Friday, July 1, 2011

Proverbs 8:34–36

"'Joyful are those who listen to me,
  watching for me daily at my gates,
  waiting for me outside my home!
For whoever finds me finds life
  and receives favor from the LORD.
But those who miss me injure themselves.
  All who hate me love death.'"
 
Notice the word "daily" here. We need wisdom daily. We need God's light daily. Notice, too, that God approves of our desiring and seeking wisdom. He is thrilled when we come to the Word to hear from him. He will open great treasures of wisdom as we search his Word with an open heart, a heart hungry for his wisdom. His Spirit will take the Word and show you how it applies to your life—that's wisdom!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Psalm 18:28–29

"You light a lamp for me.
The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall."
 
God is light, there is no darkness at all in him, and his light is what gives us life and strength. Today, invite God to shed his light on whatever is dark in your life. You will find new strength to "scale any wall" that you come up against. Darkness always gives way when the light comes.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Psalm 18:20–23

"The LORD rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin."
 
Here we see the confidence that comes from a clear conscience. David knew his heart was pure before God, and he had confidence that God would keep him safe and rescue him. And God did, as we see from the previous verses. A clear conscience is a wonderful thing. If yours is not clear, there is a quick and sure remedy: confession. After you confess, stand on the promise that you are forgiven because of what Jesus did on the cross. Then, enjoy your clear conscience!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Psalm 18:16–19

"He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the LORD supported me.
He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me."
 
In the world we have enemies, as David did, people who long to trip us up. The way of the world is to attack at our weakest point. Yet God delivers us simply because he cares for us. He delights in us when we trust him and make him our focus. Our trust triggers his power on our behalf. Trust—even when enemies seem to have the upper hand. It's only a matter of time before he reaches down from heaven and rescues you.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Matthew 13:34

"Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables."
 
 
Jesus spoke to the crowds in stories and illustrations. Why? To get them to think. To engage them emotionally. He told stories because story can often reveal truth with more impact than straight propositions. Remember that! Story is more compelling and engaging then explaining. When you share your faith, when you seek to persuade in any way, use stories. Hone your own story of God's work in your life. Look for stories that illustrate God's ways. Use them to share the Good News … as Jesus did.