Several years ago, my husband and I went on a vacation to Disney World.
Since I'm a planner, I researched the best days and times to visit certain sights. But I also prayed that we'd be aware of divine appointments.
After waiting in a long line at one ticket booth, the elderly ticket employee started having computer trouble. She wanted to explain the details to us, and she also wanted to tell us about her recovery from a stroke. We listened patiently and sympathetically instead of rushing off. And afterwards we prayed for her.
Later, while going from one exhibit to another, a janitor approached us and started talking. He'd picked us out of the crowd to share his stories about his boyhood, wild asparagus, and his feisty grandmother. We listened and encouraged him. And afterwards we prayed for him.
Sometimes God leads us to share the gospel boldly with a stranger, but we felt that this time we were simply meant to listen and pray. That was what God had prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Perhaps those "divine interruptions" were important in ways we will never fully understand.
Whether we're on the battlefield (like the soldier in the photo) or simply talking with a clerk at the mall, it's important to realize God is in control of the people we meet—even when they interrupt our "perfect" schedule.
For 2 similar 1-minute devotions read:
3 Ways to Give Your Agenda to the Lord
What's Your Job Description?
Bible Love Notes
Sarah had never thought much about her mom's disfigured face and arms until she started school and her classmates mocked her mother's appearance.
So Sarah hid the invitations to parent days and class parties. She was ashamed of how her mother looked.
Then one afternoon, she overheard her grandmother telling the story: There was a fire. If her mom had not rescued baby Sarah, she would have died before the firemen arrived. But the rescue left her mother permanently disfigured.
The scars that embarrassed Sarah were actually symbols of her mother's sacrificial love.
Do you see the application in our lives?
When we get to heaven, God will take away every emotional and physical scar (Revelation 21:2-4). But Christ will eternally bear the scars of our sins—scars that symbolize our rescue from eternal flames (John 20:24-29).(1)
Even if people mock our faith, we can remember the meaning of our Savior's scars and unashamedly proclaim His gospel (Romans 1:16).
Image:
William Hole Bible Picture Gallery
Note: I heard this story years ago. I'm not aware of the source or if it's true, but it's a good illustration of this spiritual truth.
(1) There is no Scripture passage that says Christ's scars are eternal, but the linked passage in John proves that Christ had the scars on His resurrected body which is a strong indicator that they may be eternal. And in Revelation 5:6 John says, "I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne."
Bible Love Notes
"When God forgives, He forgets. If you go back the next day and say, 'Remember that sin I committed, Lord?' He'll say, 'No.'"
I've heard this statement countless times and I used to repeat it myself. But, like many popular Christian slogans, it's another misunderstanding created by using pieces-parts of Scripture.
When Scripture says God no longer remembers our sins (Hebrews 8:12), it means He no longer counts them against us and always treats them as forgiven.
However, if God forgot our sins literally, He'd cease to be all-knowing. And He'd be unable to recognize repetitive sin patterns in our lives.(1)
Just as a good parent recognizes that a child who lies once a month has a different problem than one who lies several times a day, God also recognizes our sin patterns.
He "forgets" our sins in regard to eternal punishment, but still remembers every detail of our lives—past, present and future (Hebrews 4:12-13). And that's why He's the most Wonderful Counselor.
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(1) God's omniscience is a permanent quality of His character:
1 Chronicles 28:9: "The LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought."
Jeremiah 16:17: "My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes."
Psalm 139:3: "You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways."
1 John 3:20: "God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."
Hebrews 4:13: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
Matthew 18:21-35 is a parable explaining God's forgiveness, and it shows the difference between forgiving our debt and forgetting our debt.
We need to understand that Scripture sometimes uses figurative language. See Recognizing Figurative Language in Scripture.
Some people believe God cannot look upon us because we are sinners, but this is another misunderstanding. God cannot accept sinful beings into His kingdom unless they are "in Christ." But He is continually aware of our sins (Hebrews 4:12-13) and intimately involved in our lives. He loves us! If God could not look upon sinners, Jesus could never have come to earth and the risen Jesus could not make this statement in Revelation 3:19: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent."
These devotions highlight God as our Counselor who is perfect because He has full knowledge of our past, present, and future, and He has perfect answers for our problems.
What's in a Name: Quiet Time
5 Benefits of a Coffee Date with Jesus
Jesus Understands Your Pain
Bible Love Notes
Our laws are designed to treat defendants as innocent until proven guilty.
But Bible critics approach the Bible as flawed until proven accurate.
For example: For hundreds of years unbelievers pointed out that there was no evidence for the existence of the Hittites mentioned in Deuteronomy 20:17. Then in 1906, the Hittite capitol was discovered with a library of clay tablets.
Perhaps God has allowed some of these questions to remain because “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).
We don’t need “blind faith” to trust the Bible because there's more evidence proving the Bible true than questions about its validity. But we should have faith in God's Word even without every question being answered.
God isn’t afraid of our questions, so let’s not be afraid of His occasional silence! Let’s judge His Word innocent until proven guilty—because it never will be!
Resource: Presumed Innocent
Check out the short Bible study based on this devotion on Bite Size Bible Study.
Bible Love Notes
Modern Christianity often views God more as a permissive grandparent than as a loving Father.
There are several factors that contribute to this error: Our culture's emphasis on self-esteem has infiltrated the church, and we've become more self-focused and less God-focused. In addition, we've been confused by false teachings that equate love with approval.
God loves us, but He doesn't approve of everything we do. He wants us to try our best, to grow in our faith, and to fulfill His purposes for our lives (Ephesians 2:10).
God forgives our sins, but He doesn't overlook them.
Hebrews 12:5-6: “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
When we genuinely love someone, we're disappointed when they choose to do the wrong thing, and God genuinely loves us.
So let's show our love for God by taking our faith seriously (Philippians 2:12-13). Let’s find out what pleases Him (Ephesians 5:1-20)!
See also:
God Punishes
Discipline, Punishment, Condemnation
Billy Graham on this Subject
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Bible Love Notes
People are always learning new skills, making plans for their careers and retirement, and making lifestyle changes to improve their health and well-being.
However, surveys show that Christians are not as conscientious about our spiritual growth.
Instead of learning, planning, and making lifestyle changes for spiritual growth, we do little or nothing.
Scripture says our faith is a “race” and we should compete with “strict training,” prepared and determined to win “a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
It’s a race that involves throwing off the hindrances of sin and focusing on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Serious Christians willingly give up worldly treasures to achieve “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.” They press on toward the finish line, refusing to let anything in their past hold them back (Philippians 3:7-14).
I encourage you to think of practical ways you can be more prepared and determined in your race of faith. Consider how you can gain new Bible study skills, focus more on Jesus, and make lifestyle changes to improve the health of your prayer life.
Let's put a curve in those survey results.
Bible Love Notes
My 10-year-old granddaughter loves to read.
When I discovered that she'd read one book 12 times, I did some research and was troubled by the message the book conveyed.
So I ordered two books about the missionaries George Mueller and Gladys Aylward. It took her one day to read each book, and she decided she wanted to be a missionary.
As you might imagine, I ordered other books about faithful Christians. And I started reading them so I could discuss them with her.
Like my little munchkin, I've been strongly influenced by Christian biographies and autobiographies. Before I was a believer, I read Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place, and it prepared my heart to receive Jesus. And since that time, I've read scores of biographies that have continued to shape my faith.
I consider it a form of mentoring—one that's available even if I'm traveling or have recently moved and don't have Christian friends to encourage me.
These biographies serve as what Hebrews 12:1-2 calls "a great cloud of witnesses."
I'd love to have you leave a comment below and tell me about a Christian biography that especially influenced you.
Did you know that Bible Love Notes has a collection of 1-minute devotions about Christians Who Inspire Us? Why not check it out for a glimpse into the lives of Christians whose biographies you might want to read.
Bible Love Notes
How do you feel about America's abandonment of Judeo-Christian values?
I thought about this the other day when I read 2 Peter 2:7-8:
"[God] rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)."
Scripture paints a picture of Lot that isn't altogether godly.(1) Yet he was still discerning enough to be "tormented in his righteous soul" by the ungodliness around him.
This Scripture made me ask: Am I tormented by the ungodliness I see on TV and movies, in books and magazines, in the news and the culture at large?
I'm bothered, but I'm not tormented. If I were, I would be praying fervently for my nation. And I'm not. Before I examine Lot's sins, I had better examine my failure to pray. Do you need to do the same?
What are some practical ways you can incorporate prayer for your nation into your daily schedule?
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(1) He chose to live among heathens when given his choice of the land (Genesis 13) and offered his daughters to be abused (Genesis 19:8).
Bible Love Notes
You've probably figured out that I'm a strong believer in "less is more" since most of my devotions take one minute or less to read.
I don't like wordiness, and I find it tedious when a speaker takes 45 minutes to say what he could in 15. But wordiness is not the same as repetition. According to Scripture, we need repetition.
Peter says:
"I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory...." 2 Peter 1:12-13
And Paul says:
"It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you." Philippians 3:1.
Sixty-six books...four Gospels...repeated principles, stories and history.
No matter how often we read the Bible, we can't hear the message of God's love too much. There is always something new to learn, and there is always something we need to hear again!
Bible Love Notes
"Momma, Momma, hug."
"Can't Grammy give you a hug?" I asked.
"No!"
We were watching our 3-year-old grandson, and even though he loves being with us, he wanted a hug from his mommy half-way through our day. Grammy's hugs just wouldn't do.
It's true. Mom hugs typically bring children a heart-to-heart connection that's more assuring than the hugs of any other person on earth.
Then there are "God hugs"—those times when our thoughts turn toward God and we realize He's always there for us. God hugs bring us comfort, joy, and assurance. They prevent discouragement and fear. And we need them regularly.
Today I've decided to stop throughout my day and lift my arms toward God as a reminder that He's always there for me. Would you like to join me?
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Several verses that are applicable to "God Hugs":
Matthew 11:28, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Several 1-minute devotions that are applicable:
God Enjoys Us
God Enjoys the Process
Bible Love Notes
