I saw at Lizzie’s that the Homeschool Freebie of the Day site was offering today a free download of Say Fellas, a devotional book for boys originally published in the Sunday School Times in the 1900s. I am always looking for good devotional material to share with Jesse.
I had never heard of this site, but it looks like they have some great resources.
Many people begin with new year with a goal to read the Bible through, or at least to read it more. And that is a worthy goal. There are many good reasons to read the Bible.
I’d like to suggest, though, that if you don’t have some kind of plan of action, this goal, like many others, will likely fizzle out and you’ll get discouraged: likely either making the time will fall to the wayside, or you’ll hit or miss in favorite passages and not venture out into others.
So I would like to suggest that you make some kind of plan. Let me say up front, though, that not every day will go according to plan, and that’s ok. Don’t let it discourage you that you can’t do the exact same thing every day, when someone is sick, when on vacation, when something unexpected comes up. On “those days” just do what you can and then get back into routine as soon as you are able.
That’s one reason I like the Daily Light devotional book. I like to use it to begin my devotions and get my mind in gear, but there are some days that that may be all I can do, and on those days I know I’ve had a good “bite” into God’s Word — kind of like those days that you don’t have time for a proper breakfast but you grab a multi-grain nutrition bar rather than a donut.
I’ll confess that on Sundays I only read Daily Light (and sometimes other devotional books I am going through). Our routine is different on Sunday and everyone is home, making it a little harder to find a quiet time to concentrate, plus we’re at church 3+ hours with Sunday School and the morning and evening services. I look at it like going to Grandma’s house for a big Sunday dinner rather than eating at home: I am going to church for the “family meal” my pastor and teachers have prepared that day.
There are a number of plans online for reading the Bible through. One here is based, I believe, on the One Year Bible plan. BibleGateway.com has a few different ones: a comprehensive one for reading the Bible through in a year, a 121-day biographical one covering some of the major people in the Bible, a 61-day survey schedule, and a 61-day chronological reading plan.
There is a plan developed by Robert Murray McCheyne (or M’cheyne) here that will take you though the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalm twice in a year’s time.
Susan at By Grace posted links to some other Bible reading plans that I’m going to “borrow” and share with you here. One she saw at Mountain Musings is here with five different plans for many different versions (even foreign language ones). Another one has you reading from different parts of the Bible (Epistles, Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, Gospels) each day. Susan also shared a link to a free online version of Alexander Scourby’s audio reading of the KJV for those who learn better by listening than by reading (or who sometimes like to listen while reading).
There is a list of thirteen other Bible reading plans here.
Surely with all of those plans there is one to strike everyone’s fancy. 🙂
I’ve mentioned many times that I love reading the Bible through, and when I first started a plan kept me at it and on track. Over the past several years I have continued to read the Bible through, but not in a year. I usually read a couple of chapters a day, but in some of the narrative passages or some of the shorter epistles I’ll read more at a time. There are some places in the Bible that, if I try reading more, I am not comprehending it, and that’s the goal — understanding and meditating on what you read, not just getting through a list. Plus I want to be free to study out something that strikes me in my reading or look up cross references, etc., without feeling like I don’t have time to because I need to keep with the plan.
Sometimes I take a break in my regular reading to do a particular study or to go through a Christian book, like Changed Into His Image.
A few other posts I have written on this topic are Devotional tips, Having devotions when you’re not feeling very devoted, God’s Word, When there is no hunger for God’s Word, and What do you say about this book? One of my passions is getting people into the Word of God for themselves. It’s such a treasure.
In closing, here are some quotes from other well-known voices of the past about reading the Word of God:
“Above all theologies, and creeds, and catechisms, and books, and hymns, must the Word be meditated on, that we may grow in the knowledge of all its parts and in assimilation to its models. Our souls must be steeped in it; not in certain favorite parts of it, but the whole. We must know it, not from the report of others but from our own experience and vision,…Another cannot breathe the air for us, nor eat for us, nor drink for us.”
–Horatius Bonar from They Walked With God“It will greatly help you to understand scripture if you note – not only what is spoken and written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows. “
–Miles Coverdale“Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart! “
–Charles Haddon Spurgeon“The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” –AW. Tozer
“When you are reading a book in a dark room, and come to a difficult part, you take it to a window to get more light. So take your Bibles to Christ.” –Robert Murray M’Cheyne
“If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” — Daniel Webster
Comments are now closed and I am about to draw a winner….
If you haven’t heard yet about Shannon’s Fall Y’all giveaway extravaganza, the guidelines are here, and the list of participants is here.
One of my most favorite things to do is read, and I spend a number of posts talking about good books I’ve found, so I wanted books to be a part of my giveaway.
I also spend a lot of time talking about the importance of the Word of God, so my first giveaway is a devotional book called Daily Light on the Daily Path. It is made up entirely of Scripture, compiled by the Samuel Bagster family. I don’t know how many times my reading for the day has given me just what I needed for the time.
The other books I want to give away as a set: The Secret Life of Becky Miller and Renovating Becky Miller by Sharon Hinck. I reviewed them earlier here and here. I know a lot of “Mom bloggers” participate in this giveaway, and Becky Miller is a young mom who wants to do “big things for God” but finds out life doesn’t always go the way she dreams it will. There are some hilarious moments as well as sweet and poignant moments. You don’t have to be a mom to get the spiritual lessons in the books, though.
Leave a comment on this post and let me know if you are interested in either the devotional book or the Becky Miller set or both. I will close comments Friday night at midnight EST and use the random number generator to draw two winners on Saturday morning. This contest is open to anyone anywhere. One comment per person, please. You don’t have to have a blog to enter, but if you don’t just be sure to leave your e-mail address so I have a way to notify you if you’ve won.
I am also going to try to have another crafty give-away in a couple of days if I can get it together — it’s shaping up to be another busy week! But if I do I will post another link to the Fall Y’all giveaway page.
P.S.: Here is a works-for-me tip for keeping up with the giveaways I’ve entered. I started an e-mail to myself (though it could also be done via a Word document — I just used my e-mail because it’s always open when I am online and it’s handy) and listed the item and the address of the contest, then saved it in the “Mail waiting to be sent” folder. It’s easy to open back up when I go back to checking more giveaway posts. I think most of those offering a giveaway notify the winner, but some don’t, so this way I can run back through the list when this week is over and check the winners’ names.
Several days ago, I was starting out my devotional time as I usually do by reading the day’s passage from a book called Daily Light for the Daily Path. The verses for that day were mostly about attributes of God. As I got to the end of the page, instead of being thankful and full of praise or uplifted and inspired, I merely thought, rather tiredly, “Yeah, I know that already.” I was immediately rebuked by the coldness of my heart, asked the Lord to forgive me and quicken me, and went back though the verses, praising the Lord for each of the attributes I read there. Then I was thankful, full of praise, uplifted, inspired…and humbled.
There are a few thoughts from this experience I’d like to share:
First, sometimes we feel that “deadness of spirit” when we’re tired or not feeling well. Sometimes it actually works better to go ahead and take a little nap and come back to devotions later. Sometimes we’re just distracted and need to ask the Lord to help us focus. Sometimes we need to ask Him to show us any sin in our lives that needs to be confessed. Sometimes we need to ask Him to forgive us for our coldness and quicken us — a visiting preacher during one summer had an excellent message on the phrase “quicken me,” which recurs nine times in Psalm 119. For example, verse 25 says, “My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word” (the NKJV and the NASB use the word “revive”).
Secondly, when we come across passages that are familiar to us, we can try to read them with new eyes, as if we’ve never seen them before. If it is a story, like David an Goliath, we can try to picture it happening before our eyes. We can ask the Lord to help us get the lessons from it He has for us.
Thirdly, we need to remember we won’t always find something “new” in the Bible if we have been reading it for a while. We’ll never exhaust it — there will always be new things to learn. But we also need the repetition of the old truths we have learned so we don’t forget them. Over and over in the Bible we see God repeating Israel’s history to them, reminding them of things He had told them before. We see how people drift away from Him when they forget His truth. Sometimes the repetition is a deeply needed blessing. But if it seems “old news” to us, we can ask God to help us appreciate it anew. We can praise Him for it. We often don’t praise the Lord as we should. I’ve wondered at the phrase “the sacrifice of praise” in Scripture, wondering why the Lord called it a “sacrifice.” It may be because it is a “sweet smell” unto Him, or it may be that we have to give up thinking about ourselves and our problems for a while to focus on Him.
Sometimes we think we have to compartmentalize our devotions into reading, confessing, praising, and requesting. There is nothing wrong with that, but we can also let the confessing, praising and requesting flow as we read. When we come to a verse about an attribute of God or a promise, we can praise Him for it right then reflecting back to Him what His Word says. In fact, there is a Hebrew word that can be translated “confession,” “praise,” or “thanksgiving.” When we confess our sin, we say the same thing about it God does. So, too, when we praise Him, we say the same things about Him that His Word does, and as we do, we come to know Him as He truly is, love Him more, and align ourselves more closely with what He wants us to be.
Sometimes it helps to take a break in our usual routine and spend time is the Psalms or in favorite passages or in a Bible study book or do a word study we’ve been wanting to do.
Proverbs 27:7 says, ”The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” Sometimes we are too full of other things to hunger after God’s Word as we should. We can ask Him to show us what “junk food” we’ve been filling our souls with so we can replace it with His truth, and to create a hunger in us for Him.
Above all, I think, we shouldn’t wait until we’re “feeling” more “devoted” to sit down with the Bible. A former pastor of ours once said that one of his best times of prayer occurred when the last thing he felt like doing was praying, but he went ahead and just started out by confessing that to the Lord. Somehow in the process the Lord melted his heart. As I mentioned in the beginning, just going back through some verses I had just read and asking the Lord to forgive me and quicken me opened them up to me in a new way, and my heart was completely different afterward than it was the first time through.
In John 6:63 Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” It is His very Word that the Holy Spirit uses to quicken us. The last thing we need to do when we’re feeling low spiritually is to avoid the Bible. That’s exactly what we need to revive us.
Everyday Mommy Jules asked this question about the Bible a few days ago. I haven’t read the responses there yet, but my first thought went back to a time when my college dorm supervisor asked us to study what the Bible says about itself. Then later I thought of the man who was my pastor for fourteen years (and still would be if we had not moved) saying that when he first started preaching, he approached a given passage with the question, “What can I say about this passage?” He realized over time that the right question was, “What does this passage say?” Having fourteen years of expository preaching with that basis influences how one thinks when reading the Scripture. 🙂 (That’s not to say that Jules is asking the wrong question — not at all, it is a very important question. I’m just saying that this is how my mind works in thinking of how I would answer it: first of all I need to consider what it says about itself.)
I wish I still had the notes to that first study I mentioned. I might, buried in a box somewhere. That was before I made files for such things. But these passages come to mind.
The Bible is first and foremost God’s Word. If it were not, none of the rest would matter. There might be some pleasant sayings, some good common sense, some good stories and warnings to heed, some “inspirational” passages. The Bible is inspired, but not in the same way as we might speak of a poem or anecdote being inspirational. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The word “inspiration” there comes, I am told, from a word that means “breathed out.” II Peter1:21 says, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Theologians debate exactly how the process worked, and I have heard some of the different views, but however it happened, the Bible is literally given to us by God. I enjoyed in Bible Doctrines class learning how Peter referred to Paul’s writings as Scripture, how Christ quoted from the Old Testament, etc. — there are many evidences that each part of the Bible is God’s Word.
It is interesting that in that passage from Peter, a little earlier he refers to the time he, James, and John were with Christ when they saw a glimpse of Him in His glory, in what is called the “transfiguration.” Peter says they were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” and heard God’s voice from heaven. Seems like that would be a pretty exciting experience, doesn’t it?! But Peter says, after referring to that incident, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy…” (II Peter 1:19) and then refers to the Scripture. He is saying that Scripture is a “more sure word” than even the experience of seeing Christ in His majesty or hearing God’s voice from heaven!
Since that is the case — that Scripture is inspired of God and more sure than experience — it is authoritative and reliable. It’s also binding. I have an obligation to listen to, heed, and obey what it says. I am responsible before God for what I do with what I read and hear.
The II Timothy 3:16-17 passage goes on to say God’s Word is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The word “perfect” there means “complete” rather than “flawless.” Doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction are not what most people go to the Bible for: usually they want to be comforted, encouraged, uplifted; they want something to make them feel better, something to help them through the day. The Bible is good for those things and does do that: but primarily God wants to use it to teach us, change us, and bring us to spiritual maturity. That’s not always comfortable.
As God’s Word, the Bible also:
1. Keeps me from sin
Psalm 119:9, 11: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
(See also verse 101)
2. Is my delight and my counsellor
Psalm 119:24: Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
(See also v. 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143)
3. Quickens (revives) me
Psalm 119:25: My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
(See also verses 37, 40, 50, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159)
4. Is my basis for hope
Psalm 119:49: Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
5. Is the basis for my comfort
Psalm 119:52: I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.
(See also verse 76)
6. Is better than gold or silver
Psalm 119:72: The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
7. Is forever settled in heaven
Psalm 119:89: For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
(See also verses 144, 152, 160)
8. Is what I should love and meditate on
Psalm 119:97: O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
9. Is the source of wisdom and understanding
Psalm 119: 98-100:Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
(See also verses 104, 130)
10. Is sweet
Psalm 119:103: How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
11. The source of guidance
Psalm 119:105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
12. Is right
Psalm 119:128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
(See also verses 137, 138, 172)
13. Is pure
Psalm 119:140: Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
14. Is truth
Psalm 119:151 Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.
(See also verses 142, 160)
And those are all just from Psalm 119. The Bible is full of instruction about itself.
And in light of what is says about itself, what can I say but Amen!
I mentioned in my post about fundamentalism and separatism that I was going to write later some thoughts about “secondary issues” (or the non-fundamentals). But I have been thinking for the last several weeks about doctrine. I write and/or compile a newsletter/booklet for our ladies group, and one regular column for the last few years has been called “Women of the Word,” dealing with reasons to read the Bible, how to’s, devotional tips, Bible studies, etc. I went back and looked up a couple of columns I had written about doctrine and want to include them here before I go on to secondary issues. After all, we need to know doctrine — God’s truths — before we can exercise discernment, and we need discernment to know what is fundamental and what is secondary, what we need to stand firm on and what we have room to differ on.
So, first is one written in October of 04:
Our “favorite” times in the Word are often the “warm fuzzies” — when we feel especially blessed, loved, comforted, encouraged, or secure in what we have read. And those times are, indeed, wonderful. But as we read, we should be looking for more than “warm fuzzies” — we should be looking for truth about our God.
I was thinking recently that it is too bad that churches are too often divided into those preaching “doctrinal” messages or those meeting “felt needs” when really they should go together. We can’t truly meet spiritual needs without the truth, the doctrine, of God’s Word. When a trial comes and people feel forsaken, what most comforts but the precious truth that God will never forsake us? When a lie seems the only way out of a tough situation, what keeps us from it but the knowledge that it will displease a God whose essence is truth?
A.W. Tozer once wrote that “there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.” He further felt that “wrong thoughts about God are in reality a form of idolatry.” I think that’s true.
When we don’t worship God for Who He truly is, then we are worshipping a god of our own making, and that is idolatry. Now, of course, all of us are imperfect in our knowledge of Him and are, or should be, ever growing in Him, and He’ll correct our understanding along the way. But that is a little different than not knowing Him for Who He is due to neglect or misapplication of the Word.
Our thinking has much bearing on our intimacy with God. We can’t know Him aright apart from what He has revealed of Himself in His Word. As we learn more of Him, we love Him and worship Him more, and what seemed like “dry doctrine” then does become something that warms and thrills our hearts as the Holy Spirit brings that truth to mind.
And, the more we behold Him, the more we are changed into His likeness. II Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
So, don’t be afraid of that word “doctrine.” II Timothy 4: 3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” That is a warning to us not to turn away from sound doctrine, but also possibly an admission that sound doctrine needs to be “endured.” Learning doctrine may not always feel warm and fuzzy, but the Holy Spirit will use it in our lives in blessed ways.
This next one was just from January of this year:
Often when we read our Bibles, we’re looking for comfort, encouragement, strength, assurance of God’s love, care, guidance, and protection — and the Bible is a wonderful source for all of those things. But one of the most important reasons for reading and studying God’s Word is to learn correct doctrine. Immediately the word doctrine can bring to mind dryness, dullness, and argumentation. But if we think of doctrine as a manifestation of God’s truth and character, we can in turn worship Him by knowing and sharing the doctrines of His Word.
So often I have heard some of the sweetest people make some of the most off-the-wall comments about truth, and I have been so surprised by the lack of discernment. I remember a news report about cult leader David Koresh quoting one woman saying she was drawn in because of how well he knew his Bible. But just in that short news report Koresh made several unbiblical statements. Sometimes celebrities whose behavior and public statements contradict the Bible are quoted as spiritual sources.
One of my former pastors, Jesse Boyd, used to say that (at least in his day) bankers were trained to recognize counterfeit bills not by studying the various counterfeits, but by studying genuine currency so well that they could tell if any bill differed from it. If we know God’s Word and His truth well, we won’t be led astray and we can help share God’s truth with our children, neighbors, relatives, and others within our sphere of influence.
We have to remember, though, to let our speech be always “with grace” (Col. 4:6) and to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). We don’t need to “pounce” on every comment or reference another person might make, but graciously seek what the Lord might have us say. We also have to distinguish between clear doctrine and those areas where good people can differ or personal preferences.
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. (Ephesians 4:14-15).
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law (Proverbs 4:2).
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few (Acts 17:11-12).
Often around this time of year people think about the need to read their Bibles more. I highly recommend it! (See Thirteen Reasons to Read the Bible.)
I wrote in an earlier post about devotional tips:
When I first became a Christian as a teen-ager, the church I was in then had a strong emphasis on reading the Bible through in a year. I am so glad, because I think that, more than anything else, got me grounded spiritually. There are many advantages to reading the Bible through in a year: it kept me focused; I knew where to read next instead of wandering around aimlessly; I discovered choice nuggets in places like II Chronicles and Zephaniah that I probably would never have discovered otherwise; it kept me balanced; it helped me understand passages in their context; and each time through I would understand the passage more.
There are a number of plans online for reading the Bible through. One here is based, I believe, on the One Year Bible plan. BibleGateway.com has a few different ones: a comprehensive one for reading the Bible through in a year, a 121-day biographical one covering some of the major people in the Bible, a 61-day survey schedule, and a 61-day chronological reading plan.
I mentioned in that post on devotional tips that I no longer read the Bible through in a year, but I do still read it through, for all the reasons mentioned above. But by going at my own pace I can take more time with particular passages if needed.
One resource I would highly, highly recommend is the book What Do I Know About My God by Mardi Collier. Whether you do her particular plan or not, the testimonies of how God has used His word in her life are inspiring. Another good resource is Alone With God by Jason Janz.
Anything is better than nothing, so I encourage you, if you’ve never made reading the Bible every day a part of your life, or you have but you’ve let it slip, it’s a worthy investment of your time. Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been reading it for years, I pray you’ll have a blessed year of getting to know God better and drawing ever closer to Him.
(Graphic courtesy of Creative Ladies Ministry.)
…or between the devil and the deep blue sea, as the sayings go. My morning Bible reading today covered Exodus 13-14, wherein Moses leads the children of Israel out of Egypt only to get caught between the Egyptians, who decided not to let them go after all, and the Red Sea.
One part of the passage that has always intrigued me is Ex. 13:17-18a: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea.” God knew that going that particular way would be too much for the Israelites, even though it was the nearer way. I wonder, when we get to heaven, if there will be opportunity to look back over time from a glorified perspective and see what God spared us from that would have been too hard for us to deal with which we had no idea of at the time. This is a perfect illustration of I Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Look where the “way of escape” led them, though: right into the encampment by the Red Sea where Pharoah and his armies could hedge them in. Yet, since God led them away from a situation that would have proved too much for them, it stands to reason that this would be a trial of faith they could face and not fail.
I’m not a fan of the saying “God won’t give me more than I can handle.” I guess there is a sense in which it is true, based on I Cor. 10:13. But I would modify it to say that God won’t give me anything I can’t handle without His grace. Very often I find that He does put me in situations too big for me so that I have to lean on Him for help, because there is no other way to handle it.
In Exodus 14:4, God reveals one of His reasons for sending Israel for that particular spot and for sending Pharoah after them: “I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” That phraseology comes up often in Scripture: that he may know, that they may know, etc. I’ve thought it would make an interesting study some time to look up those phrases or make note of them as I’m reading through the Bible. All throughout the plagues of Egypt God was making known to them that their gods were no gods, that He was the only One — several of the plagues involved something that the Egyptians worshipped (one was the sun, and God showed His power over the sun by making it dark for a few days, etc.). It was not cruel for Him to do so: it was a mercy, so that they would see that they were trusting in something untrustworthy and would see that He is the all-powerful trustworthy One.
One of the many reasons God allows trials in our lives is so that others might see His power and grace. The blind man mentioned in John 9 was born that way so that “the works of God should be made manifest in him.” Elisabeth Elliot touches on this principle in a devotional titled “The World Must Be Shown.”
Sometimes when we find ourselves in those tight places, our first thought is to wonder, “Did I do something wrong?” If not, then we often wail, “Why is God doing this to me?” There may be many reasons: He may be pruning us to bring forth more fruit (John 15:2); to humble us and show us His sufficiency (Deuteronomy 8:2-3); to teach us patience, endurance, hope (Romans 5:3-5); to show us the insufficiency of whatever we are trusting in instead of him….or it just may be that someone within our sphere of influence needs to be shown something about God through our experience.
In Israel’s case, there are many indications throughout the preceding chapters and this one that some of the Egyptians were beginning to understand who the one true real God was. But the Egyptians weren’t the only ones. “And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant” (Exodus 14:31). It happened in Job’s life as well: Satan was shown something about God and about genuine faith, and so were all of the people through the ages who have read Job’s story. But Job himself learned more about his God through the process as well. That happens with us, too — many people testify that through some fiery trial they got to know their God better and drew closer to Him.
Whatever trial we are going through, we can trust that God has allowed it for a purpose, and that if He allowed it, He will give us the grace to get through it, He will provide, He will lead, he will manifest Himself to us and to others who may be part of the process.
My Daily Light reading for this morning included these verses:
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).
He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness (Psalm 107:9).
I got to wondering why we don’t hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness more. The answer that came to mind: we’re full of other things. In physical life we can “spoil our dinner” (as my grandma used to say) by filling up with the wrong things; we can develop a taste for junk food and lose our appetite for nourishing meals. We can do that spiritually, too.
This brought to mind a song that some dear friends from PA taught us when they came to live in TX. I’ve never heard it anywhere else. I found the words attributed to Martha Snell Nicholson . It uses a different metaphor but makes the same observation:
One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed:
Every glittering toy was lost.
And I walked earth’s highways grieving
In my rags and poverty
Til I heard His voice inviting,
“Lift your empty hands to Me!”So I held my hands toward Heaven
And He filled them with a store
Of His own transcendent riches
Til they could contain no more.
And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull
That God could not pour His riches
Into hands already full.
The rest of the Daily Light reading lists His promises to fill us with His goodness when we do hunger and thirst for Him:
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house (Psalm 65:4).
I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (John 6:35).
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away (Luke 1:53).
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light (Psalm 36:7-9).
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4).
May we set aside the things that don’t satisfy and seek the One who does.
I thought I had posted this before, but I couldn’t find it. Once I did a word search on the Bible for the “one another” passages that instruct us in how to minister to each other. It was very convicting! Here’s what I found:
Bible “One Anothers”
Wash one another’s feet—John 13:14.
Love one another—John 13:3; 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11.
In honor preferring one another—Romans 12:10.
Don’t judge one another—Romans 14:13.
Receive one another—Romans 15:7.
Salute one another—Romans 16:16.*
Greet one another—I Cor. 16:20, II Cor. 13:12, I Peter 5:14.
Serve one another—Gal. 5:13.
Don’t provoke one another or envy one another—Gal. 5:26.
Bear one another’s burdens—Gal. 6:2.
Forbear one another in love—Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:13.
Forgive one another—Eph. 4:32, Col. 3:13.
Teach and admonish one another with song—Col. 3:16.
Comfort one another—I Thess. 4:18.
Edify one another—I Thess. 5:11.
Exhort one another— Heb. 3:13; 10:25.
Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works—Heb. 10:24.
(* Looking up the Strong’s definition, “salute” means “to draw to one’s self, to salute one, greet, bid welcome, wish well to, to receive joyfully, welcome,” even “retarding” one’s own journey to do so.)
Stray Thoughts 