Guidelines For Living Devotional

Do You Read The Bible?

I was standing in an ancient Chinese temple, now a temple of the people, in Canton, China.  As we listened to our guide tell how the Chinese people had been liberated from old religious beliefs, a young man who was studying English at the university approached a tourist to try out his English.  He spoke pleasantly for a few minutes in broad generalities, and then asked, "Do you have a Bible?" 

Are You Ready To Give Up On God?

David, the shepherd who became the King of Israel, once wrote, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).  Was David ever tempted to give up on the Lord?  For seven long years he lived in exile, fearing that Saul or one of his zealous soldiers would take his life.  He lived as a fugitive, often in desolation, uncertain that he would live to see the light of another day.  Once he feigned mental illness, escaping his captor as a madman.  On another occasion, the enemy raided David’s home, taking the wives and children of those who fought with him.

Sing!

A pastor, thinking that he was being humorous, once introduced me, saying, "I've heard him eat and I've heard him sing, and I'd rather hear him eat than sing."  It's no wonder we have become intimidated when it comes to anything much but singing in the shower where no one can hear.

Why Is Jerusalem Called The Holy City?

A fifteenth century map of the world which is housed in the Vatican shows Jerusalem as the center of the world, and from this place radiate lines to the various continents and major cities of the world.  When I first saw that map, I smiled, but as I grew in understanding of how significant Jerusalem is to our world, no longer do my lips crease in amusement.  The ancient cartographer who drew that map also knew something of the theological importance of Jerusalem.

Why Waiting Is So Painful

“Life has no waiting rooms” Ann Voskamp blogged.  “Life only has labor and delivery rooms.”  If you’ve ever gone through labor or even been anywhere near a woman in labor, you know that labor is not a comfortable state to be in.  Quite bluntly:  it hurts.  A lot.  A woman in labor, who was previously overjoyed at the thought of welcoming a new little life into the world, may decide she’s changed her mind.  “Forget this baby idea—just get me out of this insanely painful place,” she may think. 

What Does It Mean That God Is Our Righteousness?

As the darkness that shrouded Russia under Communism began to lift, thousands of people began to search for their spiritual roots.  The following letter was sent to a fellow Christian broadcaster: "I do not know how to address you, that is, I do not know your name; but I do not think that is important. The fact is that I want to know definitely whether there is a God or are you just deceiving the people. If you are as certain about God's existence as you preach and sing about Him, then I straightway would want to believe in Him the same way as you do." The listener then begged for a Bible so he could read the record for himself.

God Is Present With Us

Only those who have been through very difficult, hard times can understand the reality of knowing that God had his hand on their lives, that He is the One who sustained and preserved them. That realization, of course, is humbling because when you have been through the fire and you made it, you know it wasn't your cleverness or your strength that brought you through. It had to be God.

God Is Our Shepherd

"What I believe about God," said A. W. Tozer, "is the most important thing about me."  He was right, but the problem is that most of us aren't really sure what we believe about Him.  Most of our knowledge and images of God are second-hand leftovers from our parents, or bad experiences that we conclude are reflections of God.

God Is Our Peace

In 1904 a massive, bronze statue of Christ with his arms outstretched to the harbor of Buenos Aires was erected.  Known as the "Christ of the Andes," standing at an altitude of 13,000 feet, it towers over the whole area. Christ's left hand holds a cross. His right hand is extended in blessing.  On the base of the great statue is a quotation from Paul's letter to the Ephesians which reads, "He is our peace who has made both one."

God Is Our Provider

When God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and say, "Let my people go!" he was disheartened.  Anyone who has ever walked through the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and has seen the gold and the magnificence which decorated the courts of the pharaohs can imagine in a small way how this 80-year-old man, who for the last 40 years had been a shepherd with loneliness for a companion, would feel, striding into the palace asking that some two million slaves be allowed to take a hike out of the empire.