SHCOC Daily Bible Reading » Trust

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 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 292: Isaiah 37:1-38:22; Philippians 2:1-30 — The Voices in my head told me…

Matt Lee — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:33:54 +0000

What do you do when everyone around you tells you “Give up, it’s hopeless”? Even worse, what do you do when the voice(s) inside your head start to tell you to give up? The tell me that I’m not good enough, smart enough, and people do not like me (apologies to Stuart Smalley). That voice is fear and it comes from the devil.

King Hezekiah heard those voices in Isaiah 37. They came in the form of letters and messages from his enemies promising to crush him and denying him the help of God. Hezekiah’s example is one that we should all follow. For a while he too despaired his fate. But in his despair, he turned to the one whose voice always speaks truth. The voice spreading fear rarely speaks truth especially when it tells us that God does not care for us and is far off.

“But the voice of truth, tells me a different story. The voice of truth says ‘Do not be afraid!’ The voice of truth says “This is for my glory!’”

These lyrics are from one of my favorite songs “The Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns. This song has been such an encouragement to me when my own self talk stops me in my tracks. My fear doesn’t make me do the wrong things, it prevents me from doing the right things. Those things that will, as Paul writes in Philippians 2:15, enable me to “shine like stars in the universe.” I am not to be timid or fearful or apathetic. I am to shine brightly. And when the dark clouds start to gather around me, I must do as Hezekiah did and turn to the One who can part the clouds and fill me with His light.

Day 209: Job 4:1-4 — Sometimes we need to quit asking and trust!

Scott Dutton — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:47:30 +0000

Job is a book filled with misunderstanding and bad theology. Yet in the middle of all that these men do not understand are bits of wisdom that if separated out ring true for today’s Christians. Job chapter four is the first of the speeches Job’s friends will make. I call them friends because they have made a long journey to be with him and they have sat with him for the proper period of mourning.

From this point their assessment of Job’s situation is skewed. But today we want to focus on just the first five verses of Job 4. Eliphaz just touches on something that happens with all too much frequency today. That is — how do we react when trouble visits us?

We are able to speak words of courage to others when it affects their lives but how do we react when it visits us personally? I had to struggle with these thoughts yesterday. Over the last eighteen months my wife and I have both lost our mothers. Then yesterday a single phone call shook my world again. My sister called to tell me my younger brother was in the hospital on a ventilator and the doctor said it could go either way.

My brother is still with us this morning, and he is still on the edge. But my problem yesterday was in asking God how much was enough. As I sat thinking about all my family has endured over the last few months, I suddenly realized it was time for me to let it go and trust in God. Stop worrying about the impact this would have on me and focus on how to use it to reach those who have little hope of eternity.

Will I trust in God only when it is good news or will I cling to Him in all things, trusting that He is bringing me to a better place? He is in control; not me. I’m praying for my brother and his family but I’m confident that whatever the outcome, God knows exactly what He is doing.

No related posts.

Day 188: 2 Chronicles 20:24-23:15 — The Battle That Wasn’t

Scott Dutton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:00:29 +0000

Start reading in 2 Chronicles 20:24 and you will find the results of a battle the Nation won without fighting. They won by trusting. Led by their King, Jehoshaphat, the nation went to the battle as instructed by God. But there was no fight, at least for them. All they had to do was pick up the spoils of war.

God had promised that He would fight this battle and He did. The enemy was totally defeated, at least the earthly, physical enemy. Jehoshaphat is highly praised for his response and leadership of the people following this victory of God. Yet, the record indicates there was something lacking on the part of the people and their king.

The high places were not removed. This good king did not make the people remove them. This people who were protected and blessed by God did not respond to his goodness. The king would make a grave error by making an alliance with the king of Israel (the northern kingdom). The scriptures call it a “wicked” act.

Why can man not see the blessings of God and follow Him for a lifetime? God will fight the battles if we will let Him and He will bless us. He will not force us to be faithful but does provide the strength if we will just reach out and grab hold of it. Read and take to heart Revelation 2:10

Day 138: Luke 23:26-32 — Suffering on the Cross

Randy Consford — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:00:56 +0000

I grew up for a few years in East Austin. All my friends in the neighborhood were either African American or Hispanic. It was a tough neighborhood and we were all poor and struggling. The only way for me to survive was to act tough and crazy, so I was called the “crazy white boy.” One of my best friends was African American and we were at a park playing one day. A group of boys decided that this “crazy white boy” needed to be beat up. I stood with my friend ready to fight until I saw that he turned on me and sided with the group. I was disappointed and hurt. It seemed that at every corner of my young life was meant to be alone.

I have experienced more profound tragedies in my life with the loss of family and friends. No doubt so have you. There was a time in my Christian life that I wondered why God had allowed my sufferings. I have seen others suffer and was lost for words. Yet, as I continue to grow in Christ I have found that part of our Christian message is that God has not turned away from our plight nor does He miraculously deliver us from all of our sufferings. In Luke 23:26-32, Jesus is led away to the cross, Simon of Cyrene is made to carry the cross, women mourned, Jesus laments for the Daughters of Jerusalem and their children. God did not prevent Jesus from suffering, nor did He deliver Him from it. Jesus not only suffers on the cross, but here in our text He knows He could not stop the judgment that Israel and humanity had caused. The suffering of the innocent—the death of Jesus and the suffering of the women and the children—is an indictment of the institutions and means of human cruelty and a call to turn from our sinful inclinations and accept the cross and God’s mercy as the answer. Otherwise, “if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Luke 23:31).

Day 131: Luke 21:5-19 — Don’t be Fooled!

Randy Consford — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:17:46 +0000

The other day, I was teaching a class with some teens. They had a fascination about the end of times. It seems they have experienced the teachings of the pseudo-religious prophets that manifest themselves in contemporary entertainment genres. The force of Jesus’ warning in Luke 21:7-11 is that disciples of Christ should not be misled by the false prophets who will come claiming authority and saying that the time is near. Such claims are the words of charlatans who prey upon the innocent. Nevertheless, the dangers and hardships that we experience are real. Truth is tested and faith is confirmed not in idle speculation but in the crucible of hard times. In Luke 21:5-19 Jesus foretells the coming destruction of the temple with a warning of the wars, earthquakes, famines, and plagues that will come and a warning to the disciples of the persecutions they must endure. We need to distinguish biblical teachings and sound biblical interpretation from the sensational claims carried by the media and popular religious best-sellers. We are not waiting for a call to ministry, we already have a call to disregard the false prophets; do not be led astray, and do not go after them (Luke 21:8). Those who wish to find a more energetic religious experience, therefore, should look not for signs of the future but for signals that it is time to live by Jesus’ call for obedience and faithfulness here and now.

Day 109: Judges 6:36-8:35; Luke 10:17-37 — The battle belongs to the Lord

Powell Pendergraft — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:53:26 +0000

Monday, ugh. Hard day, long day. Hard problems to work out. Unhappy people to “face” with bad news. Perhaps a little good news to pass on. So here I stand/sit/walk/run/ride/drive to the place/office/field/”cloud”–if you work in the internet. Shaking my head I pick up my mouse/pen/hammer/keyboard/rake/implement of daily battle against the chaos before me. Who will help me, of the thousands that stand ready to work out the difficulties of the day? Anyone want to go home, take the day off? 22,000 go home. What do I do now? and the Lord says He wants only 300 to work with me against thousands upon thousands? And we will use rams’ horns, not as weapons but as trumpets? and lamps, not to set fire to the enemy camp but to light up the rim of the hills?

A mixture of myself and Gideon, some days. Show me the fleece, again, please? Let me hear the dream told once more about how I win, please? Then the impossible. “We” win. The battle belongs to the Lord.

Meanwhile, some some 1200 years in the future, a Galilean carpenter takes a force of 70 simple folk and goes about to defeat the evil, ignorance, hurts, and chaos of man. They come away from the battle, “Even the demons are subject to us!” I know some demons I would like to get rid of. Then Jesus blesses them. They the few, the simple, the dedicated, have done wonders unimaginable to themselves. The battle belongs to the Lord.

Ah, then turning again to another battle. “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” What great unimaginable task must I do to walk in the blissful heavenlies with the great, faithful, immortals of all time and eternity? Defeat the Midianites with a lamp and trumpet? Take the power of heaven to cast out demons?

“What is written in the law? How does it read to you?” Doctrine doctrine doctrine . . . read read read. So droll, so dry, so not glorious! “Do this and you shall live.” Luke 10:25-28. Who is my neighbor? this person to love and help and treat with respect and dignity? “Whomever you meet that needs what you can supply.” What an oddity, in helping others I help myself? Jesus asks such strange things of me, at times.

Raging, inglorious battle all around, weapons drawn, hearts pounding, rending, people saved or destroyed. Where? In my life. In my day. In the paths I take today. How do I win? Who is the enemy? Sometimes the enemy is I, or more colloquially, it is me. How do I fight me? How do I win the day? Often I know the answer, more often than I like to admit. Jesus says, “Do this and you shall live.” The battle belongs to the Lord.

Question: Who will win today?

Day 67: Numbers 14:13-15:31; Mark 8:27-9:13 — Be careful what you wish for.

Powell Pendergraft — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:07:26 +0000

Israel decided to listen to the naysayers, not to the Yahweh. “Who says we should be able to win? We cannot take this by ourselves.” How true. So God fulfilled their worst nightmare, fulfilled their own, self imposed, self condemning limitations. “You will wander forty years. Those who had no confidence in me shall not reach the blessing at all.”

Yet two men saw the reality, that this land was a gift, go out and receive the blessing. And so God fulfilled their confident vision and loyalty to Yahweh. Joshua led them, took the land. Caleb, because he had a different spirit and followed fully was promised, and received the blessing.

Purposefully the Creator told Israel His name was Yahweh, for some Hebrew speakers a verb that essentially means, “He will cause it to come about.” Now they learn, some painfully, some blessed, in experiencing the power of their faith on the one hand and others their distrust on the other: God made their dreams, and nightmares, come true.

Jesus turns the tables. “Who do you think that I am.” Peter says much more than he can fathom, but he will learn later. “You are the Christ.” On the heels of his great answer and statement of confidence, Peter hears, perhaps, some deflating news: It’s gonna cost you, everything. But then, as if to bolster their confidence to empower them for the next step, they witness that wonderful transfiguring, that divine meeting of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. They hear that tremendous voice of the Father, “This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him.” The Creator begins to fulfill their clearing view and confident expectations. This would not play out the way they thought it would in the beginning, but later it would be better than they could have imagined.

When you encounter God each day, what do you expect? Our confidence in Him and the resurrected Lord Jesus will bring blessing and power for living, and promise of life to come. To expect anything else, as a result of lack of faith, well, that may be fulfilled,too. Be careful of what you ask for.

Day 66: Mark 8:10-26

Matt Wilson — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:05:00 +0000

“How many times do I have to tell you before it sinks in?!” For a guy that was subject to be very hard-headed, I’ve heard that phrase many times in my life. Now that I have kids of my own, I understand exactly why people say this phrase. My own dear, sweet children sometimes favor their Daddy and it is exasperating to tell someone, show someone, plead with someone over and over to get your point across.

Mark 8:14-21 is an example of this frustration. Jesus is trying to teach and his followers are still concerned with trivial, physical things. The group is concerned because they forgot to bring along enough bread. Jesus hears their conversation and becomes frustrated with them. Why? Because they aren’t listening. They don’t see. More importantly, they don’t trust. A very short time ago, Jesus had fed thousands with just a few loaves of bread and they have already forgotten. It’s so easy for me to say, “They just saw this! How can they forget so quickly? Jesus is trying to get them to focus on the spiritual and they can’t get past the physical!”

And yet, I doubt him. I worry. I concern myself with trivial matters around me. I’ve see God’s power in everything around me. I’ve seen his work in others around me. May God forgive me for my lack of understanding and strength.

No related posts.