“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.
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.
“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.
“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?
“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.
“Commit your way to the Lord, and put your hope in Him, and He will do.” — Psalm 36:5
God does not help those who help themselves. He helps those who trust Him and rely on Him. Jonathan Rumi – the actor who played the role of Jesus Christ in the successful television series “The Chosen”, based on the Gospel – realized this in May 2018. Rumi had been living in the city of Los Angeles for eight years and had almost no means of subsistence. Once he only had food left for the day, and no work was expected. So, the actor decided to pour out his heart before God and put his career in His hands. “I literally prayed like, ‘I give up. I give up.'” That same day, he received four checks in the mail, and three months later, he auditioned for the role of Jesus in The Chosen One. Rumi understood that God helps those who trust Him.
Instead of envying “criminals” and worrying about them (Ps. 36:1), the psalmist calls us to leave everything in God’s hands. If we focus our lives on Him, trust in Him, rejoice in Him (vv. 3-4) and surrender all our desires, problems, worries and daily events to Him, God will direct our lives and give us peace (vv. 5-6). As believers in Jesus Christ, it is important to allow Him to determine how our lives should be.
Let’s give everything to God and trust Him! Then He will begin to act and do all that is necessary and best.
What areas of your life are closed to God today? What does giving your life to Him mean to you?
Dear God, please help me to give everything to You to experience Your peace and tranquility.
“The wise man sees evil – and hides, but the foolish go – and are punished.” — Proverbs 27:12
In 1892, a resident of Hamburg suffering from cholera accidentally brought the infection across the Elbe River into the city’s water supply system. As a result, 10,000 residents of the city died within a few weeks. Eight years earlier, the German microbiologist Robert Koch made a discovery: cholera is transmitted through water. Koch’s discovery prompted officials in major European cities to invest in filtration systems to protect water. Instead, the Hamburg authorities did nothing. Citing high costs and dubious science, they ignored clear warnings as their city neared disaster.
The Book of Proverbs talks a lot about those who see danger but refuse to act. “A wise man sees evil and hides himself” (Prov. 27:12). When God helps us to foresee danger heading our way, we are usually motivated to take the necessary steps. We wisely change direction or prepare with the proper warnings given by God. We are doing something. To do nothing is complete madness. People can miss the warning signs and, accordingly, move toward disaster. “Fools go – and are punished” (v. 12).
Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God shows us the way to go and warns us about the difficulties that await us. If we are not smart, we run towards danger. But we better listen to His wisdom and change course.
When have you rejected God’s wisdom? How can you learn to better respond to His warnings?
Dear God, please help me to obey You and turn away from danger.
“And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden in the east, and there settled the man whom He had created.” — Genesis 2:8
My father loved the outdoors, camping, fishing and collecting minerals. He also liked to work in the yard and in the garden. All this required a lot of effort! He spent hours pruning, weeding, planting seeds or flowers, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, watering the yard and garden. However, the results were worth it: a well-kept lawn, delicious tomatoes and beautiful roses. Every year he cut the roses close to the ground, and every year they grew again, filling everything around with their fragrance and beauty.
In the book of Genesis, we read about the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived, flourished and communed with God. There, God “raised… every tree from the ground, beautiful to look at and tasty to eat” (Gen. 2:9). I think the perfect garden also had beautiful and fragrant flowers, maybe even thornless roses!
After their rebellion against God, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and from then on had to plant and tend their own gardens, which meant breaking up hard ground, fighting weeds and other difficulties (Gen. 3:17-19, 23-24). However, God continued to care for them (v. 21). He did not leave mankind without the beauty of creation in order to draw us to Himself (Rom. 1:20). The flowers in the garden remind us of God’s constant love and the promise of renewed creation. They are symbols of hope and comfort!
When did creation make you praise the Creator? How do you see God in creation?
Dear God, thank you for the many reminders of You in creation. Thank you for the beauty among the thorns.
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His truth – and all this will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33
The alarm rang and I jumped out of bed as if onto a treadmill. Take the children to school. done Get to work. done I drew up an action plan on the fly, in which personal and professional tasks rolled one after the other like an avalanche:
“…13. Edit an article. 14. Clean up the office. 15. Strategic team planning. 16. Write a tech blog. 17. Clean up the basement. 18. Pray.”
When I reached the eighteenth point, I remembered that I needed God’s help. I got so far that it didn’t even occur to me that I was walking alone, trying to create my own momentum.
The Lord Jesus knew that our days would flow one after the other, plunging into a sea of unceasing urgency. Therefore, He advises: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His truth – and all these things will be added to you” (Mt. 6:33).
It is quite natural to take the words of Jesus as a commandment. And it is so. However, there is something more here – a call. In the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls us every day to exchange the frantic anxiety of the world (vv. 25-32) for a life full of trust. God in His grace helps us every day, even when we get to the eighteenth item on our list before we remember to see life from His perspective.
How should we first turn to God every day? What helps you on stressful days to trust Jesus with what needs your immediate attention?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your call to let go of my anxiety and accept the abundant life that you offer me every day.
