FROM FEAR TO FAITH

From Fear to Faith

Read: Habakkuk 3:16–19
Bible in a Year: Psalms 87–88; Romans 13

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer.—Habakkuk 3:19

The doctor’s words landed in her heart with a thud. It was cancer. Her world stopped as she thought of her husband and children. They had prayed diligently, hoping for a different outcome. What would they do? With tears streaming down her face, she said softly, “God, this is beyond our control. Please be our strength.”

What do we do when the prognosis is devastating, when our circumstances are beyond our control? Where do we turn when the outlook seems hopeless?

The prophet Habakkuk’s situation was out of his control, and the fear that he felt terrified him. The coming judgment would be catastrophic (Hab. 3:16–17). Yet, in the midst of the impending chaos, Habakkuk made a choice to live by his faith (2:4) and rejoice in God (3:18). He did not place his confidence and faith in his circumstances, ability, or resources, but in the goodness and greatness of God. His trust in God compelled him to proclaim: “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights” (v. 19).

When we are faced with difficult circumstances—sickness, family crisis, financial trouble—we, too, have only to place our faith and trust in God. He is with us in everything we face. —Karen Wolfe

Dear God, I thank You that I can always turn to You. When I am faced with the difficulties of life, I can put my trust in You. Thank you that You are my “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

When faced with difficult circumstances we can trust God to be our strength.

INSIGHT: The prophet Habakkuk gives us an inspiring example of someone who argued with God yet came to the point of trusting Him regardless of what happened. He came to believe that God would eventually unmask the idols of the world (literally “nothings”). Habakkuk could not see that the Creator was going to bring judgment against the idolatrous violence in Israel and Babylon. He could not know how God’s Son would ultimately come in a human body to bear the consequence of the world’s rebellion and loss of understanding.

How does the story of Habakkuk encourage you as you face your own challenges of faith? Mart DeHaan

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING

Grateful for Everything

Read: Deuteronomy 8:6–18
Bible in a Year: Psalms 84–86; Romans 12

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.—Deuteronomy 8:10

In Australia, it can take hours to drive between towns and fatigue can lead to accidents. So at busy holiday times rest stops are set up on major highways with volunteers offering free coffee. My wife, Merryn, and I grew to enjoy these stops during our long drives there.

On one trip, we pulled in and walked over to order our coffee. An attendant handed the two cups over, and then asked me for two dollars. I asked why. She pointed to the small print on the sign. At this stop, only the driver got free coffee; you had to pay for passengers. Annoyed, I told her this was false advertising, paid the two dollars, and walked off. Back at the car, Merryn pointed out my error: I had turned a gift into an entitlement and become ungrateful for what I received. She was right.

When Moses led the Israelites into the Promised Land, he urged them to be a grateful people (Deut. 8:10). Thanks to the blessings of God, the land was abundant, but they could easily treat this prosperity as something they deserved (vv. 17–18). From this, the Jews developed a practice of giving thanks for every meal, no matter how small. For them, it was all a gift.

I went back to the woman and apologized. A free cup of coffee was a gift I didn’t deserve—and something for which to be thankful. —Sheridan Voysey

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. A Jewish thanksgiving prayer for meals

Be grateful to God for even the smallest gift.

INSIGHT: Why do we sometimes find it difficult to be grateful? How can a sense of entitlement hinder a thankful spirit?

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

IF ONLY...

If Only . . .

Read: John 11:21–35
Bible in a Year: Psalms 81–83; Romans 11:19–36

Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.—John 11:32

As we exited the parking lot, my husband slowed the car to wait for a young woman riding her bike. When Tom nodded to indicate she could go first, she smiled, waved, and rode on. Moments later, the driver from a parked SUV threw his door open, knocking the young bicyclist to the pavement. Her legs bleeding, she cried as she examined her bent-up bike.

Later, we reflected on the accident: If only we had made her wait . . . If only the driver had looked before opening his door. If only . . . Difficulties catch us up in a cycle of second-guessing ourselves. If only I had known my child was with teens who were drinking . . . If only we had found the cancer earlier . . .

When unexpected trouble comes, we sometimes question the goodness of God. We may even feel the despair that Martha and Mary experienced when their brother died. Oh, if Jesus had only come when He first found out that Lazarus was sick! (John 11:21, 32).

Like Martha and Mary, we don’t always understand why hard things happen to us. But we can rest in the knowledge that God is working out His purposes for a greater good. In every circumstance, we can trust the wisdom of our faithful and loving God. —Cindy Hess Kasper

Father, You have carried me through hard circumstances before. Thank You for teaching me to trust Your heart of love even when I don’t understand what You are doing in my life.

For encouragement read, Why? Seeing God in Our Pain at discoveryseries.org/cb151.

To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark—that is faith. Charles Haddon Spurgeon

INSIGHT: Jesus’s absence is what greatly troubled Mary and Martha. They cried, “Lord, . . . if you had been here” (John 11:21, 32). But God has promised, “Never will I leave you” (Heb. 13:5). We may not understand why hard things happen, but in confident trust we can say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (v. 6). Sim Kay Tee

OUR FATHER'S FACE

Our Father’s Face

Read: Psalm 80
Bible in a Year: Psalms 79–80; Romans 11:1–18

Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.—Psalm 80:3

I remember my father’s face. It was hard to read. He was a kind man, but stoic and self-contained. As a child, I often searched his face, looking for a smile or other show of affection. Faces are us. A frown, a sullen look, a smile, and crinkly eyes reveal what we feel about others. Our faces are our “tell.”

Asaph, the author of Psalm 80, was distraught and wanted to see the Lord’s face. He looked north from his vantage point in Jerusalem and saw Judah’s sister-state, Israel, collapse under the weight of the Assyrian Empire. With her buffer state gone, Judah was vulnerable to invasion from all sides—Assyria from the north, Egypt from the south, and the Arab nations from the east. She was outnumbered and outmatched.

Asaph gathered up his fears in a prayer, three times repeated (80:3, 7, 19), “Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” (Or, in other words, let me see Your smile.)

It’s good to look away from our fears and search our heavenly Father’s face. The best way to see God’s face is to look at the cross. The cross is His “tell” (John 3:16).

So know this: When your Father looks at you, He has a great big smile on His face. You’re very safe! —David H. Roper

Ask God to shine His face on you. For further help in prayer, try praying this Psalm or others.

Tell us what your favorite Psalm is and encourage others: Facebook.com/ourdailybread.

God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the cross.

INSIGHT: Today’s psalm asks God to restore Israel—to make His face shine on them so they may be saved. Where have you seen God’s hand saving and restoring you and your loved ones? 

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

THE HEART OF CHRIST

The Heart of Christ

Read: Exodus 32:21–32
Bible in a Year: Psalms 77–78; Romans 10

Please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written. —Exodus 32:32

An Australian journalist who spent 400 days in an Egyptian jail expressed mixed emotions when he was released. While admitting his relief, he said he accepted his freedom with incredible concern for the friends he was leaving behind. He said he found it extremely hard to say goodbye to fellow reporters who had been arrested and jailed with him—not knowing how much longer they were going to be held.

Moses also expressed great anxiety at the thought of leaving friends behind. When faced with the thought of losing the brother, sister, and nation that had worshiped a golden calf while he was meeting with God on Mount Sinai (Ex. 32:11-14), he interceded for them. Showing how deeply he cared, he pled, “But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written” (v. 32).

The apostle Paul later expressed a similar concern for family, friends, and nation. Grieving their unbelief in Jesus, Paul said he would be willing to give up his own relationship with Christ if by such love he could save his brothers and sisters (Rom. 9:3).

Looking back, we see that Moses and Paul both expressed the heart of Christ. Yet, the love they could only feel, and the sacrifice they could only offer, Jesus fulfilled—to be with us forever. —Mart DeHaan

Father in heaven, thank You for reminding us how much it is like You to be willing to live—and die—for those who have not yet seen how much You love them.  

Caring for others honors Jesus’s love for us.

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

AVAILABLE TO ALL

Available to All

Read: Mark 10:42–52
Bible in a Year: Psalms 74–76; Romans 9:16–33

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.—Mark 10:45

In today’s celebrity-obsessed culture, it isn’t surprising that entrepreneurs are marketing “celebrities as products . . . allowing them to sell their personal time and attention.” Vauhini Vara’s article in The New Yorker noted that for $15,000, you can have a personal meeting with singer Shakira, while $12,000 will give you and eleven guests lunch with celebrity chef Michael Chiarello at his estate.

Many people treated Jesus like a celebrity as they followed Him from place to place, listened to His teaching, observed His miracles, and sought healing from His touch. Yet Jesus was never self-important or aloof, but available to all. When His followers James and John were privately jockeying for position in His coming kingdom, Jesus reminded all His disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43–44).

Soon after Jesus said this, He stopped a procession of people following Him to ask a blind beggar, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51) “Rabbi, I want to see,” the man replied. He received his sight immediately and followed Jesus (v. 52).

Our Lord “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 45). May we, like Him, be compassionate and available to others today. —David C. McCasland

Lord Jesus, we honor You as the Son of God and Lord of glory who died for all. Help us to demonstrate Your love to others today.

Follow Jesus’s example: Reach out to others in need.

INSIGHT: The fact that Jesus was so completely accessible was the cause behind some of the heaviest criticism He received. He surprised people by receiving children (Luke 18:16) and shocked the religionists of His day by being available to the marginalized, the outsiders, and the despised (Mark 2:13-17). This accessibility earned Jesus a title He did not reject—a friend of sinners (Matt. 11:19).

Who are the outsiders of our day? How can we exhibit His heart of welcome by accepting others into our communities? Bill Crowder

LIFE TO THE FULL

Life to the Full

Read: Mark 10:28–31; John 10:9–10
Bible in a Year: Psalms 72–73; Romans 9:1–15

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.—John 10:10 

When I stopped by to visit my sister’s family, my nephews eagerly showed me their new chore system, a set of Choropoly boards. Each colorful electronic board keeps track of their chores. A job well done means the kids can hit a green button, which adds points to their “spending” account. A misdeed like leaving the back door open results in a fine being deducted from the total. Since a high-points total leads to exciting rewards such as computer time—and misdeeds deduct from that total—my nephews are now unusually motivated to do their work and to keep the door closed!

The ingenious system had me joking that I wished I had such an exciting motivational tool! But of course God has given us motivation. Rather than simply commanding obedience, Jesus has promised that a life of following Him, while costly, is also a life of abundance, “life . . . to the full” (John 10:10). Experiencing life in His kingdom is worth “one hundred times” the cost—now and eternally (Mark 10:29–30).

We can rejoice in the fact that we serve a generous God, One who does not reward and punish as we deserve. He generously accepts our weakest efforts—even welcoming and rewarding latecomers to His kingdom as generously as old-timers (see Matt. 20:1–16). In light of this reality, let us joyfully serve Him today. —Monica Brands

Lord, help us to remember there is great meaning in following You and that it is all so worth it.

Following Jesus is the way to a rich and satisfying life.

INSIGHT: The young man in Mark 10 believed he had earned a place in heaven by trusting in his good works and wealth (Mark 10:17-20). Jesus corrected him and told him to give up his material wealth and to follow Him in order to have “treasure in heaven” (v. 21), but this young man was not willing to do this. When Peter bellowed, “We have left everything to follow you!” (v. 28), he was considering what it had cost him and his brother Andrew to follow Jesus. Peter and Andrew were at work when Jesus called them and “at once they left their nets and followed him” (1:17-18). Likewise brothers James and John left their father and their fishing trade (vv. 19-20). Jesus said, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). This life, abundant and eternal, is to know “the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).

How has making the choice to follow Jesus changed your life? Sim Kay Tee

Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.