Today's Daily Devotional

[Bugsy]

November 15-16, 2008

Being Ready for Rough Times
READ | 1 Peter 1:13-14

The apostle Peter knew that hard days lay ahead for his fellow believers. So he reminded them about their security as children of God: they were chosen by Him, born into a living hope, given spiritual protection during this life, and guaranteed eternity in heaven with their Father. Peter then gave them specific ways to prepare for the coming trials. His words, divinely inspired by the Lord, can guide us as well.

His first instruction relates to our minds: What we believe has a direct impact on our response to life’s problems. If we trust that God is looking out for us, then we will feel less threatened by hard circumstances. But if we decide we must rely on ourselves, then we are more likely to react poorly to situations beyond our control. A negative attitude—whether from anger, fear, worry, or jealousy—can make a hard time worse. Preparation for the future starts with developing biblical thinking.

A second lesson from Peter is to be “sober in spiritâ€

[Bugsy]

November 17, 2008

Getting Ready
READ | 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Yesterday we learned two ways to prepare for life’s difficulties: biblical thinking and balanced judgment. First Peter 1 has further instructions, which include . . .

Fixing our hope on Jesus (v. 13). No matter how hard the circumstances, life has purpose and meaning in Christ. The Savior has promised always to be with us and to keep watch as a shepherd cares for his sheep (Matt. 28:20; John 10:14). Through the Holy Spirit’s transforming power, troubled times can become opportunities to learn more about God’s faithfulness, draw on His strength, and experience personal growth.

Resisting our former lifestyle (v. 14). When troubles come, it is tempting to revert to ungodly habits or take up new ones. In these seasons of life, Satan will encourage us to pursue any path that leads away from the Lord. We need to remember that we are new creations whose lifestyles are to match our position as God’s children. That old behavior does not fit us anymore.

Making holiness our goal (v. 15). Being “holy,â€

[Bugsy]

November 18, 2008

Pursuing Holiness
READ | 1 Peter 1:15-21

God’s children are called to live holy lives that are marked by a deep reverence for Him. One strong motivation for righteous living is the cross and what it represents.

First, the cross is a reminder of our original position as outsiders, separated from God because of sin. Second, it points to our need for a Savior. Divine justice decrees that the penalty for sin is death (Rom. 6:23); however, the only acceptable payment is the shedding of innocent blood (Deut. 17:1). Since we are all guilty, we cannot pay for our own sins. Third, it was on the cross that Jesus took our place and endured God’s wrath so we could be forgiven. Fourth, the crucifixion marks the time when God’s justice was satisfied and His mercy was demonstrated. Finally, it points out the way to be reconciled to the Lord and adopted into His family. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we be saved (John 14:6).

Sadly, many have forgotten about God’s requirement of holiness (v. 15). Instead of holding fast to His standards of attitude and behavior, we embrace some worldly values that seem more comfortable or self-satisfying. We pursue secular ideals such as pleasure and material wealth instead of godly ones like servanthood and obedience. These goals are encouraged by our culture, which has little fear of the Lord and regularly ignores His warnings and commandments.

To counteract the culture’s influence, keep the meaning of the cross before you. Then you’ll be motivated to pursue holiness in honor of the One who gave His life to save you.

[Ranger Andy]

Pursuing Holiness

Being a recovering Catholic, I love reading your missives. They give me a cause to pause and ponder life. In "Pursuing Holiness", I cannot help but think that the Muslim people believe they are thinking the same thoughts and teaching the same theme to their young; except for one small deviation, they also teach that in "Pursuing Holiness" it's acceptable to strap C-4 to your body and kill those that "do not believe" in order to reach Holiness. For some reason, I think that today's Crusade is not going to slow them down. We need something stronger...

[Bugsy]

November 19, 2008

The Loss of Hope
READ | Acts 27:13-26

Life doesn’t always meet our expectations. Even when making plans according to God’s lead, we may run into something that interrupts them. Frustration over the obstacle can lead to discouragement and loss of hope. Then, if the hindrance should persist, our spirits may plummet toward despair.

Circumstances which seem impossible to overcome are often the ones that trip us up. Think about Paul’s voyage to Rome by sea. When a bad storm arose, the sailors worked hard to save the ship. But since they couldn’t control the weather, they gradually gave up all hope of being saved (v. 20). There are times when we can’t change what has happened—whether it’s a job loss, a loved one’s death, or a devastating diagnosis. In such situations, feelings of hopelessness can overtake us.

Postponed plans can also be disheartening. Hannah is an example of someone who became dejected because of “hope deferred” (Prov. 13:12). She saw other women bearing children, but her own maternal desires had not yet been fulfilled (1 Sam. 1:11). When things do not go according to our schedule, we may experience emotions like hers.

Feeling abandoned by the Lord can throw believers off track. I remember a season of life when I felt all alone. My mind said God was with me, but my feelings said He wasn’t. To counter those emotions, I pursued the Lord through Scripture meditation and prayer.

In times of discouragement, you have a choice. Will you focus on your circumstances, or will you fix your gaze on our loving Father and trust Him?

[Bugsy]

November 20, 2008

The Source of Our Hope
READ | Colossians 1:26-28

Hope is a desire for something, accompanied by the anticipation of receiving it. If our expectation of fulfilment diminishes, discouragement can set in. And prolonged disappointment can lead to despair.

The disciple Judas wanted to see Israel throw off Roman oppression and establish itself as the ruling power. Perhaps he thought that having Jesus arrested would push God to use force against Israel’s religious and political rulers. If that was his thinking, then Judas failed to reach his goal. We know for certain that his betrayal of Jesus cost him everything. Overcome by guilt, he gave up his life.

We have an Enemy who watches for our times of weakness, when he can influence us away from the Lord. As the father of lies, he tries to keep us focused on our circumstances and doubting God—He wants us to complain, “This isn’t fair. If the Lord loves me, why would He allow this to happen?”

As children of the heavenly Father, we were birthed into a living hope: the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). Because of Him, we have been taken from condemnation to full acceptance, from spiritual death to eternal life in heaven with the Lord. We have His indwelling Spirit to guide us through tough times and to provide comfort in them.

Because we’re eternally secure in the Lord, we are never in a hopeless circumstance. We may feel desperate, but emotions are not reliable. Jesus Christ, our Savior and friend, is our constant source of hope.

[Bugsy]

November 21, 2008

Listening to God
READ | Psalm 81:8-14

Does the heavenly Father still speak to His children? It’s a question that may be on your mind right now. We all have this need to know that the Lord is still communicating with us. We crave the certainty that He hears us—and that He answers.

In Psalm 81:8-14, we get a clear picture of God’s heart: He yearns for Israel to listen to Him. Think about that. Here’s the almighty Creator of the universe pleading with His chosen people to hear His voice. It almost doesn’t make sense, does it? Why on earth would the Israelites turn a deaf ear to their sustaining, omnipotent heavenly Father?

However, God’s message is sent to inattentive ears. He says, “Oh, Israel, if only you would listen to Me. But My people did not listen to My voice. Oh, that My people would listen to Me!” (Psalm 81:8-14, paraphrase).

Thousands of years later, I’m certain that same question still rings through heaven. We can practically hear the Lord saying, “Oh, church, if only you would listen to Me. But My church did not listen to My voice. Oh, that My church would listen to Me!”

No doubt, you’ve heard God say the same thing to you personally. We seem to fall out of touch with Him at times. We put ourselves in one corner and restrict the Lord to someplace “over there” and out of the way. We somehow seem to lose track of His voice in our lives. And yet, though we may not hear Him, He is still talking.

Quiet your spirit today. Open God’s Word and invite Him to speak to you anew. And then, listen.

[Bugsy]

November 22-23, 2008

Discerning God’s Voice
READ | 1 John 4:1

Believing that the Lord still speaks to His followers, we must learn how to hear His voice. We have to develop discernment—many voices claim to be His and yet have nothing whatsoever to do with the true God.

For example, just think of the many cults around today. No doubt, you’ve seen news reports or televised specials dissecting the odd-sounding belief systems of different faith-based groups. Many of them profess to be based on Scripture, yet they often have certain doctrines that are radically foreign to us; the God of the Bible is completely unrecognizable in their creeds. Obviously, this can pose a problem for those of us in the church who are eager to hear from our Father.

When confronted by different voices that claim to be “true” and clamor for our attention, we remember two absolute truths:

First, we know that the Lord will never say anything that contradicts Scripture. For example, suppose a religious group claimed that extra-marital affairs were somehow acceptable in the Lord’s sight. We would know immediately that this wasn’t from God, as it directly contradicts Exodus 20:14.

Second, we know that God won’t add to or take away from the Bible. It is His complete and reliable Word. Therefore, anyone claiming to have “more” scriptures or another Testament is a fraud.

Two of the Enemy’s best weapons are distraction and deception. Don’t fall for his lies. Test every voice against Scripture, and ask God for the wisdom to discern His voice among the impostors.

[Bugsy]

November 24, 2008

Who Is Jesus?
READ | 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Most people are familiar with the name “Jesus,” but relatively few truly know who He is. This is tragic because a right understanding of the Savior’s identity and mission is directly related to every person’s eternal destiny.

How is it possible to know who Jesus Christ is and what He did? The Father has provided a completely trustworthy source: the Bible. The wise person will regularly spend time in the Word to gain knowledge of the Savior and develop a deep relationship with Him. Scripture tells us that Jesus is God:

1) Christ existed before His own birth—in fact, even before time began. The prophet Micah spoke of His ancient origin (5:2), and Paul named Him as the Creator (Col. 1:5-6).

2) Jesus claimed equality with the invisible God and was the perfect reflection of Him (John 10:30; 14:9).

3) The Savior performed miracles—such as restoring the dead to life—that were possible only by supernatural power (John 11:43-44).

4) The Lord received worship and forgave sin, two acts that are acceptable only for Deity (Matt. 9:2-8; John 9:38).

Think about Jesus coming to earth as a baby. Imagine the power resting in that little manger—the omnipotent God was lying in a trough made from trees He had created, under stars He Himself had strewn across the sky!

Scripture makes it clear that there is only one way to eternal life: by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior (Acts 4:12). Weigh the evidence, and then make a wise decision to follow Him.

[Bugsy]

November 25, 2008

The Importance of the Bible?
READ | 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The importance of Scripture cannot be overstated. It is the source of all truth about God and about ourselves.

A primary purpose of the Bible is to lead us to salvation. Without the Scriptures, we would never discover that we have a spiritual problem which separates us from the Lord: we are sinners from birth (Rom. 3:23) and have no way to rescue ourselves. The Father wants us to know that Jesus died to save us, and if we accept His sacrifice as payment for our sin-debt, we’ll be forgiven. The Word also makes clear that God desires to adopt us into His family so we can live with Him forever. Faith in Christ—not good works—is the one and only means of salvation and eternal life (John 14:6; Eph. 2:7-8; ). Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus will be saved (Acts 16:31).

Another purpose of the Bible is to provide instructions on how we are to live. A godly life is characterized by surrender to the Lord’s control, submission to His plan, and a daily yielding to the Holy Spirit’s guidance (Gal. 2:20). The Scriptures also reveal the Creator’s standard for living—namely, what is acceptable behavior and what is not.

If you earnestly seek to know the Father better and please Him, time spent in His Word will never be wasted. Through it, you will experience both the joy of a personal relationship with God and the power to affect our world for Him. Have you accepted His gift of salvation? If so, how does He manifest His transformational power in your life?

[Bugsy]

November 26, 2008

A Heart of Gratitude
READ | Psalm 100:1-5

The Bible instructs us, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18) That directive might seem easy when life is going well. But if painful circumstances arise, expressing gratitude can become difficult.

It’s interesting to note that this instruction to thank the Lord in all things was written by Paul—the apostle whose loyalty to Christ earned him severe persecution. You might wonder how he was able to be grateful to God.

While many situations weren’t to his liking, Paul knew that His riches in Christ Jesus far outweighed any earthly discomfort. Consider the blessings he so valued, which are available to all believers. First of all, we are invited to have a personal relationship with the one true God—the sovereign, omniscient, and omnipresent Lord of all creation. Second, our Creator loves us with an everlasting and unconditional love. Third, He sent His Son to die as payment for our sin-debt so that we could spend eternity with Him. As a result, when we place trust in Jesus, we are freed from the fear of death.

And the list of blessings keeps going: God adopts believers as His children and seals them with His Spirit (Eph. 4:30). He has a plan for every life—and bestows special gifts and empowerment to make it happen. He also promises to meet every need through His limitless resources (Phil. 4:19) and provides His Word and indwelling Spirit to guide us.

No wonder Paul was grateful! Count his blessings as your own, and let God know how appreciative you are.

[Bugsy]

November 27, 2008

The Blessing of Gratitude
READ | Colossians 2:6-7

Believers have the amazing privilege of praying to their heavenly Father. But it may come as a surprise to some that bringing requests to God is just one aspect of our communication with Him. Another important part of prayer—which, sadly, is often overlooked—is thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6).

In fact, the Father wants His children’s lives to be characterized by gratefulness. His Word tells us that an appreciative attitude should be evident in our worship (Ps. 95:2-7; Col. 3:16), giving (2 Cor. 9:12), relationships (Phil. 1:1-3), and even the way we approach spiritual battles (1 Cor. 15:55-57). In other words, thankfulness to the Lord should permeate everything we do (Rom. 14:6). In the Scriptures, the Lord mandates our gratitude (1 Thess. 5:18), which some people find perplexing. But He knows how a grateful attitude affects our hearts. Thanking Him . . .

• Keeps us aware of His presence.

• Focuses us on Jesus Christ; pride diminishes when we remember life is about Him.

• Drives us to look for His purpose in our challenging situations.

• Reminds us of His goodness, which leads to hope and submission to His will, even when we don’t understand the reason for our pain.

• Encourages continued dependence on Him. • Replaces anxiety with peace and joy.

When we maintain an attitude of thanksgiving in both happy and difficult seasons, our lives will feel purposeful and fulfilling. But more importantly, God will be glorified. Ask Him to bring blessings to mind so you can say “Thank You.”

[Bugsy]

November 28, 2008

Responding to God’s Love
READ | John 3:16-21

God is love. Most likely we have heard these words from 1 John 4:8. But do we truly understand what they mean?

John 3:16 sums it up: God loved vile, sinful, rebellious humanity so much that He came to earth in human flesh and died a gruesome death to save us. This is no shallow love.

Some people question Jesus’ sacrifice, though. They think, Certainly the Lord could have come up with a different way to offer salvation. He is God, after all, so shouldn’t He be able to do all things? They fail to consider two of His unchangeable attributes.

First, the Lord is holy by nature. This means that He cannot look upon sin with approval, so He must condemn transgression. Second, God is just. As a result, all wrongdoing—without exception—must be punished (Rom. 6:23). The Lord’s every action must be consistent with His nature.

We all fall short of God’s perfect holiness, and He is unable to accept us in our fallen state (Rom. 3:23). But our heavenly Father desires an everlasting relationship with us. So He provided the solution by sending His Son Jesus to earth—to live as a man and die on the cross. This is the ultimate expression of love. As 1 John 4:10 states, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The wise will accept the free gift of salvation. That is, they will receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and commit to follow Him. What is your response to His amazing love?

[Bugsy]

November 29-30, 2008

God’s Gift to Us
READ | 1 Romans 8:1-11

Imagine this courtroom scene: After a long trial, emotions are running high, the most noticeable one being hostility toward the convict. The judge issues his verdict: guilty of murder in the first degree. Then a punishment is decided—the death penalty. Tearfully, the mother of the victim rises, puts her arms around the murderer, and says to the judge, “Let me die in his place.”

Who’d do such a thing? What mom would take the punishment of one who had wronged her so grievously? But while the anecdote is fictional, here’s a true story that’s even more amazing: the Lord—Creator of all—died in our place while we were His enemies who deserved death (Rom. 5:8-10).

And His gift encompasses far more than removal of our punishment. Once we receive Jesus as our personal Savior, we are flooded with blessings. Our sins are forgiven, and we are also freed from condemnation, clothed in righteousness, and promised eternal life in the Lord’s presence. In addition, as His adopted children (Eph. 1:5), we are heirs who will “obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven…” (1 Pet. 1:4).

What’s more, the Holy Spirit—God Himself—lives in believers to guide, comfort, and teach. He seals us until the day of redemption, which means that nothing can undo our salvation (John 10:29). In other words, we are free from the bondage of insecurity and fear.

When we start to grasp all that the Lord has given us, gratitude will naturally flow. Tell Him how thankful you are.