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 Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:13 am
Angels of Protection
Diane, a young Christian college student, was home for the summer. She had spent the evening with friends sharing and laughing about their combined college experiences. Diane hadn’t planned on staying so late, and when she looked at the clock at noticed it was past midnight, she wished she had kept better track of time. She had to walk home.
But it was a small town, and she only lived a few blocks away. As she started on her way, she silently asked God to protect her as she walked underneath the tall elm trees that lined the neighborhood streets. She decided to take a short cut — the alley — would shave off about five minutes on her walk home. But halfway down the alley, she noticed a man standing at the end of the road . . . as though he were waiting for her.
Diane grew increasingly uneasy and continued to pray for God’s protection from harm and danger. As she neared the end of the alley, she felt as though a blank of comfort and security were wrapped around her. She also had the unusual sensation that someone was walking with her! When she finally reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.
The next day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just 20 minutes after she had been in that same spot. Knowing it could have been her, she began to weep. After thanking the Lord for protecting her, she decided to help this young woman by going to the police station and describing the man she saw.
The police asked her to look at a line-up of suspects. She immediately pointed to the man she had seen in the alley. When the man was told he had been identified, he broke down and confessed. The officer thanked Diane for her involvement and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She replied that she wanted to ask the man a question. The officer took her question to the rapist: “Why didn’t you attack the girl you saw about 20 minutes before the other girl passed down the alley?”
“Because she wasn’t alone,” the rapist responded. “She had two tall men standing on either side of her.”
Know It!
Never underestimate the power of prayer! God doesn’t want you to make foolish decisions then expect Him to bail you out, but He does help those who call on His name in a sincere manner. He sends angels to protect and guide you.
Read It!
Hebrews 13:2; Hebrews 13:5; 2 Peter 1:16; 2 Peter 3:18.
Pray It!
Ask God daily for His supernatural protection and guidance in your life.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:31 am
Friday Aug 24th
A Funeral Procession
As [Jesus] drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out. Luke 7:12
One morning when I was late for work, I was unexpectedly delayed even more by a hearse followed by a string of cars in a funeral procession. “How annoying,” I selfishly said as I waited impatiently for the last car in the procession to pass.
Jesus and His followers likewise met a procession of mourners on their way to bury a widowed woman’s only son. But Jesus didn’t let this funeral procession pass; He stopped it in its tracks. He raised the young man from death and gave him back to his mother. What a joyous procession must have followed Jesus that day!
Christ’s victory over death and the grave transforms the funeral processions of those who die in Christ. Each such funeral procession is actually a glimpse of the caravan of saints streaming toward heaven to meet the One who brought life out of death and joy out of sorrow. As believers and followers of Christ, we no longer fear our march toward death because we know that one day, it will give way to a procession of praise to our Savior in the halls of glory. By His death and resurrection, Jesus leads us out of a world of sin and into the realms of His eternal grace.
Jesus, we eagerly await the day You complete in us Your procession from death to life. Amen.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:49 am
The Power of Water
We know water is important . . . after all, most of the world is made up of water. But here are some amazing facts about water you might not know!
• Research tells us that drinking eight to 10 glasses of water a day can significantly reduce pain for almost 80 percent of the people who suffer from back and join pain.
• Seventy-five percent of all Americans are chronically dehydrated.
• A mere two percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
• In 37 percent of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it’s often mistaken for hunger.
• One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100 percent of the dieters studied in a University of Washington research project.
• Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as three percent.
• Lack of water is the number one reason for daytime fatigue.
• Drinking just five glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79 percent, and one is 50 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.
It’s obvious that our bodies need water — and lots of it! We can live a few days without food, but we can’t live long without water. And just as important as it is to be sure we’re drinking the amount of water we should each day, it’s also essential that we consume living water every day. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that He was living water. As she was drawing water from the well to her parched, dry lips, He explained that He could provide an H2O supplement that would last throughout eternity.
At first she didn’t understand what He was talking about, but as He continued to look into her eyes and tell her the things about her life that no one else knew, she realized He was the Messiah. She accepted His forgiveness for her sins and began walking with the Creator of the universe.
Know It!
God wants to fill your life with spiritual nourishment. To get the spiritual vitamins you need, make it a necessity to spend time with your heavenly Father every single day.
Read It!
Zechariah 14:8; John 4:1-26; John 7:38; 1 Peter 3:21.
Pray It!
Ask God to give you an unquenchable thirst for His Word.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:08 am
Saturday Aug 25th
Lilies
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin. Matthew 6:28
One day I entered a botanical garden. I had many worries on my mind. Then I was greeted by row upon row of lilies in various shades of white, yellow, orange, and red, their petals in trumpetlike formations. They seemed to trumpet Jesus’ message: “Do not be anxious about your life” (Matthew 6:25).
Jesus pointed to the lilies, saying, “If God so clothes the grass of the field, . . . will He not much more clothe you?” (Matthew 6:30). We need not worry about our lives. God vows to take care of all our needs.
Our anxieties arise because it often doesn’t seem like God will keep His promises. Bills mount. Illness strikes. Troubles arise. Anxiety grows. When our minds become consumed by all the nitty-gritty details of our lives, it’s as though we are saying that we don’t trust God’s pledge to provide for us.
That’s why God came to us in the flesh of Jesus. He completely trusted His Father’s will and care for Him, even when it led Him to the cross. Where we worry, He trusted for us. He took our sinful doubt and anxiety away by dying for us on the cross. And God raised Him from the dead, showing us His never-failing love and freeing us to rely on all His promises.
Lord, may our trust in You come to full bloom. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:41 am
Handling Adversity
“It’s great to see you!” Pastor Steve announced to the youth group at the beginning of his lesson.
Amanda sighed. Sure hope tonight’s lesson is good, she thought. I have so much homework, it’s ridiculous! Mom and Dad are fighting again, no one knows if Joey’s coming back home or if he’s run away for good this time. She sighed again. Life reeks!
“I understand many of you are going through some really tough times right now,” Pastor Steve continued. “So tonight, we’re going to get really basic. I’m going to present something to you that’s so simple, you may wonder if I’ve mistaken you for the children’s department. But stick with me, and you’ll walk away with something to hang onto.”
Pastor Steve was always up to something creative. He was always searching for new ways to drive home old truths to the students in his youth group. He asked them to follow him to the church kitchen. There, they noticed three pots of boiling water on the stove.
“Amanda,” Pastor Steve began. “I want you to toss carrots in the first pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the last pot.”
She did, and no one said a word as the contents boiled. Pastor Steve asked Derrick and Marci to read some specific Scriptures. About 20 minutes later, Pastor Steve fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. Then he pulled out the eggs and put them in a bowl. Next he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to Amanda, he said, “What do you see?”
“Carrots, eggs and coffee,” she replied flatly.
Pastor Steve brought her a little closer and asked her to feel the carrots. As she did, she noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After peeling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Amanda smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. “I don’t get it, Pastor Steve,” she said. “What does this mean?”
“Each of these faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently. When you tossed the carrot into the pot, it went in strong, hard and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
“You then placed a fragile egg into the boiling water. Its thin outer shell protected its liquid interior. But after sitting in the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, weren’t they? After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.”
Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat. Pastor Steve turned to the youth group. “Which are you? When tough times knock on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
Know It!
You, and only you, can decide how you’ll react to the tough times in your life. They can make you a better person . . . if you’ll let them.
Read It!
2 Corinthians 4:8-9; 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Peter 4:1-2; James 1:2-4.
Pray It!
Ask God to use the adversity in your life to make you stronger.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 9:37 am
Mine
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV)
Living the life God intended for us to live means that we put the wants and needs of others ahead of our own. This is not an easy concept to grasp and it’s even more difficult to live out. God calls us to empty ourselves for others. And we need to be doing that very thing.
A couple of days ago I was at my niece’s birthday party to celebrate her turning 4 years old. It was a Dora the Explorer themed party. There were Dora plates and napkins, Dora decorations, a Dora cake and Dora wrapping paper. My niece was busy opening up her presents when an excited kid came to help her and tried to open one of the presents for her. The following moments were intense, as the air grew thick with hostility. My niece nudged the other kid away with her elbow and said in a loud voice “MINE”. There was no questioning to whom those presents belonged.
It’s in our nature to be selfish and not share our things. We want to be first, we want to be the best and we want to make sure we are the one to die with the most toys. We are like the seagulls in the movie “Finding Nemo” whose only sentence is “mine, mine.” Selfishness seems to be at the root of our nature and is one of the major character defects God begins working on as we begin our journey with Him.
Selfishness and love are at odds with each other and cannot coexist within a person. As our personality grows more like that of Jesus, our selfishness gives way to love. This is one of those situations where feelings follow actions. Once we accomplish the action, the feeling will follow. We must first make the decision we are going to put the needs and wants of others before our own. If we make the decision before we get into the situation it won’t be hard to do the right thing in the moment of truth. Today pray that God will reveal to you the areas of your life that are selfish and ask Him to help you grow out of them. Make the decision to change them and walk in the footsteps of Christ. You will find that your true rewards don’t come in the presents that you get, but in the presents that you give up.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 12:30 pm
Sunday Aug 26th
Names
You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. Isaiah 62:2
Not long ago, my friend’s four-year-old son Lucas received his first pet, a hamster he named Smoky. Sadly, Smoky died. Soon afterward my friend brought a new hamster home to his son. Upon seeing his new pet, little Lucas said, with hope in his eyes, “Let’s call this one Healthy!”
God has many names for us that describe who we are in Christ. “The Holy People,” “The Redeemed of the Lord,” “Sought Out,” “A City Not Forsaken” (Isaiah 62:12)—these are the names God has picked for us, His people. He does not give us these names out of simple wishful thinking, though. He gives us these names because He knows they already have come true. And He works to bring their truth to completion in us.
We are His “Holy People” through Holy Baptism. We are “The Redeemed of the Lord” through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are “Sought Out” by our heavenly Father, who runs to embrace us in His love, much like the prodigal’s father ran to his wayward son (Luke 15:20–24). In many ways, these names are mini-promises from God that will not pass away. For Christ already has come to us, bringing us salvation.
Thank You, O God, for letting the desires of Your heart be fulfilled in us. You have called us loved, forgiven, and saved. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 8:29 am
Living the Life
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 2 8-9
Some of you may remember a song that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote many years ago called "Live the Life." It was an upbeat song that was a painful reminder that we need to live in such a way that non-Christians would take notice of us. Allow me to ask you a question. How does your Christian life look to others? And when I say this I don't just mean your Christian friends, but especially those who are still a part of the "world".
Christians are to be 'in the world, but not of it' as 1 John 2:15 tells us "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." This verse helps us to truly see that God means business when He tells us to live a pure and righteous Christian life, being separated from the lusts and temptations out there in the world. It also is a test that is a good indicator of our true position with Christ.
Consider this: if we just behave like everyone else out there, what's different about us? If this is a lifestyle that you have adopted, perhaps it is time to take a long look in the mirror and see who it really is in there looking back. When we accepted Christ into our hearts, the Holy Spirit came along for the ride. The Holy Spirit is the helper indwelling in us that keeps us on the right path. The Holy Spirit is sort of a "GPS" navigation system for us, similar to those in new automobiles. He gives us direction to keep our Christian life going in the right place: eternal life.
If you find yourself stepping off the path, or worse, on the wrong one all together, it is time to get some help from the Holy Spirit to redirect you onto the right path again. My encouragement for you today is this: don't be a slacker Christian. Live in a way that clearly shows the world at large, who your heart truly belongs to and how important that is for your life. It might make an eternal difference for just one of your worldly friends.
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:33 am
Heaven’s Grocery Store
As I was walking down life’s highway, I came upon a sign that read “Heaven’s Grocery Store.” When I got a little closer, the doors swung open wide and I walked through the entrance. I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere. One handed me a shopping cart and instructed me to fill it.
I headed down the aisles and noticed that everything anyone would ever need was in that store. Just when I began to wonder how I would every carry everything, an angel approached me and said, “Whatever you can’t carry, you can come back for.”
I first grabbed some Patience. Then I found a huge box of Understanding. Can’t have too much of that, I mused. So I grabbed an extra box. Then I noticed Love in the same row and put an oversized load of that in my cart.
Next I got some Wisdom and a couple of bags of Faith. I couldn’t overlook Charity, so I grabbed that, too. Oh, my goodness, I thought, the Holy Spirit’s here! He’s all over the place — plentiful as can be! So I took a generous helping and then came upon Strength.
Realizing I’d need that to help me through the tough times ahead, I didn’t hesitate to put Strength in my cart. And then I came upon Courage. Gotta have that, too. So I placed a healthy portion between Patience and Love and continued my shopping.
My cart was getting full, but I remembered I needed Grace. So I asked the angels to help me find it and stored up on that as well. Then I chose Salvation and rejoiced inwardly that it was free. I headed toward the counter to pay my grocery bill. Wow! I thought. I’ve got everything I need to do God’s will.
But as I moved toward the cashier, I noticed Prayer. I’ll need a lot of that, I reasoned, because when I step outside this store, I’ll be stepping right into a world of sin. So I stocked up on Prayer and couldn’t help but notice Peace and Joy. They were plentiful, so I helped myself. And right next to the cashier’s counter, I noticed Praise and Worship, so I placed them on top.
Then I said to the angel working the cash register, “How much do I owe?”
But he just smiled and said, “Take them everywhere you go.”
So I repeated the question: “Really. How much do I owe?”
“My child,” he said, “God paid your bill a long, long time ago.”
Know It!
Isn’t it exciting that God gives you — for free — everything you need for living a godly life! You don’t have to wonder and question how He wants you to live. He’s already told you to live a holy life. And instead of frustrating you by making you guess how to do that, He simply gives you everything you need to become all He calls you to be!
Read It!
1 Corinthians 4:20; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:16; Revelation 22:11.
Pray It!
Spend some time thanking God for paying the bill for everything you need to live a holy life. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit so that you may be empowered to be the godly person He wants you to be.
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:27 pm
Tuesday Aug 28th
Possessions
He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:22
When Jesus told a rich young man to give away all his possessions and follow Him, the young man just couldn’t do it. So he walked away from Jesus. “How could he do such a thing?” we may wonder.
But perhaps we’re more like the rich young man than we care to admit. We become attached to the clothes we wear, the house we live in, the car we drive. We allow the stuff we accumulate to define who we are. At times, we obsessively surround ourselves with material wealth.
Jesus is clear: clinging to earthly riches prevents entrance into the kingdom of God. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).
Jesus’ words caused His disciples to repent. “Who then can be saved?” they cried (v. 25). No one, if it depends on us. But everything depends on God.
God shatters our idolatrous grip on earthly things, leads us to love Him above all else, and binds us to the treasures of heaven: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and peace with God. These are the riches Christ won for us when He died on the cross. For us, it’s no longer “Look what I have,” but “Look what God has given me.”
Lord, cause us to recognize that earthly things are not worth comparing to the things of heaven. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:38 am
Wednesday Aug 29th
The Doctor Is In
The whole city was gathered together at the door. And He healed many. Mark 1:33–34
As I entered the crowded medical center waiting room, I
could hear people coughing and sneezing. A man moaned as he held his arm. A woman groaned with a stomachache. Some looked exhausted; others seemed anxious. Everyone needed a doctor. Then I saw a sign: “Dr. Johnson is on vacation this week.” Other doctors would see Dr. Johnson’s patients.
What a contrast Jesus is! Our Great Physician is never on vacation. He is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. When we pray to Him in any distress, He is already taking our call. He even makes house calls, being present with us in our homes, giving us His healing touch.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. And, either in this life or in the life to come, He will heal us from whatever physical, mental, or emotional ailments we may have. But Christ’s greatest act of healing came when He went to the cross to cure us of our spiritual disease—the sickness of sin. In the Lord’s Supper, He gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink, the medicine that heals our souls. This Doctor is in.
Jesus, bring healing, we pray, in body and soul, to all those in need, especially those whom we now name before You. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:31 am
Are You Wearing the Right Label?
Jake moved to North America from a remote area in Papua New Guinea at the beginning of his junior year in high school. The village he was from was so primitive, the small school wasn’t able to offer sports. The first time Jake ever saw a basketball game was when he saw some neighbor kids shooting hoops down the street from his new house.
When school started a few weeks later, he decided he wanted to be a basketball player. He was fascinated with the game. He rented several videos, watched guys play pick-up games in the park and decided to go out for the team at school.
Coach Weston knew Jake had never played before, so he spent extra time with him after school teaching him the basics, going through drills and running up and down the court with him. When the time came to try out for the team, Jake refused to dribble the ball. “I can get it down the court much faster if I just carry it,” he explained.
“Then you should probably try out for the football team,” Coach Weston said. “You can’t carry the ball in basketball.”
When another player dribbled the ball away from Jake, he was immediately tackled by the newcomer.
“Jake! What are you doing? You can’t tackle your opponent!” Coach Weston reprimanded.
“I had to! He took the ball from me,” Jake explained.
When he finally got the ball back, Jake kicked it toward the basket. Coach Weston pulled him off the court. “Jake, why don’t you sit out for a while?”
“You can’t pull me off the court!” Jake said. “I’m a basketball player. I belong out there!”
“No, Jake,” Coach Weston responded. “You’re really not a basketball player. You play with basketballs, but you’re not a basketball player. Real basketball players go by the rules.”
* * *
Okay, so the story’s not true. In fact, it’s really quite absurd, isn’t it? Who would call himself a basketball player if he didn’t actually play the game?
Unfortunately, the same thing is happening in Christianity right now. Many people are calling themselves Christians who really aren’t living the life. Don’t bother calling yourself a Christian if you’re not willing to live up to the definition.
Being a Christian is much more than simply praying a prayer and continuing to live as you see fit. Being a Christian means you’ve sought forgiveness for your sins, given Christ control of your life and are living in His will.
If you call yourself a Christian, you need to live up to the name and follow the definition. If not? Then call yourself what you really are — a hypocrite.
Know It!
A lot of people say they’re Christians, but their walk doesn’t match their talk. If your life doesn’t match the definition of a Christian, you could actually be harming the Kingdom of God by claiming to be something you’re not.
Read It!
Matthew 23:27-32; Mark:12:15; Luke 12:1; Galatians 2:13.
Pray It!
Tell God you want to be authentic. Ask Him to help you live out your relationship with Him through your everyday actions.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:40 am
Thursday Aug 30th
Loose Change
A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. Mark 12:42
As I was moving from my apartment several years
ago, I kept finding loose change everywhere—between the cushions of the couch, under the bed, inside my dresser drawers, beside the washing machine. When I took all those coins to the bank, I was shocked to discover that my seemingly insignificant pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters added up to $50.73! This was a small fortune for me at the time.
The widow Jesus observed at the temple gave God two small copper coins. By most measures, her offering didn’t amount to much. But she gave everything she had. She rightly recognized that her whole life depended entirely on God, and her gift reflected her confession.
God is not concerned about the amount of our gift. He is concerned with how our gift reflects our confession of who He is and what He means to us. Too often, our offerings are an afterthought, not a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Yet Christ sacrificed Himself fully for us so that we might live fully in Him. Although He knew that our salvation would cost even His life, He gave Himself into death freely and fully for us so that we might live in Him. He frees us to live wholly for Him.
Free us, good Lord, from our desire to serve ourselves, and for willingness to enrich Your kingdom. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:24 pm
Let’s Be Blunt!
“Yes, the Bible was penned by humans, but it was divinely inspired by God Himself,” I replied to an assistant youth leader who claimed the Word of God wasn’t true.
“I don’t believe it,” he continued.
And I’m thinking, This guy is a youth leader in his church?!?
So I pressed a little further: “If you don’t believe the Bible . . . how does God speak to you?”
“Through my dreams.”
By now I was really interested. “And you put more stock in what your subconscious cooks up during the night than what the apostle Paul said in the Bible?”
“Absolutely.”
Whew! That’s scary! There are a lot of people claiming to be Christians who are making up their own religion! And if you’re one of the vast numbers of Christians who believe whatever he/she wants, you’re living dangerously. See, the bottom line is . . . it doesn’t matter what you think about sex before marriage. It doesn’t matter what you think about Truth. It doesn’t matter what Susie Shellenberger thinks or what your youth leader thinks. The only thing that matters is what God thinks. And someday we’ll all be held accountable to His standard.
But what if my friends say I’m narrow minded? That’s okay. You’re walking a straight and narrow road.
So here it is: If you’re being sexually intimate outside of marriage, messing around with drugs or alcohol, living with hatred and holding grudges STOP calling yourself a Christian.
But wait a sec, Susie! You make it sound like Christianity is living by a bunch of rules, and if we can’t obey the rules, we ought to get out of the game.
Though Christianity isn’t ALL rules, there are 10 big ones we’re expected to live by. You know them as the Ten Commandments. (Flip back to August 10-19 for a quick refresher course on the Ten Commandments). And if we break the rules, we’re out of the game forever? No. That’s where repentance comes in. Seeking God’s forgiveness.
So I can keep on sinning and doing whatever I want, because God will always forgive me?
No, that’s not repentance. In Jesus’ day, when someone saw a friend walking the wrong way on a street, he’d yell, “Repent, my friend, repent!” It literally meant, “Turn around, you’re going the wrong way!”
Coming to Jesus with a repentant heart and asking His forgiveness is like saying, “Oh, Father, I’m so sorry. My sin has broken Your heart, and it’s breaking my heart. Will You forgive me? I don’t ever plan on going down that road again. In fact, I’m going to build specific safeguards in my life to make sure I don’t go that direction again.”
That’s repentance. God forgives a repentant heart. Always!
Know It!
Could it be that you’ve fallen into Satan’s trap of making up your own religion? If so, you need to realize your own set of rules and regulations won’t get you to heaven.
Read It!
Exodus 20:3-17; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 4:1-3.
Pray It!
Seek God’s forgiveness for disregarding His rules and substituting them with your own.
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Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:24 am
Friday Aug 31st
Coming Out of the Pit
They took [Joseph] and cast him into a pit. Genesis 37:24
Life can be the pits sometimes. Things like a bout of bad health, loss of a job, dissolution of a relationship, or financial crisis can leave us feeling down in the dumps. When we find ourselves in the pits, we often ask, “Where are You, God?”
Joseph literally found himself in a pit. Because they were jealous of him, his brothers threw him into a pit, hoping to be rid of him. But soon, Joseph was pulled out of the pit and sold to merchants on their way to Egypt, where Joseph’s trials continued. Yet in all this, God was guarding Joseph and preserving His people.
In His time, God raised Joseph to become the king’s second-in-command. In this role, Joseph saved many, including his family, from certain starvation. Later, Joseph would say to his brothers, “God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5).
God also lifts us out of our pits, whatever they may be, to do for us “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). His promise is written in the person of His Son. There is no pit deeper than the pit Christ entered when He endured the cross for us. By His resurrection, He is always raising us out of the depths, giving us forgiveness, life, hope, and salvation.
Draw us out of the pits, O Lord, to live a new life in You. Amen.
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