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 2 Corinthians 4:18 The things which are not seen.In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith. Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Looking further yet, the believer's enlightened eye can see death's river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial city; he seeth himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with him, and made to sit together with him on his throne, even as he has overcome and has sat down with the Father on his throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! death is but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time, how short--eternity, how long! Death, how brief--immortality, how endless! Methinks I even now eat of Eshcol's clusters, and sip of the well which is within the gate. The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there. "When the world my heart is rending With its heaviest storm of care, My glad thoughts to heaven ascending, Find a refuge from despair. Faith's bright vision shall sustain me Till life's pilgrimage is past; Fears may vex and troubles pain me, I shall reach my home at last." Daily Light on the Daily Path Genesis 16:13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"Psalm 139:1-4,6 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. • You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. • You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. • Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. • Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." John 2:24,25 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, • and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. John 21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. 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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