DailyLeadership: Do you have a “servant-leadership” mindset? (159-5)

Do you have a “servant-leadership” mindset? (159-5)

Written by Barry-Werner on January 28th, 2011. Posted in Attitude, Fairness, Humility, Jeremiah, Leadership Principles, Old Testament, Personal Development, Servant Leadership.

Godly leaders do not use their power for personal gain at the expense of those being led. Read Jeremiah 5:26-31.

More often than not, leadership skills are used for personal gain and career advancement rather than in service to others. Jeremiah addresses this issue and indicates God’s anger toward the leaders in Judah that had “grown fat and sleek” by using deceit and whose evil deeds seemed to have no limit. They had perverted the legal system and the powerless were stripped of what little they had. God had very strong words for these leaders when He said, “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this.” Good words for today’s leaders whether they lead in a family or lead our nation would be, “Woe to the leader who uses power for personal gain at the expense of those being led.”

At some point in the future every knee will bow at the name of Jesus who left heaven and came to earth in the form of a servant leader. Leaders who think Jesus’ standard for evaluating their use of the gifts He gave them is different than the standard He established while He was on earth should re-think their position. A Biblical view of servant leadership makes evident that the service we render to others is really a measure of the service we render to God.

Wise Christian leaders understand Christ Himself is the model of the servant leadership mindset, and He commands His followers to imitate His service. In John 13:1-17 when Christ washed the feet of His disciples He was giving them a visual parable of the use of power in God’s kingdom. When He returned to the table Jesus explained what He had just done by saying, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:15-17).

In Matthew 10:39 Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” How do you relate this truth to the issue of servant leadership? The manner in which a leader uses their power will indicate the quality of their leadership in His final evaluation of their stewardship.

Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

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ExperienceGodDayByDay: God Is Looking for Intercessors

God Is Looking for Intercessors

Daily Devotional for Friday, January 28th, 2011

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30)

God looks for those whose hearts are prepared to_be intercessors before Him. Intercessors have hearts in tune with God's heart. They are so acutely aware of what is at stake, for their land, that they will stay before God as long as necessary in order to obtain God's answer. That is why you do not volunteer to be an intercessor. God enlists you.

Why do we not intercede as we should? Perhaps we are afraid to put God to the test. We worry that God might not answer our prayers. Yet God promises that if we ask, we will receive (Matt. 7:7). We may fail to intercede because we believe the busyness of our everyday lives is more effective than prayer. Jesus warned that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Without being intimately acquainted with God and His will, all of our labors are futile. Perhaps we fail to intercede because we misunderstand the heart of God. Jesus wept over the_city of Jerusalem as He interceded for it (Matt. 23:37). If we truly have God's love within us, we will feel compelled to plead with God on behalf of those who face His imminent judgment.

Intercession is a lonely business. There may be many days or even years when there appear to be few results for your labor. Yet intercessors can be the only ones standing between a family and God's judgment, or between an_individual or nation and God's wrath.

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MIkeMacIntosh: We can never let our guard down from the enemy

Today's Devotion

From Mike MacIntosh

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms.
Judges 3:12-13

We can never let our guard down from the enemy. God's kids--again--were doing evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord, and this happened after experiencing 40 years of rest from the enemy (3:11)! So for 40 years they've been at peace, but a nation "doing evil in the sight of the Lord" didn't just happen overnight. They allowed themselves to be slowly lulled to sleep by the enemy, culminating after 40 years of willful sinful behavior. Let this be a lesson to us, to our families and kids, and to our churches across the nation. Charles Spurgeon said,

"God never allows His people to sin successfully. Their sin will either destroy them or it will move the chastisement and chastening of God upon their lives."

I was talking to somebody recently who told me that a friend of his in the Christian music scene had been arrested for being with a prostitute. Another guy was telling me that one of the leaders in their church was just in a fight and got in trouble for being drunk in a bar. You know, the Body of Christ gets messed up in many ways because we don't walk in God's Spirit. And if you're not walking by faith, you're not reading your Bible, or you're not studying, the tendency will be there for you to get into things you shouldn't. "They did evil in the sight of the Lord" will haunt you the rest of your life if you don't crucify those evil desires and thoughts. When you slowly forget--and don't keep in the forefront of your mind--the reasons why Jesus hung on the cross, you will not hesitate to cross any boundary, no matter the consequence. But when you remember that He hung on the cross for you, it's kind of difficult to commit those very sins that crucified Him.

But if you're a man or a woman prone to prayer, it's very difficult not to be a broken and humble person. The more you spend time in the throne room of God's presence, the more of His character that you make your own, the more you will realize that the fleshly lifestyle isn't the kind of life you want to live. Don't allow the enemy to take possession of your life. Surrender it fully to the LordJesus and start walking in His Spirit.

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DailyBread: Sometimes life’s upsets can make people more open to the gospel.

Earthquake City

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January 28, 2011 — by Dennis Fisher

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Acts 16:23-34

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. —Acts 16:26

Bible in a year:
Exodus 19-20; Matthew 18:21-35

In his book A Crack in the Edge of the World, Simon Winchester writes of the small earthquake-prone town of Parkfield, California. Seeking to attract tourists, a hotel sign reads: “Sleep Here When It Happens.” A local restaurant menu features a large steak called “The Big One,” and desserts are called “Aftershocks.” But all humor aside, a real earthquake can be a terrifying experience. I know. I’ve lived through California earthquakes.

In the book of Acts, we read how God used an earthquake to open someone’s heart to the gospel. Having been falsely accused, Paul and Silas found themselves in jail at Philippi. Around midnight, an earthquake rumbled through the prison, opening the doors and loosing the prisoners’ chains. When the jailer learned that Paul and Silas had not tried to escape, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?” (16:30). Paul responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (v.31). That night the jailer and his family believed and were baptized. And it all started with an earthquake.

Sometimes life’s upsets can make people more open to the gospel. Do you know anyone who is going through a crisis? Prayerfully stay in contact with them, and be ready to share a sensitive word of witness.

Lord, use us as Your instruments
Of truth and love and care,
And may we bring encouragement
As Your good news we share. —Sper

Many are brought to faith by trouble.

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RayStedman: "Jesus Or Barabbas?"

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Jesus Or Barabbas?

A devotion for January 28th

Read the Scripture: Mark 15:1-20

All the gospel writers tell us of Barabbas. He was a bloodthirsty revolutionary, hardnosed and bloody-handed; he was a murderer. The interesting thing about him is his name, which means son of the father. And in a most dramatic historic coincidence, according to some old manuscripts, there is some evidence that his name probably was Jesus Barabbas: Jesus, the son of the father. I do not see how we could read and understand that without knowing that this is again God silently guiding events behind the scene, bringing things to light that otherwise would never be known. For this crowd is confronted with choosing between Jesus, the son of the father, who rules by force and makes his living by his wits; and Jesus, the Son of the Father, who rules by love and is ready to sacrifice Himself.

Why did they choose Barabbas? The answer seems to be that they were disappointed with Jesus. This was the crowd that, just a few days before, had welcomed Him into Jerusalem. The city was filled with people Jesus had healed. The eyes of the blind had been opened, the deaf made to hear, and the lame to walk. He had awakened within the people the hope, the flaming desire, that this was indeed the Messiah, come to deliver them from the yoke of Rome. All their ideas of messiahship centered around the thought that He would be the one who would set them free from the hated bondage of Rome. Now, when they saw Him standing helpless before the Roman governor, saw His apparent unwillingness or inability to make any defense or to do anything against the Romans, all their loyalty to Him collapsed. In anger and disappointment, they turned and chose Jesus, the son of the father, who lived by force—Barabbas the murderer.

We too face the same decision these Jews had to make between Barabbas and Jesus. Have you ever been disappointed in Jesus, disappointed in God? Have you ever expected Him to act in a certain way because of what you understood about Him and His life and His nature—but He did not do things the way you thought they should be done? I have been angry and disappointed in God. I have been all but convinced that He did not live up to His promise, for I was sure that I knew what He was going to do, and God disappointed me. My heart was filled with rage that God would act that way, despite the fact that God has told us all, again and again, 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'(Isaiah 55:8-9). We cannot figure out God. He will be true to Himself, He will never lie, He will never deceive us; but He is more than we can handle. He is bigger than we are. And like this crowd, when we get angry with God and upset with Jesus and turn from Him, there is always another Jesus Barabbas waiting in the wings for us to follow.

Life Application: What do we think of Jesus when our circumstances fail to match our expectations? Does that make us disappointed with Him? To whom then shall we turn?

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Bob Caldwell: THE LAW AND GRACE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011 (TOP)

THE LAW AND GRACE

(DEUTERONOMY 22:1-23:8)

"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. man shall not take his father's wife, nor uncover his father's bed." -Deuteronomy 22:1, 30

This section provides us with a broad range of regulations that helped to establish a foundation for social justice. We also see here regulations on sexual relationships. Sexuality in pagan cultures was extremely different than the standards God gave us in scripture. Pagan cultures had very few boundaries on who you could have sex with. The punishment of death for adultery seems very cruel to us today and it was also in a time and place where sexual boundaries were rare. But the intent was to break a pattern of behavior that was deeply ingrained in most societies, a pattern of behavior that had a destructive impact upon this new nation.

It is important, therefore, to approach our understanding of these issues in light of Israel's history. Its history began with God calling Israel out from a pagan society to be an example to the world of what a nation built upon faith in God and His will could be. Also keep in mind that the "black and white" nature of the law was to ultimately provide two things. First, a clear picture of judgment against violating what is right. Secondly, it was given to provide a backdrop for the amazing glory of God's grace. This was graphically portrayed by Jesus when a woman caught in the act of adultery was thrown at His feet. Jesus was then reminded by those who had caught her that the law commanded that she be stoned. In response Jesus told her accusers that any among them who were sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her. No one threw a stone. He then turned to the girl telling her that He did not condemn her and sent her away telling her to sin no more (John 8:3-11).

The law serves fallen humanity best when it leads us to the grace of our redeemer Jesus Christ. In this we see that the law had genuinely become a backdrop for the grace of God revealed in Christ. Grace should therefore never be separated from the dark backdrop of judgment. If it is, then grace will soon become meaningless, simply a license for sin.

NKJV BIBLE TEXT

Deuteronomy 22:1-23:8

1 "You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. 2 And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. 3 You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother's, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself.

4 "You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.

5 "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.

6 "If a bird's nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7 you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.

8 "When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it.

9 "You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.

10 "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

11 "You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.

12 "You shall make tassels on the four corners of the clothing with which you cover yourself.

v. 2 if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him – The Law showed no leeway in regard to lost property. Whether neighbor or a stranger, the Israelites were expected to preserve the property until the owner was found.

v. 5 a woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man – This law was meant to prevent societal perversions, such as transvestism, and prevent blurring of gender distinctions. Clothes were a way to define a person in ancient times, much as they are today.

v. 6 you shall not take the mother with the young – Not only was God concerned with the treatment of His people toward one another, but He also expected them to be good stewards of the environment around them.

v. 8 parapet – The roofs of Eastern houses were flat and often used as living space. A parapet was an outer wall built to protect guests from falling over the edge of the roof. They were used in the same manner as a railing is used today. Those who did not take this measure to protect themselves and their guests were liable for any accidents.

v. 9 you shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed – This may have been because some mixtures were reserved for sacred use, such as the use of wool and linen in the tabernacle and priestly garments.

v. 11 a garment of different sorts – This was possibly a response to Zabian priests who mixed their garments in the hope of receiving blessings that were related to the movement of the planets. Israel was called to be separate from all the nations around them.

v. 12 tassels – The men of Israel were commanded to sew these tassels into the corners of their garments to serve as a reminder of God's commandments (Num. 15:37-41).

Laws of Sexual Morality

13 "If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and detests her, 14 and charges her with shameful conduct, and brings a bad name on her, and says, ‘I took this woman, and when I came to her I found she was not a virgin,' 15 then the father and mother of the young woman shall take and bring out the evidence of the young woman's virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. 16 And the young woman's father shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife, and he detests her. 17 Now he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, "I found your daughter was not a virgin," and yet these are the evidences of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 18 Then the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him; 19 and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.

20 "But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are not found for the young woman, 21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.

22 "If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel.

23 "If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor's wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

25 "But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. 27 For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.

28 "If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his days.

30 "A man shall not take his father's wife, nor uncover his father's bed.

Laws of Sexual Morality

v. 17 they shall spread the cloth before the elders – The proof of virginity was often evidenced by bloodstained sheets. These sheets served as evidence of a woman's virginity if her husband or anyone else brought a false accusation against her.

v. 19 One hundred shekels of silver – This fine of 100 shekels of silver was about the equivalent of 10 years of wages.

v. 23 betrothed to a husband – This is similar to the engagement of a man and woman in today's society. However, this pledge involved the payment of a set price for the bride along with a dowry. Once a woman was betrothed to her husband, the laws of adultery were in full effect even through the actual marriage ceremony had not yet taken place.

v. 29 she shall be his wife because he has humbled her – This provision was actually put in place to protect the woman, not the man. If a man raped a woman and took her virginity in ancient times, she would have had supreme difficulty in marrying anyone from that point on. An unmarried woman could hardly survive in ancient times. Thus, the family had the option of forcing the offender to marry the woman and provide for all her needs because of what he had done to her.

DEUTERONOMY 23

Those Excluded from the Congregation

1 "He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the LORD.

2 "One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD.

3 "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD forever, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 6 You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.

7 "You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land. 8 The children of the third generation born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.

Chapter 23

Those Excluded from the Congregation

v. 2 one of illegitimate birth – This probably refers to a child born as the result of incest and not to an illegitimate child.

v. 4 Balaam son of Beor – Balak, the king of Moab, hired Balaam, a diviner, to curse Israel as they were passing through his land en route to the Promised Land (Num. 22-24).

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RaulRies: We are freewill servants to Jesus Christ.

FRIDAY, January 28, 2011

Freewill Servants

“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall
let him go free from you.”

Deuteronomy 15:12

During this time, a person would go to the market and buy a slave. If they treated him badly, he could hardly wait to be released in the seventh year; but if they loved and cared for him, he could decide to stay with them. At the end of six years, the master would say, “Your six years are coming up. I am going to free you and I am going to let you go. Thank you for serving me for six years.”

If the slave was treated well, he could say, “Wait a minute. I do not want to leave. I want to stay with you, because you have treated me right. You have my wife, my kids and everything. I want to serve you for the rest of my life for free.”

Then he would take the servant to the front door of his house, and in the right ear, he would drill a hole through the lobe and put a gold earring on him. When he walked around with an earring, people would know him as a freewill servant to his master.

It is the same for you and me. We are freewill servants to Jesus Christ. Think about it. We serve Him for free, of our own free will. We said, “We love you Lord. That is why we are here. Go ahead and make a hole in my ear. I want to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ.” Willingly, I want to love Him, and I want to serve Him. Not by force. He has never mistreated me, and He never will.

Service is the overflow of
super-abounding devotion.
-Oswald Chambers-

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MyUtmostForHisHighest: How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!

How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!

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Jan

2011

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14

Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of “the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.

Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted.

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AlistairBegg: Do you not feel in your own soul that maturity is not in you? Does not every day teach you that?

Devotionals by Truth For Life

Maturity in Christ

Alistair Begg

Friday, January 28, 2011

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Do you not feel in your own soul that maturity is not in you? Does not every day teach you that? Every tear that trickles from your eye weeps "imperfection"; every harsh word that proceeds from your lip mutters "imperfection." You have too frequently had a view of your own heart to dream for a moment of any perfection in yourself. But amidst this sad consciousness of imperfection, here is comfort for you--you are perfect or "mature in Christ." In God's sight you are complete in Him; even now you are "blessed in the Beloved."¹

But there is a second perfection, yet to be realized, that is just as sure. Is it not delightful to look forward to the time when every stain of sin shall be removed from the believer, and he shall be presented faultless before the throne, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? The Church of Christ then will be so pure that not even the eye of Omniscience will see a spot or blemish in her; so holy and so glorious that Hart did not go beyond the truth when he said--

With my Savior's garments on,
Holy as the Holy One.

Then shall we know and taste and feel the happiness of this vast but short sentence, complete in Christ. Not till then shall we fully comprehend the heights and depths of the salvation of Jesus. Does not your heart leap for joy at the thought of it? Filthy as you are, you shall be clean. Oh, it is a marvelous salvation this! Christ takes a worm and transforms it into an angel; Christ takes a dirty and deformed thing and makes it clean and matchless in His glory, peerless in His beauty, and fit to be the companion of seraphs. O my soul, stand and admire this blessed truth of maturity in Christ.

Family Bible reading plan

verse 1 Genesis 29

verse 2 Matthew 28

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JoyceMeyer: "Keep Pressing On"

Keep Pressing On

January 28
I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
— Philippians 3:13-14

Our relationships with God are progressive and we all move from one level to another. No one ever “masters” communication with God because there is no limit to the depth of relationship we can have with Him; it just keeps growing, keeps going deeper, keeps getting stronger. Our ability to hear His voice develops and improves over time. Over time and with practice, we get better at sharing our hearts with God and we become more skilled and experienced at hearing His voice and understanding what He is saying to us. We never become certified experts in prayer and we never stop learning to communicate with God; our experiences just keep getting richer and better.

God has so much for you, and though you may not have arrived at your final destination, you can thank God you are on the pathway that will take you there. As long as you are making progress, it really doesn’t matter if you are crawling, walking, or running. Just keep pressing on!

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BobCoy: What Range!

Devotionals by Active Word

What Range!

Friday, January 28, 2011

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Notice the incredibly incomparable range of God. He's able to identify and take time for a single broken heart, and yet He's also able to catalog each and every star in the universe. At last count, the scientific community estimates there are around 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars. That's a lot of stars!

But here's the thing: In many ways it's easier for us to believe God is involved in those "big" things (like all the stars of the universe), than it is to believe He's involved in the "small" things (like us). "With everything going on in the cosmos, God's probably too busy to be bothered with me."

What does the Bible say? It says the same God who oversees the universe is the same God who cares about the brokenhearted. Nothing is too big for Him and nothing is too small for Him…including us. The same attentiveness that God gives to the way the constellations are arranged and coincide with each other is the same attentiveness He has for each and every one of us.

In fact, God is even more attentive to us because He's invested way more in us than in the universe. He sent His own Son to suffer and die for us, not the stars. Scripture is quite clear that God values men and women above all else in creation. So we should never think of ourselves as beyond the range of God's attention and care, or consider our problems or our pain as too insignificant for Him.

Nothing is too big or too small for our God. He's big enough to hold each star in the palm of His hand, all 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 of them. And He's "small" enough to see and heal a single broken heart.

Great God, we praise You for being so big yet so small…small enough to see and heal each of us individually.

Think About It…

What does this passage reveal to me about God?

What does this passage reveal to me about myself?

Based on this, what changes do I need to make?

What is my prayer for today?

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BobCoy: Nothing is too big or too small for our God.

Devotionals by Active Word

What Range!

Friday, January 28, 2011

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Great God, we praise You for being so big yet so small…small enough to see and heal each of us individually.

Think About It…

What does this passage reveal to me about God?

What does this passage reveal to me about myself?

Based on this, what changes do I need to make?

What is my prayer for today?

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GregLaurie: "God's Sign to a Lost World"

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011

God's Sign to a Lost World

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority."
— Matthew 12:38

My granddaughter Stella loves to pull pranks on people using a little box of tricks I bought for her. She hasn't learned the ways of deception very well, because people always know what she is doing. Even though they know what is going on, they go along with her anyway, and that makes her happy.

Sometimes we think that if we could do a miracle for our unbelieving friends, they would come to faith in Christ. We might be thinking, If I could just pray and this person was healed, they would believe right there. I know they would. If I could just do something dazzling. . . . But you know what? That wouldn't convince them.

Even though Jesus raised people from the dead, and even after He was bodily raised from the dead and people saw Him with their own eyes, they still rejected Him.

When some religious leaders approached Jesus one day and asked Jesus for a miraculous sign, they were essentially saying, "Hey, do a trick for us, Jesus!" But Jesus told them, "Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights" (Matthew 12:39–40).

In effect, Jesus was telling them, "Here is my sign to a lost world: I am going to a cross. I will die, and I will rise again from the dead. You can accept that and be forgiven, or you can reject that and not be forgiven. So that is your choice." And that is our choice as well.