The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith

Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ —John 11:40

Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?

Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).

my utmost for his highest

The Purpose of Prayer

. . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke

Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.

“Ask, and you will receive . . .” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.

my utmost for his highest

reconciliation
by k.t. sim

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Genesis 32:1-5 
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9).

Jacob conned his older twin brother and got his birthright (Genesis 25:29-33). Then he cheated Esau a second time when he tricked their father into giving him the blessings that belonged to Esau—the firstborn (Genesis  27:36). In anger, the older brother swore to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41). So their mother advised Jacob to hide out at his uncle’s place (Genesis 27:43-45) for a period of time that stretched to 20 long years. Finally, after that lengthy stay, God wanted Jacob to return and reconcile with Esau (Genesis 31:3,13). In obedience, Jacob did two things:

• He initiated the reconciliation (Genesis 32:3). Esau was in Edom. To meet him there, Jacob deliberately had to travel hundreds of miles south of his hometown. It required significant effort to travel that great distance. It was inconvenient, time-consuming, and costly. But he ignored those valid excuses not to see his brother.

• He humbled himself (Genesis 32:4-5). He called his brother “my master Esau,” and labeled himself “[Esau’s] servant” (Genesis 32:4). According to the customs of his time, Jacob was now the head of the family (having stolen that position from Esau 2 decades earlier). But by honoring his older brother, Jacob acknowledged the natural birth order. He referred to Esau as the master, the lord of the family.

Jacob let his brother know why he came back. “I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me” (Genesis 32:5). He asked for reconciliation.

Is there someone with whom you need to reconcile? Someone from whom you need to ask for or receive forgiveness? Jacob showed us the three attitudes that should characterize your peace-making efforts—a willingness to reconcile, an attitude of genuine humility, and true sincerity.

You need to make the first move to initiate reconciliation. Then humbly and sincerely pursue true forgiveness.

our daily journey

Birds, Lilies, And Me
by David C. Egner

Read: Luke 12:22-34

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. —Luke 12:22

In the episodes of an old television show, the veteran police lieutenant always said this to the young officers on their way out to the street for their day’s assignments: “Be careful out there!” It was both good advice and a word of compassion because he knew what could happen to them in the line of duty.

Jesus gave His followers a similar warning, but in even stronger terms. Luke 11 ends ominously with these words: “The scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things” (v.53). In the continuation of this account, Luke says that Jesus compassionately instructed His disciples to “beware” (12:1) but not to worry or be afraid (vv.4-7,22).

Jesus was promising to guard, protect, and care for them as they went out into the world. He assured them that because He cared for simple things like birds and lilies, they could be certain that He would take care of His “little flock” of believers (vv.24-32).

We cannot know the future. But we can know this: No matter what comes, we are under the loving, caring, watchful eye of our great Shepherd, who also happens to be the Son of God!

I walked life’s path with worry,

Disturbed and quite unblest,

Until I trusted Jesus;

Now faith has given rest. —Bosch

If Jesus is concerned about flowers and birds,

He certainly cares about you and me.

our daily bread

Three Dollars' Worth of God

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16

Most of us can blow through three dollars without even thinking twice. It’ll get you a cup of Starbucks, a few snacks for a road trip, or a squeak toy for your new puppy. But one thing is for sure: it won’t buy you soul-to-soul intimacy with the Creator of the universe.

Someone once wrote: “I’d like to buy three dollars’ worth of God. Please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a rebirth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I’d like to buy about three dollars’ worth of God, please.”

I wonder if you are among those who want just enough of God to get yourself to a comfortable place, but not enough to pay the price of a deepening relationship with Him. If we want to be in tight with Jesus, we’ve got to abandon the idea that a mere acquaintance with Him is enough and that we have all we really need in and of ourselves. Self-sufficiency is life’s greatest barricade when it comes to intimacy with God.

I find it interesting that all the “self” terms we throw around make us wither with guilt. Just say the word self-centered and we wince. The same applies to self-indulgent and self-serving. But when we think of self-sufficiency, our eyes glaze over with pious apathy. We don’t consider it as much of a no-no as the other “self” sins. But, I’m telling you, with God self-sufficiency is a big deal.

In fact, Jesus reproved the Laodiceans about their self-sufficiency in no uncertain terms. He said, “because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). The Laodiceans were three-dollar Christians. Their self-sufficiency blinded them to their great need for Jesus. They didn’t have many material needs—in fact the text says that they were loaded—so they thought they didn’t need God. But in their self-sufficient attitude they had left Jesus standing outside the door of their hearts. They had enough of Him to get into heaven, but He didn’t have much of them in return!

But Jesus didn’t give up on the Laodiceans, just like He doesn’t give up on you and me. He wants to be much more than the divine “911” call of our lives—only hearing from us in moments of desperation and emergency. He wants us to abandon ourselves in our quest for intimacy with Him. He wants our souls to reach out for Him with passionate desire every day! I think the psalmist said it best when he wrote, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:2). That’s a far cry from being satisfied with a measly three dollars’ worth of Him.

Ever feel there should be something more to your life? It’s Jesus you’re looking for—and a lot more than three dollars’ worth! If you’re looking for transformation, rebirth, and enough of God to “explode your soul,” you will only find it in a self-sacrificing, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ—and that is priceless.

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Do you have a three-dollar relationship with God? Pray and ask God to give you a sense of your need for him. Incorporate Acts 17:28 into your prayer.
• Read Colossians 1:15-20. Do you think it’s possible to buy three dollars’ worth of God based on this passage? Why or why not?
• True intimacy with God comes from accepting Christ as Savior. Have you done this? If not, read Romans 3:10-18, 23; 5:8; 6:23; and 10:9. Pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior.
• The letters Christ wrote to the churches in the book of Revelation are about their ongoing sin. If Christ were to write you a letter about patterns of unconfessed sin in your life, what would the topic(s) be?

strength for the journey

Ponder Your Path
by David C. McCasland

Read: Proverbs 4:14-27

Keep your heart with all diligence . . . . Ponder the path of your feet. —Proverbs 4:23, 26

A 47-year-old Austrian man gave away his entire $4.7 million fortune after concluding that his wealth and lavish spending were keeping him from real life and happiness. Karl Rabeder told the Daily Telegraph (London), “I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things I did not wish for or need. It was the biggest shock in my life when I realized how horrible, soulless, and without feeling the ‘five-star’ lifestyle is.” His money now funds charities he set up to help people in Latin America.

Proverbs 4 urges us to consider carefully our own road in life. The passage contrasts the free, unhindered path of the just with the dark, confused way of the wicked (v.19). “Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live” (v.4). “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (v.23). “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established” (v.26). Each verse encourages us to evaluate where we are in life.

No one wants to go through life on a selfish, heartless road. But it can happen unless we consider where we are going in life and ask the Lord for His direction. May He give us grace today to embrace His Word and follow Him with all our hearts.

If we pursue mere earthly gain,
We choose a path that ends in pain;
But joy remains within the soul
When we pursue a heavenly goal. —D. De Haan

You are headed in the right direction when you walk with God.

our daily bread

Saints
by Marvin Williams

Read: Colossians 1:1-2

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse . . . . —Colossians 1:2

It’s probably not a name we would use for ourselves, but the apostle Paul often called believers “saints” in the New Testament (Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2). Did he call them saints because they were perfect? No. These people were human and therefore sinful. What then did he have in mind? The word saint in the New Testament means that one is set apart for God. It describes people who have a spiritual union with Christ (Eph. 1:3-6). The word is synonymous with individual believers in Jesus (Rom. 8:27) and those who make up the church (Acts 9:32).

Saints have a responsibility through the power of the Spirit to live lives worthy of their calling. This includes, but is not limited to, no longer being sexually immoral and using improper speech (Eph. 5:3-4). We are to put on the new character traits of service to one another (Rom. 16:2), humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3), obedience, and perseverance during hardship and suffering (Rev. 13:10; 14:12). In the Old Testament, the psalmist called saints “the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Ps. 16:3).

Our union with Christ makes us saints, but our obedience to God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit makes us saintly.

Oh, to be filled with His life divine,
Oh, to be clothed with His power and might;
Oh, to reflect my dear Savior sublime,
Always to shine as the saints in light! —Anon.

Saints are people whom God’s light shines through.

our daily bread

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

“Be on your guard…a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

One of my all-time favorite moments in the life of Jesus was when a man in the crowd asked Him: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13).

I have always thought that if I had one chance to talk with Jesus, getting more money for me might not be the best topic to choose. But nevertheless, the guy in the crowd was ticked that he hadn’t gotten his full share; and instead of taking the opportunity to go deep with Jesus, he could only think of how deep his pockets would be if Jesus would put the hammer to his brother.

As usual, Jesus took the opportunity to teach about the real essence of life and true riches. He replied, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

Which reminds me of one of my all-time favorite non-Bible stories.

A young investor stood looking out into the cool Gulf waters on the end of pier in a small coastal Mexican village. Having spent the last several months working hard toward gaining his securities license, he left for a few days of sun-soaked pleasure in Western Mexico. As the sun sank into the pale horizon,he a single fisherman docked his boat along the far side of the pier. The young Wall Street banker walked over to the boat and saw several large yellow fin tuna gasping for air. The young executive complimented the tanned fisherman, a wise-eyed, weathered man, on the quality of his fish and asked how long it had taken to bring in the catch.

“Not long at all,” the fisherman replied.

“Well, why not stay out longer and catch more fish?” the young New Yorker asked smiling.

“I have enough for today,” said the fisherman, “this is what I need to feed my family.”

“What do you do with the rest of your time?” the young man asked curiously.

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I enjoy some wine and laughter with friends. It’s a full and happy life,” the fisherman replied.

“Well, I’m a Harvard MBA and have just completed my investment securities training. I could help you. You could spend more time fishing and with the proceeds from the larger catch, buy a bigger boat. Then you could catch even more fish. With those profits you could buy several more boats and hire captains to fish for you, and eventually you could open your own cannery. Then you would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City or LA or even New York where you could run your expanding enterprise.”

“How long would that all take?” asked the somewhat bewildered fisherman.

“Fifteen, maybe twenty years, max.”

“But then what?”

“Well, when the time was right, you could announce your IPO, sell your company stock to the public, and become very rich. You could be worth millions,” retorted the proud young investor.

“Millions? Then what?”

“Then you could retire and move to a small coastal village like this one where you could sleep late, fish a little in the morning, play with your grandkids, take a siesta, and enjoy wine and music with your friends in the evening.”

The fisherman grinned, tipped his hat at the young advisor, and shook his head as he walked off the pier without a reply.

When Jesus finished His warning about the emptiness of a life that is driven by greed, He told the story of a rich man who built bigger barns to hold all his stuff. To the surprise of His audience, Jesus called him a fool, not because he had lots of stuff but because he had lots of stuff and was not rich toward God!

Which makes me wonder, if you had one shot at talking to Jesus, would you want Him to make you rich, or would you want Him to lead you in the prosperous pursuit of becoming rich toward God?

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Whose work ethic more closely resembles yours—the village fisherman’s or the New Yorker’s?
• Would you rather be rich by the world’s standards or rich toward God? How are you proving the accuracy of your answer by the way that you spend your time and attention?
• Just for fun, put yourself in the shoes of the man in the crowd. If you could go up to Jesus and ask one question, what would it be?

daily strength

tough sledding
by Jeff Olson

Read: Matthew 11:28-29 Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (v.28).

While we were on vacation in Alaska, our family visited the kennels that house Denali’s sled dogs. There we got to observe and learn about these amazing animals that help park rangers patrol the vast wilderness of Mount McKinley National Park during the long, harsh winter months.

One of the intriguing things we discovered about sled dogs is their incredible stamina. Patrols using the tireless canines can last up to 6 weeks—and the dogs are more than up for it. Alaskan Huskies live to run and pull. The only problem is that they don’t know when to stop. Rangers have to make them stop and rest. Otherwise, they’d simply run themselves to death.

Maybe it’s my love for dogs, but I saw a parallel to my life that was striking. I too love to “run” and “pull” my own weight. I’m the kind of person who is typically on the go and has trouble slowing down and resting. In fact, my family understandably gets after me when I wolf down (pun intended) a meal standing up.

A sled dog’s need for rest resonates with the words of David in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength” (Psalm 23:1-3).

This is a wonderful description of God’s loving care for us. Too often, however, I am running so hard that He can’t restore my weary heart. It’s why I need a wise and loving Shepherd who says, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary” (Matthew 11:28).

God meant for us to work and to pull our own weight (Genesis 2:15). But He also knows we need rest or we will run ourselves ragged.

Jesus, may we learn to respond to Your call to rest.

our daily journey

Sharing The Word
by David C. McCasland

Read: Psalm 19:7-14

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. —Psalm 19:10

Jerry McMorris began reading the Wall Street Journal 50 years ago as a student at the University of Colorado. His appreciation for that publication and for his alma mater led him to donate hundreds of WSJ subscriptions for CU’s business school students. McMorris told the Colorado Springs Gazette: “The Journal gave me a good, broad perspective of what was going on in the business world, and I got into the habit of reading it at the start of my business day. It helps get across to students real business-world issues.”

Many people enjoy introducing others to the writings that have shaped their lives. It’s not surprising, then, that followers of Christ enjoy sharing God’s Word with others. Some support Bible translation and distribution while others invite friends to study the Word with them. There are many ways to pass along God’s truth to people hungering for encouragement and help. Our goal is to enable others to experience the great benefit we’ve found in knowing Christ and being guided by His Word. The psalmist said, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (19:7).

The Word of God, which guards our hearts and guides our steps, is worth sharing with others.

As we read Your Word, O Lord,
Our spirit will be fed;
We then can share with others
That precious living bread. —D. De Haan

The Bible: Know it in your head, stow it in your heart, show it in your life, sow it in the world.

our daily bread

Free 4 All
by Dave Branon

Read: Ephesians 1:7-14;2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. —Ephesians 2:8

In an effort to assist people struggling to provide for their families during tough economic times, the church I attend created a program called “Free 4 All.”

We brought lightly used items to the church and opened the doors to people of the community. They could come and take home anything they needed.

While the day was a huge success as far as the amount of goods people were able to pick up, it was even better for this reason: Six people trusted Jesus Christ as Savior at the event. Indeed, these six new believers took part in the greatest “Free 4 All” of all time—the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The items that were taken to the church on this special day had already been purchased. They were then given without cost to all who simply asked for them. Likewise, eternal forgiveness for our sins has already been purchased. Jesus paid that price when He died on a cross on Golgotha’s hill 2,000 years ago (Rom. 3:23-25). He now offers salvation at no cost to all who simply repent and believe that Jesus has the power to forgive and save (Acts 16:31).

Each of us is needy spiritually—and only Jesus can meet that need. Have you accepted what He offers without cost at the world’s biggest “Free 4 All”?

I know by faith in whom I have believed,
I know that God’s free gift I have received,
I know that He will keep me to the end,
My Savior, my Redeemer, and my Friend. —Anon.

Salvation is free, but you must receive it.

our daily bread