SHCOC Daily Bible Reading » faith

Day 345: Daniel 1:8-21 — “What can I get out of this?”

Bob Mathews — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:16:55 +0000

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

That verse isn’t in today’s reading, but it very much applies to the story of these four young Judahites living in a strange land. Before they were carried off as captives to Babylon, Daniel and his three friends had made up their minds to serve God. There was no question about serving and worshiping foreign men or their gods. They knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and although they had no idea what to expect under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar or his successors, they knew they would serve the LORD.

So, when presented with food and wine from the king’s table, they had no decision to make. When following God, life isn’t about little daily decisions that steer people off the narrow road. For those who have already made that one huge, important decision to be God’s servant, there’s no decision at all when faced with the choice of being someone else’s (or something else’s) servant. That’s not to say it’s easy, but it’s easier having already decided that no matter what, you’ll follow God.

Thus it was that when offered the king’s food and drink, Daniel and his friends refused. I can think of at least three reasons why they might have seen this as against the will of God:

The meat and wine were likely used in pagan worship and offered to idols.
The meat was most probably not prepared in accordance with God’s law.
The young men wanted to continue their vegetarian diet they were accustomed to.

Let’s dismiss #3 right off the bat. There’s no reason to assume they were vegetarians, and in fact there’s every reason to believe they were not. (There was plenty of meat in a Jewish diet.) I think #2 alone would have been enough for them to refuse, but it’s my opinion that it’s reason #1 that was their primary reason for refusal.

I know what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about eating meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8), but that was written to Jewish Christians, and these guys were just plain Jews. I don’t find any prohibition in the Old Testament from eating such meat. However, it was a compromise. God instructed the Israelites not to “be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.” (Exodus 34:15)

I’d like to suggest two lessons we can learn from this early glimpse at these 4 young men:

The first step for them toward solving their problem is one I’ve already mentioned: They gave themselves wholly to the LORD. Daniel’s heart belonged to the LORD, as did the hearts of his friends (Daniel 1:8). “A heart that loves the Lord, trusts the Lord, and therefore obeys the Lord has no difficulty making the right choices and trusting God to take care of the consequences.” (Warren Wiersbe)
They were gracious to those in authority. They knew what they should do — what they were going to do — but they weren’t defiant. They had respect for the king, no matter how much they disagreed with him. Daniel and the others saw this as an opportunity to prove God and glorify His name.

When it comes to facing our problems, the important question isn’t How can I get out of this?, but rather What can I get out of this? (James 1:2)

Day 334: Ezekiel 24:15-26:21; James 3, 5 — When Words Collide

Matt Lee — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:00:42 +0000

There is so much to talk about today. I’d like to reference Matt Wilson’s post from Sunday for a few reasons. If you have not read it, please stop now and go read it. It’s a beautiful remembrance of a beloved family member. Now imagine if he and his family were commanded not to show any sign of sorrow at her passing. It seems that is just what God asked of Ezekiel at the passing of his wife (Ezekiel 24:15-18). It’s a strange object lesson, but no stranger than some of the others God passed along through his prophets over the years.

In addition, since Matt did not cover James 3 that day I’d like to do so now. It is a powerful passage and one of my favorite. Simple, and yet extremely difficult. James is one of my favorite letters because of its simple practicality for everyday Christian living. Paul sometimes puts my mind in a twist, but James gets right to the everyday issues that I face as a Christian. James starts out by admonishing those of us in leadership (specifically teachers) to be extra careful especially in what we say (or write on a blog I suppose). The ability to keep my tongue in check is a skill I have not yet mastered and James sheds some light on just why that is. If I can control my tongue, I stand a good chance of keeping my whole body in check. Already this week in a single day I have had the opportunity to speak out harshly on two different occasions. Thankfully, in both cases I refrained from speaking immediately. In one case, others were able to say with grace and tact what I would have said with anger and spite. In another instance, I was able to think through my words with prayer and deliver a measured response. Now that I’ve used up my quota of patience and control for the week I would advise everyone to steer clear or you may receive a tongue lashing.

Finally, I’d like to consider James 5. James starts out by slamming the rich that will be put in their place because of their uncompassionate treatment of others. The words are a striking parallel to the condemnation of Tyre in Ezekiel 26. Go read it. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction like I am, it will remind you of many of the battle sequences throughout the genre (such as the Battle of Palennor Fields in Tolkien’s The Return of the King). God is very detailed in what he’s about to do to them. Our treatment of those who are suffering and downtrodden is extremely important to God apparently. Who would have thunk it?!? James continues by encouraging the Christians to patience in their sufferings.

Then we come to a passage that has long stumped me in trying to discern its meaning. I like to take the words of the Bible at face value, and yet there seems to be something missing in my understanding here. What does James mean when he writes:

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

I have heard different interpretations across the entire spectrum, but nothing seems to fully explain what will actually happen when I faithfully pray over someone (being the righteous person that I am). The tie in between physical and spiritual health is reminiscent of Jesus’ own words when the lame man was lowered through the roof and Jesus forgave him then healed him. Whatever the case, there is the aspect of faith when praying, confession of sins to each other, and praying for each other. Maybe I don’t need to worry about the results and just practice the process more and leave the hard part up to God.

“Who is wise and understanding among you?” Not I.

Day 314: Jeremiah 32:6-33:26 — Looking Forward

Scott Dutton — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:39:53 +0000

Jeremiah was buying property in a city that was about to be overrun by the enemy. Normally this would have been an act of complete craziness. Why buy real estate in a city that is being taken away from you? Has Jeremiah lost his mind or is he getting ready to commit treason?

Treason, no! Jeremiah’s entire life as a prophet revolved around trying to get a people who had done just that against God. They had spent years turning away from God and supporting instead pagan idols and deities.

Lost his mind? No, Jeremiah is preaching an action sermon. He is telling the people, yes, you are going into captivity and it appears as if all is lost, but God will eventually bring the nation back. He, through this written word, is still preaching to us.

We live in a world where so many have given up hope. They have decided God is not real or just doesn’t care about us any longer. So they ridicule us about our fairy-tale faith. Truth of the matter is; God is still faithful. He will take us home to be with Him for all eternity.

Jeremiah trusted in God to preserve his act of faith; he was not disappointed and neither will we be.

Day 262: 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 — Keep it Simple

Matt Wilson — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 21:27:42 +0000

I’m a meat and potatoes kinda guy both literally and figuratively. Is that shocking? Probably not. I try to take most of the things in my life and boil it down to its simplest form and then go from there. It just seems that I work best in that type of thinking.

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, Paul is going to break our faith down to its simplest form. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 simplifies the basis of our faith. You either believe that Jesus Christ was crucified and then resurrected or you don’t. Simple as that. If you don’t believe that Christ defeated death, your faith is futile. If Christ didn’t defeat death, your Sunday mornings would be better spent playing golf.

Yet, I do believe with all of my heart. I stood in the water with my Dad and he asked me if I believe. I said I did and he dipped me below in the cold water and I was baptized because of that faith. Remember the reason that you stepped into the water that day…it is because you believed.

May God bless you and keep you this week!

Matt

Day 247: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 — God’s secret wisdom

Bob Mathews — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:00:38 +0000

^1:25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength…^2:14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

There are a lot of things I don’t understand about God and the way He works. I don’t understand how God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart¹” (Exodus 7:3-13, and others). I don’t understand how God “sends a powerful delusion” to “those who are perishing” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). We pray for God to be with us when we travel, and to grant us a safe trip. I believe He answers those prayers, but I don’t understand how He does it. Right now, many of us are praying that God will send us a minister to work with our congregation and help us grow, to His glory, and we are praying the He send a Christian couple to work at a nearby Christian children’s home as relief house parents. I have faith that God will honor those requests, but I don’t have a clue how He’ll do it.

You know what else I don’t understand? I don’t understand the kind of love that redeemed me from the pit and offered me the hope of eternal salvation — but I believe it. That’s all we’re asked to do. That’s all God has ever required from His people — a living, active, obedient faith that trusts in His grace to provide.

Do you have that kind of faith?

For a nicely-written, documented-by-scripture article on this subject, see Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?, by Kyle Butt and Dave Miller.

Day 244: Psalm 79 — Always Leaning On Him

Scott Dutton — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:08 +0000

What a journey life is. It is full of emotions both good and bad. One day we can be riding the crest of the wave and the next be in the depth of despair. Is it purely externals that determine where we are emotionally? Do we have an active part in our lot in life?

I believe we do. Often we go about our daily life with no thought of God. It is not until something goes wrong that we think of Him. This is the problem of the ages. How many times did Israel abandon God’s ways only to suffer for their actions? Then to plead with God for forgiveness (Psa 79). Warren Wiersbe in his book “Be Worshipful” writes the following:

As the kingdom of Judah declined, their kings and leaders became less and less devoted to the Lord. There were a few godly kings, such as Asa, Josiah, Joash, and Hezekiah, but foreign alliances, idolatry, and unbelief combined to weaken the kingdom and ripen it for judgment. The sins of the fathers accumulated until God could hold back His wrath no longer (Gen. 15:16; Matt. 23:32-33; 1 Thess. 2:13-16). We are guilty before God for only our own sins (Deut. 24:16; Jer. 31:29-30; Ezekiel 18), but we may suffer because of the sins of our ancestors (Ex. 20:5; Ex. 34:7; 2 Kings 17:7ff; 2 Kings 23:26-27; 2 Kings 24:3-4; Lam. 5:7; Dan. 9:4-14).

“But we may suffer because of the sins of our ancestors.” We live in a country that is quickly amassing sins before almighty God. Our response is “I didn’t have anything to do with those decisions.” But as a nation we will all have to bear the ultimate consequence of those sins in this life. So there is a reason to cry out, there is a reason to take a stand for God. There is a reason to pray that God will turn us back before we lie in ruins before the world as Israel did.

I can start with myself. I can place God in the forefront of my life. Maybe my wife and children will see, accept, and take this example and share it with others. Then one by one this nation will turn back to God.

Day 226: Psalm 14 — On being a fool

Bob Mathews — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:47:34 +0000

The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1

David’s intent isn’t to provide a definition of who is a fool, but a thousand years later, give or take, the apostle Paul does tend to agree (Romans 1:18-23). Wait, I know I saw a few stones around her somewhere — oh, there they are!

All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Psalm 14:3

Now that doesn’t sound good. There’s just something about that word all that really doesn’t leave room for exclusion. Even so, the goal here is not to show that all on earth are fools, nor to imply that there isn’t an ounce of good in anyone. Taken as a whole, the Psalm is simply a characterization of the wicked. Instead of looking at verse 3 as blanket condemnation on everyone as corrupt and vile and foolish, a better conclusion is that of Paul. Paul quoted this Psalm in Romans chapter 3, and concluded simply that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Often we stop there in Romans chapter 3, but the next verse explains that we are justified freely by the grace of God (Romans 3:24).

So just as Psalm 14 is a characterization of the wicked, Psalm 15 is a characterization of the righteous. Just as someone who has found no need in his heart for God is a fool, those who have made room in their heart for God are the righteous. Not through our own righteous deeds, but through the sacrificial atonement of Christ (Isaiah 64:4-9, Titus 3:3-7). In many ways, these 2 Psalms fit very nicely with Romans chapter 3.

Thank you Jesus, for not leaving me to be the fool, but by redeeming me with Your blood, you have cleansed me and made me righteous — not through my own goodness, but through your own perfect sacrifice. May I live each day to glorify Your name and the name of the One Who sent You.

Day 205: Nehemiah 13:1-31 — Blessing or curse?

Bob Mathews — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:00:37 +0000

[the Moabites] had hired Balaam to call a curse down on [the Israelites]. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) Nehemiah 13:2

There are so many lessons in the book of Nehemiah, and the closing chapter is loaded with them. You’re no doubt familiar with the story of Balaam; if you need to jog your memory, it’s in Numbers 22-24. The king of Moab, feeling threatened by the Israelites, hired Balaam to call down a curse on his “enemy”. Instead, Balaam followed God’s instructions and blessed His people instead (Numbers 23:11-12).

In this simple verse, Nehemiah reminds us that sometimes what is intended by others to work against us, God, who is all-powerful, can work for us. Isn’t that what the Apostle Paul reminds us of? This is a verse we all know by heart and quote often:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The way many of us learned that verse was that “all things work together for good” (KJV), as if magically “all things” just happen to “work together for good”, rather than the active “God works for the good”. I believe that’s exactly what Nehemiah is reminding us of — that God is active in the lives of His people. Whatever circumstances you’re dealt by your job, your friends, your health, whatever — God can turn bad into good, cursing into blessing.

What’s your “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)? Is God’s grace sufficient? When you look at “life’s lemons”, do you see curses thrown at you by circumstances, or do you see opportunity for God to work blessings through you?

Holy Father, forgive us for the times when in our selfish stubbornness, we fail to surrender our lives to You to allow You to work through us. May today be Your day; may our lives be instruments of Your blessing to others we meet. We offer our lives to You, so that You can turn curse into blessing, in the name of our precious Savior Jesus.

Day 184: Acts 3:12-4:4 — Many who heard the message believed

Bob Mathews — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 10:00:33 +0000

But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. Acts 4:4

It’s not about you.

Have you ever made the most eloquent argument, based on Scripture, driving home all the finer points only to have your “mark” shrug and walk away? “I planted the seed.”

How about just striking up what started out to be a normal, casual conversation but quickly turned to matters of faith — and you don’t remember how it got there? “Apollos watered it.”

It’s about God.

Or have you seen someone study with a friend, then study with a different friend, then days later — perhaps weeks or months or even years — you find out from a brother in another city that this person has given her life to Christ, being baptized in His name, and is now living for Him? “But God made it grow.”

So neither he who plants is nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.1 Corinthians 3:6-7

In Acts chapter 3, Peter got the chance to heal a man who had been crippled from birth (Acts 3:1-10), and beginning with verse 11, the Rock gets a chance to address the crowd with the Gospel message. This is the man who just days ago was speaking in languages unknown to him, and 3,000 were baptized — the same guy who Jesus said He would use to build His church. So if there’s any man on earth short of Jesus Christ Himself who could deliver a message powerful enough to persuade everyone within earshot, certainly it would be Simon Peter.

But not all believed. We’re told “many” believed; we’re not told “all” believed. Indeed, the Word of God is living and active; it is sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), but we’re called merely to plant and water the seed, which is what Peter did the day he healed the crippled beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful. Not even Peter was called to make the seed grow and produce fruit of the Spirit. Only God can do that.

That’s all we’re called to do — be the best light we can be (Matthew 5:16), produce fruit in keeping with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). So the next time you don’t see immediate growth from a seed you just watered, remember — it’s not about you. And be thankful to the One it is about. Be patient and wait upon the Lord. (Isaiah 40:31)

Day 172: 1 Chronicles 9:1-11:3; John 15:18-16:15 — “…to keep you from falling away.”

Powell Pendergraft — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:50:18 +0000

The opening lines of 1 Chron. 9:1 and the end of chapter 10 remind the Jews returning from exile that unfaithfulness, breach of faith–treachery against God and the covenant–resulted in the exile of Judah to Babylon, and was the end of Saul’s one king dynasty. After all of the time and effort to list the people of God, to keep track and lose none of them, the writer reveals an irony of the relationship of God and man: He is always finding us to bless and preserve us. We are always fighting His wisdom and blessing, running away to descend to a pit of despair from which we cry out to Him, and it all starts again. The bright spot for the chronicler is David, the son of Jesse. He begins the eternal dynasty. What a wonderful encouragement to those reading and listening. They fell, but do not have to stay down. They left God but He never left them. He brought them back for a greater, wonderful purpose. Now comes their time to choose. What will they do? Will they be faithful? Will they endure? They try to do it on their own, eventually leaving God in a way less obvious but just as destructive. They will not consult the witches as Saul, yet neither will they consult their God, rather they will murder Him.

Jesus, son of David, encourages His small band that even though He must leave and the world will hate them, they will not be left alone. Another irony ensues here. This time it seems that God is leaving, an apparent abandonment. Worse yet, He says that they will be hated, even pursued. Yet Jesus must leave so that the great, pervasive, and perhaps even closer presence of God in His Spirit will come to them. What will they do? Will they be faithful? Will they endure? They do.

Paul reminds us that the things which were written in the past were written for our learning, to help us stay strong, to help us endure, Rom. 15:4. The chronicler tells the returning exiles, and tells us, we have a great and magnificent heritage as the people of God. John tells his readers, during a time of spiritual warfare, that they are not alone–although it may seem that way. They have part in the great plan and work of God to redeem the world of men, to enter a Promised Land greater than all. Today we will choose. What will we do? Will we be faithful? Will we endure?

Prayer: Holy, Righteous Father, in Jesus’ name we kneel to You. In this day we choose faith and trust in You. Help us by Your Spirit to live with confidence in Your great plan, and promises, to know Your presence, and to do Your will.