Devotions for Dieters

John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

Corey had to admit that his friends were making better progress than he was. He just wasn't disciplined enough. His friends didn't seem to have nearly as much trouble with discipline. When he asked them why, they all just grinned and told him to pray about it. Finally, it dawned on him what they were talking about. Corey wasn't much of a Christian, but he wasn't stupid, either. His friends obviously had something he needed and wanted. If God could do so much to help them, then Corey believed He would do it for him, also. By receiving the truth of Christ, Corey was given all the strength needed to succeed in his diet.

Today's thought: God is ready to help me lose weight!

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Bible Study

A friend often talks about the coming of Christ--and he nearly always ends his thoughts by exclaiming, "I can hardly wait!" There reward is laid up in heaven for those who are eagerly looking for Jesus' coming. It's called the "crown of righteousness."

Although all true Christians are given the free gift of righteousness in Christ from the moment they trust Him as Savior (see Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21), not every Christian is going to earn the "crown of righteousness" reward. Why? Let's see what the Bible says.

What Does God Say?

In 2 Timothy4:8 (ESV) Paul writes, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

In Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV), Jesus told his disciples, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." There is a "laying up" process in the Christian life whereby you earn great blessings to be revealed and awarded in the future.

The crown of righteousness is one of those treasures, or rewards, that is laid up in heaven for the believer who holds the things of this world lightly, while living daily by the grace of God in watchful anticipation of the Lord's coming. At His judgment seat, Christ will give it to the believer (see1 Corinthians 3:13). Paul calls it "that Day" in 2 Timothy4:8.

Read Colossians 1:3-5. Paul thanked God for the faith of the Christians in Colossae and for their love for all believers. What do you see that was "laid up" for them that encouraged them to be the faithful, loving Christians they were?

My Thoughts

The letters of Paul often speak of the Christian's hope.

What kind of hope do unbelievers have according to Ephesians 2:12?

How many occurrences of the word "hope" can you find in Romans 5:1-5?

Part of the Christian's hope is the return or appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the "hope" in Titus 2:11-14 called? To what event does it refer?

My Part

Have you set your mind and heart on Christ's return? Is it just a passing thought now and then? Is it something you feel is irrelevant and unimportant?

As you examine your own life, do you detect any changes you should make, any practices you need to begin in order to be earning the Lord's crown of righteousness reward? Do you love His appearing?

William Barclay noted, "The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ." (You Can Say That Again, Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no.8.)

Bible Study from Back to the Bible Copyright © 1996-2008 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.bibleminute.org/

Drift

Jeremiah 34-36, Hebrews 2
Key Verse: Hebrews 2:1

If I were choosing a material to make a model of the human heart, something that would show the nature of our hearts, I would use driftwood. You have probably seen those pieces of wood floating by on a river or along the shore of a lake, wood that is rootless, just drifting wherever the current carries it. Our hearts are like that, prone to drift.

Throughout the Book of Hebrews we are warned about our propensity to wander away from God. Chapter two begins with the warning that "we must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" (2:1). As you read through Hebrews, watch for this theme and hear the repeated warnings. The warnings often come with instructions, things to do to keep this from happening.

In chapter 2 the instruction is very basic: "pay more careful attention ... to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." To hear is one thing; to heed is another. We can hear, even read, the Word of God and its instruction, but this is not enough. We need to pay careful attention because the help we need to stay close to God comes not from just hearing but from heeding.

If I were choosing the material that I wish would make a good model of a Christian's heart, my choice would be an anchor. Now I know that an anchor is not a material per se, but I want it to be the image that best represents my heart-one that is anchored close to God.

The hymn writer's words were, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it" ("Come, Thou Fount"). Do you feel prone to wander? Ask God to help you anchor your heart close to Him. Do it by both hearing and heeding His Word.

1 Samuel 17:14-15

Faithful in Small Things

Little things can make a big difference. In the 1968 Winter Olympics, Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy made a sweep of the men's Alpine events, but it was nip and tuck. He won the downhill by 8/100ths of a second, the slalom by 9/100ths. By comparison, the giant slalom was a rout, with Killy coming in more than two seconds ahead of Swiss silver medalist Willy Favre. Small as they seem, those seconds, even fractions of a second, made the difference between winning and losing.

David also knew the importance of small things. The war between the armies of Saul and the Philistines must have been very exciting for a young boy. The fortunes of David's family and the whole nation of Israel hung in the balance. Yet in the midst of such monumental battles, David didn't forget about his father's sheep back in Bethlehem. He never failed to leave the allurement of the battlefield when necessary and tend to what others might consider insignificant responsibilities like feeding sheep. He knew these tasks were as needful as the more glamorous duties.

It's easy for Christians to respond to the attraction of exciting ministries. Involvement in mass evangelistic rallies is thrilling. Being part of a stadium filled with people enthused about Jesus Christ is exhilarating. These things make the chore of teaching a class of three-year-olds or photocopying the Sunday worship folder seem so small and insignificant by comparison. Yet we need to remember that our faithfulness to these apparently small tasks is necessary as well.

If you struggle under the load of what appear to be insignificant responsibilities, realize that God doesn't rate the size of the task, only the faithfulness of those He calls to complete it. Be faithful to the duty and don't worry about the dimensions.

The Answer Book

I have a large library, and I've written a few books myself, but I cannot point to the books I've written or collected and say that everything in them is absolutely right. In fact, I've been embarrassed to find typographical, factual or other kinds of errors in the ones I've written. Only one book can carry an unqualified endorsement, and that is the Word of God. That's why the psalmist writes, "Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way" (v. 128). All of the Bible is inspired. That means it is God-breathed. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable" (II Tim. 3:16). Inspiration is a miracle. The Spirit of God spoke through Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Paul and others, and each put his own fingerprints on what he wrote. Yet this is God's Word.

Remember also that all of God's Word is inerrant. It is absolute truth. What the Bible says about history is correct. What the Bible says about prophecy is correct. Even what it says about science is correct, although it's not a science book. We don't test the Bible by the wisdom of men. We test the wisdom of men by the Bible. This means that we should live by all of Scripture. Jesus said we must live "by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). Every word. Oh, what you might be missing if you are not reading the whole Word of God! Because the Bible is inspired and true, we can go to it and say, "Lord, what should I do?" He has an answer for us.

* * *

The Bible is a miracle, for it is inspired by God. Live by its wisdom and truth. It leads to a miraculous life when you accept and obey it.

Getting

James 1: 1-8

The more often faith is tried, the easier it becomes to endure trials because they produce patience. And through trials, the believer becomes more steadfast in his faith.

Endurance is the ability to withstand hardship or stress. Patience is the ability to bear pain without complaint, evidencing self-control.

In a sense, both of these ideas are involved in the statement of James that "the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:3).

The Greek word translated "patience" is made up of two words that literally mean "to remain under." When a person remains under a testing, he endures that testing, and the testing itself produces patience as the believer remains under the burden.

Self-control, which is so closely related to patience, is part of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22,23. Thus, if we wish to acquire more patience and self-control, it means we will have to endure more testings.

Even though the testings are severe, the Christian who has total confidence in Christ can have joy in the midst of the testings. And the patience we develop will enable us to wait until the Lord fulfills His promises to us.

Hebrews 10:36 says, "ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" (Rom. 12:12).

Friendship

Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

One of the prize gems of human relationships is friendship. Emerson said, "The only way to have a friend is to be one," an echo of Proverbs 18:24. Friendship always enriches our lives, but sometimes it preserves them as well. The friendship of Hushai with David is a fine example.

Nathan's prophecy upon David for his great sin was severe and swift in coming. It struck first with David's son Amnon, and quickly thereafter with the hot-tempered Absalom. Absalom's rebellion against his father had taken firm root in Israel. He was clearly in command and was now residing in Jerusalem. But the aura of David's presence in Israel, and the legend of his prowess as a man of war made Absalom's rebellion tenuous. He must pursue his own father and the warriors who were with him. How would this be done?

Absalom's close advisor, Ahithophel, hatched a plan, the sagacity of which was unrivaled. He proposed that the armies of Israel pursue David with 12,000 chosen men and fall on him when David and his soldiers were weary and sapped of strength. They would kill David only. What is most unbelievable is that Absalom readily agreed that this was a good plan. But in the providence of God Absalom opted to get another opinion before he enacted it. Thus he called Hushai the Archite. Although pretending allegiance to Absalom, Hushai remained the loyal friend of David and acted as his informer, revealing Absalom's every move.

The plan of Hushai was a classic case of overkill. He called for Absalom to gather Israel from Dan to Beersheba, as many as the sand of the sea, against David in battle. His rhetoric must have appeared venomous, and thus Absalom liked the plan even more than that of Ahithophel. The foolish Absalom did not know that this plan was divinely originated and calculated for his own destruction. "For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom."

No sooner was the plan accepted by Absalom than Hushai dispatched Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to warn David of the impending danger. David arose, and all his men passed over the Jordan River by the morning light (2 Samuel 17:22). They were taking no chances; they fled at the rising of the sun. It is always a wise decision to flee evil at the beginning of the day.

Absalom pursued his father across the Jordan River, and the famous incident of his catching his long-flowing hair in the boughs of a great oak tree occurred that day. That day Absalom was killed. God had crushed an evil rebellion against His ordained king through the loyalty and godly commitment of a friend.

Visitors to the Ft. Myers, Florida, home of Thomas Alva Edison, are intrigued by a path in his garden that he called "the walk of friendship." The uniqueness of this walk is that each of the stones that constitute the walk was given to Edison by a friend. The pathway is designed as a memorial to friendship, the kind of friendship that Hushai had with David. Friends lead friends step by step out of danger into delight.

If you have a close friend, rejoice in that friend and thank God for him or her. Enjoy that bond of friendship that you have. In fact, why not write or call that friend today and tell him you love him in the Lord and are praying for him. You will never know what it will mean to him if you don't.

MORNING HYMN

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'ry thing to God in prayer.