The power of words

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Proverbs 16-18; Psalm 3

TO CHEW ON: “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Proverbs 16:24 NLT*

Are you a person of many or few words?  Have your words ever you into trouble? Or perhaps your words helped get you out of trouble.

The three chapters of Proverbs in today’s reading deal with many subjects. A prominent one is the role of the tongue in everyday life. What wisdom can we learn about speech from these chapters?

• Our words reflect our thoughts and reveal who we really are.

“The wise are known for their understanding” - Proverbs 16:21.

“From a wise mind comes wise speech” - Proverbs 16:23.

“Anyone who loves to quarrel loves to sin…” - Proverbs 17:19.

“A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.
Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut they seem intelligent” - Proverbs 17:27,28

“Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinion” - Proverbs 18:2.

“Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish” - Proverbs 18:13.

• Our words have power for good and bad.

“… pleasant words are persuasive… the words of the wise are persuasive” - Proverbs 16:21,23.

“Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze” - Proverbs 16:27.

“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends” - Proverbs 16:28.

“Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart” - Proverbs 18:8.

“The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins” - Proverbs 18:17.

• Our speech has consequences.

“The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly” - Proverbs 16:13.

“Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortunes of others will be punished” - Proverbs 17:5.

“The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble” - Proverbs 17:20.

“Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips” - Proverbs 18:6,7.

“Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars” - Proverbs 18:10.

“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences” - Proverbs 18:21.

• Rulers and those in authority have added responsibility to speak carefully.

“The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly” - Proverbs 16:10.

“Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler” - Proverbs 17:7.

• Wise speech makes life better.

“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy to the body” - Proverbs 16:24.

“Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook” - Proverbs 18:4.

“Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction” - Proverbs 18:20.

Let's watch our words today!




PRAYER: Dear Father, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” - Psalm 19:14.
 
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 3


*I used the New Living Translation [NLT] today. I like the way it simplifies ideas that are sometimes hard to get in the NKJV. The verses that appear on the website when you hover over the Bible reference reference quote the NKJV.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Finishing well

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 48-50

TO CHEW ON: "'But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.'" Genesis 50:20

Joseph's brothers' reaction to him after their father's death reminds me of Jesus' wisdom when He said, "'For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you'" - Matthew 7:2 (NIV). The fact that these brothers feared Joseph would look for retribution after their father died speaks more about the condition of their own hearts and minds than Joseph's. They were obviously not accustomed to dealing with someone as guileless as he was.

Joseph for his part, though grieved, stuck with the conviction that he had expressed when he first revealed his identity to them (compare Genesis 45:7-8 and Genesis 50:20). He never did take revenge on those brothers. Unlike so many Bible characters, Joseph not only started and middled well, but he also ended well.

A sidebar article in my Bible sums up Joseph's life and suggests applications we can make for ours:

"The life of Joseph powerfully displays God's sovereign ability to bring to pass His destiny for an obedient individual. In his youth, Joseph received a vision of God's plan for his life. Shortly thereafter, it appeared that not only had the vision died, but that his life would be wasted away in slavery and prison. Nevertheless, Joseph remained faithful to God. That which had been meant for evil, God used to prepare and position His servant to realize the fulfillment of His vision for Joseph's life.

• Ponder God's vision (Genesis 37:5-11). Do not share it prematurely but ask for His timing.

• Expect God's favour in the sight of others (Genesis 39:4,21). God is able to make a way even when it seems impossible.

• Remain faithful to God in all you do (Genesis 39:9). Do not compromise, especially when the vision is slow in coming.

• Believe that God is sufficient (Genesis 41:14-57). He has given you the gifts you need to realize His purpose through you.

• Trust in God's sovereign providence (Genesis 45:7; 50:20). He causes all thing to work for your good as you remain faithful to His calling and purpose for you."

by  Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action through Genesis," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 74 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the story of Joseph. Help me to trust Your sovereignty in my life in a similar way. 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.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Three basics of Revival

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 119:145-160

TO CHEW ON: “Revive me…” Psalm 119:154, 156, 159

Do you ever hear comments like, “We need a revival in Canada, the U.S., Europe”, or “Oh, for the revivals of the old days”?

The quest for spiritual revival isn’t new. The prayer “Revive me” occurs three times in an eight verse section of our reading (Psalm 119:153-160).

"Revive" is chayah in Hebrew. It means to live, to have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, be quickened, be restored to life or health.
The psalmist names three possible catalysts of revival:

“Your word” (vs. 154): "word" = imrah - the word of God, Torah.
“Your judgments” (vs. 156): "judgments" =  mishpat - judgment, justice, ordinance, legal decision.
“Your lovingkindness” (vs. 159): "lovingkindness" = chesed - goodness, kindness, faithfulness.

How might these things be catalysts for revival in our own time?

- Revived by the Word (Psalm 119:154):
For us this is the Bible. We need to read it, get it into us as much as and more than we allow TV, the news, political pundits, movies, etc. get into us. God’s word puts an entirely different slant on life than does our culture. It tells us what's important to God; what He values.

- Revived by God’s judgments (Psalm 119:156):
God, as revealed especially in the Old Testament, often appears harsh, a God of black-and-white, of judgment. David, the writer of many psalms (perhaps even this one?) discovered that when he tried to move the ark to the tabernacle in Jerusalem (a good thing) in the wrong way (on a cart instead of secured with poles and carried on priests’ shoulders). The man who reached out to steady the ark from falling, touched it (something God had expressly forbidden - Numbers 4:15), and died on the spot. Read the story in 1 Chronicles 13:1-14.

God’s judgment side carries on in the New Testament where He allows His own Son to present Himself as a sacrifice for sin on our behalf.

I think if there is any aspect of the Gospel we moderns have watered down, it is the fact of God’s holiness, His hatred of sin, and the inevitability of sin’s judgment. We easily live with a mindset of “cheap grace.” The picture we have of God is a version of ourselves (Psalm 50:21).

- Revived by God’s lovingkindness:
 We also see the merciful, kind, faithful side of God throughout the Bible and highlighted in the cross. In the words of Paul:

“…God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. … we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” - 2 Corinthians 5:19,21.

I’m also reminded of the verse: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?’ Romans 2:4 (emphasis added).

In our quest for revival, let’s not miss going deep into these three basics!

PRAYER: “Revive me” I pray with the psalmist. Please use Your word, an awareness of Your holiness, and the deep inner experience of Your love in this process. 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.

A model mother

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Proverbs 31:10-31

TO CHEW ON: “Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:28

What a gorgeous—and intimidating—passage to read for Mother’s Day.  This model of biblical womanhood has been both a shining beacon and a convicting searchlight for me. I think if I was in her presence, I would watch and listen as I tried to figure out—how does she do it all? I love her industriousness, creativity, wide-ranging abilities, and energy. And I love her family values.

Today, let’s focus on her qualities as a mother.

1. She is a good example of marriage to her, children, by her faithfulness and support of her husband - Proverbs 31:12.

2. She works hard and willingly - Proverbs 31:13,18,19.

3. She puts the needs of her household above her own as she gets up early and stays up late to ensure they are met - Proverbs 31:15,18.

4. She is a good example in her treatment of the poor and needy - Proverbs 31:20.

5. She looks ahead, plans, and works for the future - Proverbs 31:16, 21, 27.

6. She speaks with kindness and wisdom, always, and to everyone - Proverbs 31:26.

The reward for all this? She gets praise from her husband and blessing from her children.

Is all the above worth it for a few words of praise and affirmation from hubby and the kids?

I would say yes, despite how our modern society would insist a woman needs more. For the sense of well-being conveyed by the word “blessed” goes beyond a mere word.

[Blessed - ashar - means “Happy, blessed, prosperous, successful, straight, right, contented. Its original meaning is to ‘be straight’” - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 841.]

The fact that she is called “blessed” communicates this woman’s inner sense of rightness as she does what she was created to do. Her life is straight, plumbs with how she was made. As a result she experiences deep inner peace and contentment in living out her industrious, nurturing essence.

May us mothers and the mothers in our lives (our own mothers, mothers-in-law, daughters, granddaughters) be similarly blessed.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for my mom, who was more like the Proverbs 31 woman than I will ever be. Be with the mothers in my life, rewarding them as only You can for their work and faithfulness. 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.

Love—it begins between the ears

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 2:31b-3:13

TO CHEW ON: "Love … believes all things, hopes all things …" 1 Corinthians 13:7


Today is Valentine's Day when we demonstrate our love with all kinds of loving actions like sending cards, gifting chocolates, and taking our loved one out for dinner. It's a day when 1 Corinthians 13—the Love Chapter—is the perfect reading. But have you noticed how many of the attributes of love listed in it are rooted in thoughts and not actions at all.

Let's make a list. (I've referred to the Amplified along with the NKJV):

Love refuses to think thoughts of:

• envy, jealousy, vainglory or self-exaltation (1 Corinthians 13:4).

• violated rights, self-promotion, resentment, the evil done to it (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Love encourages thoughts of:

• patience, kindness (1 Corinthians 13:4).

• truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).

• perseverance—bearing up under anything and everything, the best about the loved one, hope (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Whatever kind of love we celebrate today—the love of parent to child, friend to friend, or lovers—let's remember that how it begins and whether it stays strong are dependent on the thoughts we feed it. If your love for someone is anemic, take a look at your thoughts about that person. And love-friendly thoughts not only nourish love but also give integrity to all those actions of love we perform today—and every day.

PRAYER: Dear God, please make me sensitive to thoughts that destroy love—like envy, jealousy, and resentment. Help me to make a habit of thinking the best of every person. 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.

Showing mercy

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 10:11-37

TO CHEW ON: "'So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among thieves?'

And he said, 'He who showed mercy on him.'

Then Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise'" Luke 10:36-37

The practical working out of what we say we believe is never as straightforward as it looks or sounds. When the lawyer answered his own question to Jesus, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life," he probably rattled off his reply like a memorized response in catechism class: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself."

Jesus' story of the good Samaritan in response to the young man's question, "Who is my neighbour?" illustrates how much harder it is to actually live out loving one's neighbour than to just quote the answer. When the Samaritan responded to the poor beat-up man it took over his day with a busyness and inconvenience he had not counted on. He could have come up with so many good reasons not to get involved:

It's not my duty.
The victim may not have been a fellow-Samaritan, in fact, probably wasn't. In other circumstances the now helpless traveler would likely have snubbed the Samaritan.

It's not safe.
The man had just been robbed and beaten up. Who knew if the bandits weren't hiding behind the hill or in the bushes for someone just like him to come by and help.

I don't have time.
But he took time to stop, bind the man's wounds and help him onto his mount. Then, probably slowed down considerably, they made their way to the next town.

I don't have the money.
For the Samaritan, that seems to have been no objection. He was generous in making sure the man's needs were cared for.

Jesus' telling of this story illustrates the gulf between knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it. None of us will live the exact scenario Jesus described in this story. But, given life's ups and downs, one of these days we'll meet a 'neighbour' who needs mercy. I ask myself, will I, will you, have the wisdom to know what mercy looks like in the situation? And will we have the character and courage to act in mercy? Or will we take the easy way out, illustrating by our excuses that we really know very little about loving God with my heart, soul, strength and mind?

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me translate the love I say I have for You into practical demonstrations of mercy to those I meet who need it. Amen.

MORE: Keith Green sings "On the Road to Jericho"

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Kindness

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: Galatians 5:11-26

TO CHEW ON: "But the fruit of the Spirit is … kindness…" Galatians 5:22.


After all the back-and-forth about law-keeping and circumcision, Paul gets practical. His lists of the flesh qualities we need to weed out and the Spirit qualities to nurture are practical and convicting. One of the simplest items on the cultivate list is one of the hardest to live consistently: KINDNESS.

["Kindness (chrestotes) is goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience. The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities form the character under His control" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1638.]

• The upright person is kind - Psalm 112:4.

• The wise woman speaks kindly.

"She opens her mouth in wisdom
And the teaching (or law) of kindness is on her tongue"  Proverbs 31:26 NASB.

• Christians are (or should be) kind to each other: Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12.

• The highest, selfless, agapé love "suffers long and is kind" - 1Corinthians 13:4.

• Kindness is the outworking of a chain of attitudes or qualities: faith—> virtue—> knowledge—> self-control—> perseverance—> godliness—> brotherly kindness—> love - 1 Peter 1:5-7.

The sentence in our definition that sheds light on why practicing kindness consistently is so challenging (at least for me) is "The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience."
- That speaks of everyday living and the small things that so easily tax patience.
- That speaks of how the kind person takes the focus off him- or herself and puts it on the welfare of others, in this case the irritating person.

The last sentence of the definition draws our attention to where we go for help in being kind: "The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities from the character of one under His control." As we put ourselves under His control, He makes us aware of our unkindness, its roots in our attitudes and thoughts, and gives us the desire and ability to replace them with kindness.


PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, please be active in me in the tongue control department (and before that, in thought control). May my thoughts and my tongue truly be governed by the "law of kindness." 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 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)

Zarephath Hospitality

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 17:8-24

TO CHEW ON: "So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Elijah." 1 Kings 17:15-16

God's response to Israel's wicked King Ahab was to whisper a prophetic message of no rain for three years in the ear of a man from Tishbe. Elijah, that man, delivered the message to the idolatrous king and then ran for his life. He eventually skipped the country to Sidon, where God told him he would find a widow woman to feed him.

Put yourself in the place of that woman. She was gathering sticks for the fire that would cook her last meal when this sight of a man approached her and asked not only for a drink but for food. The audacity! Yet, his promise (using words like "Thus says the Lord") that if she fed him, she would have a never-ending supply of food was attractive. What could it hurt? She took him in.

I am impressed with her hospitality. In our society of panhandlers and people living on the street, can you picture yourself doing the same? Of course there is a level of hospitality—extending the generosity of our home to those we know—that is safer. But do we do even that?

Do we invite our friends from church, the folks we meet while delivering our kids to school, our neighbors, over for a meal or coffee? Do we even take the time to stop and chat (the first step of hospitality: giving a few minutes of our time, attention and interest)?

The story of Elijah and the widow isn't finished, though. One day her son became ill and died. "Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?" (1 Kings 17:8) the grief-stricken woman sobbed.

Elijah carried the child's limp body to his room. There he pleaded with God for the his life—and the boy revived.

Here we see another thing about hospitality. In addition to giving us the satisfaction of company and the joy of sharing, it boomerangs back on us in blessings, sometimes greater in number and scope than we ever gave out in the first place.

Karen Burton Mains in her book Open Heart, Open Home tells of a period of time their home was hounded by problem after problem. That year she experienced firsthand the fruits of the hospitality lifestyle she had advocated and modeled in front of their parishioners. Here is her paraphrase of Matthew 25:31-4.

"For I was weary, and they dusted and cleaned and scrubbed and laundered.

For I was fatherless…and they tilled his soil with me in our helpless womanity, praying over the man-sized gas cultivator and stubbornly willing it to do a week's work in a day.

For I was hungry, and they brought stews of the products of the good earth, and hand-kneaded bread, and apple pies from the fruit of the backyard trees.


For I was imprisoned by despair and they sat on my bed and wept as I wept, and brought guitars to concert me privately…


For I was aggrieved by the broken world and they picked up my dropped baton and made the race with my battered friends for me. They sent prayers against the marred days and performed miracles over unwieldy faucets and the bent things that populated my heart.


For I was helpless and they mothered my children, buying circus tickets and planning bike hikes, making sure the days were special for growing up.


For I was bereaved from bearing too much pain in others, finding no room for my own and they sent me to restore in the mountains and rest in the sea.


Yea, as they did this all for me, they did it unto Him who sent me."


Open Heart, Open Home: The Hospitable Way to Make Others Feel Welcome & Wanted by Karen Burton Mains p. 120-121 (1976 edition).

PRAYER: Dear God, please grow a hospitable spirit in me. May I be a conduit through which Your blessings can flow to others, and to which Your blessings will flow from others to me. 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.

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A three-part test for living

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly
To love mercy
And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

On analyzing the law, the rabbis found 613 statutes to keep.*

In Psalm 15, David tells us how to "…abide in Your tabernacle, dwell in Your holy hill … never be moved" in 11 principles.

In Isaiah 33:15, these are restated in six commands.

But here in Micah, the way to live pleasing to God is further distilled into three precepts:

• Do justly

• Love mercy

• Walk humbly with your God.

Justice. Mercy. Humility.

Restated in plain speech:

• Do what is right, fair, honest and above-board.

• Love mercy [chesed  - kindness, unfailing love, tenderness, faithfulness] and so live in a rounded-edge way as we act out that justice.

• Live humbly with an attitude that puts itself under God and His direction and is realistic before people (lives with the knowledge, for example, that all one's gifts, talents, successes are many-faceted—the result of the way God made us, orchestrated our circumstances, lavished on us the gifts of the parents, upbringing, education, modern conveniences of our time, etc.).

Here is Micah 6:8 from The Message:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
    what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
    be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
    take God seriously.

We could use these three things in a simple test for every thought, action, reaction, plan, goal:

- Is it just?
- Is it kind, merciful, faithful?
- Is it humbly submitted to God?


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to not only know these principles in my head, but to apply them in my everyday life. Amen.

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* Facts from the commentary on Micah by Willard S. Elijahson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1210.

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

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Hospitable Machir

Mephibosheth & Machir - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 9:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "Then king David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar." - 2 Samuel 9:5

David, wanting to be sure he kept his word to his old friend Jonathan, set about looking for any descendants of Saul to whom he could show kindness. He discovered Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan.

We see an earlier installment of Mephibosheth's life in 2 Samuel where immediately after Saul and Jonathan's deaths, their families fled for their lives. During that flight the nanny dropped five-year-old Mephibosheth. The drop injured his feet so that all his life he was lame (2 Samuel 4:4).

Now David found out about his existence. He was living at the home of Machir in Lo Debar. My footnotes describe Machir as "a wealthy man who took the young orphan into his house after Jonathan's death" - Jerry Cook, writer of 2 Samuel notes, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 413.

Machir is mentioned as well in 2 Samuel 17. It's the story of the time when Absalom declared himself king causing David and his loyalists to flee from Jerusalem. Stuck in the desert—and a long way from Safeway or Costco—who should come laden with "...beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley, flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds, honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd..." but Mahanaim, Barzillai and Machir from Lo Debar, musing "the people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness" - 2 Samuel 17:27-29.

This Machir is only mentioned in the Bible these two times (as far as I can tell) and in both it is for generous hospitality. What a great Old Testament example of someone living out the New Testament spiritual gift of mercy through hospitality (Romans 12:8). It's a lifestyle we should still emulate:

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" - Hebrews 43:2.

"Be hospitable to one another without grumbling" - 1 Peter 4:9

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, the hospitality of Bible characters like Machir is only a reflection of Your hospitable, welcoming attitude toward me. Help me to be so secure in Your love that a generous, hospitable spirit becomes second-nature to me. Amen.

MORE: A Hospitality Prayer

"Lord,

Thank You for having given Yourself in intimate inexplicable hospitality.

You have been the Host to all creation...

Without a table You have banqueted us,

inviting us, yea, to be married unto You.

Over our heads flies the banner of Your love.

We are entertained with the mysteries of faith,

the songs of the Spirit, holy laughter

You have garmented us in festal righteousness.

As we wandered in wastelands,

You sought us before we called.

You extended eager welcome

though we had scarcely knocked.

You embraced us when we were filthy

and oppressed and undeserving...

Through eternity You have been and will be utterly hospitable.

Help me,

poor, faltering, unfeeling me,

to be like You,

with breath-beat and soul-heart

poured out

emptied

opened.

Help me

to be given to hospitality."

- Excerpts from "A Prayer,"  by Karen Burton Mains from the book Open Heart, Open Home: How to find joy through sharing your home with others, pp. 197-199 (1976 edition).

The book Open Heart, Open Home gives a wonderful rationale for Christian hospitality. My old copy is copyrighted 1976 (I bought it from a church library discards table), but it was re-released in 2002.

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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 your life a spur?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Hebrews 10:19-39

TO CHEW ON: "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." Hebrews 10:24

Little did Joanne Simpson know, when she took a class of students on a mission trip to Guatemala, that it would change the direction of her life. But, as I remember her telling it, it was only a short time later that she left her post as principal at the Christian school she had founded in Alaska, to help distribute food, clothing and other items to widows and orphans in Guatemala City. That work eventually grew into Shadow of His Wings orphanage and school. It shelters around 40 girls from one to nineteen years old, rescued form the streets (often prostitution) of Guatemala City.

The example of people like Joanne spur me on to love and good works. (I love how various translations cast a different light on that bit about stirring up: "studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities"[Amp]; "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" [NIV]; "motivate one another to acts of love and good works" [NLT]; and "Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out... spurring each other on"[Msg].)

I know I probably won't be rushing off to some distant place to start an orphanage. But the story of Joanne leaving the security of a North American lifestyle to serve in a way that was, at first, completely unrelated to her experience and training is a challenge to me to break out of the mold of conventional thinking. The way God grew things from an idea of a home for orphans to the full-fledged complex it is today shows how God can create big things from small beginnings.

The world is full of people like Joanne — people in whose lives such obedience in doing works of love and kindness is fleshed out. A friend of mine spends time helping a newly widowed lady get to appointments, shop etc. A retired dentist and his wife take a regular turn at working at the Salvation Army. These folks don't broadcast their commitments, probably don't even realize anyone is watching. But by their quiet example, they are accomplishing a double-whammy. They are serving others while stirring up onlookers, like me, to join them.

As Joanne says "There truly never is an end to what the Lord will do when we just take one step of obedience toward His will and His way" (quoted from a note at the back of the 2010 Shadow of His Wings calendar).

I ask myself, what will I do today in the department of "stirring up love and good deeds" in others? What will you?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the example of obedience and love I witness in many of the lives around me. Help me to obey Your nudges to serve and show love to those who cross my path today. Amen.

MORE: More goads
 Kathleen Gibson writes about the impact of the kind deeds and acts of love shown her and her family when her husband came down with West Nile after being bit by a mosquito in the summer of 2007. She says:

"In the midst of the maelstrom that the mosquito manufactured, and in its ongoing two-year aftermath, Rick and I have learned something we previously knew primarily from the other end: As Christians, we make an immense difference in the lives of people in crisis when we don't shun the small things we can do, because of the large things we can't.

What does that mean? It means we don't refuse to send a quick note or e-mail because we don't have time to write a long letter. It means we don't neglect sharing a wide smile just because we have nothing else to offer. Or forget about popping in for five minutes because we're too rushed to spend an hour." (Read entire "Time for a Little Good Press.")

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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 NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Ruled by kindness

Happy Mother's Day!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Proverbs 31:10-31

TO CHEW ON: "She opens her mouth with wisdom

And on her tongue is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31:26

The Proverbs 31 wife is a domestic virtuoso. She is a paragon of energy, industry, thrift, creativity, entrepreneurship, good management, and family loyalty. But the quality of hers that stands out for me, above all the rest, is her kindness.

Here is an exceptional woman, famous for her consistently kind speech. I love how the Bible writer puts it: "On her tongue is the law of kindness." The Message paraphrases: "When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly." What a model for us as women, wives, and mothers!

Of what does this law consist? A brief search of kindness in the Bible reveals:

• It is often reciprocal (Joshua 2:12 - Context: Rehab asks for kindness from the Israelites as repayment for her kindness to the spies - Joshua 2:1-21).

• It is related to graciousness, compassion (Psalm 112:4), mercy, humility, meekness, long-suffering (Colossians 3:12).

• It exhibits its feelings in "kindly affection" (Romans 2:12).

• It has a humble spirit that is considerate and "prefers" others (Romans 12:10).

• It involves forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32).

• Kindness is not something that just happens but something we "add" and work at with "diligence" (2 Peter 1:5-7).

I ask myself, if someone wrote about me in a Proverbs 31 way, would they say my tongue was governed by kindness? I know the answer. A little more adding and diligence is definitely in order. What about you?

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to work at kindness in deed and speech. May it be the law of my tongue. Amen.

MORE: Sayings about KINDNESS

"Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind."
—Henri Frederic Amiel

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." —Mother Teresa

"Always be a little kinder than necessary."
—James M. Barrie

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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 from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Generation Gap

Generation Gap - Image from xdmag at flickr

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Proverbs 30:7-19

TO CHEW ON: "There is a generation that curses its father,
And does not bless its mother." Proverbs 30:11


Agur, author of Proverbs 30, is a great counter and list-maker. He'd be a wonderful blogger with provocative titles like:
- Two things I want before I die - Proverbs 30:7-9.
- Four things that are never satisfied - Proverbs 30:15-16.
- Four things that mystify me - Proverbs 30:18-19.

… and what we're going to focus on today: "Four things that bug me about young people these days" - Proverbs 30:11-14.

Well, we don't actually know whether Agur was talking about only young people here. He begins each beef with the words, "There is a generation" implying that he's going to be naming a characteristic of people in a certain age range, and the first one seems to apply to people younger than he is.

The four things that annoy him:
1. Their disrespect for parents - Proverbs 30:11.
2. Their self-deception - Proverbs 30:12.
3. Their pride and vaulted opinions about themselves - Proverbs 30:13.
4. Their cruelty and lack of mercy toward the unfortunate - Proverbs 30:14.

Each one of us could probably make up our own list like this. And we might add other titles: Four things that bug me about my parent's generation or old people or young children. Agur only notes these generation gaps but doesn't propose any ways of dealing with them. How do we?

Concerning the gap between children and parents, the Bible has good advice for parents and caregivers:

• Each generation is responsible for the spiritual training of the next one - Deuteronomy 6:7, 20; Proverbs 22:6.

• We are responsible to pray for the next generation - Lamentations 2:19.

• We are to model kindness to our children - Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21.

• It's a parental duty to control the home and household—not give that control to the kids - 1 Timothy 3:4,12.

• Parents are to correct and discipline their children - Proverbs 3:12; 13:24; 22:15; 23:13.

Another bit of advice that comes to mind as I think of dealing with various types of gaps between myself and others is from Paul in Philippians 2:2-3:

"Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."

PRAYER: Dear God, when I recognize gaps of understanding, sympathy, and love between myself and others, please give me Your heart of empathy and love. 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.

Echoes of hospitality

Shunammite woman makes a room for Elisha

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 4:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "And she said to her husband, 'Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lamp stand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there."  2 Kings 4:9,10

 This Shunammite woman, who is never named, was generous and hospitable, particularly toward the things of God. She noticed this "holy man of God" (Elisha) and wanted to make a connection. Invitations to meals when he passed through Shunem led to B&B accommodation. What rewards she got for this!

• After Elisha asked how he could repay her (with no request on her part, but Elisha's servant Gehazi observing that she was childless), she and her husband had a son.

• Beyond the bounds of today's reading, her young son died. Then she went in desperation to the prophet and Elisha brought the boy back to life (2 Kings 4:18-37).

• Later Elisha warned her and her husband of a coming famine so they could move to a place where there was food (2 Kings 8:1,2).

• After seven years she and her family returned to Israel where, it appears someone had confiscated the family's property. She went to the king to ask that it be returned to them—and at exactly the time that Gehazi was telling him about Elisha raising her son from the dead. After that 'coincidence' how could the king not grant her request (2 Kings 8:3-6)?

Like the Shunammite woman, we have no idea the things we set in motion when we are generous and hospitable, in terms of rich relationships, future help, even God-engineered coincidences.

I like how David expresses this idea:

"Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious, You will show Yourself shrewd" - Psalm 18:25,26 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to nurture qualities of generosity and hospitality, not with a view to getting something in return but simply because these are things You value,. 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.

Kindness

Good Samaritan at the Inn - Alexandre Bida

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Galatians 5:7-26

TO CHEW ON: "But the fruit of the Spirit is … kindness" - Galatians 5:22

Tucked in amongst the heady graces of love, joy, peace, and faithfulness is common, everyday kindness.

My Bible's Word Wealth article defines it:
[Kindness  - chrestotes - is goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience.. The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities from the character of one under His control - Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled life Bible, p. 1638.]

This fruit-of-the-Spirit list is not the only place that kindness is prescribed and expected of God's people:

• The "upright" are described as "gracious and full of compassion" in Psalm 112:4.

• "What is desired in a man is kindness…" says wise Solomon - Proverbs 19:22.

• Paul includes kindness in several more of his instructions about the Christian life:

- "Be kindly affectionate to one another…" Romans 12:10.
- "Love … is kind …" - 1 Corinthians 13:4.
- "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another" - Ephesians 4:32.
- "… as the elect of God … put on … kindness" - Colossians 3:12.

What does kindness look like? Here are seven examples of kindness from the Bible:

1. It is taking the needy into one's home to feed and clothe them - Isaiah 58:7.
2. It is shown by how we ourselves speak and how we train our children. Proverbs describes the excellent wife: "She opens her mouth in wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue" - Proverbs 31:26 (NASB).
3. It is forgiveness. Joseph showed mercy and spoke kindly to his brothers who had sold him into slavery - Genesis 50:21.
4. It is standing up for the weak and picked on, as Moses did for the daughters of Jethro - Exodus 2:17.
5. It is a kept promise. David was kind to Mephibosheth, a descendant of Saul keeping his promise to his friend Jonathan - 2 Samuel 9:1.
6. It is gentleness with foreigners, shown in the way Boaz treated Ruth - Ruth 2:15,16.
7. It is getting involved, like the Good Samaritan cared for the beat-up traveler in Jesus' story - Luke 10:34.

I'm sure you get the idea…

Let's be on the lookout for opportunities to show kindness today—as we interact with family members, talk to each other in person, on the phone or online, drive, shop, eat out—whatever we do.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to forsake my brusque, demanding tendencies. I need You to keep sanding my abrasiveness of spirit to a smooth patina of kindness. Amen. 

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Zarephath Hospitality

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 17:1-24

TO CHEW ON: "So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Elijah." 1 Kings 17:15-16

God's response to Israel's wicked King Ahab was to whisper a prophetic message of no rain for three years in the ear of a man from Tishbe. That man, Elijah, delivered the message to the idolatrous king and then ran for his life. He eventually skipped the country to Sidon, where God told him he would find a widow to feed him.

Put yourself in the place of that woman. She was gathering fuel for the fire that would cook her last meal when this sight of a man approached her and asked not only for a drink but for food. The audacity! Yet, his promise (using words like "Thus says the Lord") that if she fed him, she would have a never-ending supply of food was attractive. What could it hurt? She took him in.

I am impressed with her hospitality. In our society of panhandlers and people living on the street, can you picture yourself doing the same? Of course there is a level of hospitality -- extending the generosity of our home to those we know -- that is safer. But do we even do that? Do we invite our friends from church, the folks we meet while delivering our kids to school, our neighbours, over for a meal or coffee? Do we even take the time to stop and chat (the first step of hospitality: giving a few minutes of our time, attention and interest)?

The story of Elijah and the widow isn't finished, though. One day her son became ill and died. "Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?" the grief-stricken woman sobbed.

Elijah went to the room where the child was laid out. There he pleaded with God for the child's life -- and the boy revived.

Here we see another thing about hospitality. It boomerangs back on us in blessings, usually greater in number and scope than we ever gave out in the first place. I wonder if that widow ever pondered on the consequences to her and her son if she hadn't taken Elijah in.

Karen Burton Mains in her book Open Heart, Open Home tells of a period of time their home was hounded by problem after problem. That year she experienced firsthand the fruits of the hospitality lifestyle she had advocated and modelled in front of their parishioners. Here is her paraphrase of Matthew 25:31-4.

"For I was weary, and they dusted and cleaned and scrubbed and laundered.


For I was fatherless…and they tilled his soil with me in our helpless womanity, praying over the man-sized gas cultivator and stubbornly willing it to do a week's work in a day.


For I was hungry, and they brought stews of the products of the good earth, and hand-kneaded bread, and apple pies from the fruit of the backyard trees...

and she goes on, ending:

Yea, as they did this all for me, they did it unto Him who sent me."


Open Heart, Open Home: The Hospitable Way to Make Others Feel Welcome & Wanted by Karen Burton Mains p. 120-121 (1976 edition).

PRAYER: Dear God, please grow a hospitable spirit in me. May I be a conduit through which Your blessings can flow to others, and to which Your blessings will flow from others to me. Amen.

MORE: Hospitality resources

Links to articles for those interested in International Student Ministry (e.g. hosting an international student in your home).

The book I quote above, Open Heart, Open Home by Karen Mains has been republished in 2002 (my copy is dated 1976).

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

God's three requirements

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "He has shown you, O man what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
- Micah 6:8

Micah's exaggeration in the verse just before today's focus verse is almost humorous:

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?"

But the next item is no grinning matter:

"Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression
The fruit of my body for the sins of my soul?"

Micah, using exaggeration, is asking, if the extreme sacrifice of one's own child isn't enough to please God, what is? A footnote article in my Bible tells us about the demands of the law:

"The rabbis analyzed the law and found 613 precepts. Those are reduced to eleven principles in Psalm 15, and down to six commands in Isaiah 33:15. But here they have been condensed into three:
1] Remain just / right in all you do.
2] Cherish compassionate kindness and faithfulness.
3] Commit yourself to live in submission to your God" - William S.Elijahson, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1210.

Micah is saying that no sacrifice is big enough if the heart is wrong. And a right heart is shown in three simple things: justice, mercy and a humble day-to-day walk with God.

Living with such attitudes is no easier for us now than it was for the Israelites in Micah's day. How can I show (or fail to show) a heart of justice, mercy and humility if:

• I lightly scrape someone's car in a parking lot. The owner is no where around.

• The telemarketer who always calls around dinner time is on the phone again.

• My life takes a path I never envisioned. It includes sickness, heartache and disappointment.

PRAYER: Dear God, please engrave the attitudes of justice, mercy and humble relinquishment on my heart. Help me to not only say 'Yes, yes' with my mouth, but to live out these attitudes when I'm tempted to be dishonest, unkind, bitter or rebellious. Amen.

MORE: It's practical

"The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit Divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God's life in us expresses itself as God's life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian is that the supernatural is made natural in him by the grace of God, and the experience of this works out in the practical details of life, not in times of communion with God."

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, September 20.

God's three requirements

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "He has shown you, O man what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
- Micah 6:8

Micah's exaggeration in the verse just before today's focus verse is almost humorous:

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?"

But the next item is no grinning matter:

"Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression
The fruit of my body for the sins of my soul?"

Micah, using exaggeration, is asking, if the extreme sacrifice of one's own child isn't enough to please God, what is? A footnote article in my Bible tells us about the demands of the law:

"The rabbis analyzed the law and found 613 precepts. Those are reduced to eleven principles in Psalm 15, and down to six commands in Isaiah 33:15. But here they have been condensed into three:
1] Remain just / right in all you do.
2] Cherish compassionate kindness and faithfulness.
3] Commit yourself to live in submission to your God" - New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1210.

Micah is saying that no sacrifice is big enough if the heart is wrong. And a right heart is shown in three simple things: justice, mercy and a humble day-to-day walk with God.

Living with such attitudes is no easier for us now than it was for the Israelites in Micah's day. How can I show (or fail to show) a heart of justice, mercy and humility if:

• I lightly scrape someone's car in a parking lot. The owner is no where around.

• The telemarketer who always calls around dinner time is on the phone again.

• My life takes a path I never envisioned. It includes sickness, heartache and disappointment.

PRAYER: Dear God, please engrave the attitudes of justice, mercy and humble relinquishment on my heart. Help me to not only say 'Yes, yes' with my mouth, but to live out these attitudes when I'm tempted to be dishonest, unkind, bitter or rebellious. Amen.

MORE: It's practical

"The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit Divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God's life in us expresses itself as God's life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian is that the supernatural is made natural in him by the grace of God, and the experience of this works out in the practical details of life, not in times of communion with God."

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, September 20.