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

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