Date: February 28, 2011 10:36 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of the Dawn
Promise of the Dawn
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning" (Psalm 130:5-6).
Scripture Focus: Psalm 30:1-12
One translation reads "more than sentries wait for the dawn." I have a vivid memory of being on night guard duty in South Korea in the winter. I was training at a mountainous camp, south of Seoul, one of many of the 1st Signal Brigade. There was a sense of foreboding, and all felt the reality of war. As a sentry, I remember the pitch dark, the intense cold and the responsibility of the loaded rifle. Any noise, and one called out, "Who goes there?" But mostly, I remember eagerly waiting for the dawn. It was a strangely desolate experience.
So this verse springs off the page for me. The dawn always comes! If we are suffering in any way, our reading speaks to us. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Literally it is "In the morning, Behold, Joy!" The joy comes as a surprise. And the unexpected dawn of a consoling vision of our beloved Lord will come just at the moment when we feel the night of suffering would last forever.
Insight: Are you suffering bereavement or some other sharp pain? Do you feel it will never end? Dawn will come. "The sun also rises" (Ecclesiastes 1:5).
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
+DEV+ Promise of Holiness
Date: February 27, 2011 6:25 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Holiness
Promise of Holiness
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:1-2, KJV).
Scripture Focus: John 17:6-19
I found this verse quite daunting when I first came to Christ. The standard of being holy as God is holy seemed to be far beyond my capacity. Then I came to see it as a promise as much as it is a command. It is precisely because God is holy that we will be holy.
In Jesus' prayer in our reading, He sets Himself apart, dedicates Himself to one goal: the saving of His people so that we might be set apart, holy, to Him.
The Father delights to answer Jesus' prayer. Jesus living in us by His Holy Spirit will be holy in and through us. Think not of being a haloed, statue of a saint, but rather of being, as one man has described, "the glory of God, a man fully alive." This holiness is authoritative, powerful and active, engaging the world and loving people without reserve.
This is the holiness of Jesus which He will exercise in us to defeat all the enemy's attempts to drag us down into sin and despair. Take heart, as I have!
Insight: Jesus has promised to make us holy. He lives in us as our new self. Are we strengthening our old self with unholy influences?
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Holiness
Promise of Holiness
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:1-2, KJV).
Scripture Focus: John 17:6-19
I found this verse quite daunting when I first came to Christ. The standard of being holy as God is holy seemed to be far beyond my capacity. Then I came to see it as a promise as much as it is a command. It is precisely because God is holy that we will be holy.
In Jesus' prayer in our reading, He sets Himself apart, dedicates Himself to one goal: the saving of His people so that we might be set apart, holy, to Him.
The Father delights to answer Jesus' prayer. Jesus living in us by His Holy Spirit will be holy in and through us. Think not of being a haloed, statue of a saint, but rather of being, as one man has described, "the glory of God, a man fully alive." This holiness is authoritative, powerful and active, engaging the world and loving people without reserve.
This is the holiness of Jesus which He will exercise in us to defeat all the enemy's attempts to drag us down into sin and despair. Take heart, as I have!
Insight: Jesus has promised to make us holy. He lives in us as our new self. Are we strengthening our old self with unholy influences?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
+DEV+ Promise of Resurrection Power
Date: February 24, 2011 7:38 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Resurrection Power
Promise of Resurrection Power
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10).
Scripture Focus: Philippians 3:1-14, Ephesians 1:15-23
After he was raised, Jesus promised His disciples power - power to witness for Him and power to exercise His authority in the fellowship.
This power also is available to us as believers in our personal lives; power not to sin, power through prayer to pull down strongholds (centers of besetting sin in our lives and in the lives of others).
It is not at all dependent on our own strength. In fact, the opposite is true. Paul says that he will actually boast about his weakness "so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). This power is not something we can muster up; it is totally supernatural. As Paul explains, it is the power of the resurrection of Christ.
In Ephesians Paul prays for the disciples to experience the incredible greatness of the power (a Greek word similar to "dynamite") of Christ's resurrection. He prays they would know the energy of God's infinite strength and explosive force exercised in that event. We can ourselves know this incredible power to overcome sin and difficulties.
Insight: God's guidance in times of trouble is very clear, so start listening for His voice.
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Resurrection Power
Promise of Resurrection Power
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10).
Scripture Focus: Philippians 3:1-14, Ephesians 1:15-23
After he was raised, Jesus promised His disciples power - power to witness for Him and power to exercise His authority in the fellowship.
This power also is available to us as believers in our personal lives; power not to sin, power through prayer to pull down strongholds (centers of besetting sin in our lives and in the lives of others).
It is not at all dependent on our own strength. In fact, the opposite is true. Paul says that he will actually boast about his weakness "so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). This power is not something we can muster up; it is totally supernatural. As Paul explains, it is the power of the resurrection of Christ.
In Ephesians Paul prays for the disciples to experience the incredible greatness of the power (a Greek word similar to "dynamite") of Christ's resurrection. He prays they would know the energy of God's infinite strength and explosive force exercised in that event. We can ourselves know this incredible power to overcome sin and difficulties.
Insight: God's guidance in times of trouble is very clear, so start listening for His voice.
+DEV+ Promise of Peace
Date: February 24, 2011 12:02 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Peace
Promise of Peace
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever" (Isaiah 26:3-4, KJV).
Scripture Focus: John 14:23-27
According to the world, peace is simply the absence of war. In Hebrew "peace" (shalom) means complete well-being. It is resting in the shelter of the Almighty. When Jesus promises peace to His disciples, it is the peace in the soul that only He can give through the Holy Spirit. This is quite distinct from any peace the world offers - a mere absence of conflict or the removal of irksome difficulties. The Lord's peace can be experienced even in suffering and cannot be taken away.
The Amplified Bible translates Colossians 3:15 this way: "And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds]..." God's peace does not allow us to constantly be in turmoil of indecision, or an agony of regret, or to wallow in guilt.
Evan Roberts, evangelist of the 1905 Welsh revival, would often cry out to congregations, "Is there anything here too hard for the cross of Christ?"
Insight: Is there anything troubling you today? Do you think your problem is too great for the cross of Christ? Find peace in Him.
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Peace
Promise of Peace
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever" (Isaiah 26:3-4, KJV).
Scripture Focus: John 14:23-27
According to the world, peace is simply the absence of war. In Hebrew "peace" (shalom) means complete well-being. It is resting in the shelter of the Almighty. When Jesus promises peace to His disciples, it is the peace in the soul that only He can give through the Holy Spirit. This is quite distinct from any peace the world offers - a mere absence of conflict or the removal of irksome difficulties. The Lord's peace can be experienced even in suffering and cannot be taken away.
The Amplified Bible translates Colossians 3:15 this way: "And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds]..." God's peace does not allow us to constantly be in turmoil of indecision, or an agony of regret, or to wallow in guilt.
Evan Roberts, evangelist of the 1905 Welsh revival, would often cry out to congregations, "Is there anything here too hard for the cross of Christ?"
Insight: Is there anything troubling you today? Do you think your problem is too great for the cross of Christ? Find peace in Him.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
+DEV+ Promise of Potential
Date: February 22, 2011 11:29 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Potential
Promise of Potential
"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior'" (Judges 6:12).
Scripture Focus: Judges 6:11-40
The angel addresses Gideon as "you mighty hero." We could not have foreseen that description because we first encounter Gideon (vs. 11) in the winepress, threshing wheat there to hide it from the Midianites. The angel then says to Gideon, "Go in this thy might and thou shall save Israel..." What "might" is this? you may well ask. Gideon has just complained that the Lord deserted Israel. Later we see he doesn't wholly trust God. He thinks God will kill him because he has seen the angel's face. He asks God to prove Himself with the fleece. Later (8:27) after his astounding feats against the Midianites, Gideon fails God and Israel by setting up an idol.
How does all of that add up to "great hero"? Well, like us, Gideon was flawed, but God was with him and God had sent him. This will make Gideon into a hero and be his strength. God provided him with new potential, and he became the hero of the many exploits we read about in Judges because the real hero, the Lord, was behind him all the way.
Insight: God sees, not who I am, but who He is going to make me. Do you trust His promise of your potential?
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Potential
Promise of Potential
"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior'" (Judges 6:12).
Scripture Focus: Judges 6:11-40
The angel addresses Gideon as "you mighty hero." We could not have foreseen that description because we first encounter Gideon (vs. 11) in the winepress, threshing wheat there to hide it from the Midianites. The angel then says to Gideon, "Go in this thy might and thou shall save Israel..." What "might" is this? you may well ask. Gideon has just complained that the Lord deserted Israel. Later we see he doesn't wholly trust God. He thinks God will kill him because he has seen the angel's face. He asks God to prove Himself with the fleece. Later (8:27) after his astounding feats against the Midianites, Gideon fails God and Israel by setting up an idol.
How does all of that add up to "great hero"? Well, like us, Gideon was flawed, but God was with him and God had sent him. This will make Gideon into a hero and be his strength. God provided him with new potential, and he became the hero of the many exploits we read about in Judges because the real hero, the Lord, was behind him all the way.
Insight: God sees, not who I am, but who He is going to make me. Do you trust His promise of your potential?
Monday, February 21, 2011
+DEV+ Promise of Meaning
Date: February 21, 2011 8:53 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Meaning
Promise of Meaning
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Scripture Focus: Isaiah 45:5-19
God would not have us seek Him in vain, meaning in emptiness. He is a God of order. His first act in creation was to speak into the chaos and say, "Let there be light." Because He is a God of order, we do not live meaningless lives. He plans and gives meaning to the events of our lives even if we feel that they do not make sense at times. We are not at the mercy of some random and cruel destiny. Love's hand is on the tiller whatever the buffeting.
A submarine commander wrote to his mother just before he was lost at sea: "If I should die, just consider I have drowned in a pool in the hand of Jesus."
The God who made the greatest evil - the cruel death of the perfect man on a Roman cross - into the greatest good can give meaning even to the worst things in our lives, though they be painful or misunderstood at present.
A tapestry, which, when seen from behind, is a mere jumble of threads, presents a beautiful picture when seen from the front.
Insight: God is love and in charge of your life. Can you come to any ultimate harm? Commit to Him your life and all that happens.
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Meaning
Promise of Meaning
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Scripture Focus: Isaiah 45:5-19
God would not have us seek Him in vain, meaning in emptiness. He is a God of order. His first act in creation was to speak into the chaos and say, "Let there be light." Because He is a God of order, we do not live meaningless lives. He plans and gives meaning to the events of our lives even if we feel that they do not make sense at times. We are not at the mercy of some random and cruel destiny. Love's hand is on the tiller whatever the buffeting.
A submarine commander wrote to his mother just before he was lost at sea: "If I should die, just consider I have drowned in a pool in the hand of Jesus."
The God who made the greatest evil - the cruel death of the perfect man on a Roman cross - into the greatest good can give meaning even to the worst things in our lives, though they be painful or misunderstood at present.
A tapestry, which, when seen from behind, is a mere jumble of threads, presents a beautiful picture when seen from the front.
Insight: God is love and in charge of your life. Can you come to any ultimate harm? Commit to Him your life and all that happens.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
+DEV+ Promise of Fulfillment
Date: February 20, 2011 6:00 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Fulfillment
Promise of Fulfillment
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11).
Scripture Focus: John 16:12-24
Michelangelo painted sublime frescoes covering the Sistine Chapel in Rome; his sculpture of "David" towers over the Piazza in Florence. For 500 years he has been considered perhaps the greatest artist ever. When he was dying, he wrote this sonnet:
"Neither painting or sculpture can quieten
Any more the soul
Turned to that Divine Love
Who opened his arms on the cross
And takes us in."
Despite the undoubted fulfillment of his artistic achievements, Michelangelo realized that the greatest gift of all - salvation - comes only from the crucified hands of Jesus. This is the ultimate fulfillment.
Whatever His hand gives us to do, He will supply the inspiration to do it well. Whether in work or recreation, He will grant us fulfillment, joy and peace.
Seeking Him, we find our fulfillment.
Insight: To test whether anything will give us "fullness of joy," envisage it being given by the hand of Jesus.
Topic: +DEV+ Promise of Fulfillment
Promise of Fulfillment
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11).
Scripture Focus: John 16:12-24
Michelangelo painted sublime frescoes covering the Sistine Chapel in Rome; his sculpture of "David" towers over the Piazza in Florence. For 500 years he has been considered perhaps the greatest artist ever. When he was dying, he wrote this sonnet:
"Neither painting or sculpture can quieten
Any more the soul
Turned to that Divine Love
Who opened his arms on the cross
And takes us in."
Despite the undoubted fulfillment of his artistic achievements, Michelangelo realized that the greatest gift of all - salvation - comes only from the crucified hands of Jesus. This is the ultimate fulfillment.
Whatever His hand gives us to do, He will supply the inspiration to do it well. Whether in work or recreation, He will grant us fulfillment, joy and peace.
Seeking Him, we find our fulfillment.
Insight: To test whether anything will give us "fullness of joy," envisage it being given by the hand of Jesus.
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