Psalm 9:10-20

Psalm 9

10 Those who know your name trust in you,
  for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

11 Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem.*
  Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
  He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

13 LORD, have mercy on me.
  See how my enemies torment me.
  Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
14 Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem's gates,
  so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
  Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16 The LORD is known for his justice.
  The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.     Quiet Interlude*

17 The wicked will go down to the grave.*
  This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
  the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

19 Arise, O LORD!
  Do not let mere mortals defy you!
  Judge the nations!
20 Make them tremble in fear, O LORD.
  Let the nations know they are merely human.    Interlude

Our Daily Bread -- The Gift Of Light

READ: John 8:12-20

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. —John 8:12

Sir Christopher Wren designed and built more than 50 church buildings in London during the late 1600s. His design style had two prominent features—the first of which was sturdy, tall steeples. The second, however, was more profound. Wren was convinced that all of the windows in his churches must use clear glass as opposed to the stained glass so popular in churches of that era. In part, his reason for the clear glass is found in words attributed to him: “God’s greatest gift to man is light.” Allowing light to bathe people as they worshiped was, to Wren, a celebration of that gift.

In the Genesis account, on the first day of creation God made light (1:3). The light God created is even more than just a means by which to see. It’s a picture of what Christ brought when He entered this darkened world. In John 8:12, our Lord said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” To the follower of Christ, light is one of the great reminders of the character of our Savior and the quality of the life He has given us through His sacrifice on the cross.

Wren was right. God’s greatest gift to man is light—Jesus Christ, the Light of the world! —Bill Crowder

Creator God, I thank You that You spoke light
into the darkness of the universe, and I thank
You that You brought light into the darkness
of my heart through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to give light to a dark world.

Shameless Persistence

Luke 18:1-8

It was supposed to be one of those in-and-out trips to the store—all I needed was laundry detergent. But then my daughter spotted some playthings for sale. She begged, “Can we look at the toys?” I responded with, “Maybe.” Then, she used a negotiation tactic popular with children—shameless persistence. “Mom, pleeeeease?” She kept up the requests until we finally ended up knee-deep in baby dolls and books.

Spiritually speaking, God doesn’t mind persistence in His children. The Bible encourages us to always “pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1). In fact, Jesus told a story about a widow who badgered a judge with repeated requests for justice (Luke 18:3). The judge had a bad reputation, and yet he thought: “I’m going to see that [this woman] gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests” (Luke 18:5). Even the crooked judge handed down “a just decision in the end” (Luke 18:7).

Since God is a righteous judge (Psalm 7:11), Jesus assured us that “God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night” (Luke 18:7). Besides justice, God also gives “good gifts” and the Holy Spirit’s help to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13).

Are you struggling to ask and knock with the fervor of the persistent widow? Maybe you’ve prayed about something, but then gave up and tried to fix the issue yourself. If so, remember that God is able to “accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

Going back to God again and again puts the outcome in His hands. And it allows us to say, “Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:2).

— Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Read Deuteronomy 10:10 to see how God answered Moses’ persistent intercessory prayers.

What’s the difference between vain repetition in prayer (Matthew 6:7) and “shameless persistence”? (Luke 11:8). What do you need to pray about today?

A Devotional for Leaders

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers--Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew--throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-20, NLT

A good leader looks for undiscovered qualities in people and provides opportunities for those qualities to become assets. The ability to nurture talent and encourage growth in others can also create deep loyalty. One of the tasks Jesus had to accomplish in his three years of ministry was to put an effective team together that could follow through with his mission after he had ascended to heaven. One problem was that no one had ever been trained in the field of church planting. Jesus had to pick people for his team who could grow into their jobs. His ability to see potential in people brought twelve very different men together. How did Jesus persuade the disciples to join him? No begging, no buttering up. Jesus did not give the disciples false hope or exaggerate their potential. He simply told them that they would remain fishermen but that the bait and the catch would be much more significant. Scripture tells us that Andrew and Peter responded immediately to the offer Jesus made. They faltered and fell along the way but always got back up and continued to follow Jesus. History records that they were loyal to Jesus unto death. Jesus called them away from an unexciting, common existence to a compelling and challenging career. The disciples could not have envisioned themselves as part of future earth-changing events, but Jesus knew exactly how they would be used to further his kingdom. Jesus had a vision and he invited simple men to step out of the common and into something completely new. That invitation made all the difference for the disciples and for the world.

Psalm 146:5-10

Psalm 146

5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel* as their helper,
  whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
  the sea, and everything in them.
  He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed
  and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
8   The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.
  The LORD loves the godly.
9 The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
  He cares for the orphans and widows,
  but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

10 The LORD will reign forever.
  He will be your God, O Jerusalem,* throughout the generations.

Praise the LORD!

Our Daily Bread For 08-22-13

READ: Matthew 5:17-20

The entirety of Your Word is truth. —Psalm 119:160

Pandora is one of the musical marvels of the Internet age. It helps you create your own personal radio station by allowing you to “customize” your music. It plays a song and you then click a thumbs up or thumbs down sign to indicate whether or not you like it. You end up with a grouping of only songs that you like.

Unfortunately, sometimes we do that with the Bible too. People may choose some Scripture passages they especially like and ignore others, and so they “customize” it to their preferences. The psalmist looked at God’s Word this way: “The entirety of Your Word is truth” (Ps. 119:160). And the apostle Paul told Timothy, a young pastor, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” (2 Tim. 3:16).

The Scriptures were important to Jesus (Matt. 5:17-18), but He looked at them differently than the religious leaders of His day. To Him, “You shall not murder” was on the level of being “angry with [a] brother without a cause” (vv.21-22). Far from customizing Scripture, He was concerned about the motivation of people’s hearts in applying all of it.

As we embrace God’s Word more fully, we’ll know Him more deeply and desire to honor Him. —Marvin Williams

Lord, I don’t want to treat Your Word lightly or
to dismiss what seems too difficult. Show me
my heart and help me to obey from the heart
whatever You tell me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your heart.

Bible in a year: Psalms 110-112; 1 Corinthians 5

False Gods, True Blessing

1 Samuel 7:3-13

The stuff of life has a way of turning our hearts away from God. False gods include money, success, school, careers, romantic relationships, children, and more. Tim Keller, in Counterfeit Gods, defines a false god this way: “Anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”

In 1 Samuel we find the Israelites falling away from God as they fell for false gods (1 Samuel 7:1-3). After tasting defeat at the hands of the dreaded Philistines and subsequently enduring deadly divine punishment due to disobedience, the people felt distant from Him (1 Samuel 4:1-2, 6:19). They cried out, “Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?” (1 Samuel 6:20).

Much like the way we think and sometimes behave when we’re feeling weak or insecure, the people turned to false gods to try to fill the spiritual hole in their heart. We might seek material things, achievements, or sex to make us feel better. But nothing will satisfy our deep desire and need for God.

Samuel the prophet made it clear that the Israelites had been looking for hope and meaning in all the wrong places. He said to the people, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods . . . . Determine to obey only the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:3). Fortunately, they got rid of their false gods (1 Samuel 7:4).

The end result? Out of obedience flowed blessing—the Israelites were able to defeat the Philistines in battle (1 Samuel 7:10). The One true God conquered a people who worshiped false gods.

What are the false gods in your life? Turn them over to God as you seek Him and His blessing alone.

— Tom Felten

Read Isaiah 43:10 and note what God says about Himself and false idols.

When are you most prone to seek false gods? Why can they never satisfy your deepest needs?