Mark 6:31
Fifty miles west of Asheville, North Carolina, I turned off the busy highway and drove the remaining distance to the city on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. On that late October afternoon I drove slowly, stopping often to savor the mountain vistas and the last of the brilliant autumn leaves. The journey was not efficient in terms of getting to my destination quickly, but it was effective in restoring my soul.
The experience caused me to ask, "How often do I travel the quiet road with Jesus? Do I exit the fast lane of my responsibilities and concerns to focus my attention on Him for a time each day?"
After Jesus’ disciples completed a demanding period of ministry, He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). Instead of a long vacation, they had only a short boat ride together before being thronged by the crowd. The disciples witnessed the compassion of the Lord and participated with Him in meeting the needs of the multitudes (vv.33-43). When the long day finally ended, Jesus sought renewal in prayer with His heavenly Father (v.46).
Jesus our Lord is always with us whether life is hectic or calm, but there is great value in taking time each day to walk the quiet road with Him. Time spent with the Lord is always time well spent.
2 Timothy 4:6
Paul’s word departure in 2 Timothy 4:6 is freighted with significance. It means "loosing" or "unmooring." It’s a word he uses again when he sighs, "I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ" (Phil. 1:23).
Departure is a nautical term that suggests "shipping out"—weighing anchor, slipping the lines that tether us to this world and getting underway. It’s a marvelous metaphor for dying.
For believers in Christ, death is not an end but a beginning. It means leaving this old world behind and getting to a better place, completing the purpose for which we were made. It’s a time for joy and excitement and a hearty "Bon Voyage!"
All voyages, however, are fraught with uncertainty, especially those that pass through waters never sailed before. We don’t fear death so much as we do the passage. Who knows what dangers lie ahead?
But the journey is not uncharted. One has taken it before us, and He has returned to bring us safely through. Although we pass through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us all the way (Ps. 23:4). His hands are on the helm as He guides us to the heavenly haven He has prepared for us (John 14:1-3). Those who fear God need not fear death.
James 3:17
Scientists have determined that faulty rivets may have caused the rapid sinking of the "unsinkable" HMS Titanic. According to researchers who recently examined parts recovered from the wreck, impure rivets made of wrought iron rather than steel caused the ship’s hull to open like a zipper. The Titanic proves the foolishness of spending resources on fancy equipment and public promotion while neglecting the "ordinary" parts.
In a sense, churches are like ships, and many of their people are like rivets. Although rivets seem insignificant, they are essential for holding the ship together and keeping it afloat.
Feelings of insignificance are rampant these days, even among Christians, and some do hurtful things to make themselves feel important. James says, "Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there" (3:16). People corrupted by worldly desires for beauty, wealth, and power can bring down great churches, but people who are pure and undefiled (1:27) hold churches together.
As members of God’s church, we need to be "rivets" without defect. When we are pure (James 3:17), strong (Eph. 6:10), and steadfast (1 Cor. 15:58), we will be used by the Lord to keep His ship afloat in times of crisis. It is a great thing to be faithful in little things.
Matthew 21:29
Have you ever faced an unwanted chore and felt as if it were the last thing on earth you wanted to do? Mowing the lawn, doing the wash, cleaning the house, or even preparing a Sunday school lesson after an exhausting week can make us feel like procrastinating.
When this happens, my wife and I have a motto we repeat to each other: "I don’t feel like it—but I’m going to do it anyway." There is something about recognizing our lack of motivation and then choosing to be responsible that helps us follow through.
God’s value on faith and obedience can be seen in the parables of Jesus. Christ spoke about two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The first said no, but "afterward he regretted it and went" (Matt. 21:29). The second said yes but did not follow through. Then the Lord asked His listeners, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" (v.31). The obvious answer is the one who finished the task.
Our Lord’s illustration underscores a key spiritual principle. God is interested in our faith and obedience—not just our good intentions. Next time you are tempted to shirk your duties, why not say, "I don’t feel like it," and then ask God for the grace to do it anyway. Obedience is faith in action.
Acts 11:23
When Jean was a teenager, she often walked through a park where she saw mothers sitting on benches and talking. Their toddlers sat on the swings, wanting someone to push them. "I gave them a push," says Jean. "And you know what happens when you push a kid on a swing? Pretty soon he’s pumping, doing it himself. That’s what my role in life is—I’m there to give others a push."
Encouraging others along in life—that’s a worthy purpose. Joses, a godly man mentioned in the book of Acts, had that gift as well. In the days of the early church, he sold some land and gave the money to the church to use for the less fortunate (4:36-37). He also traveled with Paul on missionary journeys and preached the gospel (11:22-26; 13:1-4).
You may know Joses as "Barnabas," which is the name the apostles gave to the "Son of Encouragement." When the Jerusalem church heard that people in Antioch were coming to know Jesus as Savior, they sent Barnabas because "he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith" (11:24). He "encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord" (v.23).
We too can give others a "push" of encouragement in their walk with the Lord. A little spark of encouragement can ignite great endeavors.
Psalm 42:5
Looking at the western shores of Sri Lanka, I found it hard to imagine that a tsunami had struck just a few months earlier. The sea was calm and beautiful, couples were walking in the bright sunshine, and people were going about their business—all giving the scene an ordinary feeling I wasn’t prepared for. The impact of the disaster was still there, but it had gone underground into the hearts and minds of the survivors. The trauma itself would not be easily forgotten.
It was catastrophic grief that prompted the psalmist to cry out in anguish: "My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’" (Ps. 42:3). The struggle of his heart had likewise been turned inward. While the rest of the world went on with business as usual, he carried in his heart the need for deep and complete healing.
Only as we submit our brokenness to the good and great Shepherd of our hearts can we find the peace that allows us to respond to life: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (v.5).
Hope in God—it’s the only solution for the deep traumas of the heart. No one is hopeless whose hope is in God.
Hebrews 12:11
My Uncle Lester, who lived in Florida, was discouraged by the lack of fruit on his grapefruit tree. Someone told him he needed to whack the trunk of the tree a few times with a board.
Apparently, there is some truth to this unusual method of encouraging growth. One gardening expert says: "At times, the flowering hormone in the tree seems to get stuck and no flowers appear. Carefully persuade the tree to flower by shocking it. Hit the trunk . . . several times, [which will cause] small bruises in the bark." This advice may stimulate growth.
When trouble comes into our lives, we sometimes feel as if we’ve been hit broadside. We feel desperation and then we wonder, Why is this happening to me?
One possibility is that God is using a painful experience to get our attention. In Psalm 119:71, David wrote, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." And Hebrews 12:11 says that chastening "yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness."
Is God using pain in your life to lovingly persuade you to change? The season of trouble may not be easy, but if we let ourselves be trained by it, new growth will result as we become more like His Son (Phil. 3:10). Affliction for God’s people can be the pruning knife to prepare us for greater fruitfulness.
Matthew 5:14
People often ask me what I miss most about serving as president of Moody Bible Institute. Without question it’s the students. I love their passion for Jesus and the way they demonstrate it to the world around them. Non-Christian employers often told me of the students’ exemplary work ethic. Chicago’s police super-intendent once said, "When the Moody students return to campus, it’s like somebody turned on the lights on the Near North side."
This is exactly what Jesus had in mind when He said, "You are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14). It’s a powerful word picture of the impact of contrast. There should be a recognizable difference between the integrity of Christians and the prevailing darkness of our world.
It’s not about making speeches for Jesus; it’s about people observing us. Even though they may not want to hear about Jesus, you can be sure they’re watching to see if He makes a difference in our lives. When Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works" (v.16), He was saying that before we can speak up we have to show up. Our capacity to shine for Jesus is measured by our good works, which reveal His compelling reality in our lives.
Let's turn on the lights. To lead others out of the darkness of sin, let them see the light of Christ in your life.
Proverbs 17:22
A judge has ordered a German man to stop bursting into laughter in the woods. Joachim Bahrenfeld, an accountant, was taken to court by one of several joggers who say their runs have been disturbed by Bahrenfeld’s deafening squeals of joy. He faces up to 6 months in jail if he is caught again. Bahrenfeld, 54, says he goes to the woods to laugh nearly every day to relieve stress. "It is part of living for me," he says, "like eating, drinking, and breathing." He feels that a cheerful heart, expressed through hearty laughter, is important to his health and survival.
A cheerful heart is vital in life. Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart does good, like medicine." A happy heart affects our spirit and our physical health.
But there is a deeper, abiding joy for those who trust the Lord that is based on much more than frivolity and circumstances. It is a joy based on God’s salvation. He has provided forgiveness of sin and a restored relationship with Himself through His Son Jesus. That gives us a deep joy which circumstances cannot shake (Ps. 126:2-3; Hab. 3:17-18; Phil. 4:7).
May you experience the joy of knowing Jesus Christ today! Joy comes from the Lord who lives in us, not from what’s happening around us.
Acts 4:12
As my friend Roger Weber started the 2006 Chicago Marathon, he noticed something on the ground. It was a runner’s chip—the device each runner puts on his or her shoe to record progress at various timing stations during the race. Apparently, one poor runner would be traversing the next 26.2 miles on foot with nothing to show for it.
Officially, that runner did not run the race. There would be no record of his participation. Even if he had finished the race in record time, it wouldn’t have mattered. The folks who organize the race set the rules, and no matter how well someone runs, if the officials say the runner doesn’t qualify, that’s the way it is.
In one sense, that’s also the way it is with all of us. We can run what appears to be a good race by doing good things for others and obeying lots of rules. But when we arrive at the final checkpoint—heaven—and haven’t made sure our name is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life by putting our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we’re disqualified to enter.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Are you trusting in Jesus? If not, you’re running for nothing. If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.
James 1:27
My commute to work is about 25 minutes, and so to pass the time I have become an avid listener of audio books. Recently, I was listening to Charles Dickens’ classic novel Oliver Twist. At one point in the story, I had to stop the tape because it was too disturbing. Although I knew the book would have a happy ending, there was something very troubling about the brutal treatment of this poor orphan.
God cares about the plight of the poor and has a special place in His heart for orphans and widows. Malachi wrote that God would judge those who, having no fear of God, exploit widows and orphans (3:5).
Instead of taking advantage of the weak, we as Christians are admonished to help those in need. Believers should care for those God cares about. We should look for opportunities to provide financial and emotional support for those who have lost a spouse or have been orphaned from a parent’s care.
Do you know a widow who needs your help? Do you know an orphan or child who has been deprived of the support of a parent because of death, divorce, military service, or abandonment?
As James tells us, a mark of true spirituality is to "visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (1:27). The more Christ’s love grows in us, the more His love flows from us.
Matthew 6:3
Whatever happened to the notion of giving for the sake of giving?" asked Tim Harford, columnist for FinancialTimes. "The closer you look at charitable giving, the less charitable it appears to be." A study of door-to-door fund-raising campaigns, for instance, found that organizations earned far more by selling lottery tickets than by asking for donations.
"This hardly suggests a world populated by altruists seeking to do the maximum good with their charitable cash," says Harford. At least for some people, there’s a something-for-me/something-for-you approach to giving.
Jesus also dealt with the issue of motives in giving. When He said not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, He was teaching that our motives for giving to God and to others must be pure. Our giving should be in response to God’s love. To encourage pure motives, Jesus instructs people to give and to do good deeds in secret with no thought of themselves. God, who sees everything, will reward them (Matt. 6:3-4).
Our generosity should be God-centered—not to make us look good, but to please the Lord. With your next good deed, ask yourself: If I knew that no one would ever find out that I did this, would I still do it? God sees the giver as well as the gift; the heart as well as the hand.
Colossians 2:15
Few today believe the pagan idea that the world is under the control of warring gods like Artemis, Pan, and Apollo. Yet even sophisticated skeptics readily acknowledge the reality of "forces" over which we have no control. For example, they attribute our inability to prevent violence in various places around the world to what they vaguely call "international forces." And they speak of "economic forces" beyond our control. For example, millions of people are starving despite the fact that there is more than enough food in the world to provide for every person on the earth.
The Bible clearly acknowledges the presence of invisible but very real spiritual beings, or powers. In Ephesians 6:11-12, Paul declared that our primary warfare is against an army of rebellious angels headed by Satan. The bad news is that they are more intelligent and powerful than we are. The good news is that Jesus defeated them by His death on the cross: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them" (Col. 2:15).
There are many things beyond our control, but we need not fear. We who have placed our trust in Jesus are on the winning side. Satan may win some battles, but he cannot win the war.
Joshua 2:11
Did you ever wonder why Rahab, the prostitute who lived in the pagan city of Jericho, opened her home to the Israelite spies? And what gave her the courage to name the God of Israel as her own?
This unlikeliest of conversions was prompted by the stories she had heard about the reality and power of God. Though thoroughly steeped in paganism and immorality, her heart was drawn to God. As she told the spies, "We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites" (Josh. 2:10).
Under normal circumstances, the highly fortified city of Jericho would have been virtually unconquerable. Yet it became vulnerable because of the compelling stories of God’s power. Long before God’s people arrived, the self-sufficient pride of this hostile culture dissolved in fear when faced with those who belonged to the God they had heard so much about (v.11). And within the walls, one pagan heart turned to receive the God of Israel and played a strategic role in Israel’s stunning victory.
Let’s boldly tell the stories of God’s greatness. You never know whose heart may be ready to respond! Don’t be shy; tell the stories of God’s greatness.
Philippians 4:11
Casey Seymour, a successful soccer player and coach, notes that everyone on his team hates the 10-by-100 drill that ends practice. Before the men can leave the field, they must run 100 yards 10 times at full speed with minimal rest. If they don’t beat a prescribed time, they have to do it again.
The players hate it—until the day of the game. Then they find that they can play at full capacity for the entire match. Their effort has been rewarded with a championship!
The apostle Paul used metaphors of training and competition in his letters. While he was a missionary to the Gentiles, he submitted to the instructions and drills of God amid great suffering and hardship. Twice in Philippians 4, he said, "I have learned" (vv.11-12). For him, and for each of us, following Jesus is a lifelong learning process. We are not spiritually mature the day we are saved, any more than a schoolboy athlete is ready for professional soccer. We grow in faith as we allow God through His Word and the Holy Spirit to empower us to serve Him.
Through hardship, Paul learned to serve God well—and so can we. It’s not pleasant, but it is rewarding! The more teachable we are, the more mature we will become. As members of Christ’s team, let’s be coachable. God’s work in us isn’t over when we receive Christ—it has just begun.
Psalm 92:14
If you are still young and energetic, you may find it difficult to sympathize with the feelings that afflict many older people. But those who have passed the midpoint on life’s journey and have begun to descend the westering slope can appreciate what David said: "I have been young, and now am old" (Ps. 37:25). And because aging often brings with it pain and loss, there may be those who vainly wish that their summertime days would never end.
But listen to Christian essayist and theologian F. W. Boreham: "Someday my life’s little day will soften down to eventide. My sunset hours will come . . . . And then, I know there will arise, out of the dusk, a dawning fairer than any dawn that has yet broken upon me. Out of the last tints of sunset there shall rise a day such as I shall never have known before; a day that shall restore to me all that the other days have taken from me, a day that shall never fade into twilight."
So no matter where we are on the heavenward pilgrimage, if we are walking with Jesus we can rejoice. And since we know that our faithful Father will abide with us till our journey on earth is over, we can actually be thankful for the lengthening shadows and the setting sun. To live is Christ; to die is gain. —The apostle Paul
Nehemiah 4:14
While the outcome of the Second World War was still uncertain, Franklin Roosevelt died and Harry Truman was sworn in as the next president of the United States. The following day, President Truman told reporters, "When they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me." Certainly Truman faced crushing responsibilities.
Nehemiah was a great leader who also faced overwhelming burdens. Accompanied by Jewish exiles who had returned from Babylon, Nehemiah was given the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Amid terrible opposition, he refused to be intimidated by the jeers and threats of the enemy. Instead, the man of God organized a dual strategy of construction and military defense—bathing their efforts in prayer: "We made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night" (Neh. 4:9). Nehemiah addressed the ongoing threats the workers faced by getting their focus back on God: "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome" (v.14).
Are you facing crushing responsibilities today? Praying for God’s help and putting together a practical plan can give you strength to complete the task. God invites us to burden Him with what burdens us.
Romans 10:13
People have many different reasons for rejecting the gospel. A common one is to blame Christians for something they did or did not do. These critics say, "I know a Christian who treated me poorly." Or, "I went to church, and no one talked to me."
Indeed, Christians aren’t perfect, and many can be bad examples. But blaming others doesn’t remove one’s accountability to God.
The truth of the gospel does not depend on the way others live out their faith. Salvation is about Jesus alone. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Some people may use Christians as an excuse to reject the gospel. But they certainly can’t point a finger of blame at Jesus. He is sinless and perfect in every way. Pilate said of Him, "I have found no fault in this Man" (Luke 23:14). And Jesus did what no one else could do—He suffered death on a cross to provide salvation for all who believe in Him. That makes it tough for someone to say, "I’m not going to become a Christian because I don’t like what Jesus did."
Don’t get sidetracked by looking at the faults of others. Look to Jesus. He alone is the way to heaven.
He is the Way, the Truth, the Life—
That One whose name is Jesus;
There is no other name on earth
That has the power to save us.
Luke 2:11
Today when we can make international cell-phone calls, send worldwide e-mail, and download images from space on our computers, it’s difficult to imagine the impact of one small satellite the size of a basketball. But on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union’s launching of Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite, ushered in the modern Space Age and changed the course of history. Nations rushed to catch up, technological development accelerated, and fear alternated with hope about the meaning of it all for humanity.
But events that alter the present and the future sometimes occur in obscurity. That was true of the birth of Jesus—just one baby, born to an ordinary couple in a small town. But it changed the course of history. The words of an angel spoken to shepherds began to spread: "There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Nineteen centuries later, Phillips Brooks wrote of Bethlehem, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."
When we open our lives to Christ the Lord and acknowledge Him as our Savior, the course of our future history is changed for time and eternity. These "good tidings of great joy" (v.10) are for everyone, everywhere. The hinge of history is found on the door of a Bethlehem stable.
Psalm 141:8
I started wearing glasses when I was 10 years old. They are still a necessity because my 50-something eyes are losing their battle against time. When I was younger, I thought glasses were a nuisance—especially when playing sports. Once, the lenses of my glasses got cracked while I was playing softball. It took several weeks to get them replaced. In the meantime, I saw everything in a skewed and distorted way.
In life, pain often functions like cracked lenses. It creates within us a conflict between what we experience and what we believe. Pain can give us a badly distorted perspective on life—and on God. In those times, we need our God to provide us with new lenses to help us see clearly again. That clarity of sight usually begins when we turn our eyes upon the Lord. The psalmist encouraged us to do this: "My eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute" (141:8). Seeing God clearly can help us see life’s experiences more clearly.
As we turn our eyes to the Lord in times of pain and struggle, we will experience His comfort and hope in our daily lives. He will help us to see everything clearly again. Focusing on Christ puts everything in perspective.
John 14:6
I once saw Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz on a popular news talk program. The interviewer asked, “Are you one of those who believe that Jesus is exclusively the only way to heaven?” He added, “You know how mad that makes people these days!” Without blinking she replied, “Jesus is not exclusive. He died so that anyone could come to Him for salvation.”
What a great response! Christianity is not an exclusive club limited to an elite few who fit the perfect profile. Everyone is welcome regardless of color, class, or clout.
In spite of this wonderful reality, Christ’s claim in John 14:6 to be the only way to God continues to offend. Yet Jesus is the only way—the only option that works. All of us are guilty before God. We are sinners and cannot help ourselves. Our sin had to be dealt with. Jesus, as God in the flesh, died to pay the penalty for our sins and then rose from the dead. No other religious leader offers what Jesus provides in His victory over sin and death.
The gospel of Christ is offensive to some, but it is the wonderful truth that God loves us enough to come and take care of our biggest problem—sin. And as long as sin is the problem, the world needs Jesus! Embrace the good news: Jesus is a non-exclusive Savior.
1 Chronicles 16:9
Our home in Boise is next to a park where I walk most mornings. An elderly woman walks there at the same time. She walks clockwise and I walk counter-clockwise, which means that we meet twice each lap.
She has the most lovely, crinkly eyes and wrinkled face that wrinkles even more when she smiles. When she smiles, her whole face smiles!
She has Alzheimer’s.
The first time we meet she asks, “Have I sung my song?” I say, “No, ma’am.” And she sings a little song about the sun: “Good morning, Mr. Sunshine . . .” Then she smiles, raises her hands in a kind of blessing, and moves on.
So we go our separate ways—180 degrees around the circle—until we meet again. She asks, “Have I sung my song?” I say, “Sing it again!” And she does. I can’t get her delightful song out of my mind.
She has become a parable of the kind of person I want to be—making my way through the world, singing and making melody in my heart, singing of the Sun of Righteousness who has risen with healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2), leaving behind a lingering memory of His love.
May His song be on your heart and lips this day. And may many hear and put their trust in the Lord. A song in your heart puts a smile on your face.
