February 16, 2023

Thursday

All You Need Is Love: Compassion

John 3:16

³⁶ But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

Matthew 9:36

The northwest part of England—the so-called “hill country”—is sheep country. A stranger traveling in those parts might wonder at the large number of sheep grazing seemingly unattended, on the rugged fells (hills). But a closer look will reveal miles of dry-stone walls that provide boundaries to their grazing, and color markings that indicate their owner. Hill-country sheep do not lack for a shepherd; they are far too valuable.

And so are the people of God whom the Bible calls sheep. As Jesus moved throughout the towns of Israel, preaching and ministering, He saw people who seemed to be wandering through life without a divine Shepherd. And “He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered” (Matthew 9:36). These were the very people He came into the world to save, people who were disconnected from the love of God. And Jesus’ compassion prompted Him to action—He raised up workers to take His reconciling Gospel into the world.

Let your love manifest itself in compassion and let compassion result in action on behalf of those in need.

A point to ponder…

Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.
Francis Schaeffer

Read the Bible through in a year

Numbers 11-13

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 15, 2023

Wednesday

In Quietness and Confidence

Isaiah 30: 1-15

¹⁵ For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”

Isaiah 30:15

Isaiah was dismayed when he saw the royal delegation leaving Jerusalem for Egypt. King Hezekiah was sending envoys to form a military alliance instead of trusting God’s protection. Hezekiah hadn’t asked Isaiah’s advice, nor had he sought God’s counsel (Isaiah 30:2). Instead, the king’s diplomats treaded through the desert (verse 6) on a mission doomed to failure (verse 7). Isaiah advised the caravan to turn back, saying: “In returning and rest you shall be saved.” He told them to turn around and return home, to rest in God’s protection, to quiet themselves, and to trust God’s promises. That, he said, would be their strength (verse 15).

That’s our strength too.

We can’t solve all the problems facing us; and sometimes the more we try, the deeper the mess. We find little help in “Egypt.” But in returning to the Lord and resting in Him, we find deliverance. And in quietness and confidence we find strength.

A point to ponder…

This quietness and confidence is… an abiding frame of mind, an all-enduring and an all-pervading spirit…. Indeed it’s priceless value lies in the fact that it pervades the anxious activities of life.

George Wilson, Edinburgh preacher of an earlier era

Read the Bible through in a year

Numbers 8-10

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 14, 2023

Tuesday

The Blacksmith’s Advice

Colossians 1:24-29

²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Colossians 1:27

One of Finland’s most unusual preachers was Paavo Ruotsalainen, who was born into a poor family in 1777 and became a farmer. As a young man, he sought a deeper Christian life. Hearing about a distant blacksmith known for his godliness, Ruotsalainen traveled many miles to meet him, begging for food and lodging along the way. As they conversed, the blacksmith, Jacob Hogman, told the lad he lacked an inner awareness of Christ. From that point, Ruotsalainen focused on the truth of Christ within him—the hope of glory. In the years that followed, he traveled incessantly throughout Finland, sparking revival in many areas. It’s said he traveled more miles in Finland than the apostle Paul covered in all his missionary journeys.¹

Take it from the blacksmith. To have peace and power in our lives, we must focus our minds on Christ and saturate them with His Word. Colossians 3:1-2 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above.”

Christ in you—the hope of glory!

A point to ponder…

One thing you lack and therewith you lack all else: the inner awareness of Christ.

Jacob Hogman

Read the Bible through in a year

Numbers 7

I love you!!!

¹Siglind Bruhn, Saints in the Limelight (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2003), 305-307.

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 13, 2023

Monday

Good Thoughts

Philippians 4: 8-9

³ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Isaiah 26:3

When you are pouring a gallon jug of water into a larger container, you get that “glug glug glug” effect as the water leaves the narrow neck of the gallon jug. That happens because water and air are colliding in the neck of the jug. Water is leaving and air is rushing in to fill the empty space.

Our minds are like that gallon jug; they have to be filled with something. The more we fill our mind with godly thoughts, the less room there will be for ungodly thoughts. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, when our minds are focused on God we will be at peace (Isaiah 26:3). There will be no room for its opposite—worry and anxiety. The apostle Paul went further with a list of things to meditate on: things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8-9). That’s an expansive list—lots of things to choose from; lots of ways to remain free of worry.

Empty your mind of negative, ungodly thinking and let the good and godly thoughts rush in. There is no better source for good thoughts than the Word of God.

A point to ponder…

When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs.

Thomas à Kempis

Read the Bible through in a year

Numbers 5-6

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

February 11– February 12, 2023

Outrageous Counting

² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

James 1:2

I’d like to nominate James 1:2 as one of the most outrageous statements in the Bible: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” Count it all . . . joy?! Those are the words James wrote, through the inspiration of God’s Spirit, but from our perspective, it doesn’t add up.

Perhaps that’s because we tend to confuse joy with happiness, and this verse does not say, “Be happy about your trials.” Happiness is a fleeting, circumstantial, in-the-moment, excited feeling--an emotional high.

Joy is very different. You can’t make yourself joyful. Joy comes only from God. Joy is a supernatural delight in the Person, purposes, and people of God.

Have you ever sensed God at work in you or seen His obvious hand in a situation and knew in your heart that God did that? Have you ever stared up into starry space and sensed your soul being eclipsed by the God who made it all? What you felt in that moment was joy in who God is.

Joy is also something we exchange as brothers and sisters in Christ, a oneness of heart. We all belong to the same Master, follow the same Book, are filled with the same Spirit. We can experience a moving, connected, wonderful resonance with people we don’t even know; that too is joy.

A supernatural delight in the purposes of God means you know there’s something bigger going on here, something so far beyond the temporal that’s unfolding according to God’s plan. And you can take joy in God’s purposes.

Only Christ-followers would ever consider trials joy. If life is only about here, now, and your happiness, then trials would make zero sense and be worthless. If all you are living for is the next fifteen minutes, then unfortunately those fifteen minutes of happiness are almost over, and you would have good reason to resent a fly in that ointment. But those of us who are committed to a higher purpose and see this short life in its eternal perspective can get our thinking to a place of joy--no matter what.

Points to ponder…

Let’s get very practical with this. If you want to quit the pity party and get back on the joy train, then try this method. On four notecards, write the following:

What happened to me? On the first card, write the details of your trial.

Why am I here on earth? On the second card, write the purpose of your life, according to God’s Word.

How can this trial advance that purpose? On the third card, write what you can do today to advance the purpose of displaying the superiority of a life lived in God.

What resources can I access this moment to help me? On the fourth card, inventory all that’s available to you as a follower of Christ: the strength and comfort of the Holy Spirit; the Word of God giving you wisdom to direct your path; supportive Christian relationships; the grace of God, which allows you to begin again when you fail. Think through how you can draw down upon those resources as you plow through this trial.

Then keep going over these cards so that God’s purpose in your life will not be lost. This is a practical exercise to help you consider your trials joy.

Pray

Saturday’s Reading

Numbers 1-2

Sunday’s Reading

 Numbers 3-4

 I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 10, 2023

Friday

Stress and Thanks

Philippians 4:4

¹⁶ Rejoice evermore.

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

¹⁸ In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It’s not a law of physics, but it is a law of common sense: No two objects can occupy the same space at the same time. (There are some exceptions in the realm of molecular matter, but let’s stick to everyday “stuff.”) That makes perfect sense to us and we have no reason to try to prove that idea wrong. We move one thing if we want to set another thing in its place.

Strangely, we are not as convinced when it comes to spiritual things. For example, we are willing to worry about a problem and proclaim our faith in God at the same time. We don’t have a spiritual law that invalidates our effort, but our experience says it’s contradictory to worry and to praise God simultaneously. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the apostle Paul says there are three things we can do simultaneously since they support one another—rejoice, pray, and give thanks. The prayerful practice of joy and thanksgiving leaves no room for stress or worry.

At the first sign of stress, pray and give thanks to God for the joy that comes from trusting Him in all things. Not for all things, but in all things.

A point to ponder…

The measure of our spirituality is the amount of praise and thanksgiving in our prayer. 
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 26-27

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 9, 2023

Thursday

All You Need Is Love: Sacrifice

Romans 12:1

¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

When Christians consider the word sacrifice, we often think of the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament. And we think of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world. Christ Himself said that sacrificing one’s life for friends is the greatest demonstration of love.

Most of us will never be called upon to sacrifice our entire life to the point of death. But there are many other ways that we can love sacrificially besides dying. It was the apostle Paul who wrote that Christians are called by God to be living sacrifices. That is, we are to be living examples of the greatest act of love by giving up ourselves for the well-being of another whether in life or in death. We are given countless opportunities to show love through sacrifice every day. We can sacrifice ungodly thoughts and actions for the glory of God. Or sacrifice self-centered time, talent, and treasure for the good of others.

Look today for a way to demonstrate sacrificial love for the sake of God’s glory or the good of another.

A point to ponder…

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
C. T. Studd

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 24-25

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 8, 2023

Wednesday

Without Wavering

Hebrews 6: 9-12

¹² That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Hebrews 6:12

The book of Hebrews was especially written to veteran Christians who were battling new threats and troubles (see Hebrews 10:32-36). The writer kept pointing his readers to God’s powerful promises, which we can claim for ourselves just as personally as the original readers. Here are three of them:

• The Promise of His Care: He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.(Hebrews 7:25)
• The Promise of His Coming: For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37)
• The Promise of His Company: I will never leave you nor forsake you.(Hebrews 13:5)

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews is also the book that reminds us the just will live by faith (Hebrews 10:38). Every book of the Bible contains great and mighty promises—especially Hebrews—and we need every promise God has given us so we can stand and look up without wavering.

A point to ponder…

Stand fast, without wishing for another trust, and without wavering in the trust you have.

Charles Spurgeon

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 22-23

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 7, 2023

Tuesday

The Delightful Life

Psalm 37: 4-23

²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”

Psalm 37:23

Being a follower of Christ is delightful. Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord, and He will give us the desires of our heart. The psalmist said, “I delight to do Your will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8). We’re to delight in His Word day and night, to delight ourselves in His statutes (Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:16). Our hearts find delight in the ways of the Lord (2 Chronicles 17:6) and in the abundance of peace (Psalm 37:11). We delight in doing His will (Psalm 40:8).

The best part, however, is knowing that, incredibly, the Lord delights in us! The psalmist said, “He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19). Proverbs 15:8 says that God delights in the prayers of the upright. First Kings 10:9 says, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you.”

Delighting in the Lord puts the worries of life into perspective. We should begin each day with the euphoria of God’s joy, and end each day with the assurance of God’s presence.

How delightful to live such a life!

A point to ponder…

Christ [is] the very essence of all delights and pleasures, the very soul and substance of them.

John Flavel

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 19-21

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 6, 2023

Monday

Behind the Hearth

Jeremiah 20: 7-13

²⁹ Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”

Jeremiah 23:29

In The Pilgrim’s Progress, the character named Interpreter showed Christian a large fire burning against a wall with a roaring flame. A man was throwing water on the fire, trying to quench the flame. Yet the fire blazed all the greater. Christian asked, “What means this?” Interpreter explained that the devil stands in front of us trying to quench our flame for Christ; but then he led Christian behind the wall where a man with a supply of oil was secretly and constantly feeding the fire.

A lot of things can happen today to quench our motivation and morale, but we have a secret fuel constantly being piped into our hearts by the Holy Spirit—the flammable Word of God. In Jeremiah 20, the prophet Jeremiah grew discouraged and said, “I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me” (verse 7). He wanted to give up, but he went on to say, “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not” (verse 9).

Make sure your heart is always blazing with fresh truths from God’s Word.

A point to ponder…

No word ever spoken by God to His own was ever yet broken; ‘Tis firm as His throne.

Leander W. Munhall, hymnist

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 16-18

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

February 4– February 5, 2023

Glimpses of Gold

¹⁰ But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

Job knew suffering. This one man absorbed more pain than most of us ever have to imagine. In a single day, Job lost his wealth and all ten of his children. Then he was stripped of his health and honor. Did he have anything left? Sure, a bitter wife who advised him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9) and a handful of self-righteous friends who were “miserable comforters” (16:2).

Yet Job clung to God, saw past the trial, and by faith declared, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (23:10). Refining hurts, but the result: pure gold. Trials draw sin out of our lives, as illustrated in this picture of the refining process. Allow me to give you a little lesson in Gold 101.

First, when gold is being refined, it must be melted. Gold ore is mixed with other metals and impurities when it comes out of the ground. So the goldsmiths crank up the furnaces to 1064ºC (degrees Celsius), the temperature at which gold melts.

The second process is binding. Once the gold is molten, the goldsmiths mix in a special flux to make it more fluid and to bind the impurities together. Then, when they pour the gold into a mold, the impurities, called slag, rise to the top.

Lastly, they separate it. After the gold has cooled, the slag is broken off, and the steps are repeated—sometimes multiple times for greater purity. This process hasn’t changed significantly in thousands of years. Technology hasn’t improved it. God has given us a lasting illustration of His methods with us.

This process of refining gold is what filled Job’s mind as he wrote those words: “when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Job’s trials were refining him. Your trials are refining you. Do you feel the heat? Do you see the slag rising to the top? The biblical word for slag is sin, and it’s what makes you restless, miserable, fearful, and selfish. Is God drawing the impurities in your life to the surface?

When some people go into the furnace of affliction, it burns them; when others go in, the experience purifies them. If you submit to the Lord, as painful as the crisis may be, your suffering will refine you and make you better. If you resist what God is doing, the furnace will only scorch you.

If the trial is making your faith purer and stronger, if you have not grown bitter toward the Lord but are loving Him more, then no doubt about it, you “shall come out as gold.”

Points to ponder…

• When some people go into the furnace of affliction, it burns them; when others go in, the experience purifies them. What’s the difference?
• What trial are you enduring? How are you responding—resisting or submitting? Growing bitter or better?

Saturday’s Reading

Leviticus 11-13

Sunday’s Reading

 Leviticus 14-15

 I love you!!!

© 2000-2021 B. Michael Goerlich

February 3, 2023

Friday

Going With the Flow

Isaiah 40:11

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:1-2

In the Summer Olympic sport of kayaking, contestants mostly go with the current, navigating through gates. At times they are asked to reverse course, paddle against the whitewater current, go through the gate, then reverse direction back into the mainstream current. Going with the current is easier than going against the current.

The same is true in the Christian life. James 4:6 says that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. Humility is going with God’s “current” while pride is resisting His “current.” Think of God’s role as a shepherd of His sheep. One of a shepherd’s responsibilities is to lead his sheep. Following the shepherd is to go with the flow; going one’s own way is to risk danger. The Bible is filled with images of God as a shepherd who leads His sheep. Contented, peaceful sheep are those who follow God into places of rest and provision.

When life gets challenging, check to see if you are following God or not. Even if He leads us into a storm, as long as He is there we can be at rest (Mark 4:37-41).

A point to ponder…

It costs to follow Jesus Christ, but costs more not to.

Anonymous

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 8-10

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 2, 2023

Thursday

All You Need Is Love: Humility

John 17:26

“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

John 13:1

Love calls for humility in lots of different ways. Sometimes we have to apologize and ask for forgiveness when we have wounded someone we love. Or we have to set aside our own preferences and priorities in order to help another person accomplish a goal or agenda.

On the last night He spent with His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus humbled Himself before them. To show them that He loved them right up to the end of His life, He took on the role of a servant. At their last supper together, He took a towel and basin of water and washed their feet. They must have been shocked at this display of servitude. But there were two lessons: One, they should love each other the same way. And two, it prepared them for the love He would demonstrate the next day by dying for their sins.

There are many grand ways to demonstrate love. But none is more powerful than the humility of a willing servant.

A point to ponder…

The surest mark of true conversion is humility.
J. C. Ryle

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 5-7

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

February 1, 2023

Wednesday

Rest in Him

Genesis 2: 2-3

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

When the Interstate Highway System began in 1956, commercial interests (gas stations, food stores, motels) were not allowed except at exits. To provide access to facilities along the freeways, rest stops were built. But the rest provided was only temporary; once refreshed, it was back on the freeway again until the next rest stop.

All of us need rest. So when Jesus invites us to come to Him—saying He will give us rest—exactly what kind of rest is He offering? Like the Samaritan woman who wanted to be cured permanently of thirst (John 4:15), we might desire for Jesus to give us perpetual rest such that we never grow weary again. But that is not the rest Jesus offers us. His rest is the same rest described in Genesis 2:2-3. God rested from His creating, not because He was tired, but because He had finished creating an environment in which He and mankind could fellowship together. Our union with God through Christ offers that same rest through renewed fellowship with God.

Have you accepted Jesus’ invitation to enjoy eternal rest in Him? His spiritual rest is never-ending and always available.

A point to ponder…

Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves.

Watchman Nee

Read the Bible through in a year

Leviticus 1-4

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 30, 2023

Monday

In the Zone

Isaiah 26: 1-4

³ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Isaiah 26:3

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has a brain coach who helps him sharpen his focus. During the 2016 off-season, for example, Kirk watched every Star Wars movie with EEG monitors attached to his head. If his brain lost focus, the movie would shut down. To enjoy the film, Cousins had to stay focused on it. In so doing, he was training his mind to stay “in the zone.”

We have to train our thoughts to focus on the Lord. This year is bound to be distracting and distressing, but instead of obsessing about people or politics, let’s keep our thoughts fixed on Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 says in the New Living Translation: “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

He keeps those in perfect peace whose minds are focused on Him.

A point to ponder…

We should invest our time, finances, and talents in the coming kingdom and focus on Christ as the center, source, and goal of our lives.

Charles Swindoll

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 36-38

I love you!!!

¹www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins/brain-coach-helps-him-cope-with-pressure

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

Weekend Wisdom

January 28– January 29, 2023

The Secret

“⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” 

Matthew 6:6

The secret to prayer is prayer in secret.

Jewish tradition in Jesus’ day had reduced prayer down to a shadow of its intended purpose. Instead of being an avenue for meaningful, spontaneous, sincere communication with God, prayer had largely become a religious form without a function. Repetitive and ritualistic. A means of impressing others with public demonstrations of fervor and superiority.

And to hear Jesus tell it, they loved it. “They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others” (Matthew 6:5).

Notice the phrase “they love to stand.” The original language of the New Testament contained two different verbs that could be interpreted to stand, and the word Jesus used in this verse is the kind of standing that is tall, firm, bold, and confident. These people loved standing there, knowing that others were watching and listening and being blown away by how well they prayed. Loved it.

Now if that’s what we want, if that’s what we love, we can still do it that way. As it’s coming around our turn to pray, we can plan ahead how to impress people with our spiritual artistry and turns of phrase. When we’re praying at home, we can feed off the self-righteous piety of knowing someone may spot us in the den or kitchen, sitting there with our Bible open, obviously with superior commitment to our devotional time. We can love being known for how impressive we are at prayer, even if it indicates a level of prayer life we don’t actually have.

However, we cannot pray this way and expect God to listen to it or answer. As Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:5b). If it’s all for show, it’s all for nothing. Nothing more. Nothing else.

The secret to prayer is prayer in secret--where you “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pray in groups, pray with your spouse, or ever do any kind of praying with others in public. It just means that if your public prayer exceeds your private prayer, you’re missing the point of what prayer is all about. You’re abusing its privileges and forsaking its possibilities. Praying with others is of little real value unless it’s overflowing from the praying you do in secret; unless it’s coming from what happens in private places that only you and God know about.

The prayer closet allows no showing off. The prayer closet is proof of your sincerity. No one who’s trying to draw attention to themselves goes into their room, closes the door, and gets down on their knees in prayer. No one fakes it in secret.

That’s why praying by yourself is the foundation of all prayer. The litmus test for the validity of your spiritual life is what takes place where no other human sees. The genuineness and effectiveness of what you do in public will never rise any higher than the genuineness and effectiveness of what you do when no one’s watching.

Think of prayer as a solo sport--and today as game day.

Points to ponder…

• What are your greatest obstacles to private, in-secret prayer?
• Describe the kind of praying that tells you it’s coming from a deep well of someone’s private prayer life.

Saturday’s Reading

Exodus 30-32

Sunday’s Reading

Exodus 33-35

I love you!!!

© 2000-2021 B. Michael Goerlich

January 27, 2023

Friday

Good Stewards

1 Corinthians 4: 1-2

²² The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

Proverbs 10:22

Theologians debate about the central theme of the Bible—like redemption, the Kingdom of God, and love. Another good candidate is stewardship—what scholar N. T. Wright calls “the covenant of vocation,” which God entered into with man in the beginning. God gave us creation as a gift; our vocation was to oversee it for His glory and to reflect His glory throughout the earth.

When it comes to stewardship, our thoughts usually turn to money. Financial management is certainly a part of stewardship. Regardless of how much money we have, it is by the blessing of God that we have any at all. Therefore, we are to use it in ways that glorify Him. But King David of Israel recognized that “all things come from [God]” (1 Chronicles 29:14)—not just our money, but our health, our gifts and abilities, our families and relationships, and more. So, stewardship is not just about managing money; it is about managing all that we are and have in ways that glorify God.

Think of all you have and all you are today. Consider how you can spend your life today so that it brings glory to God.

A point to ponder…

Stewardship is what a man does after he says, “I believe.”

W. H. Greaves

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 28-29

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 26, 2023

Thursday

New Leaves: Gossip

James 3: 2-10

¹³ And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.”

1 Timothy 5:13

When reruns of The Cosby Show were pulled from stations across America, former cast members stopped receiving residual royalty checks, which put actor Geoffrey Owens, who had played the role of Elvin Tibideaux, in a tough spot. He went down the street and got a job bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s. One day a customer recognized him, snapped his picture, and it went viral. Owens was embarrassed, especially because the picture was unflattering. The woman who snapped the picture later said, “I don’t know what possessed me. I just did it. I didn’t even think about it. I just kind of did it on impulse and it was a bad impulse.”

We’re inundated with celebrity gossip, political scandals, and tabloid journalism. If we aren’t careful, we’ll be carried away by the spirit of gossip pervading our society. Have you ever said or posted or texted something on impulse, and it turned out to be a bad impulse?

We’ve all done that. But this year, let’s turn over a new leaf. Proverbs 21:23 says, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”

Let God’s wisdom be your impulse.

A point to ponder…

Least said, soonest mended.
An old adage

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 25-27

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 25, 2023

Wednesday

Keeping Your Balance

2 Corinthians 9: 6-8

⁹ Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”

Proverbs 3:9

Someone said, “Old bookkeepers never die; they just lose their balance.” When it comes to keeping our books, we need a balanced perspective. On the one hand, the Bible tells us to be like the ant, which “provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:8). Proverbs 13:11 says, “Whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow”. The wise woman in Proverbs 31 considered a field and bought it (verse 16).

On the other hand, Jesus spoke of the rich fool who hoarded his wealth and laid up treasure for himself but was not rich toward God (Luke 12:21).

When we work hard and save wisely, our actions can honor God. When we share with others and freely give our tithes and offerings to God, these actions honor Him too. The guiding principle is found in Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty.” In other words, honor God with your money and with the first part of all your income, then you’ll better appreciate the blessings He pours into your life.

A point to ponder…

If we don’t faithfully give to the Lord, we don’t really trust the Lord.

Warren Wiersbe in Be Skillful

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 22-24

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

January 24, 2023

Tuesday

Words Like Honey

Romans 14:19

²⁴ Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24

For thousands of years, humans have enjoyed the sweet delights of honey. Bees collect nectar from flowers and return to their hive where they store it in wax honeycombs. They create honey as a food source for themselves during the winter, but excess honey has graced human tables for ages.

Honey is a source of glucose like cane sugar and other sweeteners. For that reason, it has long satisfied the human “sweet tooth.” And honey served as an illustration of the power of words in the Old Testament. Just as honey brings delight and satisfaction, so can pleasant and edifying words. Just as nutritious foods help to build human health, so wise and loving words can build up the spiritual and emotional health of people. Building up others (“edifying” is the biblical word) is a major responsibility of Christians. Paul told the Romans to pursue “the things by which one may edify another” (Romans 14:19)—and that certainly includes our words.

Look for a way today to build up and encourage another person by the words you speak to them. Let your words be like honey to their soul.

A point to ponder…

Whatever moves the heart wags the tongue.

C. T. Studd

Read the Bible through in a year

Exodus 19-21

I love you!!!

© 2000-2023 B. Michael Goerlich

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