GROWING TO KNOW

Growing to Know

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

READ PHILIPPIANS 4:10–13

“You’re going to be an exchange student!” I was seventeen and thrilled to hear I was approved to study in Germany. But it was only three months before my departure, and I had never taken a class in German.

The days that followed found me cramming—studying for hours and even writing words on my hands to memorize them.

Months later I was in a classroom in Germany, discouraged because I didn’t know more of the language. That day a teacher gave me wise advice. “Learning a language is like climbing a sand dune. Sometimes you feel like you’re not getting anywhere. But just keep going and you will.”

Sometimes I reflect on that insight when I consider what it means to grow as a follower of Jesus. The apostle Paul recalled, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Even for Paul, personal peace didn’t happen overnight. It was something he grew into. Paul shares the secret of his progress: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).

Life has its challenges. But as we turn to the One who has “overcome the world” (John 16:33), we discover not only that He’s faithful to get us through but also that nothing matters more than closeness to Him. He gives us His peace, helps us to trust, and empowers us to go the distance as we walk with Him.

By James Banks

REFLECT & PRAY

Thank You for the peace You give me as I turn to You, Jesus. Help me to stay very close to You today!

In what ways will you focus on Jesus today? How can you encourage others to draw near to Him?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In Philippians 4:7-19, Paul describes a paradox. On the one hand, he lived each day with peace and a sense of having “enough,” confident that God would give exactly what was needed (v. 11). On the other hand, Paul describes believers’ complete dependence on God and others and urges them to honestly name and prayerfully lift up their needs (vv. 7, 9, 19). The apostle also alludes to a further paradox: despite having all we need in God, His abundance and peace is best experienced in community, with fellow believers who share in each other’s joy and sorrows. Despite maintaining that he was not “in need” (v. 11), Paul was profoundly grateful for other believers’ willingness to share in his struggles (vv. 10, 14). Elsewhere he elaborates on these ideas by describing the believing community as an interdependent body where each person is needed (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Monica Brands

I HAVE EVERYTHING

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

I HAVE EVERYTHING

READ:  Philippians 3:1-12

I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge

of Christ Jesus my Lord.  Philippians 3:8

The airline had mangled Debbie’s luggage.  Then her purse disappeared.  Instead of entering the airport through an enclosed corridor, she stumbled off the plane in the pouring rain.  She was drenched, far from home with no money, no identification, and no dry clothes.

Under normal conditions Debbie would have been furious, but that night it didn’t matter.  She had just survived the crash of Flight 1420 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  “When I walked off that plane,”  Debbie said, “I walked off with nothing, then I stopped and thought, I have everything.”  She had suddenly realized that her life was more important than all she had lost.

It sometimes takes a dramatic turn of events to alter our perspective.  That was true for Saul of Tarsus.  He had treasured his hard-earned reputation for “righteousness” more than anything in the world (Philippians 3:4-6).  But when he met Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1-6), his whole outlook changed.  Later he wrote, “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

Yielding our sinful pride and self-sufficiency to the Lord may seem as if we are losing everything.  But only then will we discover that to have life in Christ is to have everything.  DCM

We think we have what matters most

Of what this life can give;

But when we yield it all to Christ,

We’ve just begun to live. -DJD

When we have nothing left but Christ,

we find that Christ is enough.

   

NAME OF NAMES

Name of Names

God exalted [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.

Philippians 2:9

READ EXODUS 6:1–8

The name of Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) is legendary in the world of music. His violins, cellos, and violas are so treasured for their craftsmanship and clarity of sound that many have been given their own names. One of them, for instance, is known as the Messiah-Salabue Stradivarius. After violinist Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) played it, he wrote, “The sound of the Strad, that unique ‘Messie,’ turns up again and again in my memory, with its combined sweetness and grandeur.”

Even the name and sound of a Stradivarius, however, doesn’t deserve to be compared to the work of a far greater Source. From Moses to Jesus, the God of gods introduces Himself with a name above all names. For our sake, He wants the wisdom and work of His own hand to be recognized, valued, and celebrated with the sound of music (Exodus 6:1; 15:1-2).

Yet this deliverance of strength in response to the groans of a troubled people was only a beginning. Who could have foreseen that, by the weakness of crucified hands, He would one day leave a legacy of eternal and infinite value? Could anyone have predicted the resulting wonder and grandeur of music sung in praise of the name of One who died—bearing the insult of our sin and rejection—to show how much He loves us?

By Mart DeHaan

REFLECT & PRAY

Father in heaven, please do something in and through us today that helps others see that we owe everything to You.

In what ways can you see the hand of a Master patiently shaping your life to put His name on you? What is He doing today to remind you that you’re His child?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

As God had instructed, Moses asked Pharaoh for some time off to sacrifice to God (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh responded by worsening the Hebrews’ workload (vv. 2-9). The Hebrews directed their anger over this injustice at Moses and Aaron (vv. 19-21). Moses, in turn, questioned God: “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me?” (v. 22). God responded, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh” (6:1). He also reminded Moses that while He didn’t reveal His Name to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, He did share it with him (3:13-15).

To learn more about the time of Moses in Egypt visit christianuniversity.org/OT216-02. Tim Gustafson

TRUE SATISFACTION

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

TRUE SATISFACTION

READ:  Ecclesiastes 5:8-12

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches

and honor and life.  Proverbs 22:4

Becoming rich and famous does not guarantee contentment.  If it did, multimillionaire athletes would not jeopardize their careers by using illicit drugs.  If it did a wealthy lawyer would not have tearfully told me that he would gladly trade everything he had for a change in the behavior of his sons.  If it did, the occurrence of multiple marriages among celebrities would not be commonplace.  Obviously, contentment must come from a source other than wealth and fame.

In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon said that because sinful people rule the world, we shouldn’t be surprised when the poor are oppressed and when justice and righteousness are denied (vv.8-9).  The life of those who love money is not as rosy as it seems.  They are never satisfied with what they have, and they face the emptiness of watching other people consume their riches (vv.  10-11).  The humble laborer, content with little, can sleep soundly, while the rich man lies awake at night worrying about his money (v.12).

How about you?  Are you frustrated or satisfied?  Paul wrote that we are “not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).  Only when we trust in the Lord will we find true and lasting satisfaction.   HVL

Discontentment makes rich men poor;

contentment makes poor men rich!   

IN THE VINE

In the Vine

No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:4

READ JOHN 15:1–8

One spring after a particularly dreary winter during which she helped a family member through a long illness, Emma found encouragement each time she walked past a cherry tree near her home in Cambridge, England. Bursting out at the top of the pink blossoms grew blossoms of white. A clever gardener had grafted into the tree a branch of white flowers. When Emma passed the unusual tree, she thought of Jesus’s words about being the Vine and His followers the branches (John 15:1-8).

By calling Himself the Vine, Jesus was speaking of an image familiar to the Israelites in the Old Testament, for there the vine symbolized God’s people (Psalm 80:8-9; Hosea 10:1). Jesus extended this symbolism to Himself, saying He was the Vine and that His followers were grafted into Him as branches. And as they remained in Him, receiving His nourishment and strength, they would bear fruit (John 15:5).

As Emma supported her family member, she needed the reminder that she was connected to Jesus. Seeing the white flowers among the pink ones gave her a visual prompt of the truth that as she remained in the Vine, she gained nourishment through Him.

When we who believe in Jesus embrace the idea of being as close to Him as a branch is to a vine, our faith is strengthened and enriched.

By Amy Boucher Pye

REFLECT & PRAY

Jesus, thank You for helping me to remain in You. May I find the peace, hope, and strength I need today.

How are you receiving spiritual nourishment from Jesus? What will help you remain in the Vine?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

The vineyard metaphor is used to describe the relationship between God and Israel (Psalm 80:8-9; Isaiah 5:1-7; 27:2-6). God expected His people to produce “a crop of good grapes, but [they] yielded only bad fruit” (Isaiah 5:2).

Jesus also spoke of a spurned vineyard owner who wasn’t given his share of the crop at harvest time (Matthew 21:33-43). He warned the Jews that God wants a “people who will produce its fruit” (v. 43). We can’t bear fruit if we’re not connected to the Vine. Jesus said that when we bear fruit we demonstrate we’re His disciples (John 15:8). The Holy Spirit’s work produces good fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23) and causes us to become more and more like Christ (Romans 8:29). K. T. Sim

WHEN LIFE GOES BAD

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

WHEN LIFE GOES BAD

READ:  1 Samuel 30:1-6

David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.  1 Samuel 30:6

Everything looked bleak to David and his men when they arrived at Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-6).  The Amalekites had attacked the city and taken their wives and children captive.  The men were so discouraged that they wept until they had no more energy.  And David, their leader, was “greatly distressed” because the people were contemplating stoning him (v. 6).

In the end, David’s army rescued their families and defeated the Amalekites.  But the story takes a great turn even before that when “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (v. 6).  Other translations used the words encouraged or refreshed.

The text doesn’t say exactly how David did this.  But it makes me wonder, In what ways can we strengthen, encourage, or refresh ourselves in the Lord when we’re feeling discouraged?

First, we can remember what God has done.  We can list the ways He has cared for us in the past, and how He has provided for us or answered a prayer request.

Second, we can remember what God has promised.  “Be strong and of good courage;…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Like David, let’s learn to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, and then let’s leave the rest with Him.     AC

Our greatest strength is often shown in our ability to stand

still and trust God.

FEELING SMALL

Feeling Small

What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Psalm 8:4

READ MATTHEW 6:25–32

Many movie critics consider David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia one of the greatest films of all time. With its seemingly endless vistas of the Arabian deserts, it has influenced a generation of filmmakers—including Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg. “I was inspired the first time I saw Lawrence,” said Spielberg. “It made me feel puny. It still makes me feel puny. And that’s one measure of its greatness.”

What makes me feel small is creation’s vastness—when I gaze at an ocean, fly over the polar ice cap, or survey a night sky sparkling with a billion stars. If the created universe is so expansive, how much greater must be the Creator who spoke it into being!

God’s greatness and our feelings of insignificance are echoed by David when he declares, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:4 nlt). But Jesus assures us, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

I may feel small and insignificant, but through my Father’s eyes, I have great worth—a worth that is proven every time I look at the cross. The price He was willing to pay to restore me to fellowship with Him is evidence of how He values me.

By Bill Crowder

REFLECT & PRAY

Father, help us to remember Your heart is for us. Read The Surprising Side of God at discoveryseries.org/q0213.

What wonder of creation draws your attention to God? How does it impact you to know how much your Creator values you?

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Our passage today continues Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and is a subsection of the major theme considered in chapter 6—“the Christian walking and living in this world, in his relationship to the Father” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount). But while the earlier subsection (vv. 19-24) deals with the danger of laying up and hoarding the treasures of this earth, this portion is concerned with our worrying or being anxious about material things. Some believe the first passage addresses the rich, while today’s addresses the poor or those who struggle to make ends meet. But it’s also possible for the rich to be obsessed with worry over material things. No matter how we look at these texts, both convey the danger of trying to find our security anywhere but in God and His great care for us (1 Peter 5:7). Alyson Kieda