Night Light for Couples - Camping Companions

“Just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:7

After learning that camping was a common pastime among happy families, Gary Smalley and his wife, Norma, decided to take their own brood into the wild. On a beautiful Kentucky night, the Smalleys gathered around a campfire, sang songs, and roasted hot dogs. By nine o’clock all were pleasantly tired and tucked into their camper beds. Gary thought, I can really see why this draws families together.

Then it struck. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed all around. Rain and wind assaulted the outside, then the inside, of the Smalley camper. The sudden storm turned what had been a relaxing evening into a night of fright.

Did this harrowing turn of events cause Gary and Norma to abandon the outdoors forever? Not at all—they became avid campers. The Smalleys discovered that sharing experiences, both fun and frightful, bonded them in ways they couldn’t have imagined.

Our encouragement to couples is to share each others’ interests and activities. Common endeavors will deepen your relationship and provide priceless family memories—even when storms strike.

Just between us…

• How does sharing recreation and other interests build companionship?
• (husband) Which of my favorite activities do you enjoy?
• (wife) Do you appreciate having me join you in your activities? Which ones, and why?
• What new shared activities could bring us closer together?

Lord, thank You for tonight’s encouragement to be friends and companions in many ways. Show us new ways to get the most out of life—together! Amen.

• From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
• Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.
• Camping illustration from Hidden Keys of a Loving, Lasting Marriage by Gary Smalley (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1984, 1988).

The Daily Readings for August 18, 2016

Job 1:1-22
There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another's houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." This is what Job always did. One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil." Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!" So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you." Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

Acts 8:26-40
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

John 6:16-27
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal."

Morning Psalms

Psalm 131 Domine, non est
1   O LORD, I am not proud; I have no haughty looks.
2   I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me.
3   But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother's breast; my soul is quieted within me.
4   O Israel, wait upon the LORD, from this time forth for evermore.

Psalm 132 Memento, Domine
1   LORD, remember David, and all the hardships he endured;
2   How he swore an oath to the LORD and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3   I will not come under the roof of my house, nor climb up into my bed;
4   I will not allow my eyes to sleep, nor let my eyelids slumber;
5   Until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
6   The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; we found it in the fields of Jearim.
7   Let us go to God's dwelling place; let us fall upon our knees before his footstool."
8   Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, you and the ark of your strength.
9   Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; let your faithful people sing with joy.
10   For your servant David's sake, do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
11   The LORD has sworn an oath to David; in truth, he will not break it:
12   A son, the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne.
13   If your children keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their children will sit upon your throne for evermore."
14   For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired her for his habitation:
15   This shall be my resting-place for ever; here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
16   I will surely bless her provisions, and satisfy her poor with bread.
17   I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
18   There will I make the horn of David flourish; I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.
19   As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; but as for him, his crown will shine."

Psalm 133 Ecce, quam bonum!
1   Oh, how good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in unity!
2   It is like fine oil upon the head that runs down upon the beard,
3   Upon the beard of Aaron, and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4   It is like the dew of Hermon that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5   For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: life for evermore.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc
1   Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
2   Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Psalm 135 Laudate nomen
1   Hallelujah! Praise the Name of the LORD; give praise, you servants of the LORD.
2   You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
3   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to his Name, for it is lovely.
4   For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself and Israel for his own possession.
5   For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6   The LORD does whatever pleases him, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the deeps.
7   He brings up rain clouds from the ends of the earth; he sends out lightning with the rain, and brings the winds out of his storehouse.
8   It was he who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn both of man and beast.
9   He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10   He overthrew many nations and put mighty kings to death:
11   Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.
12   He gave their land to be an inheritance, an inheritance for Israel his people.
13   O LORD, your Name is everlasting; your renown, O LORD, endures from age to age.
14   For the LORD gives his people justice and shows compassion to his servants.
15   The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16   They have mouths, but they cannot speak; eyes have they, but they cannot see.
17   They have ears, but they cannot hear; neither is there any breath in their mouth.
18   Those who make them are like them, and so are all who put their trust in them.
19   Bless the LORD, O house of Israel; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD.
20   Bless the LORD, O house of Levi; you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
21   Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for August 18, 2016

From Forward Day By Day

John 6:27a (NRSV) Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

Surely Jesus doesn’t mean we should not work to get money to buy food for our bodily nourishment. So what do you think he is talking about here?

The disciples are often confused by such sayings as these from Jesus. They tend to take things literally, while Jesus is speaking profound truths beyond the obvious.

Sometimes when we read the scripture word-for-word, we miss deeper meanings. If we read without guidance, we can be misled.

Metaphor, myth, and mystery often contain profound truth not found in literal translation. We may not like to entertain such a notion. It goes against our need to cling to truth instead of being open to truth.

What is this food that lasts forever? It is Jesus himself, the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. In his first of the seven great “I am” sayings, Jesus tells the disciples that he is that bread. Maybe when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we can also pray for this Daily Bread.

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His Princess Every Day - His Kingdom

Devotionals for Women - Inspirational author and speaker Sheri Rose Shepherd imagines what a letter written from God to you would look like.

My Daughter,

I know some days you feel as if there is no fight left inside of you. You, like all My chosen children, sometimes wonder where I am and whether this faith is worth fighting for. Many times your strength is sapped because you are waging battles I did not ask you to fight. Give up battles not worth winning so you will have the strength to win souls for My Kingdom. I know this life is not easy, but I have not called you to a life of comfort; I have called you to combat and adventure! Battles won for My Kingdom will not be wasted; so ask Me before you choose your fight. I will guide you, and I promise to use you to bring abundant life to all those you love. Now, My beloved daughter, ask yourself, What am I winning if I lose my chance to glorify my God with my life?

Love,
Your King Who fights for you

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. - Mark 3:24

Treasure of Truth

What battle is worth winning on earth if, as a result, you lose souls that could have been won for the Kingdom?

This devotional is written by Sheri Rose Shepherd. All content copyright Sheri Rose Shepherd 2015. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Visit HisPrincess.com for devotionals, books, videos, and more from Sheri Rose Shepherd.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - PERSEVERANCE

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:36-37

The greatest example of Christian perseverance for me is Sister Alice Yuan from China. Her pastor husband, Allen Yuan, was imprisoned for almost twenty-two years for refusing to join the government controlled church in the middle 1950’s. She says:

“When my husband Allen was sent to prison in April 1958, I was told that I would never see him again. I felt completely miserable and continually blamed God. The future looked so terribly bleak. I had the care of six children and my mother-in-law. I was only earning 80 cents a day. How could I keep my family alive on that?

“When it all became too much for me, one night I heard a voice: ‘My child, I have everything in My hands. These things come from Me.’ I replied, ‘If these things come from You, please protect me and my family. Do not allow me to dishonor Your name. I want to serve You and glorify Your name’

“Then I received peace in my heart. I was encouraged by Psalm 68:19, Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. In those difficult years, people let me down, but God never abandoned me. But he did put me through trials.

“The first trial was the struggle to survive. I was only earning 80 cents a day. How could we get by on that? But God took care of us, in the same way that he took care of Elijah. He promised to be my shepherd and provider.

“One evening, my mother-in-law said that there was no food anymore in the house. The next morning, at five to six there was a knock on the door. ‘Are you sister Alice?’ asked a woman in her sixties, whom I didn’t know. ‘God wanted me to give you this.’ She put a package in my hand and disappeared. When I opened the parcel I found there was rice in it and some other food and a banknote to the value of about four month’s salary of a professor! Praise the Lord. Where man comes to an end, God begins! This was only one of the many miracles which kept us alive all those years.”

Tomorrow we’ll conclude her story of faithfulness and perseverance as well as God’s miraculous care for His own.

RESPONSE: Today I will not complain about discomforts but thank God for all His blessings!

PRAYER: Lord, You desire faithfulness and perseverance. Help me develop these qualities in my life.

NIV Devotions for Men - Mighty Warriors

1 Samuel 17:1–58

Recommended Reading: Judges 3:7–31; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 3:23–25

The List of David’s mighty warriors in 1 Chronicles 11:22 introduces us to Benaiah, whose exploits included overcoming two of Moab’s best men. He also killed a lion in a snowy, slippery pit. Perhaps most amazingly, he took on an Egyptian tall enough to be a starting center for the Chicago Bulls. This seven-and-a-half-foot giant wielded a spear with a shaft as sturdy as a lead pipe while Benaiah had only a wooden club.

Even so … Benaiah “snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada … He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty” (1 Chronicles 11:23–25).

It was not a Ph.D. degree that brought honor to a person in those days. Honor did not necessarily flow to the person with money or leverage or media access. Honor came as a result of doing exploits for the king.

Who is doing exploits for God today? Where is the enemy being driven back? That is the great yearning of all spiritually minded people. They are not enchanted with polished sermons and slick organizational technique. Where are the mighty men and women anointed by God to truly make a difference?

What is it really that stops us from becoming mighty warriors in the Lord? God has not changed. He is still superior to anything the enemy can throw against us.

No personal or church situation is too hopeless for the all-sufficient power of the Holy Spirit. God will be no more eager to act tomorrow than he is right now. He is waiting for us to take his promises seriously and go boldly to the throne of grace. He wants us to meet the enemy at the very point of attack, standing against him in the name of Christ. When we do so, God will back us up with all the resources of heaven.

—Jim Cymbala

To Take Away

• What keeps people from stepping out in faith for the Lord and the cause of Christ?
• Do you trust that God is superior to anything the enemy might bring against you? How does this assurance manifest itself in your life?
• What would it take for you to trust God’s promises more fully and thereby become a “mighty warrior in the Lord”?

Girlfriends in God - Let’s Be Encouragers!

by Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints (Philemon 1:7, NIV).

Friend to Friend

I recently read about an African tribe that has what we might consider an unusual approach for dealing with people who make mistakes. When a member of this tribe does something wrong, they take the person to the center of the village where the tribe surrounds him. For two days, they remind him of the good things he has done. The tribe believes that mistakes are often a cry for help, and hope to provide that help through the layers of encouragement they freely give.

Dan began making wooden furniture when we lived in South Florida. My job was to stain and finish the pieces after he had completed them. I had never worked with wood or stain and did not know much about how to accomplish the task. But I knew who did.

I headed to our local hardware store. I explained to a salesclerk that I wanted to finish some furniture—today. I was in a hurry to place it in just the right spot in the house and wanted to get this staining business over with quickly. He smiled and patiently explained that it takes time to achieve the best finish. He obviously did not understand.

Once again I explained my simple plan. Ignoring my words, he said that a beautiful finish requires repeated layers of stain and lacquer with time to dry in between. His last words stayed with me, “There are no shortcuts if you want the final product to be right.”

Encouragement is like that. It takes layers of love and great patience to replenish, restore, and put courage back into a heart.

Encouragers look for opportunities to work. Every day we cross paths with hurting people. A word of encouragement, an act of kindness, or a caring smile may be enough to keep them on their feet.

We all need the closeness of relationship.

We all need to know we are loved.

We all need encouragement.

“Encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13).

An encourager is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow. How often do we need to practice encouragement? Daily. Continually. Constantly.

The key to constant and daily encouragement is to vary our forms of encouragement and the people who receive that encouragement.

Acts 4:36 tells us about a man who came to Christ. His life was changed so dramatically that he sold his land and brought the money to give to God through the early church. That is very impressive. But the most impressive thing about this man called Joseph is that the disciples changed his name. They called him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”

Are you an encourager? Would your friends suggest changing your name? Would your spouse or your children? What about your neighbors or that person in your life who is struggling to find a ray of light in their darkness?

The message is clear. Just as Christ has come into our lives to encourage us, we are to give that encouragement away. The most amazing truth is that the more encouragement we give, the more we will receive in the circle of encouragement.

Jesus promises, “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you” (Luke 6:38, NLT).

Let’s be encouragers.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for the way You are always here for me. Your faithfulness and love overwhelm me. Your Word is a light for every step I take. Your encouragement keeps me on my feet every single day. Lord, I want to give that encouragement away to others. I want to be an encourager to my family, to my friends – to the people You allow to cross my path every day. God, teach me how to be an encourager.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read and memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…and we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

How do you rate as an encourager? Which of the following areas do you need to work on in order to give encouragement to the people in your life who need it?

___Demonstrate great patience
___Offer sensitive instruction
___Stay close
___Practice encouragement daily

More from the Girlfriends

A word from Mary: I have a weekly Online Bible Study, Light for the Journey. I am very excited about a new study beginning September 5, Taking Down the Giants in Your Life. Do you struggle with fear, stress, jealousy, anger, and depression … the roadblocks to happiness and joy? Let’s tackle each one and see what God has to say. Join now and get all of 2016 lessons plus bonus studies in the summer.

Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.

Seeking God? Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
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Daily Devotional by John Piper - Hope to Obey Hard Commands

Whoever desires to love life and see good days . . . let him turn away from evil and do good. (1 Peter 3:10–11)

There is only one basic reason why we disobey the commands of Jesus: it’s because we don’t have confidence that obeying will bring more blessing than disobeying. We do not hope fully in God’s promise.

What did he promise? Peter passes on his teaching like this:

Do not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling; but on the contrary bless, for to this you have been called that you may obtain a blessing. He who would love life and see good days . . . let him turn away from evil and do good.

You will always be better off to obey than to disobey, even if it costs you your life.

Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and the gospel’s, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time . . . with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29–30)

The only way to have the power to follow Christ in the costly way of love is to be filled with hope, with strong confidence that if we lose our life doing his will, we will find it again and be richly rewarded.

Un Dia a la Vez - Demos testimonio en todo lugar

Dios haga resplandecer su rostro sobre nosotros, para que se conozcan en la tierra sus caminos, y entre todas las naciones su salvación. Salmo 67:1-2

El testimonio muestra la clase de personas que somos. También nos permite dar fe de lo que nos ha dado Dios y de los cambios que nos ha permitido tener. Sobre todo, con el testimonio podemos influir en muchas personas a nuestro alrededor.

A veces nos pasa que quisiéramos que nadie nos conociera porque nos daría pena, ¿verdad? No desearíamos que se percibiera nuestro verdadero YO, en especial cuando somos personas públicas.
Cuando decidimos representar a nuestro Dios en la tierra, el testimonio cobra más importancia, por una sencilla razón: Son muchas las miradas puestas en ti y en mí. Tal parece que no podemos darnos el lujo de ser como somos quizá en la iglesia o en la casa porque alguien nos pudiera ver o escuchar. Sin duda, esto es muy bueno, pues nos obligamos a ser siempre hombres y mujeres comprometidos con la Palabra y con un deseo ferviente de mostrar lo que Dios ha hecho en nosotros.

En los lugares menos esperados, me he encontrado gente que conoce de mi trabajo en la radio y me han visto tal cual soy. Me ha sucedido muchas veces en supermercados, en la calle, en el hospital y, lo que menos me he imaginado, en un avión, donde el auxiliar de vuelo es oyente de la radio.

Mi enseñanza en este día es que tú y yo debemos guardar nuestro testimonio. En primer lugar, por agradar y obedecer a nuestro Dios. En segundo lugar, porque no sabemos quién nos mira y lo que mostremos puede ser determinante en la vida de otra persona.

Verse of the Day - August 18, 2016

Philippians 1:21 (NIV) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Read all of Philippians 1