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Monday 4-2-01
HIS LOVE COMES FIRST
We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19
It is true that not only do we love God because He first loved us and demonstrated that love to us on the cross, but true love for our fellowman also flows from the same source. We are not capable of loving others unless we know God's love. When we experience gratitude for what God has done, we can't help but want to pour out our own lives for others just as Christ did for us. If you are feeling that love and compassion for your fellowman is missing from your repertoire of emotions that move you to action, take some time today to meditate on the cross and why Jesus chose to pay the price He did for your sins.
For further study: 2 Corinthian 5:14-15
Tuesday 4-3-01
SILENT JUDGMENT
Simon "Do you see this woman?" - Luke 7: 44
When Simon, the self-righteous Pharisee, invited Jesus to his home he did not express any gratitude or love for Jesus. He did not give Jesus any water for His feet, or oil for His head or even a kiss to welcome Him. On the contrary, he stood in silent judgment of the woman and of Jesus, assuming that if Jesus were really a prophet, He would not allow this sinful woman to touch Him. But Jesus, who knew everything that Simon was thinking, directs his attention to the actions of the sinful woman as an example of someone who truly knows how to love. She poured herself out for Jesus in a demonstration of her love for Him. Who do you identify with the most from this story: Simon the Pharisee who stood in silent judgment of the sinful woman, or the sinful woman who willingly poured herself out in active compassion for Jesus.
For further study: Mark 14:1-9
Wednesday 4-4-01
EXTRAVAGANT LOVE
"I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much."
- Luke 7:47
What did Jesus mean when He said, "her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much." Is Jesus saying the sinful woman earned her salvation through her works, i.e. by showing much love? No, Jesus is telling Simon that the sinful woman's extravagant act of love for Him flowed from her recognition of two things: the depth of her own sin and the forgiveness of Christ for those sins. In order to exercise true mercy, one needs to come to terms with their sin and be willing to receive the gift of Christ's forgiveness. Pray that God would give you even greater understanding of His forgiveness so that your love for Him might flow deeper and wider to those in need of mercy in your corner of the world.
For further study: Luke 7: 41-42, Ephesians 2: 8-9
Thursday 4-5-01
THE POWER TO SAVE
"If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." - Luke 23:37
How ironic that the people and the soldiers who stood around the cross watching Jesus suffer and die would taunt Him about saving Himself. But neither the taunting nor the suffering distracted Jesus from the work He came to do. He remained steadfast in His love for His people as He hung on that cross, suffering and humiliated, to complete the work of His Father. How great is His love for us that it would keep the God-man, Jesus Christ, nailed to the cross for our transgressions. Jesus could have saved Himself, but He entrusted Himself to His heavenly Father, knowing that the proof of who He was lay in the fact that He remained on that cross for me and for you.
For further study: Luke 23: 47-49, John 5:36
Friday 4-6-01
THE SHAME OF THE CROSS
And they crucified him. - Mark 15:24
How many of you wear a cross around your neck? Back in the days of Jesus the symbol of the cross was a very shameful thing. Christians did not begin to use the cross as a means of identification with Christ until many years after His death. Today we see the symbol of the cross everywhere, especially in jewelry. More often than not, it is worn without the knowledge of what it truly represents. For the Christian, it is meant to be a reminder not only of the victory that Jesus had over sin and death, but of the suffering and humility He endured and His imperative to His followers to take up their cross and follow Him. The next time you put on your cross, take some time to think about what it really means and whether you are truly taking up your cross and following Jesus everyday.
For further study: Luke 14:27
Monday 4-9-01
THE APOSTLE PAUL
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" - Acts 9:4
While Saul, the Pharisee, is on the road to Damascus to harass, kill and maim Christians, the very One He has been kicking against confronts Him in all His majesty. Imagine confronting the one who has done terrible and merciless things to the people you love: to your family members and to your friends. Everything in us says that this confrontation would not be a pretty sight. But Jesus, who came not to condemn Saul, but to show him the way of salvation and to use him as His chosen instrument to spread the gospel to the Jews and the gentiles, revealed the truth of who He was to Saul. This encounter with Jesus resulted in not only a change in name, from Saul to Paul, but also a new identity. Saul, through the kindness of God, became a believer that day and turned from his wicked ways. The apostle Paul went on to give us much of the New Testament, by the grace of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Never underestimate the power of God's love and the height and breadth and depth of His mercy. Pray for someone today that you consider hopelessly lost.
For further study: Isaiah 59:1, Acts 9:1-22
Tuesday 4-10-01
BUT YOU OWE ME . . .
Love your enemies . . . lend to them without
expecting to get anything back. - Luke 6:35
You're looking for that favorite book and you can't find it anywhere, when suddenly you remember that you lent it to someone in your small group months ago. Not only have you not seen the book, but the person also stopped coming to small group. You begin to think about how irresponsible that person is, and think to yourself how you have never borrowed anything without returning it. You wonder "what's the matter with people, how can they be so irresponsible?"
All of the above may be true about your sense of responsibility, but God says that we are to lend our things without expecting to get them back. That's because they belong to God in the first place. Mercy is necessary because we are guilty and we are irresponsible. Next time you lend something to someone, consider your hearts attitude toward that person and that thing before you let it go. Pray today that God would enable you to release all He's given you back to Him.
For further study: Romans 5:10, Ephesians 2:1-3
Wednesday 4-11-01
DO NOT TREAD ON GOD'S MERCY
"For the Lord was merciful to them." - Genesis 19:16
The Lord is merciful to us today, just as He was merciful to Lot and his daughters back in Old Testament times. The Lord not only warns us of the impending damnation that awaits us if we do not flee from our sin, but for those who are willing to receive His help, He empowers them to flee far from it. This is exactly what He did for Lot and his daughters. Lot's sons-in-law had the same opportunity to be saved from the disaster, but because they did not take Lot's warning seriously that God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the wickedness that ensued there, they stayed behind. Then, when it was time for Lot to make the move and leave his home and everything he knew, even he hesitated. Yet, because God is merciful, the Angels grasped the hands of Lot, His wife and daughters and led them safely out of the city. When God warns you about the sin that you are engaged in, don't wait, heed His warning, accept His grace and flee as far as you can from the sin that endangers your soul.
For further study: Isaiah 55:6-7
Thursday 4-12-01
THE REST OF THE STORY
But Lot's wife looked back . . . - Ge 19:26
I wish I could report that Lot and his family all lived happily ever after, but that' s not how the story ends. They were all warned by the angels to flee and not to look back. In the same way, God expects us to continue to turn away from our sin and not look back, longing for what we once had, as Lot's wife did. Lot's wife, it appeared, had made it to safety; but she was not out of the woods yet. She had separated herself physically from her sin, and that was a good first step; but her heart was still entangled in sin itself and she turned back to the city and longed for all it held for her. She did this against God's warning and consequently she was turned into a pillar of salt. Yes, the Lord is kind to the wicked and ungrateful, but if we want to continue to experience God's kindness we must not tread on the mercy that God shows to us.
For further study: Genesis 19:17
Friday 4-13-01
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Leviticus 3:22-23
"Great is thy faithfulness . . . morning-by-morning new mercies I see," as the famous hymn goes. Do you see God's mercies in your life everyday? Everyday we receive specific and general blessings from God, right down to the air we breathe. Don't let your heart grow complacent about the Lord's mercies in your life. It is a wonderful spiritual exercise to take a few moments every day, even before you get out of bed in the morning, and recognize God's mercies to you. After all, His compassions never fail, they are new every morning.
For further study: Psalm 145:9
Monday 4-16-01
LOVING THE LOVEABLE
"Love your neighbor" - Matthew 5:43
Jesus tells us that the true test of our love for God is loving those who are unlovable. But the truth of the matter is, we have trouble loving those who are basically loveable. We have trouble loving our neighbors as ourselves. Take some time to consider how you love others: your neighbors, your family, your co-workers and your friends. Consider asking someone close to you (i.e., your spouse, your best friend, or your child) what you could do to better show him or her your love. Ask God to help you to do that very thing.
For further study: Leviticus 19:18
Tuesday 4-17-01
WHAT ABOUT THE WICKED?
"But I tell you: love your enemies" - Matthew 5:44
Let's face it, there are some people that we just do not consider worthy of our love. We just can not find it in our hearts to reach out to certain people. Perhaps it is because they aggravate us, perhaps it is because they adhere to a different moral standard than us, or perhaps it is because we think they hate us. But Jesus tells us that we have not loved at all until we have learned to love those who do not love us. One powerful way to express love to those that we do not especially feel loving towards is through acts of mercy. Consider someone today that you have difficulty loving – maybe it is an individual, maybe it is a group of people - and ask the Lord to make an opportunity for you to demonstrate mercy to that person or group today.
For further study: 1 Samuel 24:5-7
Wednesday 4-18-01
WORTHY OF MERCY
"Let us make man in our image; in our likeness . . ." - Genesis 1:26
Genesis 1:26 tells us that every human being born, from the weakest to the strongest, from the dullest to the brightest, from the poorest to the richest, from the evilest to the kindest is made in the image of God. That basic truth tells us no one is exempt from receiving mercy. The next time you are wondering whether you should demonstrate mercy towards a certain person, simply ask yourself this question "are they made in the image of God?"
For further study: Psalm 103:8-10
Thursday 4-19-01
DON'T STOP CRYING
How gracious he will be when you cry for help. - Isaiah 30:19
God is waiting to hear our cries for help, before He acts. Don't ever let discouragement get you down when you cry to the Lord and you have not yet received the response you are looking for. Keep crying to the Lord for the Word says that He will answer as soon as He hears. We must realize though that we need to have ears and eyes that hear and see and understand God's response. Sometimes God is waiting for us to make a request that is consistent with what He wants to give us. What God has for us is always better than what we think we want, and getting us to realize that is sometimes what takes so long. If you are waiting on the answer to a prayer and feel your heart growing discouraged, thank God today for His patience with you and ask Him to open your understanding to what He really wants to give you.
For further study: Isaiah 57:18-19
Friday 4-20-01
A PRAYER FOR MERCY
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus . . .
- 2 Timothy 1:16
In 2 Timothy 1 Paul speaks kindly of Onesiphorus. It is likely that this is how Paul prayed for his friend: That God would show him and his household mercy. One thing is obvious; Paul's request is consistent with scripture. Onesiphorus had shown Paul mercy when he was in prison both in Ephesus and in Rome. Onesiphorus clearly went out of his way to find Paul when he was in Rome so that he could minister to him. Paul has a sense of gratitude for all that Onesiphorus did for him while he was in prison and he desires to see God grant to Onesiphorus and his household the same mercy that he received. Who has shown you mercy? Pray confidently for them today that God would show them mercy in their time of need.
For further study: Matthew 5:7
Monday 4-23-01
ROBES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them in water. - Leviticus 8:6
Moses is commanded by God to bring Aaron and his sons forward to be washed clean with the water from the brass washstand and to dress them in the skillfully woven ensemble of the high priest in preparation for their ordination ceremony. This act symbolizes Christ, who dresses His Bride in His own robes of righteousness. Just as Aaron and his sons did not participate in the act of cleansing and dressing themselves in the priestly attire, but allowed themselves to be washed clean by Moses, we are unable to cleanse ourselves or adorn true robes of righteousness. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God. We must be willing to accept the cleansing of the blood of the lamb for our sins and allow Him to adorn us in His righteousness if we are indeed to share in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God.
For further study: Hebrews 10:10, 14
Tuesday 4-24-01
THE SALT OF THE EARTH
You are the salt of the earth. - Matthew 5:13
Salt is used for preserving food as well as for enhancing its flavor. Jesus uses the analogy that Christians are to be like salt in the world. What is the parallel here? Jesus is telling us that we are to show His kindness to those in the world. We are to imitate all that Jesus has done for us spiritually; healing us from our sin, clothing us with His righteousness, feeding and nurturing us with His Spirit; by expressing mercy to those in the world. We imitate Jesus' kindness to us by caring for the sick, clothing the poor, feeding the hungry and loving the unlovable. In that way, Christians flavor the world with God's goodness and preserve it with His kindness.
For further study: Leviticus 2:13
Wednesday 4-25-01
THE TEST OF TRUE LOVE
And you will be sons of the Most High . . .Luke 6:35
Our natural tendency is to want to do for those who have demonstrated in some way that they are worthy of the gift or service we give them. But mercy is not given as a reward for good behavior. Mercy is as A. W. Tozer says, "The goodness of God confronting human suffering and guilt." When God chose to send His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins, it was not because we had done anything to warrant such a magnificent expression of His mercy. God is kind to the wicked and the ungrateful, and His true sons are as well. Pray today about showing kindness to those who least deserve it.
For further study: John 3:16-17
Thursday 4-26-01
THOSE SAMARITANS
He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan. - Luke 17:16
Luke 17 tells us about the story of the 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus. They all cried out to Jesus from a distance and asked Him to heal them, but only one came back to give thanks to Jesus for what He had done. How quickly we forget the goodness and mercy that God has shown us. Take time to give thanks today for all that Jesus has done for you.
For further study: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalm 136:1-3
Friday 4-27-01
MERCY FOR MEPHIBOSHETH
"Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" - 2 Samuel 9:3
One of the loveliest stories of mercy in the Bible is the story of David keeping his covenant of faithfulness with Jonathan by showing God's kindness to his crippled son Mephibosheth. Saul, the first king over Israel, and his son Jonathan died in battle against the Philistines. Now David has ascended to the throne and it is many years later. It was customary for one king to slaughter all the remaining members of the past king's household, but not David. David had sworn that he would not raise his sword against Saul, the Lord's anointed, even when Saul was out to kill David. Now David is reminded of his covenant with Jonathan and he seeks to fulfill it by restoring to Mephibosheth all that belonged to Saul, his grandfather. In the same way, God restores us to Himself through Christ and grants us the inheritance of His kingdom because of His great love for His son Jesus. Meditate on this great truth today.
For further study: 1 Samuel 20:15, 42
Monday 4-30-01
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
"And who is my neighbor?" - Luke 10:29
The expert teacher in the law knew the answer to the question he asked Jesus, which was, "How do I inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25). He knew he was to love God with everything he had and that he was to love his neighbor as himself. So in order to increase his credibility with Jesus he asked Him who his neighbor was. The reason why this question was so significant was because the Jews, through their traditions, had in effect added to and omitted things from the law. According to John MacArthur the love your neighbor as yourself clause was omitted and "hate your enemies" was added. Neighbors were considered acceptable Jews, those who were part of their own Jewish sect. Everyone else was hated. Ask yourself the same question the teacher of the law asked Jesus? Who do you consider your neighbor to be? Pray that God would give you a love for all people.
For further study: Matthew 22:37-40
Tuesday 5-1-01
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
"When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side." - Luke 10:31
The story of the Good Samaritan is well known by Christians and non-Christians alike. A man was traveling on the rough, rocky desert road that ran between Jerusalem and Jericho. It was the perfect terrain for robbers to lay in wait for unsuspecting wayfarers. This particular man was accosted by a band of robbers who beat him, stripped him and threw him to the side of the road. First, along comes a priest and then a Levite. Both the lay minister and the religious leader crossed the road to the other side. Likely they did not want to be made "unclean" by coming into contact with the likes of this man who was bruised and bleeding in the ditch. Though today we do not have the excuse of being made ceremonially unclean, we simply do not want to bother. We have things to do and places to go; we do not have time to help our neighbor. Pray today that you would be a good neighbor to all whom the Lord brings across your path.
For further study: Mark 12:28-31
Wednesday 5-2-01
HELP FROM THE UNEXPECTED
He went to him and bandaged his wounds . . .Luke 10:34
In this story, Jesus does not identify who the traveler is that gets robbed and beaten and thrown to the side of the road. But we do know that the Jews considered the Samaritans as half-breeds, they were the hated foreigners. Yet it is a Samaritan who came to the rescue of the traveler. The Samaritan, the one we would least expect, is the one that responded with God's love and mercy. Have you ever been disappointed that the people you most expected to come to your aid did not? Did God provide a Good Samaritan for you, someone you did not expect to reach out to you in your time of need? Do not grumble or complain when those who you want to help you do not respond for some reason, rejoice that God provides in His way for His glory.
For further study: Mark 12: 32-34, Job 38:41
Thursday 5-3-01
BEARING ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS
"Look after him" he said - Luke 10:35
It is interesting to note that in the story of the Good Samaritan the Samaritan did not do all the work himself that was required to help the wounded traveler. The Samaritan used his resources wisely. Initially he took care of the traveler, but then he left him in the care of the innkeeper until he returned. How often do we neglect to pitch in and help someone because we think we have to do it all by ourselves. In the Body of Christ, we belong to each other and we are to enlist the help of other members of the body to do the work of God. We needn't labor alone; God put us in a body where we are all joined together to share the burden.
For further study: Romans 12:5, Galatians 6:2
Friday 5-4-01
HOW DO WE LOVE OUR ENEMIES?
Pray for those who persecute you...Matthew 5:44
Here in American we often do not relate well to the scriptures about persecution. Our minor inconveniences with civil authorities from time to time over violations of our religious rights could hardly be considered persecution on the scale with which we read about in the New Testament, let alone what our brothers and sisters in some areas of the world experience. As distant as we might be from real persecution, Paul exhorted us to remember his chains and Jesus exhorted us to pray for our enemies. Because we know Christ, we can not only pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in far away lands, but we can also carry those who persecute them on our prayers to the throne of grace and plead for mercy on their behalf. We can plead for the same mercy that was showered on us to be showered on them. Today, ask God to identify three enemies who you can consistently pray for.
For further study: 1 Peter 4:12-14
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