Those who know your name trust in you; for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10
The presence of fear doesn’t mean you have no faith!
My dad loved to fish for trout on the edge of the white water rivers of the Rockies. He knew the currents were dangerous and that his sons could be careless. He’d scout out the safe places to cross the river. He’d walk us down the bank until we found a line of stable rocks. He’d test the stones, knowing if they held him, they’d hold us. Then he’d signal us to follow.
“Don’t be afraid—trust me!” he’d say. And we children never needed coaxing.
But we adults often do! Does a river of fear run between you and Jesus? If you wave Jesus away, joy will die, laughter will perish, and tomorrow will be buried in today’s grave of dread. Don’t make that mistake.
Give the day a chance. Believe He can. Believe He cares. Just—believe!
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”
8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,
from the snares they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Proverbs 15:21-33
21 Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,
but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent
to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.
25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud,
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.
26 The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but gracious words are pure in his sight.
27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.
31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction
will be at home among the wise.
32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,
but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.
33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD,
and humility comes before honor.
A Man Of Warmth And Wisdom
February 28, 2012 — by David C. McCasland
A word spoken in due season, how good it is! —Proverbs 15:23
When Dr. Vernon Grounds, former president and chancellor of Denver Seminary, went to be with the Lord at age 96, tributes and remembrances poured in from former students, colleagues, and friends. Almost everyone recalled a time when Dr. Grounds had personally encouraged them through his teaching, his counsel, or simply his warm smile. He believed in the value of training pastors, teachers, and counselors who had a vital relationship with Christ and a willingness to serve others.
A vivid portrait of Vernon Grounds is seen in a selection of verses from Proverbs 15: “A man of understanding walks uprightly” (v.21). “A word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (v.23). “The words of the pure are pleasant” (v.26). “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer” (v.28). “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom” (v.33).
Dr. Grounds’ counsel grew out of his character, and his wisdom came from God. The warmth of his life was fired by his purity of heart. The result is a model for us from the Word of God and the example of a man who humbly followed his Savior.
Vernon Grounds ran well and finished his race. May his example of wise and compassionate living challenge us as we continue to run.
Life’s truest heroes never carve their name
On marbled columns built for their acclaim;
They build instead a legacy that springs
From faithful service to the King of kings. —Gustafson
A good leader is one who knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
"Do You Now Believe?"
’By this we believe . . . .’ Jesus answered them, ’Do you now believe?’ —John 16:30-31
Now we believe. . . .” But Jesus asks, “Do you . . . ? Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you . . . will leave Me alone” (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on our own religious understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6). This is not deliberate sin and there is no punishment attached to it. But once a person realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and caused uncertainties, sorrows, and difficulties for himself, it is with shame and remorse that he has to return.
We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to “walk in the light” of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to “walk in the light asHe is in the light. . .” (1 John 1:7). When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others. But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation-just obedience. That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Only an Instrument - #6557
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
We raised a son who loves sports, but he also had ability in music. How do you put those two together? A lot of times those two interests don't go together. Well, it was fourth grade when we thought it was time to introduce our son to a musical instrument. And when we talked a little bit about what instrument he'd be interested in, he said, "Well, maybe the saxophone."
We really didn't have a saxophone or the money to buy one, but a friend called us and said that he knew we were interested in getting a saxophone for our son. He'd found a classy, reconditioned instrument that was all shined up and looked great and was willing to make it available to us. Now, I really wasn't too sure how my son and the saxophone would get along at their first meeting, until our friend handed it to him for a first try. I've got to tell you, I was expecting squawks and squeaks.
But instead, out came a couple of notes loud and strong as if he'd been playing it for a while. It was great! He played it loud and strong for many years! I looked at that saxophone one day; I saw myself.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Only an Instrument."
Well, our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Timothy 4:17. Paul's talking about how God has played His music through him. "But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it." Now, this is Paul's reflection on his life's work as he's nearing the end of his life. And I was struck by these two words "through me." The Lord through me is seeing that the message is fully proclaimed.
Notice he doesn't say it's being proclaimed by me. He said, "Everything that's happening in my ministry comes through me. All those churches that have been established, all those people that have come to Christ, all those letters that are going to become part of the New Testament; ultimately, all those sermons preached. I'm just an instrument."
Which brings me back to my son's saxophone. It never did produce any music by itself. It would really just kind of lay there like a piece of shiny plumbing...only an instrument. But it could play jazz, or pop, or gospel, or patriotic. But that sax didn't decide what it would play; it was only an instrument. And the music was not by the sax, it came through the sax. Without the master playing it (by the way, my son would love that...the master). Without the master playing it, it's shining but it's useless, because it's only an instrument.
But then, so are you, and so am I. God has designed you for some special purposes. And if you try to play yourself, you'll be useless. When you realize that you're only an instrument, good things start to happen. First, you relax and you realize you can make a difference because it isn't up to you. You let the master musician pick you up and use you, and play melodies through you that you could never manufacture yourself.
Secondly, you stop telling the master what tune you should be playing. You let Him pick the tune. And thirdly, you give the credit where credit belongs. Anything that happens as a result of my life is not by me, it's through me. That means you can be surprised daily by what He's going to play through you, and you can wake up expectant daily, that He's going to use you.
You're only an instrument, but you don't belong in the case. No, the Master Musician wants to play through your life.