Bible League: Living His Word Look at the birds. They don't plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don't you know you are worth much more than they are?— Matthew 6:26 ERV This past fall, our oak tree produced a bumper crop of acorns. Over the course of a few weeks, this tree must have dropped thousands. Well, it sounded like thousands as they landed on our roof, our deck, and into our gutters. The squirrels were thrilled with this overwhelming number of acorns. God provided for the squirrels through our oak tree. An all-you-can-eat acorn buffet was open for business in my front yard. The squirrels just had to make it across the street, by avoiding traffic, and dinner was served. Isn't God amazing? The squirrels don't have a job, yet they are fed. The squirrels don't have an education, yet God provides for them. The squirrels don't worry about a thing and God feeds them through my oak tree. How much time do we spend worrying about the things of this world? Hours? Weeks? Months? Years? We worry about our jobs, our health, our children, our finances, and many other aspects of our lives, don't we? We run around like squirrels in traffic, trying to dodge the circumstances and situations of life that threaten to run over us. Yet God has provided everything we've needed in the past, and He has promised to provide everything we need in the future. We need only to seek Him first instead of the things of this world. Our hope isn't in our possessions, yet we make our stuff the priority. Our hope isn't in our jobs, yet we worry about economic downturns and rumors of layoffs. Our hope isn't in our bank accounts, but we worry about mortgages, markets, and interest rates. What if you spent more time thinking about kingdom matters instead of worrying about Earth stuff? What if you put your hope in God's promises instead of worrying about your present circumstances? Author Erma Bombeck said, "Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere." Worry says, "I don't know what I'm going to do." Hope says, "I believe what God promises He will do." God has promised to provide for you, so put your faith, trust, and hope in Him to keep His promises. God is faithful and He loves you. He will take care of you. Just ask the squirrels in my front yard. By Shawn Cornett, Bible League International staff, Illinois U.S. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingExodus 19, 20, 21 Exodus 19 -- Moses and the Lord at Mount Sinai NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Exodus 20 -- The Ten Commandments NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Exodus 21 -- Ordinances for Servants and Personal Injuries NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 20:1-16 Matthew 20 -- Parable of the Vineyard Workers; Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection, Heals Two Blind Men NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But who can teach a lesson to God,since he judges even the most powerful? Insight Although baffled by the reasons for his suffering, Job affirmed God's superior understanding by asking, “Who can teach a lesson to God?” The way you respond to your personal struggles shows your attitude toward God. Challenge Rather than becoming angry with God, continue to trust him, no matter what your circumstances may be. Although it is sometimes difficult to see, God IS in control. We must commit ourselves to him so we will not resent his timing. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Genesis 8:11 The dove came in to him in the evening.Blessed be the Lord for another day of mercy, even though I am now weary with its toils. Unto the preserver of men lift I my song of gratitude. The dove found no rest out of the ark, and therefore returned to it; and my soul has learned yet more fully than ever, this day, that there is no satisfaction to be found in earthly things--God alone can give rest to my spirit. As to my business, my possessions, my family, my attainments, these are all well enough in their way, but they cannot fulfil the desires of my immortal nature. "Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." It was at the still hour, when the gates of the day were closing, that with weary wing the dove came back to the master: O Lord, enable me this evening thus to return to Jesus. She could not endure to spend a night hovering over the restless waste, not can I bear to be even for another hour away from Jesus, the rest of my heart, the home of my spirit. She did not merely alight upon the roof of the ark, she "came in to him;" even so would my longing spirit look into the secret of the Lord, pierce to the interior of truth, enter into that which is within the veil, and reach to my Beloved in very deed. To Jesus must I come: short of the nearest and dearest intercourse with him my panting spirit cannot stay. Blessed Lord Jesus, be with me, reveal thyself, and abide with me all night, so that when I awake I may be still with thee. I note that the dove brought in her mouth an olive branch plucked off, the memorial of the past day, and a prophecy of the future. Have I no pleasing record to bring home? No pledge and earnest of lovingkindness yet to come? Yes, my Lord, I present thee my grateful acknowledgments for tender mercies which have been new every morning and fresh every evening; and now, I pray thee, put forth thy hand and take thy dove into thy bosom. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 86:12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.Psalm 50:23 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalm 92:1,2 A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; • To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Hebrews 13:12,15 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. • Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 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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