Read:  I Samuel 23:7-29

The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Psalm 27:1

You are working toward a college major and a career that you believe represents God’s will for you.  Then comes that F or D is one of your major classes.  You wonder, Is this really God’s will?

You will discover that the road toward achieving your goals is never smooth.  A mission agency turns down your application.  You don’t get enough financial aid to afford the No. 1 college on your list.  The person you thought for sure you would marry doesn’t want to marry you.

Sometimes it’s hard to discern God’s will.  A setback could be God’s way of encouraging you to seek a new direction.  Or it could be a test, an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to success.  We all need to recognize that even drastic setbacks don’t mean God’s will has changed. 

If anyone had the right to think that, it would have been King David.  Soon after Samuel anointed him, everything started falling apart.  Saul, the king he would succeed, tried to kill him.  While wandering through the countryside, David must have looked back on his anointing [I Samuel 16] and wondered if it was for real,  even though friends like Jonathan were encouraging him (23:16-18).

Eventually God’s will did prevail, and David assumed the throne as the king of Israel.  I’m sure he looked back on his years on the run and wished he had never doubted God.

I would caution anyone who interprets the slightest setback as a misreading of God’s will.  If we quit too quickly, we may miss the blessing of doing God’s will.  We may also miss out on seeing how we can prevail in His strength.

You’re stronger in the Lord than you think. – John Carvalho

R E F L E C T I O N

● What recent situation made me feel unsure about God’s will?

● What should I have learned about persevering?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

 

Read: Joshua 24:14-18

Choose for your-selves this day whom you will serve.  Joshua 24:15

People are all the same.  We want to love free from all restrictions.  Give us 99 freedoms and one limitation, and we’ll lobby to get that single prohibition removed.

For example, some conservative Christian colleges have been relaxing the rules.  I visited the campus of a school that once penalized everything from move attendance to women wearing pants.  Through the years they have eased up on many of those regulations, but they still prohibit dancing.  The current student body is up in arms over it—petitioning to get this last restriction removed by the administration.

It’s funny.  We want complete freedom but we really can’t ever have it.  we’ll never be able to do whatever we want.  The Bible indicates that we are servants, where we like the idea or not.  We serve either God or Satan.

I read about some slave-making ants of the Amazon.  Hundreds of these ants periodically swarm out of the nest and raid colonies of weaker ants.  After destroying all defenders who resist them, they carry away.  After destroying all defenders who resist the, they carry away cocoons containing the larvae of working ants.  When these “captive children”  hatch, they assume they are part of the family and begin to do the jobs they were “born” to do.  As part of the family, they never realize that they are forced-labor victims of the enemy.

We too enter the world as slaves.  But God has provided a way out.  When we trust Jesus Christ, we are released from the condemnation of sin (Romans 8).  Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can begin serving the Lord.

Let’s face it.  we are either servants of Satan or servants of Christ (Matthew 6:24).  As Jesus pointed out, it’s not a matter of whether we will serve, but whom. – Matt De Haan

R E F L E C T I O N

● Do I think I will be completely free of restrictions in heaven?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read:  Hebrews 11:1-7

Enoch lived 365 years.  Enoch walked with God.  Genesis 5:23-24

You gotta admire Cal Ripken Jr.  The longtime shortstop for the Batimore Orioles retired at the end of the 2001 baseball season after 21 years at one of baseball’s most demanding positions. Along the way he set the record for the most consecutive games played, 2,632. Twice he won the award for the American League’s Most Valuable Player. He started 16 consecutive All-Star Games, and he is one of only seven players with 3,000 or more career hits and 400 home runs.

No wonder they call Ripken the Iron Man! You knew that every day he was going to show up, play his best, and come back and do it again the next day. He said the on the day he announced his retirement, “I tried to love every minute I was on the field. I accomplished what my skill set and my determination and my ability allowed me to do.” We need more iron men in a day when sports and politics and life are full of crybabies, whiners and quitters.

In Hebrews11, the Bible’s “Faith Hall of Fame,” an iron man named Enoch is honored. He lived 365 years, and we are told that he “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24) Because of the depth and determination of his faith, Enoch was rewarded by a quick trip to heaven, and by being named Hebrews 11.

The Lord Jesus needs iron women. He needs young people to start walking with Him in high school or earlier, continue to be faithful through college, and stay with Him throughout  their lives. When dawn comes, they begin the day with God. When night comes, they are still trudging along, faithful to Him. Sure, they will make errors. But they will stay true to Jesus till He calls them home. – Dave Egner

R E F L E C T I O N

● Do I have an” iron man” temperament? Or do I give up quickly? How can I improve my staying power?

Read: Proverbs 21:20; 29-35

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler, whoever is led astray by them is not wise.  Proverbs 20:1.

Before there was Tums, there was wine.  In the rough days of the first century, back in the pre-Pepcid-AD era, if you had an upset stomach, you’d reach for a jug of some of the grape stuff.

It’s true!  First Timothy 5:23 has Paul telling Timothy, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”

I hate alcohol.  I hate, when it does to people, how it destroys families, the way it leads to traffic deaths, domestic, violence, bad decisions, premature death, disease, and expenses for the community.  I hate how it is portrayed in ads, making men look like idiots who can’t live without a beer.  I hate our society’s preoccupation  with getting drunk, wasted, blasted, and all the other words that prove the truthfulness of Proverbs 20:1.

But there is that verse, with the great passage about Jesus turning good, old-fashioned Jewish water into wine.  Apparently, 2,000 years ago, it was okay to drink wine for medicinal purposes and to celebrate nuptials.

I hate alcohol . . . I love God’s Word.  Can it be both ways?  I believe it can.  Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:12 that “everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial.”  Seventy-five times in the Bible, we are told that substances that lead to drunkenness cause instability (Proverbs 23:34), confusion (v.33), gross behavior (Isaiah 19:14), bad judgment (Isaiah 28:7), shame (Habakkuk 2:16), and countless other problems.

Got a bad stomach?  There’s medicine for that.  Looking for a good time?  Be filled with the Spirit. – Dave Branon

R E F L E C T I O N

● I will remember Probers 20:1 when I am tempted.

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read: Psalm 46

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

Patience.  Just the sound of the word makes us frustrated.  We’ve grown up in a society where we can heat our food in 30 seconds, have clean dishes in an hour, and have our pizza delivered to us in 30 minutes.  Instant is common word in our vocabulary:  instant coffee, instant responses, and instant success.

However, God has some news for us in His Word that goes against everything our society tells us.  In Psalm 46:10, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

That doesn’t come easy, does it?  When situations all around us look overwhelming and it seems we must do something immediately, He wants us to be still?  Look back at verses 1 to 3.  The description—mountains falling and quaking, waters roaring, the earth falling apart—doesn’t sound very peaceful.  Would you be able to relax if the mountain you were standing on began to break apart and fall into the turbulent water below?  I’m sure you go through times when it seems as if the world around you is n free fall.  Relationships get torn apart, a loved one passes away, or you feel that you are failing at something very important.

Still, our Lord God tells us to be still and remember that He is God.  Just the sound of the word God makes us think of many “immeasurable more that all we ask or imagine,”  according to Ephesians 3:20.

God can handle the hard things in your life.  Your part is to be still, and know that He is God.  – Christy L. Stortz, largo, Florida

R E F L E C T I O N

● What has recently been hard for me to wait patiently for?

● What keeps me from totally giving the difficult things in my life to God?  How much power and control does He have over those things?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read:  Psalm 51:15-17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.  Psalm 51:17.

Have you ever been so broke that you were forced to give a friend a birthday present that just didn’t measure up”?  how did you feel as you watched those gifts being unwrapped one by one?

When my son Daniel was just 2 years old, he gave me a gift.  It was a small pot, half-filled with sand, into which he had stuck a pink flower and a handful of leaves.  The flower was faded, the leaves were withered, the pot itself was old and cracked and crusted with mud.  But he presented it to me with eager hands, a very sweet smile, and a heart overflowing with love.

I accepted his gift with joy and put it in the place of honor—at the center of my table.  An unfading snapshot of Daniel’s gift remains in my mind, and the lesson it taught me is etched indelibly on my heart.

Sometimes I feel as if I don’t have anything worthwhile to offer God.  I can’t sing very well, so my songs of praise are often out of tune, or worse—flat!  My knees and throat unite in protest when I have to speak or pray in public.  I’m not very good at putting people at ease, or filling awkward pauses and smoothing stilted conversations.  And when I stand up in church to worship, I know my mind has tendency to wander.

So what can I possibly offer God today?  My distracted worship and stumbling words of praise,  my inadequate thanks and broken words of sorrow, and myself—a flawed, sinful vessel?

Just as I accepted my toddler’s gift (noteworthy for its flaws rather than its points of merit, so also God accepts my offering even as He accepts me.  I am His beloved child and He delights in my love and worship. – Tanya Ferdinandusz

R E F L E C T I O N

● What do I think is the difference between striving for perfection and doing my very best?  Which does God expect?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read: I John 5:11-20

You will . . . pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  Jeremiah 29:12

A pop song about Instant Messaging?  It had to happen.  When 13-year-old singer Brittney Cleary was looking for a first bit hit, her songwriters logged on to a topic that was popular with Brittney and her friends:  AOL Instant Messaging.

The son’s chorus goes, “Hey, LOL, G2G, I gotta go, but watch for me ‘cause I’ll be right back, BRB, so sign on, and IM me.”

Granted, your little sister might enjoy the song more than you.  But it’s hot.  The song originally was offered by download only.  It caught the attention of major record companies because so many young teenagers requested it.

For that age group, the song’s concept certainly represents shrewd marketing.  According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, about half of all Americans ages 12 to 17 use instant messaging  that’s nearly twice the rate of adults.  It adds up to LOL—lots of listeners—for Cleary’s song.

I confess:  I use IM.  I’ve had some Christ-centered discussions over IM.  One of my students helped lead a friend to faith in Jesus Christ over IM.

God is always logged on and available for IM messages.  Unfortunately, much like the friend who is perpetually logged on, we take God’s presence for granted.  It is a strange paradox that because we can talk to Him any time we want—we don’t.

God has IMed you, through the Bible and through answers to prayer.  Why not tell your IM buddies that you will “BRB” and spend some time chatting with God? –John Carvalho.

R E F L E C T I O N

● How do I plan to take greater advantage of the opportunity to IM God, through prayer?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read: Genesis 2:15-25

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25

Dr. Paul Tournier (1898-1986).  In this past, human sexuality was a forbidden topic.  As a result, children often entered puberty “without a clue” about their sexuality.  Many turned to the writings of Tournier for an understanding of the true meaning of persons in both their spiritual and physical dimensions.—Dean Ohlman (A Doctor’s Casebook in the Light of the Bible, Harper & Row, 1960)

The idea is gaining ground among the public that one must choose either Christian faith or marital happiness, on the grounds that they are incompatible!  This is the opposite of the truth.  But we must recognize that there is some excuse for [this belief], since even enlightened people often confuse & more or less conscious contempt of sex with the Christian faith.

I saw recently a woman who wished dearly to bring into being in her own marriage the harmonious fusion of spiritual and sexual love.  She had discussed it at length with her husband, who, like her, was a practicing Christian.  They had therefore decided, to this end, to pray together before each act of sexual intercourse. . . . I put this question to her: “Do you think that in your heart of hearts this prayer is really a sort of exorcism, as if sexual love were inferior, and needed to be, as it were, purified by prayer?” . . . I could see from her expression that she was making a discovery inside herself, that she could see an unsuspected contempt of sex lurking behind her wish to fuse spiritual and sexual love together in her religion.

It was a matter of a false scale of values which considered fellowship in prayer to be holier than carnal fellowship, whereas both are the gifts of God – Paul Tournier[p.66].

R E F L E C T I O N

● Do I respect my God-given sexuality enough to wait until marriage before I allow my sexual desires to lead me into physical union with the one I love?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read: Luke 16:19-31

I am going there to prepare a place for you John 14:2

Have you noticed how many dead people there are on television?  I’m not talking about Abraham Lincoln on the History Channel.  I mean characters on popular to “haunt” the characters they left on the set.

There’s Lynda Hansen on Providence, who died when the series started but comes back to guide her daughter Sydney.  Ally McBeal’s former boyfriend appeared from beyond the grave to help her come to terms with his unexpected demise.  Then there’s the late Mrs. Landingham, who was seen giving advice to President Bartlet on The West Wing.

Some might think it’s comforting to see that the answers to life’s questions are only a funeral and some flowers away.  And that out loved ones are floating around just out of sight, watching over us, ready to appear when we need them most.  People who don’t know Jesus as their Savior don’t have a clue what happens when a person’s heart stops someplace—but where?

Jesus wanted to assure us of an eternity in heaven (John 14:2), but He also left a warning that this life is the only chance to choose Him as our Savior.  Look at the story of the rich man in Luke 16.  When it came time to check out he went to heaven.  The rich man could see what he was missing, but he couldn’t leave his final destination.  No return trip.  No second chances.

Don’t be duped into thinking death is just a thrill ride, or that you can come back again.  After you take your last breath, you’ll be where you’re gonna be—forever.  – Tracy Carbaugh

R E F L E C T I O N

● Why is it sometimes tempting to believe what I see on television rather than what I read in the Bible?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11

Read: Psalm 86

You are great and do marvelous deeds;  You alone are God. Psalm 86:10

You’re an engineer working for a firm, and making big bucks.   You’re part of a team specializing in liquid pumps for complex and highly technical needs.  Your last job was a liquid oxygen pump built to exact specifications and able to operate under extreme conditions in the space shuttle.  Your team earned big bonuses, and now you feel that you can do just about anything.

So you’re approached by a client who has unlimited resources.  He hires you to design and manufacture a unique pump with control over life and death.  Here are his specifications:  it must operate for 75 to 80 years nonstop.  During that time it will pump at least 2.5 billing cycles.  It must operate without lubrication or maintenance.  It should be capable of .025 horsepower with bursts up to horsepower.  Its weight cannot exceed 10.5 ounces (300 grams).  Its complex valves must operate 4,000 to 5,000 times an hour, and it must have the capacity to move 2,000 gallons of fluid a day.

You read the specs again.  Your team of experts goes into a huddle. Computers hum.  Finally you break the news.  It can’t be done—no matter how much money is poured into the project.

But God did it.  By the word of His power He spoke the world of mammals into existence, and when He did He gave them hearts.  The machine described above is the human heart.  It’s just one example of God’s awesome power and creative genius

The psalmist said, “Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord, no deeds can compare with Yours” (Psalm 86:8).  The accuracy and wonder of the 2,500-year-old statement has been verified by the discoveries of man.   What better authentication to us—and evidence to unbelievers—than that! –Dave Egner

R E F L E C T I O N

● What does God’s creative wisdom and power mean to me?

Source:  “ Our Daily Journey – Meditations of God’s Leading Through Life “ Vol.11