Tuesday 31 January 2012

Faith and Obedience




“‘Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them…The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’”  - 1 Samuel 17:36-37  


Every soldier was terrified. No one knew how to respond to the challenge posed by Goliath. Defeat seemed inevitable.
David alone believed that victory was possible and that the giant could be beaten. To Israel’s leaders, and even his family, this made no sense. David was just a boy—with no military experience—while Goliath was a huge, battle-tested warrior.
Drawing on his own experiences, David knew that God had delivered him from lions and bears. To David, facing Goliath was no different than overcoming the ferocious enemies he had already defeated. Armed with this simple faith, David achieved a surprising victory!
David could be bold, because he believed in God’s power and trusted the Lord to be with him in every battle (Psalm 23:4). But in order to achieve victory, David also needed to put his faith into action, stepping out to face Goliath on the field of battle.

How should we approach the giants we face? How must we handle the challenges in ourlives? The problems can seem overwhelming, and the challenges can appear impossible. Like the soldiers in David’s time, we can feel there is no way to gain victory.

However, everything changes when we start thinking like David—basing our actions on our relationship with God, committing our needs to Him, and having faith that we will triumph in Him.
Today, don’t be weighed down with worry about the challenges you face. God is looking for people who believe Him and His Word—willing to act in simple faith and put their belief into action. He will help you defeat the giants in your life!

Monday 30 January 2012

God Remembers

 
"The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it...to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done...and the LORD would not forgive." 
 - 2 Kings 24:2-4
For generations, God's people had drifted further away from Him. They ignored His laws and disobeyed His commands, even embracing idolatry. Over and over, God tried to warn and correct them. He sent prophets to remind them of His Word.
      For a time, the Lord continued to forgive them and grant them His mercy. But finally, the day came when they needed to face the consequences of their actions.
      This happened when Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army captured Jehoiakim and brought Judah into submission. God told them to cooperate, but when they ignored His Word, He sent bands of raiders against them. They needed to realize that His warnings were real...His Word was true...and their sins were so terrible that God "would not forgive."
      The same principle is true in our lives. God wants us to know that He is a God of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love, but He also is a God of law and justice. One of His unchangeable principles is that we Reap what we Sow (Galatians 6:7). We have choices about our words and actions, and in every area of life, we experience the consequences of our choices.
      This is God's warning to each of us as individuals, and it's also His warning to nations. He always stands ready to forgive us, but He will not always shield us from the consequences of our actions.
      Today, think about the Seeds you're Sowing in your life through your words and actions and what you do with your time and talent. You will Reap what you Sow. Make sure you are Sowing good Seed into Good Ground.

Sunday 22 January 2012

Second Chances

Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, ". . .You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now."
1 Kings 2:26   

 God often goes well beyond second chances. Most of us can think of examples of this truth in our lives. Second chances come so often we may take them for granted. We may not even value them. It's always dangerous to assume we will get another chance.

Abiathar's name puts him near the top of the alphabetical list of Bible people, but his reputation comes to us mixed. His actions were an important footnote in God's dealings with his people. His character, however, revealed disappointing flaws.

God mercifully allowed Abiathar to avoid certain death twice during his lifetime. The first time, he escaped with nothing but the ephod on his back. An ephod was a special garment identifying him as a priest--not the ideal outfit to wear when running for your life! A vengeful King Saul had all the other priests and their families in the city of Nob killed for helping David, but David welcomed Abiathar into his protection.

David trusted Abiathar for many years. But instead of a lifetime of gratefulness to God and loyalty to David, Abiathar eventually conspired against David and Solomon, God's choice for the next king. But he was again shown tremendous mercy and lost only his priestly position as punishment for his disloyalty.

There are many times in our lives when we are given second chances and experience great mercy. Perhaps you have been given another chance in a damaged relationship or an important opportunity you thought you'd blown. Some people would call it good luck. We know it to be a gift from the merciful hand of God. Like Abiathar, we may be tempted to neglect our gratefulness to God and to others for their graciousness. Make it a point this week to remember the many "second chances" you have recently received and express your thanks.

Thank God for the many ways you experience his mercy.

Monday 2 January 2012

A Mother’s Faith


I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

2 Timothy 1:5
 
In both good and bad ways people are affected by their environments. Some of us have a background that we must simply put into practice. We've been raised into a life worth living out. Others of us have to unlearn many lessons from family life. But most of us live with a mixture: habits to keep and habits to change. One of Paul's disciples, Timothy, received a gift of life twice from his mother. She gave him birth and then showed him what a life of faith could be.

Timothy's mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, were early Christian converts, possibly through Paul's ministry in their home city, Lystra (Acts 16:1). When Paul wrote to Timothy many years later, he had vivid memories of the faith that "filled" his mother and grandmother.

Eunice and Lois had communicated their strong Christian faith to Timothy, even though his father was probably not a believer. That division of commitment within his home probably hurt Timothy, but his mother built into him a character of faithfulness that carried him a long way. By the time Paul passed through Lystra on his second missionary journey, Timothy already had a good reputation among the believers in the area. Paul not only invited Timothy to join his traveling team, but also had him circumcised as part of the preparation. These events must have been a challenge for Timothy's family. Eunice was one of those behind-the-scenes saints who will eventually be recognized in heaven as one of the true heroes of the faith. She gave a child to God’s work.

Don't hide your light at home: Our families are fertile fields for planting gospel seeds. It is the most difficult land to work but yields the greatest harvests. Let your parents, children, spouse, brothers, and sisters know of your faith in Jesus, and be sure they see Christ's love, helpfulness, and joy in you. If our children can't see our faith, is it real?