Too Little, Too Soon

ALL – Psalm 112:1-10
ALL – Proverbs 27:17
OT – Ezekiel 29:1-30:26
NT – Hebrews 11:32-12:13

Interesting passage for the day: And these men of faith, though they trusted God and won his approval, none of them received all that God had promised them; for God wanted them to wait and share the even better rewards that were prepared for us. – Hebrews 11:39-40, The Living Bible

Thought: If you could have everything you ever wanted in this lifetime, would that satisfy you? Would it be worth it?

If you say yes, then you aren’t dreaming big enough. If you say yes, then you’re forgetting the limitations of this lifetime. If you say, “Yes, give me my best life now,” then you’re trading down, not up.

Because those who know God know that He has better things in store for us than we can find in this lifetime. Things worth dying for. Eternity. Life. Incorruptibility. Love. Most of all, Himself.

Past men of faith are still waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled completely. And one day—no, wait…one eternal day—they’ll be glad they were faithful.

Question: What shallow (comparatively speaking) things that can never satisfy you still tempt you to set Jesus Himself aside?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Dying While Living, Living While Dying

ALL – Psalm 44:8-26
ALL – Proverbs 22:13
OT – Job 37:1-39:30
NT – 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:11

Interesting passage for the day: These sufferings of ours are for your benefit. And the more of you who are won to Christ, the more there are to thank him for his great kindness, and the more the Lord is glorified. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. – 2 Corinthians 4:15-16, The Living Bible

Thought: Is ministry draining or empowering? Is it death or life? I’m not just talking about professional, paid ministry. I’m talking about how you and I relate to our neighbors, our relatives, our co-workers. When we serve them, when we hear about their struggles and temptations, when we debate with them over where our faith is worthwhile or not—what happens to us? Are we renewed? Or do we fade away?

Honestly, sometimes being there for other people is draining. Sometimes the struggle is more than sometimes. It might be normal or usual. Sometimes it feels like we’re dying so that everyone else can have life.

But what a joy to see more people joining us in thanking the great God we serve! What a thrill to see Jesus’ name lifted high!

And there is something tremendous happening—no, not just happening—GROWING, inside us. We are gaining strength, even when our bodies feel like they’re falling apart. The physical strength we sometimes like is being replaced with a deeper, permanent, eternal life that keeps us going and reminds us that any pain we might go through is only for now. It won’t last forever.

Question: Do you remember when you’re going through really tough periods that Jesus is giving you a life that is growing stronger day by day? Or do you forget? Or do you have a hard time caring? How can we learn to find strength through Jesus more frequently and joyfully?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Temporary Story-Telling

ALL – Psalm 35:17-28
ALL – Proverbs 21:19-20
OT – Esther 1:1-3:15
NT – 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Interesting passage for the day: For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are re-telling the message of the Lord’s death, that he has died for you. Do this until he comes again. – 1 Corinthians 11:26, The Living Bible

Thought: We have a story to tell. Not just to outsiders, but to one another. We can tell it in words. We can tell it with a simple drama, using just bread and wine to announce its truths. The story is simple: Jesus, the ruler of all Creation, died for you all.

That seems like a lousy story to tell. I mean, it sounds a little good. Jesus didn’t just die. He died for the world. There is a benefit for us. Our sins have been forgiven. But we still have to face the consequence of death, don’t we? At least, if the story is just a story about Jesus’ death? How long do we have to tell that story?

Not long.

The story of Jesus’ death has an expiration date. We tell this story repeatedly. But only until Jesus returns. In fact, the expiration date for the story is part of the good news. The fact that Jesus is coming back makes His death for us worthwhile—REALLY good news. Jesus didn’t just die for us. He didn’t just pay the penalty for our sins and stay in the grave. He’s alive! Death couldn’t hold Jesus—which means not only that our sins are forgiven, but that we are completely free from sin’s penalty! Not only is God willing to associate with us again, but even the consequences for our sins are gone! We will proclaim Jesus’ praises forever because He died and rose and came back for us.

We proclaim the Lord’s death, because a reconciled relationship with God is what sinful people need now. But we only proclaim it until Jesus comes again, because this twisted world won’t last beyond His arrival. What a day that will be!

Question: How has the good news of Jesus’ death impacted you?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.