A Layman's Daily Devotional

By Curt Donahue

A Layman's Daily Devotional was written by a layman for laypeople of all ages. It is mostly devoid of theological terms, so it is easier for the average person to understand. There are applicable illustrations to help people comprehend the message from Scripture and its application to the message of the day. There is a devotion for every day of the year, and several devotions for specific days in the Christian calendar, as well as for days on which we honor both mothers and fathers. The reader will likely gain a closer relationship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through daily use and may also develop a closer relationship with family members when used as a family devotion. The changing and challenging circumstances in our world today require closer relationships with both God and family. A Layman's Daily Devotional lends itself to development of both relationships. With few exceptions, each devotion is a stand-alone devotion. This book would make a meaningful gift to a young person venturing out on their own, who could develop the habit early of spending time each day with God, which is always a good way to start every day. A Layman's Daily Devotional is written such that it can be used year after year throughout one's life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781635756364

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A Layman’s Daily Devotional

Curt Donahue

ISBN 978-1-63575-635-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63575-636-4 (Digital)

Copyright © 2017 by Curt Donahue

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

296 Chestnut Street

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Illustrations used in these daily devotions are taken from one of the following:

Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion

Compiled by the editors of PreachingToday.com

Tyndale House Publishers

Wheaton, Illinois

Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations

Robert J. Morgan

Thomas Nelson

Nashville, Tennessee

Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching from Leadership Journal

Craig Brian Larson

Baker Books

A Division of Baker Book House Co

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers

Craig Brian Larson

Baker Books

A division of Baker Book House Co

Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations

David F. Burgess

Concordia Publishing House

St. Louis, Missouri

The author appreciates the effort that went into these publications that were made available for the author’s use in the publication of A Layman’s Daily Devotional

A Layman’s Daily Devotional is dedicated to the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Acknowledgments

My wife, Marjorie, for encouraging me to start writing the Daily Devotions.

My son, Reverend Randy Donahue, for his tireless effort in reviewing my writing for theological clarity and accuracy to the extent he was able.

My pastor, Reverend Todd Schroeder, for his encouragement, prayerful support, and confidence of the participation of the Holy Spirit in producing these devotions.

January 1

One Still Point

Read Hebrews 13:5–14

When Lloyd C. Douglas, author of The Robe and other novels, was a student, he lived in a boarding house. Downstairs on the first floor was an elderly, retired music teacher, now infirm and unable to leave the apartment.

Douglas said that every morning, they had a ritual they would go through together. He would come down the steps, open the old man’s door, and ask, Well, what’s the good news?

The old man would pick up his tuning fork and tap it on the side of his wheelchair and say, "That’s Middle C! It was Middle C yesterday. It will be Middle C tomorrow. It will be Middle C a thousand years from now! The tenor upstairs sings flat. The piano across the hall is out of tune, but, my friend, that is Middle C!"

The old man had discovered one thing upon which he could depend, one constant reality in his life, one still point in a turning world. For Christians, the one still point in a turning world, one absolute of which there is no shadow of turning, is Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 13:8 we read: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Please note that it doesn’t say was the same yesterday but "is the same yesterday and today and forever!" Yes, Jesus is alive and well, and He wants your heart!

What every one of us can stake our life on is this: Jesus who is the same yesterday and today and forever loves you (each one of you) the same yesterday and today and forever!

Just like Middle C—Jesus’s love for you is constant; it will not change!

To try and comprehend in some small way just how much Jesus loves you, look at what St. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus: And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen. And again, just like Middle C—that love, Jesus’s love for you does not change. Jesus’s love becomes for each one of us the one still point in a turning world; even one beginning a new year!

January 2

The Cross

Read John 19:17

Clarence Jordan, author of the Cotton Patch, a New Testament translation and founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Americus, Georgia, was getting a red-carpet tour of another minister’s church. With pride, the minister pointed to the rich, imported pews and luxurious decorations.

As they stepped outside, darkness was falling, and a spotlight shone on a huge cross atop the steeple.

That cross alone cost us ten thousand dollars, the minister said with a satisfied smile.

You got cheated, said Jordan. Times were when Christians could get them for free.

How true that statement is. Innumerable Christians in the early church were awarded crosses for their loyalty to Jesus Christ. Peter, himself, was reported to have been crucified upside down.

Even today we hear of Christians across the world suffering horrendous torture and death simply because they are Christians unwilling to deny Christ—some being skinned alive, others disemboweled in front of their family, and many other atrocities too horrible to write about.

This begs the question, "What would you do? What would I do? Speaking for myself, I proudly state that I would not deny my Christ Jesus—but would I? I don’t really know, because I haven’t been confronted with the reality of that, and dare I say, neither have you.

It is apparent that the way Christianity is being criticized and mocked in America and the way some Christians in our country have been treated that we may not be too far from some of the atrocities we read about in other countries. I believe that it is absolutely necessary that we pray that we will be able to stand firm if that time ever comes for us, and I believe that it is necessary also that we pray daily for those fellow Christians around the world that are experiencing those atrocities.

My prayer for each one of you is that you will be so immersed in the Scriptures that you will stand up for Christ no matter what prevails against you. In Matthew, when Jesus asked, Who do people say the Son of Man is? After being told, He asked, But what about you? Who do you say I am? Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Do you remember what Jesus said then? He said, And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. The gates of hell cannot overcome your faith!

May God bless you and me to that end, that we might remain strong through whatever crosses we are asked to bear!

January 3

Keep on Keepin’ On

Read Luke 9:57-62

The Australian coat of arms pictures two creatures—the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to Australian citizens. Both the emu and the kangaroo can only move forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backward, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail.

Those who truly choose to follow Jesus become like the emu and kangaroo, moving forward, never back.

St. Paul gives us an illustration of moving forward, never back in his first letter to the Corinthians, where he refers to the Christian life as a race. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he states: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Paul doesn’t say that you have to win the race, but that you should run like you would if you wanted the prize. That is to run looking toward the prize and not looking back. People who look back when they’re running get slowed or, even worse, may trip.

Another illustration of Paul’s tells us to keep our focus on the right thing. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7). That focus is the Holy Scriptures, which as St. Paul told Timothy, can make you wise unto salvation. The Scriptures reveal to us Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son who suffered and died and rose back to life to earn for us forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

So do as the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 12:1, following the list in chapter 11 of the great heroes of the Bible, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Always forward, never backward. Just keep keepin’ on!

January 4

Reach Out and Tell Someone

Read Matthew 28:18-20

The Scripture just read is referred to as The Great Commission, and well it should be. Jesus urged His disciples to spread the word of salvation, or atonement, He had earned for all people, to the ends of the earth. In that commission Jesus was telling all the rest of His followers to do the same and that included you and me. I believe that many of us look at that commission and think, I can’t do that. There’s no way I could go to another country and be a missionary. I also believe that if we felt called to do that (if God really impressed it on you to be a missionary), you would find a way.

But the biggest obstacle, I believe, is looking at the commission with too large a perspective. The following illustration will clarify what I mean:

An old man, walking on the beach at dawn, noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish, countered the old man. How can your effort make a difference?

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. It makes a difference to this one, he said.

You and I can make a real difference, a difference of spending eternity with or without God, for just one person. One person to hear the story of the Father’s love and Christ Jesus’s sacrifice can make that difference for him or her. One person, we are told in Scripture, would cause the angels in heaven to rejoice—one person that you could touch that starts a party in heaven. You don’t have to be an expert in the Scriptures or deep into theology or doctrine; simply tell that one person what Jesus has done for you, what He has meant to you.

I pray that God points you to that one person and grants you the concern and love for that one person and the courage to carry out your commission.

January 5

Priorities

Read Matthew 6:25–34

It was a ninety-nine-degree September day in San Antonia, when a ten-month-old baby girl was accidently locked inside a parked car by her aunt. Frantically the mother and aunt ran around the auto in near hysteria, while a neighbor attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple and had foam from her mouth.

It had become a life-or-death situation when Fred Arriola, a wrecker driver, arrived on the scene. He grabbed a hammer and smashed the back window of the car to set her free.

Was he heralded a hero? The lady was mad at me because I broke the window, Arriola reported. "I just thought, What’s more important—the baby or the window?"

Most questions of priority are not between something important and something trivial; rather, between the important and the most important.

If I asked the question of what is most important to you. I’m sure I would get a variety of answers: my family, my home, my church, my job (because without it, I wouldn’t be able to have all these other things), and on and on. Jesus says that your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. He goes on to say that the birds are taken care of by the Father and so are the flowers of the field. So why do we stress so about things?

Christ also says, Seek first the kingdom of God. Since you read these devotions and probably go to church, if not regularly, every so often, you might be one who has found the kingdom of God. The other thing that Jesus says in this verse is seek His righteousness. Do we understand that His righteousness is the righteousness that Jesus Christ bestows on all who believe that He died and rose again for their salvation? Do we also understand that we are to not only seek His righteousness, but that we should be attempting to live our lives like Jesus did His? And we do this in response for the love He has given us. We show this by how we treat our neighbor (how we treat other people). Do we show the love of God to others? That’s what will get them interested in finding out more about you and why you are the way you are.

So keep your priorities straight, keeping what is the most important in front of you, and you will have more opportunities to share your faith.

January 6

Compromise? No Way!

Read Daniel 3:8–30

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made a statement to king Nebuchadnezzar; a real statement! They would go into the fiery furnace with all the faith they had that God would keep them from harm! And God also made a statement to Nebuchadnezzar when He did what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had the faith to expect God to do, to take care of them. That took real courage not to compromise from what they knew was God’s expectation of them—to love the Lord their God with all their strength, with all their mind, with all their heart, and with all their soul. So when Nebuchadnezzar said, Worship me, these three, in essence, told him to go jump in a lake.

Peter Cartwright, a nineteenth-century, circuit-riding Methodist preacher was an uncompromising man. One Sunday morning when he was to preach, he was told that President Andrew Jackson was in the congregation and was warned not to say anything out of line.

When Cartwright stood to preach, he said, I understand that Andrew Jackson is here. I have been requested to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn’t repent!

The congregation was shocked and wondered how the president would respond. After the service, President Jackson shook hands with Peter Cartwright and said, Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world.

How uncompromising are you and I? Are the principles upon which Jesus Christ built His kingdom so strongly entrenched that we would have the conviction to express those beliefs to anyone? Or are we like the young man who went off to college concerned about how he would fit in with the propensity of people who didn’t know God. When he came home for quarter break, when asked how he got along with his fellow classmates, he replied that they never found out I was a Christian. Have people found out you are a Christian or do they know that by the way you live?

Jesus doesn’t want to be ashamed of us, nor should we be ashamed of Him: If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (Matthew 9:26).

So be resolute—uncompromising in your convictions about God, about Jesus, about the Holy Spirit, and about God’s Holy Scriptures (and study them daily)! Don’t let people find out you are a Christian—let it be known from the beginning.

January 7

Don’t Blame Me!

Read Romans 3:19–26

How we try to put the blame on someone or something else for our sins. I didn’t think that was so bad. I saw other Christians doing it. Like Flip Wilson, a popular comedian a number of years ago, we say: The devil made me do it. Certainly, there are times when Satan successfully tempts us into doing something that God forbids, but most of the time it is our own sinful self that is the cause of our sinning. Selfishness, anger, covetousness, jealousy, and the list goes on.

John Killinger tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself. The first ball that came to center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun—until it bounced off his forehead. The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between his hands and smacked his eye.

Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder, and shouted, You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!

Fortunately for the sinner (you and me), Jesus can do something with our sin, no matter who is to blame. But there is a step that must take place before He can get in the game. You and I must repent; we must be sorry, deeply sorry, and vow to turn away from those sins that the writer of the Hebrews describes as the sin that easily entangles. Pray for help from the Holy Spirit who has been given to you to grant you faith and life and the riches of salvation that was earned for you and all mankind through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

So take the blame for those sins you commit or omit and hand them over to Jesus—He can handle them. And the blame and the shame will be lifted from your shoulders if you truly repent and truly believe that Christ has fully paid the price for you to have full forgiveness. Then go out and live the life God would have you live, which you now can do without that heavy load weighing you down.

January 8

Positive Thinking

Read Acts 14:19–20

What a man was St. Paul! He gets some Jewish people upset, and they take him out of the city, throw him over a cliff, and then stone him, leaving him for dead. If I survived something like that, I’m sure I’d go find a happier crowd to run with. But not Paul. He pulled himself together and thought, They love me! and went right back into town.

Christians will always have critics, but we’ll also have those who embrace the joys of the Gospel message and change the way they live—to walk closer with Jesus.

Speaking of critics, however, a young musician’s concert was poorly received by the critics. The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius consoled him by patting him on the shoulder and saying, Remember, son, there is no city in the world where they have erected a statue to a critic.

So what’s the message? Be like Paul and keep on spreading the Gospel message. That allows the Holy Spirit to work on the recipients’ hearts. We don’t need to be accepted, just our message of forgiveness, hope, and peace. These three are what the world is looking for, so if people can get past their prejudice against religion, they will be able to see what’s offered and they will be open to the Holy Spirit’s work.

Remember that critics do serve a good purpose. They show us where we need to improve our message or our presentation format or many other areas—for our benefit and, ultimately, for the benefit of those we are trying to reach. So don’t let criticism keep you from planting the seeds of the Gospel message.

January 9

Love Your Enemies

Read Matthew 5:43–48

In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist minister during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington.

In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor.

One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of a traitor.

No, Peter, General Washington said, I cannot grant you the life of your friend.

My friend! exclaimed the old preacher. He’s the bitterest enemy I have.

What? cried Washington. You’ve walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in a different light. I’ll grant the pardon. And he did. Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata—no longer an enemy, but a friend.

Peter Miller did what Christ commanded in our text. Don’t just love your enemy with words, go the extra mile, and you may save his or her soul for eternity. We all have someone who has been, or is, a thorn in our side. Ask God for help to think of the best thing you could do for that person and do it. Do it with a smile. Be gracious.

How nice it would be to share the rest of your life with someone who was once an enemy but is now a friend. How grateful he or she would be to share the next life with you as a friend. How great it would be to have someone say to God, I’m here because that person loved me when I was an enemy to them.

But isn’t that what God did for you? St. Paul says in Romans 5:6, While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. May the Holy Spirit guide you as you consider how you will show love to your enemy.

January 10

Faith and Works

Read James 2:14–18

I believe, as Christians, that we sometimes place too much emphasis on faith. Not that faith in the Gospel is something to be minimized but, rather, that we have a balance between faith and works. St. James was pretty emphatic about having both evident in our lives.

An excellent illustration of the balance between faith and works lies hidden within any tree. Leaves use up nutrients in the process of photosynthesis. As the leaves consume nutrients in the sap, a suction is formed which draws more sap from the roots. Without sap, the leaves and branches would die. But the continual flow of sap comes only as it is used up by the work of the leaf.

Likewise, through faith, we draw life from Christ. But a continual supply of fresh nutrients depends on our willingness to consume the old supply through our acts of obedience, through our works.

Works are the evidence of faith. We cannot really show love to God without showing love to our neighbor. Martin Luther said, Faith does works before faith knows that it does them. So if we have faith, works should follow us everywhere we go.

The lack of works, on an otherwise devoted Christian’s part, may be primarily responsible for the apathy that sometimes overtakes Christians relative to regular worship, Bible class attendance, and other activities surrounding the church. Each one of us should take serious stock of ourselves and our relationship with Christ Jesus as well as our relationship with people around us, both in our families and others.

Am I really living my faith?

January 11

Faith

Read Matthew 14:22–33

In April 1988, the evening news reported on a photographer who was a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the group as they fell and opened their parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the absent ripcord that he realized that he was free falling without a parachute.

Until that point, the jump probably seemed exciting and fun. But tragically, he had acted with thoughtless haste and deadly foolishness. Nothing could save him, for his faith was in a parachute never buckled on. Faith in anything but an all-sufficient God can be just as tragic spiritually. Only with faith in Jesus Christ dare we step into any dangerous excitement of life.

I have a picture on my office wall, given to me by one of my new granddaughters. This is a picture of Christ pulling Peter from the sea. Peter thought he had faith and he did for a few seconds. First he had faith that because Jesus said, Come that he could walk on water too. But when he stepped out of the boat, he put his faith in his own capabilities, and he knew he couldn’t walk on water. Even so, we must admire Peter—he did step out of the boat—and he likely would have been successful had he kept his eyes on Jesus and not on the waves.

The question for us is—would we be willing to step out of the boat in faith regardless of what God is asking us to do in service to Him? Am I ready to step out of the boat and tell that friend about what Christ has done for me or step out of the boat and tell my next-door neighbor or step out of the boat for my brother-in-law or my cousin or whomever I know is going full-steam down the road of life without the proper parachute called faith in God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Don’t let another person you know free fall into the abyss of eternal darkness.

January 12

Traditions

Read Matthew 15:1–9

Some traditions are hard to change. As a Lutheran, I know that quite well. In fact, I was probably one of the worst to accept change in our church services. Why do we have to have this jazzy music or those camp songs? Stick with the tried and true orders of service and the good old traditional hymns. In my elder years, I have been more accepting as I observed the changes being responsible for drawing more people to attend church services.

Not all change is good. There are some traditions that have stood the test of time and are worth keeping. So traditions both in the church and in our daily lives need to be thoroughly examined before declaring them useless or of no real value. But some worthless traditions die hard.

William Poteet wrote in The Pentecostal Minister how in 1903 the Russian czar noticed a sentry posted for no apparent reason on the Kremlin grounds. Upon inquiry, he discovered that in 1776 Catherine the Great found there the first flower of spring. Post a sentry there, she commanded, so no one tramples that flower under foot! Some traditions die hard!

If breaking with tradition, still maintains the pure and true Gospel message, then I have come to accept many breaks from tradition. That pure Gospel message that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and rose again, which by the power of the Holy Spirit’s work, enables poor sinners like me to believe, repent, and receive forgiveness and the promise of eternal life is really what matters; it does really matter. Tradition or not, that message must and will remain the same until our Lord Jesus Christ returns to take us to live with Him forever in the place He has gone to prepare for us.

January 13

Security

Read Romans 3:19-31

Webster’s dictionary defines security as: freedom from danger and something given, deposited, or pledged to make certain the fulfillment of an obligation. The following story encompasses both definitions:

During a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, a news report highlighted a rescue device used on oil rigs. In case of fire or (in this case) hurricane, rig workers scramble into a bullet-shaped bus and strap themselves into their seats. When the entry port is shut, the vehicle is released down a chute and projected away from the rig. The seat belts protect the occupants from the impact with the water. The capsule then bobs in the sea until rescuers come to pick them up.

The device parallels the theological truth of Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Justification does not mean our world always stops falling apart. The rig still may topple in the hurricane. But those in the right place, whether a rescue module or spiritually in Christ, are saved from the ultimate consequences of the storm. The storm will take its course. The welfare of the workers depends on whether they are in the rescue device.

In addition to the parallel between the rescue device and the theology of Romans 8:1, there are obvious differences: the device bobs around aimlessly in the sea while Jesus’s rescue provides concrete direction for your life. That direction is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. I pray that you all may be found reading and studying that Holy Book every day.

January 14

Values

Read Matthew 6:19–24

I’m certain that I won’t get much of an argument if I say, The values of the American people as a whole have deteriorated over the last several years such that it is hard to recognize the country most of us grew up in. Our nation was rooted in the basic teachings of Christianity and became the foremost country in the world. People all over the world looked up to America, and now we are criticized for being the country that we are. And we more than likely deserve it. Our values have changed and not for the better.

Norman Cousins, after his experiences at UCLA medical school, notes a common misunderstanding about what is real and unreal.

In Bob Benson’s He Speaks Softly, Cousins is quoted:

The words ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ are generally used by medical students to describe the contrasting nature of courses. Courses like biochemistry, physics, pharmacology, anatomy, and pathology are anointed with the benediction of ‘hard,’ whereas subjects like medical ethics, philosophy, history, and patient-physician relationships tend to labor under the far less auspicious label ‘soft’…. [But] a decade or two after graduation there tends to be an inversion. That which was supposed to be hard turns out to be soft, and vice versa. The knowledge base of medicine is constantly changing…but the subjects—especially those that have to do with intangibles—turn out in the end to be of enduring value.

The reversal of values which the American public seems to have chosen is to return to the pre-Christian era, where any mention of a God other than what the Babylonians or the Assyrians or the Greeks or the Romans or the Egyptians considered to be a god was dealt with by hanging on a cross or thrown to the lions or thrown into a fiery furnace or ultimately forced to bow down to their gods.

Christianity, once the foundation of this nation, has become the whipping boy. Not only are Christians being ridiculed, but there are laws being passed to remove Christianity and/or its principles from every facet of American life. And because of our very own values (which are solidly Christ’s teachings), we turn the other cheek, as it was, and don’t do anything to object. I fear God will remove His blessing from this once great nation because we, collectively, are systematically removing Him.

Pray that with the power of the Holy Spirit we can rise up and immerse ourselves in Holy Scripture and turn the tide that is against Christianity and re-instill everything that is of enduring value for this nation.

January 15

Christ Did That for Me?

Read Matthew 27:32–44

Why do preachers and teachers always talk about Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection? We know all that. We’ve been told that many times through the years.

They want to be absolutely sure that each one of us has that message ingrained in our heart and mind such that there is not a shadow of doubt around the One I trust who has earned my salvation (that forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Jesus Christ). Most preachers and teachers use illustrations—or as Christ called them—parables like the one that follows:

Ron Rand writes in For Fathers Who Aren’t in Heaven:

"Michael usually takes his family out each week to see a movie or sports event. When they come home, they make a fire in the fireplace and pop popcorn.

During one of these evenings, little Billy made a real pest of himself in the car on the drive home, so he was punished by being sent to his bedroom while the rest of the family had popcorn. After the family had the fire going and the popcorn ready, Michael went back to Billy’s room and said, ‘You go out with the others. I’ll stay and take your punishment.’

Through Michael’s action, the entire family experienced a vivid example of what Jesus did for everyone.

And Jesus did do that for everyone. Martin Luther said, He was glad that the Bible said, ‘Christ died for the whole world,’ because that included me. He said, If the Bible said, Christ died for Martin Luther, I would always have to wonder if I was the right Martin Luther.

Thankfully, none of us need to wonder who Christ died for or if we are good enough or what is there left that I need to do. Christ accomplished it all, and it was for you and me and everyone else. That includes those people around you who are not yet aware of that. They are waiting for someone to tell them, and you are the closest.

January 16

Elijah—What a Guy!

Read 1Kings 18:16–46

This story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Ahab is really quite dramatic. First, Elijah is confronted by King Ahab and called a troublemaker. But Elijah turns it around and challenges Ahab and the people of Israel to make a decision for God based on the outcome of a contest on top of Mount Carmel. God comes through for Elijah and totally humiliates the prophets of Baal. Elijah orders the prophets of Baal to be executed down in the Kishon Valley, and then he goes back up on Mount Carmel to pray for the Lord to send rain. Then he comes down the mountain and runs ahead of King Ahab in his chariot all the way to Jezreel (about twenty miles).

I don’t know about you, but even when I was a young man full of energy, I don’t believe I would be able to climb up and down a mountain twice, go through the ordeal of seeing 450 people get slaughtered, and run faster than a chariot for twenty miles. This would take tremendous physical stamina as well as mental stamina. A person would have to be really dedicated to serving to be able to accomplish all of that.

If I had entitled this devotion Giving, several minds would have slammed shut like a gopher trap. But that is exactly what Elijah was doing—giving or serving, they are the same.

Bruce Thieleman, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, told of a conversation with an active layman, who mentioned, You preachers talk a lot about giving, but when you get right down to it, it all comes down to basin theology.

Thieleman asked, Basin theology? What’s that?

The layman replied, Remember what Pilate did when he had a chance to acquit Jesus? He called for a basin and washed his hands of the whole thing. But Jesus, the night before His death, called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of His disciples. It all comes down to basin theology: Which one will you use?

Good question! Which one will you use?

January 17

In the Image of God

Read Genesis 1:26–28

What does that mean In the Image of God? It doesn’t necessarily mean that God looks like we do. Remember, God is a Spirit. It does, however, mean that when man was created, we likely had many characteristics of God. Luther, in some of his writings, states that he believes that man before the fall had some super powers. He bases much of this on the implication of the words of Scripture given by God to man, where God said man was to have dominion over the animals, the fish, and the birds of the air. Luther felt that would require greater strength, visual acuity, etc. than man currently exhibits. Other characteristics that man has not maintained at the highest level possible are: love, mercy or tenderness, chastity, and grace, among others.

St. Paul and St. Peter, in their epistles to the Christian churches, admonished Christian men and women to live lives that reflected Jesus Christ. Modern pastors also admonish their parishioners to live in such a way that when people look at them, they see Christ.

On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait with the following inscription:

James Butler Bonham—no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom.

No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the Son who makes us free can be seen in the lives of His true followers.

You have been placed here so that when people look at you, they could see Jesus. Pray that your life reflects Jesus in that way.

January 18

Immersion

Read Luke 10:38–42

One might think I was referring to baptism with a title like that, except that doesn’t go too well with the Scripture reference. No, what I’m talking about is immersing oneself in the Word of God.

It is so easy every day to rise in the morning and begin busying ourselves with mundane, day-to-day activities like Martha in our Scripture verses. I know that if I don’t set aside time for God at the beginning of the day, He tries to muscle in the rest of the day with usually little or no success. It’s so easy to keep Him at bay. It’s so easy to be a Martha instead of a Mary.

A familiar Mother Goose rhyme goes:

"Pussy cat, Pussy cat, where have you been?

I’ve been to London to visit the Queen.

Pussy cat, Pussy cat, what did you do there?

I frightened a little mouse under the chair."

Like that cat, Christians sometimes settle for petty involvements, trivial pursuits—chasing mice—when we have opportunity to spend time with royalty, with the King! Instead of remaining content with minimum daily requirements, we can deepen our relationship with God and grow into maturity.

What a treasure we have in the Holy Bible. Therein we have the very words of God. It is an insatiable source of information for us to learn how to live each and every day. Can you imagine the scene—you sitting at the feet of Jesus as He reveals His Word to you? What a blessing that will be for you!

Make a plan. Read a chapter a day, or find a daily Bible where the Word is divided into 365 readings. Or choose a few verses each day on which to meditate. You will be amazed how God’s Word becomes alive to you and how so many situations will occur for which you can apply what has been opened up to you.

I’ll see you in Malachi or Hebrews or Haggai or wherever the Spirit leads you.

January 19

Finding Rest

Read Matthew 11:28–30

Burdens will come to us in various forms as we live our daily lives. Some burdens are light and we handle them well. Some burdens are much heavier and we do well to seek help in bearing those burdens. Into every life, seemingly, one or more burdens are so terrible that their weight strikes us down, and we labor to get up and get moving through life again. Those are the burdens that Christ refers to in our text.

He wants us to hand over to Him our burdens. He will carry them, and in return, He puts His arm (yoke) around our body and guides us along (His yoke is easy). However, what many of us do in circumstances like this is illustrated by the following story:

In the Philippines, the driver of a caraboa wagon (ox-drawn wagon) was on his way to market when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon. Gratefully the old man accepted.

After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the old man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not taken the burden off his shoulders.

Christ offers rest to all who will trust Him completely. But what we do so often is not give our burdens over completely to Christ. We just don’t trust Christ that He can or will handle it. Other times we give our burden to Christ, but we have a string attached so we can pull it back if we think He is not doing enough. My friend, cut the string! Truly give the burden to Him who carried the immense burden of the sins of the whole world and left them where they are no longer a burden to anyone. Seek the rest He offers, when He takes your burden, and you will find the truest rest this side of heaven.

January 20

Needs versus Wants

Read Luke 12:13–21

Nearly every day many among us either see something we want or someone who is wealthy and wish down deep that we were as wealthy. But the question is, How much is enough? Most of us have some level of concern about how much we spend each month. Some have to save for vacations or for special items to buy. Some of us simply want more, and when we have more, we want more still.

A chapter heading in Calvin Miller’s book A Requiem for Love reads:

A beggar asked a millionaire,

"How many more dollars

Would it take to

Make you truly happy?"

The millionaire,

Reaching his gnarled hands

Into the beggars cup, replied,

Only one more!

There are so many references in Scripture assuring us that God takes care of people’s needs. That doesn’t mean, however, that people shouldn’t concern themselves with their financial future. We all need to be judicious about how much we spend and on what we spend the money God is providing for us.

Society works against us as we, in total, have become an instant society. We see! We want! And we want it now!

Jesus said that if we seek first the kingdom of God, all these things will be added. As Christians, we need to measure the worth of a man, not in dollars and cents, but in the value of his faith and trust in the Lord God. And as Christians, we need to work hard to increase the value of our faith and trust in the Lord God and let the dollars and cents take a backseat to time we spend in Scripture.

Instead of the millionaire’s Only one more! our Only one more ought to be One more hour reading God’s instruction book, the Holy Bible. It differentiates between needs and wants and advises us where our focus needs to be.

January 21

Saved for Work

Read Ephesians 2:1–10

St. Paul in today’s reading states that we are saved by grace through faith…to do good works. I have discussed with you before (see January 10) how doing good works shows others that you have faith. We know that good works are not required to be able to have faith, because faith [salvation] is a gift from God so no man can boast. So what else might there be of value in doing good works? Perhaps the following illustration will help us understand a little more:

In the November 1987 Reader’s Digest, Betty Wein retells an old tale she heard from Elie Wiesel:

"A just man comes to Sodom hoping to save the city. He pickets. What else can he do? He goes from street to street, from marketplace to marketplace, shouting, ‘Men and women, repent. What you are doing is wrong. It will kill you; it will destroy you!’

They laugh, but he goes on shouting, until one day a child stops him. ‘Poor stranger, don’t you see it’s useless?

"‘Yes,’ the man replies.

"‘Then why do you go on?’ asked the child.

‘I was convinced that I would change them. Now I go on shouting because I don’t want them to change me!’

I believe that is the underlying tragedy of a dead or dying faith that St. James refers to in his letter. The tragedy that not exercising one’s faith to try to change the world in some small way (one person at a time) will cause the world to change one’s faith in some small way (too small sometimes to be noticeable until it is forever lost). Don’t let that happen to you.

January 22

Faith

Read Hebrews 11:1

How much faith do you have? A lot or a little or somewhere in between? How much faith do you need to be a Christian? Christ said, If you had faith the size of a mustard seed you could move mountains. That, my friend, is very small. And I can think of some great people who had faith much greater than a mustard seed, and I didn’t see any of them move any mountains or even any bumps in the road. Don’t think that you are unique.

I do think Christ meant what He said literally, but moving mountains literally is not what God wants to accomplish. He wants to move hearts, which is much more difficult. Faith is faith, and it accomplishes what it is intended to accomplish no matter how strong it is. Faith