A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
PROVERBS 17:17.
JOE HAD SEEN his comfortable, stable, happy life crumble over the last few months. Demands of his in-laws created tension with his wife, and the tension continued to escalate. He found himself figuratively kicking the dog and literally yelling at the children. The strain spilled over into his work because he was so preoccupied with the problems at home. He noticed that his circle of friends gradually diminished. It seemed that few of them wanted to hang around somebody who wasn"t much fun anymore.
"I"ve never felt so lonely in my life," he reported later. "I thought they"d all leave, but Phil stayed. When I was at my worst, he didn"t walk away. You have no idea what that meant-and still means-to me."
All significant relationships are tested by disputes and difficulties. It"s easy to walk away when friends no longer give as much as they take, but a true friend moves toward someone who is hurting. He or she provides stability when life is out of control and a listening ear when no one else wants to understand. A true friend doesn"t jump in to fix problems. He or she offers advice sparingly.
We all want friends like this. To have a friend who cares about us during difficult times, we need to be this kind of friend.
In your life, who has been this kind of friend?
Who needs you to be this kind of friend today? What will you do to show support?
"Be slow in choosing a friend . . . even slower in leaving a friend."-IKE REIGHARD "The best way to have more friends is to be a friend."-ZIG ZIGLAR
DECEMBER 27.
POWER TO LIVE.
G.o.d both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:14.
THE CORINTHIAN BELIEVERS were very young in their faith, and they were, to say the least, earthly. Paul spoke to them on their level, and in his first letter to them, he addressed two issues that concerned him very much: food and s.e.x (see 1 Corinthians 6:12-13). Spiritual growth sometimes has to pa.s.s through physical territory, and for the Corinthians, Paul had to start with the basics.
The Corinthians believed that since we have natural, normal urges for food and s.e.x, those urges must have come from G.o.d. (Great reasoning, don"t you think?) Paul told them, "No, no. You"ve got it wrong. Everything we have and everything we are, including our bodies, is for the Lord." Natural appet.i.tes for food and s.e.x aren"t meant to enslave our bodies. Instead, our bodies are to be dedicated to G.o.d, to be used to honor Him in everything we do.
To make his point even more p.r.o.nounced, Paul explained that the physical body is so important that Christ"s body was raised from the dead, and one day our bodies will be resurrected too. The power of G.o.d works in and through our bodies today to enable us to accomplish His purposes. Yes, we have natural urges, and yes, our bodies aren"t perfect in this life, but they are vital instruments we can use to honor G.o.d and help others. Bodies that will one day be resurrected and glorified should be considered sacred, not used for immoral behavior. They"re too valuable for that.
In what ways are you using your body to honor G.o.d? In what ways are you failing to use it for that purpose?
What are some choices you can make today to use your body more effectively for Christ?
"If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain. Your faith in Him would be pointless, and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of a spiritual life."-JOHN MACARTHUR
DECEMBER 28.
PURE AS GOLD.
When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
JOB 23:9-10.
IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF JOB, we find out what"s going on behind the scenes in his story. Job, however, doesn"t have a clue. He can"t figure out why he is experiencing such tragic loss, and his friends are no help; they tell him it must be his fault!
Job wants to talk to G.o.d directly to ask Him a few questions, but like everything else in his life at this point, G.o.d doesn"t cooperate. Whether Job turns to the left or the right-whatever he does-he feels lost, abandoned by G.o.d.
Some difficulties we experience are, in fact, the natural consequences of our sins and bad choices. Others, though, come from a completely different source. G.o.d tests us, not to make us fail, but to strengthen our faith as we trust Him through difficult times. Jesus called this process "pruning" so that we bear more fruit (see John 15:1-5). Job compared it to purifying precious metals in intense fire to burn away the impurities and leave only pure silver or gold.
When we experience hard times, we need to look for the source. If we can trace our problem back to a selfish or foolish decision, we can make appropriate changes. But if we can"t connect those dots, we need to accept the problems from the hand of G.o.d as a test, pruning shears, or the refiner"s fire. These trials aren"t meant to harm us, but to make us stronger. Recognizing the source shapes our response.
What are some ways G.o.d tests, prunes, and refines believers?
How has He done this in your life? How did you respond?
"Trial is G.o.d"s alchemy by which the dross is left in the crucible, the baser metals are trans.m.u.ted, and the character is enriched with gold."-WILLIAM MORLEY PUNSHON
DECEMBER 29.
CALLING ON G.o.d.
What great nation is there that has G.o.d so near to it, as the LORD our G.o.d is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?
DEUTERONOMY 4:7.
WHEN G.o.d PREPARED THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL to enter the Promised Land, He gave them laws to direct their steps and signs to remind them to trust Him. The laws prescribed their choices and the consequences for disobedience. Unlike any other country ever created, the nation of Israel would be guided by G.o.d"s decrees. For many years, G.o.d had also given them two undeniable signs-the Tabernacle in the camp and the pillar of fire and smoke over the Tabernacle-to rea.s.sure them of His presence and guide them on their journey. These signs were an open invitation to come to Him in prayer, day or night, formally or informally, collectively or individually.
Our nation"s laws are derived from a long history of Judeo-Christian ethics. They provide an amazing balance of freedom and direction, reward and punishment. Throughout our history, secular and Christian leaders have called us to pray in difficult times of wars, famines, floods, and earthquakes and to give thanks for G.o.d"s wonderful blessings of peace, prosperity, family, and homes.
Many of our nation"s founders looked to G.o.d for direction as they crafted the Declaration of Independence and the Const.i.tution, and they thanked Him for leading them as they saw the nation begin to flourish. But how quickly we can forget Him! Today, as never before, we enjoy G.o.d"s blessings, and we need His continued care. We need to remind one another to call upon Him in the good times and the bad so that we don"t forget the One who has given us so much.
What leader do you know of who called on people to pray to G.o.d in either good times or bad?
What are some ways you can remind yourself and others to pray more often for our country?
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."-THOMAS JEFFERSON
DECEMBER 30.
BIG CHOICES.
Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your G.o.d which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your G.o.d, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other G.o.ds which you have not known.
DEUTERONOMY 11:26-28.
IN HIS EXPLANATION of the benefits of following His law, it"s as if G.o.d is saying, "You have a choice. You can have a thousand dollars in cash or a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Which one do you want?" Sadly, the history of the children of Israel is that they often chose the poke in the eye. We look at this choice and we think, How could anybody make the wrong decision? It looks so clear! But they did, and quite often, so do we.
G.o.d has made Himself abundantly clear, but like Eve in the Garden, we question His motives, His authority, and His purposes. Satan came to Eve and asked, "Did G.o.d really say not to eat of that tree?" (see Genesis 3:1). The correct answer, of course, was, "Yes, but He gave us all the rest of these, and that"s plenty!" But the subtle questioning of G.o.d"s authority and goodness was enough to drive a wedge into Eve"s heart. Doubt grew, and she walked away from G.o.d.
In the same way, we experience temptations every day to doubt G.o.d"s goodness and His central place in our lives. We think having s.e.x with that person sounds really good, and n.o.body will ever know. Blowing off this responsibility won"t hurt anybody. Lying about that person may help us get the promotion, and he wasn"t going anywhere anyway. Having one more toy won"t hurt anything. Another double cheeseburger and large fries? What can it hurt? But all these thoughts (and countless others, great and small) cast doubt on G.o.d and question the benefits of obedience.
We face big choices every day. Each one may seem small, but together, they are steps in a direction toward G.o.d or away from Him, toward wonderful blessings or in the direction of painful curses. It"s our choice.
What are the choices you face each day that question or affirm G.o.d"s authority in your life?
Which path are you on? How much progress are you making?
"There is no failure in G.o.d"s will, and no success outside of G.o.d"s will."-GEORGE W. TRUETT
DECEMBER 31.
SPRINGTIME FOR THE SOUL.
Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
SONG OF SOLOMON 2:11-12.
ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS, as well as our relationship with G.o.d, go through seasons. Sometimes, we feel as if we"re in the midst of winter, mustering the discipline to keep going even though there"s little warmth. The deadness of plants in late winter symbolizes the barrenness of our hearts, but it doesn"t last forever. Soon, the first signs of spring appear, warmth returns, and hope fills our hearts.
We can learn a lot about walking with G.o.d by observing mature marriages. They began with the heat of pa.s.sion and the idealism of pure love, but when the honeymoon ended, reality hit husbands and wives hard. A time of rea.s.sessment was necessary but challenging. If they failed to rebuild their relationship based on realistic expectations and good communication, the marriage became an empty sh.e.l.l. However, if the winter of discontent ultimately led to richer conversations and deeper affection, the marriage flourished as never before.
In the same way, many of us began our Christian experience with great joy and high hopes. In those early days, G.o.d gave us wonderful experiences to confirm our faith, then sooner or later, He chose a more difficult curriculum for us. Struggles, disappointments, and misunderstandings about the nature of the Christian life threatened our fledgling faith, but the winter season provided the opportunity to go deeper and grow closer to G.o.d.
In the seasons of the year, in romantic relationships, and in our walks with G.o.d, the beauty of spring doesn"t come without the dormancy of winter. If we develop greater trust when it"s cold and dark, we"ll experience more love in the warmth of spring.
How have you observed seasons in relationships with people and G.o.d?
In both kinds of relationships, what are some things we can do in winter to prepare for spring?
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved."-WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
INDEX OF DAILY SCRIPTURE REFERENCES.
Genesis 1:26January 10 Genesis 32:24September 6 Exodus 3:3-4November 13 Exodus 8:9-10March 19 Exodus 20:1-3August 2 Exodus 20:4-6August 3 Exodus 20:7August 4 Exodus 20:8-10August 5 Exodus 20:12August 6 Exodus 20:13August 7 Exodus 20:14August 8 Exodus 20:15August 9 Exodus 20:16August 10 Exodus 20:17August 11 Exodus 20:20-21October 9 Exodus 36:8January 4 Leviticus 25:18November 21 Numbers 6:24-26January 12 Deuteronomy 4:7December 29 Deuteronomy 11:26-28December 30 Joshua 1:8February 26 1 Samuel 17:17-18August 17 1 Samuel 18:3-4October 27 1 Samuel 18:8-9October 25 1 Samuel 25:32-33July 29 2 Samuel 23:20-21November 15 1 Kings 20:28February 20 2 Kings 22:11May 21 1 Chronicles 4:10April 22 1 Chronicles 29:28November 24 2 Chronicles 12:9-10November 6 Nehemiah 1:3-4January 7 Nehemiah 3:8January 5 Nehemiah 4:15November 29 Job 23:9-10December 28 Job 37:14January 13 Job 42:10September 5 Psalm 5:11March 12 Psalm 12:6January 19 Psalm 19:1August 18 Psalm 19:8March 13 Psalm 19:14January 20 Psalm 20:7January 21 Psalm 21:13April 20 Psalm 22:26January 25 Psalm 23:1-2January 23 Psalm 23:6January 24 Psalm 24:1January 28 Psalm 24:3-4February 7 Psalm 25:14February 9 Psalm 26:1January 30 Psalm 27:1October 7 Psalm 27:14March 14 Psalm 28:7March 24 Psalm 29:11February 12 Psalm 30:11February 16 Psalm 31:23March 28 Psalm 32:10-11March 27 Psalm 33:12January 16 Psalm 33:18March 17 Psalm 34:7March 16 Psalm 35:27April 10 Psalm 36:7April 11 Psalm 37:4-5March 29 Psalm 38:21-22March 31 Psalm 39:7April 12 Psalm 40:16April 13 Psalm 41:1April 14 Psalm 46:10May 28 Psalm 51:8, 12-13October 14 Psalm 67:4March 25 Psalm 73:22-24July 27 Psalm 78:70-72November 30 Psalm 90:12April 30 Psalm 91:1September 11 Psalm 91:14April 26 Psalm 100:1-5November 26 Psalm 103:12November 16 Psalm 107:31-32July 5 Psalm 113:1-4July 2 Psalm 117:1-2July 3 Psalm 118:24September 26 Psalm 119:44-45July 4 Psalm 119:71February 3 Psalm 121:4October 15 Psalm 126:2-3July 6 Psalm 133:1February 25 Psalm 139:1-3May 2 Psalm 139:8-10May 3 Psalm 139:11-12May 4 Psalm 139:13May 5 Psalm 139:14May 6 Psalm 139:17-18May 7 Psalm 139:23-24May 8 Psalm 147:3February 28 Proverbs 3:5May 19 Proverbs 3:6May 22 Proverbs 3:7May 23 Proverbs 3:9May 25 Proverbs 4:23July 14 Proverbs 10:9April 21 Proverbs 10:16June 12 Proverbs 11:25July 23 Proverbs 13:12September 3 Proverbs 13:20June 13 Proverbs 15:18November 3 Proverbs 17:17December 26 Proverbs 19:14May 10 Proverbs 19:21April 27 Proverbs 21:23February 15 Proverbs 22:1May 27 Proverbs 23:7February 1 Proverbs 23:17May 13 Proverbs 24:12April 28 Proverbs 25:11April 29 Proverbs 27:21May 14 Proverbs 28:5May 24 Proverbs 29:18May 1 Proverbs 30:5May 16 Proverbs 30:6May 17 Ecclesiastes 1:9October 18 Ecclesiastes 3:11October 19 Ecclesiastes 3:14October 20 Ecclesiastes 4:6October 21 Ecclesiastes 5:10October 22 Ecclesiastes 7:5October 23 Song of Solomon 2:11-12December 31 Isaiah 26:3December 12 Isaiah 30:21June 24 Isaiah 40:4-5September 28 Isaiah 40:8May 18 Isaiah 40:29March 11 Isaiah 40:31July 16 Isaiah 41:10June 26 Isaiah 45:3July 13 Isaiah 48:17February 23 Isaiah 55:8-9June 27 Isaiah 57:1-2July 26 Jeremiah 9:23-24September 29 Jeremiah 18:3-4October 4 Jeremiah 29:11March 15 Jeremiah 33:3October 1 Daniel 3:17-18February 4 Daniel 12:3June 25 Micah 6:8October 29 Micah 7:8October 24 Habakkuk 2:2-3January 2 Malachi 3:10November 11 Malachi 4:6August 12 Matthew 4:4May 20 Matthew 5:3March 2 Matthew 5:4March 3 Matthew 5:5March 4 Matthew 5:6March 5 Matthew 5:7March 6 Matthew 5:8March 7 Matthew 5:9March 8 Matthew 5:10March 9 Matthew 5:11-12March 10 Matthew 5:16June 15 Matthew 5:37November 17 Matthew 5:44October 8 Matthew 5:45February 2 Matthew 6:6December 8 Matthew 6:14June 16 Matthew 6:24April 17 Matthew 6:33January 22 Matthew 7:7July 15 Matthew 7:12July 20 Matthew 8:13April 18 Matthew 9:21April 19 Matthew 9:22October 28 Matthew 10:30September 7 Matthew 11:25April 23 Matthew 11:28April 24 Matthew 11:29-30April 25 Matthew 12:36-37May 11 Matthew 13:23May 12 Matthew 14:23December 11 Matthew 14:27June 2 Matthew 15:11June 3 Matthew 16:23June 4 Matthew 17:20June 8 Matthew 18:2-3June 5 Matthew 18:6June 6 Matthew 19:14October 5 Matthew 20:26February 8 Matthew 21:22June 7 Matthew 22:31-32June 9 Matthew 23:39June 10 Matthew 24:13-14June 11 Matthew 25:40June 14 Matthew 26:41August 13 Matthew 27:46April 5 Matthew 28:6-7July 31 Mark 1:14-15November 12 Mark 1:17November 20 Mark 1:35-37December 10 Mark 1:37-38September 14 Mark 8:35June 17 Mark 8:36March 20 Mark 8:38November 14 Mark 9:23-24December 18 Mark 10:21January 27 Mark 11:25December 9 Mark 12:29-30June 22 Mark 12:31June 23 Mark 16:15September 22 Luke 4:18July 7 Luke 6:38April 16 Luke 7:34July 25 Luke 11:1December 7 Luke 12:20September 2 Luke 12:48July 18 Luke 13:11-13September 10 Luke 18:1June 28 Luke 18:27November 9 Luke 23:34April 2 Luke 23:43April 3 Luke 23:46April 8 John 1:1-2December 19 John 1:3December 1 John 3:3March 22 John 3:16February 14 John 3:17December 21 John 4:23-24February 13 John 8:6-7July 24 John 9:25October 31 John 13:13-15March 23 John 13:34-35February 24, November 8 John 14:1-3February 19 John 14:12July 10 John 14:23October 30 John 15:5August 19 John 15:13December 23 John 16:13December 15 John 17:4June 21 John 19:26April 4 John 19:28April 6 John 19:30April 7 Acts 1:8June 20 Acts 9:3-4, 8March 21 Acts 13:36December 3 Acts 15:39-41November 25 Acts 17:26-27November 7 Acts 20:35December 17 Acts 26:19January 3 Acts 26:28February 17 Romans 5:3-5January 14 Romans 5:8June 30 Romans 8:1August 15 Romans 8:26December 13 Romans 8:27December 14 Romans 8:28March 1 Romans 8:35, 37October 10 Romans 8:38-39September 1 Romans 10:9July 30 Romans 10:15May 30 Romans 11:29December 6 Romans 12:1-2February 6 Romans 12:3November 1 Romans 12:11-12November 18 1 Corinthians 1:18April 1 1 Corinthians 1:30August 21 1 Corinthians 2:9August 23 1 Corinthians 3:6-7December 4 1 Corinthians 3:12-14September 13 1 Corinthians 3:16August 24 1 Corinthians 4:8July 8 1 Corinthians 6:14December 27 1 Corinthians 6:19-20January 11 1 Corinthians 7:20December 5 1 Corinthians 9:24July 17 1 Corinthians 9:24-25February 22 1 Corinthians 13:13September 15 1 Corinthians 14:8August 27 2 Corinthians 1:3-4October 12 2 Corinthians 1:21-22July 28 2 Corinthians 2:8-9August 16 2 Corinthians 2:14February 5 2 Corinthians 4:7November 23 2 Corinthians 4:17-18September 9 2 Corinthians 5:7December 20 2 Corinthians 5:10-11January 9 2 Corinthians 12:9September 4 2 Corinthians 12:10October 11 Galatians 2:20April 9 Galatians 4:3-5December 25 Galatians 6:2-5May 15 Galatians 6:9-10December 22 Ephesians 2:10January 8 Ephesians 3:20-21June 1 Ephesians 4:11-13October 2 Ephesians 4:22-24July 12 Ephesians 4:29-30September 8 Ephesians 4:31-32September 21 Ephesians 5:1-2September 19 Ephesians 5:15-16August 14 Ephesians 6:10-11January 31 Philippians 1:6May 9 Philippians 2:2-4February 21 Philippians 2:5-7December 24 Philippians 3:7-8August 31 Philippians 3:13-14January 1 Philippians 4:1December 2 Philippians 4:4June 29 Philippians 4:6January 15 Philippians 4:8August 30 Philippians 4:11-12January 18 Philippians 4:13August 22 Philippians 4:19July 9.
Colossians 2:6-7November 28 Colossians 2:13-14January 6 Colossians 3:17January 29 Colossians 3:23-24April 15 Colossians 4:2-4November 27 Colossians 4:5-6November 4.