“Someday, when you are converted, strengthen your brother.” — Luke 22:32
Raj converted to Christ in his youth, but after some time he left his faith and began to live without God. However, social life did not bring satisfaction. So, Raj decided to restore his relationship with Christ and return to the church. However, one woman there began to scold him for his long absence. From this, the feeling of shame and guilt in the poor became even stronger. “Am I hopeless?” he thought. And then Raj remembered how Christ restored Peter (John 21:15-17) after he had denied Him (Luke 22:34, 60-61).
The apostle Peter may have expected rebuke, but instead received forgiveness and restoration. The Lord Jesus did not even mention renunciation, but gave Peter the opportunity to confirm his love and take care of other disciples (John 21:15-17). This is how His words, spoken at the last supper, were fulfilled: “You, when you are converted, strengthen your brother” (Lk. 22:32).
Raj asked God for the same forgiveness and restoration, and now he not only lives with Christ, but also serves Him in the church, supporting other believers. No matter how far we have strayed from God, He is always ready to forgive us and take us back and restore us so that we can serve Him and glorify His Name. We can never go too far from God. His loving arms are always open to us.
What fears have you had about returning to God? How does the truth about His forgiving nature help you come to Him?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your endless mercy and patience towards me. Thank you that I can rely on Your eternal love.
Sue’s family was falling apart before her eyes. Her husband suddenly left the house, and she, irritated and confused, stayed with the children. Sue asked her husband to go with her to a family counselor, but he refused, saying that he was fine and that she was the problem. She realized that she could lose him forever and fell into despair. Will she be able to take care of herself and the children?
Hagar, the servant of Abraham and Sarah, faced a similar situation. Unable to wait for God to give her the promised son (Gen. 12, 15), Sarah gave Hagar as a wife to her husband, and she gave birth to Ishmael (Gen. 16:1-4, 15). And when God fulfilled His promise, and Isaac was born to Sarah, the tension in the family increased, and Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away (Gen. 21:8-21). Can you imagine her despair? Soon the mother and child ran out of water. Not knowing what to do, and not wanting to see her son die, Hagar left Ishmael under the bush, and she herself went aside. Both cried. “God heard the voice of the young man” (v. 17). The Lord took care of Hagar and Ishmael and was with them.
Times of despair, when we feel completely alone, prompt us to turn to God. What a comfort to know that in such moments, as throughout life, He hears us, cares for us and remains with us!
How did God care for you when you felt alone? How have you responded to His care?
I thank You, God, that I am never alone. Help me in times of despair.
I recently saw a photo of a sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo. In the close-up, a small bulging muscle on the right arm was clearly visible. This muscle is called the Musculus abductor digiti minimi, and its sole function is to lift the little finger. Known as a master of the smallest details, Michelangelo paid close attention to the bodies of the people he immortalized in his sculptures, showing things that most would simply not notice. Not many sculptors studied the human body as he did. However, the details engraved by him in marble were first of all attempts to show something more – the immortal soul, the inner life of a person. And, of course, he didn’t succeed.
Only God knows what is happening in the human heart. No matter how attentive and experienced we are, we will still be able to see only a shadow of the truth in each other. And God sees not shadows, but the real picture. “You, Lord, know me, You have seen me,” wrote the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 12:3). God’s knowledge is not theoretical or speculative. He does not look at us from a distance, but penetrates into the innermost depths of our being. God knows things about us that we ourselves sometimes find difficult to understand.
Whatever our problems and whatever is going on in our hearts, God sees us and truly knows us.
Why do you feel lonely, forgotten or useless? How does the thought that God knows you affect your condition?
God, I’m lonely in this world. But I am comforted by the thought of how well You know me. I take comfort and delight in this truth.
“But Josiah… did not listen to the words of Necho, which were from God’s command.” — 2 Chronicles 35:22
When I was a student, I had to drive to college and home through boring, desert terrain. The road was long and straight, so I exceeded the speed limit more than once. First, the patrol service issued me a warning. Then she issued a fine. And then, very soon, I was caught speeding again in the same place.
Failure to listen can lead to sad consequences. A tragic example of this is the fate of Josiah, a good and faithful king. When the Egyptian pharaoh Necho marched through Judea to help Assyria in the fight against Babylon, Josiah came out to meet him. Necho sent messengers to tell him: “God has commanded me to hurry. Do not resist God who is with me” (2 Chron. 35:21). The Lord actually sent Necho on this campaign, but Josiah “disobeyed the words of Necho, which were from God’s command, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo” (v. 22). In the battle, he was seriously wounded and died. “All Judea and Jerusalem were in mourning for Josiah” (v. 24).
The king, who loved God, learned by bitter experience that stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to God, who can speak through other people, does not lead to anything good. May God grant us the humility to always check our spiritual condition and be attentive to His wisdom.
In what areas of life do you especially need God’s wisdom? How will you listen to Him today?
Wise and loving God, help me to humbly listen to Your wisdom. Thank you that when I ask, You give “simply and without reproach” (James 1:5).
“Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” — Romans 5:8
“I felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under my feet,” Jolie said. “The shock of what I found out was like a physical blow.” Jolie discovered that her fiance was dating someone else. Her previous relationships ended in a similar way. So, when she came to Bible study and heard about God’s love, she thought, “Isn’t this another deception? If I believe that God loves me, won’t I have to cry again?”
Maybe we, like Jolie, have had relationship problems that make us wary (or even fearful) of assurances of love. Perhaps, hearing about God’s love, we also wonder if there is a trap here. But there is no trap. “God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners,” says the Bible (Rom. 5:8).
“In the end, I realized that God proved His love to me,” says Jolie, “He died for me.” My friend learned that because our sinfulness separated us from God, He gave His Son to die for us (Rom. 5:10; 1 John 2:2). Thanks to this, our sins are forgiven, and we can confidently look forward to eternal life with Him (John 3:16).
If we have doubts about God’s love, let us remember what Christ did for us on the cross. He is faithful, and therefore we can confidently rely on His promises.
Have you found it difficult to believe in God’s love? How can the truth that Jesus Christ died for you change your attitude?
Lord Jesus, thank You for the unfathomable love You showed when You died for me. Let this love change me, heal me and guide me on the right path.
“Blessed is the man who… meditates on His Law day and night.” — Psalm 1:1-2
Andrew and his family went on safari to Kenya, where they had the pleasure of observing a rich variety of animals visiting a small lake in the desert. Giraffes, hippos, animals and birds all yearned for a nourishing source of water. Looking at them, Andrew thought of the Bible, a “divine key” that is not only a source of wisdom and guidance, but also a refreshing oasis where different people can quench their spiritual thirst.
Andrew’s observation resonates with the words of the psalmist, who called “blessed” the person who finds satisfaction in God’s law. Those who meditate on the Holy Scriptures are like “a tree planted by a stream of water, which will bear its fruit in due season” (Ps. 1:3). As the root of a tree penetrates deep into the earth to find nourishing moisture there, so people who believe in God and love Him will take root in His Word to find the strength they need.
God’s wisdom will help us remain rooted in Him, and we will not be “like chaff that the wind blows away” (v. 4). By meditating on what God has revealed to us in the Bible, we receive everything we need to bear abundant fruit.
How does the Bible serve as a foundation for your life? What can help you meditate on the Scriptures throughout the day?
Loving God, You have revealed Your truth to me in the Bible. Help me to appreciate it and reflect on it with gratitude and admiration.
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
A restless soul will never be satisfied with wealth and success. The recently deceased popular singer could confirm this truth. His records have been in the top 10 country music albums nearly forty times, and no less number of singles have reached the top of the charts. But he also had several marriages and was in prison. However, having such achievements, he once complained: “There is a restlessness in my soul that I could not overcome either with creativity, marriages, or popularity… I still feel it now. It will probably be with me until my death.” Unfortunately, he is no longer among us, but peace could be found!
The Lord Jesus calls all those tormented by sin and its consequences to turn to Him. “Come to Me,” He says. When we accept His salvation, He removes the burden of sin from us and gives us peace (Matthew 11:28). The only condition is to believe in Him and learn from Him “life with excess” (Jn. 10:10). Having accepted the “yoke” of discipleship in Christ, you will “find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29).
When we come to Christ, He removes our guilt before God and gives peace to our troubled hearts, revealing a new and less burdensome way of life in Him. He gives us real peace.
What do you feel tired and burdened? To what can you compare the peace that Jesus offers?
Lord Jesus, help my soul to find peace and tranquility in You.
“And the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth.” — Numbers 22:28
Jack knew how to direct the trains to the right track. In his nine years on the job, he never missed a train pulling into the station at Eitenhas in the Republic of South Africa.
By the way, Jack is not a person, but a baboon. He was looked after by the railway signalman James Wide, and Jack in turn helped James. Wide lost both his legs by falling between railroad cars that were moving at the time. He taught Jack to help him with the household chores; soon he was already helping him at work, having learned to respond to the appropriate signals during the movement of trains.
The Bible tells about another animal that helped a person in an unexpected way. This is Balaam’s donkey. Balaam was a pagan prophet who served a king who sought to harm Israel. When the prophet was riding a donkey to the king, “the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth”, and she spoke to Balaam (Numbers 22:28). The speech of the donkey was one of the ways in which God opened “Balaam’s eyes” (v. 31), protected him from danger and forbade him to do evil to God’s people.
A railway baboon? A talking donkey? Why not? If God can use these amazing animals for good, then He can use you and me. By turning to God and seeking His strength, we can achieve much more than we imagined.
Who did God use in an unexpected way? How to make yourself available to God?
God, I want to serve You! Use my hands, feet and mouth as you need! Help me to live for You.
“And all the widows surrounded him, weeping and showing him the dresses and cloaks that Sarna had made.” — Acts 9:39
On one of my father’s last days, a nurse asked me if she could shave him. Gently running the blade across his face, Rachel said, “Older men like to look neat every day.” She saw a need and decided to show kindness, dignity and respect to others in a practical way. Her tender care reminded me of my friend Julia, who still paints her old mother’s nails because it is important to her that she “looks good.”
In the 9th chapter of the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, it is told about a disciple named Sarna (Tavita), who showed kindness by sewing clothes for the poor (vv. 36, 39). When she died, many friends gathered in her room to mourn this kind woman who loved to help others.
However, Sarna’s story did not end there. When the apostle Peter was led to the place where her body lay, he bowed his knees and prayed. Then he addressed her by name and said: “Tavitha, get up!” (v. 40). A miracle happened. Tavita opened her eyes and stood up. When her friends learned that she had come back to life, the news about it quickly spread throughout the city and “many believed in the Lord” (v. 42).
How did Sarna spend the next day of her life? Probably, like many previous days, she saw people’s needs and satisfied them.
Who among you knows is always looking for ways to help others? How are you better at being aware of other people’s needs?
Heavenly Father, help me to see poor and needy people every day. Open my heart to actions that will show them Your love.
