“I am the Lord, this is My Name, and I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to the gods.” — Isaiah 42:8
Too late, Tom heard an ominous click under his soldier’s boot. Instinctively, he jumped aside. But the deadly device, hidden in the ground, did not detonate. Later, a team of sappers discovered forty kilograms of explosives at this place. Tom wore his shoes until they fell apart. “My lucky boots,” he called them.
Maybe Tom was just doing it in memory of that happy incident. But often people attribute supernatural properties to ordinary objects, call them “lucky” or even attach a spiritual label to them – “blessed”. This is a dangerous occupation that has its own consequences.
The Israelis learned this lesson through their own bitter experience. The Philistine army had just defeated them in battle. And so it occurred to someone from the Jews to take the “ark of the Lord’s covenant” into battle (1 Sam. 4:3). Everyone received this idea with enthusiasm, because the ark was a sacred object (vv. 6-9).
But they were wrong. The ark alone could not help them. Relying on an object, and not on the one true God, the Israelites suffered an even worse defeat, and the enemy, moreover, captured the sanctuary (vv. 10-11).
You can keep relics that encourage you to pray and thank God for His goodness. There is nothing wrong with that. But let us remember that they are not blessed. The source of blessings is in God and only in Him.
What is your faith in God? When a crisis occurs, what do you hope for?
Loving Heavenly Father, forgive me for sometimes being tempted to rely on something other than You.
Author: Tim Gustavson
“Pray for those who wrong you.” — Luke 6:28
For many years, John created problems in the church. He was quick-tempered, demanding and often rude. He constantly complained that he was poorly “served” and that the management and voluntary assistants did not cope with their duties. To be honest, it wasn’t easy to love him.
So when it became known that John was diagnosed with cancer, it was difficult for me to pray for him. His harsh words and unpleasant character were constantly mentioned. But, remembering Christ’s teaching, I offered a short prayer for John every day. A few days later, I found that I began to mention his negative qualities less often. He must be very hurt and lonely now, I thought.
Prayer, I have learned, not only reveals to God what we feel about others, but also allows Him to intervene and put a heavenly perspective into our thoughts. The Holy Spirit is slowly but surely changing our hearts. It is not surprising that the call of the Lord Jesus to love one’s enemies is connected with the call to prayer: “Pray for those who wrong you” (Lk. 6:28).
I have to admit that even today, when I think of John, I have mixed feelings. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am learning to look at him with the eyes of God and to see in him a person who needs to be forgiven and loved.
Why is it important to pray for “difficult” people? What can you ask God for them?
Loving God, You know what I think about those who offend me. Fill my heart with mercy and compassion to love them and pray for them.
Author: Leslie Koh
“The sheep follow him because they know his voice.” —John 10:4
As a child, I lived on a ranch in Tennessee and spent days with my best friend non-stop. We walked in the woods, rode ponies, went to the rodeo arena and watched the cowboys handle the horses. But I should have heard my dad’s whistle – a clear, clear sound that cut through the wind and all the other noise – as I immediately dropped all my classes and headed home. Today, many years later, I would easily recognize this whistle.
Speaking to the disciples, the Lord Jesus compared them to sheep, and Himself to a shepherd. “The sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his sheep by name and leads them out,” he said about the good shepherd (Jn. 10:3). While many self-styled teachers tried to lead the disciples after themselves, He declared that His sheep would be able to know His loving voice and make the right choice. “The sheep follow him because they know his voice” (v. 4).
Let us listen carefully to the voice of Christ, because His truth remains unchanged. The Lord may speak to us through a text of Scripture, a sermon in church, a good word from a believing friend, or the Spirit may prompt you in some other way. The Lord is calling His sheep. Listen to Him.
What prevents us from hearing the voice of Christ? What has He been telling you lately?
God, I need a reminder of what You are saying and I need to listen. Help me to be attentive, to hear and to respond.
Author: Wynn Collier
“And the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him: ‘Where are you?'” – Genesis 3:9
“The chicks will fly tomorrow!” – said my wife Kari with joy. She enthusiastically followed the family of oxeyes that built a nest in a hanging basket on our porch. Every day, she took pictures of growing babies and their mother, who brought them food.
The next morning, Kari got up early and moved the branches that covered the nest. But instead of chicks, she saw the narrow, ominous eyes of a snake there. A predatory reptile climbed into the nest and devoured its inhabitants.
Kari was heartbroken. I was not at home that day, I had just gone out of town, so she called a neighbor to chase away the snake. But the damage could not be repaired.
The Bible tells us of another creeper that did far more damage. The serpent in the Garden of Eden deceived Eve by offering her a fruit that God had forbidden them to eat under pain of death. “You will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will become like Gods, knowing good and evil,” said the snake (Genesis 3:4-5).
As a result of this untruth and disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin and death entered the world. The deception of the ancient serpent, “that he is the devil and Satan,” continues to this day. But the Lord Jesus came into the world “to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8) and return us to God. One day He will make all things new (Rev. 21:5).
How has Jesus destroyed the works of the devil in your heart and life? What do you expect from Him?
Free me, Lord, from the devil’s temptations. Savior, give me the strength to live for You!
Author: James Banks
“See what love the Father has given us, so that we may be children of God.” — 1 John 3:1
After Sherman Smith convinced Deland McCullough to play football for the University of Miami, he effectively replaced Deland with a father he never knew anything about. Deland admired Sherman and aspired to be like him. Ten years later, when Deland sought out his biological mother, she shocked him with the news: “Your father is Sherman Smith.” The same Sherman Smith! Is it necessary to describe how this news stunned both – father and son!
When they met, Sherman hugged Deland and said, “Son!” Deland first heard this word from his father and understood that he wanted to say: “I am happy that I have you.”
We should also be awestruck by the perfect love of our Heavenly Father. Apostle John writes: “See what love the Father has given us, that we may be children of God” (1 John 3:1). Don’t you feel the same way that DeLand felt, who never dreamed that someone like Sherman could be his father? Is it true? Apostle Ivan confirms: yes! That’s how it is!
If you believe in Christ, then Heavenly Father is also your Father. Maybe you felt like an orphan, completely alone in this world. But now you have a perfect Father and He is happy to call you His son or daughter.
What does it mean to you to be a chosen child of God? Who can you share His love with?
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for calling me Yours. Help me to show with my life that I am Your child.
Author: Mike Whittmer
“He brought me out of the pernicious pit, out of the swampy mire, and set my feet on a rock, and strengthened my feet.” — Psalm 39:3
Compassionate volunteer Jake Manna has been dubbed a guardian angel for his heroic act. He was at work installing solar panels when the five-year-old girl was reported missing. A young man joined the search team. While the residents searched their yards and garages, Jake followed a path that led him to a nearby forest. There he saw a girl who had sunk up to her waist in the swamp. He carefully crawled into the sticky mud, pulled out the baby, wet but unharmed, and brought it to its grateful mother.
David was saved in a similar way. He steadfastly hoped in the Lord, waiting for His answer to the plea for help (Ps. 39:2). And the Lord answered. He “leaned in” to David and pulled him “out of the pernicious pit, out of the swampy mire”, i.e. from difficult circumstances (v. 3), providing firm support for his feet. Rejoicing, David began to sing songs of praise to God, entrusted his future to Him and promised to tell others about what happened (vv. 4-5).
When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, such as financial difficulties, conflicts in the family or psychological problems, we will turn to God and patiently wait for an answer from Him (v. 2). He is ready to help us in trouble and set our feet on a firm foundation.
How did God get you out of the “swampy mire”? How does His help in the past affect your perception of the future?
Lord, if I sink in the mud, I will firmly hope in You, my loving God.
Author: Marvin Williams
“You are the light of the world.” — Matthew 5:14
My mother and I had a conflict, after which she stopped communicating with me. Finally, after a long pause, she agreed to meet at a place one hour away from my house. However, when I got there, I found out that she had just left. Furious, I wrote her an angry message. But then she felt God’s rebuke in her heart and decided to rewrite it. My mother read my corrected message and called me. “You have changed,” she said. God used this incident to bring my mother to Himself. She began to ask me about Christ and after some time accepted Him as her Savior.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that His disciples are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). “So let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16). When we receive Christ, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit with Him. He changes us, so we become a shining testimony of God’s truth and love.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be bright lights of God’s hope and peace, and become more like Christ every day. Every good deed we do becomes an expression of grateful worship that attracts people to Him. By obeying the Holy Spirit, we give glory to the Heavenly Father and reflect the light of His Son – Jesus Christ.
Have you seen the light of Christ shining through His followers? How did someone’s good deeds bring praise to God in your heart?
Lord Jesus, shine the light of Your love in me and through me, so that I may bring glory to God the Father, and the people around me will want to trust You.
Author: Sosheel Dixon
“Come to Him, to the living, precious Stone, rejected by His people, but chosen by God.” — 1 Peter 2:4
Have you ever dreamed of finding something incredibly valuable while looking through inexpensive items on sale? That’s what happened in Connecticut, when an antique Chinese floral bowl bought at a yard sale for just $35 sold at auction in 2021 for more than $700,000. The product turned out to be a rare, historically significant artifact of the fifteenth century. It’s a stunning reminder that what some people consider junk can actually be something very valuable.
Writing to Christians scattered throughout the world, the apostle Peter explained that their faith in Jesus was faith in Him who was worthless in the eyes of the world. Despised by most of the religious Jewish leaders and crucified by the Roman authorities, Christ was considered by many to be worthless because he did not live up to their expectations and desires. Although people neglected Jesus, he was “chosen by God” (1 Pet. 2:4). Its value to us is infinitely greater than the value of gold or silver (1 Pet. 1:18-19). And we have the assurance that anyone who believes in Jesus will never be ashamed of his choice (1 Pet. 2:6).
When some people reject Jesus, let’s look at Him from another side. God’s Spirit can help us see the priceless gift of Christ, who offers all people an invitation to become part of God’s family (v. 10).
Why do people not understand the real value of Jesus Christ? How can you share the blessings of trusting Him?
Lord Jesus, thank You for being obedient to death to grant me salvation.
Author: Lisa Samra
“And his people did not burn incense for him, as they did for his parents.” — 2 Chronicles 21:19
In the popular musical “Hamilton”, the English King George III is humorously portrayed as a mad villain. However, a new biography of King George claims that he was not the tyrant portrayed in the musical “Hamilton” or in the American Declaration of Independence. If Georg was the cruel despot that the Americans believed him to be, he would have stopped their desire for independence with extreme “scorched earth” methods. However, the king was restrained by his “civilized, good-natured” character.
Who knows if King George died with regret in his heart? Would his rule have been more successful if he had been more severe with his subjects?
Not necessarily. The Bible tells about King Jehoram, who strengthened his power by “slaying all his brothers with the sword, as well as some of Israel’s superiors” (2 Chron. 21:4). Yehoram “did… evil in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 6). His cruel rule alienated the people from him, who neither mourned his terrible death nor “burned incense for him” (v. 19).
Historians may debate whether Georg was too lenient; as for Yehoram, he was really cruel. The best is King Jesus, full of “grace and truth” (John 1:14). Christ’s expectations are high: He demands truth and shows grace. Jesus calls us to follow him. He helps us to do this through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Who should you lead? How to show grace and truth to them?
Lord Jesus, I seek to bring others to You.
Author: Mike Whittmer
“Everyone who calls on the Lord’s Name will be saved.” — Romans 10:13
The rules at the local restaurant where I worked corresponded to the social and racial politics of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The kitchen staff – Mary, the cook, and the dishwashers like me – were black, but the diners were white. Black customers could order food, but had to pick it up through the back door. Such policies only exacerbated the unequal treatment of blacks in that era. Although much has changed since then, we still have room to grow in our relationship to one another as human beings created in the image and likeness of God.
Scripture passages such as Romans 10:8-13 help us see that all are welcome in God’s family; there are no back doors here. All enter equally – through faith in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for cleansing and forgiveness. The biblical word for this transforming experience is “saved” (vv. 9, 13). Your social standing, race, or status doesn’t matter. “For the Scriptures say: “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for the same Lord is Lord of all, rich to all who call on Him” (vv. 11-12). Do you believe in the biblical message about Jesus? Then we are happy to welcome you to God’s family!
What in your life confirms your faith in the biblical message of forgiveness through Jesus? Who among your acquaintances needs to hear the good news about Christ?
Heavenly Father, my heart rejoices that You loved the world so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Author: Arthur Jackson
