Daily Scriptures and reflections [continued]

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October 25, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" A Fresh Glimpse Of Glory | Our Daily Bread

A Fresh Glimpse Of Glory

Read: Psalm 145:1-13

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. —Psalm 145:5

Every summer, thousands of Good Morning America viewers cast their votes to select “The Most Beautiful Place in America.” I was delighted when the winner for 2011 was announced—Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in my home state of Michigan. Admittedly, I didn’t expect the winning location to be in my own backyard. It reminded me of the time my wife, Martie, and I visited Niagara Falls. A man nearby watched our tourist behavior and quipped, “Ain’t nothin’ to it. I see it every day.”

How easily we grow accustomed to our surroundings and dulled to things that are familiar—even places and experiences that once brought great delight. Although God’s glory is clearly displayed all around us, sometimes the busyness of everyday life blocks our view. We take for granted His amazing work in our lives. We lose the wonder of the cross. We forget the privilege of being His child. We neglect the pleasure of His presence and miss the beauty of His creation.

I love the psalmist’s declaration: “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works” (Ps. 145:5). Let’s take time today to meditate on God’s “wondrous works” and get a fresh glimpse of His glory!

For the beauty of each hour
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise. —Pierpoint

If created things are so utterly lovely, how gloriously beautiful must be He who made them! —Antony of Padua

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October 26, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Even Her? | Our Daily Bread

Even Her?

Read: Joshua 2:1-14

Was not Rahab the harlot also justified? —James 2:25

Imagine looking through your family tree and finding this description of your ancestor: “A prostitute, she harbored enemies of the government in her house. When she was confronted by the authorities, she lied about it.”

What would you do about her? Hide her story from anyone inquiring about your family? Or spotlight and praise her in the legends of your family’s story?

Meet Rahab. If what we read about her in Joshua 2 were all we knew, we might lump her in with all of the other renegades and bad examples in the Bible. But her story doesn’t stop there. Matthew 1:5-6 reveals that she was King David’s great-great grandmother—and that she was in the lineage of our Savior, Jesus. And there’s more. Hebrews 11:31 names Rahab as a woman of faith who was saved from the fall of Jericho (see Josh. 6:17). And in James 2:25, her works of rescue were given as evidence of her righteous faith.

God’s love is amazing that way. He can take people with a bad reputation, transform their lives, and turn them into examples of His love and forgiveness. If you think you’re too bad to be forgiven or if you know someone else who feels that way, read about Rahab and rejoice. If God can turn her into a beacon of righteousness, there’s hope for all of us.

Redemption’s price our Savior paid
When all our sins on Him were laid;
He took our guilt, He bore our shame
That we may glorify His name. —D. DeHaan

Whether our sins are great or small, Jesus is able to forgive them all.

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October 27, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Titanic II | Our Daily Bread

Titanic II

Read: Jeremiah 17:5-10

Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. —Jeremiah 17:5

Mark Wilkinson purchased a 16-foot boat for fishing and recreation. Apparently he was not superstitious, because he christened his boat Titanic II after the ill-fated luxury ship that hit an iceberg and sank in 1912. Titanic II’s maiden voyage out of a harbor in Dorset, England, went well. But when Wilkinson headed back, the boat started taking on water. Soon he was clinging to a rail waiting for rescue. Wilkinson reportedly said, “It’s all a bit embarrassing, and I got pretty fed up with people asking me if I had hit an iceberg.” This was followed by an eyewitness who said, “It wasn’t a very big boat—I think an ice cube could have sunk it!”

The story of Titanic II is quite ironic. But it also makes me think of the original Titanic and the danger of misplaced trust. The builders of that ocean liner were absolutely confident that their ship was unsinkable. But how wrong they were! Jeremiah reminds us: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord” (Jer. 17:5).

All of us are tempted to seek security in people or things. How often we need to be reminded to forsake these false confidences and turn back to God. Are you putting your trust in something other than Him?

When we put our trust in You, Lord,
We’ll be like a tree that’s growing
Beside waters that are flowing,
Bearing fruit and standing strong. —Sper

Those who put their trust in God will never be disappointed.

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October 28, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" From A Distance | Our Daily Bread

From A Distance

Read: Acts 17:22-31

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. —Genesis 28:16

A popular song from years ago titled “From a Distance” envisions a world of harmony and peace. It says, “God is watching us from a distance.” Indeed God is watching us, but not from a distance. He is present, in the room with you, right in front of you, gazing at you with unbounded love in His eyes.

I think of the example of Brother Lawrence, who spent long years working in a kitchen washing pots and pans and repairing the sandals of other monks. He wrote: “As often as I could, I placed myself as a worshiper before Him, fixing my mind upon His holy presence.”

That is our task as well. But we forget and sometimes need reminders of His presence. I have driven an old handmade nail into the shelf over my desk to remind me that the crucified and resurrected Jesus is always present. Our task is to remember to “set the Lord always before [us]” (Ps. 16:8)—to know that He is with us to “the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20) and that “He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

Remembering may be as simple as calling to mind that the Lord has promised to be with you all through the day and saying to Him, “Good morning,” or “Thank You,” or “Help!” or “I love You.”

So near, so very near to God—
I cannot nearer be;
Yet in the person of His Son,
I am as near as He. —Paget

No one can come so near that God is not nearer still.

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October 29, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Making A Difference | Our Daily Bread

Making A Difference

Read: Matthew 9:27-38

[Jesus] was moved with compassion for them. —Matthew 9:36

Elizabeth’s story was moving, to say the least. Following a terribly humiliating experience in Massachusetts, she caught a bus to New Jersey to escape her embarrassment. Weeping uncontrollably, she hardly noticed that the bus had made a stop along the way. A passenger sitting behind her, a total stranger, began making his way off the bus when he suddenly stopped, turned, and walked back to Elizabeth. He saw her tears and handed her his Bible, saying that he thought she might need it. He was right. But not only did she need the Bible, she needed the Christ it speaks of. Elizabeth received Him as a result of this simple act of compassion by a stranger who gave a gift.

Jesus is our example of compassion. In Matthew 9, we read, “When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (v.36). Not only did our Lord notice the pain and hurt of broken people, He responded to it by challenging His followers to pray for the Father to send out workers to respond to the hurts and needs of this dying world (v.38).

As we follow Christ’s example, a heart of compassion for shepherdless people can compel us to make a difference in the lives of others.

Father, open my eyes to see the hurts and
struggles of others. Then open my heart to respond to
them, so that through me they may see You and
Your love. Amen.

A world in despair needs Christians who care.

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October 31, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Something To Hide | Our Daily Bread

Something To Hide

Read: Psalm 32

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. —Psalm 32:5

If you have something to hide, Mike Slattery may have the solution. Several years ago, a cell-phone company wanted to erect an antenna on his property and disguise it as a pine tree. Mike had a better idea and built a fake barn with vinyl panels that allow the radio waves to pass through them. He developed that concept into a company that builds structures to hide antennas for aesthetic and security reasons. Slattery is convinced that many of his neighbors still have no idea what’s inside his barn (The Gazette, Colorado Springs).

Most of us are trying to keep something out of sight. It may be as harmless as clutter in a basement or as toxic as the moral and spiritual failings we try to hide from others, ourselves, and even from God.

In Psalm 32, David described the futility of trying to conceal his sin (vv.3-4) and the relief of opening his soul to the Lord: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (v.5).

Confessing our sins to God and forsaking them brings a sense of freedom to our souls and the awareness that we have nothing to hide.

Lord Jesus, help me come to You
When I would rather run and hide
My sinfulness and foolish ways;
Forgive and make me clean inside. —Sper

Whenever we’re ready to uncover our sins, God is ready to cover them.

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November 1, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Forsaken? | Our Daily Bread

Forsaken?

Read: Psalm 22:1-8,19-26

Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! —Psalm 22:26

Do you know which psalm is quoted most often in the New Testament? You may have guessed the familiar and beloved 23rd Psalm, but actually it is Psalm 22. This psalm begins with David’s poignant, heart- breaking words that were quoted by Jesus on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).

Imagine the situation David must have found himself in that caused him to cry out to God in this way. Notice that he felt forsaken and abandoned: “Why are You so far from helping me?” (Ps. 22:1). He also felt ignored: “O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear” (v.2).

Ever been there? Have you ever looked up into the heavens and wondered why it seemed that God had abandoned you, or was ignoring you? Welcome to David’s world. But for every plaintive cry David expresses, there is a characteristic of God mentioned that rescues him from despondency. Through it all, David discovers that God is holy (v.3), trustworthy (vv.4-5), a deliverer and rescuer (vv.8,20-21), and his strength (v.19).

Do you feel forsaken? Seek the Lord. Rehearse His character. And “let your heart rejoice with everlasting joy” (v.26 nlt).

Lord, sometimes I feel as if You don’t care about
my life. When those times come, please remind me
of Your character as You did David. Help me to
lean on You again and know that You are there.

Even when we don’t sense God’s presence, His loving care is all around us.

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November 2, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Wake-Up Call | Our Daily Bread

Wake-Up Call

Read: 1 Peter 5:1-9

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. —1 Peter 5:8

One early autumn morning as I drove to work in the dark, I was startled by a flash of brown in my headlights followed by the sound of something hitting the front of my car. I had clipped a deer at 70 miles per hour! It was only a glancing blow, and no damage was done to my car (or the deer, as far as I could tell), but it really shook me up. I had been in my usual “autopilot mode” for the familiar drive to the office, but the shock of the incident certainly got my attention. I was now fully alert and trying to calm a racing heartbeat. It was a most unpleasant wake-up call.

The apostle Peter offers us a different kind of wake-up call—one that while unpleasant is necessary. He alerts us to a spiritual battle we are engaged in with a powerful enemy. Peter warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is a call to wake up, see the danger, and be ready for his attack!

Only when we are aware of the danger that faces us every day will we consciously seek the help we need. And only if we are on the alert will we lean on the strength of our Lord, who is greater than our spiritual enemy.

Though evil may surround us,
We need not fear defeat;
For when God fights the battle,
Our enemies retreat. —Sper

The Christian life is a battleground.

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November 3, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" The Truth About Maps | Our Daily Bread

The Truth About Maps

Read: John 6:44-59

He who hates his brother . . . does not know where he is going. —1 John 2:11

GPS is the latest way for travelers to find the best route to their destination, but my husband and I still navigate the old-fashioned way—with maps. Since Jay is usually the driver, the role of map watcher is mine by default. In general, I am not directionally challenged, but it seems that way when I try to navigate while the car is moving. Even though I know where we want to end up, I can’t figure out the best way to get there if we don’t stop to find out where we are. I need to get my bearings.

This can be true in our spiritual life as well. When we try to figure out the way God wants us to go, we need to stop and get our spiritual bearings. If we don’t, we are likely to end up lost in unintended places, situations, or relationships.

In helping His disciples navigate life and find their way through the traps and temptations of the world, Jesus often said, “stop.” “Stop grumbling,” “stop judging by mere appearances,” “stop doubting and believe” (John 6:43; 7:24; 20:27 NIV). To follow Jesus, we frequently have to stop something we are doing that’s wrong. As we depend on His guidance, we will learn to go in the way He says is right.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me,
and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
—Psalm 139:23-24

God’s way is the right way to go.

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November 4, 2012 "Our Daily Bread" Six-Word Testimony | Our Daily Bread

Six-Word Testimony

Read: John 9:1-11,24-25

One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see. —John 9:25

Over the past 15 years, Dan Smith’s name and face have appeared on fliers in coffee shops, laundromats, and small businesses across New York City. The six-word slogan on each flier says: Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar. The result is that Mr. Smith stays as busy as he wants to be, teaching his students how to play the guitar. Many enthusiastic students hang his fliers in new places. It’s their way of saying, “Dan Smith taught me guitar. He can teach you too.”

The pages of the Bible are filled with accounts of people telling what God has done for them. One of the most vivid appears in John 9 where Jesus encountered a man blind from birth and miraculously enabled him to see (vv.1-7). After repeated questioning by skeptical local religious leaders, the man could only say, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (v.25).

If you had six words to express what Christ has done for you and can do for others, what would you say? Perhaps, “Jesus Christ will forgive your sin,” or “. . . give you hope” or “. . . save your soul.” When Jesus has changed our lives, we affirm His power to do for others what He has done for us.

“I was blind, now I see.”

It is no secret what God can do.
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do. —Hamblen

We are Christ’s “letters of recommendation” to all who read our lives.