"Kept"

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Peter 1-2; Psalm 33

TO CHEW ON: "… who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5

It's easy to trust in God's keeping power when times are good. But when we get sick, or suffer setbacks in business, or go through heart-breaking times with our kids, or have all we own ripped away from us by fire, tornado or mudslide, or any number of other trials, can we trust that God is still there? Is He still keeping us?

Peter here reminds the "pilgrims of the Dispersion"—mostly Gentile Christians living in various parts of Asia Minor who are experiencing persecution because of their obedience to Christ—that even through their trials they are being "kept."

["Kept—phroureo is "a military term picturing a sentry standing guard as protection against the enemy. We are in spiritual combat but God's power and peace (Philippians 4:7) are our sentinels and protectors" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1763.]

But we have our part to play in this keeping. For it is "through faith." And this keeping will not necessarily mean a return to how things were before the trial, but in ultimate salvation, completely accomplished and understood "in the last time."

If your faith is old, seasoned and experienced, a wealth of memories reminding you of how God has kept you in the past will buttress your faith now. If you're new to faith, you may want to spend time reading stories of Bible characters and biographies of modern Christ followers. The way God kept them through trials will build faith in God's creativity and faithfulness for your life. 

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for keeping me in the past and continuing to do so. Please help me to grow in faith as I experience your keeping power. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 33

The Bible Project VIDEO:  1 Peter (Read Scripture Series)



MORE: Reading list

Some Bible characters to read about:

• Joseph - Genesis 37, 39-47.

• Hannah - 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11.

• Ruth - Bible book of Ruth.

• Esther - Bible book of Esther.

• Daniel - Daniel 1-3, 6.

• Nehemiah - Bible book of Nehemiah.

Some faith-building biographies (links are to my reviews of these books):

• Appointment in Jerusalem - Lydia & Derek Prince

• Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles - Dr. Steven Stiles.

• Gray Matter - Joel Kilpatrick & David Levy.

• Kabul 24 - Henry O. Arnold & Ben Pearson
  

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A guard against deception

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Thessalonians 1-3; Psalm 18

TO CHEW ON: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive a love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9,10


In this interesting chapter of 2 Thessalonians, Paul gives his readers (who are confused about whether Jesus has already returned) some signs to watch for that will precede “that day.”

• It will be a time of “falling away”—people losing their faith in Jesus and the gospel - 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

• A charismatic leader will come on the scene. He will demand everyone’s allegiance, even worship. He will work miracles by Satan’s power - 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4,9,10.

• People will be gullible because restraint has been removed - 2 Thessalonians 2:6,7. (There are varying opinions about “what is restraining” [vs. 6] and “He [or he] who now restrains” [vs. 7] is—the Holy Spirit, the church, human government. I think it is safe to say whatever that restraining power, God is behind it being in place and then being removed.)

• People will be ripe for deception because they’ve rejected the truth. Paul’s words are explicit here: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteousness deceptions among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

What we can take for our lives from this passage is that a love of the truth is a guard against deception. This is more than just a head knowledge or intellectual assent, though. John Piper expresses it well in this sermon on 2 Thessalonians 2:

“Notice: it is not merely an issue of knowing or believing in a merely mental sense: it is an issue of loving….Therefore the only defense against this appeal (signs and miracles of the man of lawlessness) will be a deeper desire for God. If Christ is our portion and our treasure, if he satisfies our longings, and if we love the glory of his gospel, then the mystery of lawlessness will not overcome us, and our love will not grow cold and we will endure to the end and be saved”  

- John Piper, quote from message on the DesiringGod website (emphasis added). Read or listen to entire…

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to know, love, and live by the truth of Your word. Please make me sensitive to deception in whatever form it comes. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 18

The Bible Project VIDEO: 2 Thessalonians (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Six words we should stop saying

"Christ Feeding the Multitude" by Gustave Doré

TODAY’S SPECIAL: John 5-6; Psalm 105

 TO CHEW ON: “‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’” John 6;9

Philip added to his answer about how much food they had, his opinion of their supply: “What are they among so many?” This is not an unfamiliar sentiment to us when we compare what we have with the need. So it’s reassuring to remind ourselves that Jesus’ feeding of the crowd here is not the only time in the Bible God came to the aid of the desperately needy.

• The psalmist claims God’s help for mental need: “The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low and the HE saved me” - Psalm 116:6.

• Jesus healed a recalcitrant medical condition where a woman, after 12 years of hemorrhaging, had exhausted medical help - Mark 5:25-29.

• Those in storms received God’s help. Jesus came to the disciples when He saw them “straining at rowing for the wind was against them” - Mark 6:48. And a whole boatload was saved through the prayers of Paul - Acts 27:14-42.

• Jesus came to the aid of a desperate father by casting out a spirit that had oppressed his son since birth - Mark 9:17-29.

• An angel came to the aid of Peter shackled in prison - Acts 12:5-10.

Let these stories remind us that God is never limited by our lack. So whatever our need and however puny the resources at hand, let’s forever stop the faith-destroying words “What are they among so many?” from crossing our lips.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You are never limited by my meager resources. Help me to look to You, not myself and what’s around me, when I’m in need. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 105

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A close God

Image courtesy Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 10-13;  Psalm 16

TO CHEW ON: "I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." Psalm 16:8

Though David calls for help at the beginning of this psalm, most of it is a flag plant of faith. It's as if in his trouble he is reminding himself of some core truths about God and his relationship with God:

• He has cast in his lot with the LORD (Yahweh) and His people (Psalm 16:2,3).

• God has been there for him in the past (Psalm 16:5,6).

• God is with him now, even at night (Psalm 16:7).

Psalm 16:8, our focus verse, illustrates two sides of this relationship.

David does something: "I have set the LORD always before me; …"

It's as if he sees himself as living always in God's presence. It's a presence with whom he aligns his life (an ancient "WWJD" or "What would Yahweh approve?").

God does something: "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

He's there—a constant and reassuring presence. This awareness of God's presence not only keeps David on the straight and narrow but is his protection.

Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe says that God at David's right hand suggests God as his advocate and defender. Wiersbe sums up his commentary on this passage:

"With the Lord as his guide and guard, he has nothing to fear; he would not be moved. The future is your friend when Jesus is your Lord" - Warren Wiersbe, BE Bible Study Series (accessed through Biblegateway.com - emphasis added).

Perhaps we could benefit from using David's method of reassurance.

1. Set God before us.
Though we know He's everywhere present, it helps to specifically invite Him into our circumstances, to "... set the Lord always before me..."

• when we're brokenhearted - Psalm 34:18.

• when He feels silent and absent - Psalm 35:22; 38:7.

• when we need His help - Psalm 145:18.

• when we already sense His activity in creation and the course of our lives - Psalm 75:1.

2. Live assured that He is there.
We can know that He is there to guide, defend, protect, and carry us through whatever circumstance we face: "Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being not some distant, disinterested deity but a close God who is with us through all the ups and downs of life. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 16

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Three life lessons from Jeremiah

Jeremiah - Artist unknown

Happy Father's Day!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 1-3; Psalm 13

TO CHEW ON: "But the Lord said to me: 'Do not say "I am a youth,"
For you shall go to all to whom I send you
And whatever I command you, you shall speak.' " Jeremiah 1:7

In ten short verses Jeremiah gives us three lessons for a lifetime. They were truths from God to him that would guide, comfort, and goad him on through the reign of Judah's last five kings.

Lesson 1 - His life was planned - Jeremiah 1:5.
God told Jeremiah he was no accident. His ministry and assignment were part of God's design. Before he was even conceived God knew him and set him apart for his unique job as a prophet to the nations.

Lesson 2 - His natural shortcomings were no problem - Jeremiah 1:7.
Jeremiah objected to this assignment. He wasn't a speaker. He was too young. God allayed all his fears with the promise of His presence.

Lesson 3 - His ministry could have an impact far beyond what would be expected - Jeremiah 1:9,10.
Who would listen to a young, single prophet of Judah? Yet God's promise that He would supply Jeremiah's words meant that they would have divine authority over nations and kingdoms.

Though God will not give any of us the assignment He gave Jeremiah, I believe the lessons behind the specifics of Jeremiah's life apply to us too.

1. We are not accidents either. God has a plan and destiny for each one of us. I love Ephesians 2:10 in this regard:

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us] - AMP version.

2. Neither are our shortcomings a problem to God. Our excuses (I'm too old, too uneducated, too poorly connected, too old-fashioned etc.) might just be a benefit in that they show off who is really working through us.

But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves - 2 Corinthians 4:7 AMP.

3. Our lives can also have a way bigger impact and our words have more authority than common sense says they should. Jesus' many teachings on the power of prayer  (e.g. Matthew 6:6) as well as His words to Peter and the disciples come to mind:

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth shall have [already] been loosed in heaven - Matthew 18:18 AMP.

As we face our life assignments and big and little, let's relate the life lessons God gave Jeremiah to our lives and find purpose, courage and hope in them.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You knew me before I ever existed, that You have a purpose for my life, and that You are and will be the means of fulfilling it. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 13

The Bible Project VIDEO: Jeremiah (Read Scripture series)





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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Glory?

Image: Microsoft

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 58-60; Psalm 119:153-176

TO CHEW ON: "... And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you... and His glory will be seen upon you" - Isaiah 60:1,2

What is this glory Isaiah talks about?

glory: chabod (kah-vohd) means weightiness, that which is substantial or heavy, glory, honor, splendor, power, wealth, authority, magnificence, fame, dignity, riches and excellence. ("Word Wealth" from New Spirit Filled Life Bible)

When I think of God’s glory, I imagine the scene at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. The heavy cloud of God's  glorious presence made it impossible for the priests to stay and do their jobs. How incredible that must have been!

Che Ahn in When Heaven Comes Down – Experiencing God’s Glory in Your Life makes an interesting distinction between the glory of God that is the essence of His person (His eternal glory), and the glory of God which we perceive (His manifest glory).

“…The eternal glory of God is like the sun itself, far too fiery and brilliant for us to encounter directly or even to look at. But the sun’s light manifests itself to us in a variety of ways. It illuminates darkness, revealing the objects around us. It gives us spectacular light displays in beautiful sunrises and brilliant sunsets. It warms us and even tans our skin. Everywhere the sun goes, the sun’s light goes. But the sun’s light is not the sun itself. Rather, the light we experience from the sun is a manifestation of the sun.

“This distinction is helpful in understanding God’s glory. His eternal glory is like the sun: it is His very essence, beyond our comprehension or ability to encounter. Yet His manifest glory is like the sun’s light: a reflection of Him we can encounter in ways we are able to perceive, whether through physical healing, a peaceful presence in our spirit or an angelic visitation.” p. 26

Ahn settles on this definition: “God’s glory is His manifest presence by which He reveals His character of goodness and displays His power through signs and wonders.” p. 28

By this definition you can know God's glory in your life  any time you recognize His goodness - to you or through you. It could be the thought of where to look for your keys moments after you’ve prayed for help in finding them. It could be an unexpected cheque when you need money. It could be the reminder to pray for a friend. It could also mean coming away from a deadly accident unscathed, or seeing an angel or praying for someone and witnessing a miraculous healing. In Isaiah 60 God’s glory is shown when children return home, when there is joy, wealth, God’s house is glorified.

Has God’s glory come to your life? Look for signs of it today.

PRAYER: Dear God, please open my eyes to evidences of Your glory in my life today. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:153-176


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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you covered?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings  15-17; Psalm 105

TO CHEW ON: “He spread a cloud for a covering…” Psalm 105:39

Psalm 105 is a praise poem recalling the ways God has helped Israel in the past. On the list is the cloud that accompanied Israel throughout their wilderness wanderings.

It was a cloud that served many purposes:

• It gave them direction, i.e. went before them telling them where to go. Exodus 13:21

• It stopped them. When the cloud came to rest, they were to stop and not move on again until the cloud lifted - Numbers 9:17-23.

• It gave them light at night, so they could travel by day or by night, to avoid the desert’s scorching heat - Numbers 13:21.

• It shielded and hid them when the Egyptians pursued them. It was dark on the Egyptian side but light on the Israelite side. Its presence gave them light and time to cross the miraculously dried up Red Sea at night while obscuring the Egyptian’s way - Exodus 14:19,20.

The psalmist calls it a “covering.”

God provided other coverings for people as well.

• He covered Adam and Eve with clothes, animal skin coverings after their disobedience stole their innocence form them (Genesis 3:21).

• His covering or protection is sometimes referred to as wings. The picture is of a mother bird sheltering her young (Psalm 57:1) or rescuing them (Deuteronomy 32:11). Boaz referred to God’s sheltering wings when he singled out Ruth with an invitation to glean in his field (Ruth 2:12).

• Bible writers also refer to God’s covering as a shelter or refuge from the elements of life and nature (Isaiah 25:4).

• And then there are all the references to God covering His people in pure, beautiful clothes—way nicer clothes than those skin tunics of Adam and Eve:

- Robes of righteousness and salvation (Isaiah 61:10).
- Beautiful embroidered garments (Ezekiel 16:10).
- “Best robes” - Luke 15:22.
- Wedding clothes - Matthew 22:11.
- White clothes - Revelation 7:9
- “Fine linen clean and bright” - Revelation 19:8.

Who would not welcome such covering? Sadly, not everyone. In our reading chapters from 2 Kings today, we see how Israel threw off God's covering by disobeying Him and turning to idol worship. Finally God was through with them. We read that God "... removed them from His sight... rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers until He had cast them from His sight - 2 Kings 17:18-20.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, the people who spurned God’s wings of covering with their rejection of His prophets, including the final One—Jesus the Son - Matthew 23:37-39.

He reprimanded the  lukewarm church of Laodicea for their delusions of needing nothing and counseled them to “'… buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed…'” - Revelation 3:17,18.

So, how do we put ourselves under God’s covering, under His protection, in His clothes? Revelation 3 continues on with this answer from Jesus Himself.

We invite Him into our lives: “'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me'” - Revelation 3:21.

Then we listen to His voice and follow Him.  Jesus again: "'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand'" John 10:27,28. 

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live constantly under Your covering, in Your clothes. Please show me areas where self will, rebellion, laziness, self-deception, impatience, etc. leave me naked and vulnerable. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 105

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you an eager Sunday pilgrim?

St. Joseph's Langley, BC

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 21-24; Psalm 84

TO CHEW ON: "My soul longs, yes even faints
for the courts of the Lord,
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84:2

Today is Sunday. It's the day many of us will go to our version of Zion—our place of worship be that a church building, community hall, rented classroom, or someone's living-room. Do we have the gut longing to be there that the writer of Psalm 84 has?

Underlying the strong desire to go to Zion may be an even deeper want.

"This psalm expresses the author's deep longing for the presence of God …. The psalm gives voice to the yearning and happiness experienced in Christ's nearness" - Psalm 84 entry in the Reformation Study Bible, accessed through biblegateway.com's "Study This," emphasis added.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how would we rate our eagerness to go to our Zion today (10 being the most eager)? If our rating is low to medium, why might that he?

• Perhaps our "heart" and "flesh" cry out for someone or something other than the "living God" (Psalm 84:2).

• Perhaps we don't spend any time with God the rest of the week and this feels like an awkward outing to meet with a stranger (Psalm 84:4).

• Perhaps we've been overwhelmed by and waylaid in the dry place of sadness, the "Valley of Baca," and our focus is on our troubles (Psalm 84:6).

• Perhaps we'd rather be somewhere else, even "dwelling in the tents of wickedness" (Psalm 84:10).

• Perhaps we're skeptical that He has good things in store for us; we're not convinced "No good thing will He withhold…" (Psalm 84:11).

• Perhaps, and I think this is key, we don't really expect to meet Him there, to have a sense that we are seen, we are known, that He is gazing straight at us, into us with His all-knowing, all-loving eyes (Psalm 84:9).

As we prepare for church today, and any Sunday, let's expect to actually meet with Him. If we believed that the God of the universe, our Saviour and Redeemer, will meet us there, I think we'd be as eager to attend our Zion as the psalmist was to go to his.


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to prepare myself to meet You in church today. As You seek me out, may I recognize Your presence and hear Your voice. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 84

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What is "the voice of the LORD" to you?

 "The erection of the Tabernacle and the Sacred vessels"

as in Exodus 40:17-19; from the 1728 Figures de la Bible*

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Exodus 35-40; Psalm 29

TO CHEW ON: "The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty." Psalm 29:4

The phrase "The voice of the LORD" repeats seven times in this psalm. In this way David draws our attention to God's (Yahweh's) presence, especially in nature where God's voice is over the waters (recalling the scene of creation), breaks and splinters cedars, divides the flames, shakes the wilderness, and causes the deer to give birth. It truly is a powerful, majestic voice.

The Bible speaks of God's voice in other settings as well. God's voice:

• Filled Adam and Eve with terror after they had sinned - Genesis 3:8.

• Gave Moses instructions for the building of the tabernacle, including who he was to enlist to make these things (Exodus 25-31). Though these Exodus passages don’t describe the sound of God’s voice, the content of His instructions is full of technical detail, precise measurement, the knowledge of how to make things, and how to make them beautiful. (with our reading today describing how all these instructions were carried out.) 

• Spoke "still" and "small" to weary Elijah - 1 Kings 19:12.

• Came to the aid of His people - Isaiah 66:6.

• Gave Ezekiel glimmerings of His glory and majesty - Ezekiel 43:2.

• Vanquished a powerful king - Daniel 4:31.

• Witnessed that Jesus was God the Son - Matthew 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17.

The "voice of God," as David uses it here, is actually a literary device called synecdoche: "A figure of speech in which a part of something indicates the whole" - Poetry Dictionary p. 312. It is similar to metonymy which uses an object associated with something to indicate the whole (e.g. we talk of "crown" when we mean "royalty.").

And so, it is not really God's voice per se that we're talking about but God Himself as we envision and experience Him in various ways.

I ask myself, if I wrote a psalm or poem using synecdoche, what part of God would I choose? His voice, or maybe His hands, or heart, or thoughts, or feet?

If I used His voice, what kind of 'voice of the Lord' poem or paragraph would I write? What about you? In other words, how do we view and how have we experienced God?

Has our view of Him been affected by how our society sees and portrays Him--distant and disinterested? Limited by the evil around us? A prudish potentate who doesn't want us to have any fun? A soft grandfatherly figure who, in the end, will welcome us all into heaven because we've done the best we could?

Or does our view of Him reflect how the Bible portrays Him? Are we open to see and know Him in new biblically based ways?

PRAYER: Dear God, I think my concept of who You are has been affected by my culture and its portrayal of You.  Help me to experience You as the holy, righteous, powerful, majestic, creative, glorious etc. etc. deity of the Bible. Amen.  

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 29

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

* Photo attribution: By illustrators of the 1728 Figures de la Bible, Gerard Hoet (1648–1733) and others, published by P. de Hondt in The Hague in 1728 - http://www.wcg.org/images/b2/_0303160501_038.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9416912

Promises never claimed

Israel at Mt. Sinai - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Exodus 23:20-35

TO CHEW ON: "'And I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.'" Exodus 23:27.

In exchange for obedience and a thoroughness in destroying idol worship in Canaan, God made a covenant with Israel at the foot of Sinai to:

• Lead them with His Angel (the cloud by day, pillar of fire by night) to the land He had promised them (Exodus 23:23).

• Bless their food and water (Exodus 23:25).

• Take sickness away (Exodus 23:25).

• Keep them from miscarrying (Exodus 23:26).

• Cause the people in the land to which they were going to be filled with fear and confusion (Exodus 23:27).

• Drive the inhabitants out before them, though slowly and in manageable amounts (Exodus 23:29,30).

What an exciting future of possibilities God painted for them. And they eagerly signed on:

"So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the Lord has said we will do'" - Exodus 24:3.

How sad to read then, perhaps a year or so later, the reaction of these same people to the report of the spies Moses had sent out to view Canaan before they began to enter it. The first ones who failed the faith test were ten of the spies themselves. They reported back what they tasted, heard, and saw but without taking into account any part of God's earlier promise. After talking about the land's agricultural wealth the conclusion of ten of the spies was:

"'Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong, the cities fortified and very large …'" - Number 13:28.

When Caleb, one of the two spies who saw things differently, said, "'Let us go up at once and take possession for we are well able to overcome it,'" the others argued him down with negativity, fear and doubt: "'The land … is a land that devours its inhabitants. … and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight'" - Numbers 13: 30-33.

But men, what did God tell you? Just the opposite—that these people are full of fear and confusion over you, not confidence. They are conquerable. Didn't you hear? Didn't you believe?

What a tragic consequence these Israelites were about to suffer. Because of their unbelief, they were doomed to spend forty more years wandering in the wilderness.

Let's remember this tragic example of unbelief next time we're tempted to face a life challenge with fear and negativity. In their places, let's review God's promises and put our faith in Him—not ourselves and what we see.


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to have a long memory for Your promises and the wisdom to apply them to the challenges of my life. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 24

The Bible Project VIDEO: Exodus 19-40 (Torah Series)
 


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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God with us

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Haggai 1:1-15

TO CHEW ON: “Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the LORD.’” Haggai 1:13

Haggai had a short active ministry—only four months in the year 520 B.C. But its impact reaches to us today.

According to the "Introduction to Haggai" in my Bible, Haggai was one of the exiles who had returned to Israel 16 years earlier (in 536 B.C.). These returned exiles started to rebuild the country and especially re-establish worship of the LORD (Yahweh). Though they started well, they had become distracted and were now focusing on themselves: their crops, houses and wealth (Haggai 1:2-6).

But it wasn’t working out that well for them. Haggai’s words rub it in:

You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes” Haggai 1:6.

It’s easy for us to become like the people of Haggai’s time and get consumed with bettering ourselves. Our society drums into us that a newer car, a bigger house, flashier wardrobe, faster and more technology are what we need. And so, like these people we take our welfare on our own shoulders and work harder, longer, and yet find less satisfaction. We leave God out of our lives and then wonder why it all ends up being laborious and unsatisfying.

Haggai’s words to the leaders when they again decide to resist the prevailing wisdom to focus on themselves and instead focus on God, jump out at me: “I am with you, says the LORD.”

If we see ourselves in these people, let’s do what they did and again put God first—His concerns, His values, His kingdom way of doing things. and listen for His reassuring words to us: “I am with you, says the LORD.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, it’s easy to get caught up in the world’s self-made-man way of doing things. Help me to invite You into all aspects of my life. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God will take it from here

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 40:18-31

 TO CHEW ON: "He gives power to the weak
And to those who have no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

This chapter, that highlights in picturesque language God's cans, humankind's can'ts, His power, man's fragility, ends with a reminder of something we've all experienced—our exhaustion. It happens even to youths (Isaiah 40:30). God is the answer to this too.

Isaiah tells us the person who waits on God will be re-energized. That's how the NKJV renders it: "But those who wait on the Lord / Shall renew their strength..." - Isaiah 40:31. We get a picture of God, present and the supplicant waiting for His command or action. The NASB uses "for": "Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength..." We see someone waiting for God to arrive on the scene. Which is it?

The Amplified mixes the two together in its typically wordy and helpful way: "But those who wait for the Lord—who expect, look for and hope in Him—shall change and renew their strength and power…" - Isaiah 40:31 AMP.

So we hope and wait for Him to arrive and expect and look for His action (though He is present everywhere, so I suppose it's more a waiting to feel or sense His presence).

I believe one has to experience this to understand it. One way this has proved true in my life is when I take my hand off an exhausting situation, as in stop trying to control it so that it turns out the way I want it to.  It takes a lot of energy and worry and thought and focus to stay in control. As soon as I relinquish it to Him, I feel myself relax. With relaxation comes a sense of well-being and new energy. 

Another way this waiting on/for God works is to be tuned in to Him continually—not only in a crisis. My Thompson Chain Bible refers, beside verse 31, to a list of verses titled "Seven Attitudes for the Spiritual Life"—a great template for balance.

• Lying down for spiritual rest - Psalm 23:2.

• Sitting for instruction - Luke 10:39.

• Standing for warfare - Ephesians 6:14.

• Walking for fellowship - 1 John 1:7.

• Running for progress - Hebrews 12:1.

• Leaping for ecstasy - Acts 3:8.

• Mounting up for exaltation - Isaiah 40:31.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to give You all the things in my day, especially those that exhaust me when I try to handle them on my own. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

A remedy for spiritual complacency

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 64:1-12

TO CHEW ON: “And there is no one who calls on Your name
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have consumed us because of our iniquities” - Isaiah 64:7


Isaiah’s concept of God was rooted in the fearful, awe-inspiring moments when God gave him a glimpse of Himself and eternal things. The account of this is in Isaiah 6, where he saw God on His throne. The train of His robe filled the temple. Angels, their faces veiled from God’s holy presence with wings, shouted across to each other “Holy, holy holy is the LORD God of hosts / The whole earth is full of His glory!” Then an earthquake shook the place and it filled with smoke.

Isaiah became exquisitely aware of his own pollution. He felt dirty, sinful, alarmed at his unworthiness, conscious of his foul mouth. Read the account in Isaiah 6:1-8.

In our reading this same Isaiah (now years later) rues the complacency of his fellow citizens: “… there is no one who calls on Your name, / Who stirs himself up to take hold of You.” God feels absent and the people live as if God can’t see them and may as well not exist.

But Isaiah knows better. Just because God doesn’t show Himself at their bidding doesn’t change anything about Him. And so his prayer is full of apologies and repentance on behalf of himself and the people: “But we are all like an unclean thing … We are the clay and You our potter … Do not be furious, O Lord, / Nor remember iniquity forever” - Isaiah 64:6,8,9.

This reminds me of something I read recently. David Kitz, in his book Psalms Alive tells (in the chapter on Psalm 32:6-7) the story of how he and his brother avoided a stalking cougar on their Saskatchewan farm because of the barking of their dog. He makes this application:

“In a peculiar way, an unexpected encounter with the living God can be a lot like an encounter with a cougar. Suddenly, we realize our every move has been studied and watched; we are not alone. And that other being out there, watching us, is much bigger and more powerful than we are. Are you really prepared to meet Him around the next curve in the road, or just over the next hill?” - Psalms Alive p. 72.

I don’t know about you, but I can become as spiritually complacent as Isaiah’s countrymen. As a result I fail to see and acknowledge God in my day-to-day. I want to resist that. You too?  Let’s “stir ourselves up to take hold of” Him. One way to do this is to become aware of what He is really like.

PRAYER: Dear Father, please forgive my frequent indifference and blasé attitude toward You. Please give me a glimpse of who You really are so that my relationship with You is rooted in fact, not some fantasy concocted by myself or those around me as to what You are like. Amen.
 

MORE: Francis Chan - Francis' Personal Testimony - Newday 2017


I recently watched a video in which Francis Chan tells some of his life story to a group of high school students in England. In it, he describes how Isaiah 6 impacted him: “Here’s what changed my life; when I understood reverence for God.”



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's seal--our identification and protection

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 6:1-17

TO CHEW ON: “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” Revelation 6:2,3

What does the forehead seal in Revelation 6:2-3 remind you of? The forehead seal from the dark side? “He [the beast] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads’” - Revelation 13:16,17.

The seal of Revelation 6 is not that seal. It is God’s seal of identification and protection on those who are His. My Bible’s study notes explain:

“Those sealed by the Holy Spirit are God’s possession, in dramatic contrast to those who bear the mark of the beast - Revelation 13:16,17)” Earl Wesley Morey, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1827.

God placing a seal on those who are His occurs in other places in the Bible as well.

• In Ezekiel it marks those who are troubled by and grieve over Israel’s idolatry - Ezekiel 9:4.

• Paul mentions a seal on Christ-followers several times in his letters. He sees this seal as the Holy Spirit:

“God … who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” - 2 Corinthians 1:22 (all emphases added).

In Him … also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise - Ephesians 1:13.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption - Ephesians 4:30.

• Then we have these believers sealed in Revelation by God against the apocalyptic events to come.

“He who overcomes, … I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God the New Jerusalem … And I will write on him My new name - Revelation 3:12.

• Scorpion-like locusts are released by an angel but not allowed to harm any with the seal of God on their foreheads - Revelation 9:4.

• Those 144,000 sealed in Revelation 6 (our passage) appear with the Lamb before God on Mount Zion “… having His Father’s name written on their foreheads” - Revelation 14:1.

• Finally, John in his Revelation vision sees God’s servants, the sealed, assemble before God in the New Jerusalem: “They shall see His face and His name shall be on their foreheads - Revelation 22:4.

What a grand thread to follow today! May we all rest secure in our identification with the name of Jesus and its power and protection, stamped on us by the indwelling Holy Spirit!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, though I only understand imperfectly this concept of being sealed by You, help me to enflesh what I do understand of it. Thank You for Your powerful name and Your Spirit and how You have sealed me. Amen.  

MORE: All Saints’ Day

Today the church celebrates All Saints’ Day. The day’s liturgy begins with this prayer:

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Somday we'll meet Jesus

"Christ the Redeemer" statue - Rio De Janeiro - Photo: Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:5

TO CHEW ON: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"  1 Thessalonians 2:19


First Thessalonians contains several references to Christ's return. In chapter 2 Paul mentions it in verse 19 when he describes how he anticipates presenting the Christians in Thessalonica to Christ and how that will work out: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" - 1 Thessalonians 2:19.  He looks forward to meeting Jesus with joy. His victory crown will be the believers he brings with him.

The Bible speaks in other places of meeting Jesus and being in His presence.

• There will be joy in His presence - Psalm 16:11.

• We will enter His presence on the "today" of our death - Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8 - or on the day He returns, whichever comes first - 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.

• Jesus' servants on earth will someday join Him in heaven where even the Father will honor them - John 12:26.

• Appearing before Jesus will be just the beginning of living with Him - John 14:3.

• When we appear before and live with Him, we will experience Jesus' and God's glory in all its eternity - John 17:25.

What motivation to serve God and in that serving win the crown of others standing with us at Christ's appearing on earth or our appearing before Him in heaven.

What a reason to live each day well, for none of us knows the day He will return or the day we will die.

What a hope for the future as we soldier on in the world of sometimes difficult relationships, unpredictable circumstances, and wearing out bodies.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your promise to return and accept me into heaven to live with You. May this hope motivate my living. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's face shining on us

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 80:1-19

TO CHEW ON: “Restore us O LORD God of hosts
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved! - Psalm 80:19

The other day I watched a month-old baby girl with her mother. Mom had her strapped in a snuggly so that they faced each other. That little girl’s eyes were wide open and she just gazed intently into her mother’s face the whole time. It was like she was trying to satisfy the need to be connected to this person who was the centre of her world. She was looking to see her mother’s face shine on her.

In a way that’s the picture the writer of this psalm paints of Israel toward God. Three times he begs, “Cause Your face to shine” - Psalm 80:3,7,19. In each request, though, he addresses God slightly differently.

• In verse 3 it’s “Restore us O God.”  

God is Elohim: “The basic meaning behind the name Elohim is one of strength or power or effect. Elohim is the infinite, all-powerful God who shows us by His works that He is the creator, sustainer and supreme judge of the world” - From GotQuestions.

• In verse 7 it’s “Restore us O God (Elohim) of hosts”  

Hosts is Tsaba: that which goes forth, army, warfare, host.

In this way the psalmist brings in the idea that God is powerful, has hosts—armies—at His command, and will He bring them to their aid against those neighbours and enemies that are causing them grief (Psalm 80:6)?

• In verse 19 it’s “Restore us O LORD God of hosts.”

LORD is Jehovah or Y@hweh #3068 - the existing one, the proper name of the one true God. 

This is the name of God used in the stories of the patriarchs, the God who talked with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses in Genesis and Exodus. This is the God they know, the God of their story. (When we see the name LORD—all capitals—it’s our English Bible’s designation of Jehovah or Yahweh.)


I take two things from this psalm for myself, for us:

1. We too want God’s face to shine on us. No matter what we have to face of tears and difficulties, we can get through it with a sense of His presence.
2. As we go through life, we’re challenged to discover God in increasingly personal ways for ourselves, as the psalmist reveals more of Him with each request.

PRAYER: Dear Father, so often I feel like that baby—peering  at you with the question, is Your face shining on me? Are you pleased? Even when it seems like You’re not there, help me to trust You as the God of the Bible, my past, with faith for the future. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Three thirsty days is a long time

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Exodus 15:6-27

TO CHEW ON: "And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. … And the people complained against Moses, saying, 'What shall we drink?'" Exodus 15:22,24

The Israelites had just experienced their most stunning victory—not through their own skill but through miracles straight from God. Even uptight Moses burst into song and matriarch Miriam led the women in a victory dance. But now, only three days later, there is complaining again.

For us, reading these stories, the Israelites' mood changes seem mercurial. They go from rejoicing to grumbling in four verses! Before we're too hard on them, though let's consider their situation.

They are in unfamiliar territory, walking in desert heat, sleeping in desert cold. And they're rapidly running out of the one essential that will keep them alive—water. Three days is a long time to be thirsty. Then, when they do find water, it's bitter. And so they grumble.

I ask myself, if I were in their shoes, would I act any differently?

The Israelites' desert experience demanded that the people mature in trusting God. It stretched them to look past how things appeared in the moment and see the situation with the eyes of faith. They were constantly challenged to remember how God had helped them in the past. Then they needed to apply that memory to current conditions.

"God knows exactly when to withhold or to grant us any visible sign of encouragement. How wonderful it is when we will trust Him in either case! Yet it is better when all visible evidence that He is remembering us is withheld. He wants us to realize that His word—His promise of remembering us—is more real and dependable than any evidence our sense may reveal. It is good when He sends the visible evidence, but we appreciate it even more after we have trusted Him without it" - Charles Gallaudet Trumbull, quoted in Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman - January 24th reading.

I too can go from high to low in a matter of days—hours! And so I too have lots of room for stretching and growth in the living-by-faith department. What about you?

PRAYER:  Dear God, I see myself reflected in these Israelites. Help me to get my eyes off circumstances and keep them on You and Your history and promises. Amen.

Streams in the Desert - 366 Daily Devotional Readings by Cowman

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Alone but not alone

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 31:43-32:5

TO CHEW ON: “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.” - Genesis 32:1

As we read the story of Jacob, we can feel the tension building in him. After years of living by the largesse of his father-in-law (and under the blessing of God), he wanted to make a break and strike out on his own. In fact, God had told him to do so - Genesis 31:3.

There were lots of reasons to stay put. His father-in-law Laban wanted that. And probably at the back of Jacob’s mind was the thought that to move anywhere, especially back to his paternal home, he’d have to deal with the Esau issue. He had left home those many years ago to escape his twin brother’s murderous threats after he (Jacob) stole Esau’s birthright blessing.

Finally, though, it was too much. In the section of Genesis 31 just before our reading is the story of Jacob and his multitude sneaking away from Laban. But Laban would have none of it. He pursued Jacob, caught up to him, and scolded him for not leaving properly.

Today we read how the two families parted ways in Oriental style with ceremony, offerings, memorials, a big meal, promises, hugs, and kisses. Then, at long last, Jacob and his family were officially on their own.

Jacob was, bit by bit, dealing with the roadblocks to what he knew he must do—break with Laban and travel back home. It’s telling that when he was finally alone, God visited him again: “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him” - Genesis 32:1. His experience reminds us of Abraham’s and how God showed up to him too just after he had parted ways from Lot (Genesis 13:14-18).

Perhaps there’s a lesson here for us. When we’re surrounded by a crowd and all manner of supports, life is too full, too noisy, too complete. We feel we don’t need God.

But when He finally gets us off to ourselves and we face our limitations, past mistakes that still need fixing, fears of all kinds, we find that He is there with us, reassuring us that we aren’t alone at all but in far safer company than when we were in the crowd we just left.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to trust in You more than other people and circumstances. Please give me the courage to obey You and leave my securities when You say so. Amen.
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tender Shepherd

"The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel" by William Dyce (1806-1864)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 29:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept." Genesis 29:11


Today's reading paints a very human Jacob. A tent-dweller versus outdoorsman Esau, he was a mama's boy (Genesis 25:27-28). Now, due in no little part to his and his mother's cunning, he (at 40+ years - Genesis 24:34) was forced to leave home due to twin brother Esau's threats to kill him after Dad dies.

Traveling east, he arrived at a well where shepherds were gathered with their flocks. He inquired if they know his mother's brother Laban, and they did! Then, even as they were talking, who should come along but Laban's beautiful daughter Rachel with her father's flock.

Jacob promptly removed the stone from the well (he may have been the indoors type but was obviously no wimp), watered Rachel's flock, told her who he was, and kissed her in a patriarchal greeting, so overjoyed at finding his family he broke down in tears.

We know, from reading the whole story, how his trials were just beginning. But God had big plans for him. To put them in motion, Jacob needed to leave home and live under the discipline of Laban. Laban would give him a taste of his own treacherous nature and Jacob would, as a result, develop into a man of character. Unlike Esau who, intent on instant gratification, sold his birthright to quell hunger pains, Jacob would end up working 14 years for the girl he loves.

The happy 'coincidences' in today's reading did no doubt reassure Jacob, as he thought back on them years later, when he again felt Godforsaken. They would remind him that God had led him, caring for him tenderly and personally—the shepherd of a human sheep, if you will—all that time.

God is the same with us. For if we examine our histories we will see how God's hand has been with us too, moving the pieces on the game boards of our lives in the big things, like meeting our spouse, to the little, like reminding us that we need to drop by the store. As Jesus put it:

" ' My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.' " John 10:27,28.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for watching over me as closely as you watched over Jacob. Help me to remember this and be reassured when I feel alone and afraid. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Is He your God?

"Jacob's Dream" by Salvatore Rosa (Source)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 27:46-28:22

TO CHEW ON: “Then Jacob made a vow saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.’” Genesis 28:20,21

As I read this bit about Jacob realizing that God could be his God, I am reminded of Abraham’s servant. His interactions with God began, at least, at arm’s length as well. In his prayers and storytelling, he always referred to Yahweh as the God of his master Abraham - Genesis 24:12, 27, 42.

My Bible’s study notes have this explanation of Jacob’s words in Genesis 28:20,21:

“Jacob was endeavoring to grasp the promise and to adopt the LORD as his God by formalizing a relationship such as his father had enjoyed. His words are nether cynical nor a bribe” - R. Russell Bixler, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 43.

We have no further insights into the relationship between God and Abraham’s servant. But Jacob, here, responded to God’s reaching out to him.

I would submit that our experience of God is not so different. It is He who makes the first move. After we sense His awareness of us, His knowledge of us and our circumstances, His reaching out to us (however that happens—through the perfect-to-our-situation scripture, song, podcast message, words of a friend etc.), we are undone. As undone as Jacob was:

“‘Surely the LORD is in this place and I did not know it.’
And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! this is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.’” - Genesis 28:16,17.

After such encounters, it’s up to us, like it was up to the two Old Testament men, to respond. Will we, like Jacob, move closer? Will we claim the Lord as our God?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for taking the initiative in Your relationship with humans as a whole and with individual people. Thank You for all the times you’ve shown yourself to me as my God. Help me to always respond to Your overtures in a way that will deepen our relationship. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.