“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 ESV)

April 23, 2013

Understanding that our days are numbered can motivate us to live life with a sense of urgent importance. ‘Urgent’ – because putting off till tomorrow means eventually running out of tomorrows. If the Lord has put it on your heart, then do it now! And ‘important’ – because we often fill our days with unimportant things. Prayerfully consider what is most important, then focus on those things every day. This is not a morbid state of mind, being aware of your limited days. This is wisdom, not wasting the time God has given you on planet earth. Don’t waste your life!

“Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel” (Joshua 24:31 ESV)

April 22, 2013

As long as there were elders living in Israel that remembered the Lord, there was peace and prosperity in the land. But when the last of these elders passed, the era of the Judges began, a time when the people forgot the Lord and lived according to their own way. How does a nation, family, or church retain the memory of God’s blessing from one generation to another, so that they don’t stray from God?

“Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45)

April 21, 2013

All of the promises that God gave the Israelites while in the wilderness were finally realized. The people weren’t always faithful, but God was. What promises of God are you believing during these uncertain times? Do not despair. All of His good promises will come to pass.

“Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45 ESV)

April 20, 2013

All of the promises that God gave the Israelites while in the wilderness were finally realized. The people weren’t always faithful, but God was. What promises of God are you believing during these uncertain times? Do not despair. All of His good promises will come to pass.

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it” (Luke 19:41 ESV)

April 19, 2013

Jesus knew the future of Jerusalem. He knew that the Romans would destroy it, not leaving one stone upon another. This destruction happened in 70 AD, within the lifetimes of many that heard His prediction. That Jesus knew the future with such certainty shows His divinity. That He wept over Jerusalem shows His humanity. Jesus is both God and man, full of truth and grace. Even His judgments are marked by tears.

“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it” (Proverbs 13:11 ESV)

April 18, 2013

Get rich quick schemes and lottery tickets are attempts to gain wealth “hastily,” yet the Bible says such riches will only dwindle (diminish until none remains). But those who save a “little” at a time learn the discipline of money management and their wealth increases. Such people have learned to pay God 1st (tithe), pay themselves 2nd (save) and live off the rest (live within a budget). Have you learned God’s way of stewardship?

“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25 ESV)

April 17, 2013

A person rich in worldly things doesn’t easily recognize their own spiritual poverty. And if they do get an inkling, then they seek to add some Jesus stock to their already fat portfolio, hoping to diversify and cover all bases. But the kingdom of God cannot be earned, it can only be received. It only comes to those who declare spiritual bankruptcy. It requires surrender of ownership and control, confessing Jesus as both Savior and Lord. The kingdom demands not part, but all of us.

“Let me hear what God the LORD will speak” (Psalm 85:8 ESV)

April 16, 2013

We tell our children, “Don’t forget to say your prayers.” But praying should be a two-way conversation, not just “saying” but listening. It’s hard to teach our children what we have yet to learn. You can begin today. Start by asking God to speak to you and then join the psalmist in waiting to hear the Lord’s voice. Follow the old prophet Eli’s advice to young Samuel, by saying, “Speak, for thy servant heareth” (1 Sam.3:10).

“Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?'” (Luke 17:17 ESV)

April 15, 2013

Jesus healed ten lepers, yet only one returned to thank and worship Him. Once we’ve received what we prayed for we often forget to return to God in praise. We might think that God doesn’t notice or that He is so big and important that such things are trivial to God. But Jesus reveals God’s heart. God notices. Are you most like the one or the nine?

“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3 ESV)

April 14, 2013

Jesus taught the disciples to attend to their own sin, repenting and forgiving quickly. We see much wrong with the world and with our culture today, but we rarely look in the mirror. When asked “What’s wrong with the world?” Author and apologist, G.K. Chesterton replied simply, “I am.” The world is certainly in need of repentance, but rather than accusing, perhaps we should lead the way.