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Carefully Crafted

Read: Ephesians 4:11-14 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 37-39; 2 Peter 2

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Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people. Ephesians 4:11–12

In a YouTube video, Alan Glustoff, a cheese farmer in Goshen, New York, described his process for aging cheese, a process that adds to a cheese’s flavor and texture. Before it can be sent out to a market, each block of cheese remains on a shelf in an underground cave for six to twelve months. In this humid environment the cheese is carefully tended. “We do our best to give it the right environment to thrive . . . [and] to develop to its truest potential,” Glustoff explained.

Glustoff’s passion for developing the potential of the cheese he produces reminded me of God’s passion for developing the “truest potential” of His children so they will become fruitful and mature. In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul describes the people involved in this process: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (v. 11). People with these gifts help to stimulate the growth of each believer as well as to encourage acts of service (the “works” mentioned in verse 12). The goal is that we “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (v. 13).

Spiritual growth comes about through the power of the Holy Spirit as we submit to His maturing process. As we follow the guidance of the people He places in our lives, we become more effective as He sends us out to serve.

Who has been most influential to your spiritual growth? In what ways have you been challenged to grow? How can you encourage the growth of someone else?

Loving God, I’m grateful for the tender way You help me to grow.

INSIGHT

The New Testament contains three main listings of spiritual gifts—Romans 12:6–8, 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, and 1 Corinthians 12:28–30. In addition, Ephesians 4:11 lists offices carried out by those with specific gifts, and 1 Peter 4:10–11 classifies the gifts into speaking and serving. That no two lists are identical suggests they’re not exhaustive. In each, the emphasis isn’t on the quantity of gifts but on their diversity and purpose. They’re to be used in a loving way to promote unity in the church (1 Corinthians 12:12–27; 13:1–13), build up the spiritual maturity of the believers (Ephesians 4:12–16), and bring glory to God (1 Peter 4:10–11). In Ephesians 4, interposed between the unity (vv. 1–6) and maturity (vv. 14–16) of the church, Paul highlights the teaching gifts that help grow, build up, stabilize, unite, equip, and mature the church (vv. 11–13).

K. T. Sim

By |2019-11-28T16:10:05-05:00November 30th, 2019|
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Hazardous Materials

Read: Isaiah 6:1-10 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 35-36; 2 Peter 1

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See, this [live coal] has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Isaiah 6:7

The sound of a siren increased to an ear-piercing level as an emergency vehicle sped by my car. Its flashing lights glared through my windshield, illuminating the words “hazardous materials” printed on the side of the truck. Later, I learned it had been racing to a science laboratory where a 400-gallon container of sulfuric acid had begun to leak. Emergency workers had to contain the substance immediately because of its ability to damage whatever it came in contact with.

As I thought about this news story, I wondered what would happen if sirens blared every time a harsh or critical word “leaked” out of my mouth? Sadly, it might become rather noisy around our house.

The prophet Isaiah shared this sense of awareness about his sin. When he saw God’s glory in a vision, he was overcome by his unworthiness. He recognized that he was “a man of unclean lips” living with people who shared the same problem (Isaiah 6:5). What happened next gives me hope. An angel touched his lips with a red-hot coal, explaining, “your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (v. 7).

We have moment-by-moment choices to make with our words—both written and spoken. Will they be “hazardous” material, or will we allow God’s glory to convict us and His grace to heal us so we can honor Him with everything we express?

Why do our words have such a powerful effect on others? How might God want to change your speech?

Dear God, help me to see how my words affect other people. Show me how to encourage them.

INSIGHT

The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet whose name means “Yahweh is salvation” during a time of almost constant clash with the kingdom of Assyria. Isaiah was the son of Amoz and was married to a woman called “the prophetess” (8:3). They had two sons—Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (7:3; 8:3). From the very first verse we know that Isaiah prophesied “during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah,” a period of possibly fifty years.

Alyson Kieda

By |2019-11-28T16:03:22-05:00November 29th, 2019|
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A Sincere Thank You

Read: Psalm 9:1-2, 7-10 | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 33-34;1 Peter 5

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I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

In preparation for Xavier’s first job interview, my husband, Alan, handed our son a pack of thank-you cards for him to send out after he met with prospective employers. He then pretended to be a hiring interviewer, using his decades of experience as a manager to ask Xavier questions. After the role-playing, our son tucked several copies of his resume into a folder. He smiled when Alan reminded him about the cards. “I know,” he said. “A sincere thank-you note will set me apart from all the other applicants.”

When the manager called to hire Xavier, he expressed gratitude for the first hand-written thank-you card he’d received in years.

Saying thanks makes a lasting impact. The psalmists’ heartfelt prayers and grateful worship were preserved in the book of Psalms. Though there are one hundred and fifty psalms, these two verses reflect a message of thankfulness: “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9:1–2).

We will never be able to finish expressing our gratitude for all God’s wonderful deeds. But we can start with a sincere thank you through our prayers. We can nurture a lifestyle of grateful worship, praising God and acknowledging all He’s done and all He promises He’ll do.

What would you like to thank God for on this day He’s made? How can writing down prayers of thanks help us cultivate a spirit of gratitude in all circumstances?

Generous and loving God, please help us acknowledge the countless and wonderful ways You work.

INSIGHT

Psalms 9 and 10 may have originally been a single acrostic poem in Hebrew in which alternating lines begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Unlike other laments (a prayer or poem of deep sorrow for the hardships and difficulties of life), these psalms begin with deep confidence and praise to God. Even in the midst of the trials, the author recognizes that God has done wonderful things and the proper response is to give thanks, spread the news of those deeds, and rejoice and sing praises to His name (9:1–2).

We see in Psalm 9 a lesson in perspective. Not only has God performed grand things like delivering His people from Egypt, sustaining them in the wilderness, and giving them the Promised Land, but His deeds are personal as well. God shows His goodness and unfolds His plan in both grand and personal ways.

J.R. Hudberg

By |2019-11-27T16:37:14-05:00November 28th, 2019|
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Greedy Grasping

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:4–8 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 30-32;1 Peter 4

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Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6

In the ancient fable The Boy and the Filberts (Nuts), a boy sticks his hand into a jar of nuts and grabs a great fistful. But his hand is so full that it gets stuck in the jar. Unwilling to lose even a little of his bounty, the boy begins to weep. Eventually, he’s counseled to let go of some of the nuts so the jar will let go of his hand. Greed can be a hard boss.

The wise teacher of Ecclesiastes illustrates this moral with a lesson on hands and what they say about us. He compared and contrasted the lazy with the greedy when he wrote: “Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (4:5–6). While the lazy procrastinate until they’re ruined, those who pursue wealth come to realize their efforts are “meaningless—a miserable business!” (v. 8).

According to the teacher, the desired state is to relax from the toil of greedy grasping in order to find contentment in what truly belongs to us. For that which is ours will always remain. As Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul” (Mark 8:36).

What are you driven to pursue and grasp? How can you apply the wise words of Ecclesiastes in order to find tranquility?

God, thank You for Your provision and faithful presence in my life. Help me to live in a contented way, exhibiting true gratefulness to You.

INSIGHT

The book of Ecclesiastes is properly placed amid the Wisdom books of the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs). This obscure book highlights the concerns of mankind from the beginning, with questions about God, earthly living and eternity, joy and sorrow, good and evil, death and dying, wisdom and folly. Ecclesiastes is like a twelve-chapter journal where the author records his musings and perspective on how life works. The writer is a realist (he doesn’t ignore the many complexities of life) and uses phrases that represent the author’s varied frustrations. The word meaningless is repeated thirty-five times, and the phrase chasing after the wind occurs nine times. But the writer is also a theist—he believes in God. He urges his readers to acknowledge and reverence their Maker. Why? “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (12:14)

Arthur Jackson

By |2019-11-27T16:23:21-05:00November 27th, 2019|
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He’s Got This

Read: 2 Peter 3:14–18 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 27–29; 1 Peter 3

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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Pastor Watson Jones remembers learning to ride a bike. His father was walking alongside when little Watson saw some girls sitting on a porch. “Daddy, I got this!” he said. He didn’t. He realized too late he hadn’t learned to balance without his father’s steadying grip. He wasn’t as grown up as he thought.

Our heavenly Father longs for us to grow up and “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). But spiritual maturity is different from natural maturity. Parents raise their children to become independent, to no longer need them. Our divine Father raises us to daily depend on Him more.

Peter begins his letter by promising “grace and peace . . . through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,” and he ends by urging us to “grow in” that same “grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18). Mature Christians never outgrow their need for Jesus.

Watson warns, “Some of us are busy slapping Jesus’s hands off the handlebars of our life.” As if we didn’t need His strong hands to hold us, to pick us up, and to hug us when we wobble and flop. We can’t grow beyond our dependence on Christ. We only grow by sinking our roots deeper in the grace and knowledge of Him.

Where do you feel your dependence on Jesus? How is that a sign of maturity?

Jesus, thank You for walking alongside me as I grow in my relationship with You.

INSIGHT

Peter wrote both of his letters (see 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 3:1) to Christians in “the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” (roughly modern Turkey). In his second letter, he warns the believers to be on guard against false teachers (3:17). To ensure they’re not easily persuaded, they must “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 18). To know Jesus intimately is the clarion call of true discipleship and the end goal of every believer (John 17:3; Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 2:2). Peter says we’ve received “everything we need for living a godly life . . . by coming to know him” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).

K. T. Sim

By |2019-11-22T12:21:26-05:00November 26th, 2019|
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God’s Special Treasure

Read: 1 Peter 2:4–10 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 24–26; 1 Peter 2

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But you are . . . God’s special possession. 1 Peter 2:9

Imagine a vast throne room. Seated on the throne is a great king. He’s surrounded by all manner of attendants, each on their best behavior. Now imagine a box that sits at the king’s feet. From time to time the king reaches down and runs his hands through the contents. And what’s in the box? Jewels, gold, and gemstones particular to the king’s tastes. This box holds the king’s treasures, a collection that brings him great joy. Can you see that image in your mind’s eye?

The Hebrew word for this treasure is segulah, and it means “special possession.” That word is found in such Old Testament Scriptures as Exodus 19:1-5, Deuteronomy 7:6, and Psalm 135:4, where it refers to the nation of Israel. But that same word picture shows up in the New Testament by way of the pen of Peter the apostle. He’s describing the “people of God,” those who “have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10), a collection now beyond the nation of Israel. In other words, he’s talking about those who believe in Jesus, both Jew and gentile. And he writes “But you are . . . God’s special possession” (v. 9).  

Imagine that! The great and powerful King of heaven considers you among His special treasures. He has rescued you from the grip of sin and death. He claims you as His own. The King’s voice says, “This one I love. This one is mine.”

Can you recall a time when someone genuinely called you “special”? What effect did it have on you? What does it mean for you to know that you’re precious to God?

High King of heaven, my identity is found entirely in You, and You call me Your special treasure. I know this isn’t because of anything I’ve done, but because of everything You are.

INSIGHT

When Peter speaks of Jesus and His disciples as being like living stones (1 Peter 2:4–6), he draws on words from the prophet Isaiah and Psalm 118. Using the language of a builder, Isaiah foresees a cornerstone God will lay in Jerusalem as a safe foundation for all who build on it (28:16). Psalm 118 praises the day when this cornerstone will be laid, describing it as a stone human builders rejected before God used it to show that His faithful love endures forever (vv. 22–24, 29). Peter is joined by the apostle Paul, who also refers to Jesus as the cornerstone of a temple made of the treasured lives of God’s own people (Ephesians 2:19–22). Together, these Old and New Testament texts give us a picture of a temple that comes alive in the people of God as they’re filled with the Spirit of Christ.

Mart DeHaan

By |2019-11-25T11:14:22-05:00November 25th, 2019|
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God Talk

Read: Deuteronomy 11:13–21 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1

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Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Deuteronomy 11:18

A study conducted by the Barna Group in 2018 found that most Americans don’t like to talk about God. Only seven percent of Americans say they talk about spiritual matters regularly—and practicing believers in Jesus in America aren’t that different. Only thirteen percent of regular churchgoers say they have a spiritual conversation about once a week.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that spiritual conversations are on the decline. Talking about God can be dangerous. Whether because of a polarized political climate, because disagreement might cause a rift in a relationship, or because a spiritual conversation might cause you to realize a change you need to make in your life—these can feel like high-stakes conversations.

But in the instructions given to God’s people, the Israelites, in the book of Deuteronomy, talking about God can be a normal, natural part of everyday life. God’s people were to memorize His words and to display them in places where they’d often be seen. The law said to talk about God’s instructions for life with your children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (11:19).

God calls us to conversation. Take a chance, rely on the Spirit, and try turning your small talk toward something deeper. God will bless our communities as we talk about His words and practice them.

What challenges have come to you as a result of spiritual conversations with friends? What blessings?

There’s so much about You, God, that can be shared with others in my life. Lead me as I interact with them.

To learn more about why the Bible endures, visit https://ourdailybreadfilms.org/film/the-bible-why-does-it-endure/.

INSIGHT

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than any other Old Testament book except the Psalms. When tempted in the wilderness, He rebuffed Satan three times with teachings from Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13). And when a teacher of the law asked Him which commandment was the greatest (Matthew 22:34–40), Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5. That passage is repeated here in 11:13, emphasizing its importance. If Israel obeyed God’s law by loving “the Lord [their] God and [serving] him with all [their] heart and with all [their] soul,” God’s blessing would follow.

Tim Gustafson

By |2019-11-20T12:17:59-05:00November 24th, 2019|
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The Approval of One

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1–4 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 20–21; James 5

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We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4

When the legendary composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) was young, a hunger for approval drove him toward success. Warren Wiersbe wrote of him: “When Verdi produced his first opera in Florence, the composer stood by himself in the shadows and kept his eye on the face of one man in the audience—the great Rossini. It mattered not to Verdi whether the people in the hall were cheering him or jeering him; all he wanted was a smile of approval from the master musician.”

Whose approval do we seek? A parent’s? A boss’s? A love interest’s? For Paul, there was but one answer. He wrote, “We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

What does it mean to seek God’s approval? At the very least, it involves two things: turning from the desire for the applause of others and allowing His Spirit to make us more like Christ—the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. As we yield to His perfect purposes in us and through us, we can anticipate a day when we will experience the smile of His approval—the approval of the One who matters most.

Whose approval do you find yourself seeking and why is their validation so important to you? How could God’s approval satisfy even more deeply?

Father, it’s far too easy to seek the applause of those around me and to desire their praise. Help me to lift my eyes to You, the One who knows me best and loves me most.
For further study, read Living an Authentic Christian Life at discoveryseries.org/hp111.

INSIGHT

On his second missionary journey (Acts 15:36–18:22), Paul wanted to preach the gospel in Asia Minor and Bithynia (modern western and northern Turkey), but God redirected him northwest into Europe via Troas through “a vision of a man of Macedonia” (16:6–12). Paul preached in Thessalonica (northern Greece), the second European city evangelized (after Philippi), for about a month (17:2). After starting a church there, he left because of persecution (vv. 5–10), but he was deeply concerned for the infant church. After trying unsuccessfully to return (1 Thessalonians 2:17–18), he sent Timothy to visit the church (3:1–5). Timothy reported that it was thriving—standing firm in Christ despite persecution (vv. 6–8)—but he also shared concerns about immoral behavior and erroneous beliefs concerning Christ’s return (4:1–18). In response, Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians to commend the church for being “a model to all the believers” and for their “faith in God” (1:7–8).

K. T. Sim

By |2019-11-20T12:11:29-05:00November 23rd, 2019|
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The Older Brother

Read: Luke 15:11–13; 17–24 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 18–19; James 4

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[They] muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2

Author Henri Nouwen recalls his visit to a museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he spent hours reflecting on Rembrandt’s portrayal of the prodigal son. As the day wore on, changes in the natural lighting from a nearby window left Nouwen with the impression that he was seeing as many different paintings as there were changes of light. Each seemed to reveal something else about a father’s love for his broken son.

Nouwen describes how, at about four o’clock, three figures in the painting appeared to “step forward.” One was the older son who resented his father’s willingness to roll out the red carpet for the homecoming of his younger brother, the prodigal. After all, hadn’t he squandered so much of the family fortune, causing them pain and embarrassment in the process? (Luke 15:28–30).

The other two figures reminded Nouwen of the religious leaders who were present as Jesus told His parable. They were the ones who muttered in the background about the sinners Jesus was attracting (vv. 1–2).

Nouwen saw himself in all of them—in the wasted life of his youngest son, in the condemning older brother and religious leaders, and in a Father’s heart that’s big enough for anyone and everyone.

What about us? Can we see ourselves anywhere in Rembrandt’s painting? In some way, every story Jesus told is about us.

How might you reflect again on the story Jesus told and on the Rembrandt painting? As the light changes, where do you find yourself?

Father, help me to see myself for how much You love me.

INSIGHT

Luke 15 is a parable with three distinct but related parts in which Jesus describes three lost things—a sheep, a coin, and a son. Each part ends with rejoicing over finding what was lost to show there will be rejoicing in heaven over “a sinner who repents” (vv. 7, 10, 32). Those listening were Pharisees and teachers who criticized Jesus for welcoming sinners (vv. 1–2). Through the older brother (vv. 25–31), Jesus pointed out the need of the Pharisees to repent. He doesn’t tell us whether the older son chose to attend his brother’s celebration. It’s almost as if He placed the Pharisees in the older brother’s shoes to show them they had a choice of whether they themselves would repent.

Julie Schwab

By |2019-11-20T12:06:35-05:00November 22nd, 2019|
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Beautifully Burdened

Read: Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 16–17; James 3

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My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

I awoke to pitch darkness. I hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes and my heart sensed that sleep wouldn’t return soon. A friend’s husband lay in the hospital, having received the dreaded news, “The cancer is back—in the brain and spine now.” My whole being hurt for my friends. What a heavy load! And yet, somehow my spirit was lifted through my sacred vigil of prayer. You might say I felt beautifully burdened for them. How could this be?

In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus promises rest for our weary souls. Strangely, His rest comes as we bend under His yoke and embrace His burden. He clarifies in verse 30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we allow Jesus to lift our burden from our backs and then tether ourselves to Jesus’s yoke, we become harnessed with Him, in step with Him and all He allows. When we bend under His burden, we share in His sufferings, which ultimately allows us to share in His comfort as well (2 Corinthians 1:5).

My concern for my friends was a heavy burden. Yet I felt grateful that God would allow me to carry them in prayer. Gradually I ebbed back to sleep and awoke—still beautifully burdened but now under the easy yoke and light load of walking with Jesus.

What are you carrying today? How will you give that burden to Jesus?

Dear Jesus, please take my heavy load and lay upon me Your beautiful burden for this world.

INSIGHT

Christ’s words offering rest to the weary (Matthew 11:28–29) seem to be connected to His discussion of oppression. In Judaism, the word yoke was often used as a metaphor for God’s law. A yoke was used to train an inexperienced ox by yoking it to an experienced one; in the same way, the law could function as a training guide. But the word yoke was also used to describe political rule, and rest to describe deliverance from oppressive rule. For example, in Isaiah 14 God promised to remove the Assyrian’s burdensome yoke and bring the land rest (14:7, 25).

Both the Roman Empire and religious teachers of Christ’s day (the scribes and Pharisees) used their authority in burdensome ways (see Matthew 23:4). So Jesus invited those worn and wearied by such burdens to live instead as subjects under His compassionate leadership in God’s life-giving kingdom.

Monica La Rose

By |2019-11-19T13:13:00-05:00November 21st, 2019|
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