Bible League: Living His Word "And the very hairs on your head are all numbered."Jesus told His disciples that they should not "be afraid of those who want to kill your body." This is because they can only kill the body, but they "cannot touch your soul." Consequently, the disciples should "Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). Disciples of Jesus Christ, in other words, should not fear the persecution of the persecutors, because they cannot touch the soul and they cannot control the eternal destiny of the soul and the body. Further, we should not be afraid because God keeps track of everything. Jesus said, ". . . not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it" (Matthew 10:29), and, as our verse for today says, "the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Nothing can happen in this world that is full of trials, troubles, tribulations, and persecutions without God being aware of it. Indeed, "he makes everything work out according to his plan" (Ephesians 1:11). We need not fear, because God is in control and He has not forgotten about us. Even further, we should not be afraid because God values us very highly. Jesus said, ". . . you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows" (Matthew 10:31). If God is so concerned with sparrows that He even keeps track of single sparrows that fall to the ground, then how much more will He be concerned about us and what happens to us? Whatever may happen to us, we must trust God. We must trust that He "causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). One would think that God would not be concerned with something so trivial and inconsequential as the number of hairs on our head. Yet our verse for today plainly says that God does keep track. If He is concerned about that small matter, then how much more concerned is He with what happens to us? How much more concerned is He when persecutors and persecution comes our way? God loves us and is concerned about us. He keeps track of everything about us, even the smallest and most inconsequential detail. Take heart today, then, and do not fear, for God even knows how many hairs are on your head at this very moment. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJob 31, 32 Job 31 -- Job Asserts His Integrity NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Job 32 -- Elihu Rebukes Job and His Three Friends NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 13:1-23 Acts 13 -- Church Sends Barnabas and Saul on First Missionary Journey; Cyprus; Pisidian Antioch NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion What sorrow awaits you who are rich,for you have your only happiness now. Insight If you are trying to find fulfillment only through riches, wealth may be the only reward you will ever get—and it does not last. Challenge We should not seek comfort now at the expense of eternal life. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.Seeing that we have such a God to trust to, let us rest upon him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief, and endeavour to get rid of doubts and fears, which so much mar our comfort; since there is no excuse for fear where God is the foundation of our trust. A loving parent would be sorely grieved if his child could not trust him; and how ungenerous, how unkind is our conduct when we put so little confidence in our heavenly Father who has never failed us, and who never will. It were well if doubting were banished from the household of God; but it is to be feared that old Unbelief is as nimble nowadays as when the psalmist asked, "Is his mercy clean gone forever? Will he be favorable no more?" David had not made any very lengthy trial of the mighty sword of the giant Goliath, and yet he said, "There is none like it." He had tried it once in the hour of his youthful victory, and it had proved itself to be of the right metal, and therefore he praised it ever afterwards; even so should we speak well of our God, there is none like unto him in the heaven above or the earth beneath; "To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One." There is no rock like unto the rock of Jacob, our enemies themselves being judges. So far from suffering doubts to live in our hearts, we will take the whole detestable crew, as Elijah did the prophets of Baal, and slay them over the brook; and for a stream to kill them at, we will select the sacred torrent which wells forth from our Saviour's wounded side. We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed. Let us then be encouraged to trust in the Lord forever, assured that his ever lasting strength will be, as it has been, our succor and stay. Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.James 2:1,5 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. • Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. 1 Timothy 6:8,9 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. • But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, • and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, • so that no man may boast before God. Psalm 131:1 A Song of Ascents, of David. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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