“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.
“God chose the unwise of the world to shame the wise.” — 1 Corinthians 1:27
The pastor, squinting, peered into the text of his sermon. He was short-sighted, so he held the manuscript pages almost up to his nose. His language was vague and monotonous. However, the Spirit of God worked through the word of Jonathan Edwards, igniting the fire of the Great Awakening, which led thousands of people to faith in Christ.
God often uses unexpected things to accomplish His perfect purposes. Writing about His plan to bring lost humanity closer to God through the loving death of Jesus on the cross, the apostle Paul concludes: “God chose the unwise of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27). The world expected God’s wisdom to look like its own wisdom and come with overwhelming power. Instead, the Lord Jesus came humbly and meekly to save us from our sins. He became for us “wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (v. 30).
The eternal and wise God incarnated into a human baby who would grow up, suffer, die and be resurrected in order to lovingly show us the way to His home. He likes to use humble means and people to accomplish great things that we could never accomplish on our own. If we want, He can use even us.
What unexpected things have you witnessed from God? How do you become open to Him?
Loving Father, thank you for Your unexpected ways. Help me to follow You so that You can use me for something useful.
“I leave you peace, I give you My peace!” —John 14:27
I was thrilled when I found the perfect gift for my mother-in-law’s birthday: the bracelet even included a stone that matched her birth month! Finding the perfect gift for someone is always a great pleasure. But what to do if the gift that a person needs cannot be bought. Many of us would like to give someone peace of mind, rest or even patience. If only all that could be bought, wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with a ribbon!
People cannot give such gifts to each other. However, Jesus, God in human flesh, gives believers in Him a special gift – the gift of peace. Before ascending to heaven and leaving the disciples, He gave them the promise of the Holy Spirit, who “will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have told you” (Jn. 14:26). Jesus offered them peace, His peace, as an incorruptible gift to their hearts when they are troubled or afraid. He Himself is our peace with God, with others and with ourselves.
We can’t give loved ones the extra level of patience or improve their health the way they would like or give them the peace we all need during life’s challenges. But under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can tell them about Jesus, about the One who gives true and eternal peace and is the embodiment of this peace.
How has Jesus brought peace into your life? Who introduced you to Him?
Lord Jesus, thank you for the comfort of Your eternal and unshakable peace in my life.
One winter morning, when I opened the blinds, I saw a dense veil of fog – an extremely rare phenomenon in our area. Forecasters called it “frosty fog” and promised that it would last no more than an hour. “It’s impossible,” I told my husband, “there’s no outstretched hand in sight!” However, not even an hour had passed when the fog cleared and the sun shone brightly in the blue sky.
Standing by the window, I thought about how much I can trust when all I see in life is a fog. I asked my husband: “Do I always trust God, or only when I see something?”
When King Uzziah died and wicked rulers came to power in Judah, the prophet Isaiah asked a similar question: “Whom shall we trust?” God answered Isaiah with a vision so amazing that it convinced the prophet: God can be trusted in the present circumstances. And he began to glorify God: “You will keep the thought that rests on You in complete peace, because it puts its hope in You” (Is. 26:3). Then he added: “Always rely on the Lord, because in the Lord, in the Lord there is an eternal stronghold!” (v. 4).
When our minds are focused on God, we are able to trust Him even in dark and troubled times. Even if everything is dim in front of us now, we can trust God and be sure of His help.
When life seems vague and unclear, who or what do you rely on? How to redirect your attention from present problems to the eternal God?
Dear God, the world seems hazy and incomprehensible; help me focus on You, because only You can I trust.
“For indeed I will do you a favor for the sake of your father Jonathan.” — 2 Samuel 9:7
In the insightful article “Does my son know you?” sports journalist Jonathan Tjarkes wrote about his battle with cancer and asked that other people take care of his wife and young son. The thirty-four-year-old author wrote this article six months before his death. His father also died at a young age. Thiarks, a sincere Christian, shared in the article passages from the Holy Scriptures, which speak about the care of widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22; Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27). Addressing his friends, he wrote: “When I see you in heaven, I will ask only one thing: “Have you been kind to my son and my wife?… Does my son know you?””
King David also inquired: “Is there anyone left of Saul’s house? I will do him favor for Jonathan’s sake” (2 Sam. 9:1). They brought Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, to the king, who due to an accident (see 2 Sam. 4:4) became “crooked in his feet” (v. 3). David said to him: “Do not be afraid, because I will really do you favor for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will give you all the field of your father Saul. And you will always eat bread at my table” (2 Sam. 9:7). David showed loving concern for Mephibosheth, and it seems that it was then that he really got to know him (see 2 Sam. 19:25-31).
The Lord Jesus called us to love others as He loved us (John 13:34). So, with His help, we will get to know and love others.
How can you learn more about others? What does it mean for you to love them as God loves you?
Heavenly Father, help me to glorify You with my sincere desire to love others.
