“Love… does not seek only its own, does not rush to anger.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
We rushed to a fast food restaurant to have lunch together during my friend Jerry’s short work break. At about the same time, six young people entered the restaurant directly in front of us. Knowing that we didn’t have much time, we internally expressed our displeasure. And those people stood in two groups at both cash registers, trying to be the first to make an order. Then I heard Jerry whisper the words of Christ: “Be merciful.” Oho! Of course, it would have been nice if we were the first to pass, but what a great reminder to think about the needs and wants of others, not just your own.
The Bible teaches that love is long-suffering, merciful, selfless, that it “is not quick to anger” (1 Cor. 13:5). “She often… prefers the well-being, benefit, and pleasure of others to her own,” commentator Matthew Henry wrote about this love. God’s love thinks of others first.
In a world full of angry people, we often have occasion to turn to God for help in being patient and kind to others (v. 4). In the Book of Proverbs 19:11 it is said: “The understanding of a man stops his anger, and his majesty is to pass over iniquity.”
It is precisely such acts of love that bring glory to God, and He can use them to bring the message of His love to unbelievers.
So, with God’s help, let us use every opportunity to show mercy.
In what cases are you prone to despair? How can prayer to God help in this?
God, I need Your help. Many things in this world irritate me, but I want to be filled and overflowing with Your love.
By Ann Sitas
“I am running toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:14
Sometimes, surprisingly, spiritual messages appear in the most unexpected places, for example, in comic books. The publisher of Marvel comics, Stan Lee, died in 2018, leaving a legacy of such iconic heroes as Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, and many others.
The famous smiling man in sunglasses had a personal catchphrase with which he signed off his monthly comic book columns for decades – the word excelsior (which translates to “all above”). In a 2010 tweet, Lee explained its meaning: “All the way to greater glory! That’s what I wish you every time I finish tweeting!”
I like it. Whether Stan Lee realized it or not, the use of this word certainly resonates with what the Apostle Paul wrote in the Epistle to the Philippians, when he called on believers to look not backward, but forward and upward: “But only, forgetting what is behind and hastening to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).
It’s easy to get lost in regretful memories or rethinking past decisions. However, in Christ we are called to give up regrets and go higher – to God’s greater glory, accepting the forgiveness and purpose that He so graciously gives us!
Why do you tend to look forward or backward in your life and in your faith? How to let go of past mistakes and move forward?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for the invitation to move forward, upward, and onward to Your glory.
Author: Adam Holtz
“Hear, Lord, my prayer, and hear my plea, do not be silent to my tears.” — Psalm 38:13
The first-grader called the emergency number. The operator answered him. “I need help,” said the boy. The operator began to help until he heard the boy’s mother enter the room and ask, “Johnny, what are you doing?” The boy explained that he couldn’t do his math homework, so he did exactly what his mom taught him when he needed help. He called 911. For Johnny, his current need qualified as an emergency. For a sympathetic listener, helping the boy with his homework was the top priority at that moment.
When the psalmist David needed help, he said: “Tell me, O Lord, about my end and about the length of my days, what it is – let me know when I die” (Ps. 38:5). He said: “My hope is in [God]” (v. 8). Therefore, David asked God to hear his plea and answer him (v. 13). He also asked: “Turn away your anger from me” (v. 14). Although David’s needs remain unspoken in the Psalm, he believes that God will always be with him, hear and answer his prayers.
Confidence in God’s immutability helps us cope with our changing feelings while affirming that no request is too big or too small for an unchanging God. He hears us, cares for us, and answers our every prayer.
How has God shown His love for you by answering requests that you thought were too small to make to God? Which of your needs seem too big or too small?
Loving God, thank you for hearing and answering every prayer I ask of you.
Author: Sosheel Dixon
“All believers were together and had everything in common.” — Acts 2:44
As our party approached, my wife and I began to plan for it. Since there will be a lot of people coming, should I just order cooking? If we are going to cook ourselves, should we buy a grill? Given the slight chance of rain that day, should I buy a tent? Our party soon became expensive and even a little antisocial. Trying to provide everything on our own, we lost the opportunity to get help from others.
The biblical vision of community is one that includes both giving and receiving. Even before the fall, Adam already needed help (Gen. 2:18), and we are called to seek advice from others (Prov. 15:22) and share our burdens (Gal. 6:2). The members of the early church “had all things in common,” benefiting from each other’s “goods and possessions” (Acts 2:44-45). Instead of living independently, they shared, borrowed, gave and received in beautiful interdependence.
In the end, we asked guests to bring a salad or dessert to the party. Our neighbors brought a barbecue, and a friend brought his tent. Asking for help allowed us to build closer relationships, and the food that other people prepared added variety to the feast and made us happy. Self-sufficiency can become a source of pride. God gives His grace to those who humbly ask for help (James 4:6).
What prevents you from seeking help? What is something you need right now that you can just borrow instead of buying?
God, thank You for creating us as interdependent creatures. Help me to live humbly, sharing with others both my wealth and my needs.
Author: Sheridan Voysey
“The wise man sees evil and hides, but the foolish go and punish themselves.” — Proverbs 22:3
The sight was terrible. A pod of fifty-five whales washed up on a Scottish beach. Volunteers tried to save them, but they eventually died. No one knows why such mass strandings occur, but it may be related to the strong social bonds between whales. If one gets into trouble, the others come to the rescue – a caring instinct that, ironically, can lead to tragedy.
The Bible calls us to help others, but we must be wise in the way we help. If we want to restore someone who has fallen into sin, we must be careful not to be drawn into that sin ourselves (Gal. 6:1). And while we are to love our neighbors, we are also to love ourselves (Matt. 22:39). In the Book of Proverbs it is said: “A wise man sees evil and hides, but fools go and be punished” (Prov. 22:3). It’s a good reminder of when helping others starts to hurt ourselves.
Several years ago, two needy people started visiting our church. Before long, the caring members of the church began to wear themselves out responding to all their requests. So, the church decided to set reasonable limits in assistance. Jesus, our best Helper, made time for rest (Mr. 4:38), and He made sure that the needs of His disciples were not superseded by the needs of others (Mr. 6:31). By taking care of our own health, we will be able to take care of others even more in the long run.
How to recognize your need for rest and shelter? What helps you to serve others for a long time?
Holy Spirit, please empower me to serve others in a healthy, sustainable way.
Author: Sheridan Voysey
And the Lord said to him: “What is in your hand?” He answered: “Stick”. — Exodus 4:2
A few years after I received salvation and dedicated my life to God, I felt His prompting to leave my career as a journalist. As I laid down my pen and my notes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that one day God would call me to write for His glory. During years of wandering in my own personal wilderness, I was encouraged by the story of Moses found in Exodus chapter 4.
Moses, who was brought up in Pharaoh’s palace and had a wonderful perspective, escaped from Egypt and lived in obscurity as a shepherd. It was then that God called him. Moses probably thought he had nothing to offer God, instead he learned that God can use anyone and anything for His glory.
God asked, “What is in your hand?” Moses answered: “Stick.” Then God said: “Throw her to the ground” (Ex. 4:2-3). The ordinary staff of Moses turned into a snake. When he caught the snake, God turned it into a stick again (vv. 3-4). This sign was given so that the Israelites would believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, had appeared to him (v. 5). As Moses threw down his staff and picked it up again, so I put my career as a journalist in obedience to God. Later He directed me to take up the pen again, and now I write for Him.
We don’t need much to be used by God. Don’t know where to start? Look what’s in your hand?
How can you use your talents to serve God? How can you use your resources to bless someone today?
Heavenly Father, please help me to use my life to glorify You.
By Nancy Gavilanes
“Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac, his son, was born to him.” — Genesis 21:5
Let’s talk about delays. Phil Stringer waited eighteen hours to board a flight delayed by a thunderstorm. However, his patience and persistence paid off. Not only did he arrive at his destination and make time for important business meetings, but he was also the only passenger on the flight! All other passengers refused. The flight attendants offered him different meals, and Stringer adds, “Of course I sat in the front row. Why not when you have the whole plane at your disposal?”
Abraham also endured what must have seemed to him a long delay. Even when he was known as Abram, God told him that He would make him “a great nation” and in him “all the tribes of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:2-3). The 75-year-old man had only one problem: how could he become a great nation without an heir? And although his expectation sometimes left much to be desired, he and his wife Sarah tried to “help” God fulfill His promise with some false ideas (see Genesis 15:2-3; 16:1-2). When Abraham “was a hundred years old… Isaac was born to him” (Genesis 21:5). Later, his faith was noted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:8-12).
Waiting can be hard. And we, like Abraham, cannot go through this process perfectly. But if we rely on God’s plans, the Lord will help us wait.
What do you expect? How can you rely on God’s power in this?
God, help me to wait and trust in You.
Author: Tom Felten
“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” — John 17:16
God created the great gray owl as a master of disguise. The silvery-gray coloring of the feathers allows it to blend in with the bark when perched on trees. When owls want to remain unnoticed, they hide in plain sight, blending in with their surroundings with their feather camouflage.
God’s people are often very much like a great gray owl. We can easily blend in with the world and remain unrecognizable as believers in Christ, intentionally or unintentionally. Jesus prayed for His disciples, for those whom the Father gave Him “out of the world” and who “kept” His word (John 17:6). The Son of God asked the Heavenly Father to protect them and give them the strength to live in holiness and constant joy after He leaves them (vv. 7-13). He prayed: “I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil” (v. 15). Jesus knew that His disciples needed sanctification and separation in order to live according to the purpose He entrusted them to fulfill (vv. 16-19).
The Holy Spirit can help us reject the temptation to become masters of disguise who blend in with the world. As we obey Jesus every day, we become more like Him. If we live in unity and love, He will lead others to Christ in all His glory.
In what area of your life can you ask God to make you more like Jesus? How has God used other people, their godly lifestyles, and expressions of love to draw you closer to Him?
Holy Spirit, please make me so similar to Jesus that people around me seek the one true God.
Author: Sosheel Dixon
“The Lord … knows … your course in this great desert.” — Deuteronomy 2:7
At the beginning of my Christian life, I thought that meetings with Jesus took place “on mountain tops.” However, these experiences were rarely lasting and often did not lead to any growth. Writer Lina Abu-Jamra says that it is in the desert that we meet God and that is where we grow. In her Bible study Through the Wilderness, she writes, “God’s purpose is to use the wilderness places in our lives to make us stronger.” She continues, “God’s goodness is meant to be received in the midst of your pain, not to be confirmed by the absence of pain.”
It is in difficult moments of sorrow, loss and pain that God helps us grow in faith and become closer to Him. Lina realized that “the desert is not a mistake in God’s plan, but an integral part of the process of our growth.”
God led many Old Testament patriarchs into the wilderness. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had experience in the desert. It was in the desert that God prepared the heart of Moses and called him to lead His people out of slavery (Ex. 3:1-2, 9-10). And it was in the desert that God oversaw the path of the Israelites for forty years, providing His help and guidance (Deuteronomy 2:7).
God was with Moses and the Israelites every step of their journey through the wilderness, and He is with us on our journey as well. In the wilderness, we learn to rely on God. There He meets us and there we grow.
When did God meet you in a desert place? What result did this lead to?
Dear God, thank you for being with me in the harsh desert trials. You are faithful and merciful.
By Alison Kieda
“Because we are God’s workers, and you are God’s field, God’s building.” — 1 Corinthians 3:9
On June 29, 1955, the United States of America announced its intention to launch a satellite into space. The Soviet Union soon announced plans to do the same. The space race has begun. The Soviet Union was the first to launch a satellite and send a man into space when Yuri Gagarin first flew around our planet. The race continued until July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” on the surface of the moon ended the race. A period of cooperation soon began, leading to the creation of the International Space Station.
Sometimes competition can be good, pushing us to achieve things we would otherwise never have attempted. In other cases, however, competition is destructive, and this was a problem in the Corinthian church, with disparate groups clinging to different church leaders as their beacons of hope. The Apostle Paul tried to solve this problem when he wrote: “Therefore neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but God who gives birth” (1 Cor. 3:7). And then he added: “For we are God’s workers” (v. 9).
Employees are not competitors. And not only with each other, but also with God himself! With His support and guidance, we can serve together as collaborators to advance the message of Jesus for His glory, not our own.
When have you faced unhealthy competition and how was it? How does Jesus help you humbly serve others?
Loving God, thank you for the privilege of serving you. Please teach me to value work to glorify You and help others.
Author: Bill Crowder
