Devotional QuarterlyThrough-the-Bible Series

The Restoring Hand of GodStudies in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Malachi

These Daily Devotionals are important because eachdevotional will show the necessity of indepth study of theWord of God. The tenacity of the biblical characters likeEzra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai and Malachi will beemphasized as examples for believers in this age. Theywere people of spiritual strength who set an example forall to follow. The devotionals will challenge the readersto be prayer warriors, scriptural givers and to be loyal toGod. These devotionals will point out that God will givevictory to those who do what He says.

Vol. 19, No. 2 March 1, 2009

Personal and Daily Devotionals

for

Spring Quarter, 2009

Written byMarc Shultz, Mary McAlister and Beverly Barnett

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Read Through the Biblein a Year

To help you with your Bible reading, we are providingsuggested Scripture readings for each day of the quarter.You will find these suggested readings at the beginningof each devotional quarterly.The readings include the “Sunday Devotionals,”

“Daily Readings” and the “Daily Devotionals.” The “Sun-day Devotionals” are now included in the DevotionalQuarterly. The “Daily Readings” cover other Scripturesnot related to the Sunday School lessons. By reading allpassages listed each day, you will have read the entireBible at the end of one year. You may use the box besidethe date to check when you have read the Scriptures forthat day.

EDITOR IN CHIEF:Larry E. Clementslarryclements@abaptist.org

BUSINESS MANAGER:Wayne Sewellwsewell@abaptist.org

PRODUCTION EDITOR:Sally McInvale

ADULT EDITOR:Jim Jones

CHILDREN’S EDITOR:Libby Gill

ILLUSTRATOR:Connie Spears

GRAPHIC ARTISTS:Shawn Blase,Jeff Allen,Greg Hilterbrand,Ashley Carozza

LAYOUT DESIGNERS:Bonita McKnight,Kyle Elkins,Cindy Butler

CONTENT EDITORS:Terry McKellar,Carolyn Burks,Deby Turrentine

PRINT PRODUCTION:Charles Easley

COVER DESIGN:Jeff Allen

Copyright © 2009Vol. 19, No. 2

Baptist Sunday SchoolCommittee4605 N. State Line Ave.Texarkana, TX 75503-2928www.abaptist.org1-800-264-2482

DATE DAILY READINGS DAILY DEVOTIONALS� February 23 Deuteronomy 1—3 2 Chronicles 36:14-23� February 24 Deuteronomy 4:1-28, 32-49; Jeremiah 25:12-14

5; 6� February 25 Deuteronomy 7:5, 10-26; 8; 9 Psalm 85:1-13� February 26 Deuteronomy 10—12 Isaiah 44:24-28� February 27 Deuteronomy 13—15 Zechariah 4:8-10� February 28 Deuteronomy 16—18 Ezra 4:1-5� March 1 Deuteronomy 19—21 Jeremiah 10:10� March 2 Deuteronomy 22—24 Proverbs 3:5, 6� March 3 Deuteronomy 25—27 1 Samuel 7:3, 4� March 4 Deuteronomy 28:3-68; 29 Psalm 1:1-3� March 5 Deuteronomy 30:6-20; Matthew 7:24-27

31:1-10, 14-30� March 6 Deuteronomy 32—34 1 Chronicles 29:9� March 7 Joshua 1—3 2 Corinthians 9:7� March 8 Joshua 4—6 Deuteronomy 28:1, 2� March 9 Joshua 5—8 Ezra 5:1, 2� March 10 Joshua 9—11 Ezra 6:14� March 11 Joshua 12—14 Matthew 24:1, 2� March 12 Joshua 15—17 Psalm 119:59, 60� March 13 Joshua 18—20 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 14� March 14 Joshua 21—24 Isaiah 41:10� March 15 Judges 1—3 Matthew 6:33� March 16 Judges 4—6 1 Kings 11:1-5� March 17 Judges 7—9 2 Corinthians 6:14-18� March 18 Judges 10—12 Micah 6:6-8� March 19 Judges 13—15 Exodus 34:11-16� March 20 Judges 16—18 Hebrews 10:22-25� March 21 Judges 19—21 Deuteronomy 7:1-4� March 22 Ruth 1 John 2:15-17� March 23 1 Samuel 1; 2:1-6, 10-36; 3 Daniel 9:4-6� March 24 1 Samuel 4—6 Deuteronomy 30:1-5� March 25 1 Samuel 7:1, 2, 5-17; 8; 9 Psalm 32:5� March 26 1 Samuel 10—12 Jeremiah 29:11-14� March 27 1 Samuel 13—15 Psalm 19:8, 9� March 28 1 Samuel 16—18 Ezekiel 28:25, 26� March 29 1 Samuel 19—21 Deuteronomy 4:29-31� March 30 1 Samuel 22—24 Ephesians 2:10� March 31 1 Samuel 25—27 2 Timothy 3:17

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March Scripture Readings

DATE DAILY READINGS DAILY DEVOTIONALS� April 1 1 Samuel 28—31 Titus 3:8� April 2 2 Samuel 1—3 2 Corinthians 5:7� April 3 2 Samuel 4—6 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 4� April 4 2 Samuel 7—9 Hebrews 11:1� April 5 2 Samuel 10—12 1 Corinthians 15:58� April 6 2 Samuel 13—15 2 Timothy 3:12� April 7 2 Samuel 16—18 1 Peter 1:7� April 8 2 Samuel 19—21 Matthew 5:10-12� April 9 2 Samuel 22—24 James 1:12� April 10 1 Kings 1—3 1 Corinthians 10:13� April 11 1 Kings 4—6 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4� April 12 1 Kings 7–9 1 Peter 4:12-16� April 13 1 Kings 10; 11:1-5, 6-43; 12 Deuteronomy 31:11-13� April 14 1 Kings 13—15 Luke 4:16-20� April 15 1 Kings 16—19 Acts 17:11� April 16 1 Kings 20—22 1 Thessalonians 2:13� April 17 2 Kings 1—3 Hebrews 4:12� April 18 2 Kings 4—6 1 Timothy 4:13� April 19 2 Kings 7—9 2 Timothy 3:16, 17� April 20 2 Kings 10—13 Nehemiah 10:28-39� April 21 2 Kings 14—16 Nehemiah 13:1-31� April 22 2 Kings 17—19 2 Chronicles 5:11-14� April 23 2 Kings 20—22 Philippians 4:4� April 24 2 Kings 23—25 Psalm 98:4-6� April 25 1 Chronicles 1—3 Psalm 30:11, 12� April 26 1 Chronicles 4—6 2 Chronicles 7:1-3� April 27 1 Chronicles 5—7 Esther 1:1-9, 13-22� April 28 1 Chronicles 8—11 Esther 2:21-23� April 29 1 Chronicles 12—14 Proverbs 20:1� April 30 1 Chronicles 15—17 Ephesians 6:1-3

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April Scripture Readings

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May Scripture ReadingsDATE DAILY READINGS DAILY DEVOTIONALS� May 1 1 Chronicles 18—20 Proverbs 23:29-35� May 2 1 Chronicles 21—23 1 Samuel 2:7-9� May 3 1 Chronicles 24—26 Romans 8:28� May 4 1 Chronicles 27—29:1-8, 10-30 Esther 5:1-8� May 5 2 Chronicles 1—3 Esther 5:9-14� May 6 2 Chronicles 4; 5:1-10; 6 Esther 6:1-14� May 7 2 Chronicles 7:4-22; 8; 9 Esther 7:1-10� May 8 2 Chronicles 10—12 Genesis 12:1-3� May 9 2 Chronicles 13—16 Proverbs 16:18� May 10 2 Chronicles 17—19 Isaiah 43:1-4� May 11 2 Chronicles 20—22 Esther 8:9-14� May 12 2 Chronicles 23—26 Esther 9:3-19� May 13 2 Chronicles 27—29 Psalm 49:6-13� May 14 2 Chronicles 30—32 Proverbs 4:14-19� May 15 2 Chronicles 33—36:1-13 Romans 14:7-12� May 16 Job 1—3 2 Corinthians 5:9-11� May 17 Job 4—7 Psalm 37:1-10� May 18 Job 8—10 Deuteronomy 7:6-9� May 19 Job 11—14 Leviticus 22:17-24� May 20 Job 15—17 Hebrews 9:12-15� May 21 Job 18—21 1 Peter 1:18, 19� May 22 Job 22—24 Mark 10:2-12� May 23 Job 25—28 1 Corinthians 7:10-16� May 24 Job 29—31 Proverbs 28:13� May 25 Job 32—35 Matthew 11:7-15� May 26 Job 36—38 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2� May 27 Job 39—42 2 Corinthians 9:6-12� May 28 Psalms 1:4-6; 2:1-5; 3—5 Philippians 4:14-19� May 29 Psalms 6—11 Ezekiel 36:27, 28� May 30 Psalms 12—16 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10� May 31 Psalms 17; 18; 19:1-7, 10-14; 2 Peter 3:9-14

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2 Chronicles 36:14-23 Monday, February 23

Reasons for Captivity

KEY VERSE: “But they mocked the messengers of God,and despised his words, and misused his prophets,until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people,till there was no remedy,” 2 Chronicles 36:16.

Telegraph messages warning about icebergs weregiven to Captain William Smith on the Titanic’s maidenvoyage. Routine procedure would have been to slow theship’s speed to enable the vessel to steer around the ice-bergs. Captain Smith did not choose this course ofaction. Officials of the White Star Line wanted to get toNew York City ahead of schedule, so Captain Smithordered the ship to continue full speed ahead. The Titan-ic struck an iceberg and over a thousand lives were lostbecause he ignored the warnings.The people of Israel were out of favor with God. They

had disobeyed God and polluted the house of God withidolatry. They were warned that, if they did not repent,they would suffer the wrath of God. The warnings fell ondeaf ears. The Israelites refused to repent and Godallowed them to suffer captivity at the hand of the Baby-lonians. If the Israelites had repented of their rebellionagainst God, they could have avoided the wrath of God.The wrath of God came against them because theyrefused to repent.God is anxious to forgive sin. His judgment is reserved

for those who refuse to repent. God is slow to wrathoffering sinners every opportunity to repent. Whenrepentance does not come, God’s wrath will follow.

JUST A THOUGHT: God gets no glory from bringing judg-ment upon His people. His desire is to forgive.

Marc Shultz

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Jeremiah 25:12-14 Tuesday, February 24

Prophecy of Captivity

KEY VERSE: “And it shall come to pass, when seventyyears are accomplished, that I will punish the king ofBabylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for theiriniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and willmake it perpetual desolations,” Jeremiah 25:12.

The Soviet Union was part of the Allied forces duringWorld War II. This was an uneasy alliance. Some of thesame atrocities committed by the Axis powers were alsobeing committed in the Soviet Union. The Allied powersknew it would be easier to win the war with the Sovietsfighting for their side. As soon as the war was over, theSoviet Union became an enemy in the Cold War.God allowed the Babylonians and Chaldeans to hold

the people of Israel in captivity. God was not turning Hisback on His chosen people but was using their enemiesto bring them to repentance. God was displeased withthe evil actions of the Babylonian and Chaldean rulers.In time His wrath would come against them also.This world is not in the same condition as God creat-

ed it. Sin has infiltrated every part of creation. Through-out history God has brought judgment upon sin. Hisjudgment would bring a short-term repentance, but lifewould dissolve back into rebellion against God. God willget the last word. He will bring His wrath upon allnations and individuals who have rebelled against Himwithout repentance. They will be unable to escape thisjudgment. They will have to power over God.

JUST A THOUGHT: Do not mistake God’s restraint asdivine ambivalence. The day of God’s wrath will come.

Marc Shultz

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Psalm 85:1-13 Wednesday, February 25

The Prayer of Returning Exiles

KEY VERSE: “Righteousness shall go before him; andshall set us in the way of his steps,” Psalm 85:13.

Parents in the process of disciplining a child often say,“This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” Thechild does not understand this statement until the timecomes when he is required to discipline his own children.It is then he understands his own parents were attempt-ing to teach him to make proper decisions in life. With-out discipline, parents know their children will sufferlater in life.God allowed the captivity of the Israelites when the

nation refused to follow God. Their rebellion causedthem to drift into idolatry. God patiently waited for theIsraelites to repent, but repentance did not come. Ratherthan allowing the Israelites to continue to rebel againstHim without consequence, God allowed their captivity.The purpose of the captivity was to bring the people ofIsrael to repentance. God allowed them to suffer short-term pain for a long-term good.The people of Israel repented once they recognized it

was the only way to end the anger of God. Any otherprayer than the prayer of true repentance would not havepleased God. The Israelites then asked for revival. Theyacknowledged their sins had hindered them spiritually.Just being released from captivity would not have endedtheir spiritual apathy. They needed a change of heart toreturn to a godly attitude. Returning to a godly attitudewould lead the Israelites to follow God’s leadership.

JUST A THOUGHT: God will do good for those who seekHis will.

Marc Shultz

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Isaiah 44:24-28 Thursday, February 26

Prophecy of Restoration

KEY VERSE: “That confirmeth the word of his servant,and performeth the counsel of his messengers; thatsaith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and tothe cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raiseup the decayed places thereof,” Isaiah 44:26.

Upon retirement Buddy returned to the town wherehe grew up. He moved into his parents’ house which hadbeen vacant for some time. The house required a lot ofwork to make it livable. A lot of dusting and cleaningwas necessary to rid the house of dirt. Rotten floors hadto be replaced before furniture could be moved into it.After a lot of work the house was once again inhabitable.Jerusalem lay in ruins during the captivity of the

Israelites. God not only released the people from captiv-ity but made it possible for them to rebuild the city. TheTemple would be restored to its glory as a place of wor-ship and sacrifice to God. Such a fete would not havebeen possible apart from the will and power of God.Sin carries a high cost. It brings sorrow to life and dis-

rupts fellowship with God’s people. It hinders faithful-ness to God. Many lives have been ruined by sin and dis-obedience to God. God can help repair broken lives andbring order out of chaos. No one is beyond hope. Any per-son who repents of sin and seeks God’s will discovers thepower and direction of God to bring order back to life.

JUST A THOUGHT: Brokenness does not mean hopeless-ness.

Marc Shultz

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Zechariah 4:8-10 Friday, February 27

Prophecy About Zerubbabel

KEY VERSE: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid thefoundation of this house; his hands shall also finishit; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hathsent me unto you,” Zechariah 4:9.

The children of Israel endured captivity because oftheir rebellion against God. Their captivity was allowedto bring them to repentance. Once God was ready torelease them from their captivity, it was not just a mat-ter of their returning to Jerusalem and getting back tolife as normal. The city lay in ruins and needed to berebuilt. The Israelites needed God’s help to rebuildJerusalem. The first order of business was rebuildingthe Temple. The Israelites needed to return to faithful-ness to God so that they would not fall back into idola-try. The house of worship was an important part of theirlives. The rebuilding of the Temple was a sign that Godhad not forsaken the people of Israel.“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his right-

eousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”(Matt. 6:33). God must be the center of life. Worship toGod must be a priority and not a sideline. People whoare involved in worship and service to God are less like-ly to rebel against God. It seems for many as thoughworship is planned around other activities rather thanplanning other activities around worship. God must beour first priority. Rededication to God requires not onlyasking for forgiveness of disobedience to God but alsomaking God the first priority.

JUST A THOUGHT: Make time to serve God or spend timeenduring His wrath.

Marc Shultz

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Ezra 4:1-5 Saturday, February 28

Tactics of Adversaries

KEY VERSE: “Then they came to Zerubbabel, and tothe chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let usbuild with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; andwe do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-had-don king of Assur, which brought us up hither,” Ezra4:2.

Zerubbabel was doing the Lord’s work in building theTemple. There were plenty of adversaries who did notwish for this to happen. The adversaries came to Zerub-babel volunteering to help build the Temple. He knewthey had not experienced a change of heart and onlywanted to hinder the construction work, so he declinedtheir offer. Zerubbabel explained the Lord’s people woulddo the Lord’s work. The adversaries did not give up butcontinued to attempt to discourage the people from theirwork of diligence.How does Satan attempt to interfere with the Lord’s

work? He will attempt to discourage the servant of God.He will cause Christians to question their ability to dothe Lord’s will. He will attempt to cause discontentamong God’s servants. When they fight among them-selves, their focus will not be on doing God’s work. Satanwill cause servants of God to question the benefit of doingGod’s work. Believers must remain faithful to God inspite of Satan’s tactics. The Lord grants Christians thepower to do His work (Phil. 4:13). Believers who arefocused on the Lord’s work are less likely to be discour-aged by Satan’s devices.

JUST A THOUGHT: Do not give Satan more credit than hedeserves.

Marc Shultz

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Jeremiah 10:10 Sunday, March 1

The Living and True God

KEY VERSE: “But the LORD is the true God, he is the liv-ing God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath theearth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be ableto abide his indignation,” Jeremiah 10:10.

Things in Jeremiah’s day were not much differentthan today. There were many false gods worshiped bymany people. There were attempts to cause those whobelieved in the true God to compromise with the wor-shipers of idols. Jeremiah did not compromise but pro-claimed the God of Heaven as the one true God.He is not just one God among many gods but the only

true God. Jeremiah proclaimed God as the living God.He is not to be compared with empty statues or deadreligious personalities. He has existed from eternity pastand will exist through eternity future. The earth willtremble at His wrath. The followers of false gods aresubject to His anger. God’s wrath was upon the prophetsof Baal and upon King Nebuchadnezzar. The true God isdistinguished by His mercy toward those who call onHim and His wrath upon those who rebel against Him.There are still efforts today to eliminate distinctions

between the one true God, and the many false gods.While it is not politically correct to believe in the onlytrue God, it is the only correct belief. Those who do notbelieve in the one true God will face His wrath. Chris-tians must not be ashamed to proclaim the one true God(Rom. 1:16).

JUST A THOUGHT: There is no other god like our God.

Marc Shultz

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Proverbs 3:5, 6 Monday, March 2

Trust and Obey

KEY VERSE: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; andlean not unto thine own understanding,” Proverbs3:5.

Your doctor gives you a prescription to get over aninfection. You trust the doctor has correctly diagnosedyour illness and has prescribed the correct medicine.This is not enough to get you well. You must now fill theprescription. You trust the pharmacist to correctly readthe doctor’s handwriting and fill the prescription. Still,this is not enough to get you well. You must obey the doc-tor’s direction and take the medicine as ordered.Trusting the Lord is the beginning of making wise

decisions. It is important to trust that the Lord knowsall things and has the power to do His will. It is impor-tant to trust the Lord will do what is right in every cir-cumstance. It is important to trust that God will alwayslead His children to make the correct choices. TrustingGod is not enough to accomplish His will. Christiansmust choose to follow the Lord’s instructions. It is sin tofail to follow the leadership of the Lord.Christians should trust God’s will and obey His every

instruction. Moses failed to obey God’s instruction bystriking the rock.The rock brought forth water, but Moseswas not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Jonah failedto go to Nineveh when first instructed by God, and hespent three days and nights in the belly of a whale. Godblesses those who obey and punishes those who do not.

JUST A THOUGHT: God desires obedience. Do you desireto obey Him?

Marc Shultz

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1 Samuel 7:3, 4 Tuesday, March 3

Prepare Your Hearts

KEY VERSE: “And Samuel spake unto all the house ofIsrael, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with allyour hearts, then put away the strange gods andAshtaroth from among you, and prepare your heartsunto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliveryou out of the hand of the Philistines,” 1 Samuel 7:3.

Billie’s husband left to fight in World War II after ahoneymoon of one night. They had been sweetheartssince grade school and looked forward to a beautifulmarriage. It was a hastily arranged wedding since theydid not want to wait until after his return from war toget married. Billie did not see her husband for threeyears when the war came to an end. She admitted yearslater that she was not prepared to live with her husbandwhen he did return home. It took several years of mar-ried life before she felt comfortable with her husband.Obedience to God does not come by accident. A person

must prepare himself to do the will of God. Preparationcomes by seeking the will of God. God does not hide Hiswill from anyone and will reveal it to all who seek it. Aperson prepares himself to do the will of God by trustingthat God’s will is best. He leads according to His perfectknowledge. It is never a mistake to obey God’s will. Godaccomplishes great things through those who obey Him.Worship and obey God exclusively and see what won-derful things He will do for you.

JUST A THOUGHT: Make obedience to God a habit.

Marc Shultz

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Psalm 1:1-3 Wednesday, March 4

The Blessing of Mediation

KEY VERSE: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD;and in his law doth he meditate day and night,”Psalm 1:2.

I sat on a bench in front of the tabernacle at PineSprings Baptist Camp and watched the sunrise. Therewas the pleasant sound of birds chirping to announcethe dawn of a new day. I began contemplating my bless-ings. There was no doubt God had blessed me tremen-dously. I contemplated about the events of the comingday. I had an overwhelming sense of awe of the presenceof God as I meditated upon Him.Jesus observed a time of meditation in the Garden of

Gethsemane. He asked not to be disturbed so He couldpray to the Father. Upon entering Gethsemane, Jesuswas exceedingly sorrowful. Upon leaving Gethsemane,Jesus was peaceful in spirit. The Lord’s spirit waschanged during His time of mediation.Everyone benefits from a quiet time each day with

God. The quiet time should be devoted to Bible study,prayer and contemplation on God’s blessings. The quiettime should be devoted solely to God. Do not allow any-thing to interfere with your quiet time.A time of meditation helps put things into perspec-

tive. God, not man, is in control of all things. All bless-ings come from God. Meditation should lead to bothseeking and doing God’s will. Meditation serves as areminder to make God the center of life. Allow your mindto think upon God to the exclusion of everything else.

JUST A THOUGHT: God should never be out of one’smind.

Marc Shultz

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Matthew 7:24-27 Thursday, March 5

Hear and Do His Word

KEY VERSE: “Therefore whosoever heareth these say-ings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto awise man, which built his house upon a rock,”Matthew 7:24.

I had a high school language teacher who was metic-ulous when it came to teaching the rules of English. If astudent misapplied a rule, she would require the studentto recite the rule that was broken. Soon we learned torecite the rule in our heads before applying the rule sothat we made fewer mistakes.God is clear in His instructions. TheWord of God spells

out in clear detail God’s desires for His children. No onecan claim ignorance when it comes to God’s instructions.Knowing God’s intentions is not enough. God also requiresobedience. The parable of the wise and foolish buildersillustrates the blessings that come from obedience and theconsequences that come from disobedience to God.He whohears and obeys theWord of God has a good foundation forlife like a man who builds a house on stable soil. He is ableto withstand the storms of life. The person who disobeysGod’sWord has an unstable foundation in life like the manwho builds a house on unstable soil. His foundation willfail because of his disobedience.Too many people hear God’s Word but do not follow its

instructions. God intends for His children to obey HisWord, and His words are not grievous (1 John 5:3). Goddesires only reasonable service (Rom. 12:1).

JUST A THOUGHT: The wisest thing a person can do isobey God.

Marc Shultz

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1 Chronicles 29:9 Friday, March 6

Offer Willingly

KEY VERSE: “Then the people rejoiced, for that theyoffered willingly, because with perfect heart theyoffered willingly to the LORD: and David the king alsorejoiced with great joy,” 1 Chronicles 29:9.

A young lad was walking to Sunday School with twoquarters in his hand. One quarter was for the offering inSunday School. The other quarter was for a candy bar onthe way home. He accidentally dropped one of the quar-ters down the storm drain on the side of the street. Hethen was heard to exclaim, “There goes the SundaySchool offering.”King David was preparing the way for his son Solomon

to build the Temple. It would be the grandest structure ofits time. It required both labor and resources to build theTemple. David did not have to force the Israelites to giveto the Temple building fund. They willingly and joyfullygave to the project.“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be

also” (Luke 12:34).Too often Christians are like the younglad with the two quarters. We take care of our own needsbefore considering our spiritual duty to give to God. Weshould give to God first rather than last. The Lord loves acheerful giver, but He will take from the not so cheerfulgiver. If we give grudgingly, we miss a blessing. There isno greater investment that can be made than in the workof the Lord. Its return will be seen in eternity.

JUST A THOUGHT: It should be a privilege to give to theLord.

Marc Shultz

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2 Corinthians 9:7 Saturday, March 7

Be a Cheerful Giver

KEY VERSE: “Every man according as he purposeth inhis heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of neces-sity: for God loveth a cheerful giver,” 2 Corinthians 9:7.

I saved my lawn mowing money for two years to buya new bicycle. It required dedication to save the moneyand not spend it on frivolous things. When the timecame that I had enough money for the bicycle, I couldnot wait to go the department store and make the pur-chase. I was happy to spend the money because it pur-chased something I wanted.Christians should joyfully give to the Lord’s work. It

is one of the best investments a person can make. Invest-ing in the Lord’s work is an investment in souls. The min-istry of the local church is dedicated to the salvation ofsouls. Giving to the local church ministry aids in the sal-vation of souls. Giving to the Lord’s work is an invest-ment in the preaching of the gospel. It is an investmentnot only of preaching the gospel from the ministry of thelocal church, but throughout the world by giving to mis-sions. Giving to the Lord is an investment in teaching theWord of God. Through the ministry of Sunday School,Baptist Training Course, Discovery classes and VacationBible School, the Word of God is taught. Considering thereturn on the investment, Christians should make con-scious decisions to give to the Lord’s work through thechurch of their membership. Give regularly and joyfully.

JUST A THOUGHT: A gift given out of love is also given injoy.

Marc Shultz

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Deuteronomy 28:1, 2 Sunday, March 8

God’s Blessings to the Obedient

KEY VERSE: “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalthearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thyGod, to observe and to do all his commandmentswhich I command thee this day, that the LORD thyGod will set thee on high above all nations of theearth,” Deuteronomy 28:1.

Many Christians view obedience to the Lord as bene-fiting the Lord and not themselves. Obedience to God’swill not only benefits the work of the Lord but also theindividual.The Israelites were urged to diligently hearken to the

voice of the Lord. The will of God was known to them,but they often chose to ignore it. When they ignoredGod’s will, they suffered His wrath. The Israelites weretoo easily tempted to depart from faithfulness to God toserve idols. The only way to escape God’s wrath is to betotally devoted to Him.The Israelites were also challenged to obey all of the

Lord’s commandments. The Lord does not allow His chil-dren to pick and choose which of His instructions to obey.God is never satisfied with partial obedience. God broughtthe Israelites under His wrath when they disobeyed Him.God brought His wrath against the Israelites to bringthem to repentance.God promised the Israelites blessings if they would

obey Him. God promised He would set them above allnations. Their power and right did not come from with-in but from above. True prosperity comes from obedienceto all God’s commandments.

JUST A THOUGHT: Do not expect to receive God’s bless-ings when you disobey Him.

Marc Shultz

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Ezra 5:1, 2 Monday, March 9

The Work of God’s Prophets

KEY VERSE: “Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet,and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto theJews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the nameof the God of Israel, even unto them,” Ezra 5:1.

The press secretary of the president of the UnitedStates has a unique position. He or she answers ques-tions posed by reporters who report on the president.The secretary does not speak for himself but the presi-dent. His opinion does not matter. His job is to giveinsight as to the thoughts and opinions of the president.The prophets of God also had a unique position.

Before the completion of the writing of the Bible theprophets spoke the words of God. They were not to speaktheir own opinions but to relay the message of God asrevealed to them. Through the message proclaimed bythe prophets, the will and instructions of God wererevealed. When the Bible was completed, there was nofurther need for prophets because the Bible revealed thewill of God.The prophets also set the example of faithful service

to God. Zerubbabel led in construction of the Temple inJerusalem. The prophecies of God, as revealed by theprophets, would have carried less weight if they had notbacked up their words by actions.The words of men are not as important as the Word of

God. The Bible is God’s Word for mankind. The Word ofGod should be proclaimed in the pulpit and throughoutthe lives of believers.

JUST A THOUGHT: Hear, do and proclaim the Word ofGod.

Marc Shultz

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Ezra 6:14 Tuesday, March 10

They Finished the Work

KEY VERSE: “And the elders of the Jews builded, andthey prospered through the prophesying of Haggaithe prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And theybuilded, and finished it, according to the command-ment of the God of Israel, and according to the com-mandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxesking of Persia,” Ezra 6:14.

There were many obstacles to the construction of theTemple. It was a formidable task. It would require difficulttime-consuming labor.The workers were subject to discour-agement. There were enemies that attempted to hinder theconstruction work. If the construction of theTemple had notbeen completed, Satan would have gained the victory. Theanswer to the hindrances was for the people to trust God.He sustained their strength to endure the difficult labor.God gave the Israelites victory over the enemy, and withHis help they finished the construction of the Temple.God’s work is not for the faint of heart. It requires

total commitment regardless of the hindrances or cir-cumstances. Consider the consequences of not complet-ing God’s work. For example, Noah and his family wouldhave perished in the flood if he had not finished buildingthe ark. It is not good enough to just begin a task, it isalso important to finish a task. An unfinished task willnot bring the desired result.It requires faith to finish the tasks God has placed

before us. God will grant us the strength to do His work,but we must put our hand to the plow.

JUST A THOUGHT: We cannot finish what we have notbegun.

Marc Shultz

21

Matthew 24:1, 2 Wednesday, March 11

Shortcomings of Earthly Temples

KEY VERSE: “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not allthese things? verily I say unto you, There shall notbe left here one stone upon another, that shall notbe thrown down,” Matthew 24:2.

In November 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge acrossPuget Sound collapsed. It was a suspension bridge mod-eled after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Cali-fornia. The bridge was designed by some of the best engi-neers in the United States, but there were serious designflaws that led to its collapse.The Jews were proud of the Temple. It was a building

second to none. Some Jews thought it would last forever.Jesus foretold of the destruction of the Temple. Its wallswould lie in ruins and the contents would be vandalized.The glory of the Temple would be diminished. While theglory of the Temple would be destroyed, the glory of JesusChrist would remain. Jesus would be reviled of men, beat-en and crucified on a cross, but His glory would remainbecause He is God.TheTemple was a building used to wor-ship God. In all its beauty, it paled beside the glory of God.The glory of man is as fleeting as the glory of the Tem-

ple. The glory of God endures forever.Man should not putemphasis on material things but on God.What man doesfor himself is doomed to failure. What God does for manlasts for all eternity.All glory belongs to God.Man shouldnot place his emphasis on anyone or anything else.

JUST A THOUGHT: All glory belongs to God. It is our dutyto reflect His glory.

Marc Shultz

22

Psalm 119:59, 60 Thursday, March 12

Consider Your Ways

KEY VERSE: “I thought on my ways, and turned myfeet unto thy testimonies,” Psalm 119:59.

Pat agreed to be admitted to a rehabilitation center toaddress his alcoholism. This gave him plenty of time tothink about his life and he did not like what he saw.Slowly Pat’s attitude began to change. He read the Biblefrom cover to cover and accepted the Lord as Savior. Heembraced the help the counselors and doctors were offer-ing him. By the time he left the rehabilitation center, Patwas a changed man. The change began when he consid-ered his ways.The psalmist thought on his ways. He recognized his

life was not what it should be. Sin rather than godlinessreigned in his life. He was faced with two choices. Hecould either continue down the wrong path he was trav-eling or change his ways. The psalmist decided to repentof his sins and turn toward godliness. With God’s helpthe psalmist changed his ways.A person cannot change what he does not admit. In the

fifty-first Psalm, David admitted he had sinned againstGod. He did not attempt to shift responsibility but accept-ed accountability for his actions. Once David admitted hissins, he sought divine forgiveness. If David had not con-sidered his ways, he would have not repented of his sins.Each person is accountable to God for his actions. Per-

sonal reflection leads to repentance. Consider your ways.Repent of your sins and turn to God.

JUST A THOUGHT: Personal reflection may be difficult,but it is easier than facing God’s wrath.

Marc Shultz

23

1 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 Friday, March 13

Effectually Worketh in You

KEY VERSE: “For this cause also thank we God with-out ceasing, because, when ye received the word ofGod which ye heard of us, ye received it not as theword of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,which effectually worketh also in you that believe,”1 Thessalonians 2:13.

It was late at night Christmas Eve and I was assem-bling one of my son’s gifts, a tricycle. I put all the partson the floor and then tossed the instructions aside. Howdifficult could it be to assembly a tricycle? One hourlater my nerves were on edge and I was no closer to com-pleting the assembly. In desperation I retrieved theinstructions sheet and began to follow its directions. Injust a few minutes, the tricycle was assembled. Thewhole process would have been much simpler if I hadonly followed the instructions.The Bible is an amazing book. It has the ability to

change lives and bring joy to the reader. For the Bible tohave the desired effect, it must be read and obeyed.Many people have not realized the power of the Biblebecause they have not followed its instructions. Chris-tians should set aside time for daily Bible reading andpray for the strength to apply its instructions. It isamazing the benefits the Bible student will realize whenhe applies its instructions. Those who neglect to applybiblical instructions will not benefit from its power. Be adoer of the Word.

JUST A THOUGHT: Those who do not apply God’s Wordto life find life frustrating.

Marc Shultz

24

Isaiah 41:10 Saturday, March 14

When He Is with You

KEY VERSE: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be notdismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee;yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with theright hand of my righteousness,” Isaiah 41:10.

Our family moved to a different city during my junioryear of high school. Upon transferring to my new school,a fellow student was assigned to me to show me aroundthe campus. Without her help I could have never foundmy way around the campus.Christians are always under the watchful care of God.

He is looking out for their good and leading them toaccomplish His will. Christians are never alone becauseGod is always with them. The Holy Spirit guides themaccording to the Father’s will. God will strengthen us todo whatever He leads us to do. God will help us duringthe desperate times of life. He will never allow us to bedefeated when we are obedient to His will. God willalways lead us in the paths of righteousness. WithoutGod’s help, life would be more difficult than it already is.God’s presence brings peace in the midst of sorrow.

There is nothing to fear when God is in control, and Godis in control of all things. There is no reason to worrybecause God will work all things for our good (Rom. 8:28).Christians should never be dismayed because God haspromised to never leave or forsake them (1 Kings 8:57).

JUST A THOUGHT: God is the ever present help in thetime of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Marc Shultz

25

Matthew 6:33 Sunday, March 15

Keep First Things First

KEY VERSE: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God,and his righteousness; and all these things shall beadded unto you,” Matthew 6:33.

God wishes to be our main focus in life and not a side-line. Each individual sets his own priorities. He will givegreater emphasis to the things that excite him most.God does not want to be your copilot but He wants to beyour pilot.There are many worries that can take our focus off

God. Christians should not worry about what is yet tocome. Most of the things we worry about never come topass. The things that do come to pass can be solved withGod’s help. Christians should not worry about the neces-sities of life. Life is more than food and raiment. God willprovide a way for our needs to be met according to Hiswill. God has provided for the fowls of the air, and He willsurely provide for His own. As proof of God’s care, consid-er the lilies. God has provided a way for the lilies to bloomin beauty. Since He has taken such good care of the lilies,there should be no doubt He will also take care of us.Those who put God first have no reason to worry over

anything else. Rather than seeking things over which toworry, seek to serve God. Trust Him to take care of yourneeds. Trust Him to set the proper priorities in your life.Trust God because in God’s eyes it is all small stuff.

JUST A THOUGHT: Do not worry. God is in control.

Marc Shultz

26

1 Kings 11:1-5 Monday, March 16

Solomon’s Sin

KEY VERSE: “For it came to pass, when Solomon wasold, that his wives turned away his heart afterother gods: and his heart was not perfect with theLORD his God, as was the heart of David his father,”1 Kings 11:4.

God granted Solomon great wisdom, but, unfortu-nately, Solomon did not always act wisely. As king, hethought he should be able to do as he pleased. Solomon’sgreatest struggle was with morality. Rather than follow-ing God’s plan for one man and one woman in marriage,Solomon indulged the flesh. He did not have just onewife but he had seven hundred wives. In addition he hadthree hundred concubines. This placed Solomon in con-flict with God’s will.Solomon paid a high price for his immorality. His

heart turned away from God. He did not follow theexample of his father David in following God. His wivesturned his heart to idols. Solomon led his people awayfrom God. As a result, the wrath of God came upon theland. One sinner destroys much good.Solomon did not realize the full impact of his sins until

later in life. The times he could have spent following Godwere spent in committing sin. He regretted wasting somuch time before repenting of his evil ways. Solomon wasforgiven by God, but that did not erase the consequencesof his sins.Sin always carries a high price. It will affect a per-

son’s fellowship with God and hinder his spiritualgrowth. It will bring pain and anguish to life.

JUST A THOUGHT: Consider the consequences of sinbefore committing sin.

Marc Shultz

27

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Tuesday, March 17

Be Ye Separate

KEY VERSE: “Wherefore come out from among them,and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch notthe unclean thing; and I will receive you,” 2 Corinthi-ans 6:17.

The University of Houston basketball team traveledto Sound Bend, Indiana to play Notre Dame. The Hous-ton Cougars’ uniforms were accidentally left in Houston.They were forced to use Notre Dame’s road uniforms. Itresulted in a comedy of errors. Several times during thegame, players from one team accidentally passed theball to a player on the other team.It has been said that a person is known by the com-

pany he keeps. Christians should not keep companywith infidels. Truth has nothing in common with heresy.Believers should have nothing in common with heretics.Christians who keep company with heretics bringreproach upon God and doubt upon the Scriptures. A lit-tle leaven will contaminate the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6).The light of the truth is darkened when it is compro-mised with heresy.Christians should have no fellowship with heretics.

They should stay away from them unless they be count-ed among them. A Christian’s stand for truth should beso strong that heretics would not want to confront himon spiritual matters. Elijah did not compromise with theprophets of Baal. The apostle Paul boldly confronted theworshipers of idols in Athens. The best way to standagainst heresies and heretics is to boldly stand for thetruth. To stand for the truth, a person must first knowthe truth.

JUST A THOUGHT: Know the truth and the truth will setyou free.

Marc Shultz

28

Micah 6:6-8 Wednesday, March 18

What the Lord Requires

KEY VERSE: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what isgood; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but todo justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly withthy God?” Micah 6:8.

Two men were attempting to settle a dispute in smallclaims court. One man had loaned the other one thou-sand dollars. The man who received the money did notdispute making the loan. He claimed that he had donesome work for the man; therefore, he did not have torepay the loan. The judge ruled against him. The con-tract stated he was to make regular payments on theloan, and there was no agreement to accept the work inlieu of payment. The man who made the loan had to dowhat the contract required.Some people in Bible times thought all that was

required of them was to make the proper sacrifice to Godat the proper time. God required more of them. Hisinstructions were clear, and there was no room fordebate. God’s will was that they do justly. They were notto use divine forgiveness of sin as a license to sin. Theywere to do God’s will at all times. God also instructedthem to love mercy. They were never to forget God’s for-giveness and to show the same mercy toward others.They were also instructed to walk humbly before God.They were never to ignore God’s will or to quit servingHim. God desired obedience more than sacrifice.

JUST A THOUGHT: God’s requirements are not left todebate. Obey them without argument.

Marc Shultz

29

Exodus 34:11-16 Thursday, March 19

Reasons for the Prohibition

KEY VERSE: “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make acovenant with the inhabitants of the land whitherthou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst ofthee,” Exodus 34:12.

An American of Russian ancestry became a spy forthe United States during the ColdWar. He found himselffar away from his American home and was lonely. Hemet a Russian woman and fell in love with her. He dis-closed his covert activities to her, and she secretlyinformed the Soviet government. The man was threat-ened with execution unless he became a double agent forthe Soviet Union.God promised the Israelites He would drive away their

enemies as they left Egypt for the Promised Land. Godwarned them any association with the enemy wouldbecome a hindrance to them.This prohibition was for theirgood. God did not want the Israelites to be tempted to wor-ship the idols of the enemy or adopt their godless ways.Believers should not engage in a power struggle with

God. God’s prohibitions are signs of love. God knows thedangerous consequences of unholy actions and associa-tions and does not want His children to suffer these con-sequences. God will never lead His children to sin. Hischildren should faithfully follow God’s leadership.View God’s prohibitions as blessings. God wants the

best for you. He knows the best paths to walk and theconsequences of walking the wrong paths. Obey God’sleadership and be blessed. Ignore His leadership andsuffer the consequences.

JUST A THOUGHT: Do not complain when God closes adoor. Be thankful for the doors He opens.

Marc Shultz

30

Hebrews 10:22-25 Friday, March 20

Hold Fast Your Profession

KEY VERSE: “Let us hold fast the profession of ourfaith without wavering; (for he is faithful that prom-ised;),” Hebrews 10:23.

Disgruntled students opened fire inside ColumbineHigh School killing several students. One target groupwas Christian students. Cassie Bernall was supposedlyasked by one of the armed students whether she was aChristian. She could have easily said no in hopes of spar-ing her life. One story states that without hesitationCassie answered she was a Christian and was immedi-ately shot. As the story goes, she took her stand in theface of certain death.Christians should not be ashamed to declare their

faith. Stephen declared his faith to the men stoning himto death. The apostle Paul declared his faith to KingAgrippa rather than asking that his life be spared. Thewoman at the well ran home to declare her newfoundfaith to her friends and family.Believers should not only declare their faith but hold

fast to their faith in the midst of opposition. Paul andStephen could have avoided persecution and martyrdom ifthey had quit preaching Jesus and Him crucified. Theyheld fast to their profession of faith without regard to per-sonal welfare or safety. Satan wishes to silence the witnessof believers. He should not be allowed to gain the victory.Do not allow anyone to silence your testimony for

God. Do not depart from your faith. Declare your faithwhenever possible. Do not be ashamed of the message ofthe gospel. Prove your faith by word and deed. Let yourlight shine before the world.

JUST A THOUGHT: Stand for God and God will stand byyou.

Marc Shultz

31

Deuteronomy 7:1-4 Saturday, March 21

The Result of Disobedience

KEY VERSE: “For they will turn away thy son from fol-lowing me, that they may serve other gods: so willthe anger of the LORD be kindled against you, anddestroy thee suddenly,” Deuteronomy 7:4.

Steve’s parents were out of town for the weekend.They left Steve specific instructions about the use of thefamily car. He was only to use the car to go to church onSunday and for any emergency that might arise. Other-wise, the car was to remain in the driveway. Steve dis-obeyed their instructions and took the car out cruisingwith friends. He was involved in a minor accident thatwas his fault. He had to confess to his parents what hap-pened. They told their son what hurt them most wasthey could no longer trust him to obey their instructions.He would have to earn their trust once again.The anger of the Lord was kindled against the

Israelites. They had forsaken His way and turned to idols.God was disappointed because His chosen people had notbeen faithful to His instructions. The blessings God hadbestowed upon them had turned His wrath against them.The joy they should have experienced had turned to sor-row.While the Israelites attempted to blame God for theirplight, they had no one to blame but themselves.Disobedience to God never results in good. God is

never pleased with disobedience. Do not risk facingGod’s wrath. Obey God’s will and turn away from evil.

JUST A THOUGHT: Do not neglect the trust God hasplaced in you. Obey Him.

Marc Shultz

32

1 John 2:15-17 Sunday, March 22

Love Not the World

KEY VERSE: “Love not the world, neither the thingsthat are in the world. If any man love the world, thelove of the Father is not in him,” 1 John 2:15.

Benedict Arnold attempted to play both sides duringthe Revolutionary War. His ambition was to become ageneral. Since he could not become a general in the Colo-nial army, he told battlefield secrets to the British armyto become a general in their army. Benedict Arnold died afew years after the end of the RevolutionaryWar as a for-gotten man and is still known as a traitor.Christians who love the world more than God are

traitors in the spiritual warfare. A person who loves theworld does not love God because the love of the world isinconsistent with the love of God. It can be compared toa person attempting to fight on both sides of a war. Sincehe is loyal to neither side, he is an ineffective soldier. AChristian who loves the world more than God is ineffec-tive in the service of God. His allegiance is to the fleshrather than God. The lusts of the flesh are not of God soanyone who gives in to such lusts cannot accomplish Hiswill. The lusts of the flesh are never satisfied. The will ofGod is the only path to lasting peace and contentment.

Christians should love God so much that they loseaffection for the things of the world. Love God more thanthings.

JUST A THOUGHT: Because we live in the world does notmean we must love the world.

Marc Shultz

33

Daniel 9:4-6 Monday, March 23

The Essence of Confidence

KEY VERSE: “And I prayed unto the LORD my God, andmade my confession, and said, O Lord, the greatand dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercyto them that love him, and to them that keep hiscommandments,” Daniel 9:4.

A young man took the love of his life to a fancy restau-rant. As many strangers watched, he took a knee, tookher hand in his and asked her to marry him. Withouthesitation she accepted his proposal as the throng ofstrangers erupted into applause. The young man musthave had confidence she would accept his proposal or hewould have never proposed in a public place.Daniel had confidence in God. He had prophesied before

kings concerning the judgment of God. God has neverfailed to fulfill His warnings. Daniel warned the Israelitesthat God was not pleased with their rebellion against Him.Daniel knew God’s wrath was tempered by His mercy. Hepleaded with God to show restraint as He dealt with Hisrebellious children. Daniel had seen the mercy of God atwork and knew God would continue to be merciful. Heremembered how God brought the Israelites out of Egyptand through the Red Sea. God’s mercy is without limit.Daniel’s warning to the Israelites was also a reminder

of the dreadful day of divine judgment. In that day of judg-ment some will experience His mercy while others willsuffer His wrath. Those who prepare for the day of judg-ment can have confidence that God will show them mercy.

JUST A THOUGHT: God’s mercy is as great as His mercyis enduring.

Marc Shultz

34

Deuteronomy 30:1-5 Tuesday, March 24

God’s Promise to Exiles

KEY VERSE: “And the LORD thy God will bring thee intothe land which thy fathers possessed, and thoushalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and mul-tiply thee above thy fathers,” Deuteronomy 30:5.

Dad was going to be gone for a week as an evangelistin a revival meeting. I was not accustomed to him beinggone for such an extended period of time. He promisedmy sister and me if we obeyed Mother during hisabsence he would bring us a surprise from his trip. Wekept our promise to him and Dad kept his promise to us.God promised His chosen people a prosperous land of

their own. There was nothing that would prevent themfrom possessing the land. There were times that Godallowed them to endure captivity. The captivity was aresult of their rebellion against God. During the time ofcaptivity, God led the Israelites to repentance. It was notHis will for them to continue to endure captivity but toreturn to obedience to Him. God promised to lift theircaptivity and restore their prosperity if they wouldreturn to Him.It is God’s desire to do good for His children. He will

only show His wrath when they refuse to repent of theirsins and return to His will. God never goes back on Hispromises. He may delay fulfilling those promises to bringHis children to repentance. Nothing good comes from dis-obeying God. Blessings come to those who obey Him.

JUST A THOUGHT: God has kept His promises to you.Have you kept your promises to Him?

Marc Shultz

35

Psalm 32:5 Wednesday, March 25

Confession in Prayer

KEY VERSE: “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, andmine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess mytransgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavestthe iniquity of my sin. Selah,” Psalm 32:5.

When the woman cutting my hair learned I was apreacher, she began to confess some great sins she hadcommitted. She wanted me to tell her that God under-stood and not to worry about her actions. I told her if shedesired forgiveness she should repent and ask God to for-give her.King David knew he was an imperfect man. He was

ashamed of his sins. David experienced forgivenessbecause he confessed his sin to God and sought divinemercy. He did not attempt to shift blame but acceptedaccountability for his actions. David knew it was futile tohide his sins from God. He found peace in repentance toGod. David asked the people of Israel to repent. Havingexperienced divine forgiveness himself, he knew Godwould forgive anyone who repented.How does a person confess sins to God? A person must

be specific about the sins he is confessing. There must bea true regret for committing sin. There needs to be anacknowledgement of the consequences of sinful actions.The confession must be made to God. It is God’s Lawthat has been broken, and He is the One who forgives.There must be a desire to turn away from the sins whichhave been confessed. Christians should have confidenceGod will forgive sins.

JUST A THOUGHT: True confession comes from a hum-ble heart.

Marc Shultz

36

Jeremiah 29:11-14 Thursday, March 26

Seek with Your Whole Heart

KEY VERSE: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, whenye shall search for me with all your heart,” Jeremiah29:13.

When I was a young man, my bike was stolen. Thepolice were informed and a report was made, but theywere too busy fighting crime to stop and look for a stolenbike. I searched all over the neighborhood looking for mybike because I realized I would likely be the only onewho could find it. I found the bike a week later aban-doned at a local convenience store.The people of Israel had forsaken God and endured a

terrible captivity. God was anxious to hear their prayersof repentance and restore their prosperity. God would notend their captivity until He saw true repentance from therebellious people. God was not hiding from the Israelites.He could be found when they truly sought Him.Some people will only seek God when they face diffi-

cult circumstances. When everything is going good, theyneglect God and His will. They ignore the warnings torepent and turn away from their evil actions. It requiresthe wrath of God to bring them to their knees in repen-tance. God will show His wrath to bring His rebelliouspeople to repentance.It is better to seek the will of God before facing His

wrath. The history of divine wrath upon the disobedientshould serve as an incentive not to rebel against God.

JUST A THOUGHT: Those who obey God have no reasonto worry about His wrath.

Marc Shultz

37

Psalm 19:8, 9 Friday, March 27

Rejoicing the Heart

KEY VERSE: “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoic-ing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure,enlightening the eyes,” Psalm 19:8.

When one was speaking to a soldier who was return-ing from a twelve month tour of duty in Iraq, the soldierspoke about the honor of serving in the armed forces andfighting for freedom. He stated he was glad to be back inthe United States where there were reasonable laws.Having spent a year in a restrictive country remindedhim of the blessings of being an American.God is just in His dealings with humanity. His

statutes are not grievous but are right and beneficial tothose who obey them. The commandments of the Lordare enlightening to the searching mind and are right-eous for all who follow them. The best choice is to followthe will of God at all times.The abundant life comes in obedience to God. Any

restriction God places upon His children is for their good.Ignoring His restrictions brings sorrow and judgment.God always leads in the paths of righteousness. Right-eous living is better than living for the flesh. Livingaccording to the instructions of God brings peace and joy.God is clear in His instructions. It is up to the individualto obey them.Christians should view God’s statutes as a blessing

and not hardships. Consider the chaos that would ensueif not for God’s instructions. God reserves His blessingsfor those who obey Him.

JUST A THOUGHT: The best outlook for life comes froman upward look toward God.

Marc Shultz

38

Ezekiel 28:25, 26 Saturday, March 28

God Keeps His Promises!

KEY VERSE: “And they shall dwell safely therein, andshall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, theyshall dwell with confidence, when I have executedjudgments upon all those that despise them roundabout them; and they shall know that I am the LORDtheir God,” Ezekiel 28:26.

One of the jobs I had while a seminary student was ata small self-service gas station. The station sold onlygasoline and my job was taking payment for the gas pur-chases. I told my employer I could only work afternoonsbecause of my class schedule. I was forced to remind himabout our agreement when he wanted me to work morn-ings when I was in class. One day I went to work and dis-covered another man had taken my shift and I was outof a job. My employer did not keep his promise to me.God promised the scattered Israelites they could be

gathered again as a nation. God also promised their cap-tors would be brought under His wrath. God alsopromised they would live in prosperity. Their vineyardswould be fruitful, and they would live without fear of theenemy. This was in stark contrast to life in captivity.These promises were assured because God cannot lie.The Israelites needed faith that God would keep Hispromises. The Israelites witnessed the deliverance ofGod in His way and in His time. Every promise Godmade became reality, and the Israelites enjoyed the pro-vision of God.

JUST A THOUGHT: The promises of God are surebecause God cannot lie.

Marc Shultz

39

Deuteronomy 4:29-31 Sunday, March 29

In Tribulation, Turn

KEY VERSE: “When thou art in tribulation, and all thesethings are come upon thee, even in the latter days,if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedi-ent unto his voice,” Deuteronomy 4:30.

The Israelites suffered tribulation because of theirdisobedience to God. They were at the mercy of theirenemies, and their prosperity dried up. The Israeliteshad been warned repeatedly about the consequences ofrebelling against God, but the warnings fell on deaf ears.They were responsible for their own plight because oftheir disobedience.The Israelites had not sought God in the midst of

their tribulation. They stubbornly refused to repent oftheir sins and return to obedience to God. They werereminded that God had not forsaken them, but they hadforsaken God. God was available anytime they wanted torepent. Because they had not sought God in repentance,His wrath was against them.The Israelites had not made the correlation between

disobedience to God and tribulation. They did not wantto blame their suffering on their own sinful actions. Godwas using His wrath as a way to return them to faithfulobedience to Him. They could have avoided their tribu-lation if they had obeyed God in the first place. Theycould have ended the tribulation by repenting and obey-ing His will.God is anxious to show His mercy. He will not turn

away repentant sinners. Repentance reveals the mercyof God.

JUST A THOUGHT: There is no reason to continue intribulation. Turn to the mercy of God.

Marc Shultz

40

Ephesians 2:10 Monday, March 30

Created for Good Works

KEY VERSE: “For we are his workmanship, created inChrist Jesus unto good works, which God hathbefore ordained that we should walk in them,” Eph-esians 2:10.

We are His workmanship. What does that mean? Oneoriginal meaning for workmanship is “poet” (Acts 17:28).Not all of us can be a poet like Longfellow. It takes a spe-cial skill. No one can make of us, God’s children, whatGod can make of us. There is no human skill that canmatch God’s skill.What does God’s workmanship produce in us? Good

works! This is what God planned from the beginning forHis people, that they should “walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).Many moves you make when you are awake involveswalking. God intends for His children to be a living,walking, talking example of good works for the world tosee. This does not mean we are robots or automatons.Instead, as Paul wrote, “There are diversities of opera-tions, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” (1Cor. 12:6).No matter what type of person we are, God can use us

when we will yield to His leadership. Some are logicalthinkers. Some are governed by their emotions. Someare dynamic leaders. Some are docile followers. Thereare the visionaries who lead, the thinkers who ponderand the generous ones who pay the bills. But all togeth-er we are indeed God’s workmanship and His master-piece that expresses His creative best.

LIVING IT: Yearn always to do your best, not for yourself,but, to glorify God.

Mary McCalister

41

2 Timothy 3:17 Tuesday, March 31

Furnished unto All Good Works

KEY VERSE: “That the man of God may be perfect,throughly furnished unto all good works,” 2 Timothy3:17.

A teenager had been deeply moved by the evangelist’smessage to the congregation. But, as he lay in bed laterthat night, he was beset with many doubts. “How can Iever be perfect? I’m such a sinner! I can never measure upto God’s standard.”What does it mean to be perfect? In today’s language,

perfect means “without flaw.” But the word Paul usedmeans “mature, complete or adequate.”To allay the young man’s anxieties, we can assure him

that God furnishes us with all we need to be mature andcomplete for the purposes God has for us.How can we accomplish our desires to measure up to

God’s standards? Romans 12:1 tells us that we can accom-plish this “by the mercies of God.” The motivation to beperfect is solely based upon what God has done for us.Is this difficult for us to understand? Perhaps we need

to load our memory banks with the mercies of God.When we truly remember all that God has done for us, itis easier for us to present ourselves to Him as living sac-rifices, abandoning to Him all rights to ourselves.Must a person change all his behavior to be perfect,

mature or complete? No. Observing Romans 12:1 again,we can see that we are to separate ourselves to the Lordas living sacrifices. Romans 12:2 tells us how.We are notto be conformed to this world but are to be transformedby the renewing of our minds. Then, we will be togetherwith Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).

LIVING IT: Let God furnish you all you need.

Mary McCalister

42

Titus 3:8 Wednesday, April 1

Maintain Good Works

KEY VERSE: “This is a faithful saying, and these thingsI will that thou affirm constantly, that they whichhave believed in God might be careful to maintaingood works. These things are good and profitableunto men,” Titus 3:8.

How, you ask, is it possible to maintain good works?We are sinners saved by grace but still have a sinfulnature. How can we overcome that?First of all, we must be ready. The person who pleas-

es God also can be profitable to his fellowman. This per-son is one who is ready, willing and able to be used. If weare not ready, God will bypass us for someone who is,and we will miss the blessings that could have beenours.Paul was a man who was ready. He said he was ready

to preach the gospel (Rom. 1:15). He said he was readyto die (Acts 21:13). He said he was ready to be offered (2Tim. 4:6). Yes, Paul was ready to preach, ready to suffer,ready to die in the service of the Lord.Second, we are to come up.We are called to fellowship

with the Lord. We come up to the Lord in prayer. Prayerand communion with God precede our service to Him.Then, we must present ourselves. We looked at this

aspect of good works in the previous devotional, whenwe learned that we are to present ourselves living sacri-fices to God (Rom. 12:1). We start by being ready. Then,we come up to God in prayer, presenting ourselves in ser-vice to Him. In this way we can maintain good works,being profitable to God and our fellowmen.

LIVING IT: You are responsible to God for maintaininggood works.

Mary McCalister

43

2 Corinthians 5:7 Thursday, April 2

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

KEY VERSE: “For we walk by faith, not by sight,” 2 Co-rinthians 5:7.

A man was walking along a narrow path, not payingmuch attention to where he was going. Suddenly, heslipped over the edge of a cliff. As he fell, he grabbed abranch growing from the side of the cliff. Realizing hecould not hang on for long, he called for help. “Is anybodyup there?”“Yes, I’m here,” a voice answered.“Who’s that?” the man called.“The Lord,” the voice answered.“Lord, help me!” the man cried.“Do you trust Me?” the Lord asked.“I trust you completely, Lord,” the man answered.“Good. Let go of the branch,” the Lord instructed.“What?” the man exclaimed.“I said, let go of the branch,” the Lord said.After a long pause, the man called, “Is anybody else

up there?”

It is easy to see this is not an example of walking byfaith. Paul reasoned with the Galatians: “Are ye so fool-ish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfectby the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3). Certainly, if we are saved byfaith, we should “walk by faith” (2 Cor. 5:7). It is not rea-sonable to believe that we can accomplish in the fleshwhat was started in faith. Paul reiterates several times,“The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).Much of what we do involves walking, except perhaps

sleeping. We walk to the bathroom. We walk outside toget the paper.We walk everywhere all the time. Even so,we must walk by faith.

LIVING IT: Walking by faith is essential to a productiveChristian life.

Mary McCalister

44

2 Thessalonians 1:3, 4 Friday, April 3

Persecution May Strengthen Faith

KEY VERSE: “So that we ourselves glory in you in thechurches of God for your patience and faith in all yourpersecutions and tribulations that ye endure,” 2 Thes-salonians 1:4.

If we endure persecution and continue to live in a godlymanner, we will be an inspiration to those who are wit-nesses to our patience and faith.We have the greatest admiration for those who endure

persecution and seem to grow stronger because of it. Paulwanted his followers to know how much he appreciatedtheir patience and faith exhibited in all the persecutionsand trials they had endured. Paul understood about per-secution because he had endured it (Rom. 5:3; 2 Cor. 11:23-28). Because of what he experienced, he knew the bless-ings that would come to those who endured persecutions.When we look around us today, it is easy to see that not

many people react in the right way to persecution. Youngpeople say, “They make fun of me if I try to witness, so I amnot going to say anything.” Spouses say, “My mate does nothelp me or support me in my Christian service so I amgoing to quit church.” Pastors say, “People do not appreciateall I do for them, so I am going to quit pastoring.”Yet, Paul encourages us to exhibit patience and faith in

all our persecutions and tribulations, enduring them forthe sake of Christ. We are to look on suffering as a giftfrom God, bringing us into vital contact with the livingGod, that our lives may be filled to overflowing with Himin ways that seem impossible to those who do not suffer.

LIVING IT: Endure suffering and glorify God.

Mary McCalister

45

Hebrews 11:1 Saturday, April 4

Definition of Faith

KEY VERSE: “Now faith is the substance of thingshoped for, the evidence of things not seen,”Hebrews 11:1.

What is faith? This verse declares it is both substanceand evidence. The substance is like a title deed. Whenyou buy a home, you are given a title deed. It is not yoursyet, because you have twenty years or more of monthlypayments before the house is truly yours. But, you livein it like it is yours and you think of it as yours. Faith isthe assurance that the thing hoped for will come to pass.Faith gives us evidence or proof of things which we

look forward to but have not yet come to pass.One who was raised in the country tells of a pasture

back home where there once was a gully, a ravine wornby erosion in that familiar red dirt. Youngsters vied witheach other in gully-jumping.The idea was to get across inone leap—you had better get over in one leap, for eitheryou went over or in! The secret was in getting a good run-ning start and then going over at the first try. If you ranup to the brink and then had your courage fail so thatyou had to go back and start all over, that was disastrous.It would be twice as difficult to do next time.Gully-jumping illustrates a vital principle in the

Christian life of faith. Nothing is more disastrous thanto study faith, analyze faith and make noble resolves offaith but never actually make the leap of faith.

LIVING IT: God can give you the kind of faith which givesyou assurance and evidence of what is in store for you.

Mary McCalister

46

1 Corinthians 15:58 Sunday, April 5

Your Work Will Be Rewarded!

KEY VERSE: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be yestedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in thework of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that yourlabour is not in vain in the Lord,” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

When it is all said and done, what is left for us to do?Paul ends his description of the resurrection with theseimportant words. God wants us to be steadfast, unmove-able, abounding in the work of the Lord.At times we are not what we should be for God. Yet,

we are still growing in Him. Thank the Lord we are notwhat we were without Him. We can also thank Him forwhat we are in His service and the ability to see Himface to face one day.Yes, that is what we can look forward to. We shall be

changed—a wonderful transformation! We shall be likeHim—a glorious transfiguration! We shall be caughtup—a mighty transportation!The assurance of the resurrection should cause us to

be looking (Heb. 12:2), listening (Psalm 85:8), learning(Matt. 11:29), leaning (Song of Sol. 8:5), living (Phil.1:21), lying [resting] (Psalm 23:2), loving (1 John 4:9),and longing (Psalm 119:174).Yes, thinking about the resurrection should make us

“rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith,as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanks-giving” (Col. 2:7). Grounded and grateful! True andthankful! Steadfast and singing! Abiding and abounding!

LIVING IT: Do not become discouraged. The best is yet tocome!

Mary McCalister

47

2 Timothy 3:12 Monday, April 6

The Godly Will Be Tried

KEY VERSE: “Yea, and all that will live godly in ChristJesus shall suffer persecution,” 2 Timothy 3:12.

It could not be any more plain than this verse, “All thatwill live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”Not a pleasant prospect from a fleshly perspective, is it?No one is worthy to carry the gospel story to those

who need to hear it. In fact, we can do nothing at all onour authority. Every word we utter is to be in Hisauthority. It is not me who tells you that Christians shallsuffer persecution. It is God who tells you in His Word.However unpleasant suffering may be, we must pray

that, whenever or however it comes to us, we shall begiven strength to bear it. When the pain is real and notimaginary, when it is unmerited and not the conse-quence of self-indulgence, our sufferings may bear somecomparisons to the things Christ suffered.Suffering can do several things in the life of a believ-

er. First, it can burn out the dross or purify us and leadus to greater holiness of life. It can also burn in thepromises or lead us to a closer dependence on God andHis faithful promises to us. Burn it will—but look atwhat the burning is for.Peter offered us great encouragement to endure suf-

fering, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us inthe flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased fromsin; that he should no longer live . . . to the lusts of men,but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1, 2).

LIVING IT: Endure suffering and be happy that you havebeen counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

Mary McCalister

48

1 Peter 1:7 Tuesday, April 7

More Precious than Gold

KEY VERSE: “That the trial of your faith, being muchmore precious than of gold that perisheth, though itbe tried with fire, might be found unto praise andhonour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ,”1 Peter 1:7.

In the 1980s, northern Nevada was the site of a goldstrike. The discovery would have been beyond the imag-ination of the nineteenth century prospectors, for thegold in those western hills was virtually invisible. Evenafter being magnified fifteen hundred times, most of theparticles remained imperceptible.Modern technology, however, has found a way to

extract the gold. First, tons of ore are crushed to the con-sistency of fine sand. Then cyanide is added to dissolvethe granules into a clear solution. When zinc dust isblended in, the gold separates from the mixture. Thegold was there all the time, but it could not be seen.There is a similarity here to life’s troubles. One may

not see in them the rich potential of a strong faith, but itis there. Strive to develop strong faith because it is muchmore precious than gold.What will the final result be? It will not be gold, which

is perishable, but it will be receiving praise and honorfrom Christ and giving Him glory for what you havedone. It will be priceless to hear Him say, “Well done,good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over afew things, I will make thee ruler over many things:enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:23).

LIVING IT: Gold is valuable in this life, but our faith is muchmore valuable because it is eternal.

Mary McCalister

49

Matthew 5:10-12 Wednesday, April 8

Great Is Your Reward in Heaven

KEY VERSE: “Blessed are they which are persecutedfor righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom ofheaven,” Matthew 5:10.

Beatitudes is a word seldom found anywhere except inreference to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. The wordmeans “happiness” so we can say Jesus has told us how wecan be happy.We might dispute His method until we havetried it. Then, we find He has taught us a great principle.First, we recognize our need (poor in spirit). Next, we

repent of our self-sufficiency (we mourn). We surrendercontrol to God (we are meek). As we take these steps, weare so grateful for His presence that we yearn for moreof Him (we hunger and thirst for righteousness). Draw-ing closer to Him, we become more like Him, able to for-give others (we are merciful).We change our outlook (webecome pure in heart). We love others (we are peace-makers). We endure injustice (we are persecuted).The Savior was spoken against. His followers were

spoken against. The saints of every age are spokenagainst. We share His shame and reproach. They hatedHim and they will hate us. The world hates us becausewe are not of the world. But, if the world reproaches us,let us be happy and not ashamed (1 Peter 4:13-16).However, we must remember that we are not blessed

because we are spoken against. The charges must befalse, and it must be for Christ’s sake.

LIVING IT: The churches prosper in persecution but pinein prosperity.

Mary McCalister

50

James 1:12 Thursday, April 9

The Belated Beatitude

KEY VERSE: “Blessed is the man that endureth temp-tation: for when he is tried, he shall receive thecrown of life, which the Lord hath promised to themthat love him,” James 1:12.

A woodpecker is an interesting bird. The loud rat-a-tatnoise he makes as he drills into trees in search of bugs toeat always attracts attention. The secret of his success issimple. When a woodpecker finds a suitable tree, hebegins to drill a hole. If the wood is too hard or no bugsare found, he simply moves over a bit and starts again.Hecontinues until he meets with success.Satan uses temptation in much the same way. He will

try one temptation on us and then, if not successful, willmove over a bit and try another. And so he will continue,repeatedly, until he finds a soft spot in us that he can useto his advantage.Can we use the once-common excuse, “The devil made

me do it”? No, indeed. James’s instruction is clear, “Sub-mit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and hewill flee from you” (James 4:7). Not many of us feel likewe have that power, but it is there if we will use it. Notonly do we have the power to cause Satan to flee, but weourselves can flee from all temptation. (Read 1 Corinthi-ans 6:18; 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22.) God’sinstruction is clear. We are to flee from the appearanceof evil. This may require a radical change in our life-style, but it will be well worth it.

LIVING IT: When you flee temptation, leave no forwardingaddress.

Mary McCalister

51

1 Corinthians 10:13 Friday, April 10

God Is Faithful!

KEY VERSE: “There hath no temptation taken you butsuch as is common to man: but God is faithful, whowill not suffer you to be tempted above that ye areable; but will with the temptation also make a way toescape, that ye may be able to bear it,” 1 Corinthi-ans 10:13.

The large trucks called eighteen-wheelers or semis,which travel our nation’s highways, are subject to a loadlimit. This means there is a limit as to how much weighteach truck is allowed to carry. There is a good reason forestablishing such limits. If the trucks are allowed toexceed their weight limit, the roads would eventually fallapart because a given road is designed to support vehiclesonly up to a certain weight.Likewise, God knows how much we can bear when He

allows us to be tested. He has assigned a definite loadlimit to each of us and never exceeds it.Perhaps, like the old spiritual, you say, “Nobody knows

the trouble I’ve seen,” but this is not true. Paul assures usthat we will experience only those things which are com-mon to man. For every temptation God gives us a way toescape, as you read in a previous devotional. Perhaps weall need to memorize the old hymn:

“Yield not to temptation, For yielding is sin,Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.Ask the Savior to help you, Comfort, strengthen,and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He willcarry you through.”

LIVING IT: Make the words of this hymn the goal of yourlife.

Mary McCalister

52

1 Thessalonians 3:2-4 Saturday, April 11

Unmoved by Affliction

KEY VERSE: “For verily, when we were with you, wetold you before that we should suffer tribulation,even as it came to pass, and ye know,” 1 Thessalo-nians 3:4.

Our church recently received word of the martyrdom inSri Lanka of a missionary we had been supporting there.He was killed in a drive-by shooting, and his wife was seri-ously injured. It will be someone’s responsibility to counselthis family and this mission and help them see that Godcan be glorified even in great tragedy.Paul was this kind of counselor to the church at Thes-

salonica. He told of his afflictions, but he did not do it togain sympathy. He was simply explaining why he sentTimothy to minister to themwhile he remained at Athens.Though Paul did not want people to feel sorry for him,

what should our attitude be when we hear of tribula-tions which come to God’s men? Often our first reactionis, that could never happen here. Instead, our reactionshould be, is there any way I can help to relieve the suf-fering of this man’s family? All the while, we shouldknow it could happen here, and we should prepare our-selves to endure pain and suffering which might come.You can explain to a child all the medical reasons why

he must have a shot in the arm, but when the nurse getsready to plunge that needle into his arm, he runs toMommy. Comfort comes not in always knowing the rea-son why but in knowing the Comforter.

LIVING IT: Be ready to bear affliction because it is sure tobe a part of your Christian life.

Mary McCalister

53

1 Peter 4:12-16 Sunday, April 12

Think It Not Strange

KEY VERSE: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, lethim not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on thisbehalf,” 1 Peter 4:16.

Peter intended for his readers to understand that suf-fering as a Christian is not unusual or strange. He wroteof the fiery trials which would come upon them.This fierytrial was like a refiner’s fire. The image of a refiner’s firemakes us understand that suffering purifies and strength-ens Christians.Further, Peter wrote that we should rejoice in this

suffering because it gives us the opportunity to share inChrist’s suffering. History reveals to us that increasedsufferings increase the believer’s joy in the Lord. If youdo not believe this, spend some time reading MartyrsMirror or Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. These will give you agreater appreciation of how the true faith has beenhanded down to you. They also make you realize thatyou really cannot complain about suffering.There is suffering today in many places in the world.

The Vietnamese government published a training manu-al, “Concerning the Task of the Protestant Religion in theNorthernMountainous Region,” because they were so con-cerned about the spread of Christianity in that region. In2007 they complained that Christians had penetratedand focused their energy on evangelizing the ethnicminorities. They went on to instruct officials to resolutelysubdue the abnormally rapid and spontaneous develop-ment of Christianity in the northern provinces. How werethey to do this? It was done with arrests, beatings, impris-onments and confiscations of Bibles and Christian books.Yes, it is happening in many places in the world today.

LIVING IT: Do not fear persecution. God will deliver you.

Mary McCalister

54

Deuteronomy 31:11-13 Monday, April 13

Advantage of Reading Scripture

KEY VERSE: “Gather the people together, men, andwomen, and children, and thy stranger that is withinthy gates, that they may hear, and that they maylearn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to doall the words of this law,” Deuteronomy 31:12.

Do you have any idea how fortunate you are to live inthis age? The people of Deuteronomy had only one way oflearning God’s Word and His will. They had to listen.We have the Bible to read for ourselves. There are

dozens of translations which can help us as we study.Unlike the people of Moses’ and Joshua’s day, we can lis-ten to Bible recordings as well as spending, at the most,three to four hours a week listening to a teacher and aminister. The people in that day had to spend hours con-centrating on someone reading to them from the book ofthe Law.Yet, who do you suppose they knew more of God’s

Word and God’s will? I suspect it was those Jews whowere on their way to Canaan.Many people watch game shows on TV. They are

amazed, as this writer, how often contestants miss ques-tions that are asked concerning the Bible. The lack ofBible knowledge is apparent in this country and often inour churches as well. Having God’s Word so readilyavailable is often a mixed blessing.What is the main purpose of hearing God’s Word? It is

so we can learn to fear the Lord our God and to observeall He has told us we should do.

LIVING IT: Being a real Bible student will reap many bless-ings for you.

Mary McCalister

55

Luke 4:16-20 Tuesday, April 14

Public Reading of Scripture

KEY VERSE: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he hath anointed me to preach the gospelto the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, andrecovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty themthat are bruised,” Luke 4:18.

A businessman who was accustomed to presiding atbusiness functions was called on suddenly to officiate ata church affair. Somebody read the Scriptures, and thisman absent-mindedly got up and said, “If there are nocorrections, the Scriptures will stand as read.”Sometimes it seems like our attitude toward the spo-

ken Word is as mundane as that. When you observe theaverage congregation, you see a gross lack of attentionwhen the Word is read. However, some churches do tryto show respect by having the congregation stand whenthe sermon text is read aloud. You wonder how we wouldfeel if Jesus were our Scripture reader.You wonder what the reaction was when Jesus stood

up to read the Scripture, choosing to read the passage inIsaiah which foretold His ministry. Imagine their surprisewhen He said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled” (Luke4:21). Their reaction was, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (verse22). Jesus had grown up in that area, so He said, sorrow-fully, “No prophet is accepted in his own country” (verse24). For some reason, this made them angry, and they didtheir best to kill Him. Too often, hearing the Scripturesmakes people angry because it reveals their sin.

LIVING IT: Show respect for God’s Word both in publicand private.

Mary McCalister

56

Acts 17:11 Wednesday, April 15

They Searched theScriptures Daily

KEY VERSE: “These were more noble than those inThessalonica, in that they received the word with allreadiness of mind, and searched the scripturesdaily, whether those things were so,” Acts 17:11.

There is little mention of Berea, but it is well worthour time to learn as much about them as possible. Thecity of Berea was small and not as well known as placeslike Thessalonica or Athens, but its character was dif-ferent from those larger cities.Some of Paul’s hearers at Thessalonica received his

word readily. However, the Jews at Thessalonica who didnot receive his word gladly treated him poorly, even run-ning him out of town. Paul received a greater receptionwhen he moved on to Berea.First, they “received the word with all readiness of

mind” (verse 11). What pastor or missionary would notlove a people like that?Second, they “searched the scriptures daily” (verse 11).

It would be easy to pastor a group like that, even thoughthey were just checking up on the preacher, to see if“those things were so” (verse 11). This attitude wouldmean they were receptive to the teaching, at the sametime wanting to be sure they were being taught the truth.It is easy for us to search the Scriptures daily, because

Bibles are readily accessible. To add to that, we havehelps like this devotional book which can help us be sys-tematic and regular in our study. Add to that the quar-terlies our churches use, and there’s no excuse at all fornot being as diligent as the church at Berea was.

LIVING IT: Be diligent to study God’s Word daily.

Mary McCalister

57

1 Thessalonians 2:13 Thursday, April 16

The Word Works Within

KEY VERSE: “For this cause also thank we God with-out ceasing, because, when ye received the word ofGod which ye heard of us, ye received it not as theword of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,which effectually worketh also in you that believe,”1 Thessalonians 2:13.

Soon after a family moved into their new house, itbegan to show the effects of their slipshod life-style. Theyard was littered with trash. The lawn withered withlack of care and, even when replanted, it died out again.To enter this house was to enter a house in shambles. Itwas never clean or in order.Another family eventually bought the house and

moved in. They painted the house, cleaned up the yard,and replanted the lawn. The results were completely dif-ferent. What had happened? There was a dramaticimprovement in the appearance of the house becausethere was a change in those who lived in the house.In the same way it is impossible that there not be a

change in a person’s life once he or she becomes a Chris-tian—because there is a perfect new resident within—the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can help us make thechanges we need to make as he helps us abandon sinand become righteous.

LIVING IT: A change in our hearts from lost to savedshould be reflected by a change in our lives.

Mary McCalister

58

Hebrews 4:12 Friday, April 17

The Discerning Word

KEY VERSE: “For the word of God is quick, and pow-erful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, pierc-ing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner ofthe thoughts and intents of the heart,” Hebrews4:12.

The name of this book, in part, explains the writer’sapproach as he explains the deep meaning of all thatChrist did for sinners. The Jews would have understoodwhat was meant by saying Christ would make interces-sion for those who came to God.Jews could not approach God directly. They needed

the priest to go to God for them. Of course, the priest,like everyone else, was not perfect. He was but a pictureof the perfect One who was to come, the eternal One whocould make intercession for man before God.Humanistic religion says, “I can do it myself.” As the

child who wants to do a certain task by himself, andmakes a mess of it, mankind cannot save himself. Heonly makes a mess of it.If the circumstance should arise, how would you

choose a lawyer to be your intercessor? You would lookat his office wall and see how many law degrees he hadand where he obtained them. You would interview himto make sure you felt confident with him. You would askhow many cases he had won. You would make sure hehad time to handle your case.It is evenmore important to choose your spiritual Inter-

cessor. Know that He is able, holy, innocent, undefiled, sep-arated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.

LIVING IT: We can be blameless because Christ isblameless.

Mary McCalister

59

1 Timothy 4:13 Saturday, April 18

Read, Exhort and Teach

KEY VERSE: “Till I come, give attendance to reading,to exhortation, to doctrine,” 1 Timothy 4:13.

J.N. Darby is rated by many as one of the great teach-ers of the Word of God. Dr. Darby for many years livedamong the rustic country people of Ireland, preachingthe gospel to those farm families and living at their mod-est level.One day an infidel who was well-known in those times

challenged Darby, saying, “You claim that all Scripture isprofitable.What possible earthly value could a verse like1 Timothy 4:13 have?” To which Darby replied, “Do youknow that when I left my ecclesiastical position to comehere to live among these very simple persons, it was thatvery verse that kept me from selling my own theologicallibrary? Make no mistake about it, all Scripture is in-spired of God and all of it is profitable!”How important it is for both pastors and church mem-

bers to devote themselves to the reading of Scripture.These devotionals are written with the hope of encour-aging the reader to become a daily Bible reader.Daily Bible reading will help the pastor to exhort,

that is, to preach and encourage. In fact, all believers canbe encouragers and having a good foundation will makethat easier for them.What is doctrine besides teaching, and what else

besides teaching is vital to our Christian growth? Paulknew Timothy needed to grow in grace and knowledge,and he encouraged him to take the steps which wouldbring this about.

LIVING IT: You are responsible for your Christian growth.

Mary McCalister

60

2 Timothy 3:16, 17 Sunday, April 19

The Bible “Throughly” Equips Us

KEY VERSE: “All scripture is given by inspiration ofGod, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, forcorrection, for instruction in righteousness,” 2 Tim-othy 3:16.

The story is told about a young boy who was planningto give his grandmother a Bible for Christmas and want-ed to write something special on the flyleaf but was notsure what to say. So he decided to copy what he had seenin a book his father had received from a friend.Christmas morning came and grandmother opened

her gift. She was not only pleased to receive the Bible,but she was amused by the inscription from her grand-son, “To Grandma, with compliments of the author.”Yes, the Scripture is God’s gift to us, and we would

benefit enormously by applying it to our lives. God’sWord supplies all our needs. It gives us doctrine—teach-ing and instruction in everything we need to know. TheWord reproves us—convicts us of sin in our lives. It cor-rects us—points out when we are in error and disci-plines us. Scripture gives us instruction in righteous-ness—trains us in holy living and brings us to conformi-ty with God’s will in every thought, goal and action.Why is this so important? It is because God wants His

children to be perfect, that is mature, throughly—com-pletely, adequately—supplied for everything that isneeded to produce good works.Obedience is accomplished in three ways, (1) through

fear, obeying because you have to; (2) for reward, becauseyou get something out of it; (3) and love, obeying becauseyou love God and want to please Him.

LIVING IT: What is your obedience quotient?

Mary McCalister

61

Nehemiah 10:28-39 Monday, April 20

Serious About Obedience

KEY VERSE: “For the children of Israel and the childrenof Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of thenew wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where arethe vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests thatminister, and the porters, and the singers: and wewill not forsake the house of our God,” Nehemiah10:39.

Every now and again couples wish to renew theirvows. Although married for perhaps many years, theywant to reaffirm their vows of love and commitment in apublic ceremony.This kind of ceremony is similar to what Nehemiah

led the people of Israel to do after finishing the rebuild-ing of the walls. First, Ezra had a public reading of theLaw, and this had inspired a joyful celebration. This, inturn, led to a time of national confession, after which thepeople felt the need to say, “I do,” to God all over again.In promising to obey God’s Law, the people made spe-

cific promises: to abandon intermarriage with the peopleof the land, to bring the firstfruits of the ground, of allfruit trees, their sons, their herds and flocks to the Tem-ple, to give their tithes as well as offerings, to walk inGod’s Law and to show renewed respect for the Sabbath.They promised, “We will not forsake the house of our God”(verse 39).This is a great example for us to follow. Biblical stan-

dards continue to be authoritative, and we must applythem to our lives. As we seek to obey God, we are chal-lenged to apply His standards to our current situations.

LIVING IT: We need to make or lives relevant to God’s Word.

Mary McCalister

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Nehemiah 13:1-31 Tuesday, April 21

Nehemiah—A Zeal for God

KEY VERSE: “Remember me, O my God, concerningthis, and wipe not out my good deeds that I havedone for the house of my God, and for the officesthereof,” Nehemiah 13:14.

It is easy to imagine Nehemiah returning to Jerusalemand being heartbroken at the conditions he found there.He found God’s people allowing the world to invade whatshould have been holy and set apart for God alone. Theyfailed to live holy lives with respect to the Temple, theSabbath and marriage.The Gentile Tobiah was allowed tooperate within the Temple. The Jews succumbed to thetemptations of the foreign traders and dishonored theSabbath. Men of Judah married foreign wives. All thesesins they had vowed to forsake.We face similar pressures to compromise our holiness.

We want to be accepted by the world so we allow non-biblical values to become a part of our churches.We wantpreachers to stop talking about sin because it is offensiveto modern ears.We fill our lives to the brim, rushing fromone thing to another, filling the Lord’s day with shopping,chores and extra hours in the office. Then, we wonderwhy we are so exhausted and stressed out. Marital infi-delity has become commonplace, destroying Christianhomes.Though our offenses might differ, we Christians reg-

ularly come up short in the same way. True transfor-mation requires more than coerced holiness. It beginswith an inner transformation that flows out into acts offaithfulness.

LIVING IT: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,acceptable unto God (Rom. 12:1).

Mary McCalister

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2 Chronicles 5:11-14 Wednesday, April 22

Dedication that Glorified God

KEY VERSE: “It came even to pass, as the trumpetersand singers were as one, to make one sound to beheard in praising and thanking the LORD; and whenthey lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cym-bals and instruments of musick, and praised theLORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endurethfor ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud,even the house of the LORD,” 2 Chronicles 5:13.

Praise is a natural and necessary response to fullyenjoy the object that is praised. For example, when watch-ing a football game on television, it is a natural responseto praise a tremendous play. To shout WOW! after anacrobatic catch in the end zone is not only natural butnecessary to fully enjoy the spectacular play. If you do notbelieve it is necessary, the next time you watch a footballgame try to not express yourself at all. You will quicklyfind that you do not enjoy the action nearly as much asyou do when you have the freedom to express yourself inpraise and excitement.This passage describes in detail the solemnity of the

dedication of the Temple. Think of it! The trumpeters andsingers were as one, producing a sound which praised andthanked the Lord. Added to that were cymbals and othermusical instruments, producing an even greater soundwhich led the people to praise God, saying “He is good; forhis mercy endureth for ever” (verse 13).How long has it been since you used the freedom you

have in Christ to glorify God with song and praise?

LIVING IT: Give God the praise due Him.

Mary McCalister

64

Philippians 4:4 Thursday, April 23

Always Rejoice!

KEY VERSE: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again Isay, Rejoice,” Philippians 4:4.

Let your mind travel back a couple of thousand yearsto Rome, to a drab little room, surrounded by high walls.Inside, we see a man seated on the floor, an older fellow,shoulders stooped and balding, chains on his hands andfeet.It is the apostle Paul, and he is writing a letter. Is it a

letter of complaint containing a long list of grievances?No. It is a letter of joy.You think you have a difficult life? Take a lesson from

Paul. We might say, “Things could be better.” Or we com-plain, “Could not get a parking place.” Or, “My parents willnot let me move to Hawaii.” Or, “People will not leave mealone so I can finish my treatise on selfishness.”Are you so focused on what you do not have that you

are blind to what you do have? You have a ticket to Heav-en no thief can take and an eternal home no divorce canbreak. Every sin of your life has been cast into the sea.Every mistake you’ve made is nailed to the tree. You areblood-bought and Heaven-bound, a child of God—foreversaved.So be grateful, joyful, for isn’t it true?What you do not

have is much less than what you do have.A familiar hymn puts it this way:

“I have found his grace is all complete, He suppli-eth ev’ry need;While I sit and learn at Jesus’ feet,I am free, yes, free indeed.It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory,full of glory, . . . O the half has never yet been told.”

LIVING IT: You can have the same joy of your first meetingwith God if you will go back to the same path.

Mary McCalister

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Psalm 98:4-6 Friday, April 24

Make a Joyful Noise!

KEY VERSE: “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all theearth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and singpraise,” Psalm 98:4.

As we look around us today, do we feel there is noth-ing to be happy about? There are a lot of things wrongwith the world, and we could easily get discouraged. Forexample, today the California Supreme Court recentlyruled that a ban on gay marriages is unconstitutional,even though a majority of the voters approved a mea-sure upholding the biblical principle that a marriage isto be between a man and a woman. How can we find joyin such a circumstance?We can rejoice when we think of God’s covenant with

the people of Israel and His loyal love and faithfulness toHis chosen people. We can rejoice because we know weare partakers of that love and faithfulness (Gal. 3:28, 29).All nature joins in a cacophony of sound and motion—

the seas, the rivers and the mountains. What inspiresthis explosion of joy? What inspires this liberated wor-ship in song? The Lord is coming soon. This is cause forus to rejoice. We should burst into jubilant song, know-ing God keeps all His promises. Our happiness shouldreverberate throughout the earth, our imagination soar-ing as we lift up His Name.Christ said, “These things have I spoken unto you,

that my joy might remain in you, and that your joymight be full” (John 15:11). He intends for us to “rejoicewith joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

LIVING IT: Let the joy of Christ permeate every part of yourlife.

Mary McCalister

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Psalm 30:11, 12 Saturday, April 25

Give Thanks to Him Forever!

KEY VERSE: “To the end that my glory may sing praiseto thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will givethanks unto thee for ever,” Psalm 30:12.

David had turned from God and was leaving Him outof his life. When God turned His face from him, David feltcold, raw fear. He saw his unfaithfulness as frailty and hiscarefree life-style as carelessness. Reciting his feelings ofdeep insecurity, David cried out for mercy. He abandonedhis independence, his cleverness. He tightened the stringsof his life through a mighty outburst of confession.The first step to joy is a plea for help, an acknowl-

edgement of moral destitution and an admission ofinward poverty. Those who taste God’s presence havedeclared spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of theirspiritual crisis. Their cupboards are bare. Their pocketsare empty. Their options are gone. They have long sincestopped demanding justice; they are pleading for mercy.They ask God to do for them what they cannot do

without Him. They have seen how holy God is and howsinful they are.It is a different path, a path we are not accustomed to

taking. Admission of failure is not usually admissioninto joy. Complete confession is not commonly followedby total pardon. But then, God has never been governedby what is common.

LIVING IT: Repent, turn away from your sinfulness andpraise and glorify God for what He does for you.

Mary McCalister

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2 Chronicles 7:1-3 Sunday, April 26

Dedicating the Temple—God Is Good!

KEY VERSE: “And when all the children of Israel sawhow the fire came down, and the glory of the LORDupon the house, they bowed themselves with theirfaces to the ground upon the pavement, and wor-shiped and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good;for his mercy endureth for ever,” 2 Chronicles 7:3.

The Israelites experienced one of the greatest times oftheir lives on this day of dedication—they saw the gloryof God and recognized His goodness and mercy. Thiscaused them to fall to the pavement on their faces and toworship and praise Him.Nothing is scarcer today in believers and in churches

than a sense of the presence of God. The devil will doanything to destroy the awareness of God’s presence.One of his favorite tools is circumstance.“I know what God expects of me, but my Sunday com-

pany expects me to be there to entertain them.” “I meantto help out with visitation, but my son’s Little Leagueschedule took up my time.” “I work all week and have todo all my chores on weekends. And I do deserve a time ofrest.” “Sundays are the only day I can have any recre-ation.” The devil fills our lives and our minds with excus-es which keep us from dedicating our lives to God.It is time for us to get our priorities straight and our

values in the right place. A time to know and show thatGod is good!

LIVING IT: Dedicate your life anew to God and His will foryou.

Mary McCalister

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Esther 1:1-9, 13-22 Monday, April 27

Good Results from Bad Decisions

KEY VERSE: “But the queen Vashti refused to come atthe king’s commandment by his chamberlains:therefore was the king very wroth, and his angerburned in him,” Esther 1:12.

Taking a stand for what is right is not always easy orpopular.Vasthi put her life in jeopardy by refusing to pose inde-

cently before an intoxicated king and his drunken maleguests so that he could boast about the beauty of his queen.She was actually following the custom of this oriental king-dom in which the queen was to be in seclusion from thegeneral male public and kept the king from breaking asocial rule of that society. It cost her the queen’s crown.Purity of body and heart for women and girls is not at

the top of the media’s agenda, but it is important accord-ing to God’sWord (1 Tim. 2:9, 10). The fashion industry, byadvertisement and clothing styles, implies to our youngladies that revealing clothes makes them beautiful andwell-liked by the boys and so it might. Is this a good thing?This lowering of standards can also contribute to the sta-tistic that “every year one in every four American teenscontracts a sexually transmitted disease.”1

Taking a stand could cost you your life, as in the caseof Cassie Bernall who was killed in the Columbine HighSchool massacre for saying she believed in God, or itmight prove to others that it is more important for youto honor God as the Lord of your life.

REFLECTION: The fear of rejection may cause many tolower their standards to the level of Satan’s lies.

Beverly Barnett

1 Resources from the Web: American Social Health Association

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Esther 2:21-23 Tuesday, April 28

Mordecai’s Anonymous Deed

KEY VERSE: “And the thing was known to Mordecai,who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certifiedthe king thereof in Mordecai’s name,” Esther 2:22.

Working behind the scenes is not for the extrovert. Helikes being out in front and in the light. But what of theintrovert who is content working quietly behind the cur-tain in a windowless office for the good of the companyor church. He is no less important and many times getsmuch more accomplished than the person out front. Infact most CEOs, pastors and leaders depend on a personwilling to work without much fanfare to keep everythingfunctioning.This is the case of Mordecai. Though we are not told

why Bigthan and Teresh were mad at the king, butwhatever it was, Mordecai took it seriously. He went toEsther with the news of the impending assassinationattempt by the two doorkeepers. It was not important tohim who received the credit for foiling their plans; it wasimportant to keep the king safe. Mordecai did the rightthing for the right reason.This is a virtue we should teach our children and

remind adults. We might even make it a slogan as rec-ognizable as a famous tennis shoe slogan, but better. Wecould promote, Do what is right because it is the rightthing to do. Businesses, schools, governments andchurches need people who are willing to do the rightthing, not people who are sorry after they get caught.

REFLECTION: That thine alms may be in secret: and thyFather which seeth in secret himself shall reward theeopenly (Matt. 6:4).

Beverly Barnett

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Proverbs 20:1 Wednesday, April 29

Avoid the Mocking Deceiver

KEY VERSE: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise,”Proverbs 20:1.

The young boy stared up at his father who sat at thekitchen table, “What’s the matter, Daddy?” he said in hissweet, innocent voice.The dad is intoxicated . . . again. The weekend was as

good a reason to drink as any but never had his sonnoticed his condition before. It worried the father whathis son would think of him. “Tomorrow I’ll quit,” thefather promised himself.Sadly, this scenario is played out in too many homes.

Many fathers and mothers have lost control of their livesto the grip of alcohol. Some are weekend drinkers andsome have progressed to daily drinking, but, none theless alcohol has gripped their lives with a stranglehold.The Bible warns that those who think they are

stronger than the addictiveness of alcohol are deceived.Ask the person going through delirium tremors howphysically and mentally powerful they are imprisonedby alcohol.The assurance one needs that he will not become

addicted to alcohol is never to start drinking and do notbe influenced by those around you to start. If yourfriends are drinkers, get new friends. If everyone drinksat the office parties, then do not go.Resist the pressure to be like everybody else. Do not

be deceived into thinking that Satan will not laugh andmock you when you pass out from intoxication. It ishilarious to him.

REFLECTION: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resistthe devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Beverly Barnett

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Ephesians 6:1-3 Thursday, April 30

The Blessing of Obedience

KEY VERSE: “Honour thy father and mother; which isthe first commandment with promise; that it may bewell with thee, and thou mayest live long on theearth,” Ephesians 6: 2, 3.

Obedience pleases God. Remember in the Old Testa-ment when the people of Israel disobeyed God, or whena king or prophet disobeyed? It was not a good sightwhen God finished correcting them. God always prom-ised to bless their obedience with His protection.What happens when children obey their parents?

They are saved a lot of heartache and pain caused fromnot following their directions. It is a commandment withpromise from God.Let us examine David’s life in regard to parental obe-

dience. At a young age he was sent to tend the sheep, and,being the youngest in the family, he could have whinedand complained that the job was too dangerous and not tomention boring. He could have been home playing the lat-est game, catching up on some rest, or hanging out withfriends. Yet, when his father sent him to the field, we can-not find where he argued with his dad about how unfairthe job was. He just did it.David did not know that his character was being built

each time he was given and completed the jobs his fatherasked of him, and he also learned to trust God when thecircumstances seemed overwhelming.

REFLECTION: Failing to challenge our children by requir-ing them to do certain jobs around the house is harmful.Children assigned and completing jobs at home andschool build their character and self-confidence. It alsocomes with blessings from God.

Beverly Barnett

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Proverbs 23:29-35 Friday, May 1

The Evil Effects of Alcohol

KEY VERSE: “At last it biteth like a serpent, andstingeth like an adder,” Proverbs 23:32.

Anyone who has known or experienced firsthand theeffects of alcoholism will totally agree with this verse.And yet, the public and especially our youth are led tobelieve the other view of alcohol; the promotion as ameans of relaxation and fun blurs its terrible side.The broken homes, fatherless and motherless chil-

dren and loss of income and health are just a few of theresults of alcoholism.Working as an emergency room nurse, one sees many

people affected by the stings of alcohol. The belligerentalcoholic with cuts and bruises, and, when he sobers, hewill never know how he got them. (See verse 35.) Or thereturning twenty-six year old alcoholic, suffering fromthe death of his liver caused by heavy drinking since theage of fifteen, staggering, while apologizing to his youngwife and son. Patients with gunshot or knife wounds areadmitted for care or sent to the morgue due to the intox-icated state of one or more parties. Vehicular accidentsand deaths caused by intoxicated drivers change thelives of families and cost millions of dollars in rehabilita-tion and recovery. These few examples should be enoughto awaken us out of our indolent sleep to see the bite ofthe serpent and the sting of the adder called alcohol.

REFLECTION: If we could get in our minds that alcohol isas deadly as a poisonous snake, we would caution ouryouth about where it likes to hide and teach them to bevigilant about where they place their hand.

Beverly Barnett

73

1 Samuel 2:7-9 Saturday, May 2

God Is in Control

KEY VERSE: “He will keep the feet of his saints, andthe wicked shall be silent in darkness; for bystrength shall no man prevail,” 1 Samuel 2:9.

We have all had days of uncertainty; we have ques-tions that only God can answer and only in His time. Itis obvious we must trust in His omniscience to get usthrough those days and how sweet and comforting it iswhen we can look back to see the hand of God work.Years ago, we met a missionary family who ran from

an evil, military government for ten years with their con-verts following. Setting up camps in the dense jungle,teaching and preaching Christ only to be captured andimprisoned on false charges, then kicked out of the coun-try, forever denied a visa back into that country. Thesenational Christians had been taught and prepared forthe day they would work independently—carrying on thework of God without the foreign missionary. Do you notthink these brothers and sisters in Christ had fears, wor-ries and doubts the day they saw their teacher in thefaith taken to jail? As their trust in God’s control grew, sodid their faith that He was taking care of them.

REFLECTION: Faith that God is in control is a living, grow-ing, stretching faith. Every time we trust God through asituation, it leaves us with experience—experience toremember and draw from when we are faced with doubt.It spurs us on the next time we are hit with uncertain cir-cumstances and reminds us of the love and care of God.

Beverly Barnett

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Romans 8:28 Sunday, May 3

All Things Work Together

KEY VERSE: “And we know that all things work togeth-er for good to them that love God, to them who arethe called according to his purpose,” Romans 8:28.

While sitting in the waiting room of an emergency roomone can directly observe a vast array of emotions. Sadness,grief, happiness and anxiety are a few emotions that areexhibited by the waiting people. A minuscule minority arethinking this experience will work out for their good. Weoften forget in a crisis that God is in control, and God islooking after us every minute of every day.One of the great blessings of being a child of God is that

He sees everything that goes on in one’s life. You can takecomfort that the universe responds to His commands,nothing is a surprise to Him, and He can turn any situa-tion into a learning experience.Paul, no stranger to persecution and trials, wrote by

inspiration to encourage believers that, even though thesituation may look impossible, bigger than we are, Godhas our best interests in mind. (See 2 Corinthians 4.)When problems seem insurmountable, we can see how

God works things out for our good and His glory if we havedeveloped God consciousness. God consciousness is theawareness that God works things out for our best.A believ-er is not born with this ability but must work at seeingGod’s hand in every situation.Then we are able to give Himpraise and glory and develop thankfulness toward God.“For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant

grace might through the thanksgiving of many redoundto the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15).

REFLECTION: Can you name the ways God has workedthings out in your life for your good and His glory?

Beverly Barnett

75

Esther 5:1-8 Monday, May 4

Esther’s Courageous Stand

KEY VERSE: “And it was so, when the king saw Estherthe queen standing in the court, that she obtainedfavour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther thegolden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drewnear, and touched the top of the sceptre,” Esther 5:2.

Esther took a huge chance going to the king’s housewithout being summoned. If the king chose to, he couldhave not lowered the scepter and she would have losther life. It was a chance she was willing to take on behalfof her people, the Jews.One may never have to take a stand that can cost him

his life. It is those everyday times—on the job, at play orat school that one may need to have the courage ofEsther.Many Christians in third world countries make these

stands every day. They may have to choose between bow-ing to an idol or being tortured until they turn in afriend for being a Christian.In February 2007, Pastor Bob Fu was awarded the

2007 John Leland Religious Liberty Award at the Libraryof Congress. Pastor Fu, president of the China Aid Asso-ciation, called for “Christians to stand for believers inChina who face harassment, detentions and sometimesdeath because of their faith.” He also said, “I cannot staysilent for those who share our same faith, but not all ourbasic freedoms.” Pastor Fu took the opportunity to shinethe light on the treatment of his Christian countrymeninstead of himself.1

REFLECTION: Do you have the courage to take a standfor persecuted Christians?

Beverly Barnett1 Voices of the Martyr news February 15, 2008

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Esther 5:9-14 Tuesday, May 5

Haman’s Foolish PrideKEY VERSE: “And Haman told them of the glory of his

riches, and the multitude of his children, and all thethings wherein the king had promoted him, and howhe had advanced him above the princes and ser-vants of the king,” Esther 5:11.

Picture this scene—Haman hurrying home, his longrobe flapping as he runs, hops and skips through thepalace gardens. He is bubbling over with pride anddelight; finally, he has the recognition he deserves. Nowhe must announce the news to his wife and call all hisfriends to gloat; they never thought he would make it tothe top, now he will show them.Haman did not think that the king would ever know

his promotion was based on a lie. His success was notearned but given from the king.Working toward a promo-tion is not bad. It is one’s motivation that can be sinful.Then Haman’s pride became stronger every time he

passed Mordecai sitting at the gate. He wanted completeobeisance from everyone, and he would destroy thosewho would not give it.Pride is a great destroyer. Proverbs has many verses

to convince us—“Pride goeth before destruction, and anhaughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). “A man’s prideshall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humblein spirit” (Prov. 29:23) are just two examples.Pride causes temporary blindness. Haman could not

see his own conceit. “Seest thou a man wise in his ownconceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him” (Prov.26:12).

REFLECTION: What can you learn from Haman’s hang-man? Job promotion is not worth it if it costs your life.The Bible is true. Follow God’s teaching.

Beverly Barnett

77

Esther 6:1-14 Wednesday, May 6

Pride Brings Destruction

KEY VERSE: “So Haman came in. And the king saidunto him, What shall be done unto the man whomthe king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thoughtin his heart, To whom would the king delight to dohonour more than to myself?” Esther 6:6.

Pride so fills a person that no other person evenenters his thinking. Haman, still gloating over his pro-motion and that he was invited to the queen’s banquet,never thought his plans for hanging Mordecai would becanceled.One might almost feel sorry for Haman if it were not

for his cruelness. Let us not forget that Haman plottedto perform ethnic cleansing of every Jew who lived with-in the kingdom’s boundaries. He had a perfect plan . . .until God stepped in to rescue His people.God can use any means He wants to change an out-

come, the humble prayers of a group, the courage of ayoung queen, even one’s own superstitions. The restlessking had a bad feeling that he had left something undone,someone unrewarded, and soon he discovered the breach.Mordecai had saved his life and had never been rewarded.King Ahasuerus rectified the situation and called on

Haman to help. Never did Haman imagine that he wouldbe leading Mordecai decked out in royal apparel, riding astallion from the king’s stable through the streets, pro-claiming how indebted the king was to Mordecai.

REFLECTION: Pride out of control can destroy a person,city and country.

Beverly Barnett

78

Esther 7:1-10 Thursday, May 7

Justice Comes to Haman

KEY VERSE: “So they hanged Haman on the gallowsthat he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was theking’s wrath pacified,” Esther 7:10.

Haman ran, head covered, to the same people a fewdays before he was bragging to, only now he was seekingconsolation. His wife did not see much hope for his situ-ation, and she did not try to smooth the problem overeither. His plan to have Mordecai and all the Jews killedhad failed, and great was the fall.Haman meant for Mordecai’s hanging to be a grand

spectacle. He ordered the gallows built fifty cubits high,or about seventy-five feet high, seven and a half stories.And, if Haman could speak to us today, he might say, becareful of the gallows you build. You just might be swing-ing from it.Wickedness will not go unpunished. God judges per-

fectly, and appropriate punishment is given. Understandthat God is for the weak, innocent and vulnerable. He isthe hero. He rights all wrongs, and even though the per-petrator may think that he has gotten by, God sees andknows all. “To me [God] belongeth vengeance, and rec-ompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day oftheir calamity is at hand, and the things that shall comeupon them make haste” (Deut. 32:35).You can let go of the retaliation you are depositing in

your mental bank and let God handle it. His justice isbest. Galatians 6:7 tells us what we sow is what we willreap. Building a gallows for the enemy might be a dan-gerous pastime.

REFLECTION: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: forwhatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal.6:7).

Beverly Barnett

79

Genesis 12:1-3 Friday, May 8

God’s Promise to Abraham’s Seed

KEY VERSE: “And I will make of thee a great nation,and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; andthou shalt be a blessing,” Genesis 12:2.

God brought Abraham to a crossroads, a crisis of faith,and he chose to believe God and follow Him. God blessedAbraham’s faith, his willingness to leave family, to moveto a yet undisclosed land. And through the promise Godmade to Abraham, all people are blessed. One might saythis promise to Abraham has a trickle-down effect on allother people forever.How, you may ask, did Abraham have an effect on me?

God promised to make Abraham a great nation andthrough that nation, Jesus the Savior of the world wasborn. Through Jesus it is possible for you to have eternallife when you believe on Him as your personal Savior.God is honored by your faith in Jesus and in Him as

the director of your life, and as He blessed Abraham’sfaith, He will bless your faith also. After salvation it isGod who stretches you beyond yourself, and He whoallows circumstances to bring you to a crisis of faith. Hegives you the opportunity to believe in Him and moveout of the comfortable, familiar context of yourunstretched life into a sometimes (mostly) uncertainplace. He watches to see if you look to Him for directionor if you wander in the wilderness.

REFLECTION: Every time we come to a crisis of faith andbelieve that God can and will do what He says He willdo is an occasion to bring praise and glory to God.

Beverly Barnett

80

Proverbs 16:18 Saturday, May 9

The Danger of Pride

KEY VERSE: “Pride goeth before destruction, and anhaughty spirit before a fall,” Proverbs 16:18.

What can we learn from this verse? Two importantlessons—pride is a precursor to destruction and ahaughty (arrogant) spirit precedes a fall.The idea of pride as it is used here is not the same as

normal self-esteem or confidence; it is the false beliefthat one is elevated above all others. God wants us tohave a positive image and enough confidence to carryout His work. But, when we think God cannot workwithout us, we have moved into a dangerous area ofpride. When one thinks he can break the rules, or theydo not apply to him, or he is better than others. Sinfulpride is usually the cause.David lagged behind instead of going to battle with

his army. Pride in his position lead to lust, adultery, mur-der and finally to the death of his child.Nabal, an arrogant, ungrateful drunk, refused to give

food to David and his hungry army and belittled them asthough they were unimportant. But, when his wife toldhim how close he came to David’s wrath, he became soafraid he died from a stroke.Then there are the people you work with or maybe

they just cross your path once. They are filled with selfand their accomplishments or their child’s talents. Theybrag loudly and often, as though no one has ever mettheir level of achievement. God is not pleased with thistype of behavior.

REFLECTION: Proverbs 8:13 declares, The fear of theLORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evilway, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Beverly Barnett

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Isaiah 43:1-4 Sunday, May 10

Precious in His Sight

KEY VERSE: “Since thou wast precious in my sight,thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee:therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thylife,” Isaiah 43:4.

Flawless diamonds are considered precious gemsbecause they are rare. The value is based on four ele-ments: carats, clarity, color and inclusions or flaws. Dia-monds come in many colors, white, black, yellow andblue, but it is in the amount of money a person is willingto pay to buy it which declares its true value.People, like diamonds, are unique, and God loves and

values each person; not because of their goodness,weight, color or lack of flaws but because God is love.God’s love overflowed on Calvary. He was willing to

pay the ultimate price—His Son and the shedding of Hisprecious blood for our redemption (1 Peter 1:18, 19).Jesus is the precious sacrifice, especially to those whobelieve on Him for the forgiveness of their sin. We areHis. “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have calledthee by thy name; thou art mine,” He declared in Isaiah43:1.God so loved the world that He is willing to redeem all

who believe from every tongue, tribe and nation—red, yel-low, black and white. Each one is precious in His sight.The value of every believer is declared by the sacri-

fice, the death of Jesus. His death in place of you and meis what makes every believer precious.

REFLECTION: Even in death, the believer is precious toGod. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of hissaints (Psalm 116:15).

Beverly Barnett

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Esther 8:9-14 Monday, May 11

The King’s Decree

KEY VERSE: “Wherein the king granted the Jewswhich were in every city to gather themselvestogether, and to stand for their life, to destroy, toslay and to cause to perish, all the power of the peo-ple and province that would assault them, both littleones and women, and to take the spoil of them for aprey,” Esther 8:11.

The right to bear arms is one of the rights granted tous by our constitution.With this right we can protect ourhomes and families against those who would attempt toharm or destroy. Can you imagine living in a countrywhere that right did not exist?When the Jews were living under the rule of king

Ahasuerus, Haman, you might recall, tricked the kinginto making a rule that all the Jews were to be killed onthe thirteenth day of Adar. Once a rule was made andstamped by the king’s ring, it was official. No amend-ments or changes could be made to the rule. To do sowould nullify the power of the king.Satan has always tried to destroy the Jews, as histo-

ry will attest, but God has His protective hand aroundthem, and though some may die because of evil men, thenation itself will survive as promised.God often raises up men and women to become the

heroes and heroines of the day. During this time period,Mordecai had risen to power by foiling an attemptedassignation on the king. He was the new right handman. The king granted him power to make a decreewhich saved the Jewish people and gave them the rightto defend themselves.

REFLECTION:We must never forget the allies of Israel areprotected by God.

Beverly Barnett

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Esther 9:3-19 Tuesday, May 12

Historical Background of Purim

KEY VERSE: “To stablish this among them, that theyshould keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar,and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, as the dayswherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and themonth which was turned unto them from sorrow tojoy, and from mourning into a good day: that theyshould make them days of feasting and joy, and ofsending portions one to another, and gifts to thepoor,” Esther 9:21, 22.

Holidays serve as days to reflect. In May we celebrateMemorial Day as the day we honor those veterans whohave served and defended our country by giving theirlives for our country. By celebrating this day, we willnever forget or take for granted their service and sacri-fice. We must stress the importance of this holiday to ourchildren and grandchildren.The Jewish nation also celebrates many holidays. On

the two days of the Feast of Purim (or lot) the book ofMegillah (Esther) is read in the synagogues. This copy ofEsther is handwritten on vellum paper in the form of aroll and the names of Haman’s ten sons are included onthe copy; their names must be said in one breath.When-ever Haman’s name is read, a noise is drummed by thefeet of the people present, and the boys pound a malletat the same time. They celebrate so that they will neverforget how God protected them from their enemies.

REFLECTION: One wonders if the day Usama Bin Ladenis captured will be memorialized as the day the enemyof the Jews and Christians was brought to justice. Donot be deceived, God will see that justice is delivered.(See Psalm 110:1.)

Beverly Barnett

84

Psalm 49: 6-13 Wednesday, May 13

The Emptiness of Riches

KEY VERSE: “They that trust in their wealth, and boastthemselves in the multitude of their riches; none ofthem can by any means redeem his brother, nor giveto God a ransom for him,” Psalm 49:6, 7.

What happened when the stock market crashed in thethirties? Many people lost millions and consequently feltlife was not worth living.But it did not have much effect on the poor, they were

still poor. What they learned was resilience. They had astrong work ethic and would do whatever it took to feedtheir family. The people who lived in the country grewgardens, raised pigs and chickens and shared what theycould with their neighbors.As our economy grows dangerously close to the edge

of a recession, it is scary to think what might happen tomany families. Many depend totally on supermarketsfor food. They neither have means to grow their own foodnor the know-how to do so. Their budgets are alreadystretched thin with bills for toys that they feel they needor deserve. But what we forget is that it is just stuff. Ifwe lost it all tomorrow, would we even remember it intwenty or fifty years or in eternity?Solomon knew the emptiness of riches. All the riches

he acquired, the palaces and gardens he built, the placeshe traveled and the things he loved, all was vanity. It nei-ther brought happiness nor exempted him from death.

REFLECTION: Before you sacrifice family time for yourjob, ask yourself—What is driving me to gain more rich-es; am I trying to satisfy my own greed?

Beverly Barnett

85

Proverbs 4:14-19 Thursday, May 14

Path of Shining Light

KEY VERSE: “But the path of the just is as the shininglight, that shineth more and more unto the perfectday,” Proverbs 4:18.

Not so many years ago, we found ourselves in a pre-carious situation, staying in a jungle village with noelectricity and no indoor plumbing with the evening fastapproaching.The well-worn trail that led to the outdoor facilities

was slick from the monsoon rains. The danger of anencounter with a nocturnal viper or other poisonouscreatures in the darkness was real.The confident villagers used a small utility candle that

dimly lit their path to the tiny bamboo facility.We waitednervously for our turn with the candle. Never again didwe go to that village without a high-powered flashlight.Contrary to a dim candle, the sun gets brighter as the

day progresses until it reaches its peak. That is the wayour lives as followers of God should be as we get closerto Him. The Bible instructs believers to let their rela-tionship with Christ beam. “Let your light so shinebefore men, that they may see your good works, and glo-rify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Ourlights should shine brighter and brighter until thebrightness of Christ over takes us in death and we areshining forever in Heaven in the glow of the Son.

REFLECTION: As our relationship with Jesus grows, itglows—a reflection of Him. He is the Light and in Him isno darkness; those who follow Him have the light of life.(See John 8:12.) Light dispels darkness and opensmen’s eyes to their sins and their need of a Savior.

Beverly Barnett

86

Romans 14:7-12 Friday, May 15

Total AccountabilityKEY VERSE: “So then every one of us shall give

account of himself to God,” Romans 14:12.

God created us as interdependent, freewill individuals,but He did not give us the checkbook without the ledger.He never intended for us to go through life ignoring theconsequences of our actions or denying we have people towhom we answer—the opposite is true.A person who is not held to some type of accountability

is bound for trouble, more so, if that person is in a role ofleadership. Lack of accountability can lead to a falsegrandiose complex and has caused a multitude of good peo-ple to go bad.Pastors without accountability become cult leaders, mis-

sionaries without accountability become lazy, deacons with-out accountability become troublemakers and church mem-bers without accountability become backsliders. A personwith pure motives has no problem being accountable toanother.Ultimately, we are all accountable to God, and one day

we will bow before Him, and He will judge our motives andwhether we used our talents for the kingdom’s sake orburied them (2 Cor. 5:10).Things we will not do on accounting day are to answer

for another’s actions or blame our actions on another per-son. Excuses will not seem as good that day. For examplethe reason that I did not get involved with my local churchwas because of ____ will be a weak excuse.Each member of the Lord’s churches will answer to God

about how he or she spent or hoarded the Lord’s money. Didthey (by faith in God’s care) use it to further the kingdom ordid they keep it buried in a bank vault for incidentals whilea smaller church, mission or missionary struggled in need.

REFLECTION: What will your answer be?

Beverly Barnett

87

2 Corinthians 5:9-11 Saturday, May 16

Why Labor?

KEY VERSE: “Wherefore we labour, that, whether pre-sent or absent, we may be accepted of him,” 2 Co-rinthians 5:9.

A multitude of people in ministry might ask them-selves this question on Monday morning. Why do I dowhat I do? On Tuesday the answer comes as brightly asthe morning sun, Jesus.For one gloomy day they may struggle with the

answer, and think of all the money and benefits theymight have if they were in a different career. Their wiveswould not be viewed through a microscope and their chil-dren would be welcomed into the youth group withoutbeing prejudged. Then, comes the reality. What other jobhas been ordained of God that pays in eternal benefits?Periodically, all of us need to be reminded our labor

for Christ’s kingdom is not in vain. Every prayer prayed,every visit made, every cent given, every sacrifice made,every late night counsel, every hand held in a waitingroom, every lesson taught, every sermon preached, everymile driven, every bus kid picked up, everything we dofor God’s honor and glory is blessed on earth andrewarded in Heaven (Phil. 2:16).However, we also need to be reminded of the law of

sowing and reaping as Paul reminded the Corinthians,“He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bounti-fully” (2 Cor. 9:6).We cannot reap rewards if a seed is notsown.

REFLECTION: Finally, one day it will be worth it all whenwe see Jesus. When we see those scarred hands, wewill fall before Him, the face of pure love. Then, will ourlifetime on earth seem like minutes as our Savior says,“Welcome home my child.”

Beverly Barnett

88

Psalm 37:1-10 Sunday, May 17

Fret Not!

KEY VERSE: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers,neither be thou envious against the workers of iniq-uity,” Psalm 37:1.

It is discouraging to see the wicked prosper while thechildren of God struggle. But be encouraged, you are notforgotten by God.While the world continues to downplay the role that

God plays in our lives, we know that every step taken,every dime given and every sacrifice made for His king-dom’s work’s sake is recorded and deposited into Heav-en’s reward center (Matt. 5:3-12).Now that we have been reminded, we can move on the

task at hand. If our minds are on the works of evil menand women, we are not thinking about the task thatJesus left us to do. That is to spread the good news of thegospel.Do not waste your time trying to change the world’s

philosophy but focus on bringing one person at a time tothe cross. Only Jesus can change the heart. Then, themind will follow.The Bible tells us the world is going to get darker and

more dreadful. We can almost see it change before oureyes. The morning news tells us of mothers killing theirinnocent, helpless babies, fathers committing murder-suicides, molesters running rampant and terrorists tak-ing over countries. Yet, we cannot let Satan the god ofthis world (2 Cor. 4:4) scare us into silence. Take everyopportunity to befriend your lost neighbors, to live outyour Christianity before those with whom you come intocontact on a daily basis.

REFLECTION: Do not fret! Be a beam in a dark world.Fretting (worrying) is an energy stealer and that makesSatan happy.

Beverly Barnett

89

Deuteronomy 7:6-9 Monday, May 18

All Because of Love

KEY VERSE: “But because the LORD loved you, andbecause he would keep the oath which he hadsworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought youout of a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of thehouse of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh kingof Egypt,” Deuteronomy 7:8.

There is no motivator like love. A mother’s love for herchildren is so special that she will sacrifice time, energyand comfort for them. Because of a father’s love, he willwork long hours so he may provide for them. A hus-band’s or wife’s love for their spouse might be special butusually has a motive such as being loved in return. ButGod’s love is the purest form of love. He loves to love. Heoffers His love freely to anyone who will accept it, butHis children are loved with a special love reserved onlyfor them.God loved the people of Israel through Abraham. He

promised to make them a great nation and He has. Hedid not love the newly freed nation because theydeserved His love, on the contrary, as unruly childrenthey disobeyed many times, forsook God to worship thereigning idol of the day. His love was and is purely todraw them to Him. (See John 12:32.)God loves you, and, if you are a believer, He wants to

bless you with blessings only a father who loves his childcan do. But, if you are disobedient, His disciplining handmay be on you. His desire to love you will not let you livea disobedient life without giving loving correction.

REFLECTION: Jesus loves you enough not to let you go.

Beverly Barnett

90

Leviticus 22:17-24 Tuesday, May 19

Perfect Sacrifices Required

KEY VERSE: “Ye shall offer at your own will a malewithout blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or ofthe goats,” Leviticus 22:19.

God created all things down to the smallest molecule,virus and bacteria.When He finished, He set the laws ofphysics, math and chemistry in motion.When God gave Moses the Law, He did so for reasons

of His own but there are two obvious ones: (1) to setboundaries for acceptable worship and (2) to protect thehealth of those who might eat of the sacrifices.When we served as missionaries in Thailand, occasion-

ally, we would visit in a Burmese national’s home, inex-plicably we would have an upset stomach for a few daysafterward. They would always insist we eat with them,and fearing we would offend them, we did. On one occa-sion, after a meal, this writer protested (knowing theprice of chicken) that they had spent too much money onthe usual meat.To our surprise, the husband proudly saidthat they would buy a “stinking” chicken at a reducedprice from the market, and they cooked it in curry to hidethe smell. The mystery was solved. This writer gentlytaught them this was a dangerous practice and couldhave fatal effects on their family. They had never associ-ated their stomach upsets with the spoiled meat.

REFLECTION: Not only did God desire a perfect speci-men of beef, sheep or goats for their sacrifice to Himbecause this represented the perfect sacrifice of Christ,every sacrifice had particular requirements and orderoutlined by God. And, since the priest and family atefrom these burnt-offerings, to eat spoiled meat or meatkilled by a wild animal might endanger their health andspread to other people.

Beverly Barnett

91

Hebrews 9:12-15 Wednesday, May 20

Christ’s Sacrifice, without Spot

KEY VERSE: “Howmuch more shall the blood of Christ,who through the eternal Spirit offered himself with-out spot to God, purge your conscience from deadworks to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14.

Perfect, we use this word loosely to describe manythings, sunsets, sunrises, weather, food, people and chil-dren, but can this be accurate? Sin has touched every-thing; so in reality, nothing on this earth has ever beenabsolutely perfect, except Jesus.He was not marred by the curse of sin; therefore, God

chose Him to be the first and last perfect sacrifice for oursin(s). His blood is the acceptable atonement for everylost man, woman, boy and girl. He bridged the ravinebetween God and man; taking the intervening place ofHigh Priest between God and man when He gave Hislife for mankind.Without spot, or defection, He took His blood to the

Holy of Holies, the throne of God, and sprinkled His bloodbefore God, never to be repeated, once and for all. (Seeverse 24.) As difficult as it is for our human minds to com-prehend utter and total sinlessness, it did happen. Once,two thousand years ago, when perfection was born, Helived for the day when He would lay down His life for aworld of sinners. Perfection died as the One and only per-fect sacrifice and rose again to cover every believer in thatcrimson flood.

REFLECTION: We can forever praise God that He had usin mind from the beginning of time! He would provide away of escape from the penalty of sin with the spotlessblood of Christ, a new covenant, which has no expira-tion date and no dilution clause.

Beverly Barnett

92

1 Peter 1:18, 19 Thursday, May 21

No Blemish! No Spot!

KEY VERSE: “But with the precious blood of Christ, asof a lamb without blemish and without spot,” 1 Peter1:19.

What did your salvation cost? It cost more than wehave to pay for it. It cost more that silver or gold coins.In a thousand years, we could not do enough good deedsto earn it. Our salvation could only be bought with a spe-cial sacrifice.In the Old Testament, no matter how carefully done

by the priest, a bull, sheep or goat sacrifice never tookaway the sins of the people, but stood as a testament ofthe covenant God made to the people or Israel. (SeeHebrews 10:11.) Yearly, in the fall after the New Yearcelebration and after specific preparations were made,the priest would sacrifice a bull and its blood was sprin-kled before the mercy seat. This day, known as the Dayof Atonement, was the symbolic cleansing or covering ofthe sins of the people.Two goats were then chosen, one was sacrificed and

its blood was sprinkled; the other one called the scape-goat was one that the priest laid his hands on and con-fessed the sins of the people. Then the scapegoat waslead out to the wilderness and set free.But even after such pomp and ritual, they still need-

ed a Savior. A Savior who could once and for all forgivethe sinner, it would take the perfect Son. Only He couldenter into the Holy of Holies and satisfactorily cover themercy seat with His blood.

REFLECTION: The sacrificial Lamb, innocent of sin, yet,willing to die for the sinner, paid for our sin in full. TheLamb, white as snow, without blemish or spot, pure andholy, died so that you and I might live.

Beverly Barnett

93

Mark 10:2-12 Friday, May 22

Christ’s Teaching on Divorce

KEY VERSE: “What therefore God hath joined together,let not man put asunder,” Mark 10:9.

“Marriage is honourable in all,” the Bible teaches inHebrews 13:4. God created the institution of marriage inthe Garden of Eden. Here God made a declaration thata man was to leave his father and mother and cleaveunto his wife. The word cleave means “to adhere or sticklike glue.” The two joined in marriage become one—onein heart, mind and body therefore let no person, man orwoman, divide.Divorce began before Jesus was born to His earthly

parents. Men of the Old Testament wanted to divorcetheir wives so they asked Moses to create a bill ofdivorcement. But, even then, there was only one legiti-mate reason for divorce and that was fornication.Divorce happens in a majority of our families today.

Probably, if you are in your forties, five of your tenfriends have been divorced, some more than once, andperhaps even you are divorced.Though there are many reasons for these divorces one

thing can stifle divorce proceedings—forgiveness.We can-not be naive in thinking that all marriages can be recon-ciled because some should have never taken place. Mar-riages built on lust have no foundation.Divorce happens when trust is broken. But trust can

be rebuilt even if it is ever so slowly. It may take monthsof counseling and years of accountability, but, if oneparty is willing to forgive the other, then trust can berebuilt saving marriages and family units.

REFLECTION: Nevertheless let every one of you in partic-ular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife seethat she reverence her husband (Eph. 5:33 [this writer’semphasis]).

Beverly Barnett

94

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 Saturday, May 23

Reasons To Work at Marriage

KEY VERSE: “For what knowest thou, O wife, whetherthou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou Oman, whether thou shalt save thy wife?” 1 Corinthi-ans 7:16.

The reasons to work at marriage are numerous. Someof the obvious ones are (1) to preserve the family unit, (2)to raise confident children, (3) to build strong churchesand Christians. One that is not so evident is the salva-tion of one’s spouse.In this chapter Paul answered the questions posed to

him by the Corinthian church concerning marriage.Some of the new believers had formerly practiced theteachings of the pagan religions found in Corinth. Paulsought to clarify the Christian’s way of life to these con-fused believers.Suddenly, new believers found themselves married to

unbelievers. Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, awife or husband believed in the Lord as his or her per-sonal Savior but the spouse remained stubbornly uncon-verted. Satan, by way of the unaware unbeliever, usedhim or her to make life difficult for the believing spouse.Divorce may seem like an option.However, salvation of the unbelieving spouse is always

at the center of a one-sided Christian marriage. Thebehavior of a Christian may do a great deal of good or badin influencing a nonbeliever in coming to Christ. If aChristian wife or husband is only Christlike on Sundays,then the influence is negative. But, if he or she is Chris-tian twenty-four-seven, his or her life points directly tothe Man of Calvary allowing the Holy Spirit to workunhindered.

REFLECTION: What can be more important than the sal-vation of a soul?

Beverly Barnett

95

Proverbs 28:13 Sunday, May 24

Confess and Forsake Sins!

KEY VERSE: “He that covereth his sins shall not pros-per: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shallhave mercy,” Proverbs 28:13.

The Sunday School lesson today needs to be taughtboldly and each student needs to take it sincerely toheart. We may judge the people of Israel with twenty-twenty vision in this Old Testament lesson, but we mayblindly be doing the same thing.Are we, too, as God’s children, guilty of unconfessed

and unforsaken sins? Oh! How God wants to bless Hischurches but He cannot go against His Word. Prayersneed to be answered, but, if we regard iniquity in ourhearts, He will not hear us. (See Psalm 66:18.) Soulsneed to be saved, but fear and guilt from secret sin(s)keeps us from telling the lost about Jesus’ gift of salva-tion. (See 1 Corinthians 9:27.)God desires to bless us both individually and cooper-

atively as a church body. “If my people, which are calledby my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, andseek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then willI hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and willheal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).Before you leave home to attend church, bow before

God and confess your sins to Him (He knows them any-way). The responsibility falls on us to be the first to con-fess and forsake our sins. (See James 4:17.) After that,revival could break out in your home and in your churchas substantiated by people coming to salvation, prayersheard, the offering plate overflowing, grudges forsaken, asincere desire for the Word and songs being sung from aheart of love toward God.

REFLECTION: Lord I confess my sin(s) to You. Help me toforsake them; in Your name and by Your strength, Amen.

Beverly Barnett

96

Matthew 11:7-15 Monday, May 25

The Ministry of John

KEY VERSE: “For this is he, of whom it is written,Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, whichshall prepare thy way before thee,” Matthew 11:10.

The ministry of John was for the purpose of preparingthe hearts of the Jews for the coming of the Messiah.He received his education from his teacher—God. His

message was that he was to, “make straight the way ofthe Lord” (John 1:23). He had no false illusions about hisministry. It had a beginning and an ending.He preached the way of salvation and did not allow

the unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees to be bap-tized though it did not make him popular with the reli-gious leaders of the time. After his imprisonment, know-ing that Jesus had come, he was satisfied that his min-istry was complete.John’s ministry was one of grace. He gracefully bowed

low to exalt Christ. He gracefully baptized Jesus thoughhe felt he should have been the one baptized. (SeeMatthew 3:14.) And he gracefully accepted his death atthe close of his ministry.What do present-day ministers of the gospel have in

common with John? They, too, are messengers of Heav-en. Their message, salvation, is found only in Christ.They preach the gospel of grace through faith, but with-out works after salvation, it is not a growing faith(James 2:14-26). Some of them have given their lives tospread the gospel at home or on foreign soil. Many ofthem have given up wealth and health to do what Godhas called them to do.

REFLECTION: John’s ministry was to prepare the way forChrist. Ministers are to lead the way to Christ.

Beverly Barnett

97

1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 Tuesday, May 26

Give as God Prospers You

KEY VERSE: “Upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath pros-pered him, that there be no gatherings when Icome,” 1 Corinthians 16:2.

Giving has biblical roots that reach deeply through-out the Bible. Giving started with God. God first gaveAdam life, then Eve and then He gave the life of an ani-mal to cover their nakedness. God also gave Jesus as thesacrifice for our sins before the foundations of the world(1 Peter 1:19, 20).Paul taught the Corinthian and Galatian churches to

give to God and to the poor. Though we will never beable to out give God, we can certainly give back to Godin the form of tithes and offerings to the church of ourmembership. Collectively, tithes and offerings can domore for the furtherance of the kingdom of the Lordthan individually.God’s principle of giving has benefits. They are called

blessings. “Give, and it shall be given unto you” (Luke6:38). Notice for the principle to apply, one must firstgive. We are blessed to be a blessing to others.The ministry of blessing is not for an exclusive few,

but everyone can be involved. Every man, woman, boy orgirl from the low income to the high income, as God hasprospered, can and should be involved in this ministry.What a blessing both you and your local church can be

if you practice the ministry of blessing. Pastors wouldhave full salary, missionaries would be supported andthe food stamp and welfare programs of your communi-ty would be out of business.

REFLECTION: The ministry of blessing has benefits, earth-ly as well as eternal.

Beverly Barnett

98

2 Corinthians 9:6-12 Wednesday, May 27

God Loves a Cheerful Giver

KEY VERSE: “Every man according as he purposeth inhis heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or ofnecessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver,” 2 Corin-thians 9:7.

Does God love you for your giving? If you give freely,truthfully and not grudgingly, He does and He standsready to bless you.In verse 6, Paul compares giving to the farming prin-

ciple of sowing and reaping. It is a proven fact that onecannot reap what is not sown. One year our son anddaughter-in-law planted tomatoes in their garden. Theyboth love tomatoes so they planted lots of tomato plants,fifty of them, needless to say they had a bumper crop.They ate tomatoes, gave away bushels of tomatoes andcanned tomatoes until the plants died in the fall. Theprinciple worked—sow bountifully and reap bountifully.God gives to us, He supplies our needs and He bless-

es us when we give back to Him through our localchurches. It is a win-win situation.But be careful to not jingle your money to get the

attention of others when you give. In the Jewish Templethe offering box sat in a certain area. One day Jesus,tired after teaching in the Temple, sat down and restedagainst the “treasury.” He watched as the people gave,the rich gave a lot of coins, each clanked loudly as itdropped in the box. Then along came the widow, she qui-etly gave all she had. It barely made a sound but rangout in the heart of Jesus. Some gave a portion of theirabundance—she gave all she had. (See Mark 12:41-44.)

REFLECTION: Give, and it shall be given unto you (Luke6:38).

Beverly Barnett

99

Philippians 4:14-19 Thursday, May 28

God Will Supply All Your Need

KEY VERSE: “But my God shall supply all your needaccording to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,”Philippians 4:19.

To get the full meaning of this verse, we must exam-ine the context of this book. Paul wrote to the membersof the Philippian church to praise, encourage and thankthem for their willingness to be servants in the faith inspite of the danger they might face, or what it might costthem (Phil. 1:1, 28).This church had a special place in the heart of Paul

(verses 3, 4). It was one he had established on his mis-sionary journey to Macedonia. Remember Paul’s vision?(Acts 16:9). Here Lydia was saved as was her household,the jailer and his family and many more. This youngchurch fell in love with God, Paul and with others whohad needs (Phil. 1:9-11). Its members were hungry forthe Word that Paul taught them and were concernedabout his well-being. They were also a giving church.It is sad that today some members of the Lord’s

churches feel that a portion must be kept for incidentals.What would happen if every church emptied its treasuryevery month? It paid the pastor, took care of all the billsand disbursed every penny to other mission points ormissionaries. Think of how much more good could bedone with the Lord’s money which is hidden away in adusty bank.No doubt, there are churches that do empty their

bank accounts each month. They are examples of faith inaction not faith in traction. The Lord will never questionwhy they hid their treasures.

REFLECTION: Do you believe God’s Word?

Beverly Barnett

100

Ezekiel 36: 27, 28 Friday, May 29

When Israel Is Saved

KEY VERSE: “And ye shall dwell in the land that I gaveto your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I willbe your God,” Ezekiel 36:28.

Israel has not become the nation God intends for it tobe.In the year 1948, Israel organized into a nation rec-

ognized by the world. For a while, the world watched andworried that they would loose the influence of Jewishmoney on their economy if they all returned to Israel.But all Jews did not return to the country of their her-itage; instead, they chose to stay in the country of theirbirth. However, one day they will.Christians who have traveled to Israel tell us that the

trip to Israel will cause a spiritual awakening. To walkdown the Via Dolorosa, to see the hill called Calvary andwalk on the Mount of Olives is emotionally stirring tothe believers who visit. Most pastors return with a clear-er view of biblical places and more passion in theirpreaching.However, the Christian attraction to Israel (Christ) is

different from the Jewish attraction to Israel. At thistime, the majority of the Jews are not believers to thefact that their Messiah has come. Their eyes are blind,but one day that blindness will be cured.What an exciting day it will be when their eyes will

open to the fact of Jesus the Messiah—King of the Jews—is their Savior. God has never stopped loving the peopleof Israel even though they have broken His heart byrefusing to accept His Son. God loves them with an ever-lasting love; they are the “apple of his eye” (Zech. 2:8).

REFLECTION: Pray for Israel.

Beverly Barnett

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2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 Saturday, May 30

Jesus Is Coming Again!

KEY VERSE: “And to you who are troubled rest with us,when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heavenwith his mighty angles,” 2 Thessalonians 1:7.

Hope is a powerful motivator. Hope motivates tor-tured prisoners of war to live, victims of accidents torecover, cancer patients to fight to survive, and, if youare having a bad day, tomorrow will be a better day.Believers have hope, too. Jesus will come back. He will

come first in the clouds as a thief in the night. He willtake His children, both living and deceased, home (1Thess. 4:17). It is a day that, though we may not mark iton the calendar, we can be assured will come. It will bea joyous day for believers the world over. Christians whomust worship God in secret will suddenly be in the pres-ence of God in glory on that day!Jesus will return a second time as a revenging King

of kings. What a terrible day that will be for those whohave tormented the people of Israel and martyredbelievers. He will show His might, and show Hisstrength. King Jesus not only commands the winds andwaves but He commands an impressive heavenly army.It will be a short war; nolo contendere, no contest, tothose who dare oppose Him.Persecution made the Thessalonian believers feel as if

all was lost to the prince of the air, Satan. Hope seemedlost, but encouragement can restore hope. Paul wrote toencourage and clarify that Jesus is coming, do not give up.

REFLECTION: We should be guilty of encouraging abrother or sister in the faith whose hope is dwindling.

Beverly Barnett

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2 Peter 3:9-14 Sunday, May 31

What Manner of PersonsOught Ye To Be?

KEY VERSE: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye lookfor such things, be diligent that ye may be found ofhim in peace, without spot, and blameless,” 2 Peter3:14.

In present-day culture we can turn on the televisionto see the many different religions that have sprung up.Some of them look to be versions of Christianity with atwist. But there is a hidden agenda. Often the self-serv-ing preacher is motivated by money or fame or both,such as it was when Peter was writing this epistle.It is easy to get caught up in the soothing sound of

these false teachers. They sound so sincere even the sal-vation of lost souls seems to be their motivation but keeplistening. Their true message will ring out. They maycall themselves free thinkers looking for ways to convertGeneration-X. But be careful the way of salvation hasnot changed.Some may call for leaving the organized church to form

so-called “mini churches” in homes or coffee shops. And, ifwe lived in a country where Christians were not allow togather together, thatmight be an alternative, but we do not.As Peter admonished the people to stay faithful in the

teachings of the apostles, pastors should also admonishtheir members to stay with the practical teachings of theNew Testament; one being that people are saved by re-pentance and faith in Jesus Christ.They should be taughtafter they are saved, that repentance should occur on adaily basis because unconfessed sins are a hindrance to acloser walk with Christ.

REFLECTION: To answer the above question, we should berepentant believers waiting for the return of a loving Lord.

Beverly Barnett

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