Everyday Encounters with the Lord: Meeting God and hearing His Word in everyday experiences. A year of daily devotional thoughts

JANUARY 1

TAKE ON A NEW CHALLENGE THIS YEAR

I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me

– PHILIPPIANS 3:12

Recently one of my grandsons came over to our house with a specific purpose in mind—to be able to ride his bicycle without the use of training wheels. Due to the limited space around his own home for practicing, he hadn’t been able to take the final steps toward his goal. But since we live on a cul-de-sac, it was a perfect spot for working to achieve this childhood milestone.

As soon as we started practicing, I could tell he was so close to getting it. He only needed a few pointers and a lot of encouragement. Whenever he felt the bike start to tilt, he would put his foot down on the ground to catch himself rather than lean the other way to try to compensate and maintain his balance. He simply needed to build up a little confidence and be willing to trust himself to keep from falling.

After working on it for a while, he made significant improvement. Finally I asked him if he wanted to try riding down our driveway. After a brief hesitation, he said he was ready. When he successfully maneuvered the length of our driveway, circled around, and came all the way back to the top without stopping, I knew he had officially become a bike rider. And by the grin on his face, he knew it as well.

Most of us learned how to ride a bicycle a long time ago, but maybe we’re facing some adult challenges today which are just as daunting as bike-riding can be to a kid. We’re not very confident about our ability to do it. We’re afraid of falling. We keep putting our foot down to catch ourselves rather than risking letting go and trusting God.

As a new year begins, maybe some of us need to be encouraged to take the plunge to tackle that new challenge or opportunity. It’s time to remove the training wheels, put ourselves out there, and go for it. It’s time to quit merely talking about it and start doing something.

For some of us, it may apply to our relationship with the Lord. We need to stop holding back, surrender ourselves completely to God, and let Him lead us along the road to spiritual maturity. For others, it may apply to some specific task or opportunity for service which God has for us. It may not be easy. It might take a significant commitment of our time and effort. But if this is what the Lord wants us to do, He will enable us to do it. And it will be worth any sacrifice we might have to make.

However there’s another side to this truth too. Maybe there are some folks around us who need us to be their encouragers. They’re the ones who are trying to ride without the training wheels. And they need someone like you to run along beside them, to give them bits of advice when needed, to lend a hand of support, and to provide uplifting words of encouragement. They need you to cheer them on. They need someone to be there to pick them up and soothe their hurts when they stumble and fall. And they need someone to be there to help them celebrate their moments of achievement and success.

So let’s be willing to take the plunge ourselves this year to reach for new milestones in our walk with God and our service to Him. And at the same time let’s be a help and encouragement to the people around us who are doing likewise.

What new challenge does God want you to pursue?

JANUARY 2

MAINTAIN A REGULAR AND BALANCED SPIRITUAL DIET

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

– II TIMOTHY 3:16

Ioften encourage people to make a daily practice of reading the Bible. It’s strange—you usually don’t have to prod anyone to eat dinner every day, but many of us have to be reminded to feed regularly on that which nourishes and strengthens our souls.

At the beginning of a new year, when some people especially focus on changes they can make to improve their lives, a fresh commitment to reading and studying God’s Word is commendable. There are numerous reading schedules and suggestions available for those who are serious about that worthwhile pursuit. I particularly like the ones that take you on the journey of reading through the whole Bible in a year’s time.

However, I realize that some people may not feel that they can read three or four chapters every day, as many of those programs require. Yet they still want to develop that daily habit of Bible reading. It would be a big step forward for them simply to read one chapter faithfully each day. Or there are others who want to focus on smaller portions of scripture, spending time at more in-depth study. With that in mind, I recently came up with a tool for the folks in my church (see Appendix A). I’m calling it the Bible Highlights Reading Schedule. It’s a compilation of 366 chapters from the Bible—one for each day of the year. I tried to select chapters that would cover the main narratives or convey the primary truths taught in God’s Word.

Surprisingly I found this to be one of the most difficult tasks I had undertaken in quite a while. After all, what chapters in God’s written revelation to mankind do you skip over? Which ones do you dare to judge to be less important than others? I hadn’t progressed far in this exercise before I found a fresh appreciation for the warning in the Bible not to subtract from any of its words. I was reminded of the fact that all portions of God’s Word are significant.

Do you tend to spend most of your time reading in the New Testament? Let’s not forget that those Old Testament narratives are a history of God’s dealings with mankind too. The stories of those characters are not irrelevant to us as they serve as examples of how we should live and relate to God, and in some cases, how we shouldn’t. Even those tedious genealogies, the instructions about building the tabernacle, and other less inspirational passages serve a purpose that we would do well not to ignore.

Maybe some of us need to seek a more balanced spiritual diet this year. It’s possible to get so focused on one portion of scripture or one subject, as important as they are, and neglect others that would benefit us in different ways. How long has it been since you’ve read the account of Abraham and been challenged by his faith? How many of us need to observe and follow Joseph’s example and flee from sexual temptation? Who doesn’t need to be reminded that we serve a God who is great enough to part waters, slay giants, and save His people from floods, Pharaohs, and fiery furnaces? But then there are others who may enjoy the stories, but fail to dig deep into the spiritual concepts taught by Jesus and by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.

Parts of the Bible may need to be emphasized more than others. However, none of it is worthy of our neglect. Will you commit yourself this year to a daily and more balanced diet of the spiritually nourishing Word of God?

Determine with God’s help to read His Word more regularly.

JANUARY 3

ENDEAVORING TO SEE MORE CLEARLY THIS YEAR

Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me.

– PSALM 25:4–5

One of my first tasks in this new year will be to get a new pair of eyeglasses. When I had my annual eye exam, I had a difficult time reading small print with my current prescription. However, it’s not due to the fact that my eyesight has worsened. I’ve already been wearing progressive bifocals for about a decade now. It seems that this problem has to do with the glasses themselves. The area on the lens intended to aid me in seeing objects that are close up is so unusually small that I have a hard time finding it. No matter how I tilted my head or moved the printed card while wearing my glasses, the lettering remained somewhat of a blur.

As we begin another year, it might be a good idea for all of us to make clearer sight one of our goals and priorities. No, I’m not trying to drum up business for my wonderful ophthalmologist. I’m referring primarily to our seeing God’s will and understanding better His direction for our lives.

Unfortunately, many of us would have to admit that we tend to see His will better at a distance than we do up close. In other words, it’s easier to discern what God wants to do in other people’s lives than it is to grasp what He’s saying to us or what changes He may want to make in our conduct and attitude. It’s reminiscent of Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount. We have little problem in spying the splinter in our companion’s eye, but we can’t see the two-by-four that’s stuck in our own eye.

And that can be a problem, especially as we make resolutions or seek guidance about what improvements we can make in our lives this year. If we don’t see the real issues, we can focus our time and efforts on the wrong areas, or at least on secondary things.

Sometimes we sing songs like the one in the church hymnal that says, Open my eyes that I may see…. We pray for enlightenment—that God would show us His will or give us clear guidance. And it’s true that we need God’s help in order to see. But too often the main problem isn’t the lack of revelation from God, but rather an unwillingness on our part to see and acknowledge the truths God is trying to show us. That especially holds true when the Lord is dealing with those close-up and personal issues in our lives. It can be humbling to acknowledge our need to change. And it can be painful to submit ourselves to the divine touch as God surgically deals with those issues in our lives.

We may not need more spectacular signs from God or greater revelation as to what His will is for us. It may be that we simply need to receive and submit to what He has already shown us or has been saying to us. Instead of praying for God to open our eyes, it could be that we need to quit purposely closing them to whatever it is that God wants us to see.

So as we pray, read the Bible, and seek God’s will, let’s make this part of our prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the truth. And help me to keep my eyes open, even when You’re showing me those up-close aspects of my own life that you want to change and improve. I’m willing to see whatever You show me, and to submit to Your will for me.

I hope to see more clearly in more ways than one this year. How about you?

Is there something God has been showing you, but which you’ve refused to acknowledge?

JANUARY 4

A GREAT GOD IS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I surely bear a child since I am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord?’

– GENESIS 18:13–14

Iknow someone who recently revealed the good news that she is expecting her first child. While that is commonly an occasion for joyful celebration, it is especially so in this situation. It has been one of those cases where the desire to bear children has failed to be fulfilled for a period of years. There have been many prayers, along with all the medical tests and usages of modern technology, to try to assist in the conception of a child. So it’s a special blessing to see those many years of disappointments and frustrations melt away in the light of the news of this new life God has given.

It’s interesting how often a similar scenario is recorded for us in the Bible. There are a number of stories about those who were barren who eventually gave birth. Such a list would include the likes of Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Samson’s mother, and Elisabeth. One reason for those stories is because they show a common longing in the human heart, along with an emphasis on the importance of childbearing in that particular culture. But another purpose in those biblical accounts is to remind us of some truths about God.

For one thing, they help us remember that God is in control. We often stray into the mistaken notion that we are the masters of our own destiny. We plan everything out, thinking we know exactly how all the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place in our lives. Sometimes that includes figuring out the specific number of children we’re going to have and the perfect time to bring each one into the world. Maybe we see the right time being whenever we get more financially secure, or whenever we move into a bigger house. Or for others, the right time may seem to be now. But so often those well-laid plans don’t work out as we had hoped.

Sometimes we’re guilty of being one of those the Bible describes who declares his detailed plans for tomorrow when he doesn’t really know what the next day may hold. We’re reminded that we should say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that (see James 4:15). Whether it’s the barrenness of a womb, the unexpected conception of a child, a sudden sickness or death, a car accident, the loss of a job, or countless other unplanned events in our lives, we’re often reminded that we’re not in the driver’s seat as much as we like to think we are.

Another truth those biblical accounts reveal has to do with the power of God. They remind us that God can do what we can’t do. They show us that when we come to our wit’s end, and even when modern technology has done all it can do to no avail, there is a great God who can still accomplish what may seem impossible to man.

It was within the context of the angel of the Lord revealing to Abraham that Sarah was going to bear a child that this question is asked: Is anything too hard for the Lord? It was a question with an obvious answer—an answer we need to keep in mind in our situations. However difficult things may look, there is a great God who still hears our prayers and can do what seems inconceivable to us.

So whatever challenge we’re facing, let’s remember these truths from those biblical childbearing stories. God is in control, working out what He knows is best for us according to His time and purpose. We need to keep praying, believing, and submitting to His will, not ours. And let’s never lose faith in the right answer to the question, Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Be assured that your situation is not too difficult for God.

JANUARY 5

WHAT IF A CALENDAR DOCUMENTED OUR GROWTH?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

– II PETER 3:18

Many of us have probably either purchased calendars recently or received one as a gift. Someone gave me one which has beautiful scenes from nature for each month of the year, along with quotations from the Psalms. It is now decorating the wall of my office at the church. There are calendars produced for almost anyone, displaying everything from generic photographs to pictures of specialized interests. For example, dog lovers can find one for virtually any breed of canine, like the one I received and enjoyed a few years ago exclusively about basset hounds.

However, my favorite calendar has to be the one our daughter gave us one year. It didn’t have preprinted pictures for each month. Instead, there was an empty place to insert a photograph as each page was turned. January had a recent snapshot of our grandson already included. Then throughout the year, at the beginning of each month, our daughter gave us an updated photo of our little pride and joy. In March, he was donning a St. Patrick’s Day hat. In July, he was wearing red, white, and blue. In the October picture, he was showing off his Halloween costume.

On New Year’s Day, as we removed that calendar from its twelve-month residence on our refrigerator, I enjoyed looking through all those photographs again and reliving some memories. However, the most obvious truth those pictures revealed was how much our grandson has grown over the past year. He looked like such a baby in January but as the months went by, you could see him progressing more and more into becoming the big little boy which he was by December.

I wonder…if our Heavenly Father had kept such a photo calendar of us over the past year, what would it have looked like? I’m not thinking about pictures of how we’ve changed physically—those calendars are cute for kids, but they might be rather pathetic or discouraging for some of us adults if they showed us progressing in grey hairs, wrinkles, and other signs of aging. No, I’m referring to God taking pictures of our heart, our character, our soul. Would it show that we’ve grown over the past year? Would there be more of God’s love lighting up our faces? Would there be more godly wisdom showing in our eyes? Would we look more like Jesus in character and conduct than we did a year earlier? Would our hearts be more passionate for God and more full of His purity and grace?

My grandson didn’t have to put forth effort to grow. It happened naturally, but only because there were people in his life who intentionally made sure he ate well and maintained good health. We have to accept that responsibility for ourselves regarding our spiritual growth. We can’t make ourselves grow, but we can maintain a close, healthy relationship with the Lord. We can seek to know Him better and to love Him more. We can feed regularly upon His Word. We can guard against anything that would hinder our spiritual growth and let the Holy Spirit cleanse us of any impurities which would infect our hearts with disease. The Lord promises that if we will intentionally draw close to Him, He, in turn, will draw close to us. And such a relationship will inevitably lead to growth.

As we continue into this new year, let’s make sure that our Heavenly Father’s calendar will record significant spiritual growth and progress in our lives, too.

In what ways do you hope to have changed and progressed spiritually by this time next year?

JANUARY 6

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

– MATTHEW 6:20

Like many people, including the guy in a current insurance commercial, I have a longstanding habit of putting my loose change in a jar when I empty my pockets at the end of the day. I think it was a little over a year ago when someone gifted me with a special container for that purpose. I suppose you could call it a smart jar—if we can use that description for phones, then maybe it’s appropriate for other inanimate objects. This container not only collects my coins, but it counts them as I make my deposits. I think it gains this intelligence from the size of the coins as they are forced through the slot.

So now I don’t have to guess how much money I’ve collected over a period of time. My jar provides me with a running total. I hadn’t paid much attention to that number for a while, so I was pleasantly surprised recently to discover that I had amassed over $130 since I had last emptied the jar. Therefore it’s definitely time to roll some coins and head to the bank.

It’s interesting how such small amounts of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters can grow into a significant number over time, often with us giving little thought to it and considering such change as our leftovers. We rightly pay more attention to those weekly paychecks or to other occasional bigger financial windfalls which come our way. But let’s not lose sight of how the little things can add up and make a difference too.

The same holds true in other areas of our lives. Jesus instructed us to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). As we consider what constitutes our fulfilling that command, we might tend to think of some of the bigger, less-frequent opportunities which come our way. Maybe we think about the time we were able to share our testimony before a large group of people. Or we think about an occasion when God allowed us to be in the right place at the right time in His harvest field to help lead someone to Christ. Or maybe we remember the time we received an extra-big financial blessing and was able to pass it along by giving a significant donation to some charitable organization. Those are wonderful opportunities for doing something which may have lasting, eternal value.

However, let’s not overlook the little daily ways we can store up such treasures as well. You may not get to speak before large crowds very often, but most days you have conversations with individuals whose lives you can impact. A kind or encouraging word, a brief testimony, or an acknowledgement of God’s goodness and blessings might be just what that person needs to hear. You might not get to reap the harvest of a lost soul very often, but you can daily sow seeds that God may use to eventually bring people to faith in Him. It may be rare for you to have the means to make a donation that would put your name on an organization’s list of top donors, but your regular tithe and offering to your church, or a few dollars here and there to other charitable causes can still make a difference.

Like our loose change in a jar, those small, daily acts of love, those little nuggets of truth, those regular acts of faithfulness to serve God and minister to others will add up over time. We may tend to think of them as not being very significant, but God notices. Keep depositing those little things each day. They will probably make up the majority of our treasure in heaven.

Look for little ways in which the Lord can use you to make a difference today.

JANUARY 7

OUR CONDUCT SHOULD MATCH WHAT WE SAY WE BELIEVE

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ….

– II CORINTHIANS 5:20

Did you hear about the man who robbed a store while wearing a shirt emblazoned on the front with the message Jesus Loves You? Authorities think he may have worn the item of clothing specifically in order to gain trust and deflect suspicion before carrying out his act of theft. It’s despicable when someone uses the Christian faith as a cover for his ungodly actions. However, we do encounter such charlatans on occasion. Maybe you’ve received one of those emails calling you dearly beloved in Christ as someone tries to scam you out of some money. And unfortunately there have always been a few so-called ministers around who are only putting on a show of following Christ in order to take advantage of their flocks for their own personal gain.

While we have to be on guard against such folks who put up a false front of being a follower of Christ, thankfully most of us don’t fall into that category. Our more common problem tends to be unintentionally not living up to what we outwardly profess. Maybe we wear our T-shirt with some kind of thought-provoking Christian adage or verse of scripture printed on it, only to lose our temper, act unlovingly, or in some other way display conduct that isn’t in keeping with the message we’re so prominently exhibiting on our clothing. Or we drive vehicles with a bumper sticker proclaiming some biblical truth or with one of those license plates declaring In God We Trust, but then we drive without regard for the law or display a discourteous or even hostile attitude toward others on the road.

We’re not like that thief who was intentionally trying to fool people. We really do love Jesus, believe the Bible, and are putting our trust in God. However, we have to admit that we don’t always represent our Lord and our faith as faithfully as we should.

The easy thing to do in light of this situation is simply to make excuses for ourselves—I’m only human—We all makes mistakes—No one is perfect. While those may be true, we shouldn’t settle for being less than what God calls us to be. We are to be ambassadors for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20). We represent Him in this world. Our lives should be a testimony to who Jesus is and what He can do in people who allow Him to come into their hearts.

Even if we’re not wearing a Christian shirt, a cross necklace, or anything else that proclaims our faith to those around us, we should still hope to be such a Christlike example that people will see Jesus in us. We may not have a fish symbol on our car or display one of those In God We Trust tags, but we should still treat other drivers and the laws of the road with the respect and courtesy due them.

Yes, we’re going to falter at times. There will be moments when we embarrass ourselves and will be ashamed that our conduct didn’t match up with our profession of faith. But we can seek God’s forgiveness and ask Him to help us not do the same thing again. He can change our hearts and attitudes, enabling us to be better representatives of Him and of what we say we believe.

Don’t be afraid to wear those Christian shirts or otherwise proclaim your faith. However, let’s be sure to seek God’s help in living up to any Christian message we choose to have on display. We should always aim to be good ambassadors for Christ whether we’re wearing such apparel or not.

Live each moment as if everyone around you knows you’re a follower of Jesus.

JANUARY 8

OUR ULTIMATE LOYALTY ALWAYS BELONGS TO GOD

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

– LUKE 16:13

There are times when a sports fan’s loyalty to his favorite team is put to the test. We just completed another season of college bowl games and now the NFL playoffs are in full swing. These occasions can sometimes result in teams which rarely compete against one another facing off in an important game. No doubt some people find themselves in a quandary when two teams they like, two teams they have cheered for all season, two teams to which they have some degree of connection and loyalty take the field on opposite sides of the ball.

The problem is that you can’t really pull for both teams to win. It would be about as confusing as trying to play yourself in a game of table tennis. I suppose you could hope both teams play well. You might cheer for certain players to perform at their best level. You might applaud each team when it makes a big play. You might wish for a close game. But if it came down to one final play at the end of the game to decide the contest, you would have to make a choice as to whether you wanted one team to score or the other team to stop them. Do you really want that runner to get into the end zone? Do you want to see that football get kicked through the uprights? Or do you hope it falls short? With which team does your ultimate loyalty lie?

When it comes to our loyalty to the Lord, sometimes there is little problem in recognizing the enemy and choosing to be on God’s side. But other times conflicts arise between good things in our lives and what God wants us to do. Most of the time we probably find our families, work situations, church obligations, personal desires and plans on the same team as the Lord. But what about when we suddenly find one of those other areas competing against God’s will for us? What about when God is pointing us toward one fork in the road when our ambition wants us to take the other way? What if God is directing us to go someplace that would require putting more distance between us and beloved family? Whom do we choose to win in our lives when one of our favorite things collides with the plans of the One whom we call Lord?

I can only imagine how difficult it was for Abraham the time God told him to offer up his son as a sacrifice. He suddenly found his family, his affection, and his plans for the future, along with God’s own promises about that son, on the other side of the ball from what God was telling him to do. But Abraham showed both his faith and his loyalty to God by being willing to obey that command (although, if you know the story, God stopped him from actually going through with the deed).

Jesus warned us that following Him would sometimes put us in conflict with our own families and friends. There would be times when we would have to choose between good things and Him. We would even find our own selves on the other team at times, having to pray as He did, Not my will, but Yours be done.

The bottom line is simply that we can’t serve two masters. At some point we have to choose with whom our loyalty truly lies. Are we going to do what God says and be on His team, or not? Whatever choices we face, let’s always be loyal to our one and only Master.

Is there any area of your life you’re not submitting to the lordship of Jesus?

JANUARY 9

BE CAREFUL OF DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL NUMBNESS

You should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk…who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness

– EPHESIANS 4:17–19

I’ve got a shiner. It’s not bad—just a little bruising under my left eye. I jokingly told my congregation that it was not from my wife punching me in the eye, at least not this time. However with what has reportedly transpired in the relationships between some ministers and their spouses over the years, I suppose I should be careful even joking about such matters. Anyway, mine is just a slight bruise. If my wife had done it, I’m sure it would have been much worse.

You’ll be glad to know that my particular contusion is the result of a medical procedure, not the aftereffect of a fight. Unfortunately I’m going to have to return to that doctor’s office for a second round of minor surgery next week, in order to take care of the rest of the problem. That means I’ll once again get to sit uncomfortably tilted back in a chair in such a way that it reminds me of getting stuck hanging upside down on a Ferris wheel. The procedure itself isn’t so bad. It’s just the preparation for it that is painful. I appreciate medicines that can numb an area which is going to face a surgeon’s knife, but wouldn’t it be nice if they could find a way to make painless the shot which injects that medicine? I find that a needle implanted near a sensitive area such as the eyelid is especially excruciating.

Numbness can be a good thing when it comes to medical procedures, but the lack of feeling isn’t so good when it comes to spiritual matters. In Ephesians 4:18, when the Apostle Paul was describing the condition of people who had not received new life in Christ, he commented not only on the fact that their understanding was darkened and their hearts blind, but also that they were past feeling. That phrase would seem to indicate an emotional, moral, and spiritual numbness. It might describe someone who feels little or no compassion for the people around them. It might indicate someone who is unmoved when others, even God, express love and care for them. But it may also refer to a numbness to the pain of guilt, shame, and condemnation that comes from personal wrongdoing. We are in a sad condition when we have so hardened our hearts against God or others that we no longer possess those natural feelings.

However, I believe those who do know Christ also need to guard against experiencing some degree of spiritual numbness. When the Holy Spirit reveals sin in our lives and we choose to ignore it or not to act upon it appropriately with confession and repentance, we may start losing some of our feeling. Such conviction can be painful. When God’s Word shows us our faults, it can be like a sharp sword piercing deep within our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). But sometimes we need to feel that pain in order to recognize that we have a problem which needs God’s forgiveness and cleansing.

Granted, some people may be oversensitive about such matters and constantly beat themselves up over their unworthiness. But I believe the far greater and more common problem is a lack of sensitivity to sin in our lives. We live in a world that will inject us full of soothing anesthetics, assuring us that such behavior or attitudes are not wrong, they are natural, everyone does it, and God will accept us anyway. And if we’re not careful, we will end up being numb to the voice of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Let’s be willing to feel the pain so that we can receive the God-given remedy.

Have you grown numb to something God has been speaking to you about?

JANUARY 10

GOD DOESN’T RESTRICT THE GIVING OF HIS GRACE

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

– II CORINTHIANS 6:2

It’s time again. I hear that the Girl Scouts in our area are starting to take orders for their cookies this weekend. One of the leaders of the troop which meets at our church gave me advanced warning that it was coming. With that, I’ve been able to spend the past week dreaming about which cookies I wanted and how many to buy. I’ve got to have a couple of boxes of my favorite—the Do-si-dos. And of course my wife will likewise need a box or two of those Samoas to which she is so partial. And you can’t buy Girl Scout cookies without getting some Thin Mints. They’re even good after a few months in the freezer. The problem is all the cookies are so tasty that it’s hard to eliminate any of the varieties from my list. However, my wallet insists that I exercise some degree of restraint.

It wouldn’t be so difficult if you could pick up those specialty cookies any time you wanted them, but the Girl Scout authorities are exceptionally strict about when the various troops and regions can take orders and distribute those delicious treats. If I get a craving for an Oreo or a Nutter Butter, I can easily find a store with that product on the shelf waiting to satisfy my urge, but if I get a taste for a Do-si-do, unless I’ve got a box stashed away somewhere, I may have a long wait until I can get another.

I’m glad that God doesn’t have any such restrictions on the distribution of His grace, especially His gift of salvation. We don’t have to wait for special occasions, such as religious holidays, to respond to His invitations. If I sensed a deadness in my soul today, I wouldn’t want to have to wait until Easter to experience a resurrection to new life. I would want to get that important matter taken care of as soon as possible. And what if here in January you were forced to delay receiving Jesus into your heart until the celebration of His coming into the world at Christmas the following December? Imagine going eleven months knowing that your heart wasn’t right with the Lord, but unable to do anything about it until December 25th rolled around.

The good news is that we don’t even have to wait until Sunday to respond to God. Neither do we have to do it within the walls of a church building. Many years ago when I came to that point of recognizing my need for forgiveness and asked Jesus to come into my heart, it took place on a weekday evening in the living room of my own home. While I’ve known many people who have received God’s saving grace while kneeling at a church altar, I’m aware of others who experienced that pivotal moment while driving in a car, enjoying the beauty of nature, or quietly contemplating in the privacy of their own bedroom. I seem to recall the Apostle Paul encountering Christ in the middle of a road.

We don’t have to wait for a particular time, season, or place before receiving God’s grace. He invites us to come to Him today. Whenever we sense our need and hear His call, that’s the time to act.

Even though I’m placing my cookie order this weekend, I’m going to have to wait several weeks for the shipment to arrive before my taste buds will finally be satisfied. But you don’t have to wait another moment to have the longing in your soul satisfied. You can stop reading right now and seek to receive God’s forgiveness, cleansing, and saving grace.

God’s grace is available to you right now. Go ahead and receive it.

JANUARY 11

BE SOMEONE WITH A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPIRIT

But My servant Caleb…has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully….

– NUMBERS 14:24

Is it just me, or does it seem like more people these days are expressing negative attitudes about life in general, and especially a pessimistic outlook concerning the future? We may have some valid reasons for concern as we see certain economic, political, and spiritual trends in the world, but we need to be careful that we don’t fall into the trap of becoming discouraged, hopeless, and complaining people.

I remember hearing a few years ago that the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) was at its lowest level ever. That figure would seem to indicate that many people weren’t feeling very good about what was ahead for our nation economically. Apparently a great number among us were still concerned about the possibility of job losses, home foreclosures, and higher prices.

However, I would like to suggest that there’s another CCI which shouldn’t have changed. I would call it the Christian Confidence Index. What has changed regarding God and His promises that should cause us to lose our confidence as followers of Christ? Is God no longer around or available to help us? Is His Word no longer valid? There’s an old saying—The future is as bright as the promises of God. Have the promises of God somehow changed resulting in the future not being as bright as it has been in the past? I don’t believe so. As long as God and His Word are the same, we have reason to look ahead to tomorrow with faith, assurance, hope, and encouragement.

I didn’t open up my Bible this morning to find that it had been supernaturally altered so that some of God’s promises were missing or changed. Jesus still promises to be with us always. And Paul still assures us that God will supply all of our need according to His riches in glory. Even though our society is changing and some of our personal circumstances are different, the promises of God are the same. We can still count on them today.

In Numbers 14:24, Caleb is described as having a different spirit from the rest of the Israelites. In verses 26–29 of that chapter, the attitude of the majority is shown to be a negative, complaining, and pessimistic one. When they reached the border of the land God had promised to give them, they refused to go in. Based on the reports of giants and fortified cities in that land, they thought the endeavor was hopeless. The people complained about why God had brought them there to die. Although Caleb saw the same thing as the other spies, he reached a different conclusion. He declared, Let’s go up right now and take possession of the land. We are well able to overcome it.

Will we face our circumstances like the majority of the Israelites did—if the road ahead looks uncertain, or difficult, then we’ll complain and turn back? Or will we face them with a different spirit—one that has confidence that if God has led us here and is telling us to move forward, then we are able to do it with His help?

Yes, there may be some problems, giants, and challenges ahead, but we don’t have to let the prospect of those things mold us into pessimistic, complaining people. Apart from God and His Word, the future can look bleak. But when we take into account God’s presence and His promises, we can be people of faith, hope, and optimism. The future is still bright for those who put their trust in Him. So no matter what kind of negative outlook others around you may possess, you be a Caleb—be someone with a different spirit.

As you face challenges today, show a spirit of faith in God.

JANUARY 12

IS A NEW CHALLENGE WORTH THE RISK?

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.

– HEBREWS 11:8

Last weekend I was reminded of the mixed feelings I can experience on those rare occasions in our neck of the woods when the possibility of frozen precipitation is in the weather forecast. There’s a part of me that with childlike anticipation always hopes for it to happen. There’s a unique beauty in the snowflakes floating to the ground, as well as in the resulting soft, white blanket which drapes over the landscape. I enjoy watching it and even getting out in it to some extent. And if my grandkids happen to come by, I would probably be enticed to join them in playing more extensively than I should in such a winter wonderland.

However, at the same time another part of me almost dreads the same event or hopes that it might pass us by. After all, it would disrupt my planned activities. Sometimes that might be a welcome change, but other times it might hinder me from doing something I was really looking forward to. Such winter weather events can result in other inconveniences, such as not being able to travel or losing electricity and heat. It can even escalate to something beyond inconvenience—it can become risky and dangerous with tree limbs falling and slippery conditions on the roads. Thus I’m often torn between wanting to experience the unparalleled beauty and enjoyment of a snowfall, but at the same time dreading the possibility of the disruptions, risks, and dangers it could pose for myself or others.

We sometimes experience similar circumstances as we make our journey with Christ through life. We see a fresh challenge or opportunity the Lord seems to be bringing our way and we have mixed feelings about it. We recognize how it could be something beautiful which would bring glory to the Lord. At the same time we realize it will come with its share of changes and inconveniences. It might not only disrupt what we’re accustomed to doing, but it presents some potential risks and dangers. Underneath the beauty can be some slippery spots.

I was reminded of this in connection with what our church is currently doing. We have combined our Sunday morning worship service with another congregation. Our two groups are very likeminded doctrinally and spiritually, but we’re very different in other ways—ways which sometimes tend to lead to division and separation in society. There is potential for great beauty when believers of different races, cultures, and customs come together in a spirit of unity to worship their one Lord. It can be a wonderful witness to the world and a foretaste of our fellowship in heaven. However, it also comes with changes, inconveniences, and even some dangers. Is it worth the risk?

Maybe you ask the same question as you face some challenge or opportunity in your life. You can see the potential beauty. You dream of what God might do through such a situation. But you also see those slippery slopes on which you could fall. And it’s certainly going to disrupt your life to some extent. Is it worth it?

If God is leading, it certainly is worth the risk. There may be some inconveniences to endure. We may slip, slide, or even fall down at times. However the beauty and joy of what God creates as we obediently follow His guidance will far outweigh any downside.

In order to enjoy a good snowfall, I’ll make a few adjustments and endure some hardships. Let’s do the same in connection with those new opportunities God brings our way.

Step out in faith to follow wherever God is leading you.

JANUARY 13

UTILIZE THE ARMOR GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR YOU

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

– EPHESIANS 6:11

Making use of a Christmas gift from one of our children, my wife and I recently stepped back in time for a few hours. We visited a venue in our area where you can enter the world of castles, royalty, knights, and other medieval personages and practices. We enjoyed a delicious feast in which your only eating utensils were your fingers, although they did provide you with a moist towelette at the conclusion of the meal. I doubt if that feature was characteristic of the time period, but we still appreciated it.

There were performances by beautiful, well-trained horses, along with contests and battles between knights. I think my wife even came close to swooning when she caught a carnation tossed to her by the congenial combatant who was supported by our section of the audience.

While those knights wore their armor to protect them as they did battle, there were numerous other impressive suits of armor out in the lobby on display. A nearby sign informed the patrons that those suits were available for purchase. The price wasn’t shown, but based on how much their T-shirts cost, I’m sure I couldn’t have afforded a whole suit of armor. And even if I could buy one, I don’t think such an item would quite fit in with the decor of the rest of our house, although it might make for an interesting conversation piece.

The Bible tells us that our King has provided a suit of armor for His followers. If you need to be reminded of the details, check out Ephesians 6:10–18. However, we need to keep in mind that this armor is not meant simply to be on display in our lives as a museum piece. God didn’t give it to us just so we can look at it, talk about it, and show it off to others. He intends for us to wear it and to use it.

In that passage in Ephesians, we’re told to take up and put on the whole armor of God. It’s not enough to possess it. We’re to wear it. And we don’t do so simply in order to model it before our friends or to try to impress people. The Bible instructs us to wear it in order that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. This armor is a vital tool to protect us as we do battle against evil and sin.

I’m afraid there are too many of us who don’t put up much of a fight against temptation and Satan. We’ve found it easier just to give in to their attacks and seductions, knowing that forgiveness, healing, and restoration are available to us afterwards. But that’s not how our King expects us to live. He calls us to resist the devil and to flee from temptation. He wants us to discover that He can not only pick us up when we get knocked down, but He can also enable us not to fall in the first place. We can be more than forgiven losers: we can be victorious conquerors through Christ.

Let’s not leave our armor sitting on the shelf or in the display case. Let’s be valiant knights for Jesus. Take up that armor of truth, righteousness, faith, prayer, the word of God, and all the rest. Those aren’t museum pieces for us to enjoy. They are weapons for us to employ in our daily battle against evil. So don’t just sit back and admire your God-given armor—use it.

Are there any pieces of your armor which you’ve been neglecting to use?

JANUARY 14

MAKE SURE YOUR SORRY IS SINCERE

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.

– II CORINTHIANS 7:10

Do you remember the old board game called Sorry? Recently I played an updated version of it. It has all the old elements of the game, but with a few added features. For example, there is an ice marker which can get assigned to a game piece, freezing it from being able to move until someone else gets stuck with it. As with other old things which get updated, I’m not sure I appreciate all of those new features.

However, the general idea of the game remains the same, including the classic feature of being able to draw a card which enables you to take a game piece out of start and use it to knock off one of your opponent’s men while declaring, Sorrrrryyyyy! The first time my granddaughter received the opportunity to make that move, from the look on her sweet face you could tell that she truly regretted having to send someone else back to their starting line. However, when my little grandson was told that he could do it, with a smirk on his face he instantly targeted one of my men. His sorry didn’t sound very sincere. I think he rather enjoyed knocking off his Papaw.

How sincere are our expressions of being sorry? I’m not talking about in playing a game, but in real life, concerning real failings, and in real relationships. I’m afraid there are times when we use that word sorry rather flippantly. There’s not much sincere regret behind it. We can tend to use it as a quick means of excusing our wrongdoing or attempting to smooth over some difficult situation. It’s easy to say sorry without truly meaning it. Maybe some of us need to be more careful in the casual use of that word, as well as ask God to help us truly feel the regret we ought to possess in certain situations.

We especially need to guard against misusing that word in relation to God. We’ve all sinned. We all have our faults. And therefore we all rightly have times when we need to come to God and say, Sorry. It’s important that we admit our wrongdoings before God in order to receive His gracious forgiveness. However, let’s guard against a few possible attitudes as we do so.

First of all, let’s not express a sorry to God that is void of sincere regrets. Don’t just say the word because you think you’re supposed to or because you know that’s what God wants to hear. Take any sin in your life seriously. Think about God’s love for you, the price Christ paid for you through His death on the cross, the pain your sin has caused the Lord, and other such truths which should stir up real regret for what you’ve done.

Secondly, let’s make sure we don’t just regret the fact that we got caught or are having to face the consequences of our deed, but that we truly regret what we did.

Finally, let’s go beyond simply being sorry to being repentant. Sometimes we can regret what we do without any intention of changing our behavior or attitude. Or we can tell God we’re sorry, knowing that we’re likely to do the same thing the next time we’re facing that situation. The Bible says that godly sorrow leads to repentance (II Corinthians 7:10). Let’s be sorry enough that we’re willing to change and go a different direction. Regret your sin to the point that you are determined with God’s help not to repeat your action.

Unless you’re playing the board game, saying sorry isn’t much fun. However it’s often needed. So when it is, let’s do so sincerely and completely.

Think about it the next time you say I’m sorry—do you really mean it?

JANUARY 15

LET’S FOCUS LESS ON OUR DIFFERENCES

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

– GALATIANS 3:28

We were able to enjoy a rare snow event in our area earlier this week. For some of us that involves sledding, snowball fights, and building snowmen. For others of us, there’s contentment with simply looking out the window at the beautiful scenery from the warmth of our houses. I was mainly one of the latter participants, although I did traipse through the snow a few times, using my dog’s need to go outside as an excuse. And I confess that I did throw one snowball at my wife—hitting my target, I might add.

Part of the splendor of a blanket of snow is how it covers and evens out everything. Imperfections are hidden and distinctions are lost underneath that layer of white. For example, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to determine exactly where a cement driveway ends and an asphalt roadway begins—or where the edge of the pavement gives way to the regular ground. The bare spots in the yard, the grassy areas, and the pine islands all look the same under the cover of several inches of snow. My weed-infested lawn suddenly looked as good as the well-manicured lawn of a neighbor.

Wouldn’t it be nice if more of us could view the world in a similar way? My analogy of the snow breaks down somewhat at this point, because I don’t believe uniformity—all of us looking, acting, or thinking the same—is the answer. Not only do our distinguishing features add variety to life, but our God-given differences are purposeful and can be positive aspects for us and for the world. But too often we emphasize our distinctions and let them divide us, rather than focusing on the commonalities that should unite us.

It seems to me that this was part of the dream expressed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was not the dream of a world in which there was only one race or one social class. It was the dream of a world where those differences among people were not the focal point by which individuals were judged. All persons would be recognized as being equally valuable human beings created in the image of God. And in our nation, those differences among us could be acknowledged and celebrated while at the same time taking a backseat when necessary to the fact that we are all united as Americans.

Long before Dr. King, the Apostle Paul expressed a similar truth about the Church. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Paul referred to conditions in his day that could sharply divide people and factors which society used as a basis for radically different treatment of people. He reminds us that our common faith in Christ overshadows all those distinctions. In the midst of our diversity—whether in race, social class, or denominations—the Church is one body in Christ. However this doesn’t mean that the Church is to tolerate sin among its members. The Church is still called to be a holy people, however diverse those believers may be otherwise.

I suppose neither the world nor the Church needs to be blanketed in a snow that makes everyone look the same. Rather maybe it’s our attitude or outlook that needs some revision. How would our community or our local churches be different if we focused less on the distinctions and imperfections which divide us and more on the important factors which unite us?

Lord, help me to focus more on that which binds me together with my fellow believers.

JANUARY 16

LET’S NOT MAKE EXCUSES FOR OUR WRONGDOING

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

– ROMANS 6:12

As I was watching the local news on TV, there was an all-too-common report about a man being carjacked in the parking lot of a metro Atlanta grocery store. And in this case, even though the victim willingly handed over his keys, the perpetrators still shot him.

However what gained my attention even more were the comments of the other customers whom the reporter interviewed about this incident. One man stated that he thought what the carjackers had done was a little excessive. Another guy offered the opinion, It’s hard times. I guess people gotta do what they gotta do. But it’s unfortunate.

Really? Have we become so accustomed to crime that we’re ready to excuse people for committing such acts? Yes, it was unnecessary and excessive to have shot the victim, but trying to steal his vehicle in the first place was excessive too. And did these individuals gotta do what they did? I don’t think so. No matter how hard the times and how tough a spot we might find ourselves in, we have a choice in how we respond to those difficulties. In most if not all cases, there are better options than resorting to criminal activity.

Such attitudes in our society toward those who break the law should disturb us. But we should also guard against developing a similar mentality when it comes