Bible League: Living His Word "... I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven."— Acts 26:19 NIV On the road to Damascus, Saul, who would become the Apostle Paul, had a vision: "I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions." He also heard the Lord Jesus say to him: "get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:13,16-18). Saul was obedient to the vision. He began to preach the Gospel, "First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds" (Acts 26:20). If you're a Christian, then you receive a heavenly call as well. Most likely, your call will not be as dramatic as Paul's. The Lord can speak to His people through circumstances, an inner witness, or a strong impression, and of course, by His Word. Each message is meaningful to the receiver. Further, the content of your call is probably quite different from Paul's. Most Christians are not called to travel the world and preach the gospel. Some are called to be mothers. Some are called to go into business, or politics, or teaching, etc. Although every Christian is called to aid in the spread of the Gospel at some level, most are not in it full-time. The Lord rules over every area of life, and He calls people to serve Him in each of the areas. However, what's most important is that you, like Paul, not be disobedient to your heavenly calls when they come. Obedience always brings blessing. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingDeuteronomy 33, 34 Deuteronomy 33 -- Moses Blesses the Twelve Tribes NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Deuteronomy 34 -- The Death of Moses on Mount Nebo NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 1:24-56 Luke 1 -- Introduction; John's and Jesus' Birth Foretold; Mary's Song; Zachariah's Prophecy NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Praise the LORD, all you nations.Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love; the LORD's faithfulness endures forever. Insight Have you ever said, “I can't think of anything God has done for me. How can I praise him?” This psalm gives two reasons for praising God: his great love toward us, and his faithfulness that endures forever. Challenge If he did nothing else for us, he would still be worthy of our highest praise. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Ruth 2:14 And she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.Whenever we are privileged to eat of the bread which Jesus gives, we are, like Ruth, satisfied with the full and sweet repast. When Jesus is the host, no guest goes empty from the table. Our head is satisfied with the precious truth which Christ reveals; our heart is content with Jesus, as the altogether lovely object of affection; our hope is satisfied, for whom have we in heaven but Jesus? and our desire is satiated, for what can we wish for more than "to know Christ and to be found in him?" Jesus fills our conscience till it is at perfect peace; our judgment with persuasion of the certainty of his teachings; our memory with recollections of what he has done, and our imagination with the prospects of what he is yet to do. As Ruth was "sufficed, and left," so is it with us. We have had deep draughts; we have thought that we could take in all of Christ; but when we have done our best we have had to leave a vast remainder. We have sat at the table of the Lord's love, and said, "Nothing but the infinite can ever satisfy me; I am such a great sinner that I must have infinite merit to wash my sin away;" but we have had our sin removed, and found that there was merit to spare; we have had our hunger relieved at the feast of sacred love, and found that there was a redundance of spiritual meat remaining. There are certain sweet things in the Word of God which we have not enjoyed yet, and which we are obliged to leave for awhile; for we are like the disciples to whom Jesus said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." Yes, there are graces to which we have not attained; places of fellowship nearer to Christ which we have not reached; and heights of communion which our feet have not climbed. At every banquet of love there are many baskets of fragments left. Let us magnify the liberality of our glorious Boaz. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 119:28 My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word.Psalm 119:49 Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope. Isaiah 38:14 "Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security. Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Joshua 23:14 "Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. Haggai 2:4 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 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. |