GOD'S TEARS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

GOD’S TEARS

Read:  John 11:28-37

Jesus wept.  John 11:35

In C.S. Lewis’s story The Magician’s Nephew, Digory recalled his terminally ill mother and how his hopes were all dying away.  With a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes, he blurted out to Aslan, the great lion who represents Christ, “Please, please-won’t you-can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?”

Then, in his despair, Digory looked up at Aslan’s face.  “Great shining tears stood in the Lion’s yes.  They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.  ‘My son, my son,’ said Aslan.  ‘I know.  Grief is great.  Only you and I in this land know that yet.  Let us be good to one another.’”

I think of Jesus’s tears at Lazarus’s grave (John 11:35).  I believe He wept for Lazarus as well as for Mary and Martha and their grief.  Later, Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).  And He knows and shares our grief today.  But as He promised, we will see Him again in the place He’s preparing for us (John 14:3).  In heaven, our grief will end.  “God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” (Revelation 21:4).  

Until then, know that God weeps with you.         DHR

He knows our burdens and our crosses,

Those things that hurt, our trials and losses,

He cares for every soul that cries,

God wipes the tears from weeping eyes. -Brandt

If you doubt that Jesus cares, remember His tears.

MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS

Many Beautiful Things

She has done a beautiful thing to me.

Mark 14:6

READ MARK 14:1–9

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Just before her death, artist and missionary Lilias Trotter looked out a window and saw a vision of a heavenly chariot. According to her biographer, a friend asked, “Are you seeing many beautiful things?” She answered, “Yes, many, many beautiful things.”

Trotter’s final words reflect God’s work in her life. Not only in death, but throughout her life, He revealed much beauty to her and through her. Although a talented artist, she chose to serve Jesus as a missionary in Algeria. John Ruskin, a famous painter who tutored her, is said to have commented, “What a waste,” when she chose the mission field over a career in art.

Similarly, in the New Testament, when a woman came to Simon the Leper’s house with an alabaster jar and poured perfume on Jesus’s head, those present saw it as a waste. This expensive perfume was worth a year’s common wages, so some of the people present thought it could have been used to help the poor. However, commending this woman’s deep devotion to Him, Jesus said, “She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Mark 14:6).

Every day we can choose to let Christ’s life shine in our lives and display His beauty to the world. To some, it may seem a waste, but let us have willing hearts to serve Him. May Jesus say we have done many beautiful things for Him.

By Keila Ochoa

REFLECT & PRAY

May our lives display the beauty of God.

Dear Father, help me express my love to You in beautiful ways.

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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

How can we, like the woman in Mark 14, do beautiful things for Christ? We can offer the beauty of “a gentle and quiet spirit” which “is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3-4). Gentleness is one of the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23, a list of characteristics that display Christ at work in our lives. We are to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). When we are willing to be used by Him, the Spirit produces fruit and can guide us to do beautiful things.

For more on the beauty of a Spirit-filled life, check out the online course “Foundations of Spiritual Formation I: The Work of the Spirit” at christianuniversity.org/SF507. Alyson Kieda

THE FOLLY OF WORRY

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

THE FOLLY OF WORRY

Read:  Matthew 6:25-34

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry

about its own things.  Matthew 6:34

Ralph Easter had driven many times from Calgary, the foothills city of Alberta, to Banff, high in the Canadian Rockies.  But it was his first trip that left an indelible impression on him.  He said that as the road wound westward from Calgary over rolling hills, there always loomed before him in the distance a range of snowcapped peaks that seemed to block the highway.  He recalls wondering how he would every pass over such an insurmountable barrier, but he drove steadily on.

Finally  as he reached the point where it had looked as if the road would stop, he came to a sharp bend and the highway stretched on as before.  Many such turns kept him progressing upward and forward until he came to the other side of the range. 

As we travel the broad of life, obstacles often loom up before us, filling us with apprehension.  Illness, surgery, financial reversal, or loss of a job threaten to keep us from reaching our goals.  But as we keep on by faith, God opens a new way before us.  Most of what we worry about never comes to pass.  But even when trouble comes, God is there to show us a new course.  We can avoid the folly of worry by trusting Him today for all our tomorrows.  RDH

Worry is a burden that God never meant for us to bear.

WALKING GOD'S WAY

Walking God’s Way

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21

READ ISAIAH 30:15–21

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“We’re going this way,” I said as I touched my son’s shoulder and redirected him through the crowd to follow his mom and sisters in front of us. I’d done this more often as the day wore on at the amusement park our family was visiting. He was getting tired and more easily distracted. Why can’t he just follow them? I wondered.

Then it hit me: How often do I do exactly the same thing? How often do I veer from obediently walking with God, enchanted by the temptations to pursue what I want instead of seeking His ways?

Think of Isaiah’s words from God for Israel: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’ ” (Isaiah 30:21). Earlier in that chapter, God had rebuked His people for their rebelliousness. But if they would trust His strength instead of their own ways (v. 15), He promised to show His graciousness and compassion (v. 18).

One expression of God’s graciousness is His promise to guide us by His Spirit. That happens as we talk to Him about our desires and ask in prayer what He has for us. I’m thankful God patiently directs us, day-by-day, step-by-step, as we trust Him and listen for His voice.

By Adam Holz

REFLECT & PRAY

God patiently directs us as we trust Him and listen for His voice.

Father, You’ve promised to guide us through the ups and downs and decisions we face in life. Help us to trust and follow You, and to actively listen for Your guiding voice.

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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In today’s passage, a resurgent militant Assyria threatened to conquer all of Israel. But instead of trusting God to deliver them, Judah turned to Egypt for help. God had explicitly prohibited Israelite kings from trusting in anything other than God for deliverance (Deuteronomy 17:16). Isaiah warned that it’s futile to trust Egypt instead of the Lord (Isaiah 30:1-19; 31:1). The psalmist also warned of the futility of putting our trust in something other than God: “No king is saved by the size of his army . . . . A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save” (Psalm 33:16-17).

When have you placed your trust in something other than God? K. T. Sim

FLYLEAF WISDOM

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

Flyleaf Wisdom

Read:  2 Samuel 12:1-23

He who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall

surround him.  Psalm 32:10

All right, Mary, I confess.  While I was a guest at your home in Manila, I used your Bible one day for my devotions.  When I opened it, I saw these words written on the flyleaf:  Acknowledgment.  Acceptance.  Adjustment.

Those words express the steps that believers in Christ need to take when they receive bad news.  I see these actions illustrated in the life of David.

Acknowledgment.  When David was confronted by Nathan about his sin, he admitted his guilt (2 Samuel 12:13).  When we are faced with a problem, whether it’s the result of our sin or not, it’s futile to run from the truth.

Acceptance.  When his infant son died as punishment for his sin with Bathsheba, David accepted it as God’s will (vv. 19-23) and learned from it.  We too need to see difficulties as opportunities to trust God and to grow spiritually (James 1:2-4).

Adjustment.  David turned to the Lord for forgiveness and help, and he later wrote about what he had learned (Psalm 32).  For us, we may need to ask the Lord for the ability to make a lifestyle change or to take some specific action.

Have you been hit hard by bad news?  These steps from Mary’s Bible can help you to handle it in a way that will please the Lord and result in good.               DCE

Day by day and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. -Berg

God takes us into His darkroom to develop our character.

LISTENING TO YOUR BROTHER

Listening to Your Brother

Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:20

READ MATTHEW 18:15–20

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“You need to listen to me, I’m your brother!” The plea came from a concerned older brother in my neighborhood and was directed to a younger sibling who was moving farther away from him than the older child was comfortable with. Clearly the older child was better able to judge what was best in the situation.

How many of us have resisted the wise counsel of a brother or sister? If you’ve had to face the consequences of resisting the good advice of someone more mature, you’re not alone.

One of the greatest resources we can have as believers in Jesus is a family—those who are spiritually related because of a common faith in Him. This family includes mature men and women who love God and each other. Like the little brother in my neighborhood, we sometimes need a word of caution or correction to get us back on track. This is particularly true when we offend someone or someone offends us. Doing what’s right can be difficult. Yet Jesus’s words in Matthew 18:15-20 show us what to do when offenses happen within our spiritual family.

Thankfully, our gracious heavenly Father places in our lives people who are prepared to help us honor Him and others. And when we listen, things go better in the family (v. 15).

By Arthur Jackson

REFLECT & PRAY

Wisdom grows when we listen to the words of mature believers.

Father, we praise You for placing us in Your spiritual family. Help us to learn and grow through the wise words and godly behavior of mature believers.

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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

The underlying theme of today’s text emphasizes that the church is not just a social organization. Instead it is a spiritual family. The very idea of calling someone “brother” in addressing possible offenses shows how real the idea of the family is. A teachable spirit evidenced by listening to those who are more mature is the starting point for growth in community. The book of Proverbs admonishes us: “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise” (Proverbs 19:20). Listening to more experienced believers and having a teachable attitude can do wonders in maintaining harmony within the body of Christ.

Is there someone you need to listen to so that you can grow spiritually? Dennis Fisher

AN UNTROUBLED HEART

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

An Untroubled Heart

Read:  John 13:31-14:1

Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God,

believe also in Me.  John 14:1

Noted British preacher J. H. Jowett believed that inner peace comes not from tranquil circumstances but from an untroubled heart.  He said: “If we were to hear one hundred people repeating the sentence, ‘Let not your heart be trouble,’ we should find that ninety-nine of them put the emphasis upon the word troubled…I feel led to believe that the purposed emphasis is on the word heart…The heart is to be clothed in serene regality even when hell is knocking and rioting at its very gates.”

Jowett’s perceptive words cause me to wonder if I’m spending more energy trying to avoid difficulties than on letting them help me get to know Christ better.  If so, I’m headed for nothing but frustration and failure.  

Jesus told His disciples, “Let not your heart be trouble” (John 14:1).  This was to prepare them for the dark day of His crucifixion.  He knew they could weather the storm only by trusting Him in spite of the apparent triumph of evil.

Today, we can focus on the trouble in the world and in our lives or we can focus on the victory we have in Christ because His death was followed by His resurrection.  This wonderful fact gives new meaning to His words, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (16:33).  DCM

A troubled heart, a wearied mind

Are burdens hard to bear;

A lack of peace, a heavy load

Are lifted by God’s care. -Fitzhugh

When we keep our mind on God, God gives us peace of mind.