1-Minute Daily Devotion

Emptiness

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“The conclusion, when all is heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” - Ecclesiastes 12:13

Do you ever feel like you’ve done it all? Success, wealth, pleasure, thrills and yet you feel empty inside? Solomon, the ancient king of Israel, was such a man. He had extraordinary success and wealth, incredible intellect, more women and sex than Wilt Chamberlain, and yet it all became meaningless to him. He felt so empty inside because he turned his back on God to pursue all that he wanted for himself. He was a classic example of a good man who started strong, but turned wrong and wound up empty.

But the good news of the story of Solomon is that late in his life he came to his senses and turned back to God. After trying everything else, he said the key to life is “to fear God and keep His commandments.” Fear means reverence. In other words, to revere God, worship Him and show you mean it by obeying His word.

Do you feel empty and weary? Trust God and obey Him. It’s the key to real living.

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Leaders Are Courageous

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

Obviously, leaders make things happen; they bring about change. Leaders also:

• Clearly communicate what they stand for—what their goals are. They have clear direction.

• Have an ability to motivate others to do what they want them to do. People want to follow leaders. Sometimes this is for good, sometimes it is for evil.

• Delegate. They trust in others to get the job done. They know that consistently micromanaging destroys the morale of those they are called to lead.

All these are key traits of leadership, but what separates leaders from great leaders?
I believe that it’s courage - the courage to do what’s right and to do what needs to be done—especially when the heat is on, people are grumbling, and times are hard. Great leaders have the courage to lead others to carry out their vision no matter how hard the course. This courage can be found in the Lord.

Leaders: God’s Word says, “Be strong and courageous.” Courage is the key in all great leaders.

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Tough Pressure On The Family

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33

One of the toughest pressures working against the family is materialism. Kids keep the pressure on parents to have what their friends have. Husbands put pressure on their wives to go to work—to keep up with the Jones’—though she may prefer to be at home. Wives often make it clear to husbands how dissatisfied they are with what they have, causing the husband to feel like an unappreciated failure. To top it all off, Madison Avenue adds fuel to the fire by convincing us every product is the gateway to happiness. Materialism, often rationalized as a concern for the family, has a way, unfortunately, of creating enormous dissatisfaction within the family.

Jesus has a better idea. It almost seems un-American in our culture of consumerism: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (as described in the Bible) and all these things shall be added unto you.” Does that mean we don’t work hard? Absolutely not! We are called to work, but it has to do with priorities that help the family stay together.

God unites the family. Materialism pulls it apart.

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Letting Go As A Parent

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” - 3 John 1:4

There was an emotional moment my wife and I experienced with all of our boys. It happened when we walked each of them to the bus stop to begin first grade, and knew the first stage of parenting (the preschool years) was over.
Then, it happened again as each of our boys left home for college. Really, the whole parenting process is one of letting go. Let me make a few suggestions:

1. Do whatever you can to allow Mom to be at home fulltime with the children in the preschool years. I realize single parents don’t have this option, but if you can work it out—do it. This short-term sacrifice brings long-term results.
2. Love them always and let them know of your love for them.
3. Discipline them consistently, so that they’ll know there are consequences for stepping over the line.
4. Pray for them regularly, that they’ll make wise choices and that their influences are for good.

Letting go is not easy, but with God’s help and our love, our children can grow to be responsible adults.

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Objection:The Bible is Full of Errors

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Objection: The Bible Is Full Of Errors “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit…and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:12

One of the main objections to Christianity is this: “The Bible is filled with myths and mistakes. It’s a book of men rather than a book of God.” But the real questions behind this objection are:

• Can the Bible be trusted?
• Is it really true?
• Is it God’s Word, or man’s?

First response: What mistakes are you concerned about? Is there a possibility you are parroting some professor like the breath-taking brilliance of a college freshman? Or have you really studied it yourself and determined there are mistakes?

Secondly, all of Scripture’s dependability rises and falls with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If that did not occur, the book is filled with lies and Christianity is a colossal hoax! But if Jesus rose from the dead, then everything else in the Bible is possible and believable. Believing in the Bible begins with Jesus. And faith in Jesus begins with the trustworthiness of Scripture.

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Parenting Children

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit…when you walk…when you lie down and when you rise up.” - Deuteronomy 11:19

The first stage of parenting children in the home is the preschool years. The second stage is the childhood years, ages six through twelve. During these years, parents should practice the baton principle: In a relay race, the most important time is the passing of the baton—if it’s dropped, the race is lost—parenting children in the home means passing the baton of Godly values to the next generation.

God’s Word teaches us, as parents, to love God with all our heart, soul, and might, and to diligently teach the commands of God to our children when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we rise up. We need to teach our kids how to live as we go about everyday life; in short, our kids need to see that our faith in God is real and consistent. This calls for a lot of love for God and for our children. But when done well, the baton of Godly values is handed off to the new generation.

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Sacrificed for Your Freedom

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

“It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1

In 1776, George Washington gathered his troops together and told them he needed someone for a highly secret mission behind enemy lines. A young twenty-one year old soldier from Yale volunteered for the mission. It seemed he was going to be successful, but as he returned with the battle plans of the British, they were tipped off and he was arrested and sentenced to be hanged. The next morning, as he was facing execution, he uttered these poignant words: “My only regret is that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

This young man, Nathan Hale, was willing to pay a price for freedom that required his own life. In many ways, what he did symbolized what Christ has done for all of us. Christ paid the ultimate price for our freedom from the bondage of sin. Freedom always involves a price—what Nathan Hale did for America and, likewise, what Jesus has done for us. Our choice is to accept it on faith with gratitude.

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