In your experience, what are some differences between leaning on your own understanding and trusting in G.o.d?
What are some situations you face now in which you need to trust more in G.o.d? What will you trust Him to do?
"The longer I live the more faith I have in Providence, and the less faith in my interpretation of Providence."-JEREMIAH DAY
MAY 20.
BETTER THAN SLICED BREAD.
[Jesus] said, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of G.o.d.""
MATTHEW 4:4.
JESUS COMPARED OUR NEED for physical nourishment with our need for spiritual nourishment. Both, He said, are essential for a healthy life. If we think about this parallel, the implications are quite sobering. Nightly news programs show the devastation caused by famine in remote corners of the world. Months or years of crop failures lead to forced migration and starvation. Images of gaunt figures shock us. In the spiritual world, we see starvation all around us, but we seldom identify the symptoms as a famine of G.o.d"s Word. Broken families, depression, addiction, violence, crime, gangs, bitterness, racism, and a host of other problems are actually evidences of spiritual starvation.
On a physical level, few of us miss meals. We eat when we"re hungry, but we also eat to prevent feelings of hunger. In our wealthy culture, eating is taken for granted, but many of us-even many of us who attend church every Sunday-are starving spiritually because we don"t devour and digest G.o.d"s Word. It"s readily available. Most homes have copies of the Bible lying around, but we need to pick one up, chew on its truth, swallow its principles, and let its strength invigorate us to do what G.o.d wants us to do.
In what ways are physical eating and spiritual nourishment similar?
What do you need to do to nourish yourself more fully on G.o.d"s Word?
"When I discipline myself to eat properly, live morally, exercise regularly, grow mentally and spiritually, and not to put drugs or alcohol in my body, I have given myself the freedom to be at my best, perform at my best, and reap all the rewards that go along with it."-ZIG ZIGLAR
MAY 21.
CONVICTED TO CHANGE.
Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
2 KINGS 22:11.
IN THE GENERATIONS after David and Solomon, G.o.d"s people were in trouble. Some of their kings had followed G.o.d, but many had turned away from Him. They had formed alliances with unbelieving countries to save their necks, but G.o.d had allowed half the kingdom, Israel, to be overrun by the a.s.syrians. Now, a boy named Josiah became king of the other half, Judah (see 2 Kings 22:1-20).
Years of spiritual neglect had eroded the people"s faith in G.o.d, and they had even lost the scroll of the Scriptures. One day, though, the high priest found the scroll. An attendant took it to Josiah and read it to him.
We can imagine the scene: The king sat on his throne listening to the words of G.o.d, which he had never heard before. The power and clarity of G.o.d"s laws and promises instantly gripped his heart. He realized that all the problems they were experiencing occurred because their forefathers had not obeyed the words of the scroll. His sorrow was so strong that he tore his clothes in anguish.
Josiah wasn"t just sorry, though. He took action. He renewed the covenant the people had made years ago with G.o.d, and he "cleaned house." He pulled down the altars to other G.o.ds the evil kings had erected; he kicked out false teachers, mediums, and spiritists; and he commanded that every idol in the land be thrown away.
When G.o.d convicts us of disobedience and selfishness, we need to follow Josiah"s example. We need to let the Spirit touch us at the deepest level so that we feel genuine remorse, and then we need to take bold action to right wrongs and walk with G.o.d in truth and integrity.
When was the last time you felt truly convicted by G.o.d"s Spirit about sin in your life? Describe your response.
What are some actions you need to take to "clean house" the way Josiah did?
"Greatness is a spiritual condition."-MATTHEW ARNOLD
MAY 22.
CAUSE AND EFFECT.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
PROVERBS 3:6.
IT"S KIND OF AMAZING: We have a relationship with the most powerful, most loving, and wisest being in the universe, but we sometimes live our lives as though He doesn"t exist. Because He"s invisible, we forget He is always present in all of His majesty and kindness. We need reminders to "acknowledge Him."
We can acknowledge G.o.d in the good times by thanking Him for the loving, pleasant, and successful things we experience. We can acknowledge Him in times of loss by pouring out our hearts to the One who cares. We can acknowledge Him when we are lost or confused by asking Him for wisdom and then listening to the Spirit"s nudging. And we can acknowledge Him when we are bored by asking Him to rekindle our sense of purpose.
In our relationships on earth, we often have to work through misunderstandings and misplaced expectations. That"s true of our relationship with G.o.d, too, but we won"t enjoy the love or work through problems with Him if we fail to first acknowledge He is there.
Like loved children, we instinctively trust those who have proven they are strong and wise. We ask questions, we listen, and we follow advice. G.o.d has proven Himself to us. When we acknowledge Him, we interact, we sense His Spirit"s leading, and we follow His directions.
What are some reasons we fail to acknowledge G.o.d more often?
What would it mean in your life for you to acknowledge Him more?
"We all want progress, but if you"re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."-C. S. LEWIS "Success is not a destination; it"s a journey."-ZIG ZIGLAR
MAY 23.
DON"T OUTSMART YOURSELF
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.
PROVERBS 3:7.
WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME: Federal agents arrest prominent businessmen for their part in corporate fraud, and the media broadcasts accounts of the shattered lives of celebrities who wrecked their lives with foolish decisions. When reporters interview these people, they reply, "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I didn"t see anything wrong with it."
For them and for the rest of us, making decisions on our own can devastate us-and it ruins relationships with those we love. Over and over again in the Scriptures, G.o.d a.s.sures us that He will give us wisdom if we just ask for it.
Solomon knew a thing or two about dumb decisions. He had made plenty of them! In this brief ethical statement, he gives us two directives that can prevent us from depending on our own wisdom and making similar mistakes. First, he instructs us to "fear the LORD," which means to have the utmost respect and reverence for G.o.d. The bigger He appears in our hearts" perspective, the more we"ll trust Him. Genuine reverence for G.o.d is an att.i.tude of the heart that results in G.o.dly action. Second, Solomon told us to depart from evil. That advice should be a no-brainer, but all of us need to be reminded not to play with the fires of deception, greed, and pride.
Trusting in our own wisdom inevitably brings trouble, but we show true wisdom by respecting G.o.d and staying far away from evil.
What are some consequences you"ve experienced by trusting in your own wisdom instead of trusting in G.o.d?
What are some forms of evil that you need to stay away from today?
"Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences."-ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
MAY 24.
SHIFTING LIFE"S PARADIGM
Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand all.
PROVERBS 28:5.
IN THE HEART OF EACH PERSON, G.o.d has instilled an innate sense of justice. At the core of our souls, our conscience tells us the difference between right and wrong. But when someone has pursued selfish ends long enough and hard enough, that sense of justice is clouded. Self-absorbed people experience a lot of disappointment and anger, and they often have a hair trigger when it comes to accusing G.o.d or anyone else who doesn"t meet their demands. We often hear them say, "That"s not fair!"
Our pursuit of G.o.d is a difficult climb. We experience wonderful moments when life is good, and at other times, we suffer through deep valleys of heartache. Much of the time, we march along life"s trails with friends and family, enjoying everyday blessings and overcoming obstacles. On this journey, we develop wisdom, as well as the ability to see beneath the surface and grasp the fact that G.o.d knows exactly what He"s doing, even when we don"t. We "understand all," not by being clairvoyant, but by trusting that G.o.d is both good and great and that He is active in our lives all day every day.
Wise people realize that in this life some things aren"t fair, and they can live with that fact because they know that in the next life, a righteous Judge will make all things right.
What are some things that cause people to say, "Life"s not fair"?
What"s the connection between trusting G.o.d and acquiring wisdom?
"A faith that has not been tested cannot be trusted."-ADRIAN ROGERS
MAY 25.
FROM THE ROOT TO THE FRUIT.
Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.
PROVERBS 3:9.
THE WAY WE HANDLE our possessions speaks volumes about the content of our hearts. There"s nothing wrong with having nice things, but there"s something terribly wrong about the greed to have more and more. The first step in honoring G.o.d with everything we own is to realize that, in fact, G.o.d owns it all-we"re just borrowing it for a short while.
We bring a smile to G.o.d"s face when we express thanks for what we have instead of complaining because we don"t have the latest version of a toy we want. We give G.o.d joy when we take care of what He has loaned us instead of trashing things. And we make G.o.d"s heart glad when we use our possessions to help others who are less fortunate.
In agricultural communities, the "firstfruits" are the first crops of the harvest. As a statement to G.o.d and a reminder to ourselves, we don"t spend the first part of any increase (raise, bonus, or gift) on ourselves. We take it to G.o.d and give it to Him.
Full hearts and open hands-they are the marks of someone who truly loves G.o.d and uses possessions to please Him.