by Shirley M Dobson
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God.” John 14:1
When Focus on the Family was in its early stages and our children were young,
Jim often traveled. One night when he was away, I awoke with a start at 2 A.M. I
was afraid and didn’t know why. After a few minutes of worrying, I forced myself
out of bed and sank to my knees on the floor.
“Oh, Lord,” I prayed, “I don’t know why I’m so frightened. I ask You to watch
over our home and protect our family. Send Your guardian angel to be with us.” I
climbed back into bed and fell asleep about a half hour later.
The next morning one of our teenage neighbors ran over from across the
street. “Mrs. Dobson, did you hear what happened? A burglar robbed your
next‐door neighbor’s house last night!” It was true. A thief had broken in and
escaped with the family’s vacation money, about $500. Then my neighbor told me
that the police had determined the time of the robbery—about 2 A.M., the same
time I had awakened in fear!
My mind reeled at the thought. “If a burglar wanted to break into our house,”
I said, “he would probably try to get in through the bathroom window near our
children’s bedrooms. Let’s go look.” We walked to the window and saw that the
screen was bent and the window sill splintered. Someone had indeed tried to
break in. What had stopped him?
I am convinced that God protected us that night through my panicked prayer.
In a frantic moment my trust was tested and God again proved faithful. I can’t
explain why He sometimes allows us to experience fearful situations even though
we are praying. But I know that even in those threatening circumstances, He is
“an ever‐present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). That
is why we can say, with the psalmist, “We will not fear…. The Lord Almighty is
with us” (Psalm 46:2, 7).
From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James
& Shirley Dobson
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Friday, August 26, 2016
The Daily Readings for August 26, 2016
Job 9:1-15, 9:32-35
Then Job answered: "Indeed I know that this is so; but how can a mortal be just before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength-- who has resisted him, and succeeded?-- he who removes mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the Sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number. Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. He snatches away; who can stop him? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?' "God will not turn back his anger; the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him. How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand on us both. If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me, then I would speak without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to be.
Acts 10:34-48
Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-- he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
John 7:37-52
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some asked, "Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not arrest him?" The police answered, "Never has anyone spoken like this!" Then the Pharisees replied, "Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law-- they are accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" They replied, "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee."
Morning Psalms
Psalm 16 Conserva me, Domine
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; I have said to the LORD, "You are my Lord, my good above all other."
2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 17 Exaudi, Domine
1 Hear my plea of innocence, O LORD; give heed to my cry; listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.
2 Let my vindication come forth from your presence; let your eyes be fixed on justice.
3 Weigh my heart, summon me by night, melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.
4 I give no offense with my mouth as others do; I have heeded the words of your lips.
5 My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law; in your paths my feet shall not stumble.
6 I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; incline your ear to me and hear my words.
7 Show me your marvelous loving-kindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9 From the wicked who assault me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have closed their heart to pity, and their mouth speaks proud things.
11 They press me hard, now they surround me, watching how they may cast me to the ground,
12 Like a lion, greedy for its prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O LORD; confront them and bring them down; deliver me from the wicked by your sword.
14 Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand from those whose portion in life is this world;
15 Whose bellies you fill with your treasure, who are well supplied with children and leave their wealth to their little ones.
16 But at my vindication I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 22 Deus, Deus meu
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; by night as well, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 They cried out to you and were delivered; they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, scorned by all and despised by the people.
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8 He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, if he delights in him.
9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12 Many young bulls encircle me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open wide their jaws at me, like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16 Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
17 They stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
18 Be not far away, O LORD; you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19 Save me from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
20 Save me from the lion's mouth, my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22 Praise the LORD, you that fear him; stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; but when they cry to him he hears them.
24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the LORD shall praise him: "May your heart live for ever!"
26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations bow before him.
27 For kingship belongs to the LORD; he rules over the nations.
28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29 My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever.
30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that he has done.
Then Job answered: "Indeed I know that this is so; but how can a mortal be just before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength-- who has resisted him, and succeeded?-- he who removes mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the Sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; who does great things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number. Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. He snatches away; who can stop him? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?' "God will not turn back his anger; the helpers of Rahab bowed beneath him. How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand on us both. If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me, then I would speak without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to be.
Acts 10:34-48
Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-- he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
John 7:37-52
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some asked, "Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not arrest him?" The police answered, "Never has anyone spoken like this!" Then the Pharisees replied, "Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law-- they are accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" They replied, "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee."
Morning Psalms
Psalm 16 Conserva me, Domine
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; I have said to the LORD, "You are my Lord, my good above all other."
2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 17 Exaudi, Domine
1 Hear my plea of innocence, O LORD; give heed to my cry; listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.
2 Let my vindication come forth from your presence; let your eyes be fixed on justice.
3 Weigh my heart, summon me by night, melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.
4 I give no offense with my mouth as others do; I have heeded the words of your lips.
5 My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law; in your paths my feet shall not stumble.
6 I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; incline your ear to me and hear my words.
7 Show me your marvelous loving-kindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9 From the wicked who assault me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have closed their heart to pity, and their mouth speaks proud things.
11 They press me hard, now they surround me, watching how they may cast me to the ground,
12 Like a lion, greedy for its prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O LORD; confront them and bring them down; deliver me from the wicked by your sword.
14 Deliver me, O LORD, by your hand from those whose portion in life is this world;
15 Whose bellies you fill with your treasure, who are well supplied with children and leave their wealth to their little ones.
16 But at my vindication I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
Evening Psalms
Psalm 22 Deus, Deus meu
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; by night as well, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 They cried out to you and were delivered; they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, scorned by all and despised by the people.
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8 He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, if he delights in him.
9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12 Many young bulls encircle me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open wide their jaws at me, like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16 Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
17 They stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
18 Be not far away, O LORD; you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19 Save me from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
20 Save me from the lion's mouth, my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22 Praise the LORD, you that fear him; stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; but when they cry to him he hears them.
24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the LORD shall praise him: "May your heart live for ever!"
26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations bow before him.
27 For kingship belongs to the LORD; he rules over the nations.
28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29 My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever.
30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that he has done.
The Forward Day by Day Meditation for August 26, 2016
From Forward Day By Day
Acts 10:45 (NRSV) The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
With God, expect the unexpected. In the gospel lesson, John recalls how the people were divided about who Jesus was. But the religious authorities were not divided; they knew Jesus was a false prophet simply because he was from Galilee. In one of my favorite stories in all of scripture, Peter goes to the home of a centurion, Cornelius, a Gentile—a definite no-no for a Jew to start with. Cornelius had assembled his relatives and close friends, and, lo and behold, after Peter speaks to them about Jesus, the Holy Spirit falls upon them. What is going on here? No prophet can come out of Galilee, much less the Messiah, and no Gentile was supposed to receive the Holy Spirit. It seems God is not following the script.
I have tried to get God to follow my own script, but it never seems to work out very well. Such chutzpah on my part. God is the producer, the director, and the scriptwriter. My job is to be open and obedient. Once we circumscribe God to fit our script, we miss the main plot of the play.
Acts 10:45 (NRSV) The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
With God, expect the unexpected. In the gospel lesson, John recalls how the people were divided about who Jesus was. But the religious authorities were not divided; they knew Jesus was a false prophet simply because he was from Galilee. In one of my favorite stories in all of scripture, Peter goes to the home of a centurion, Cornelius, a Gentile—a definite no-no for a Jew to start with. Cornelius had assembled his relatives and close friends, and, lo and behold, after Peter speaks to them about Jesus, the Holy Spirit falls upon them. What is going on here? No prophet can come out of Galilee, much less the Messiah, and no Gentile was supposed to receive the Holy Spirit. It seems God is not following the script.
I have tried to get God to follow my own script, but it never seems to work out very well. Such chutzpah on my part. God is the producer, the director, and the scriptwriter. My job is to be open and obedient. Once we circumscribe God to fit our script, we miss the main plot of the play.
Join more than a half million readers worldwide who use Forward Day by Day as a resource for daily prayer and Bible study.
Men of the Bible - Daniel
His name means: "God Is My Judge"
His work: He was a Jew who became a governor in Babylon.
His character: Daniel was an exile who exhibited great discipline and faithfulness to his God in adverse circumstances.
His sorrow: Daniel experienced the tearing of his people from their homeland to be exiled in Babylon. He was never able to return to the land he loved.
His triumph: God used his faith and his godly diligence to win the loyalty of kings and kingdoms.
Key Scriptures: Daniel 1-6
A Look at the Man
Daniel's life was filled with unpleasant—and sometimes tragic—surprises.
When he was a young man, the Babylonians laid siege to his homeland, tearing down the walls and buildings of Jerusalem. Even the sacred temple was ransacked and destroyed. Along with the other Israelites who had survived the carnage, Daniel was taken as a prisoner of war back to Babylon.
Knowing that the future of his nation rested on the shoulders of the brightest young men in the land—including Hebrew men—Nebuchadnezzar the king called for the finest in the land: "young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace." Among these carefully chosen Jews was a young man named Daniel, along with three of his friends.
The young men lived in the palace. It was Daniel's first experience of sleeping with the enemy, but it would not be his last.
To more fully indoctrinate the men, Nebuchadnezzar gave them Babylonian names. Then Daniel and his friends were placed under the instruction of the teachers of Babylon, and the four young men gained "knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning." So remarkable were these men that when they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar for his review, he found them "ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom."
But it was to Daniel alone that God gave the special gift of interpreting visions and dreams of all kinds. And it was this ability that granted Daniel a place of honor in the kingdom. After a while, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that haunted him. He sought an interpretation from all the wise men in the land—magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers. Infuriated by their inability to help him, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of all the wise men in Babylon.
Upon hearing of this decree, Daniel begged for an audience with the king, pleading for his life and the lives of the wise men. Then Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream. In thanks the king promoted Daniel as the ruler of an entire Babylonian province and "lavished many gifts on him."
But in spite of the power and wealth bestowed on Daniel, his love and loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were unaltered. His daily regimen included three visits to an upstairs window facing his precious homeland, where he knelt and prayed. Daniel's faithfulness to God—and his divine gift of interpreting dreams—placed him in great prominence in the kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar his son, and Darius.
Under Darius, Daniel rose to power over one-third of the kingdom. It was, in fact, in the king's plan to place Daniel over all of Babylon. But the other rulers seethed with envy over the king's favor of this Hebrew. And so they plotted to destroy him under the sanction of the kingdom.
These men went to the king with a flattering plan. "Issue an edict and enforce a decree," they proposed to Darius. "Anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except the king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." Seeing an opportunity for glory and believing that there would be no harm in such a plan, the king put the decree in writing and secured it with his seal. Unfortunately for Daniel, the king himself could not reverse his decision.
Without regard to the consequences, Daniel prayed at his window. Facing prosperity or the threat of execution, he would not let his heart be drawn away from the God whom he loved and served. And his reward for this act of obedience was yet another restful night—in a cave of death for anyone but a man of God.
Reflect On: Daniel 6:19–28
Praise God: For his power and ability to change hearts.
Offer Thanks: For the faithful prayers of “the great cloud of witnesses” that have gone before us.
Confess: Our lack of spiritual discipline—our pretense of spiritual devotion rather than our daily practice of it.
Ask God: To fill you with a burning desire to know him.
Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
His work: He was a Jew who became a governor in Babylon.
His character: Daniel was an exile who exhibited great discipline and faithfulness to his God in adverse circumstances.
His sorrow: Daniel experienced the tearing of his people from their homeland to be exiled in Babylon. He was never able to return to the land he loved.
His triumph: God used his faith and his godly diligence to win the loyalty of kings and kingdoms.
Key Scriptures: Daniel 1-6
A Look at the Man
Daniel's life was filled with unpleasant—and sometimes tragic—surprises.
When he was a young man, the Babylonians laid siege to his homeland, tearing down the walls and buildings of Jerusalem. Even the sacred temple was ransacked and destroyed. Along with the other Israelites who had survived the carnage, Daniel was taken as a prisoner of war back to Babylon.
Knowing that the future of his nation rested on the shoulders of the brightest young men in the land—including Hebrew men—Nebuchadnezzar the king called for the finest in the land: "young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace." Among these carefully chosen Jews was a young man named Daniel, along with three of his friends.
The young men lived in the palace. It was Daniel's first experience of sleeping with the enemy, but it would not be his last.
To more fully indoctrinate the men, Nebuchadnezzar gave them Babylonian names. Then Daniel and his friends were placed under the instruction of the teachers of Babylon, and the four young men gained "knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning." So remarkable were these men that when they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar for his review, he found them "ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom."
But it was to Daniel alone that God gave the special gift of interpreting visions and dreams of all kinds. And it was this ability that granted Daniel a place of honor in the kingdom. After a while, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that haunted him. He sought an interpretation from all the wise men in the land—magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers. Infuriated by their inability to help him, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of all the wise men in Babylon.
Upon hearing of this decree, Daniel begged for an audience with the king, pleading for his life and the lives of the wise men. Then Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream. In thanks the king promoted Daniel as the ruler of an entire Babylonian province and "lavished many gifts on him."
But in spite of the power and wealth bestowed on Daniel, his love and loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were unaltered. His daily regimen included three visits to an upstairs window facing his precious homeland, where he knelt and prayed. Daniel's faithfulness to God—and his divine gift of interpreting dreams—placed him in great prominence in the kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar his son, and Darius.
Under Darius, Daniel rose to power over one-third of the kingdom. It was, in fact, in the king's plan to place Daniel over all of Babylon. But the other rulers seethed with envy over the king's favor of this Hebrew. And so they plotted to destroy him under the sanction of the kingdom.
These men went to the king with a flattering plan. "Issue an edict and enforce a decree," they proposed to Darius. "Anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except the king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." Seeing an opportunity for glory and believing that there would be no harm in such a plan, the king put the decree in writing and secured it with his seal. Unfortunately for Daniel, the king himself could not reverse his decision.
Without regard to the consequences, Daniel prayed at his window. Facing prosperity or the threat of execution, he would not let his heart be drawn away from the God whom he loved and served. And his reward for this act of obedience was yet another restful night—in a cave of death for anyone but a man of God.
Reflect On: Daniel 6:19–28
Praise God: For his power and ability to change hearts.
Offer Thanks: For the faithful prayers of “the great cloud of witnesses” that have gone before us.
Confess: Our lack of spiritual discipline—our pretense of spiritual devotion rather than our daily practice of it.
Ask God: To fill you with a burning desire to know him.
Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
His Princess Every Day - His New Beginning
Devotionals for Women - Inspirational author and speaker Sheri Rose
Shepherd imagines what a letter written from God to you would look like.
My Beloved Daughter,
You are Mine, and you are called personally by Me. That’s why it is hard to watch you hold on to your past. I see you differently than you see yourself. You see what you’ve done, but I see what I want to do in you. You see where you’ve been, but I see where I want to take you. I have you covered, precious one, and I will use every mistake you’ve made as a tutor to make you wiser. As My daughter, you have the privilege and the choice to live an abundant life filled with joy, adventure, passion, and purpose. Don’t hold on to things that hold you back from My blessings. Your past has paved the road that led you to Me. Now ask Me to do a new thing, to make a way in the wilderness, and to increase your faith in ways you never dreamed possible. Take My hand, and let’s walk forward together into your new life.
Love,
Your heavenly Father
I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19
Treasure of Truth
Your past does not have to define you anymore.... It is finished.
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.
My Beloved Daughter,
You are Mine, and you are called personally by Me. That’s why it is hard to watch you hold on to your past. I see you differently than you see yourself. You see what you’ve done, but I see what I want to do in you. You see where you’ve been, but I see where I want to take you. I have you covered, precious one, and I will use every mistake you’ve made as a tutor to make you wiser. As My daughter, you have the privilege and the choice to live an abundant life filled with joy, adventure, passion, and purpose. Don’t hold on to things that hold you back from My blessings. Your past has paved the road that led you to Me. Now ask Me to do a new thing, to make a way in the wilderness, and to increase your faith in ways you never dreamed possible. Take My hand, and let’s walk forward together into your new life.
Love,
Your heavenly Father
I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19
Treasure of Truth
Your past does not have to define you anymore.... It is finished.
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.
Girlfriends in God - Living in the Now
We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends. From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry. We call them our “Friday Friends.” So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our “Friday Friend,” Kelly Balarie.
Today’s Truth
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you (Psalm 32:8).
Friend to Friend
My mind has been set on a future dream. I can almost see it coming to life. It will be fantastic, magnificent and more than I ever dreamed.
I assure myself of this.
I will sip an iced tea on a screened in porch. I will have the ability to lay back a bit easier. I will head to the beach within a split-second drive. The weather will make me warm both inside and out. Friends will be abundant and hospitable.
I assure myself of this. Now God, you need to come through.
But, He hasn’t. He hasn’t answered my request. He hasn’t run to my rescue to move my dwelling place somewhere warm and somewhere south. He has been silent. He has been inactive, or so it seems.
Where did you go, God?
Like me, do you feel God has gone silent on a dream, a hope, or a prayer request that you’re confident will bring you life, joy or peace?
Living in the Land of Wait can feel like it controls your so-called fate. It can seem that everything hinges on this one thing coming true. It can seem like you are being held back from greatness.
And, maybe, that is just the problem. You see, I have noticed that when I live with the demands of the future, I end up missing the blessings of now.
I miss the smiles of the ones who want to connect.
I miss the opportunities to extend service.
I miss the endurance forged through patience.
I miss the great wisdom God wants me to witness.
I miss the peace of knowing I am exactly where I should be.
I miss waiting love and replace it with the overhanging fear that God is not near.
Do you feel that God has left shop to leave you standing with a bill of goods you hate?
Sisters, friends, fellow strugglers, here is truth: He has not left. He is instructing us. He is teaching us. He is leading us in the way we should go. There is not one day His loving eye is not on us (Psalm 32:8). He knows.
He knows what the future is.
He knows what our heart needs.
He knows what will make us more like Christ.
He knows what our part is in the mission field around us.
He knows that pain sometimes brings about our greatest gain.
He knows the value of creating virtues like patience and kindness for they will one day be the currency of heaven.
Will we trust Him?
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, when we don’t hear You, we often hear fear. We get afraid that we will be left hurt. Please help us draw near to You. Help us to know Your voice. Help us to know that You care for us far more than we can even think or imagine. Bask us in Your love. Drown us in Your compassion. Soak us in all things You. We want to do Your will. Give us faith to follow through.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What is your wait? Redefine it. Rather than thinking of it as a time of grueling hours that hold you back, see it as:
Waiting
Abiding
In God’s Perfect
Timing
More from the Girlfriends
Kelly Balarie, a blogger at Purposeful Faith, is passionate about joining hands with women who often find themselves stuck in the pits of life. Step-by-step, word-by-word, her dream is that together they can emerge better - fear, fret and panic-free. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by email for a dose of inspiration and encouragement.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
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Huntersville, NC 28070
Daily Devotional by John Piper - Shadows and Streams
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. (Psalm 104:31–34)God rejoices in the works of creation because they point us beyond themselves to God himself.
God means for us to be stunned and awed by his work of creation. But not for its own sake. He means for us to look at his creation and say: If the mere work of his fingers (just his fingers! Psalm 8:3) is so full of wisdom and power and grandeur and majesty and beauty, what must this God be like in himself!
These are but the backside of his glory, as it were, darkly seen through a glass. What will it be to see the Creator himself! Not his works! A billion galaxies will not satisfy the human soul. God and God alone is the soul’s end.
Jonathan Edwards expressed it like this:
The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. . . . [These] are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the ocean.This is why Psalm 104:31-34 comes to a close like this, with a focus on God himself. In the end it will not be the seas or the mountains or the canyons or the water spiders or the clouds or the great galaxies that fill our hearts to breaking with wonder and fill our mouths with eternal praise. It will be God.
Standing Strong Through the Storm - REFINER’S FIRE
“…I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call
on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they
will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” Zechariah 13:9
In 2004, my colleague and friend Dr. Jim Cunningham was in Ethiopia teaching Standing Strong Through the Storm (SSTS). His teaching assignments took him to the far western province of Gambella where many Christians of the Anuak tribe had been killed in recent fighting. The believers there told him about one of their pastors, Okok Ojula, who was in prison in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Okok had been head of the Bureau of Social Rehabilitation in Gambella. He was falsely accused of corruption and taking three million Ethiopian Birr. No evidence was presented so the trial was moved to Addis—three days away by bus—to a federal court. He had been sitting in jail for two years waiting for a trial date to be set! His wife Nuno and their six children were patiently waiting back in Gambella. They asked Jim to visit Pastor Okok in prison.
Jim went to the Administrator’s Office of the main federal prison back in Addis to try and see Pastor Okok. “Why do you want to see him?” the administrator asked. Jim responded, “Because I was in Gambella, met his wife Nuno and their six children and I told them I would come and give him greetings from them.”
He replied rather directly, “Why do YOU want to see him?” Jim looked him in the eye and said, “Okuk is a Christian and a pastor in Gambella, I am a Christian and a pastor in Canada. I want to meet him and pray with him!” At that moment the administrator’s countenance changed. He turned to Jim and said, “You may meet him next door in the Deputy Administrator’s office.”
Okuk was brought in for forty-five minutes—with coffee provided—and they shared and prayed together! It was a great time of blessing for both men.
After three and a half years, Okuk was released from prison as a free man completely exonerated. He then shared with Jim by mail that he had earlier conformed his life around serving the Lord, resuming his education at the highest level, doing research work, and other valuable good things to help people. But he had never thought of imprisonment at any time. Time was very precious to him and he never thought of wasting it in prison sitting under a hostile situation. But having been in prison he learned many lessons.
Commenting about Moses’ burning bush, he said, “Prison to me, is a place where the Lord can appear to us in flames of fire to refine us—but never ‘burn us up.’ I see that the Lord is more concerned with our perfection obtained through walks in all levels of patience, endurance, character, and hope in order to expel fear and self-centeredness in our lives—and prepare us to see and believe that He is God Almighty as He appeared to Moses. He intends for us not to put Him in our little box to use Him as an instrument to suit our release from the prison. [Rather] patience, endurance, character, and hope have to finish their work to perfection.”
RESPONSE: Today I will accept that God may have to put me through the refiner’s fire to perfect me.
PRAYER: Lord, build patience, endurance, character and hope into my life in Your way and purpose.
In 2004, my colleague and friend Dr. Jim Cunningham was in Ethiopia teaching Standing Strong Through the Storm (SSTS). His teaching assignments took him to the far western province of Gambella where many Christians of the Anuak tribe had been killed in recent fighting. The believers there told him about one of their pastors, Okok Ojula, who was in prison in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Okok had been head of the Bureau of Social Rehabilitation in Gambella. He was falsely accused of corruption and taking three million Ethiopian Birr. No evidence was presented so the trial was moved to Addis—three days away by bus—to a federal court. He had been sitting in jail for two years waiting for a trial date to be set! His wife Nuno and their six children were patiently waiting back in Gambella. They asked Jim to visit Pastor Okok in prison.
Jim went to the Administrator’s Office of the main federal prison back in Addis to try and see Pastor Okok. “Why do you want to see him?” the administrator asked. Jim responded, “Because I was in Gambella, met his wife Nuno and their six children and I told them I would come and give him greetings from them.”
He replied rather directly, “Why do YOU want to see him?” Jim looked him in the eye and said, “Okuk is a Christian and a pastor in Gambella, I am a Christian and a pastor in Canada. I want to meet him and pray with him!” At that moment the administrator’s countenance changed. He turned to Jim and said, “You may meet him next door in the Deputy Administrator’s office.”
Okuk was brought in for forty-five minutes—with coffee provided—and they shared and prayed together! It was a great time of blessing for both men.
After three and a half years, Okuk was released from prison as a free man completely exonerated. He then shared with Jim by mail that he had earlier conformed his life around serving the Lord, resuming his education at the highest level, doing research work, and other valuable good things to help people. But he had never thought of imprisonment at any time. Time was very precious to him and he never thought of wasting it in prison sitting under a hostile situation. But having been in prison he learned many lessons.
Commenting about Moses’ burning bush, he said, “Prison to me, is a place where the Lord can appear to us in flames of fire to refine us—but never ‘burn us up.’ I see that the Lord is more concerned with our perfection obtained through walks in all levels of patience, endurance, character, and hope in order to expel fear and self-centeredness in our lives—and prepare us to see and believe that He is God Almighty as He appeared to Moses. He intends for us not to put Him in our little box to use Him as an instrument to suit our release from the prison. [Rather] patience, endurance, character, and hope have to finish their work to perfection.”
RESPONSE: Today I will accept that God may have to put me through the refiner’s fire to perfect me.
PRAYER: Lord, build patience, endurance, character and hope into my life in Your way and purpose.
Un Dia a la Vez - El desorden y la suciedad (segunda parte)
Sé ejemplo de los creyentes en palabra, conducta, amor, espíritu, fe y
pureza. 1 Timoteo 4:12, RV-60
Ayer aprendimos de dos grandes enemigos en la vida que nos pueden estar restando bendiciones: el desorden y la suciedad.
A lo mejor la casa donde vives es, como dicen, una tasita de té que brilla de limpieza, pero tu vida por dentro está desordenada y sucia. Así que debes comprender que hay que hacer cambios. Estos cambios no suceden de la noche a la mañana y llevarán su tiempo. Sin embargo, una vez que lo entiendas, puedes tomar cartas en el asunto.
El orden empieza por ti mismo siendo limpio, pulcro y agradable para tu esposa, tus hijos y los que te rodean, y también en la manera de mantener tu casa. Entonces, quizá la pregunta que te hagas sea esta: «¿Cómo puedo cambiar?». La respuesta es que con Dios todo es posible.
Pídele a Dios que te ayude a ser ordenado. Desecha lo que ya no usas. No acumules basura, ni desperdicios en la cocina debido a la pereza. Que tu baño, tu ropa, y hasta tu auto, muestren a Cristo. Además, ten presente que lo que les modeles a tus hijos será lo que seguirán como ejemplo. Si te ven descuidado y abandonado, es muy probable que hagan lo mismo.
Hoy el Señor te da la oportunidad de cambiar, de echar fuera el desorden y la suciedad y de cortar esas ataduras. Como resultado, serás capaz de prepararte para el orden y la limpieza de tu vida.
Ayer aprendimos de dos grandes enemigos en la vida que nos pueden estar restando bendiciones: el desorden y la suciedad.
A lo mejor la casa donde vives es, como dicen, una tasita de té que brilla de limpieza, pero tu vida por dentro está desordenada y sucia. Así que debes comprender que hay que hacer cambios. Estos cambios no suceden de la noche a la mañana y llevarán su tiempo. Sin embargo, una vez que lo entiendas, puedes tomar cartas en el asunto.
El orden empieza por ti mismo siendo limpio, pulcro y agradable para tu esposa, tus hijos y los que te rodean, y también en la manera de mantener tu casa. Entonces, quizá la pregunta que te hagas sea esta: «¿Cómo puedo cambiar?». La respuesta es que con Dios todo es posible.
Pídele a Dios que te ayude a ser ordenado. Desecha lo que ya no usas. No acumules basura, ni desperdicios en la cocina debido a la pereza. Que tu baño, tu ropa, y hasta tu auto, muestren a Cristo. Además, ten presente que lo que les modeles a tus hijos será lo que seguirán como ejemplo. Si te ven descuidado y abandonado, es muy probable que hagan lo mismo.
Hoy el Señor te da la oportunidad de cambiar, de echar fuera el desorden y la suciedad y de cortar esas ataduras. Como resultado, serás capaz de prepararte para el orden y la limpieza de tu vida.
Verse of the Day - August 26, 2016
Romans 12:4-5 (NIV) For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Read all of Romans 12
Read all of Romans 12
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