Date: August 9, 2010 11:35 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Hunger
Hunger
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:2-3).
Scripture Focus: Psalm 81:10
Most babies cry regularly for milk. Some suck their thumbs, but they soon learn that will not satisfy their hunger. Some people fool themselves into thinking possessions, prestige, or power can fill their spiritual hunger. These counterfeits fail, too.
When babies are starving, they reach a point where they no longer feel hunger. Someone coming to their aid must dip her finger in milk and force it into their mouths to awaken their sense of hunger.
Likewise, many people deprive themselves of spiritual food until they no longer feel hungry for it. God allowed a man I know to lose his job, his family, his possessions, and his health. Finally, the man recognized his spiritual hunger and turned to Jesus, Who satisfied the man's soul as only He can.
Peter has instructed us to desire "pure" nourishment. If we stop eating junk foods, we will stop craving them. Let's turn from the world's dumpsters and quit eating the bread of death from carnal mind feasts. We can open our mouths wide to the pure spiritual food the King of heaven offers us.
Insight: Accept no substitutes. Ask God to give you a voracious spiritual appetite, which His pure Word can satisfy.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
+DEV+ Seeing God
Date: August 8, 2010 9:00 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Seeing God
Seeing God
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol..." (Psalm 24:3-4a).
Scripture Focus: 1 John 3:2-3
Crowds of needy people followed Jesus up to the hill country where He spoke to them about the blessings God has reserved for humanity.
One such blessing is to "see" God. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). So we must ask "What is a pure heart?"
Our natural hearts are centered on self, focused on self-satisfaction. Jesus sacrificed His lifeblood to show us a better way. When we focus our hearts' eyes on Him, we can receive His blessings. We must not let what our physical eyes see overshadow the spiritual sights that offer blessings beyond our comprehension.
A "pure" heart longs for holiness. Without it, Hebrews 12 tells us, we will not see the Lord. Though we know that even our best attempts to be "holy" fall drastically short, we rest in His promise that He Himself will clothe us in His righteousness. With Isaiah we proclaim, "I delight greatly in the Lord...for he has clothed me with garments of salvation...and a robe of righteousness" (61:10).
Insight: Once our hearts become pure, our spiritual vision will clear so we can see God.
Topic: +DEV+ Seeing God
Seeing God
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol..." (Psalm 24:3-4a).
Scripture Focus: 1 John 3:2-3
Crowds of needy people followed Jesus up to the hill country where He spoke to them about the blessings God has reserved for humanity.
One such blessing is to "see" God. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). So we must ask "What is a pure heart?"
Our natural hearts are centered on self, focused on self-satisfaction. Jesus sacrificed His lifeblood to show us a better way. When we focus our hearts' eyes on Him, we can receive His blessings. We must not let what our physical eyes see overshadow the spiritual sights that offer blessings beyond our comprehension.
A "pure" heart longs for holiness. Without it, Hebrews 12 tells us, we will not see the Lord. Though we know that even our best attempts to be "holy" fall drastically short, we rest in His promise that He Himself will clothe us in His righteousness. With Isaiah we proclaim, "I delight greatly in the Lord...for he has clothed me with garments of salvation...and a robe of righteousness" (61:10).
Insight: Once our hearts become pure, our spiritual vision will clear so we can see God.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
+DEV+ Head of the Body
Date: August 5, 2010 9:32 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Head of the Body
Head of the Body
"He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first-born from among the dead" (Colossians 1:17-18a).
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Our wise Creator made an intricate system for hearing. The average pair of human ears can receive vibrations to 20,000 cycles per second. Three tiny bones carry vibrations to the inner ear, where the air noises magnify and convert to a liquid force. Cells work to distinguish the sounds from hundreds of thousands of tones. When the vibration stimulates the correct sound receptor cell, the mechanical force changes to neurons and enters the brain. The brain adds meaning and emotion to the sounds.
Our physical ears can hear spiritual truths; but it takes the spiritual brain, Christ, the head of His church to help us understand these truths.
Some passages of God's Word we have heard before take on a whole new meaning when we hear them again. That is because God the Son (the Head) is working with the Holy Spirit to give those sounds spiritual meaning and emotion.
Every word we speak or hear can bring glory to our marvelous Creator.
Insight: God can use every sound to draw us closer to Him. Let hearing evil words prompt you to pray for those who utter them.
Topic: +DEV+ Head of the Body
Head of the Body
"He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first-born from among the dead" (Colossians 1:17-18a).
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Our wise Creator made an intricate system for hearing. The average pair of human ears can receive vibrations to 20,000 cycles per second. Three tiny bones carry vibrations to the inner ear, where the air noises magnify and convert to a liquid force. Cells work to distinguish the sounds from hundreds of thousands of tones. When the vibration stimulates the correct sound receptor cell, the mechanical force changes to neurons and enters the brain. The brain adds meaning and emotion to the sounds.
Our physical ears can hear spiritual truths; but it takes the spiritual brain, Christ, the head of His church to help us understand these truths.
Some passages of God's Word we have heard before take on a whole new meaning when we hear them again. That is because God the Son (the Head) is working with the Holy Spirit to give those sounds spiritual meaning and emotion.
Every word we speak or hear can bring glory to our marvelous Creator.
Insight: God can use every sound to draw us closer to Him. Let hearing evil words prompt you to pray for those who utter them.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
+DEV+ Lord of the Senses
Date: August 4, 2010 7:26 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Lord of the Senses
Lord of the Senses
"They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel..." (Psalm 115:5-7a).
Scripture Focus: Psalm 115:4-8; 135:13-18
Writers try to "involve" readers by showing how things look, sound, taste, and smell. This type of writing can engage readers emotionally, move them to another time and place, and help them see life from a different viewpoint.
In today's verse, we read that idols have none of these senses. However, the living and true God has all of them! Since God is a spiritual being, He has spiritual senses. He has given us comparable physical senses to use in relating with each other, and He can awaken spiritual senses to help us relate with Him and see from His viewpoint.
God "hears" our prayers.
He "sees" our needs.
He is a living, loving Father who "smells" the sweetness of our prayers.
He is the Son who "touched" untouchables when He walked on earth.
Let's ask Him to open our spiritual eyes, so we see His truth and open our spiritual ears, so we hear His commands. Let's ask Him to give us spiritual understanding as we read His Word. "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8a).
Insight: Our living, loving Lord will supply all we need to relate with Him.
Let us ask Him to nourish our souls with spiritual sustenance.
Topic: +DEV+ Lord of the Senses
Lord of the Senses
"They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel..." (Psalm 115:5-7a).
Scripture Focus: Psalm 115:4-8; 135:13-18
Writers try to "involve" readers by showing how things look, sound, taste, and smell. This type of writing can engage readers emotionally, move them to another time and place, and help them see life from a different viewpoint.
In today's verse, we read that idols have none of these senses. However, the living and true God has all of them! Since God is a spiritual being, He has spiritual senses. He has given us comparable physical senses to use in relating with each other, and He can awaken spiritual senses to help us relate with Him and see from His viewpoint.
God "hears" our prayers.
He "sees" our needs.
He is a living, loving Father who "smells" the sweetness of our prayers.
He is the Son who "touched" untouchables when He walked on earth.
Let's ask Him to open our spiritual eyes, so we see His truth and open our spiritual ears, so we hear His commands. Let's ask Him to give us spiritual understanding as we read His Word. "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8a).
Insight: Our living, loving Lord will supply all we need to relate with Him.
Let us ask Him to nourish our souls with spiritual sustenance.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
+DEV+ Spiritual in Physical
Date: August 3, 2010 8:05 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Spiritual in Physical
Spiritual in Physical
"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:12-27
From the beginning, the Lord God interacted with His creation-most intimately with humans. Critics used to scoff at the idea that God created people from the "dust of the earth," but now science has confirmed that every element found in the human body also exists in earth's soil. God's life-giving breath caused that first body, made in His image, to live physically and spiritually.
When humans rebelled, our Creator didn't give up on us; rather, He came to earth in a human body and lived the perfect human experience for us. While it is true Jesus is our example, He is more than that. He is the express image of the Godhead in a human body.
Now, in the form of the Holy Spirit, God lives within the physical bodies of those who follow Him. He says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?" He also calls those who have received Jesus as Savior the "body" of Christ.
The Lord God does His spiritual work through His physical creation. Everything we see, hear, smell, taste, or touch has spiritual connotations.
Insight: What amazing spiritual possibilities lay hidden within our simple physical actions? Let's ask God to reveal them to us.
Topic: +DEV+ Spiritual in Physical
Spiritual in Physical
"The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:12-27
From the beginning, the Lord God interacted with His creation-most intimately with humans. Critics used to scoff at the idea that God created people from the "dust of the earth," but now science has confirmed that every element found in the human body also exists in earth's soil. God's life-giving breath caused that first body, made in His image, to live physically and spiritually.
When humans rebelled, our Creator didn't give up on us; rather, He came to earth in a human body and lived the perfect human experience for us. While it is true Jesus is our example, He is more than that. He is the express image of the Godhead in a human body.
Now, in the form of the Holy Spirit, God lives within the physical bodies of those who follow Him. He says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?" He also calls those who have received Jesus as Savior the "body" of Christ.
The Lord God does His spiritual work through His physical creation. Everything we see, hear, smell, taste, or touch has spiritual connotations.
Insight: What amazing spiritual possibilities lay hidden within our simple physical actions? Let's ask God to reveal them to us.
Monday, August 2, 2010
+DEV+ God and Growth
Date: August 2, 2010 10:54 PM
Topic: +DEV+ God and Growth
God and Growth
"...the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree..." (Isaiah 55:12b-13a).
Scripture Focus: Isaiah 55
Here at last the curse is broken, and we have joyful harmony between God's people and nature. This whole passage invites us to "come and drink," to change our wicked ways and to turn to the Lord and His Word that we might enjoy forgiveness, peace and joy seems almost too good to be true. And yet, this is exactly what Jesus has already done for us! When these words were written, the fulfillment of the promises was in the distant future. But after His coming He left the Holy Spirit to cause the seeds of that perfect tomorrow to live and germinate within us now. We are not on "hold." The brand new life cycle has already begun in the heart of every believer.
In our formerly cursed lives where once there were thorns, cypress trees are growing; where nettles grew, myrtles are sprouting. We see evidence of new growth all around us in our lives and the lives of our family in Christ. If the little shoots of green we see do not compare to what they will be someday, so what? We're already part of a second genesis!
Insight: God's word liberally applied will act as a fertilizer, increasing healthy growth and pest-free fruit for the spiritually hungry people in your life.
Topic: +DEV+ God and Growth
God and Growth
"...the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree..." (Isaiah 55:12b-13a).
Scripture Focus: Isaiah 55
Here at last the curse is broken, and we have joyful harmony between God's people and nature. This whole passage invites us to "come and drink," to change our wicked ways and to turn to the Lord and His Word that we might enjoy forgiveness, peace and joy seems almost too good to be true. And yet, this is exactly what Jesus has already done for us! When these words were written, the fulfillment of the promises was in the distant future. But after His coming He left the Holy Spirit to cause the seeds of that perfect tomorrow to live and germinate within us now. We are not on "hold." The brand new life cycle has already begun in the heart of every believer.
In our formerly cursed lives where once there were thorns, cypress trees are growing; where nettles grew, myrtles are sprouting. We see evidence of new growth all around us in our lives and the lives of our family in Christ. If the little shoots of green we see do not compare to what they will be someday, so what? We're already part of a second genesis!
Insight: God's word liberally applied will act as a fertilizer, increasing healthy growth and pest-free fruit for the spiritually hungry people in your life.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
+DEV+ God and Fruit
Date: August 1, 2010 8:39 PM
Topic: +DEV+ God and Fruit
God and Fruit
"'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit...'" (John 15:5a,8).
Scripture Focus: John 15:1-8
We once took a trip to Florida. I saw for the first time citrus fruit hanging on trees. People grew oranges, lemons, and grapefruit in their yards. As we drove by, the colorful, abundant fruit was eye-catching. I realized later that the fruit was the only thing about those trees I remembered.
The fruit of our lives as Christians is supposed to be distinctive and memorable. Many unbelievers around us do have that impression of us, but, sadly, the impression is bitter. Why is that? Perhaps our fruit is immature, or we've fallen off or been severed from the vine. We are so busy we don't have much time to spare for quietly abiding in God's Word and being still before Him. We have a limited relationship with the body of Christ. Jesus' disciples spent time with Him and each other, and their lives couldn't help but be changed. The fruit of our lives will become ripe and sweet, too, through the touch of the Master's hand. Christianity isn't only about what we know. It is about who we are actually becoming-like Jesus.
Insight: The fruit of your life is not only for yourself, it will be tasted by others. Is
your fruit bitter or sweet?
Topic: +DEV+ God and Fruit
God and Fruit
"'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit...'" (John 15:5a,8).
Scripture Focus: John 15:1-8
We once took a trip to Florida. I saw for the first time citrus fruit hanging on trees. People grew oranges, lemons, and grapefruit in their yards. As we drove by, the colorful, abundant fruit was eye-catching. I realized later that the fruit was the only thing about those trees I remembered.
The fruit of our lives as Christians is supposed to be distinctive and memorable. Many unbelievers around us do have that impression of us, but, sadly, the impression is bitter. Why is that? Perhaps our fruit is immature, or we've fallen off or been severed from the vine. We are so busy we don't have much time to spare for quietly abiding in God's Word and being still before Him. We have a limited relationship with the body of Christ. Jesus' disciples spent time with Him and each other, and their lives couldn't help but be changed. The fruit of our lives will become ripe and sweet, too, through the touch of the Master's hand. Christianity isn't only about what we know. It is about who we are actually becoming-like Jesus.
Insight: The fruit of your life is not only for yourself, it will be tasted by others. Is
your fruit bitter or sweet?
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