January 23, 2023

Monday

Fuel for the Fire

Proverbs 26: 20-21

¹⁹ In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 10:19

Anyone who has spent time camping knows what it takes to keep a fire going at night to keep curious wildlife at bay: a good supply of firewood! And when it’s time to break camp, removing all combustible fuel from the fire is mandatory (along with putting water and dirt on the coals). The book of Proverbs makes use of this imagery related to speech.

In Proverbs 26:20, the metaphor is clear: “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.” And Proverbs 10:19 says that the more we talk (the more wood we put on the fire), the more likely the fire of sin is to blaze up. That’s why James 1:19 says to be “slow to speak.” Regardless of what we have to say, “A prudent man conceals knowledge” (Proverbs 12:23). That is, the more we speak the more likely we are to say something hurtful or harmful.

Words can hurt, and words can heal. Ask God to give you speech that is considered and weighed as to its outcome before you speak—words that bless and build up others.

A point to ponder…

A sanctified heart is better than a silver tongue.

Thomas Brooks

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 16-18

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

January 21– January 22, 2023

Standing with the Fallen

² For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

James 3:2

Maybe you’ve noticed one or two flaws in a few of the Christians around you. (Just maybe.)

But that’s not really so surprising, right? After all, we’ve got a few flaws ourselves.

If the church is supposed to be a place where hope abounds--even with sin hanging around as an all too frequent visitor--our responses to one another in these inevitable moments of unworthiness are crucially important. If all we do is stand back and register our critique and frustration, rather than apply ourselves to our brother or sister’s improvement, we only cause more damage in an already destructive situation.

Scripture counsels us to take a more hopeful approach.

1) See the person in process. God isn’t finished with anybody. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). And since Jesus hasn’t come back yet, that’s all the proof we need that He hasn’t abandoned the job of completing this “good work” He started. He hasn’t decided that the one who stumbles is a lost cause--and if He hasn’t, we certainly shouldn’t. Allow one who’s struggling room for being a work in progress.

2) Cover them. Notice I didn’t say cover for them. Enabling people to escape consequences or feel entitled to their sin is not a functional equivalent of love. But to cover the individual--being discreet about the matter, keeping to a minimum the people who need to know what’s going on--is a loving expression of both grace and protection. “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends” (Proverbs 17:9). This doesn’t keep us from perhaps needing to talk straight with the person in private, but it does keep us from widening their public exposure to unhelpful rumor and ridicule.

3) Give mercy. Grace means getting what we don’t deserve (the forgiving favor of God); mercy means not getting what we do deserve (an eternity separated from Him in hell). Our most logical, reflexive response to someone whose ways are running counter to the faith they profess--especially someone close to us--is to bring down the hammer with heavy authority. But be wary of such a quick-strike approach, even if for no other reason than your own self-protection. “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

4) Examine yourself. “Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

Even if we’re not the one stumbling at the moment, we’ve stumbled before, and we’ll stumble again. That’s why every Christian, when noticing a brother or sister struggling, always needs to know where to find the nearest mirror. Examining ourselves first will help us watch more carefully what we do and say to them.

As long as we’re in close proximity to other believers--and they with us--there will be ample opportunity to notice each other’s flaws. But let’s take these opportunities to help make each other better, spreading hope instead of gossip.

Points to ponder…

• What’s usually your first thought when seeing or hearing about another Christian’s unwise, undisciplined behavior?
• If someone else had practiced these four hopeful responses toward you at a time when you fell, how much different might your path of repentance and change have been?

Saturday’s Reading

Exodus 10-12

Sunday’s Reading

 Exodus 13-15

 I love you!!!

© 2000-2021 B. Michael Goerlich

January 20, 2023

Friday

Sneak Peek

Romans 5

² Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

³ Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Isaiah 12:2-3

Do you ever flip to the back of a book to find out the ending? Perhaps you are hoping to discover if the main character survives a life-threatening surgery, or if the love story has a happy ending? Reading the end of a story can bring peace to the reading journey, even though the exact unfolding of the events is unknown.

When we come to Christ, the end of our story is written and secure. Salvation is both deliverance from the penalty of sin and an open invitation into the presence of God, for eternity and today. Regardless of the circumstances of this moment and any discouragement weighing you down, the well of salvation is deep. We can approach God with joy to receive the strength and song of Christ’s sacrifice and affection. Nothing can snatch us from His hand.

A point to ponder…

It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not the joy in Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not even the faith in Christ, though it be thy instrument; it is Christ’s blood and merit.

Charles Spurgeon

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 7-9

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 19, 2023

Thursday

New Leaves: Social Media Time

1 Corinthians 9: 19-23

²² To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

1 Corinthians 9:22

The average person spends more than 5 years of his or her life on social media, and the average teen spends 9 hours a day using social media.¹ To appreciate the generational shift that is occurring, consider this: People older than 50 spend 50 hours a week watching television, but people between 25 and 34 watch a “mere” 26.5 hours a week. They’re looking at smaller screens instead.²

None of us can afford to give that much time to social media. Turn over a new leaf this year and figure out ways to reduce the time you and your children spend online. Reduce the number of apps you use. Adopt more productive hobbies so you’ll have less time to waste.

But when you are on social media sites, think of 1 Corinthians 9:22, where Paul said he used “all means” to share Christ. We have new platforms now for quoting Scripture, for testifying, for pointing others to the Lord. We can share insights and links that advance the Kingdom.     

Turn your social media into social ministry, and let’s use “all means” to save some.

Point to ponder…

Turn a new leaf for me, Father I pray; / Turn a new leaf in my life-book today; / Pardon me graciously, Deal with me wondrously, / Turn a new leaf in my life-book today.
Hymnist Eliza Hewitt

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 4-6

I love you!!!

1.https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/306136

2. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/business/media/nielsen-survey-media-viewing.html

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 18, 2023

Wednesday

Great Communicators

Proverbs 15: 1-7

6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Colossians 4:6

One summer while staying in a vacation cottage, Rich DeVos noticed the garbage collector making his rounds. This man showed up precisely at 6:30 a.m. once a week, moving from cottage to cottage carefully so as not to awaken people. The man was graceful in how he stashed the garbage in his vehicle, and he kept the neighborhood tidy. One morning, DeVos went out and told him, “You’re doing a great job. I came out to tell you that I really appreciate the good job you’re doing.” The man replied that in twelve years of hauling garbage, no one had ever said a kind word to him, including his boss.¹

Great communicators don’t just give speeches or deliver sermons. They know how to say a kind word to those they meet along the way. Today you can say a kind word to someone who hasn’t heard one for a while. A kind word is never wasted.

Let Christ’s loyal love for you set the standard for how you love others. Be the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A point to ponder…

Without my Christian faith, I would have fallen apart and given up. But with Christ strengthening me, I had the will to go on…. My faith in God gave me hope.²

Rich DeVos

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 1-3

I love you!!!

¹ Rich DeVos, Hope From My Heart (Nashville: J Countryman, 2000), 58-59.

² Rich DeVos, Hope From My Heart (Nashville: J Countryman, 2000), 99.

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 17, 2023

Tuesday

A True Friend

John 15: 13-15 

“…and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24b

Jesse, the father of King David, had eight sons, David being the youngest (1 Samuel 16:10-11; 17:12). But there is no record in the Old Testament of David being particularly close to any of his brothers. In fact, one of his older brothers acted harshly toward David (1 Samuel 17:28). David found a friend who epitomized the words of Solomon in Proverbs 18:24, “A friend who sticks closer than a brother.” That friend was Jonathan, the son of Saul.

Friend had a covenant connotation. Jonathan and David made a mutual covenant between them; Abraham was the covenant friend of God. What did that mean? Loyalty, provision, protection, and sacrificial love—these were not something always found in brothers by birth. It should come as no surprise that Jesus, during His last meeting with His disciples, declared them to be His “friends” (John 15:13-15) by displaying the most telling trait of true friends: a willingness to lay down one’s life for another. All who walk in covenant with Jesus Christ are assured of His loyalty, provision, protection, and sacrificial love.

Let Christ’s loyal love for you set the standard for how you love others. Be the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A point to ponder…

Jesus takes to heart the sufferings of His friends.

William Hendriksen

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 48-50

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 16, 2023

Monday

Start Early

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

Gardeners stake their tomato plants and trellis their cucumbers when the plants are young. People begin training a puppy in the ways of the home when it is young. Many musicians testify that they started playing an instrument when they were young. Proverbs 22:6 is a piece of ancient wisdom that reflects that general principle: Setting a child on the path of righteousness early in life is the best way to ensure that the child will walk that path as an adult. Proverbs 22:6 is not a guarantee, but it is a general rule.

The phrase “train up” in this verse is used often in the Old Testament to refer to dedication or consecration—altars, the temple, city walls, and so on. A dedicated person was one who was trained and experienced in his assigned task (Genesis 14:14). Therefore, with children, training begins with parents dedicating, or committing, their children to God with the goal that the children will become trained, or experienced, in godly living.

Dedication, and the resulting training, happens daily. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is Scripture’s best illustration of that process.

A point to ponder…

The secret of home rule is self-rule, first being ourselves what we want our children to be.

Andrew Murray

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 46-47

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

January 14 – January 15, 2023

Saved from A Sinking Distraction

When [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me” 

Matthew 14:30

Picture the scene. A raging storm, giant waves crashing against a first-century fishing boat, and the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. Imagine their terror-filled eyes as water poured over the sides, negating their efforts to bail. Then God shows up.

Appearing at the least likely moment, Jesus walked toward them on the churning sea with a calm assurance. “It is I. Do not be afraid” (v. 27). Twelve jaws must have dropped as the disciples, who had been totally focused on survival, were riveted by this supernatural sight.

Hearing Jesus’ voice, Peter didn’t hold back: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (v. 28). So over the edge Peter climbed and—incredibly, miraculously—began to walk on top of the rolling waves. Until he sank.

The passage tells us why: “When he saw the wind, he was afraid.” Peter got distracted. In crisis his priority had rightly shifted from the raging storm to Jesus, but it didn’t stay there. Almost immediately Peter’s focus returned to his circumstances—and the consequences came in an instant.

Like Peter, the moment we take our eyes off of the Lord we sink. When our attention drifts, we lose our ability to hear His voice. The same wind and waves that jolt us into crying out to God one moment can distract us from Him in the next.

Here are a few common distractions that may be hindering your ability to focus on Jesus.

The Comparison Distraction: Have you been prompted to compare other people or circumstances against God’s provision for your life? Is your sense of fairness obscuring your perception of His good desires for you?

The Pride Distraction: Have you allowed an offense to become an obstacle in the path of restoring a relationship? Are your strong opinions getting in the way of being open to God’s plans?

The Bitterness Distraction: Are you bent on making someone pay for the pain they’ve caused, instead of leaving it in the Lord’s hands? Rather than pursuing peace, are you nurturing a minor matter into a major rift?

If any of those resonate, you’ve been distracted. If you can’t remember the last time you’ve looked to the Lord to direct your steps—you’ve been distracted. You’re going under. Your eyes have gotten off of Jesus and onto something else. Confess it for the sin it is. Cry out like Peter, “Lord, save me”! And believe that He will.

Today is an opportunity not to sink into distraction, but to focus on the Lord and what He’s teaching you. To trust Him to handle the hard situations. To release your pain and bitterness. To forgive as He has forgiven you.

This is what life should be for growing followers of Christ: looking to God for wisdom and responding with obedience, even in the face of what may seem impossible. All the while, keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Points to ponder…

• What is distracting you from being focused on the Lord?
• If there was one change you made to your daily routine or thought life that could help your eyes stay fixed on Jesus, what would it be?

Saturday’s Reading

Genesis 41-42

Sunday’s Reading

Genesis 43-45

 I love you!!!

 © 2000-2026 B. Michael Goerlich

January 13, 2023

Friday

Beached

Ephesians 5:22-23

⁴ Marriage is honourable in all…”

Hebrews 13:4a

A Clearwater, Florida, couple decided to get married on the beach. It was a lovely affair, but the good feelings didn’t last long. The couple started drinking, then fighting, and by the end of the day they were in separate cells. “I’d probably say that’s quite bizarre,” said the Clearwater Police spokesman. “I don’t think we have too many calls where you get into a domestic situation on your wedding day. It’s not exactly a good start to your marriage.”

Some marriages begin unraveling with the honeymoon, but some marriages grow stronger and sweeter as the years pass. The difference is Jesus. When both partners are committed to the Lord, they find they’re also brother and sister in the faith; heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; one with God and each other. They are living stones in His temple, fellow citizens in His Kingdom, fellow members of His Body, and fellow servants in His work.

Compatibility in marriage begins with faith, which leads to fidelity, faithfulness, financial unity, and family. Along the way, nothing helps like joining our hearts and minds in daily prayer and weekly church involvement. Yes, marriage is hard work—but it is honorable and pleasing to God.

A point to ponder…

Find some way, even if it is for a few moments, to read your Bibles together as a couple.

David Jeremiah

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 38-40

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 12, 2023

Thursday

New Leaves: Entertainment

Psalm 101: 1-4

³ I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

Psalm 101:3

A few years ago, a Michigan dad took his two stepsons to Burger King. A TV was mounted to the wall, and the older son blurted out, “Don’t look up at the TV.” The screen was filled with a lurid R-rated sex scene. Some of the customers were mesmerized by the action, and because employees were slow to change the channel, the man walked over and turned off the television. Burger King apologized when the man filed a police report, but he understandably worries that the images will torment his sons.

Perhaps we need to turn off the television too—the one in our own home. Our culture has a way of luring us into watching people in more obscene, profane, violent, and immoral activities than any that we’d actually allow into our house. Not all entertainment is bad, but most entertainment is getting worse.

Consider turning over a new leaf this year. Be more selective in what you watch. Be quicker to turn off shows that are inappropriate and seek programming that will help you and others make wiser turning points in life.

A point to ponder…

We must not be so naïve as to assume that all entertainment is spiritually neutral and safe, as though we could immerse our minds in everything the world offers and remain spiritually unscathed.
John MacArthur

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 35-37

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 11, 2023

Wednesday

Good Things

1 John 4: 7-12

²² Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.”

Proverbs 18:22

God specializes in good things. Moses told the Israelites, “So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house” (Deuteronomy 26:11). Joshua told them, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken” (Joshua 21:45). Psalm 34:10 says, “Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Psalm 84:11 adds, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Paul told Timothy, “That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit” (2 Timothy 1:14).

According to Proverbs 18:22, having a husband or wife is a “good thing,” but we must guard the relationship committed to us. The foundation of a good marriage begins with knowing and loving God. As we grow in Christ, He gives us the spiritual resources we need to bring patience, joy, and faithfulness into our home. Marriage is really a three-way friendship between a man, a woman, and the Lord. We must be zealous to guard that.

Galatians 4:18 says, “It is good to be zealous in a good thing always.”

A point to ponder…

Men, you’ll never be a good groom to your wife unless you’re first a good bride to Jesus.

Timothy Keller

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 32-34

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 10, 2023

Tuesday

Flee!

1 Corinthians 10:13

¹⁸ Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”

1 Corinthians 6:18

The English word “flee” occurs 81 times in the eminently physical contexts in the Old Testament—most of them having to do with escaping with one’s life in the midst of conflict. In the more spiritually-focused New Testament, “flee” only occurs 14 times, but it loses none of its Old Testament urgency: run for your life; flee the enemy; escape while you can.

Therefore, when Paul tells the Corinthians to “flee sexual immorality,” he was being extremely serious. In the same way that we flee things that can hurt us, we should flee sexual immorality. Normally, we flee from an external force that might come against us. In the case of sexual immorality, we are fleeing the possibility of hurting ourselves. Who would want to harm themselves? Moreover, our body is not our own—it is a sanctuary for God’s Holy Spirit. So not only do we sin against ourselves with sexual immorality, we sin against God within us.

Thankfully, God provides a way of escape from the temptation to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you are tempted, look for the way He provides to flee.

A point to ponder…

Holiness is not freedom from temptation, but power to overcome temptation.

G. Campbell Morgan

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 30-31

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 9, 2023

Monday

Commit Your Eyes

1 Corinthians 6: 19-21 

²⁷ Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”

Proverbs 7:27

In the Old Testament, a covenant was entered into as a guarantee of future benefits and protection. Consider the covenant Job made: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1) That was a man speaking, but the same gender-neutral idea is in Psalm 119:37: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” The time to make a covenant with your eyes is in a time of reflection and sober commitment.

The father in Proverbs warned his son to consider the danger and damage associated with yielding to sexual temptation (Proverbs 7:1-27). As parents tell their children about all of life, an important lesson they might share is that it’s easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble. And the way to avoid the trouble that comes with sexual immorality is to make a covenant with God not to go there. And a covenant with your eyes, in our visual world, is a good place to begin.

Commit your eyes to God in prayer, that they may look upon and desire only that which is good and godly.

A point to ponder…

No sinful act desecrates the body like fornication and sexual abuse.

R. C. H. Lenski

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 27-29

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

January 7– January 8, 2023

The Power of Simple Prayer

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

² And he said unto them, when ye pray…”

Luke 11:1–2a

From the time humans were created, prayer has been part of our experience. God designed us with the ability to communicate. Not only do we talk to each other, but we also have a natural compulsion to talk to the One who made us. And just as every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, communication with our Creator is broken too.

Jesus addressed several ways prayer can become twisted, one of which is empty repetition—something our ancestors had a reputation for doing. Pagan Gentiles practiced polytheism, so they had a lot of deities to juggle. For them, praying involved coping with the demands of all these gods. Prayers became rote incantations designed to keep the gods happy and distracted. But as their gods weren’t real and their idols were powerless, it follows that the phrases said to them were meaningless, no matter how high the petitioners stacked them up.

Jesus was clearly unimpressed by repetition in prayer. His descriptions of how people “heap up empty phrases” and use “many words” vividly depicts people mindlessly, frantically trying to reach a god by using multiple echoes. They think, this god will be pleased if I say it one more time. If I persist, this god will hear me.

A clear illustration of the contrast between impotent, repetitive prayer vs. a simple prayer of faith is found in 1 Kings 18:17–40, when the prophet Elijah went head-to-head with pagan priests in a prayer contest. Each side was to call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice. Outnumbered 400 to 1, Elijah basically said, “The God who answers with fire is the real God. The other one is an impostor. This pits your god Baal vs. my God Yahweh; may the true God win.” Then Elijah prompted, “You go first.”

So, the priests “called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying ‘O Baal, answer us!’ ”(18:26). Such frantic repetition—today we’d call it a mantra: “O Baal, answer us!” repeated over and over. 

During the lunch break, Elijah “mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened’”(18:27). So, they cried louder—literally “raved on” to Baal hour after hour—but there was no answer, only silence (18:29).

After a full day of this circus, it was time to get real. Elijah prepared his sacrifice, even drenching it with water. Then he simply and calmly prayed one time, inviting God Almighty to do His thing. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench”(18:38). God won the contest decisively.

As Elijah’s story illustrates, answers to prayer don’t come from some sort of obnoxious yammering, like a child wearing down a parent. Lose that idea. The issue isn’t limiting us to mention something to God only once—we can talk to Him as often as something is on our hearts and minds. The issue is the misconception that incessant repetition will force God’s hand. It won’t.

God is pleased with simple, trusting prayer. Can He hear us? Yes. Is He listening? Yes. We may have the same issues to talk to Him about many times, even over the span of years. But we repeat them out of trust and to release our anxiety to Him, not because we think repetition gains His attention or favor. Our requests are but a small part of the broader and deeper conversation we have with our heavenly Father.

Points to ponder…

• What’s the difference between empty repetition and speaking often with God about an important issue?
• How could you apply the model of Elijah’s simple prayer to your conversations with God?

Saturday’s Reading

Genesis 22-24

Sunday’s Reading

 Genesis 25-26

 I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 6, 2023

Friday

Wise Counsel

Proverbs 20:18

 ²² Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.”

Proverbs 15:22

Roughly speaking, around 2.5 million people work for the American federal government in some capacity. Theoretically, all of those individuals have the ear of the President of the United States through the President’s Cabinet—the heads of fifteen executive departments (State, Defense, Treasury, and more), plus the Vice President. Eight other counselors attend Cabinet meetings but are not official Cabinet members. Then, the President has a roster of hand-picked White House advisors. Finally, every citizen can give the President advice through their Congresspersons and Senators.

The Founding Fathers’ idea was that the Executive leader of the United States was to be held in check by an abundance of counselors. And that idea—a “multitude of counselors”—is thoroughly biblical. Even King Solomon, a royal monarch, knew there was value in the accountability and wisdom of many counselors. The same surely holds true for us as individuals.

Who are your wise counselors? What kind of access do you allow them in your life? Purpose to make 2023 a year of wise counsel. Seek out godly friends and mentors who can help you make the wisest decisions and whose counsel you are prepared to take.

A point to ponder…

It is better to get wisdom than gold.

Matthew Henry

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 19-21

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 5, 2023

Thursday

New Leaves: Anger

James 1: 16-20

¹⁹ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

²⁰ For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

James 1:19-20

When you think of turning over a new leaf, perhaps you envision a leaf from a tree, but that’s not what the expression means. Back in the 1500s, pages of books were called leaves. Turning over a new leaf meant turning to a blank page to begin again. Every January we have the opportunity to turn the page and start afresh.

For example, perhaps you’d like to be less irritable this year. Many people are irritable because they’re tired, so a new bedtime routine might help. Some are angry because they’ve allowed bitterness to accrue in their hearts, so they might want to ask God for a forgiving spirit.

Sometimes we’re irritable just because we’ve learned patterns of impatience. In that case, set a goal of memorizing James 1:19-20: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires”.

The best way of turning over some new leaves is by leaving anger behind—and the leaves of Scripture can help you with that.

A point to ponder…

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.
Billy Graham

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 16-18

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 4, 2023

Wednesday

The Woman in Your Life

Proverbs 9: 1-12

⁶ Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”

Proverbs 9:6

In Proverbs 9, we find a woman working hard to prepare a banquet. She starts by building a house for it, hewing out seven pillars. Then she selects the menu, prepares the feast, and sends maidens who find the highest spots in town to shout the invitations: “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed” (verse 5). The woman’s name is Wisdom, and Proverbs 9 describes all the blessings that come from her menu.

But the chapter ends with another woman: “A foolish woman is clamorous; she is simple and knows nothing” (verse 13). Lady Folly also sends invitations into the streets, saying, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here” (verse 16). Her meal is junk food that ruins the heart.

Every person on earth goes to one house or the other for their understanding of life. One or the other of these addresses is downloaded onto the GPS of your soul. You’ll have a better life by going to Wisdom’s address. There you can feast on the richness of God’s Word, drink the wine of His thoughts, and be sustained by the energy of His Spirit.

A point to ponder…

The Scriptures are radiant with divine wisdom. This wisdom shines with the glory of God.

John Piper

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 12-15

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 3, 2023

Tuesday

Comedy of Errors

Proverbs 8: 12-21

¹⁴ Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.”

Proverbs 8:14

A few years ago, a man in Colorado planned to rob a store, but he drew attention to himself by pacing on the sidewalk, gathering his courage. Then he entered the store and pulled a gun from his clothes—it was a BB gun—but he lost his grip and sent it tumbling behind the counter where the clerk picked it up. The man then ran from the store, but his pants, once held up with his BB gun in the waistband, fell around his legs.

It’s amazing how our foolish deeds start multiplying on us.

It’s also amazing how our wise deeds multiply. Our actions flow from values and convictions, and our wisdom comes from God. He says, “Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.”

Life is confusing for us, but we don’t have to bungle our way through it. Ask God for wisdom for each day and study the counsel of His Word. The fruit of righteousness abounds with each passing year; instead of a comedy of errors, our lives become channels of blessing.

A point to ponder…

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It is in our coming before the Lord that we see the true nature of all that we observe around us.

W. A. Criswell

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 8-11

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 2, 2023

Monday

One Resolution

Proverbs 2: 1-6

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

1 Corinthians 13:12

Most people make New Year’s resolutions, but research shows that most people don’t achieve them. Today is a good day to think about simplifying the whole process of New Year’s resolutions. How? By making only one.

There is one resolution guaranteed to be achievable and impact all your other goals for 2023: Seek wisdom from God every day. One of the Old Testament meanings of wisdom was skill; a wise person was skilled in living (see the book of Proverbs). If we ask God for wisdom, He will provide it (James 1:5). And if God provides wisdom, then every day we will become more skilled at living life in a way that is fruitful and honoring to God. If we ask for wisdom, and are serious about applying it, then all of life will become better: finances, personal goals, relationships, direction for the future, marriage and family—everything.

We see life dimly now, like looking through a dark glass. Therefore, we need wisdom to see more clearly. Ask God for wisdom today and every day of this year.

A point to ponder…

He who has a constant longing for wisdom will persistently pray for it.

D. Edmond Hiebert

Read the Bible through in a year

Genesis 4-7

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

December 13, 2022

Tuesday

Joy to the World

Psalm 98

² The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.”

Psalm 98:2

Hymn lyrics and tunes stay with us when almost everything else fades. How many of us know of elderly friends, parents, or spouses with memory loss? Some of these senior saints no longer recognize anything except for the words or music of some great hymn, one they absorbed over the course of a lifetime, one that settled into the deepest spheres of their souls. Historian Ernest Edwin Ryden said, “The memory of a single hymn learned in childhood has often proved decisive in the spiritual crises of later years.”

That’s especially true for our Christmas carols, because they’re deeply intertwined with our annual celebration of the greatest gift humanity has ever received. Music brings the celebration in our hearts into fruition in our very being. It brings the joy of the angels into our lives.

A point to ponder…

Perhaps this season you’ll be in a public spot when you hear a Christmas carol playing in the background. Who knows? It might be a good opportunity to look at someone nearby and, with a smile, say, “They’re singing about my Savior.”

Read the Bible through in a year

1 Thessalonians 1-5

I love you!!!

© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich

December 12, 2022

Monday

Early Traditions

John 3: 10-17

¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:”

Matthew 2:14

Many of our Christmas traditions are very old. We typically date nativity scenes from the time of Francis of Assisi; Christmas trees from the time of Martin Luther; and greeting cards from Victorian England. But a few traditions are as old as the Nativity itself. For example, the singing of Christmas carols was started by the angels, and the custom of gift-giving was begun by the Wise Men.

Their gifts had spiritual significance—the gold pointed to Christ’s role as King; the frankincense to His role as Priest; and the myrrh pointed to His role as Savior and to His redeeming death. But these gifts were also practical, for they conveyed financial value. Some scholars believe it was God’s way of providing Joseph and Mary the funds needed to flee to Egypt and raise their baby in a foreign but safe environment.

How wonderful when our gifts can be both meaningful and practical!

A point to ponder…

But wait! There’s a mistake in today’s devotion—did you spot it? Christmas gift-giving didn’t start with the Wise Men, did it? No, its origin is even older.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….

Read the Bible through in a year

Colossians 1-4

I love you!!!

© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

December 10 – December 11, 2022

Enriching The Heart Of The Giver

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness 

2 Corinthians 9:10

God promises in His Word to bless the giver—He just comes right out and says it. Not once or twice but numerous times. Yet as nice as it sounds, maybe there’s something in you that feels uneasy about such a brash declaration. You detect a tinge of false theology imbedded in there somewhere—this idea that if you give a certain amount of money to God, you’re pegging Him in to respond to you in like fashion. You’re giving, yes (that’s good), but you’re expecting a payback in return. Something just doesn’t sound right about that.

Except that if God has decided He wants to motivate your giving by telling you up front what He’ll give you if you do, who are you to say His inducement is beneath you?

And what if financial blessing is only the beginning (even the least) of the benefit package?

Based on what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9, it’s outright impossible to out-give God. If you are generous in your giving, you can be absolutely confident that “he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.” Your needs will be abundantly met. And more.

And that’s not even the best part. You can also expect . . .

• Abundant righteousness. “The harvest of your righteousness.”Within the dynamics of your genuine, non-compulsory giving, God may take the opportunity to set you free from a stubborn, sinful habit. He may relieve you from a debilitating bondage to anxiety. He may release you from a certain addiction or lifestyle pattern that has plagued your family for generations. In some measure, He will take action that impacts your personal righteousness for the better.
• Abundant ministry. “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way” (2 Corinthians 9:11). In being part of meeting others’ needs by giving to the Lord, your generosity will overflow “in many thanksgivings to God”(2 Corinthians 9:12). Lives will be touched. Hearts will be changed. You’ll be able to look down at the fruit of your investment and say, “I can’t believe how God is using me—me!—to bless and serve people like this.” Do you know how many never feel that? Largely because they’re not being generous in their giving.
• Abundant relationships. Those to whom you minister “will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others”(2 Corinthians 9:13). As you give, God begins to surround you with those who are blessed by what you’re doing. He keeps filling your life with people who soon become new friends, as well as new brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Abundant worship. “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift”(2 Corinthians 9:15)! As if all these other things aren’t enough, God works through your giving to grow in you a deeper capacity for worship . . . because nothing else owns you now. Nothing else controls you. You are no longer enslaved by selfish wants and wishes. Therefore you’re unshackled, unburdened to worship Him with your whole heart.

And this is the kind of abundance that always flows from our generous Father as His children follow in His steps.

Points to ponder…

• What keeps you from sowing as generously as you could?
• How have you experienced some of these returns on your giving investment?

Saturday’s Reading

Ephesians 4-6

Sunday’s Reading

 Philippians 1-4

 I love you!!!

© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich

December 9, 2022

Friday

Flock Faith

Luke 2: 15-18

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

Luke 2:15

The French government is restoring brown bears to the Pyrenees because the animals have become nearly extinct. That’s good news for the bears, but not for the fluffy sheep dotting the brown hills. The bears are nearly invisible against the landscape, and shepherds are upset. In one case, a charging bear sent dozens of sheep plunging off a high cliff. “They didn’t ask us if we wanted the bears here” said one distraught shepherd after losing 35 sheep last year.

According to Jesus, a good shepherd will risk his life for his sheep, and the shepherds watching their flocks near Bethlehem were very good shepherds. Yet when honored with the angelic announcement regarding the birth of Christ, they exercised “flock faith” and entrusted their sheep into God’s care for a few hours. They were given a greater mission—to go into Bethlehem and bear witness to the arrival of Heaven’s King—the Good Shepherd.

A point to ponder…

Faith and obedience work hand in hand. When God gives us a command, we must entrust our other concerns into His keeping while we hasten to obey.

Read the Bible through in a year

Ephesians 1-3

I love you!!!

© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich

December 8, 2022

Thursday

Fit for a King! Frankincense

Philippians 4:18

³⁴ And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:

³⁵ And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:”

Exodus 34:35

For thousands of years, the tree arbor thurifera, growing in the Arabian Peninsula and Lebanon, has been tapped for its resin. The bark was cut and exuding resin was allowed to dry as nodules, or “tears.” When hardened, the resin, called frankincense, was ground into a fine powder. When subjected to a flame, it gave off a sweet and powerful aroma—an incense used in the worship of God in the tabernacle and temple. (“Frankincense” derives from the old French franc encens, meaning “highest-quality incense.”)

When the Magi journeyed to Bethlehem and saw the baby Jesus, they “fell down and worshiped Him,” presenting frankincense—the most noble incense of worship—as one of their gifts (Matthew 2:11). Paul refers to the life of the Christian as a living sacrifice, a reasonable service of worship (Romans 12:1). That service becomes a wonderful aroma—the incense of worshipful service—in our life (Philippians 4:18).

A point to ponder…

What gift of frankincense can we give to Christ this Christmas? The highest quality incense of service to Him and to others—the aroma of Christ in us.

Read the Bible through in a year

Galatians 4-6

I love you!!!

© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich

December 7, 2022

Wednesday

Shepherds and the Good Shepherd

Ezekiel 34: 11-16

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Psalm 23:1

The story is told of a graduate of a top-tier, Ivy League college who took a vocational placement test. He was sure he would find himself suited for being a banker, doctor, lawyer, or executive of a huge corporation. When he read the results, to his embarrassed surprise, the test indicated he was best suited to be a shepherd.

A few thousand years earlier that could have been a badge of honor—it was normal for kings, priests, and other leaders to be referred to as shepherds. God certainly referred to the leaders of Israel that way (Ezekiel 34). But due to their failure to shepherd God’s people, He told them He Himself would become their Shepherd. How fitting, therefore, that the angels of heaven chose humble, Bethlehem shepherds as the recipients of the announcement of God’s incarnation on earth—the incarnation of the One who would become the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-21).

A point to ponder…

Psalm 23 is a wonderful Christmas meditation—the image of the Lord as Shepherd of His sheep. If you belong to His flock, then He is leading and caring for you.

Read the Bible through in a year

Galatians 1-3

I love you!!!

© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich