“Because evil thoughts come from the heart… This is what defiles a person.” — Matthew 15:19-20
“As long as you keep your mouth shut,” I said to myself, “you won’t do anything bad.” Outwardly, I restrained my anger at my colleague, after I myself misinterpreted her words. Since we had to see each other every day, I decided to limit communication and talk to her only when necessary (repaying her with my silence). Can silent behavior be wrong?
The Lord Jesus said that sin begins in the heart (Matthew 15:18-20). My silence could have misled people into thinking that everything was fine, but not God. He knew I was hiding a heart full of anger. I was like the Pharisees, who honored God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him (v. 8). Although my outward appearance did not reflect my true feelings, I was full of bitterness inside. The joy and closeness I had always felt in my relationship with Heavenly Father was gone. Cultivating and hiding sin leads to this.
By God’s grace, I told my colleague about my feelings and asked for forgiveness. She graciously forgave me, and over time we became good friends. Jesus says: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts” (v. 19). The state of our heart matters, because the evil that resides there can spill over into our lives. Therefore, both external and internal matters.
The Lord Jesus said that sin in our hearts defiles us. What “evil thoughts” defile your heart? How to pray about this?
Loving God, please forgive me for the sins I have harbored in my heart. I want my heart to be pleasing in Your eyes. Please help me change.
Author: Karen Huang
“And there came a voice from above the firmament above their heads. And when they arose, their wings fell.” — Ezekiel 1:25
No one usually thinks of butterflies as noisy creatures. For example, the flapping of a single monarch butterfly’s wings is almost inaudible, but in the Mexican rainforests, where many of them begin their short lives, their collective flapping is surprisingly loud. When millions of monarch butterflies flap their wings at the same time, it sounds like a rushing waterfall.
A similar description is found in the Holy Scriptures. In a vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw four winged creatures. Although there were fewer of them than butterflies, he says that the sound of their wings was “like the noise of great waters” (Ezek. 1:24). When the creatures froze and lowered their wings, Ezekiel heard God’s voice calling him to speak God’s words to the Israelites” (Ezek. 2:7).
Ezekiel, like other Old Testament prophets, was commissioned to speak the truth to God’s people. Today, the Lord asks us all to share the truth about His good deeds in our lives with those whom He sends to us (1 Pet. 3:15). Sometimes God’s call to share His truth will sound “loud”, like the sound of a waterfall, and sometimes – quietly, like a whisper. In any case, we need to listen as the prophet Ezekiel did – with ears tuned to hear what God wants us to tell others.
Who is asking you to tell them the truth? What will be your feedback?
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your call to tell about You.
Author: Kirsten Holmberg
“All forest animals belong to Me.” — Psalm 49:10
“Am I the owner or the manager?” The CEO of a multibillion-dollar company asked himself this question, considering what was best for his family. Worried about the temptations that might come with great wealth, he did not want to burden his heirs with this challenge. Consequently, he relinquished ownership of his company and transferred 100 percent of the voting stock to a trust. The realization that everything he owns belongs to God helped him to make this decision, thereby enabling his family to earn a living while using future earnings to fund Christian ministry.
In Psalm 49:10, God says: “All the beasts of the forest and the cattle of a thousand mountains belong to Me.” Being the Creator of everything, God does not need anything from us. “I will not take a bull from your house, nor a goat from your folds” (v. 9). He generously gives us all that we have and use, as well as the power and ability to earn a living. Because of this, as the psalm says, He is worthy of our sincere worship.
God owns everything. However, because of His goodness, He even chose to give Himself, entering into a relationship with everyone who turns to Him. Jesus “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his soul as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). If we appreciate the Giver more for the gifts and serve Him with these gifts, then we receive an eternal blessing.
What gifts of God are you grateful to Him for? How can you serve Him with these gifts?
Faithful Creator, everything is created by You. Help me to perceive my life as a gift from You.
Author: James Banks
“And be holy to me, for I, the Lord, am holy” – Leviticus 20:26
In our Bible study class, we analyzed the book of Leviticus. “I missed most of it,” I admitted, “I don’t see why I should read about this leprosy.”
Then my friend Dave said, “I know a man who believed because of this text.” I looked at him in surprise. Dave then revealed that his doctor friend was an atheist. But he decided that before rejecting the Bible, it should be read first. The chapter in the book of Leviticus, devoted to skin diseases, fascinated him. It contained amazing details about contagious and non-communicable diseases (Lev. 13:1-46), as well as how to treat them (Lev. 14:8-9). He knew that at that time the level of medicine was low. But everything was right in the book of Leviticus! “It cannot be that Moses knew this,” he thought. Where did he get the information then? Is it from God? Ultimately, he believed in Christ.
If you find some passages of the Bible boring, you are not alone. But everything written in it is there for a reason. God gave this book to the Israelites so that they would know how to live with Him and for Him. As we learn more about the relationship between God and His people, we learn more about God.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for guidance, for training in righteousness,” wrote the apostle Paul (2 Tim. 3:16). So, let’s read it from beginning to end. Including the book of Leviticus.
What parts of the Bible do you find boring or irrelevant? How to learn to see their value?
Heavenly Father, teach me to appreciate the Bible. Let every part of it teach me Your truth.
Author: Tim Gustavson
“Now the boy’s father cried out with tears and said, ‘I believe, Lord, help my unbelief!'” – Mark 9:24
“Where is my faith? Even in the depths of my soul there is nothing but emptiness and darkness… God, if you exist, please forgive me.”
You may be surprised to learn who the author of these words is. Mother Teresa. Beloved and known as a tireless helper of the poor in Calcutta, she quietly waged a desperate war for her faith for five decades. After her death in 1997, this war became known when fragments of her diary were published in the book Come and Be My Light.
What do we do with our doubts or our sense of God’s absence? These moments may bother some believers more than others. However, many faithful Christians may experience moments of such doubts at some point in their lives.
I am thankful that the Bible contains a wonderful example of a paradoxical prayer that expresses both faith and lack of faith. In the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, it is told how Jesus meets a father whose son has been tormented by demons since childhood (v. 21). When Jesus said that a person must have faith (“to him who believes, all things are possible”, v. 23), the man replied: “I believe, Lord – help my unbelief” (v. 24).
This honest and heartfelt plea encourages those struggling with doubt to surrender it to God, trusting that He can strengthen our faith and hold us fast as we walk through the deepest and darkest valleys.
When have you struggled to deal with doubt in your spiritual journey? What spiritual resources have helped you not lose faith?
Dear Father, I sometimes doubt. Please help me to always feel Your presence.
Author: Adam Holtz
“And Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought to Himself.” — Luke 18:40
For several days, the sick cat meowed piteously, hiding in a box near my place of work. The kitten, abandoned in the street, remained unnoticed by those who passed by, until June appeared. The janitor brought the animal home, where he lived with two dogs, formerly homeless.
“I take care of them because they are creatures that no one notices,” June said. “I see myself in them. After all, no one notices a street sweeper.”
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus was approaching Jericho, where a blind man was sitting by the side of the road and begging for alms. He too felt unnoticed, especially on this day when the crowd was passing by and all eyes were focused on Christ. No one stopped to help the beggar.
Nobody but Jesus. In the middle of the noisy crowd, the Lord heard the cry of the forgotten man. “What do you want me to do to you?” – asked Christ. The blind beggar answered: “Lord, let me become sighted!” Then Jesus said, “Become a seer! Your faith has saved you!” (Luke 18:41-42).
Do you sometimes feel overlooked? Are your pleas drowning in the noise of the people around you? The Savior notices those whom the world does not notice. Turn to Him for help! Though others pass by, He will stop.
How would knowing that Jesus sees you change the way you feel about yourself and your life? Who among those around you may need to be noticed, and how can you “pause” to encourage them with the Savior’s love?
Dear Jesus, thank you for hearing me when I cry out to you. Help me, like a blind man who has received sight, to follow You and praise You all my life.
Author: Karen Huang
“I lie down and sleep and wake up because the Lord supports me.” — Psalm 3:6
Bad memories and remorse filled Sel’s mind. Fear filled the heart, and sweat stood out on the forehead. It was the night before his baptism, and he could not stop the onslaught of dark thoughts. Sel received salvation in Jesus and knew that his sins were forgiven, but the spiritual battle continued. Then his wife took his hand and prayed for him. In a moment, fear was replaced by peace in Sel’s heart. He stood up and wrote the words he wanted to share before his baptism, something he hadn’t been able to do before. After writing the text, he fell into a sweet sleep.
King David also knew what a restless night was like. Fleeing from his son Absalom, who wanted to seize his throne (2 Sam. 15-17), he knew that “ten thousand people…camped around [him]” (Ps. 3:7). David said with a groan: “How many are my enemies” (v. 2). Despite fear and doubts, he called out to God, to his “shield” (v. 4). However, later David realized and said: “I lie down and sleep… because the Lord supports me” (v. 6).
When fears and difficulties grip our minds, and rest turns to restlessness, we renew our hope if we turn to God in prayer. Even if we don’t immediately fall into a sweet sleep like Sel and David, in peace we will lie down and sleep… and live safely. God is with us and He will be our rest.
What oppresses your heart and mind? How to bring this burden to God in prayer?
Dear God, thank you that when I come to you in prayer, you fill my heart with hope and peace.
Author: Tom Felten
“He is the first of all, and all things stand by Him.” — Colossians 1:17
According to Discover magazine, there are about 700 quintillion (that’s the number 7 with 20 zeros) planets in the universe, but none of them are Earth-like. Astrophysicist Erik Zakrisson says that one of the requirements for a planet that can support life is that it orbit in a “golden zone” with the right temperature and possibility for water to exist. Of the 700 quintillion planets, Earth is the only planet where conditions are exactly like this. Zakrisson concluded that the planet Earth was somehow “very lucky”.
The Apostle Paul assured the believers in Colossae that the universe exists not because of “lady luck”, but because of the work of Jesus. The apostle presents Christ as the Creator of the world: “For by Him all things were created” (Col. 1:16). Jesus is not only the mighty Creator of the world, but also “by Him all things stand” (v. 17). It keeps the world at the proper temperature necessary for human existence. Jesus sustains the world by displaying perfect wisdom and infinite power.
Enjoying the beauty of the world and living in the midst of this beauty, let us pay attention not to a random coincidence of circumstances, but to the purposeful, sovereign, powerful and loving activity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom “all [God’s] fullness” is (v. 19).
What does it mean to you to know that Jesus is in control of the natural world and your personal world? What is your dependence on Him?
Dear Jesus, thank you for lovingly and wisely creating this world and sustaining it.
Author: Marvin Williams
“Two are better than one… and if they fall, one will pick up its friend.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Søren Solker has spent years photographing starlings and the fascinating spectacle of hundreds of thousands of birds moving smoothly through the sky as one unit. To observe this miracle is like sitting under a raging wave or under a massive brushstroke flowing into a kaleidoscope of patterns. In Denmark, this phenomenon is called the “black sun” (this is also the name of a stunning book with Solker’s photographs). The most impressive thing is how starlings instinctively follow their closest mate, flying so close that if one of them misses a beat, it will lead to mass disaster. However, starlings use murmurs to protect each other. When a hawk descends, these tiny creatures form a tight formation and move collectively, fending off a predator that could easily grab them if they were alone.
Together is better than alone. Ecclesiastes says: “Two are better than one… and if they fall, one will lift up his friend… Also, when two lie down, they will be warm” (Eccl. 4:9-11). Alone, we can become easy prey. We are vulnerable without the comfort and protection of other people.
However, with comrades we give and receive help. Ecclesiastes says: “And if someone attacks one, they will stand against him together, and the triple thread will not soon break” (v. 12). Together is better under God’s guidance.
Why are you more vulnerable when separated from each other? How do you approach others?
Dear God, please help me to be in community and show Your love.
Author: Wynn Collier
“You are no longer strangers and strangers, but fellow citizens of the saints, and at home for God.” — Ephesians 2:19
In the book All Sad is Untrue, Daniel Nyeri describes his harrowing escape with his mother and sister from persecution through a refugee camp to safety in the United States. The elderly couple agreed to take them under their care, although they did not know them. Years have passed, but Daniel still can’t come to his senses. He writes: “Can you believe it? They did it completely blindly. They never even saw us. If we turned out to be villains, they would have to pay for it. I can’t even imagine a more courageous, kind and desperate act.”
However, God wants us to show the same level of concern for others. He commanded Israel to be kind to foreigners. “You will love him as yourself, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Lev. 19:34). The Apostle Paul reminds the Gentiles who believe in Christ, that is, you and me, that once we “were without Christ… strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Therefore, He commands all of us, former foreigners, Jews and Gentiles: “Do not forget to love the newcomers” (Heb. 13:2).
Now living with her own family, Daniel praises Jim and Jean Dosan, “who were true Christians in allowing a refugee family to live with them until they could find their own home.”
God welcomes strangers and encourages us to do the same.
Who is the outsider in your world? How do you invite these people into your space?
Lord Jesus, show me a stranger whom You want me to show love to.
Author: Mike Whittmer
