Be still; know God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 17-18;  Psalm 46
 
TO CHEW ON:"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble...
Be still and know that I am God..."Psalm 46:1,10a


Someone from the Sons of Korah wrote Psalm 46 to encourage and give hope to people who were in trouble. By the things the psalmist mentions it seems the trouble was war with another nation. The writer begins with a declaration about who God is:

"God is our refuge  — shelter, protection, fortress, hope, place of trust — and our strength  — power, security — in trouble" 

He reminds the people about the security of the city (Psalm 46:4-5). It has an underground stream that provides water even if the city's main water supply is cut off by siege. (Though there is no actual river flowing through Jerusalem, "...it is believed by many that there is a subterranean water supply that is the source of various fountains and pools in Jerusalem" New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 723.) God's presence in her makes her unshakeable in case of battering. He will help her at sunrise, which is a likely time for the enemy to attack.

He says more about the identity of God (Psalm 46:7-9). He calls Him Yahweh Sabaoth — the Lord of Hosts. Remember the story of Elisha in a city besieged by  Syria's army? In the morning, Elisha's servant saw the army and was afraid. But Elisha drew his attention to another army — an army of heavenly hosts: "Do not fear for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" - 2 Kings 6:8-17.

He also calls God the "God of Jacob." This reminds them of their history with God when, in the past, He preserved their forefather Jacob and his descendants. 

In the light of all this, God Himself steps to the mic, telling the readers/listeners: "Be still and know that I am God."

The comment writer of my Bible suggests this is "God addressing the wicked warring nations." That may be so. But I think God is also addressing the worried, wailing people. He tells them to still the fearful voices around them and in their own heads, perhaps even to shush their own ideas and suggestions to God about how He could help them.

We may not be living in a city surrounded by an enemy army but our lives can feel just as attacked. Circumstances, demands of home, family and church, sickness, sandwich pressures (simultaneously looking after kids and parents), the clamor around us (internet, TV, radio, the constant demands of social networking via the phone, Facebook, Twitter) can make a mighty din, causing us stress, anxiety and fear.

At such times, let's use the encouragements of Psalm 46. We can:

• Know our God — a shelter, strength, the Lord of Hosts.

• Remember our history with God. ("He is the God of ___" [insert your name here]).

• Drink from the river that flows within — get strength from the Bible and the Holy Spirit's application of what we read.

• Be still — turn off the noise in our environment, refuse to listen to the chatter in our heads, even silence our own suggestions to God while we wait for His solutions (Exodus 14:13-14).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to take advantage of what is available in You when I'm feeling stressed, anxious, surrounded by demands, or trouble. Help me to be still and wait for You to work.  Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 46

************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.

The most profound miracle and mystery of the universe

"The Child Jesus" - Alexandre Bida

For the next week, we're going to take a Christmas break from our Bible reading schedule to focus on Christmas and the Christmas story.

(We'll still make it reading through the Bible this year, as the schedule we're following has one week of grace built into it!)


TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 85:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "Mercy and truth have met together,
Righteousness and peace have kissed." Psalm 85:10


This meeting of mercy and truth, righteousness and peace playing out in the incarnation has fascinated philosophers and theologians ever since there have been such people. They have tried to understand how it works, argued over its fine points, and parted ways over differences of belief. It is really the point of the whole Bible—the Gospel, good news.  I love how Wayne Grudem sums it up at the end of the chapter "The Person of Christ" in his Systematic Theology:

"It (the incarnation) is by far the most amazing miracle of the entire Bible—far more amazing than the resurrection and more amazing even than the creation of the universe. The fact that the infinite, omnipotent, eternal Son of God could become man and join himself to a human  nature forever, so that infinite God became one person with finite man, will remain for eternity the most profound miracle and the most profound mystery in all the universe" - p. 563.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this mystery and miracle and what it means for me: I have Your mercy, I have peace with You. Thank You!

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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.

Things that build up

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 9-10; Psalm 145


TO CHEW ON: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify." 1 Corinthians 18:23

We have dwelt in the past on how we as Christians may have freedoms which we intentionally restrict in order to help and not hinder or offend others. Today, let's change our focus from what we shouldn't do to what we should. Let's look at the things that "edify."

[The word edify transliterated oikodomeo, is a word for building. It is used here in the metaphorical sense for the construction and well-being of the church. Used this way it means "to found, establish; to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue' to grow in wisdom and piety."]

Edify used in this way appears often in the New Testament. As I look through verses that speak of it, I see them fitting into two categories:

1. How we are edified

• Through God's word. Paul's parting speech to the elders at Ephesis brings this out: "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up…" Acts 20:32.

• Through church leaders. Again and again the visits of the early church leaders to the various congregation are described as edifying, or building up: Acts 14:22; 15:32,41; 18:23,27.

• Our leaders' authority is for our edification - 2 Corinthians 10:8.

• We're edified through the different roles in which they come to us, such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - Ephesians 14:12,29

• Even their scoldings and rebukes are meant to build us up—as Paul assured the Corinthians - 2 Corinthians 13:10.

2. How we edify others:

• Like the early church did to grow, we walk "… in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit" - Acts 9:31. This works itself out in many practical ways:

• We pursue harmony and peace - Romans 14:19.

• We comfort each other - 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

• We seek to please our neighbors and pursue their well-being - Romans 15:2; 1 Corinthians 10:24 (part of our reading).

• We use our spiritual gifts - 1 Corinthians 14:3, 12.

• We take part in corporate worship: "… Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" - 1 Corinthians 14:26.

• We love - 1 Corinthians 8:1.

Today, let's focus on building others up and being built up through God's word and the Christian community, rather than how close we can live to the line of things that are not lawful or edifying. 

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the reach means of edification we have in You and through the church. Help me to build up others today. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 145

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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.

Good news of PEACE

Bible journaling - Isaiah 26:3 (V.Nesdoly)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nahum 1-3; Psalm 132

TO CHEW ON: “Behold on the mountains
The feet of him who brings good tidings,
Who proclaims peace!” - Nahum 1:15

The book of Nahum delivers one main prophecy—the defeat of Nineveh (the capital of Assyria). Quoting from my study Bible’s introduction to the book:

“The kingdom of the Assyrians, with their capital at Nineveh, had been a thriving nation for centuries by the time Nahum appeared on the scene. … Ancient documents attest to the cruelty of the Assyrians against other nations. Assyrian kings boast of their savagery, celebrating the abuse and torture they inflicted on conquered peoples” - Timothy Mark Powell, “Introduction to Nahum,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1214.

The introduction to Nahum goes on to describe how the prediction of Nineveh’s doom was a consoling message to Judah (Nahum 1:15). But how does this little book relate to us?

Nahum speaks of God’s ability and desire to judge wickedness—personified in this book by Nineveh. The book’s introduction goes on:

“Nineveh was indeed destroyed, but that partial and temporary defeat of evil awaited the complete and permanent conquest that would come only through Jesus Christ” - Op. Cit, p. 1215.

Nahum alludes to the messenger who brings that message of peace in Nahum 1:15 (as does Isaiah in Isaiah 52:7). His words bring to mind a chorus of Handel’s Messiah that we often perform or listen to during the Christmas season.



"How beautiful are the feet"





What message does that mountain messenger bring?

News of Peace

[Peace: shalom: Completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, prosperity, fullness, rest, harmony … shalom is much more than the absence of war and conflict; it is the wholeness that the entire race seeks” - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1218.]

In our world of personal and interpersonal, national and international conflict, isn’t shalom what we long for—for ourselves, our families, neighbourhoods, our nation, our world?

Where is that peace found but in Jesus (John 14:27)?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you for these Old Testament prophets who point us to You in whom we find peace for ourselves and learn peace with each other. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 132

The Bible Project VIDEO: Nahum (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.

Peace—future and now

Mural - Vernon, BC

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:1-5:1

TO CHEW ON: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days....

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore." Micah 4:1, 4

Peace. It's another prophecy for end times.

It's not clear—and Bible scholars don't agree on—whether Micah's prophecy signifies the peace after a war where the combatants have gone back to fighting with literal swords and shields or whether the meaning of "...beat their swords into plowshares / And their spear into pruning hooks" is symbolic. The scene of weapons, whatever they are, turned into farming tools and people peaceful and secure on their own property is wonderful in any case.

However, this is a prophecy that will be fulfilled not only someday on earth as nations live side by side in peace. For peace is a key ingredient in the Kingdom of God. It can rule us right now as we cultivate:

Peaceful reaction:
Jesus' instructions to people when they were mistreated was to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39-42), and to love one's enemies (Matthew 5:44-48).

Peaceful interaction:
Luke's description of the early church shows us a wonderful ideal of harmony between Christians: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul..." Acts 4:32.

Inner peace:

• We have peace with God (Romans 5:1) because we were made right (reconciled) with Him through Jesus' death (Colossians 1:20).
• This peace is available for everyone and anyone, whatever their race or nationality (Acts 10:35-36).
• When we receive Jesus, His Spirit comes to live in us and teach us in all His ways, including the ways of peace (John 14:26-27).
• One fruit of the Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:220.

Have we taken advantage of that peace? We can live at peace with God, our fellow Christians, even our enemies!

PRAYER: Dear God, I love the picture of weapons being turned into tools of nurture and fruitfulness. Please help me to be an eager pupil in the ways of peace. Amen.

MORE: Remembrance Day

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day in Canada.  We remember in ceremonies at cenotaphs (or watching on TV) with prayers, readings, laying wreaths, and observing a minute of silence.  In this way we honor the people, dead and alive, who fought against tyranny and oppression in World Wars I, II, the Korean War, and those who are currently active in the Middle East and international peace-keeping missions.

The Remembrance Day mural is a photograph of one of Vernon B.C.'s historical street murals painted by Michelle Loughery & team.




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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.

Care-less living

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 26:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because He trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

If you've been around the Bible for a while, you probably have this little gem of a verse (Isaiah 26:3) safely tucked into your memory. Spending a few minutes this morning digging into its corners, I see again why it is so popular. For it is powerful in its delivery of four big truths:

1. We can have an all-encompassing peace - "You will keep him in perfect peace…"
Isaiah describes the peace God gives as "perfect." [What a rich word peace is: (shalom) bodily soundness, welfare, prosperity, contentment, peace of relationships and more.] My Bible's study notes explain: "Perfect peace is expressed in Hebrew as shalom, shalom. … You will keep him in everything the word implies: health, happiness, well-being" - Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible. p.901.

2. But this peace is promised only when our mind … - "… whose mind…"
The word for mind here is not the most common "mind" word. [Mind (yetser) means form, framework, creative imagination, intellectual framework.] What Isaiah is saying is that the person whose intellectual framework and creative imagination is founded on God will have the above peace. I like how the Amplified Bible clarifies this: "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You" - Isaiah 26:3 AMP.

3. …assumes a necessary posture - "… is stayed on You…"
Having a mind stayed on God doesn't mean we're thinking about God all day long. Rather, stayed refers to the mind's posture. Some versions translate stayed as steadfast: "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace …" NASB. [Stayed or steadfast (samak) means leans, lays, rests and braces oneself.] Therefore that mind of ours needs to lean, lay, rest, and brace itself on God (not public opinion, the news, the state of our health, not even our own common sense).

4. The result is care-less living - "…Because he trusts in You."
That peace we talked about in #1 results when we live a life of trust [trust (batach) have confidence, be secure, safe, careless] in God.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to lean on You so completely today that peace, not care, will fill my day. Amen.

MORE: Feast for All Faithful Departed

Today the church remembers those who have died in the "Feast of All Faithful Departed." The liturgy for the day begins with this collect:

"O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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)

Happy 150th Birthday Canada!

My patriotic planter

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 72:1-20

TO CHEW ON: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 72:8

Today is Canada’s 150th birthday! That’s the reason I diverge from the suggested Canadian Bible Society reading to suggest, instead, Psalm 72. For Psalm 72 played a big part in Canada’s history.

“When the fathers of confederation were assembled discussing the terms and conditions of Confederation and the drafting of the British North America Act there had been considerable discussion the day before and many suggestions as to what the new United Canada should be called, and no conclusion had been reached. The discussion on the name stood over until the next day. The next morning, as was Sir Leonard (Tilley)’s custom, he read a chapter from the Bible and that particular morning he read Psalm 72. When reading verse eight of the said Psalm, 'He shall have Dominion also from sea to sea'—the thought occurred to him, what a splendid name to give Canada. When he went back to the sitting of the convention that morning he suggested the word 'Dominion,' which was agreed to, and Canada was called the 'Dominion of Canada'” - Michael Clarke, in Canada, Portraits of Faith, p. 61.

Let’s take a moment to look at Leonard Tilley (1818-1896).

This pharmacist entered public life in support of the temperance movement (after seeing a young mother murdered by her drunken husband). He eventually served as Premier of New Brunswick, navigating the province into the new union that became Canada. He also helped write the British North America Act.

He came to faith at 21, was active in the Church of England, and stood firm in his convictions on temperance, proposing and passing a bill against alcohol in New Brunswick which resulted in insults and attack: “… burned in effigy, his house attacked, his life threatened, he never flinched” - Michael Clarke, source as above.

Later he became a federal Minister of Customs in John A. MacDonald’s government. When that government fell under charges of corruption, Tilley was not one of the guilty.

I find many points of inspiration for us 21st century Canadians in Tilley’s story.

• His social concerns increased his influence as he supported his convictions about temperance with action.

• He wasn’t swayed from his principled stand by insults, threats, intimidation, and attack.

• When in federal politics he didn’t join in the corruption.

• His faith remained simple and practical. It included reading the Bible every day and paying attention to what it said to the extent of applying its words and ideas to everyday challenges.

It’s easy to think that life in Canada 150 years ago was a piece of cake for people of faith. Mr. Tilley’s story helps us see that wasn’t the case. Let’s continue supporting our beloved Dominion of Canada with Bible-based faith, prayer, and action.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Canada! I pray for my homeland today, that You would bless her with righteousness, justice, and peace (Psalm 72:2,3). Help her to continue to experience Your blessings of flourishing and abundance (Psalm 72:6,7,15,16). May she become more of a haven for the poor and needy (Psalm 72:4). May the fear of God grow in Canada (Psalm 72:5). Help her to be a place on earth that is filled with Your glory (Psalm 72:9). May You truly have dominion in Canada from sea to sea (Psalm 72:8). 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.

The Lord of storms

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 29:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “The LORD sits enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:10,11

In Psalm 29 God is pictured as a storm-bringer. There is noise: “thunder” and a powerful “voice.” There is destruction: the storm “breaks the cedars” and makes them “skip.” It “shakes the wilderness” and even causes the deer to give birth prematurely.

The writer of my Bible’s notes says about this passage:

“Poetically the psalmist refers to an earthquake or thunderous quake in the Lebanon mountain range and at Sirion (Mt. Herman) which splinters the biggest trees, the mighty cedars, as if they were matchsticks” - K.R. Iverson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 707.

What interests me about this storm, though, is the way the psalmist (David) sees God through it. He sees God not as pagan peoples did—a deity who needed to be placated to stop the storm (Jonah 1:4,5,6)—but as lord over it, commanding it.

We can conclude David trusted God, even His stormy side, because of the way he ended this psalm:

“The LORD will give strength to His people.
The LORD will bless His people with peace” - Psalm 29:11.

I ask myself can I, can we learn to trust God in storms—the physical and the circumstantial—like that? Do we still believe in Him, in His love, righteousness, and justice toward us when the house is torn apart in a hurricane or when our lives are torn apart by cancer, a stroke, or heart attack? It’s easy to proclaim to someone else: “The Lord will give you strength and peace.”  But how does one actually experience it?

Perhaps one way is to prepare to trust Him in big storms by building our trust muscles now, as we exercise them in the little storms we face each day.

PRAYER: Dear Father, these sentiments—God will give you strength and peace—are easy to speak when I’m in the calm. Help me to grow in trust as I lean on You daily in the small storms that come my way. 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 peace—a guard and regulator

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Philippians 4:2-9

TO CHEW ON: "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7


If I were asked to choose a life verse or verses, today's focus passage would be it. I don't know how many times I've quoted Philippians 4:6,7 to settle myself and turn my sites from the thing that is making me anxious, to Jesus. As I commit that thing to Him with thanks for His answer (yes, before it comes) I can take a deep breath and let the "peace of God" replace frenetic, gnawing, debilitating worry in my spirit.

What are the mechanics of God's peace replacing anxiety? Two words give insight into how it works.

"... the peace of God ... will GUARD your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.

[Guard - phoureo  is a military term that pictures a sentry standing guard as protection against the enemy - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1763.]

God's peace is that soldier that stands guard at the entry-way to our hearts and thus our minds.

A cross-reference to Philippians 4:7 in my Bible is Colossians 3:15: "And let the peace of God RULE in your hearts."

[Rule - brabeuo means to act as umpire, to direct, control, rule, regulate, arbitrate, decide, determine.]

A while ago ago at my church the speaker told the story of when he and his wife lived in their recreational vehicle for a time. One morning he was catching just a few more winks when his wife's voice from the shower cut into his dreams. "Ken! The hose has a hernia!"

"It'll be okay," he muttered, half-asleep.

"Please. Come here!" Now there was great urgency in her voice.

He got up to find the shower hose hissing and writhing about like an out-of-control snake, spewing water everywhere. He turned off the water and subdued the "snake." Then, before they used the shower again, he installed a regulator—a device that toned down the force of the water which came from the city water lines with too much power for the RVs plumbing.

"That's how God's peace works in our hearts," he said. He explained how the raw emotions generated by the news, politics, interactions with our spouse, our children, our neighbors, etc. are like that gush of city water. God's peace—brought by the knowledge that He is in control and we've committed everything to Him—regulates us so that we don't go thrashing about like that water hose, controlled by our reaction to circumstances.

So today, whenever something troubling comes along, let's let God's peace stand guard over our hearts and regulate our reactions.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to appropriate Your peace for every disturbing bit of news, circumstance, and interaction today. 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.

Pictures of peace

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 2:1-5

TO CHEW ON: “He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war any more.” Isaiah 2:4

The picture of peace Isaiah paints here, of weapons being softened and hammered into tools for farming, expresses the longing in many a human heart. I can only imagine how the citizens of Aleppo and Mosul would welcome such a thing.

The theme of a coming time of peace runs through the prophets’ writings. I’m quoting the passages today, so this post is a bit long, but I think you'll be thrilled at the beautiful pictures of peace here.

There are prophecies of peace coming as a consequence of fearing and honoring God:

• Psalm 46:9,10:

'He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
 He burns the chariot in the fire. 

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!'

• Psalm 72:5-7 - a psalm-prayer of Solomon:

"They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations. 

"He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth. 

In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more."

• Psalm 85:9,10

"Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together;
 Righteousness and peace have kissed."

• Psalm 147:11,14:

"The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy…

"He makes peace in your borders,
And fills you with the finest wheat."

There are prophecies of the possibility of peace associated with the kingdom of the Child:

• Isaiah 9:6,7:

"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end."

• Isaiah 11:1,6-9 (the pictures of peace here also resemble the distant, end-time peace of Isaiah 65 below):

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots…

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them. 

"The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

"The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 

"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea."

• Isaiah 33:17,20

"Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off…

"Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home..."

• Zechariah 9:9,10:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey. 

"I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’"

And there are prophecies that look forward to a  seemingly distant, end-time period of peace.

• Isaiah 2:1-5 - Our reading of Isaiah 2:1-5, which begins: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days..." would be in that category.

• Isaiah 65:11,25:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind….

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord."

• Micah 4:1,4

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it….

"But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken."

But is there any hope for peace now? Well, yes. Paul gives Timothy some down-to-earth advice about peace in the present in 2 Timothy 2:1,2:

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 

"for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence."

PRAYER: Dear Father, our beleaguered world longs for the pictures of peace painted by Bible writers, to become reality. Help me to do all I can now to bring peace to my little corner of time and space. 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.

Home from far countries

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 32:36-44

TO CHEW ON: "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them." Jeremiah 32:38,39

Jeremiah's buying of a field at a time of any-day-now Babylonian invasion and takeover is symbolic. God spells out what it signifies:

- A time when Israel will return physically to her homeland - Jeremiah 32:37.
- A time when Israel will return spiritually to Him - Jeremiah 32:38.
- A time of peace and unity among them - Jeremiah 32:39.
- A time when they again obey God - "fear Me forever" - Jeremiah 32:39.
- A time of hope and favor - Jeremiah 32:40,41.

I relate this passage to circumstances we may want changed in our lives. Whether we long to see changes in our physical state (where we live, how poor or wealthy we are, the state of our health, the job we have), or relationships (with family, co-workers, neighbours, within the church), I would suggesst that a change in circumstance may go hand-in-hand with making a spiritual change. Indeed, the spiritual change may need to come before the physical change, as it did in Jesus' story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

In fact, that spiritual softening, turning, and relinquishing details of our situation to Him may bring us out of that far country to a place where we again feel hope and His rejoicing over us even though nothing has changed outwardly.

PRAYER: Dear Father, when I find myself in difficult circumstances and feeling distant from You, please draw me and give me the will and way to come back to You. 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.

Panic or pistis?

Image: Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 8:4-25

TO CHEW ON: "And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing!' Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?'" Luke 8:24,25

I can totally relate to the disciples. Though my storms aren't always physical (they can include things like relationship problems, unexpected expenses, family crises, as well as the physical stuff of accidents, sicknesses and acts-of-nature emergencies) they feel as threatening to my life and person as the squall on Galilee felt to the disciples.

Jesus' answer to the disciples' panic was a simple question: "'Where is your faith?'" It implies that faith was the key to their peace of mind.

A "Word Wealth" article in my Bible explains the Greek word pistis used for faith here: "Conviction, confidence, trust, belief, reliance, trustworthiness, and persuasion. In the N.T. setting pistis is the divinely implanted principle of inward confidence, assurance, trust, and reliance in God and all that He says" - Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1372.

It seems that Jesus expected the disciples to be familiar with God and His promises, and to trust Him.

Could that also be the secret to our peace of mind in the middle of our life storms? Faith? It means we need to have two simple things:
 
1] A knowledge of God and His promises.

2] Faith that He will keep His word.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to trust You and Your good intentions toward me and those I love. May my trust be so strong that it overwhelms the panic that naturally arises when I'm in life's storms. 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.

What we give and what He gives back

"The Blessing" - Image: pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 14:15-31

TO CHEW ON: "'If you love Me, keep My commandments.'" John 14:15

Like all relationships, ours with Jesus is a two-way street. The more we are loyal to Him, the more of Himself He gives to us. Jesus talks about many aspects of what we give and He gives back in John 14.

• We love Jesus and keep His commandments.
• He gives the Helper who illuminates truth and lives with us and in us. The Helper also teaches us and helps us remember things - John 14:16-18, 26.

• We love Jesus and keep His commandments
• We are loved by the Father and will become aware of Jesus in new ways - "'I will love Him and manifest myself to Him'" - John 14:21 (emphasis added).

• We love Jesus and Keep His word.
• The Father loves us and "'We [the Father, Son and Helper—Holy Spirit] will  come to him and make Our home with him'" - John 14:23.

• Jesus leaves us with peace - John 14:27.

I want that sweet, close, everyday friendship. I want the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as my housemates. I want the Helper as my teacher. I want peace.

You too?

Then let's play our part in this relationship by loving Jesus, by keeping His word, and by staying teachable and loyal to Him above all else.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I hold close these, Your tender last words to the disciples. I want to do my part in maintaining our relationship. Please help 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.

Peace

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 20:19-31


TO CHEW ON: "'Peace be with you....Peace to you!....Peace to you!'" John 20:19,21,26

The peace symbol of the 60s had a subversive message. The U.S. was at war with Vietnam at the time and the peace symbol was in many ways a protest against that war. You wore it around your neck or painted it on your VW as a way of saying you didn't like what your government was doing.

In a way Jesus' pronouncement of peace is just as subversive. He is saying, even though things look bad, even though you disciples have made yourselves some powerful enemies, everything is okay.

Why could He say that?

Because He had settled once and for all the sin issue for them and all mankind. The most important peace there is—peace with God—was now available for them, as it is available for us now.

We know that their lives after the resurrection were anything but peaceful outwardly. They were made fun of, called names, persecuted, arrested, driven from their homes. Yet from this time on the blessing and benediction of "Peace" is sprinkled throughout the New Testament (Ephesians 6:23; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; 1 Peter 5:14).

A lack of outward peace may also be our situation. But to us too, Jesus comes saying "Peace be with you! Peace to you... Peace to you." Why? Because we are completely secure in His love. Read what Paul says to the Christians in Rome:

"Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own?

No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:32-39 NLT

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for making a way for us to have peace with God. Help me to experience this peace at a heart level as I trust in You to work everything out in my life for Your good purposes.

MORE: '... a gracious benediction of peace"

"Are you looking unto Jesus now, in the immediate matter that is pressing and receiving from Him peace? If so, He will be a gracious benediction of peace in and through you. But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get. We get disturbed because we have not been considering Him. When one confers with Jesus Christ the perplexity goes, because He has no perplexity, and our only concern is to abide in Him. Lay it all out before Him, and in the face of difficulty, bereavement and sorrow, hear Him say, "Let not your heart be troubled" - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest August 26 reading.

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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 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.

What a teacher!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 24:33-53

TO CHEW ON: “And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45


The resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples numerous times. Their conflicted states of mind when they saw Him are evident by His words to them: “Peace to you,” “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?” He knew they needed convincing that He really was Jesus. And they needed an understanding of the meaning of His life and death. They had had the right idea of His identity (Messiah) but the wrong idea of what kind of kingdom He would establish and how He would do it.

Jesus taught them how His life and death fulfilled plans of a kingdom way bigger than any they had imagined – one that would encompass “all nations” Luke 24:47. He showed them how it was all there, in the prophetic Old Testament Scriptures. His explanation helped them 'get it.'

Still today we have blind spots about what God’s plan is about. Various teachers get on their various hobby horses to expound their views of how it works. Emphasis on certain Bible passages can lead to beliefs that the Gospel is mainly about personal prosperity or gaining God’s favor by living a prescribed outward lifestyle. Putting faith in human ideas that seem to make more sense than God’s, can lead to a lopsided gospel that focuses on God’s mercy and grace to the exclusion of His holiness, righteousness and justice.

How can we know that what we believe is truth? I would suggest three principles - two of them modeled by Jesus in this passage:

1. Jesus used the Scriptures. In His time this was the writings of the patriarchs and prophets. He frequently quoted the Psalms, Isaiah and other writers. God’s truth is based on the Scriptures and that means all of it, not just proof texts.

2. We need God as our teacher. Here the disciples’ teacher was Jesus - God the Son. Our teacher, now that Jesus has ascended to heaven, is God the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13; John 14: 16-17, 26)

3. We need to line up our lives with what we know; the word for that would be obedience. Romans 1 gives us a sobering picture of what happens to our “understanding” when we live in disobedience.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, please open my understanding to comprehend God's plan and my part in it. Then fill me with the power to share it with others.

MORE: I believe that two ways the Holy Spirit uses to teach us what the Bible means is through the use of our own common sense and  the wisdom of others. An article titled “22 Principles of Biblical Interpretation: How to Eliminate Apparent Bible Contradictions” begins:

“One of the major reasons why people have different ideas concerning what the Bible says is that they use different rules or standards for interpreting it. We believe that the following principles, called “canons of interpretation” are essential to understand and apply if there is to be any hope of Christians getting to the truth when they read the Bible.”

It suggests some excellent principles to use when interpreting the Bible.

"22 Principles of Biblical Interpretation: How to Eliminate Apparent Bible Contradictions" 

Are there any of these principles with which you disagree?

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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.

Jesus is our peace

Image: Bessi / Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ephesians 2:11-22

TO CHEW ON: "For He Himself is our peace." Ephesians 2:14

If there is one Christmas wish I heard over and over during the season just past, it was the longing for peace. The current world situation with its lack of peace only makes that longing stronger.

Perhaps that's why Paul's simple statement, "He Himself is our peace" catches my attention. How is Jesus my peace? Your peace?

He is the peace between the Jews and Gentiles.
In the Jewish culture, the Jews were in with God, the Gentiles were out. This whole part of Ephesians is about Jesus obliterating that racial division and bringing peace between Jews and Gentiles: "His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace" - Ephesians 2:15 NIV.

He is the peace between God and all mankind through His blood.
"… and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" - Colossians 1:20 NIV.

He is the embodiment and personification of peace.
That's one of His names: "Prince of peace" - Isaiah 9:6.

And how do we access the peace He represents to make it personal, our very own? Through communion with Him in prayer, petition and thanksgiving:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:6,7 (emphasis added).

"The result of prayer is God's gift of peace, namely the secure confidence that God is sovereign and loving" - NIV Study Bible, Kindle Location 275,793 (emphasis added).

Let's live today in the peace that Jesus gives—that peace that makes us friends with God, that transcends the divisions of culture and race, and that absorbs the problems of this world and the hassles of life.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, when I'm troubled, please remind me of the peace that's available to me as I put my trust in Your sovereignty 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.

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.

Divine Favor

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 60:1-22

 TO CHEW ON: "For behold darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you." Isaiah 60:2

On first reading this morning,  Isaiah 60:1-22 took my breath away. What is this? When is this?

My Bible's notes explain, cryptically, "While these glowing prophetic promises of restoration would bring hope to Israel in captivity, the fullest unfolding is messianic and eschatological" - Nathaneal M. Van Cleave, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 944.

["Eschatology: the branch of Christian theology that studies 'end things' whether the end of an individual life, the end of an age, the end of the world, and the nature of the Kingdom of God" - Dictionary definition.]

So yes, that makes sense. This prophecy foresees not only a time in Israel's history near to the prophet's lifetime, but also predicts end-time events concerning Israel and Jerusalem.

For me personally, though, this passage is a full-color illustration of what God's favor looks like at any time. (In fact, in her book of Scripture prayers Praying with Fire, Barbara Billette quotes freely from Isaiah 60 in her prayer for favor.)

According to Isaiah 60, God's favor:

• Brings light - Isaiah 60:1,19,20.

• Causes His glory to be seen upon the favored - Isaiah 60:2.

• Is a magnetic attraction - Isaiah 60:3.

• Unites and reunites families - Isaiah 60:4.

• Attracts wealth - Isaiah 60:5-9,11,16,17.

• Advances peace and security - Isaiah 60:10-12, 14, 18

• Exalts and builds up what is worthy of God's glory - "My sanctuary" and "The city of the Lord / Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Jerusalem) - Isaiah 60:13,14.

• Brings joy - Isaiah 60:20.

• Comes with unlikely reversal: "A little one shall become a thousand, / And a small one a strong nation" - Isaiah 60:22.

What's the point of all this favor? To benefit the individual or nation favored? No. It's all to serve God's glory: "That I may be glorified" - Isaiah 60:21.

As we enter the new year, I don't think we're one bit out of line to pray for the favor shown in Isaiah 60 to be on our lives. But to always do so with one and only one motive—to advance the glory of the all-good, fair, all-seeing, just, loving One, the LORD in whom is not an atom of evil.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this vivid picture of Your favor. May I so live in the coming year that Your glory and favor rests on 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.

Full of goodness

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 15:14-30

TO CHEW ON: "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness...." Romans 15:14a


A while ago I read a novel in which a young woman mysteriously drops out of university and takes up mute panhandling on the streets of Toronto. Through summer and winter she wears gloves on her hands and on her chest a felt-penned sign that says "GOODNESS."

Her family is mystified. They take care of her as in bringing her packages of food and clothes, though it appears she gives most of these things away. Her mother puzzles over especially that "Goodness" sign. What can it mean?

It turns out (SPOILER ALERT for Unless by Carol Shields) the girl was on scene when a young Muslim woman poured fuel over her body and lit herself on fire. Our young heroine tried to beat out the flames, got seriously burnt (thus the gloves) and was so traumatized by the incident, checked herself out of the ER and took up residence on the street in silent and passive protest (as her mother interprets it) to the state and treatment of women in this world.

The word goodness that Paul uses here (agathosune) means ["Beneficence, kindness, in actual manifestation, virtue, equipped for action, a bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good, intrinsic goodness producing a generosity and a Godlike state or being. Agathosune is a rare word that combines being good and doing good" - Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1573.] It would seem that Carol Shields got "goodness" somewhat right.

It's notable that Paul expresses his desire that they be full of goodness after he bequeaths on them other fullnesses: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" - Romans 15:13.

Joy, peace, and hope are inner qualities of feeling or emotion. They minister to our inner well-being. Agathosune goodness works these things out in actions.

Though the self-sacrifice and generosity of our fictional "saint" may work as a literary symbol, goodness is usually lived out through  simple acts in the course of unexceptional, day-to-day life. Through the Holy Spirit's empowering, let's be full of goodness today!

PRAYER: Dear God, I so often fall short of living the homogeneous goodness of being and doing. Please show me my faulty attitudes that work themselves out in pettiness, meanness, impatience, anger etc. instead of goodness. Amen.

MORE: Personification of goodness

When I think of actual people who exhibited goodness, Jesus comes to mind, of course, and the next person is Mother Teresa.

Who personifies goodness to you?

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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.

Pay attention to what happens between your ears

Brain image from Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Hebrews 8:7-9:10

TO CHEW ON: "… I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts ..." Hebrews 8:10


Here in our reading in Hebrews, the writer explains about the new covenant that resulted from Jesus' death and resurrection. He recalls the prophecy Jeremiah made about a time when obedience to God would no longer be a matter of just outward observance but of deep inner change and compliance as well.

"I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their heart" - Hebrews 8:10 quoting Jeremiah 31:33.

How beautiful and desirable! And this is the new mind and heart covenant under which we live. This thought got me searching for other passages that speak of the spiritual mind (that is "spiritual" as in aligned with the principles of the Bible):

One of the first questions we might ask is, How do we get this mind?

• Paul answers that in 1 Corinthians where he tells us how the Holy Spirit knows and reveals the mind of Christ, we have received that Spirit (at salvation), and can now claim "We have the mind of Christ" - 1 Corinthians 2:19,12,16. See also Philippians 2:5.

Possessing the "mind of Christ" has great benefits:

• It is the basis for deep-rooted peace because we live life in the posture of trust - Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6,7.

• Its end is life (not death) - Romans 8:6.

However, having and maintaining the mind of Christ also involves effort on our part. We don't get saved and find ourselves in the next moment with a mind transplant.

• Peter tells us to "gird up the loins of your mind." In our day we'd say, buckle your belt, or roll up your sleeves. In other words, get your mind dressed and ready for action - 1 Peter 1:13.

• "Set your mind on things above, not on the earth," Paul tells the Colossians - Colossians 3:2.

• "Let us be of the same mind," he encourages the Christians in Philippi in a plea for church unity - Philippians 3:16.

• We need to resign our minds to the fact that suffering is inevitable—and good, in that it purifies, says Peter in 1 Peter 4:1.

• Paul alerts us to the reality that there will be times our minds are downright busy as we "...cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ' - 2 Corinthians 10:5.

The battle for our thoughts and the minds that generate them hasn't changed in the 2000+ years since Bible writers penned these words. We still need to give what happens between our two ears our first attention because, as Bible teacher Joyce Meyer reminds us, the rest of our lives proceed from what we think:

"The mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions … Our actions are a direct result of our thoughts" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 3.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me have the mind of Christ today. 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.

Deathbed assurances

Photo courtesy RGBStock.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 116:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15

In a psalm where the writer can't thank God enough for sparing his life, he takes a moment to reflect on what almost got him—death. It's like he's saying, That wouldn't have been so bad. After all, the death of a saint ("His loving ones" AMP) is something that is precious  ("important, no light matter" - AMP) to God - Psalm 116:15.

The Bible has more positive implications, claims, and promises about death to those who are in a right relationship with God:

Death will be a reunion.
To Abraham God promised that death would be a time when he would join his fathers (Genesis 15:15). The poor man in Jesus' story found himself, after death, in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).

The way we live may impact our peace and well-being at death.
God-fearing king Josiah ruled during an era when the pendulum of good and bad kings (and the good and bad actions of the people) swung back and forth. The prophetess Huldah predicted his death when he was only 26. She said God would judge the nation's evil but Josiah, because he feared God, would die without having to see it - 2 Chronicles 34:28.

God's presence with us during death overcomes our fear (Psalm 23:4).

Death can be a refuge and blessed (Proverbs 14:32, Revelation 14:13).

We can look forward to death because it means we'll be with Jesus (Philippians 1:21; Romans 14:8).

We can experience a good end even though some of our prayers remain unanswered and we leave behind unfinished business (Hebrews 11:13,21,22).

The way we've lived our lives will impact us in eternity—our works will follow us (Revelation 14:13).

May we all find comfort in these deathbed assurances.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live my life soberly and intentionally in the knowledge that death creeps closer every day. Help me to be always ready for it. 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.