Christ Is in You

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 14:1-52
Romans 8:9-25
Psalm 78:9-16
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 8:6-11
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Insight:
When we surrender our lives to Christ, the Spirit of God lives in us. Belonging to Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit go hand in hand. The Spirit who indwells the mortal bodies of believers is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. That same resurrection power of the Spirit is directed toward the believer's life.

Response & Action:
It's an amazing thought that the same Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead is living inside my mortal body. If the Spirit has power to raise the dead, he surely has the power to give new life to the living. My mouth, my mind, my habits, my choices, my weaknesses, my strengths can now be raised to new life by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.

O God, raise me to newness of life through the resurrection power of your Spirit who lives in me. Help me to yield fully to the guidance and influence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Help me to understand your direction, and strengthen me to follow. Apply your resurrection power to every aspect of my life, that I might be raised to live as Christ. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Resources:
Living the Resurrection: The Risen Christ in an Everyday Life
by Eugene H. Peterson

January 12 - Who Will Rescue Me?

2012-01-12T00:11:00.004-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 12:1-13:23
Romans 7:14-8:8
Psalm 78:1-8
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 7:21-24a
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Insight:
The Law of Moses was very good at articulating what was right and wrong, but it was powerless to change people. It defined sin and served as an external restraint, but it could not transform sinners into saints. The Law even inspired people to acknowledge and desire what was right, but it could not renovate their hearts and minds, enabling them to do it.

Through Christ we now have access to the transforming grace of God. Instead of the weak and unredemptive Law, we now have the saving and renewing power of the Holy Spirit who indwells the mortal bodies of those who have placed their faith in Christ (Romans 8).

Response & Action:
I recognize that I need more than rules and more than an understanding of right and wrong. I need transformation. I need to be saved and renewed by Christ. I need the saving grace of God and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Whenever I see a contradiction between the things I want to do and things I find myself doing, I will look to God, take hold of the gracious strength he offers through Christ, and seek to do what is right by the power of his Spirit.

O God, thank you for the freedom from sin you make available to me through your grace in Christ. Thank you for the saving and transforming power of your Holy Spirit. Renovate my heart and mind. Help me to want what you want. Make me a person who delights in your will, and walks in your ways, to the glory of your name. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ezekiel 36:26-27
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Resources:
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
by Dallas Willard

January 11 - Rejecting God

2012-01-11T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 10:1-11:15
Romans 7:1-13
Psalm 77:10-20
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Samuel 10:17-19, 25
17 Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.' 19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, 'No, set a king over us.' So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans." - - - 25 Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home.

Insight:
Rather than seeking God or listening to Samuel, the people were sure they needed a king. They thought that would make them like other nations and fix everything. They imagined a king who would fight their battles and solve their problems. They were unwilling to heed any warning of how a king could actually make their life worse. And since they would not listen, God gave them what they wanted (see also 1 Samuel 8:19-22).

Response & Action:
How many times do I look to something or someone other than God to solve my problems? It is so tempting to imagine that going along with the ways of the world might make my life better, easier, or safer. But my faith is in the Lord, not in the ways of the world, and not in the delusions of my heart and mind!

While I clearly have the freedom to reject God and his guidance, such rejection is never the way faith in Christ will let me go. I want God's way. I understand that getting my own way may not be what is best for me. My way may actually lead me away from what I truly need and want. That's why I will be careful to seek God with my whole heart and look to him for the direction I need.

O God, help me to keep my eyes on you. Help me to not envy the wicked or put my faith in the ways of man. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, my savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Psalm 25:4-5
4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Resources:
Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship With God
by Dallas Willard

January 10 - The Gift of God

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 8:1-9:27
Romans 6:1-23
Psalm 77:1-9
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 6:19b-23
19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Insight:
Salvation is more than forgiveness; it is the transformation of our lives. Through faith in Christ Jesus, I am not just saved from the penalty of sin; I am saved from bondage to sin. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. This eternal life in Christ is a life of righteousness. Instead of being shaped by sin, I can be shaped by the grace of God, which results in ever-increasing holiness.

Response & Action:
As a Christian, I must recognize and remember that I am not a slave to sin. Through faith in Christ and by God's grace, I can say no to sin. I can offer my body to God and be shaped and refined by him.

I must always bear in mind that true salvation from sin is more than escaping a penalty; it is breaking free from the control of sin. To be truly saved is to be truly changed—transformed to live a holy life. I can realize new possibilities and live a new life in Jesus.

O God, my Savior. Thank you for your saving grace. Thank you for Jesus has done to free me from sin. Help me surrender to you fully so that I might not only be saved from destruction, but transformed to live a righteous life that honors you, blesses others, and gives me joy and fulfillment. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, change, and shape me, that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs 2:6-8
6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Resources:
The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God
Dallas Willard

January 9 - He Has Broken the Chain

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 5:1-7:17
Romans 5:6-21
Psalm 76:1-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 5:17-19
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Insight:
Sin and the death it causes entered the world through the disobedience of our earliest ancestors. As we followed in their sinful steps, death came to all humankind. All of us sin, so all of us die. But Christ Jesus has broken this chain of disobedience and sin. He was faithful to obey God, even to the point of death. Just as walking in Adam's sinful steps leads to death, walking in the steps of Jesus brings life for all who follow him in faith.

Response & Action:
Jesus has broken the cycle of sin and death. Instead of being trapped in a downward spiral of disobedience and human weakness, through Christ I can take hold of righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has changed the possibilities for all of humankind. He has brought new life and the hope of transformation for all who trust in him. He has broken the chain of human failure and rebellion. Sin and death are no longer inevitable for me. Righteousness and obedience are possible for me with Jesus. He calls me to renewal, hope, and transformation.

O God, thank you for your son, Jesus, who has brought life into the world. Thank you that the life he brings is for everyone. Help me to recognize the possibilities Jesus brings. Give me the faith and the perseverance to take hold of the renewal and transformation he offers. Give me the wisdom and the will to turn away from the destructive path of sin and death. Give me the desire and diligence to follow in the life-giving and obedient steps of Jesus, my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Peter 1:2-4
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Resources:
Living the Resurrection: The Risen Christ in an Everyday Life
by Eugene H. Peterson

January 8 - Hope Does Not Disappoint Us

2012-01-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
Romans 4:13-5:5
Psalm 75:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Insight:
By grace, Jesus' death and resurrection make it possible for us to have peace with God. We take hold of this possibility through faith in Christ Jesus. The hope we have, though faith in Christ, gives us joy and hope. More than just a hope for some distant future, this is a hope for today. Faith in Jesus makes it possible for me to rejoice even in times of suffering. Suffering can produce perseverance, character, and hope. God's love, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, fills our hearts.

Response & Action:
How can I press through suffering and hardship? I can look to Christ Jesus in faith, and rejoice because of what he has done. He can give strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. If II press on in faith, trouble and hardship will only serve to make me a deeper, stronger, and more committed follower of Christ. I must learn to persevere and grow in Christ-like character.

O God, by the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, help me to persevere through the hardships of life. Grant me the strength and hope to press on through difficulties and burdens. Use them to refine me and bring me to maturity in Christ. I ask this in the name of Jesus, the One and Only, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and evermore. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Resources:
Perseverance: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
by Eugene Peterson

Reading Schedule for January 8-14

2012-01-07T13:57:00.004-06:00

Romans 15:4-6
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Schedule and Tips:
2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, January 8 -
1Samuel 2:22-4:22 / Romans 4:13-5:5 / Psalms 75:1-10

Monday, January 9 -
1Samuel 5:1-7:17 / Romans 5:6-21 / Psalms 76:1-12

Tuesday, January 10 -
1Samuel 8:1-9:27 / Romans 6:1-23 / Psalms 77:1-9

Wednesday, January 11 -
1Samuel 10:1-11:15 / Romans 7:1-13 / Psalms 77:10-20

Thursday, January 12 -
1Samuel 12:1-13:23 / Romans 7:14-8:8 / Psalms 78:1-8

Friday, January 13 -
1Samuel 14:1-52 / Romans 8:9-25 / Psalms 78:9-16

Saturday, January 14 -
1Samuel 15:1-16:23 / Romans 8:26-39 / Psalms 78:17-31

January 7 - He Lifts the Needy

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
1Samuel 1:1-2:21
Romans 4:1-12
Psalms 74:18-23
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
1 Samuel 2:7-8
7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.

Insight:
Hannah was downhearted about being childless and she prayed that God would bless her with a son. When her prayer was answered, she raised her voice in a song of praise. Her experience was a clear testimony of God's ability to raise up the poor and to lift up the needy. Her son, Samuel, would become the last and greatest of the Israelite judges. He functioned as a leader, priest, and prophet. He ushered in the era of Israel's kings.

Response & Action:
God is able to bring about great things and great leaders from humble, weak, and unexpected places. I must always remember that God can bless and use me. Though I often think of myself as weak and inadequate, I will remember that God is not limited by my weakness and inadequacy. I will be careful to ask for God's blessing, strive to be faithful to use those blessings to serve Him, and be quick to praise God for the things he is able to do.

O God, bless me in ways that help me to serve and honor you. Remind me of your power and provision. Give me the courage to ask for the things I long for. Give me a heart that longs for your will. Teach me to walk in your ways and to give you thanks in all things. Forgive me for the times when I forget that my weaknesses do not limit you. Help me walk in your strength and grace. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Resources:
Small Faith – Great God
by N. T. Wright

January 6 - Wings of Refuge

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Ruth 1:1-4:22
Romans 3:9-31
Psalm 74:10-17
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Ruth 2:10-12
10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" 11 Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Insight:
In the Law of Moses, one of the provisions made for the poor was for landowners to leave grain unharvested along the edges and corners of their fields. If while harvesting they dropped some of the grain, they were to leave it there and just move on. This seeming inefficiency was actually a provision to those who had nothing. People who were suffering loss and poverty could go out and work to harvest what these God-honoring landowners had left in the fields.

Ruth was very thankful to Boaz for allowing her to glean in his fields. Boaz was a righteous man who followed both the spirit and the letter of the Mosaic Law. He described his kindness to her as something God was doing for her. He blessed her for the selfless and righteous care she had given her mother-in-law, and explained that as she worked in his field, she was actually being "rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel" and finding "refuge under His wings."

Response & Action:
Like Boaz, I want my attitude, conduct, and kindness to be the result of my reverence and love for God. I want to be an instrument of God's grace and mercy to those who are in need. If I truly know, love, and worship God, my life should be an extension of his care and goodness to the world around me. If people ask me why I am being good to them, I should be sure to give God glory and explain my actions as a blessing from God.

O God, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury pardon; where there is discord, unity; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light. I have come to you thirsty, and you have satisfied me with your living water. May streams of living water flow out of me as a blessing to those around me who thirst for your care, your truth, and your grace. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 John 3:17-18
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Resources:
Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions
by Craig Blomberg

January 5 - Grace and Redemption

2012-01-05T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 21:1-25
Romans 2:25-3:8
Psalm 74:1-9
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 3:21-24
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Insight:
Every human being has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, except for Jesus. Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, but did not sin. Though Jesus suffered the pain and hardship of sin in the world, he did not contribute to it in any way. He suffered the injustice and pain of sin, but did not perpetrate it. That is why God's righteous judgment has given Jesus the sole authority to redeem sinners and give new life.

Through his sinless death, Jesus has subverted the downward spiral of sin that held all humanity in its grip. All who put faith in Christ Jesus are justified freely by his grace. He has been given all authority for life and redemption, and offers it freely to all who believe.

Response & Action:
I understand that I am a sinner. The more I understand God's righteous law, the more I understand my need to be saved. My faith is in Christ Jesus. My redemption is made possible by his grace.

I want the redemption Christ brings to reach into every aspect of my life. My faith in Jesus must be a faith that follows, obeys, seeks, shares, and serves so that redemption and salvation can redeem all of me—my purpose, my attitudes, my goals, my relationships, my work, and my priorities.

Have mercy on me, O God, a sinner. Thank you for the hope of redemption that is mine through Christ. Help me to grow in my salvation—to be transformed and more obedient to your will each day. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: John 3:16-17
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Resources:
Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis

Mere Christianity Book Club at Valley Christian Church

January 4 - Righteousness and Faith

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 19:1-20:48
Romans 2:1-24
Psalm 73:15-28
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 2:13; 21-23
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. - - - 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

Insight:
It is not enough for me to hear God's law, or understand it, or teach it, or proclaim it. It is a path to walk and a life to be lived. This obedient life is not possible, however, without God's grace. The Christian life is not one of trying to earn God's love or winning approval through obedience to laws. Rather, it is looking to Christ for the forgiveness, healing, and resurrection power I need to live a life that honors God.

Righteousness cannot be achieved through human strength or resolve, so those who do become righteous have nothing to brag about. The Law exposes my failure and the futility of trying to be righteous in my own strength. The grace of God reaches out to me in my weakness and makes it possible for me to be renewed, empowered, and transformed by his Spirit into the Christ-shaped person he wants me to be.

Response & Action:
I will not put my hope in a moral code, in knowledge, or in my own strength. While I recognize God's call to live in truth and righteousness, I also recognize that I cannot live that way without God's help. I need God's grace, his guidance, and the strength of the Holy Spirit. Righteousness comes by faith in Christ Jesus who makes God's grace and Spirit available to me.

I will seek God with my whole heart. I will be attentive to God's presence and learn to live by faith--relying on the strength and guidance of the Spirit. I will press on to take hold of the life that comes through faith in Christ. I will pursue every means to be shaped and led by God.

O God, teach me your ways and show me your path. I want to be more than a hearer and a knower; I want to be a doer of the word. Help me, through faith, to do the good things you have prepared for me to do. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 3:7-9
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Resources:
Why Sin Matters: The Surprising Relationship between Our Sin and God's Grace
by Mark R. McMinn

January 3 - Slipping on Envy

2012-01-03T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 17:1-18:31
Romans 1:18-32
Psalm 73:1-14
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Focus Verses: Psalm 73:1-3; 16-17
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. - - - 16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Insight:
I truly appreciate how the songwriter, Asaph, was so honest about his feelings and doubts. He believed that God is good and does good for his people. He believed that those who are pure in heart can count on God's goodness. He admitted, however, that his faith was on slippery ground. His foothold was shaken when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. He found himself beginning to envy them. "What good does it do me to have faith in you God?" he asked. "I don't understand what's going on!"

It became oppressive to him as he tried to reason through the whole philosophical and theological problem of how God can be good while the world is so evil. It was only when Asaph began to worship God that he began to see and understand. Worshiping the eternal God gave him an eternal perspective. Temporal prosperity lost its shine and allure in the light of eternal destiny.

Response & Action:
Like the Psalmist, I am tempted at times to feel like faith in God isn't getting me anywhere. I can envy the wicked. The sight of people prospering and succeeding with no regard for God can cause me to lose sight of God's faithfulness and eternal promises.

Worship is the way to hold on to perspective and faith. Worship gives me focus and reminds me of what is eternal and what is temporal. I will worship God, believing he is good and faithful to his people–to those who seek him with pure hearts.

O God, help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. In your faithfulness to me, do not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Thank you for your goodness to those who seek you. Give me humility and the wisdom to not envy the arrogant. Give me the perspective and discernment to know what is true and what is real. Deepen my understanding of life and meaning as I worship you and praise you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Resources:
Learning to Pray Through the Psalms
by James Sire

January 2 - Mutually Encouraged

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 15:1-16:31
Romans 1:1-17
Psalm 72:1-20
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Romans 1:8-12
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Insight:
The first chapter of Romans is so loaded with important statements and profound theological concepts that we might overlook Paul's relationship with the people he is addressing. He had a deep pastoral affection for them, he thanked God for them, he constantly remembered them in prayer, and he longed to be encouraged by them. He was eager for an opportunity to see them face-to-face and to spend time with them. He wanted to encourage them in their faith and impart a spiritual blessing to them.

Response & Action:
I want to have meaningful and precious relationships with my Christian brothers and sisters. I will cultivate my Christian friendships by following Paul's example. I will thank God for my Christian friends and be intentional about praying for them. I will seize opportunities to spend time with them. When we are together, I will consciously look for ways to be a spiritual blessing to them. I will make an effort to encourage them in their walk with Christ and look to them for encouragement. I will also communicate my affection for them in my words and actions.

Thank you, loving God, for the Christian people you have placed in my life. Bless them and help them to grow stronger in you with each passing day. Help me to be a true friend and blessing to them. Help me to encourage them and make the most of every opportunity I have to spend time with them. May our life in you and our walk with Christ Jesus be enriched by our times spent together. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Resources:
Making Friends & Making Them Count
by D. Mason Rutledge

January 1 - The Kingdom and I

2012-01-01T00:01:00.004-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 13:1-14:20
Acts 28:1-31
Psalm 71:19-24
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 28:23-24; 30-31
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. - - - 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Insight:
When Paul arrived in Rome, just as God had promised he would, he was encouraged and thankful. He was enthused and invigorated with his sense of mission. He believed God had brought him safely to Rome for the purpose of proclaiming Christ. He believed that his chains and his imprisonment in Rome were being used by God to advance the Gospel. He saw purpose in his circumstances because he saw them as part of God’s plan and the "hope of Israel."

Paul evaluated every bit of his life and circumstances in the light of God's work in the world. Whatever his situation, Paul considered how God might use it to advance the hope and truth of the Gospel. His faith was intense; his life was focused; his testimony was genuine; and his preaching was bold.

Response & Action:
It is dangerous and easy to think of my life in self-centered terms, and then try to fit God into my plans and wants. Paul thought of his life in Christ-centered terms, and then tried to see how his life and circumstances fit into God's plans and purposes. This is what made it possible for Paul to be thankful, and to have hope, purpose, and boldness in any situation.

I want to live like that. I want to see my life in the context of Christ's Kingdom. I want my perspective about what I do, what I have, where I go, what I suffer, what I need, and what I want to be centered and framed by God's will and purposes in the world.

O God, I want to find my life in you. Help me to lose my life and self-centeredness for the sake of Christ, and find myself in you. Help me to live a life that is motivated, focused, and guided by your purposes and ways. Help me to see every circumstance and blessing in the light of your will. Help me, by faith, to do the good things you've prepared in advance for me to do. Help me to be bold, alive, faithful, and fruitful as your child and servant. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Resources:
Growing Your Faith By Giving It Away: Telling the Gospel Story With Grace and Passion
by R. York Moore

Reading Schedule for January 1-7

2011-12-31T17:01:00.003-06:00

Psalm 119:127-128, 133-136
127 Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, 128 and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path. - - - 133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. 134 Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. 136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

Schedule and Tips:
2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, January 1 -
Judges 13:1-14:20 / Acts 28:1-31 / Psalms 71:19-24

Monday, January 2 -
Judges 15:1-16:31 / Romans 1:1-17 / Psalms 72:1-20

Tuesday, January 3 -
Judges 17:1-18:31 / Romans 1:18-32 / Psalms 73:1-14

Wednesday, January 4 -
Judges 19:1-20:48 / Romans 2:1-24 / Psalms 73:15-28

Thursday, January 5 -
Judges 21:1-25 / Romans 2:25-3:8 / Psalms 74:1-9

Friday, January 6 -
Ruth 1:1-4:22 / Romans 3:9-31 / Psalms 74:10-17

Saturday, January 7 -
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21 / Romans 4:1-12 / Psalms 74:18-23

December 31 - Keep Up Your Courage

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 11:1-12:15
Acts 27:21-44
Psalm 71:9-18
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 27:22-25
22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.

Insight:
Though he was a prisoner, Paul made himself useful to the crew and passengers during the harrowing storm and shipwreck experience Luke describes. Even in difficult and unusual situations, Paul sought and received God's guidance. Wherever he found himself, and whatever his circumstance, he looked to God for guidance, purpose, and promise.

Response & Action:
In every situation, I will look for ways to serve others and honor God. My faith and hope in Christ make it possible for me to be helpful and find purpose regardless of the circumstances. As a follower of Jesus, I want to honor God and be used by the Spirit to do what is beneficial and redemptive for others.

O God, prepare me for every circumstance. Give me peace in my heart. Give me wisdom and clarity of thought. Make me ready to serve and encourage others in difficult situations. Give me a strength and hope that stands strong through storms and hardship. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Resources:
The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love
by James Bryan Smith

December 30 - My Hope and My Confidence

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 9:22-10:18
Acts 27:1-20
Psalm 71:1-8
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Psalm 71:5:-7, 14-16
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. - - - 14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

Insight:
Hope and worship go together; they reinforce each other. God is to be praised for his righteousness, mighty acts, justice, truth, and power to save. When these words of praise are the firm conviction of our hearts, we have reason to hope, and our lives become a sign to many of God's faithfulness.

Response & Action:
I will worship God for his righteousness and mighty acts. I will praise him for his justice and truth. I will thank him for his promise to save through Christ Jesus. I will persevere in hope.

O God, help me to see you for who you really are, and fill me with a sense of hope as I worship you. Show yourself to me in new ways today. Encourage me, by your Spirit, through your word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Save me and grant me the confidence to persevere in life because my hope is in you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Resources:
Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts
by Harold M. Best

December 29 - True and Reasonable

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 8:18-9:21
Acts 26:1-32
Psalm 70:1-5
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 26:25-27
25 "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."

Insight:
When Paul testified before King Agrippa, he explained that his belief in the possibility of resurrection did not contradict his Jewish beliefs or background. Even as a Pharisee Paul would have accepted the possibility of resurrection. He admitted that early on, he too opposed the Christians, and was, in fact, obsessed with opposing them. One day, however, he came face to face with the resurrected Jesus himself.

Paul told Agrippa that he had become convinced that the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection were exactly what Moses and prophets said would happen. What's more, Paul said, he was sure Agrippa was already familiar with the accounts of Jesus' resurrection, since none of the things he was describing were "done in a corner."

Response & Action:
What could turn a Pharisee who opposed the followers of Jesus into a believer and bold ambassador for Jesus? 1) his realization that Jesus' resurrection was consistent with his faith in God; 2) his discovery that the suffering and resurrection of Jesus were actually consistent with Jewish prophecy; 3) his face-to-face encounter with the resurrected Jesus; and, 4) the wide-spread testimony of so many others who had also seen and encountered the resurrected Christ.

My faith and confidence in the resurrected Jesus grows stronger: 1) as I am discovering that it is reasonable and not inconsistent with other forms of knowledge; 2) as I am testing and proving my faith through my practice and daily life; 3) as I am finding the claims of Jesus and the Apostles to be consistent with the hopes and promises of the Hebrew Scriptures; 4) as I consider the experiential and historical testimony of so many others who have considered the claims of Christ.

O God, I believe that you have the power of life and death. Resurrection is not too difficult for you. I see from reading scripture that Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection are perfectly consistent with prophecy. My own walk with Jesus has confirmed and strengthened my faith. The countless testimonies of people throughout history and around the world serve to increase my belief. May the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead raise and transform my life. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Hebrews 12:2
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Resources:
Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics
by William Lane Craig

December 28 - A Dispute about a Dead Man

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 7:1-8:17
Acts 25:1-27
Psalm 69:29-36
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 25:18-21
18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."

Insight:
The veracity of the resurrection story has always been at the heart of the Christian message. To accept that message is to accept the resurrection of Jesus. Luke's frank account of Paul's testimony before Festus and Agrippa illustrates this. Festus understood that Paul's entire message and worldview hinged on his claim that "a dead man named Jesus" was now alive. Such a claim was seen to be a threat by the Jews of his day, and as superstitious by the Romans.

Paul did not make this claim and expect people to make a blind leap of faith. He reasoned with them, gave testimony, and made a case for why he believed that accepting the resurrection of Jesus was perfectly sensible.

Response & Action:
I must grapple with the claims of Jesus' resurrection. Everyone who encounters the message of Jesus must deal with this incredible claim. It may seem threatening, unreasonable, or anti-intellectual to believe such a thing, but it must be faced head on. If Jesus is dead, then Christianity is also dead. If he is alive, then Christianity is alive.

The hope of transformation and new life offered by Christianity is dependent on the resurrection of Jesus being factual and historical. I must give serious and careful consideration to the resurrection claims of Christianity. I will not dismiss it out of hand. Is it reasonable to believe such an amazing thing? Is there enough evidence and/or substantive testimony to make faith in the resurrection an honest and reasonable choice? I believe there is. Even as a believer, I will continue to scrutinize and think about this central claim of Christianity. I will encourage others, both Christians and non-Christians alike, to do the same.

O God, I believe that, for my sake, Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate. I believe that he suffered death, was buried, and rose again, in accordance with the scriptures. Help me, like Paul, to think clearly about the resurrection and to have reasons for what I believe. Help me to be able to discuss the resurrection in clear and reasonable ways with others who are wrestling with whether or not to believe. And most of all, O Lord, transform me and teach me to live through the resurrection power of Christ. It's in his name that I pray, Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 8:10-11
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Resources:
Resurrection
by N.T. Wright

December 27 - Cutting Down Idols

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 6:1-40
Acts 24:1-27
Psalm 69:13-28
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Judges 6:25-26
25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering."

Insight:
Gideon wondered, "If God is with Israel, then why has he let us be overpowered by the Midianites." The reason was Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Instead of worshiping God alone, they had worshiped the gods of the Amorites.

The first step toward deliverance for Israel was to destroy the pagan Baal altar and Ashtoreth pole that had been set up in his town. The road to restoration and deliverance begins with tearing down what is false and instead offering up worship and devotion to the One True God.

Response & Action:
When I face difficult situations in life, I find myself asking a question similar to Gideon's-- "If God is with me, why is this happening?" Before questioning God's faithfulness, I should examine my own faithfulness to God. I need to recognize the ways my family, my church, my town, my state, my country have failed to acknowledge God.

Honest reflection is needed if I am to recognize the idols we have erected and the ways we have let them distort and diminish our devotion for God. There is no God but the One True God. Any rivals for wholehearted commitment to and reverence for God must be torn down.

O God, free me from everything that oppresses and diminishes. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from evil. Provide for my needs today. Protect me from discouragement, and encourage me, by your Spirit, through your Word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Give me the honesty to recognize the false ideas and idols in my heart, and give me the courage to tear them down and cast them aside in order that I might worship and follow you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs4:23-23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."

Resources:
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters
by Timothy Keller

December 26 - The Floods Engulf Me

2011-12-26T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 4:1-5:31
Acts 23:11-35
Psalm 69:1-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Psalm 69:1-3
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. 3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

Insight:
David begins this psalm with a crisis cry for rescue. He's up to his neck in flood water, sinking in the mud, tired to the bone, his throat dry from shouting for help, his eyes strained and weary from constantly scanning the horizon for some sign of deliverance. Fears and enemies threaten to drive him to despair and defeat.

Response & Action:
This psalm is more than just a page from David’s private journal; it’s a page from Israel’s official book of worship. Songs of faith and worship can and should include expressions of doubt and fear. Honestly wrestling with doubt is essential if my faith is to be genuine. Voicing fear is a necessary part of growing in confidence.

Because I want my faith to have integrity, I will be honest about my doubts, questions, and fears. True faith doesn't ignore doubts; it reaches beyond them. Genuine worship doesn't internalize fears; it voices them along with a hope that God is able to calm them. Real trust doesn't avoid asking the hard questions; it asks them in the firm belief that God is faithful and able to answer.

O God, I believe you want me to have a real faith in you. And if my faith is going to be real, then I too must be real in my prayers and worship. I cannot be real if I pretend to have no doubts. I cannot be real if I never voice frustration and fear. I cannot be real if I do not voice the questions that wear down my spirit and threaten my faith. Thank you, Father, for your readiness to hear my cries. By your grace and mercy, help me to ask every question with reverence, to voice every complaint with faith in your goodness, and to confess every fear with a confidence in your faithfulness to save me. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 15:4
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Resources:
When God Lets You Down: Trusting Again after Pain and Loss
by Alex Gee

December 25 - Resurrection Hope

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 2:10-3:31
Acts 22:17-23:10
Psalm 68:28-35
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 23:6-8
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

Insight:
Is resurrection possible? Is the resurrection of Jesus true? Is it provable? Is it reasonable to believe? If Jesus is the Christ and he did indeed rise from the dead, what does it mean for the way we live, and the way we view the world? For the Apostle Paul, it meant being attacked and imprisoned. His belief in the resurrection challenged the beliefs and power structures of the Jewish community. It created all sorts of social, religious, civic, and political controversy.

Faith and hope in the resurrection of Jesus was seen by many as threatening and divisive. It was also transformational, fulfilling, life-giving, and motivational to those who believed.

Response & Action:
I believe in the resurrection of Jesus. I believe he is the Christ, the son of the living God. I believe he is alive and that he is at the right hand of the Father. I believe he will come again to judge the living and the dead and that his Kingdom will have no end.

My faith in Jesus is central to the way I see the world, the way I live my life--my values, my hopes, my motivation, my actions, my ethics, and my beliefs. My view of the resurrection is a dividing line. It makes me different socially, politically, and religiously from most people in the world. It also makes me more hopeful, more alive, and more motivated.

Faith in the resurrection of Jesus is outrageous and seismic in its implications. I should not be surprised when it causes division, friction, strain, or controversy.

O God, thank you for Jesus who, although he existed in the very form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, but instead emptied himself. He took the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of humanity. He was humble and obedient to the point of death--even death on the cross. You raised him and exalted him and have given him a name above all names. I bow my knee to you, O Resurrected Christ, and my tongue confesses that you are Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 1 Corinthians 15:14-15
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Resources:
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
by N. T. Wright

Reading Schedule for December 25-31

2011-12-24T17:01:00.002-06:00

2 Peter 1:19-21
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Schedule and Tips:
2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, December 25 -
Judges 2:10-3:31 / Acts 22:17-23:10 / Psalms 68:28-35

Monday, December 26 -
Judges 4:1-5:31 / Acts 23:11-35 / Psalms 69:1-12

Tuesday, December 27 -
Judges 6:1-40 / Acts 24:1-27 / Psalms 69:13-28

Wednesday, December 28 -
Judges 7:1-8:17 / Acts 25:1-27 / Psalms 69:29-36

Thursday, December 29 -
Judges 8:18-9:21 / Acts 26:1-32 / Psalms 70:1-5

Friday, December 30 -
Judges 9:22-10:18 / Acts 27:1-20 / Psalms 71:1-8

Saturday, December 31 -
Judges 11:1-12:15 / Acts 27:21-44 / Psalms 71:9-18

December 24 - Generation to Generation

2011-12-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
Judges 1:1--2:9
Acts 21:37--22:16
Psalm 68:21-27
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Judges 2:10-14
10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.

Insight:
The new generation of Israelites born in the Promised Land, did not remember or appreciate their history. Did their parents fail to teach them? Did they simply not listen to their parents? Somehow they forgot their heritage and turned away from God to worship the idols and false gods of the people around them. This resulted in conflict, war, and bloodshed.

They were caught in a tragic cycle. They would forget and forsake God. Then, they would fall prey to their enemies. Next, they would cry out to God for help. Then, God would deliver them and restore them through chosen leaders (the judges) and they would prosper. But then, once again, they would plunge into error—forgetting and forsaking God.

Response & Action:
I intend to face each new day with a fresh resolve to choose God and follow Christ Jesus. Every morning I will renew my commitment to Christ, turn to the Scriptures for guidance, and set my heart on walking in the ways of Jesus. I will make an effort to know and remember the works and ways of the Lord. I will do my best to pass on my knowledge and faith to my children and grandchildren.

O God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to tell the stories and speak the truth of your faithfulness in meaningful and convincing ways so that my children and their peers might know you and find their hope and purpose in you. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: James 1:22-25
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches and Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

December 23 - Choose for Yourselves

2011-12-23T00:55:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 24:1-33
Acts 21:18-36
Psalm 68:15-20
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Joshua 24:14-15
14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Insight:
There are many alternatives to being faithful to God and serving him. Living for God requires choice and commitment. Joshua knew that many people would be unfaithful—that serving the Lord would not be desirable to everyone. He knew that many would choose the false gods of their father's or the new gods of the land they were entering. But as for Joshua, his choice was made. He and his family would serve and seek the Lord.

Response & Action:
I choose faith in God over everything else. I want to faithfully seek and serve the one true God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I will not choose the false gods and failed pursuits of the world around me. I will seek first the Kingdom of Christ and his righteousness.

O God, help me to live for you and through you in thought, word, and deed. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and do what is right. Help me to love you with all of my being, and to love my neighbor as my self. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Help me, by faith, to do the good things you've prepared in advance for me to do--to be faithful, fruitful, and effective as your servant, through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you ad the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 10:37-39
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Resources:
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters
by Timothy Keller

December 22 - The Lord's Will Be Done

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 22:21-23:16
Acts 21:1-17
Psalm 68:7-14
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 21:10-14
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Insight:
Acts chapter seven is where we find the first mention of Paul (Saul) in the New Testament. There, he was so opposed to the Jesus followers that he approved of killing them. By Acts 21, the Apostle Paul had himself become such a committed follower of the Lord Jesus that he was ready to face imprisonment or even death for him. As a committed follower of Jesus, Paul's primary concern was not his own freedom or safety, but rather God's will. If doing the things he believed God wanted him to do resulted in hardship, he was willing to do them. Jesus had suffered and died in order to accomplish God's will, and Paul was willing to follow that same path if necessary.

Response & Action:
Am I willing to follow Jesus into hardship? If following Jesus means loss, am I willing to lose? If loving as he loves means suffering, am I willing to suffer? If living out the grace and generosity of Jesus means giving up possessions and living with less, am I willing to let go of things? If forgiving as he forgives requires sacrifice, am I willing to suffer loss? If obedience to God requires the faith to face death, am I willing to die?

I want to love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I want love Jesus and follow in his steps. I will press on to know Christ more and more—to be so committed that I not only believe in his promise to bless, but also find myself able and willing to share in his suffering. I want to embrace the Christ life so fully that I am willing and able to die to myself.

O God, help me to find my life in you. Give me a faith that makes me able to commit all things to you. Give me a heart for your will and your purposes. Shape and strengthen me to follow Jesus wherever he leads. Whether by life or death, may Christ be exalted in me. Help me to press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. It's in his name that I pray these things. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Philippians 1:20-21
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Resources:
The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling
by John Stott

December 21 - Every Promise Fulfilled

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 21:1-22:20
Acts 20:1-38
Psalm 68:1-6
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Joshua 21:43-45
43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. 45 Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Insight:
God keeps his promises. Israel's obedience and faith brought them to a place where they experienced God's promise and provision.

Response & Action:
I need to trust God and obey him. I will commit myself to knowing his word, understanding his will, and following his commands. The testimony of Scripture is that those who trust in the Lord will never find that trust to be misplaced. I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. I will acknowledge him in all my ways, trusting that he will make my path straight.

O God, you have promised to deliver and sustain me. You have promised that I will find life and hope in you. If I will surrender to you, you promise to protect, provide, forgive, renew, empower, transform, lead, strengthen, and deliver me. Help me to trust in you completely and to live out that trust in every day and in every way. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 16:24-25
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Resources:
Praying
by J. I. Packer

December 20 - Man-Made Gods

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 19:1-20:9
Acts 19:13-41
Psalm 67:1-7
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 19:23-27
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

Insight:
Luke gives an account of Paul's efforts to take the message of Jesus to the people of Ephesus. There he encounters a wide variety of opportunities and opposition. In the short span of chapter nineteen we see him in the synagogue (religious Jews), in the lecture hall (academics and philosophers), confronting those who practiced sorcery (superstitious), opposed by those who were followers of Artemis (pagan worship), and by those who profited from the followers of Artemis (commercialism). The message of Jesus was dangerous, according to Demetrius the silversmith, because it would subvert their world.

Response & Action:
Demetrius worded his opposition as a defense of the goddess Artemis, but it seems pretty clear that his greatest concern was the lost profits he would suffer if Artemis worship were to stop. I need to remember that opposition to the message of Jesus might be worded in one way, but actually be rooted in something altogether different.

The message of Jesus is dangerous. To accept the truth of Christ may indeed require the loss of profits, the change of career (Demetrius), the burning of a book (sorcery), the risk of seeming less than intellectual (lecture hall), and the rejection of long-held traditions (synagogue).

Almighty God, help me to recognize the false and selfish "reasons" I may be using to justify half-hearted discipleship. And as I share the message of Jesus with those around me, help me to remember that it may not sound like good news—in fact, it may sound dangerous and threatening as it challenges lifestyles, beliefs, and practices. Help me to respond to the real reasons people oppose the message of Jesus, not necessarily the spoken reasons. In all conversations, give me grace and charity. Give me the humility and integrity to be honest about the ways Jesus challenges and threatens me as well. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Resources:
Six Dangerous Questions to Transform Your View of the World
by Paul Borthwick

December 19 - Knowing the Scriptures

2011-12-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 16:1-18:28
Acts 18:23-19:12
Psalm 66:13-20
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 18:27-28
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Insight:
Apollos was from Alexandria, Egypt, the second most important city in the Roman Empire, a center of academic excellence, and home to a large Jewish population. He was very educated (v.24), a passionate speaker (v.25), and a skillful debater (v.28). He would have certainly been conversant in Western thought, Hebrew Scriptures, and dominant world-views of his day. His education and ability to communicate effectively and persuasively made him a "great help" to believers.

Response & Action:
Christians who are well-educated, critical thinkers, strong communicators, knowledgeable of scripture, and instructed in the way of the Lord Jesus, can be a great help to other believers. I am very thankful for the wonderful help I have received from intelligent and articulate people—teachers, authors, pastors, artists, philosophers, theologians, historians, and scientists.

I want to grow in my understanding of the world, the scriptures, religion, philosophy, history, and theology. I will make learning a priority in my life and make sure I keep reading, listening, thinking, and searching.

O God, you know all things. All truth and understanding belong to you. Reverence for you is the beginning of wisdom. Help me to love you with all my mind. Strengthen my faith through learning, and give me wisdom and insight that I might be a great help and encouragement to others. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: 2 Timothy 2:15
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Resources:
Discipleship of the Mind: Learning to Love God in the Ways We Think
by James W. Sire

December 18 - What God Has Done

2011-12-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 15:1-63
Acts 18:1-22
Psalm 66:1-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Psalm 66:1-5, 16
1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! 3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." 5 Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf! - - - 16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

Insight:
The psalmist is absolutely exuberant with praise at the thought of all God is and all God has done. So many of the psalms are filled with appeals for God to do something, but this psalm is simply a celebration of all God has done.

Response & Action:
I spend a lot of time asking God to do things for me. I want to spend more time reflecting on all God has done and the many blessings he has provided. I will lift up my needs to the Lord, but I will also lift up enthusiastic shouts of praise for the awesome deeds he has done on behalf of humankind—the awesome works that have blessed me in so many ways.

Not only will I praise God, I will make that praise glorious and unrestrained. I will tell anyone who will listen of the great things God has done for me. I will celebrate and tell others about the things God is doing in my life. I will delight in the great things God has promised to do.

O God, thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for the love you have not withheld from me. Give me a mind to recount my blessings. Give me a heart to offer up thanks. Give me a mouth that is quick to sing praise. Give me an eagerness to tell others of all you have done for me. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Ephesians 5:18-20
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Resources:
Reflections on the Psalms
by C. S. Lewis

Reading Schedule for December 18-24

2011-12-17T17:01:00.003-06:00

Psalm 119:105-108
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. 107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word. 108 Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

Schedule and Tips:
NEW - 2011-12 Reading Schedule
Tips for Daily Bible Readers

Sunday, December 18 -
Joshua 15:1-63 / Acts 18:1-22 / Psalms 66:1-12

Monday, December 19 -
Joshua 16:1-18:28 / Acts 18:23-19:12 / Psalms 66:13-20

Tuesday, December 20 -
Joshua 19:1-20:9 / Acts 19:13-41 / Psalms 67:1-7

Wednesday, December 21 -
Joshua 21:1-22:20 / Acts 20:1-38 / Psalms 68:1-6

Thursday, December 22 -
Joshua 22:21-23:16 / Acts 21:1-17 / Psalms 68:7-14

Friday, December 23 -
Joshua 24:1-33 / Acts 21:18-36 / Psalms 68:15-20

Saturday, December 24 -
Judges 1:1-2:9 / Acts 21:37-22:16 / Psalms 68:21-27

December 17 - Communicating the Good News

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 13:1-14:15
Acts 17:1-34
Psalm 65:1-13
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 17:16-18
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

Insight:
In order to share the Good News with others, I must be a disciple of Jesus and a student of the Scriptures. I also need to know and understand the people around me. I need to be a student of my world—its cultures, beliefs, questions, religions, philosophies, literature, and arts. True faith in Jesus, coupled with a commitment to study, think, and learn, makes it possible to engage the world in the marketplace of ideas. I want a vibrant faith that does not retreat from the world, but, rather, interacts with it in thoughtful and challenging ways.

Response & Action:
I will make every effort to be a person of the Word. I will commit myself to reading, studying, memorizing, and applying the Scriptures. I want to grow deeper and deeper in my understanding of God's Word and be able to help others understand it too. I will keep my eyes open for people who are seeking to know and understand the Bible. I will come alongside them to study, discuss, and apply the truth of the written Word.

O God, thank you for Jesus, the Christ, who came into the world and suffered for my sake. Thank you for his resurrection and victory over death--the validation of his claims and promises. Give me the wisdom and the will to guard my heart, feed my spirit, stimulate my mind, and care for my body. Help me to grow in my understanding and experience of the salvation and hope Christ brings. Give me the wisdom and the skill to share and communicate my faith with others in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Romans 1:16-17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Resources:
True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In
by James Choung

December 16 - What Must I Do?

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 11:1-12:24
Acts 16:16-40
Psalm 64:1-10
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 16:29-34
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

Insight:
What would make this jailer ask, "What must I do to be saved?" Was it the hymns he heard Paul and Silas singing? Was it the way they conducted themselves as prisoners? Was it the fact that they stopped him from killing himself? And was it a miracle that none of the prisoners had escaped when an earthquake shook the prison doors open and the prisoners chains were loosed?

When the question was asked, Paul and Silas instructed the man to "believe in the Lord Jesus." The Philippian jailer probably had absolutely no idea who Jesus was, so Paul and Silas "spoke the word of the Lord" to him.

Response & Action:
What brings people to a place where they sense their spiritual need and cry out for salvation? There are so many influences. It could be something as simple as the lyrics of a song. It could be the difference they see Jesus making in someone's life. It could be a sense of wonder. It could be an act of kindness. When people ask, I need to be ready to point them to Jesus. They may not have a clue about who he is or what it means to believe in him, so I need to be ready to "speak the word of the Lord" to them.

O God, may the words of my mouth and the actions of life be a testimony of the difference you make in the lives of those who believe in Jesus. When people around me become aware of their need for your salvation and love, help me to point them to Jesus and speak words of life. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Colossians 4:5-6
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Resources:
Salvation Belongs to Our God: Celebrating the Bible's Central Story
by Christopher J. H. Wright

December 15 - Sharp Disagreements

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 9:3-10:43
Acts 15:36-16:15
Psalm 63:1-11
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Acts 15:36-41
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Insight:
Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement about John Mark. Paul was disappointed with John Mark, because of his failure with them in Pamphylia, and didn't want to risk the same thing happening again. Barnabas, however, wanted to give John Mark another chance. This should not have surprised Paul, since it was Barnabas who had stood up for him in the early days of his own Christian faith when none of the other disciples wanted to give him a chance.

The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was so sharp they decided to part company and go their separate ways. It seemed like the only way they could both do what they each believed needed to be done. Paul needed to pursue his apostolic priority and Barnabas needed to pursue his pastoral priority.

Response & Action:
Christians can and sometimes need to disagree with each other. People who work well together in one season may need to part ways in the next. Priorities and perspectives can change. It is important to be gracious and humble about such disagreements. Each of us needs to seek God's guidance and follow it with integrity. We must also grant others the freedom and respect they need to do the same.

O God, help me to live in peace and harmony with others. Help me to be gracious when disagreements arise. Help me to graciously stand my ground and live within my convictions even if it means a parting of the ways with others. As I seek to draw near to you, help me to grow closer to others who seek to draw near to you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Proverbs 13:10
"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."

Resources:
Basic Christian Leadership: Biblical Models of Church, Gospel And Ministry
by John Stott

December 14 - Hidden in the Ground

2011-12-14T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Acts 15:1-35
Psalm 62:1-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Joshua 7:19-21
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

Insight:
The story of Achan is sad and tragic. It's sad that Achan valued possessions more than he valued obedience to God. It's sad that he somehow thought he could hide his sin from God and from others. It's tragic how instead of having humility and reverence for the destruction of the city and death of its people, he would be cold-hearted and selfish. It's tragic that his sin resulted in others losing their lives, and tragic how his self-indulgence turned out to be self-destruction.

Response & Action:
My secret sins are no secret to God. I have secret sins and, sadly, it's easy for me to identify with Achan. I want to be motivated by reverence for God and humble concern for others, not selfishness and greed. I don't want secret sins to destroy me or to hurt others. That's something I've seen happen all too often.

I am thankful for the grace and forgiveness God has extended to me through Christ Jesus. I want to live a life that is fully devoted to him. I will not bury sins under the “tent floor” of my life. I will strive to be honest with God and with others. With the guidance of God’s word, and the transforming strength of the Holy Spirit, I can escape the snares and temptations of selfish desires.

O God, help me to walk with integrity. Do not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. Strengthen me to stand and provide ways of escape. Transform and shape my heart so that I desire what you desire. Help me to remember that I am not my own, I have been bought with a price. Help me to live a life of devotion to you. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Galatians 6:7-8
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Resources:
The Smell of Sin: And the Fresh Air of Grace
by Don Everts

December 13 - God's Testimony of Himself

2011-12-13T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Acts 14:8-28
Psalm 61:1-8
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses: Acts 14:14-18
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

Insight:
Paul and Barnabas proclaimed to the people of Lystra the good news that the true God who made heaven and earth was now showing himself to them. The living God was calling them to come to him and to turn away from worthless things.

Paul explained that their worship of false Gods had resulted from a long history of ignoring God and going their own way instead. He pointed to creation, the seasonal rains, and bountiful crops as witnesses of provision from their Creator. The abundance of blessing and joy in their lives, he said, were testimonies of God's kindness to them.

Response & Action:
The good news is that God is calling people to himself. In proclaiming this good news, it is important to help people see evidence of the true and living God who is already at work among them with love and kindness. It is also necessary to help them recognize what is false and worthless.

O Living and True God, I want to be responsive to your invitation. Help me to turn away from all that is worthless and false. Help me to recognize the evidences of your truth and kindness toward me. As I respond and surrender to you, help me to share this good news with others. Help me be a witness of your truth and kindness. Help me to humbly and gently expose falsehoods and point others to you. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Resources:
God's Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religions?
by Gerald R. McDermott

December 12 - Twelve Stones

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Reading:
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Acts 13:42-14:7
Psalm 60:5-12
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Focus Verses:
Joshua 4:20-22,24
20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' - - - 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

Insight:
As the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, they took common rocks from the middle of the river and turned them into a memorial witness of their uncommon God. In the future, every time someone saw that pile of twelve stones, it would remind them of the powerful way God showed himself to be their provider.

The same God who had brought them out of Egypt, safely through the Red Sea, and safely through the wilderness, now brought them safely across the Jordan into the Land of Promise. Ordinary stones from the river became milestones of their journey—a memorial of God's faithfulness to them.

Response & Action:
Common things can serve as wonderful faith souvenirs that remind me of God's goodness and provision. In communion, common bread and wine become a witness of God's grace and deliverance made possible by Christ's death and resurrection. In baptism, common water becomes a witness of the new life God offers to all who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What is God bringing me through today? What common thing could I pick up today and turn it into a witness and reminder of God's faithfulness to me?

O God, you are worthy of my praise and thanks. You guide and provide for your people as they follow you in faith. Open my eyes to all the common things around me that can serve as reminders of your uncommon power and goodness to me. Give me the creativity and discipline to gather small souvenirs along my life's journey to serve as witnesses of your love and mercy to me. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Luke 22:19
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

Resources:
Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts
by Harold Best