September 7, 2008

FOLLOWING GOD’S LEADERS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Eccl. 8-12 : PM – 1 Cor. 12

WHO SERVE OBEDIENTLY
Joshua 1:1-3

2 Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel.

In three months our country will go through it's quadrennial process of electing a president to serve our nation. Sometimes, changes in political leadership leave the nation in something of a power vacuum for several weeks until new people take over the government and begin to learn how the work gets done. Perhaps our founding fathers understood these elected people were responsible to a higher entity than themselves. This nation is far greater and more important than those who lead it for a brief time.

Moses, one of the greatest leaders Israel ever had, was dead. God wanted Joshua to understand that the power and presence of God did not stop with the death of any leader. Joshua had served (ministered to) Moses for many years. The greatness of Moses was not in himself, but in the God whom he willingly obeyed.

Father, give us leaders who will submit to Your leadership as a guide for their own leadership of others.

September 6, 2008

FOLLOWING GOD’S LEADERS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Eccl. 4-7 : PM – 1 Cor. 11

WHOM GOD APPOINTS
Numbers 27:15-20

18 And the LORD said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him."

Throughout history the world has never known a shortage of demagogues and charlatans who have hoodwinked nations by telling people what they want to hear and promising to give them what they want. Even in religious circles we have had them. The fictional Elmer Gantry of Sinclair Lewis catered to peoples’ desires and took their money. The all-too-real Jim Jones offered people hope if they would accept him as messiah, and he took their lives.

Moses wanted to be assured that God would continue to provide leaders true to Him. He also wanted to convince the people of this so they would follow. Those among us who want to lead must be persons who are obviously called and gifted by God for that work. The highest calling of the Christian leader is to be true to God. One of the ways the rest of us must demonstrate our own obedience to God is by following the godly leadership of those God has appointed.

Father, teach me that my obedience to You must include my willingness to follow those You have appointed.

September 5, 2008

AFFIRMING GOD’S WORTHINESS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Eccl. 1-3 : PM – 1 Cor. 10

BY PRAISING GOD’S DELIVERANCE
Psalm 30:1-5

1 "I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me."

Some of us can think of things about politicians we don’t like. But there is one in the city where I live who makes me forget all the negative things because of the positive things he has done for me over the years, mostly by just being my friend.

The writer of this psalm had a greater friend than my politician friend. That friend was God Himself. The heading on this psalm indicated it was one of the psalms of David. Israel’s great king knew God was with him in good times and in bad times. And he experienced plenty of both.

The same can be said by each of God’s children. We often give praise to God for His blessings and His obvious presence during good times. We must not, however, lose sight of His presence in the difficult times when we would surely collapse with despair if He was not with us.

In our modern world we can provide almost everything we need for survival. We tend only to depend on God for the big things. At some point we must learn that only God can provide what we truly need.

Father, remind me of Your powerful presence in my difficult times.

September 4, 2008

AFFIRMING GOD’S WORTHINESS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Pro. 30-31 : PM – 1 Cor. 9

BY ACCEPTING GOD’S PROVISION
John 6:47-51

51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Society teaches us from an early age that one of the goals of life is to become independent and self-reliant. I still recall the day my six-year-old rode her bicycle to school for the first time. She was so calm while her dad thought he would die with worry.

While we strive rightfully to be independent in many ways, we should always recognize God as the source of all that is good, including our salvation.

It was in the midst of this teaching about the need for total reliance on Jesus that many of the disciples decided such a commitment was too difficult. They stopped being disciples.

In our modern world we can provide almost everything we need for survival. We tend only to depend on God for the big things. At some point we must learn that only God can provide what we truly need.

Father, remind me every worthwhile thing in my life has come from Your loving hand.

September 3, 2008

AFFIRMING GOD’S WORTHINESS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Pro. 27-29 : PM – 1 Cor. 8

BY FOLLOWING GOD’S WAY
Proverbs 3:21-26

26 For the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.

One of the least favorite memories of most who have served in the armed forces is of basic training. Basic training is demanding on every aspect of ones personhood. They are compelled to do many things repeatedly that seem to have no value except to give their sadistic drill instructor some fun. Only by looking back on that experience can they see how those skills proved valuable in the crisis time and, also, how their personhood was being matured, not destroyed.

Many believers speak of walking by faith as being a risky thing because we do not always know what turns life will take until the end. But walking by faith is not a risky way of life. After all, we have the assurance from the beginning of our walk of faith that God will be with us each step of the way. We are able to move forward in life with the confidence that, as His child, we go nowhere alone. Truly the walk of faith is more surefooted than the walk by sight.

Father, remind me that You are present even in my seemingly lonely times.

September 2, 2008

AFFIRMING GOD’S WORTHINESS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Pro. 24-26 : PM – 1 Cor. 7

BY ACCEPTING GOD’S REWARD
Numbers 14:26-30, 36-38

38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

Though it has always been part of the process, many of us have become even more aware in recent years of political patronage – the practice of rewarding those who were faithful in the fight when victory is finally won. Faithfulness has a reward.

Joshua and Caleb were faithful to God. Their reward was that they did not die in the wilderness along with the others of that generation, but continued to live. They did not go on the spying mission so they would receive a reward from God. They went because they believed God was sending them and they wanted to be obedient to Him. They were obedient because they had already been blessed by God when He brought them out of bondage. You and I owe obedience to God because of His great gift of salvation and the many other ways He demonstrates His love to us.

Father, I offer You my obedience because You have already given me the reward.

September 1, 2008

AFFIRMING GOD’S WORTHINESS

Read the Bible through:
AM – Pro. 21-23 : PM – 1 Cor. 6

BY REFUSING TO FEAR
Numbers 14:6-9

8 "If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."

When I was in elementary school, Doyle looked like a giant to me. For reasons unknown to me, Doyle became my friend and protector. I knew no fear of the bigger older boys because Doyle was always by my side. Several of the older boys who were bigger than me learned a difficult lesson from Doyle when they tried to hurt me. In later years, I have given Doyle much of the credit for my living to become a teenager.

Moses had sent 12 men to spy out the promised land. Each of them had seen the same walled cities and the same giant warriors. But Caleb and Joshua were the only ones to factor God into the equation. When we are able to look at our circumstances and remember the Father who is with us, we need not be afraid either.

Thank you, Father, for your promise to be with me in all circumstances.