“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
“If you, Israel, return,” says the Lord, “you will return to Me.” — Jeremiah 4:1
My friend broke his marriage vows. It was painful to watch him destroy his family. Seeking reconciliation with his wife, he turned to me for advice. I told him he had to offer more than just words; he must be active in showing love to his wife and at the same time remove any manifestations of sin.
The prophet Jeremiah gave similar advice to those who broke their covenant with God and followed other gods. It was not enough to simply return to Him (Jer. 4:1). They also needed to back up their words with actions. This meant rejecting “your abominations” (v. 1). Jeremiah said that if people swear by “truth and justice and justice”, then God will bless the nations (v. 2). The problem was that people were making empty promises. Their hearts were far from it.
However, God does not need words, He needs our hearts. The Lord Jesus said: “Out of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34). This is why Jeremiah continues to encourage those who listen to him to prepare the soil of their hearts and not to sow among thorns (Jer. 4:3).
Unfortunately, like many other people, my friend did not heed sound biblical counsel and ended up ruining his marriage as a result. When we sin, we must confess it and turn away from sin. God does not need empty promises. He likes a life that really agrees with His will.
In what areas of life do your words not match your actions? What behavioral principles do you need to change?
Heavenly Father, forgive me for not always doing what I believe.
Author: Matthew Lucas
“Brothers… have testified… how you live in the truth.” — 3 John 1:3
When Dr. Lee, my seminary teacher, noticed that Benji, our school janitor, was late for lunch, he discreetly set aside a plate of food for him. While the students and I were chatting, Dr. Lee also discreetly placed the last piece of rice cake on his plate, adding some grated coconut as a tasty condiment. It was one of the many good deeds of the eminent theologian, and I believe that it was another testimony of his faithfulness to God. Twenty years have passed, and his act still fascinates me.
Apostle John had a dear friend who also had a profound influence on many believers. They spoke of Gaius as a man who was faithful to God and His Word, always living in the truth (3 John 1:3). Guy showed hospitality to itinerant preachers of the Gospel, even if they were strangers (v. 5). As a result, John said to him: “They testified to the Church about your love” (v. 6). Guy’s faithfulness to God and other believers in Jesus contributed to the spread of the Gospel.
My teacher’s influence on me and Guy’s influence on believers during his lifetime are powerful reminders of the role of our influence on those around us, and God can use that influence to bring them to Christ. So, let’s live and act in such a way that by our example we help others to live faithfully before God.
How do you know you are in the truth? Why can others learn from your life?
Dear God, I need Your help to be faithful to You and Your truth. Please help me to live in such a way that others also long to be with You.
Author: Karen Huang
“Do nothing out of deceit or arrogance, but in humility consider one another greater than yourself.” — Philippians 2:3
The Fairleigh Dickinson varsity basketball team played poorly. When the players entered the field, the spectators in the stands began to mock them. Everyone expected a rout right in the first quarter, but the team competed with all its might. And then their battle song suddenly rang out in the hall, although they did not take the musicians with them. The University of Dayton marching band learned the opponents’ song minutes before the game. The musicians could just play familiar compositions, but they decided to support the guests in this way.
The action of this group can be seen as a symbol of the unity described in the Epistle to the Philippians. Apostle Paul calls to live in unity and have “one mind” (Phil. 2:2), because both they and we are united in Jesus Christ. For this reason, the apostle encouraged to give up selfish ambitions and to put the interests of others above one’s own.
Putting others before ourselves is not always a natural process, but this is how we can follow Christ. “Do nothing deceitfully or out of arrogance, but in humility regard one another as greater than yourself” (v. 3). Instead of focusing exclusively on oneself, “let each one take care … also of others” (v. 4).
How can we support our neighbors? By looking after their interests and providing everything they may need in life.
Whose interests can you take care of today? How does caring for others promote unity?
Savior, please show me how I can help others by looking after their interests.
Author: Katara Patton
“And they were tempted by Him…” – Mark 6:3
John was appointed a professor at a prestigious college. His older brother David was happy for him, but, as brothers should be, he couldn’t help teasing John about the way he had knocked him to the ground once when they were boys. John has come a long way in life, but he will always be David’s little brother.
Sometimes it’s hard to impress the family, even if you’re the Messiah. Jesus grew up among the people of Nazareth, so it was difficult for them to believe in His uniqueness. And yet they were amazed by Him. “What kind of miracles are done by His hands? Isn’t He a carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mr. 6:2-3). Jesus remarked: “There is no prophet without honor, except in his homeland, and in his family, and in his house” (v. 4). These people knew Jesus well, but they did not believe that He was the Son of God.
Perhaps you grew up in a devout family, and your earliest memories involve going to church and singing hymns. With Jesus there is always a feeling of family warmth. If you believe and follow Him, then Jesus is your family. He “is not ashamed to call [us] brethren” (Heb. 2:11). Jesus is our elder Brother in God’s family (Rom. 8:29), and that is a great privilege!
Aren’t you glad that Jesus is your family, and even more than family? May He become more and more personal and special to you as you follow Him.
How did you personally come to know Jesus Christ? What can you do to make Him special to you?
Dear Jesus, thank you for bringing me into God’s family.
Author: Mike Whittmer
“I revealed my sin to You.” — Psalm 31:5
“I didn’t do it!” However, that was not true, and I almost got away with it until God stopped me. When I was in high school, I was one of those people who shot rubber bullets in the backs of the musicians during a school band performance. The school principal was an ex-Marine with a reputation for discipline, and I was terrified of him. So when my partners in crime framed me, I lied to the director. Then I lied to my father.
However, God did not allow the untruth to continue. He began to scold me. After a few weeks of resistance, I still gave in. I asked God and my father for forgiveness. After some time, I went to my director’s house and confessed what I had done with tears in my eyes. Fortunately, he turned out to be a good person and forgave me. I will never forget the wonderful feeling of freedom when the burden of guilt was lifted. For the first time in weeks I felt truly free and happy. David also describes a period of reproach and confession in his life: “When I was silent, my bones crumbled… because Your hand is heavy on me day and night.” However, David, in the end, “revealed [God] his sin” (Ps. 31:3-5).
Sincerity is important to God. He wants us to confess our sins to Him, and also ask for forgiveness from those we have offended. David proclaims: “You have forgiven the guilt of my sin” (v. 5). How good it is to know the freedom of God’s forgiveness!
How has honesty helped you in your relationship with God? How has Jesus’ forgiveness lightened your burden and changed your life?
Loving Father, thank you for forgiving my sins when I confess them to you. Please help me to always be honest with You.
Author: James Banks
“Here I will make something new, now it will grow.” — Isaiah 43:19
The star player of American football took the stage. However, it was not a stadium. He spoke to three hundred inmates at the Everglades Correctional Facility in Miami, Florida. He shared with them words from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
At that moment, it was not about the performance of a famous athlete, but about a sea of broken souls. At this special time, God appeared behind bars. One of the eyewitnesses of the event wrote on Twitter that “the chapel began to explode with worship and glorification.” The men cried and prayed together. Eventually, about twenty-seven prisoners opened their hearts to Jesus.
In a sense, we are all in prisons of our own making, behind bars of our own greed, selfishness, and addiction. But God appears in a miraculous way. In the prison that morning, the key verse was the words: “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it will grow. Do you not know this?” (Is. 43:19). “Do not remember the past, and do not think about the old” (v. 18), because God says: “I am the One who… does not remember your sins” (v. 25).
At the same time, God notes: “There is no Savior but Me” (v. 11). Only by giving our lives to Christ do we become free. Some of us have yet to do it, some have already done it, but need a reminder of who the Lord really is. We are sure that through Christ God really does “new things”. So let’s see what happens!
How did you become imprisoned by your own sin? What do you need to do to get rid of brokenness?
Heavenly Father, please set me free from the prison bars of my sin.
Author: Kenneth Petersen
