2022-01-13
Psalm 78:4 NIV
A legacy is something that’s passed on from one person to another, and it can be good or bad. That’s why we should consider what we’re passing on. We might have used harsh words that stemmed from what was happening in our lives at the time; but now we’re able to see things more clearly, and feel ashamed of the hurtful words we said. James wrote, ‘Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires’ (James 1:19-20 NLT). Our words can do lasting damage, so we should care about what we’re saying. Paul wrote, ‘See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many’ (Hebrews 12:15 NIV). Maybe we’ve planted seeds that caused a root of bitterness to grow in someone’s heart.
If possible, we should make amends by seeking forgiveness and trying to set the record straight with those we’ve left hurt over a situation that we feel differently about now. It’s humbling, but we need to do it because we won’t feel right with God until we’re right with those He loves. Jesus said, ‘If you are offering your gift at the altar and…remember…your brother…has something against you…go and be reconciled…then come and offer your gift’ (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV).
Dr Dale Turner wrote: ‘It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them…A mistake is only an error in judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows weakness of character.’ When we’ve made a mistake, let’s do the right thing by making amends when we can.
Gen 28:1-30:24; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 74:1-11; Pro 2:6
2022-01-12
1 Peter 3:15 NCV
In 1 Peter 3, we read this: ‘Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, but answer in a gentle way and with respect’ (v.15-16 NCV). We can sometimes underestimate the importance of our own personal testimonies, but the reality is that they’re so valuable in sharing evidence of God. Our first-hand experience of God’s goodness could be the thing that someone connects with and encourages them to find out more about God. We don’t have to embellish our testimony or try to make it seem more exciting. All we need to do is truthfully lay out the facts and the experiences we had, then trust God for the rest.
We might think our story isn’t very dramatic and won’t have much of an impact; but God’s in everything, the big things and the small things of life. Our honesty in telling our story just as it happened, and even revealing our own doubts and explaining that there are some parts we don’t understand, can be just as powerful to our listener and open the door to a real, worthwhile conversation about God.
And we can even encourage ourselves with stories of what God’s done for us. When we look back and remember all the times He’s been good to us, the times He’s walked beside us, and the times He’s guided and sheltered us, we can grow our confidence and trust in Him when we’re beginning to have our own doubts. People might argue that the Bible isn’t inspired by God, or that Jesus didn’t perform miracles, and so on. But nobody can argue with the evidence of a life transformed because of our faith in Him.
Gen 25:19-27:46; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 71:17-24; Pro 2:3-5
2022-01-11
Romans 1:20 NLT
Do you ever have doubts about God, or wonder whether He exists at all? Even strong believers can have moments of doubt, and many of us will experience it too, if we haven’t already. We might feel ashamed of our areas of unbelief, or try to hide them from God, thinking that He’ll be angry with us. But when someone is honestly and sincerely questioning, He’ll patiently answer and soothe those doubts. We can see this in the story of the disciple Thomas, who doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. (You’ll find the story in John 20:19-29.) So when we’re doubting, what can we do? Here are some ideas:
1) Talk to God. The most important thing we can do is be honest about our doubts and tell God about them. This can be difficult if we’re struggling to believe He exists, but He’ll hear us and answer. Thomas didn’t actually express his doubts directly to Jesus, but Jesus still knew about them and showed up to help him at the right moment.
2) Look for signs of God’s work. ‘Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see clearly his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature’ (Romans 1:20 NLT). The delicate balance and complexity of nature and the world we live in shouts of God’s power and hand at work.
3) Listen to what others have to say. Hearing or reading about someone else’s experiences of God at work in their lives can give us confidence that He’s real and that He loves us. We might not be in the same situation, but every story we hear of Him coming through for other people adds to the evidence for God and encourages us to trust in Him.
Gen 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 71:1-16; Pro 2:1-2
2022-01-10
Hebrews 3:4 NCV
Take a moment to think about the complexity of the human body, every feature, every organ, every system working together. Could something like that really bring itself into being from nothing? Given enough time, could complex systems like those in our bodies be built by chance through a series of random, unguided changes? The Bible is clear on how everything was made: ‘Every house is built by someone, but the builder of everything is God himself’ (v.4 NCV). And that means God built each one of us, too.
Dr Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project, and also a believer, described exploring nature as ‘a way of getting a glimpse of God’s mind,’ and said, ‘All truth is God’s truth, and therefore God can hardly be threatened by scientific discoveries.’ Albert Einstein, one of the world’s greatest scientists, said, ‘The deeper one penetrates into nature’s secrets, the greater becomes one’s respect for God.’ And Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘The most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.’
The more closely we look at our world (and beyond it), the more we realise how complicated it all is. Science often seems to be opposed to God, but we can try to see scientific discoveries as ways of revealing how marvellous a designer and builder God really is. It’s amazing to think that we’re not only intricately made, but also uniquely created with our own personalities, skills, looks, likes and dislikes. Let’s celebrate the fact that we’re individuals, made by God for a unique purpose, and let’s praise Him for the diversity and variety He’s created.
Gen 20-23; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 46; Pro 1:32-33
2022-01-09
Acts 14:17 NLT
There’s a joke about some scientists who are arguing with God: ‘We can do transplants, clone cells, save lives, and thousands of other miraculous things. We don’t need You anymore.’ God listens patiently, then says, ‘How about this: if you can make a human, the same way I made Adam, then I’ll leave you alone.’ The scientists agree and start scooping up handfuls of dirt. But God stops them: ‘No, no. Get your own dirt.’
That’s only a joke, but a few years ago, scientists actually managed to make a very simple living cell. They copied bacteria from a goat intestine, looked at each of its genes, and turned them off one at a time. If the cell died, they determined that gene was essential to life. Eventually, they stripped it down to just 473 genes. But here’s where it gets interesting. They know the cell is alive, but they don’t know how. Nearly one third of the genes have no known purpose, but without them, the cell dies. And just like in the joke, the scientists had to start with something God had already created.
There are so many things we don’t know the answers to. God may reveal the answers to us at some point, and there may also be some things He’ll keep to Himself. We might think a single cell is quite a simple thing, but when we look at it closely, it’s so much more complex than we realise. And it’s the same with all of creation. The beauty and complexity of it is beyond anything we could invent for ourselves. The Bible says, ‘He never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness’ (v.17 NLT). We can see God’s hand everywhere, and we’re so blessed to be able to have a personal relationship with Him.
1 Sam 3:1-11; Acts 9:1-9
2022-01-08
Matthew 22:37 NLT
When a lawyer asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He replied that the lawyer must love God, others, and himself (see v.37-39 NLT). Notice that He said, ‘You must love’ (emphasis added). This tells us a lot about the true nature and behaviour of love. If love can be commanded, then it can’t be only emotional, or a matter of feelings. Genuine love is much more than feelings; it’s a matter of will. That’s why Jesus could command us to express it. It’s a commandment followed by a commitment. Although feelings are important, real love functions regardless of how we feel.
In his book The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn wrote: ‘I learned a long time ago that liking people and loving them are different. Liking someone is an emotional response. Unlike love, “like” is a feeling. The tough part is that we can’t control our emotions. We can control how we choose to express those emotions but not the feelings themselves. A healthy person can choose to be angry and still choose to act lovingly…A feeling is a reaction. Maybe that’s one reason Jesus didn’t say, “Like your enemies.” He knew that liking or not liking someone was not always in our immediate control…I have learned that love is, among other things, an action. I can love someone I don’t necessarily like. I can do something or act towards that person in a certain way because I know it is the right thing to do even if I don’t feel warm and fuzzy doing it.’
And here’s the interesting thing: when we act with love towards another person, our emotions begin to line up with our actions. Why not try it!
Gen 17-19; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 42:6-11; Pro 1:28-31
