Devotion -Today 2011 Sep Oct

8/4/2019 Devotion -Today 2011 Sep Oct

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Sept/Oct 2011

Also: by FAith

BecomingPeoPleof

Wisdom


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Dear Friends,

The cover oToday illustrates one o theenduring images o wisdomthe diligentant. The way o the ant challenges the

deadly sin o sloth (check out Proverbs6:6-11). In this edition oTodaywere go-ing to explore wisdom as a key ingredientin the Christian lie. We will also exploreanother key ingredientaith. It takesaith and wisdom to walk the way Godintends or us.

All o us know people who have made wise decisions. But doall o these people have aith?

We also know people who have aith in God. But are they allwise?

The Word o God teaches us that true wisdom is rooted in true

aith (see Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 111:10). It also teaches that godlywisdom can look oolish in the eyes o the world (see 1 Corin-thians 1:18-2:5). In our refections here well see that the authoro both aith and wisdom is God. And when God is at the centero our lie, we really can live wisely and aithully.

With this issue oToday, I invite you to explore new ways in

which you can grow in wisdom and aith in your own lie. AndI pray that youll discover powerul new ways to put your aithinto wise action, to the glory o God.

In Christs service,

Bob


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Tarefresh, refocus, renew

Sep/Oc 2011

Becoming People

of Wisdom

Henry Kranenburg

Theological Editor: Roer HeerspinkManaging Editor: Eleanor Lasa

Executive Editor: Seven Koser

By Faith

Jul Medenblik

TODAY (USPS 185-140),Volume 61, Number 5,published bimonthly byReFrame Media, a divisiono Back to God Ministries

International, at 6555 WestCollege Drive, Palos Heights, IL60463. Periodicals postage paidat Palos Heights, Illinois, and atadditional mailing oces.

Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Today, 6555 W.

College Dr., Palos Heights, IL60463.

Copyright 2011, Back toGod Ministries International.Printed in U.S.A.

Unless otherwise noted,Scripture quotations in this

publication are rom theHoly Bible, Todays NewInternational Version (TNIV), 2001, 2005, InternationalBible Society. All rightsreserved worldwide.

Cover photo by Ryuu Ji.


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B Pp W

H Kab

Wisdom is probably less sought ater than it should be. Thats why

God gives us a book like Proverbs. In this unique Old Testament book

o sayings about everyday lie, God makes a clear and consistent call

or his people to be pursuers o wisdom. At the same time, the Lord

oers practical guidance or wise living.

In the New Testament, God gives us an even clearer understanding

o wisdom. We discover that Jesus is the true Wisdom o God. Real

wisdom comes rom having incarnate WisdomChrist Jesusin our

hearts. A aith relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to living as wise

people.

Proverbs teaches us the wisdom we are to put into practice as disciples

o Christ. With the Spirit o Christ living in us, we can be increasingly

lled with the wisdom we need to stand rm in Gods way o living,

and to ace whatever lie might bring.

Pastor Henry Kranenburg is a graduate o Calvin Theological Seminary

and is currently serving as lead pastor at Immanuel Christian ReormedChurch in Hamilton, Ontario. He previously served Bethel Christian

Reormed Church in Brockville, Ontario. Henry is married to Marnie,

and together they have our children. Henry is currently pursuing addi

tional study in pastoral care and counseling.


5/69

While I dont want to be thoughto as a know-it-all, I denitelydont want to be a ool.

The word ool is used morethan 80 times in the Bible.None o those mentions me byname, but I dont want the de-scriptions there to t me either.I especially dont want to belisted as a ool in some record

that God might keep.

Thankully, Proverbs is a bookthat God gives to help us see what a ool is so that we canght against becoming one.From the beginning it pits wis-dom against oolishness. Some-times the invitation is to em-brace what is wise; other timesthe challenge is to ght what isoolish.

Proverbs is a collection o wis-dom sayings that tell us the

way things are. In this worldthere is wisdom, and there is

olly. Wisdom comes rom liv-ing Gods way, and olly comesrom going our own way. Godgives us Proverbs to help us see

that our heart and charactermust be shaped by him, so thatwe can live wisely in all kinds osituations.

Ultimately, living wisely is aboutbeing Christlike: having the

mind o Christ, who is perectlywise.

The Bible calls Jesus the wis-dom o God. And a wisdom-shaped heart is one that hasChrist in it. In that way, I wantto be a wise guy.

We preach Christ crucied . . . Christ the power o God and the

wisdom o God. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Provers 1:1-7 tHURSDAY, SEPtEmbER 1

Wise guy

Almighty God, I dontwant to be a ool. Pleasegive me a heart o wis-dom to live as your child,

to grow to be like Christ.In his name, Amen.


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It can be a little conusing to tryto gure out how this businesso getting wisdom and beingwise works. There has to be a

starting point. You have to wantwisdom. The next step is to un-derstand that i you want wis-dom, you have to want Jesus.

Todays verses rom Ephesiansbecome clearer when con-

nected to the verse rom 1 Co-rinthians. God wants us to be-come mature, attaining to thewhole measure o the ullnesso Christ. So I need to want togrow mature in Christ. And thenext question is: How much do

I want to do that? How seriousam I about growing in Christhaving a relationship with Christthat lls my whole lie?

Sometimes its a little disheart-ening to consider this. I may dis-

cover that the reason I am notgrowing in aith is not becauseGod has abandoned me but

because I am holding back inmy relationship with Christ. DoI really desire the wisdom thatGod wants or me? To not want

wisdom is to not want God.

On the other hand, its hearten-ing to know that wisdom actu-ally begins with God. He wantsus to have wisdom, and he hascreated us with the desire or it.

We need to cultivate that desire,and God helps us even in doingthat, in Christ.

Are we ready to work withGod, then, to grow in wisdom?

It is because o [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has be

come or us wisdom rom God. 1 Corinthians 1:30

Ephesians 4:11-16 FRIDAY, SEPtEmbER 2

ABouT Wisdom

Lord, sometimes I wantthe results o wisdomwithout really wanting to work with you. Remindme that I need you in mybeing in order to grow in

wisdom. Please increasemy desire or you. Amen.


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Growing in wisdom is aboutcultivating a character thatis Christlike. I we want that wisdom, then the words o

Ephesians 1 are a great discov-ery and encouragement.

What is striking about these verses is how they tell us wedont have to gure this all outon our own. Its not a project

or which God gives us a text-book and tests us with a nalexam at the end o lie. God isnot a hands o teacher.

In Ephesians 1 Paul explainsthat he prays or people to have wisdom, and he asks God tobe involved in the processbecause that is what God prom-ises. Paul goes on to mentionthe Spirit o wisdom, and heisnt asking only or the Spirit tohelp us; Paul asks that the Spirit

o wisdom begiven to us.

Why? So that we mayknowGod better.

Suddenly this matter o gain-

ing wisdom is not just aboutlearning some Christian way oliving. It is about an interactiveGod who wants to live in usand be part o our aith growthby becoming part o us.

We can simpliy all that to this:God wants us to have wisdom.So we can make this prayer ourown, saying, I want to have theSpirit o wisdom and revelationbecause I want to know Godbetter.

I keep asking that . . . God . . . may give you the Spirit o wisdom

. . . so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17

Ephesians 1:15-23 SAtURDAY, SEPtEmbER 3

gods desire for me

Heavenly Father, pleasegive me the Spirit o wisdom and revelation.Open the eyes o myheart to know the hopeand power by which you

want me to live. For Jesussake, Amen.


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To want wisdom is to want Jesus. But then the words theearo the Lord is the beginningo wisdom can be conusing.

The phrase ear o the Lordoccurs oten in Proverbs. Thank-ully it doesnt mean what wesometimes think it meansthat you have to be scared oGod. But it does mean that in

our relationship with God thereshould be a healthy respect andawe.

What God is saying here hasto do with honor, recognizingwho God is and all he has doneor us, because he loves us andis aithul.

Maybe its a bit like the way youmight respect a guide leading you through a mountain passthat has all kinds o dangersand pitalls and high clis. You

honor the guide not simply be-cause he says so but because

you know he is the one whowill get you through. You havea healthy respect or some-one who knows ar more than

youand in whom you haveto trust to get you where youneed to go.

Exodus 20:20 puts it in per-spective: the ear o God will. . . keep you rom sinning.

I sin threatens to get me othe path, I want the ear thatkeeps me on it.

The ear o the Lord is the beginning o wisdom, and knowledge

o the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Exodus 20:18-21 SUNDAY, SEPtEmbER 4

Wisdom sTArTs WiTH feAr

Lord, I coness that some-times I resent your lawsand conuse them withkeeping me rom enjoy-ing reedom. Thank youthat your love protectsme. Please give me grace

this day to ollow you.Amen.


9/69

Ants are intriguing. They arebusy; they can carry incredibleweight or their size; and theywork well in community. It can

be ascinating to watch themwork.

Every once in a while I hearsomeone say, I love work; Icould watch it all day. We smileat that because we understand

we were not created just towatch work. God created us todo thingsand we cant just nar-row that down to having a jobor career, or to pursuing hob-bies, sports, or other interests.While all o these things can be

good, we can misuse them iour ocus shits away rom God.Gods intent is or us to use allthe resources he has given us inorder to serve him and honorhim with our whole lives.

We were created to be peoplewho can contribute somethingby playing a role in community.

Laziness or lack o involvement without reason just do not t with what God has in mind.And when we dont t with

what God has in mind, we losesomething o what God intendsus to be.

Our God is a worker. He cre-ated the universe, and throughhis Son the Lord is working to

make all things new. We refectGods image as we use ourhands and minds to answerGods calling and do whateverour health and strength allow.

Thank God today or the workyou can do.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!Proverbs 6:6

Provers 6:6-11 mONDAY, SEPtEmbER 5

WorK dAy

Lord, sometimes we com-plain about the work wehave to do, and some-times we need rest. Helpus to consider the ant and

to honor you in all we do.Amen.


10/69

Never argue with a ool. Itlljust drag you down to their leveland make a ool o you. I likethe humorous truth o that. In

other words, arguing with a oolis seldom productive. When webegin to engage with others inoolish ways, we start headinginto ools territorywhether ornot anyone else goes there withus. Its a losing ormula.

In Proverbs, God is not simplysaying we should avoid ools.Sometimes we just cant, and inJesus name we need to interact with all kinds o people. Godis saying that we should ght

oolishness, especially when itbegins to rise up in us.

To do that, we need help. Andwe receive help not only romGods Word but also romothers. God invites us to be

part o a community o dis-cerning people who know truewisdom in Christ. Such people

can help us when we ace di-cult decisions or when we arein relationships that challengeour own discernment. Wisdom

means opening ourselves up towise help so that we can stopany unperceived slide into ool-ishness.

I want the Bible to examine meas I read it (Hebrews 4:12), and

I want people to critique me asI need it.

I want honest eedback becauseI want to be wise in thought,word, and deed.

A ool spurns a parents discipline, but whoever heeds correction

shows prudence. Proverbs 15:5

Lord, give us wisdom thatconvicts us to avoid ool-ish actions in whatever wedo. And help us to receive

honest eedback as a wiseway to grow. Amen.

Provers 1:30-33 tUESDAY, SEPtEmbER 6

desiring HonesT feedBAcK


11/69

I once read that anger is theemotion we most oten experi-ence. In a given week we wonttypically experience the ull

range o human emotionsbutit seems that almost all o uswill get angry about something.No wonder so many verses inthe Bible speak about anger.

Anger isnt necessarily a bad

emotion. Ater all, were toldthat God himsel gets angry.God becomes angry at injus-tice, at mistreatment o peopleand the rest o his creation, andultimately at all sinul behavior(rebellion against him). But that

is good anger. (And God is alsomerciul, longsuering, and or-giving. See Psalm 103:8-18.)

Good, healthy anger is not op-posite to love. Good anger ismotivated by love and compas-

sion, and it energizes you to dealwith wrong things that threatensomeone or something you

care about. Good anger drivesyou to conront abuse, injustice,or disobedience that is hurtingsomeone.

We need good anger because itgives us energy to ght or whatis right and godly. In act, thatkind o energy is what helps meto ollow Jesus, who got angryabout some things too.

Sometimes I think we needmore good anger i we are go-ing to apply Gods way o wis-dom in our world.

Lord, most o us get angrysometimes. But we con-ess that oten we dontget angry about some wrong things that needto be made right. Help us

to ght the good ght, orwisdoms sake. Amen.

[Jesus] looked around at them in anger . . . deeply distressed at

their stubborn hearts. Mark 3:5

Provers 29:8-11; Ephesians 4:26 WEDNESDAY, SEPtEmbER 7

good Anger


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I was talking with some childrenabout anger, and we agreed thatsometimes we get angry andsometimes people get angry

with us. But calling someone aname like You ool! when weget angry is never a good thing.

Jesus point in Matthew 5 is notsimply about name calling; itsabout relationships. The energy

behind bad anger is not aboutloving othersits about lovingonesel. Its the kind o angerthat cares more about ventingor reacting or expressing oneshurt, or diminishing someoneelse, than about serving the

cause o a neighbor.

Theres a lot o bad angeraround, and its the kind thatleads to sin because it tendsto unleash destructive energy.Sometimes our anger is simply

about wanting someone elseto eel pain because they havemade us eel pain.

We have to ask ourselves, Whatdo we get angry about? Do weget angry about the things thatanger a just and holy God? And

do we express that anger inhealthy, constructive ways?

Most o us will get angry thisweek. But will that anger gener-ate energy that breaks down re-lationships, rather than restoring

them? I it does, were enteringdangerous territory. Thats Jesustake on thingsand Jesus wasno ool.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, or anger resides in the

lap o ools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

Ephesians 4:25-32; mahew 5:22 tHURSDAY, SEPtEmbER 8

BAd Anger

Lord, your Word warnsus that anger can give thedevil a oothold. I thereis any such oothold inmy lie, please help meremove it. I I have beenwronged, help me to nd

a wise way toward resto-ration. Amen.


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Wisdom does more than ad-dress our own anger, whetherthat anger is good or bad. Wis-dom also addresses how we

handle other peoples anger.Thats true whether people areangry at you, at someone else,or simply at the world.

Proverbs addresses this in anumber o places and connects

it with the spiritual exercise opatience. Proverbs 14:29 says,Those who are patient havegreat understanding, but thequick-tempered display olly.The Bible talks about patientpeople as peacemakers. In act,

Jesus says peacemakers are trulyblessed (Matthew 5:9).

Good anger is one thingandit has to be handled with god-ly wisdom. But i we can turnaway or deuse someones bad

anger, we can send ripples ocalm into a community. Blessingothers, we are also blessed.

In peacemaking, the place tostart is with ourselves. How do we react when someone elseis boiling over with bad anger?

Do we jump in with our ownangry reaction to their anger? Iwe push that persons buttons,insult him or her, or say some-thing sharp because were tired(even i were right), and thusprovoke someones anger evenurther, we are firting with ool-ishnesstheirs and ours.

Wisdom means we know betterbecause we love peace. Withpatience and love, we can aimor blessing others.

Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.Proverbs 29:8

Jaes 3:13-18 FRIDAY, SEPtEmbER 9

Beyond Anger

Lord, help me to turnaway anger through pa-tience and love. Give me wisdom not to provokethe anger o others and

to help angry people ndpeace. In Christ, Amen.


14/69

Have you ever heard o oolsgold? Its a shiny yellow mineralthat looks a lot like goldbut isnot. I you were a miner and

you brought ools gold to themarket expecting to make a or-tune, you would end up a oolwho couldnt tell what has realvalue rom what is worthless.

O course, ools can be

happyat least or a while.Someone collecting ools goldcould spend days or even yearscollecting the stu and think he was greatly successul. Realitywould hit only when he wentto market and learned that his

work was or nothing, that theglitter had deceived him to pur-sue worthless trash.

Its not just miners who are look-ing or something o value. Parto every lie consists o a pursuit

o what really counts, what real-ly matters. I you want to pursuewhat is o ultimate value, you

need to be clear about whatyou are looking or. God says itmeans looking or the one whois true Wisdom, the Word made

fesh. Our search or the onewho is Wisdom takes us to theWord o God, Jesus Christ, andto the community that is thebody o Christ.

Tomorrow is Sunday, when

churches o Christ everywhere will worship the Lord. Wherewill you be looking or the realthing? God promises that those who seek with all their heartwill surely nd.

This is eternal lie: that they know you, the only true God, and

Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3

Provers 8:1-11 SAtURDAY, SEPtEmbER 10

donT geT fooled

We know, Lord, that wecan keep busy miningor many things in lie.Forgive our tendency tosubstitute lesser things or

you. Help us to nd wis-dom. Amen.


15/69

A perceptive word rom some-one else can help us understandourselves, even i it is a word ocorrection. It may come rom

someone we know personally,or it may come rom a proes-sional who is specially trainedto oer us insight.

God also oers us counsel, andone o the tools he uses is the

Bible. Our Scripture readingsor today make clear that Godknows us even better than weknow ourselves, and that Godinteracts with us when we readhis Word. In act, while Goddoes this, he is working on our

soul.

Spending time in Scripture ismore than just a way to getBible knowledge. Reading GodsWord unleashes into our beingthe power o Gods Spirit. Its

the way we get the Word work-ing within us. Its the way we

discover what it means to haveJesus living in our heart.

Mysterious? Yes. But theres no

mystery about how we can tapinto this powerul spiritual dy-namic. We simply need to taketime to read the Bible, makingsure we pray or Gods Spirit towork in us as we read.

Maybe or some o us that caneel like a duty or chore. But iwere not taking time to be inGods Word, were missing oneo the most important pathwaysor pursuing wisdom. That willmake a dierence in how wesense the presence o God inour lie.

The purposes o the human heart are deep waters, but those who

have insight draw them out. Proverbs 20:5

Psal 139:1-10; Herews 4:12-13 SUNDAY, SEPtEmbER 11

A liTTle HelP from my friend

Lord, please search me asI read your Word today,direct and correct mythoughts and attitudes,

and lead me in the way oull lie with you. Amen.


16/69

Karl Kraus, a writer and jour-nalist, said, It is better not toexpress what one means, thanto express what one does not

mean. Kraus echoes the wordso our text rom Proverbs.Silence is sometimes the bestcourse o action. Silence cankeep us rom looking like aool.

What Proverbs is pointing to isthat using words can be tricky,regardless o how wise we are. We can use words thought-lessly. They can cause muchdamage, some o which cantbe undone. Words demand our

utmost care.

Ephesians 4:29 indicates that Ihave a responsibility or whatpeople hear in my words.

Its not enough or me just tosay what I think in order to get

it o my chest. I need to say itin a way that is helpul or oth-

ers, and in a way that they canunderstand. I I am not readyor that, then maybe I shouldsay less and listen more.

Jesus says in Matthew 12:37,By your words you will be ac-quitted, and by your words youwill be condemned. Thats be-cause words are not just aboutme. They are about my rela-

tionship with others.

Sometimes or the sake o rela-tionship it is wisest just to keepquiet. I need to be reminded othat rom time to time.

Even ools are thought wise i they keep silent, and discerning i

they hold their tongues. Proverbs 17:28

Ephesians 4:29; Jaes 3:2-12 mONDAY, SEPtEmbER 12

Words And silence

Lord, we know howwords can make a dier-ence in the way peoplesee us. Im sorry or the ways I have misusedwords to hurt rather thanbuild relationships. Help

me to use words wisely.Amen.


17/69

We have to be careul with aproverb like this. Just surround-ing mysel with advisers doesntmake me wise. Foolish talk

doesnt become wisdom justbecause my avorite counselorsagree. A wise person picks ad-visers careully. Wisdom comesrom the mouth o the wise.

But this proverb gets at a deep-

er issue. All o us tend to wantto have things our own way be-cause that seems right to us. Sowe are prone to seek out peo-ple who agree with our point oview. Ater all, who wants to betold they are wrong?

But such action risks oolishness.All o us have limited vision.None o us can evaluate ullyevery possibility. Wise peopledont just want to get their way.Wise people want to act wisely.

That means getting advice romothers who can help them seeclearly. Wise advisers will say

what a person needs to heareven when they know the per-son may at rst disagree.

I I reuse to ask or the input opeople who love me and mayknow something about me ormy planning, then I need toread todays verses again. Thatdoesnt mean I need always todo what others say. But it does

mean I will pay attention.

I thank God or people whospeak rom hearts that love Godand embrace his true wisdom.

The way o ools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

Provers 16:1-4 tUESDAY, SEPtEmbER 13

PlAnning And Advice

Lord, thank you or peo-ple you have given me onmy lies journey. Pleaseuse them to help me see what I need to see, and

give me wisdom to listen.Amen.


18/69

I agree that I do not know whata day may bring. The problemis that I dont oten keep thisin mind as I go about my day.

My schedule is lled with plansand appointments that usually work out pretty much as I in-tended. I they dont, I gure Imust have put too much in ordidnt leave enough margin orthe unexpected. That suggests Iam not really able to plan myday as much as I think I can. Ijust dont want to admit it.

The words o James andProverbs call us to think aboutour limited ability to control

our lives. I can plan careullyand even wisely and with thegood advice o others, but I amnot in command o my lie theway I oten might think. My liecould be over tomorroworeven today. So could yours.

On the other hand, God knows what tomorrow will bring.

In act, God ordained all oour days beore one o themcame to be (Psalm 139:16).That means its not enough to

listen to wisdom rom amilyand riends. We need to listento God. We need to pray, andin prayer we can learn to hearwhat God may say to us.

Wise people refect on and live

by the reality o planning anddoing in cooperation with theLords will. They understandProverbs 19:21: Many are theplans in a human heart, but itis the Lords purpose that pre-vails.

Lord, I know I dont con-trol tomorrow, and I wantto refect on that enoughto gain a heart o wisdom.Teach me to surrender all

my plans to line up withyour will. Amen.

Do not boast about tomorrow, or you do not know what a day

may bring. Proverbs 27:1

Jaes 4:13-17 WEDNESDAY, SEPtEmbER 14

my PlAns And god


19/69

A speaker at a Promise Keepersconerence reerred to this prov-erb. The picture here is visuallyunpleasantand thats saying it

nicely. My dog has conrmedor me the rst part o this prov-erb, but Gods Word or us hasto do with the second part. Iyou or I keep returning to ouroolishness, we will keep doingthings that we shouldnt do.

All o us have habits. Some othem help us live wisely, andsome do not. Some can bedownright destructive and sin-ul. Gods call to a disciplinedlie means I need to nd ways

to break away rom bad habitsthat undermine my discipleship.I need to turn away rom oolishpatterns that keep tempting me.

Sheer willpower always ails us.Our return to vomit is almost

instinctive. Thats when we re-alize we need to clean up notjust individual acts but a whole

pattern o living. The coner-ence speaker was addressingthe problem o pornographyand its easy access through the

Internet. But we can apply thisproverb to a lot o sinul things.

Jesus says, I your right handcauses you to stumble, cut ito (Matthew 5:30). He didntmean that literally, but he did

mean that it can take drasticaction to walk away rom ourolly. Sometimes when the gar-bage is too tempting, thats whatwisdom demands.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so ools repeat their olly.Proverbs 26:11

Galaians 5:16-26 tHURSDAY, SEPtEmbER 15

self-disciPline

Lord, thank you or hab-its o sel-discipline thatwe have already learned.Please give us the strengthand wisdom to get rid oour garbage and to culti-

vate additional good hab-its. In Jesus, Amen.


20/69

Okay, Proverbs is talking aboutexcessivedrinking, right? Or be-ing ledastray by wine or beer.So as long as Im not excessive

or led astray, its okay, right?

Besides, the psalmist says thatGod made wine to gladdenthe heart (Psalm 104:15). AndJesus made gallons o wine ora wedding (John 2:1-10), and

Paul told Timothy (a pastor) tohave some wine to help settlehis stomach (1 Timothy 5:23).

We can answer yes to all o theabove, but our text still speaks ahealthy warning.

Frankly, Proverbs doesnt havemany positive things to say aboutdrinking. The writer wants us totake its dangers seriously.

Its easy to buy into a culturethat says drinking will help you

t in, eel less stressed, and at-tract better-looking partners. Its

not hard to close our eyes tothe deceptions.

Alcohol can aect how we

live out our values. It can leadto loose words, hurtul actions,dangerous driving, and brokenrelationships. When it takes con-trol o our lives, it bites like asnake and poisons like a viper.

Wisdom includes being honest.Gods Word or you today maybe to look closely at how youor someone you care about ishandling alcohol. Its oolish toplay with vipers.

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray bythem is not wise. Proverbs 20:1

Provers 23:19-35 FRIDAY, SEPtEmbER 16

drinKing

Lord, we understand thatalcohol itsel is not evil,but misusing it can bringso much trouble. Thankyou or people who help with healing when it isneeded. Help us to live

wisely so as not to needthat healing. Amen.


21/69

When we struggle with bad hab-its and sinul weaknesses, weneed to know that sel-controlis possible. But sel-control that

really works is not driven by our willpower. Its guided by ourgreat God and Savior, whogives us a new sel in place oour old sinul sel (see Ephesians2:4-5; 4:17-5:20). Thats whysel-control is described as parto the ruit o the Spirit inGalatians 5:22-23. In Christ, weare given a new, Spirit-guidedsel that can truly help us over-come our sinul weaknesses.

God wants us to have new lie,

guided by his Spirit, so that sinwill not hurt us or our relation-ships with him and others. TheSpirit leads us to grow in prayer(conversation with God) andBible reading (learning rom his Word) and worship (praising

and thanking God and hearinghis Word). And all o this hap-

pens best in community withother Christians (the church oChrist, our Savior, who gavehimsel to puriy us).

The community that God givesus is also a great help or oursel-control. Without it, werelike a vulnerable city that canbe attacked and destroyed.Our walls arent always strong

enough i we are the only onesbuilding them. With a Spirit-ledcommunity that holds us ac-countable, we can ght betterthan we could alone.

Tomorrow is community day.Can you join with Spirit-ledbelievers to worship the Godwho gives us new lie and sel-control?

Thank you, Lord, or newlie that helps us grow

closer to you, and to-gether, in wisdom. Amen.

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks

sel control. Proverbs 25:28

tius 2:11-14 SAtURDAY, SEPtEmbER 17

self-conTrol


22/69

I have a copy o a cartoon inwhich a boy says to his ather,The teacher told us a proverbthat says a ool and his money

are soon parted. How did theyget together in the rst place?Good question.

The teachers proverb isnt romthe Bible, but it contains someolk wisdom. It suggests that i I

tend to spend my money as astas I get itor even beore I getitI may be in ools territory. Itis wise to plan and save wherewe can.

But there is another side tomanaging our nances.

Proverbs 11:25 tells us thathanging on to everything orourselves is not wise either.

In act, investing all I have intome and my uture misses out

on the blessing God intends orme. Generosity brings with it a

blessing that I can never get bykeeping everything or mysel.

Please understand: God doesnt

want us to be generous simplyas a way to get more. He wantsus to refect his generosity inour own lives. God wants us toshare his heart o generosity.

The truth is, at the heart o gen-erous stewardship is a relation-ship with God that helps me togive to others.

I I have received wisdom, Iwant to reresh others with thesame kind o generosity.

A generous person will prosper; whoever rereshes others will be

rereshed. Proverbs 11:25

malachi 3:6-12 SUNDAY, SEPtEmbER 18

full-circle generosiTy

Dear Jesus, you gave yourlie so that we could have you. We sometimes losesight o your generosityand the circle o givingthat it intends. Guide us

to reresh others with thesame spirit. Amen.


23/69

On a brochure I saw thesewords: I Im really a Christian. . . then why isnt Jesus morereal in my lie? I you have

ever wondered about that, youshould know that you arent therst and you wont be the last.Even writers o the Bible wres-tled with this question.

There are dierent reasons,

o course, why people mightsometimes eel that way. Butone place to start in refectingon this is to recognize that Goddesires depth in his people. Notnecessarily intellectual depthor all kinds o biblical knowl-

edge though these things aregoodbut depth in relationshipwith God, as opposed to shal-lowness.

Proverbs 2 talks aboutacceptingand storing up and turning our

ear and applying our heart andcalling out or insight and cryingaloud or understanding and look

ing and searching. It uses action words like these to describewhat we should be doing in ourpursuit o wisdom.

Bottom line? We have to wantit. We have to be committed togoing ater wisdom.

It will take work, and it willtake your heart. But, withoutthat, Jesusand wisdomwontseem real.

It makes me want to dig a littledeeper, again.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37


good THings donT come cHeAP

Father God, I know thatbelieving you exist is notenough. Help me not justto arm certain truths or wrestle with what theymeanbut to desire you,and to want the wisdom

you have or me in Christ.Amen.


24/69

Proverbs speaks oten abouthow a kind word can lit ourspirit. I you have a riend whodoes this or you, or i people

have oered a kind word at theright time in your journey, youknow the value o this proverb.Its one way in which an anxiousheart can lose some weight.

Most o us know this already.

In act, many o us quickly eeltroubled when we think theremight be very ew people whowould be such a riend to us.

Yet i I know that, there is asimple question I should askmysel: To whom am I that kindo riend?

To whose anxious heart do I lis-ten and oer a word o encour-agement? To whom do I go tosee how they are doing (and notsimply wait or them to come

to me)? I all o us waited orsomeone else to be that kind o

riend, none o us would everreceive the kind word Proverbstalks about.

And you know what is inter-esting? The more we step outto be that kind o person orsomeone elseas hard as itmay be, given the weight o ourown heartsthe more we eelconnected to Jesus, who always

reached out to others. And thatmakes sense, or its the way owisdom.

Now, to do it . . . .

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.Proverbs 12:25

Galaians 6:1-10 tUESDAY, SEPtEmbER 20

A liTTle HelP for my friends

Lord, I know the value okind encouragement ormy soul. Thank you ortimes when I have seen you in that. Please helpme to oer kindness andencouragement to some-

one today, in your name.Amen.


25/69

Someone once told me that inaddition to a gun registry, weshould have a tongue registry.That way we could exercise

tongue control and not havepeople go shooting o theirmouths. Weve all experienceddamage rom an uncontrolledtongue.

God intends or us to use our

speech wisely. The answer isntound in becoming tongue-tiedand saying nothing. God gaveus the git o speech or a goodreason. The second part o ourproverb or today reveals thatGod wants us to use the tongue

as a tool, not as a weapon.

God intends that we use ourtongue to communicate withothers and build relationships. When something isnt goingright in a relationship, God in-

tends or us to use our tongueto build bridges o understand-ing. Words arent meant to

pierce and destroy; they aremeant to be vehicles o truth,reconciliation, and healing.

I we want to evaluate the qual-ity o our speech, we can do nobetter than to think o Gods ul-timate speech to us, in Jesus.

Do our words measure up tothe character o Christ? Withthe Spirit o Christ working inus and shaping us, we know we will become more Christlike(2 Corinthians 3:18).

Wise people take note, andthen they take time to think be-ore they speak.

The words o the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue o the

wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Provers 15:1-8 WEDNESDAY, SEPtEmbER 21

Tongue conTrol

Thank you, God, or thegit o your words, and orthe git o the Word madefesh. Knowing the powero words, help me to

choose my words in linewith your will. Amen.


26/69

This proverb is quite striking. Itstates that we will be lled (orsatised) with good things (bless-ings) by the ruit o our lips (things

we say). O course, the ruitmentioned here must be good.(Bad ruit is simply garbage.) Sothe ruit o our lipswould reer togood, helpul, upbuilding thingsthat we say. In other words, thisruit would be wise counselwords o wisdom.

God chose to reveal himselto us in words: words spokento Adam and Eve in the gar-den, words spoken through theprophets, words recorded in

the Bible. Ultimately God spokein Jesus, the Word made fesh. Words are part o how Godcomes to us, and words are parto how we connect to God andto each other.

So its important to use words wisely. We need to take carethat what we say resonates with

the words and wisdom o God.And when we do, people andcommunities will be blessed,and that will result in blessing

or us, which satises the heart.

This is similar to enjoying thebenets and blessings o doinggood work. Whether we haveused our hands to make a mas-terpiece o art, to serve others

in our work, or to clean up ourhome or yardi we have doneit to gloriy God (Colossians3:17), we are blessed in the work we have done. And theresults satisy our hearts.

What will the ruit o your lipsbe todaya word that helpssomeone grow closer to God?

We know, Lord, that our words aect others. AsI speak today, may my

words refect your heart.Amen.

From the ruit o their lips people are lled with good things, and

the work o their hands brings them reward. Proverbs 12:14

Provers 6:16-19 tHURSDAY, SEPtEmbER 22

Words of Wisdom


27/69

Too oten we think rst aboutourselves, but Jesus teaches thatwe need to think and care aboutothersand that when we serve

them, we are serving him. Ourproverb or today echoes thiseye-opening teaching.

But dont we oten simply ig-nore others in need and lookdown on them? Or when we

compare ourselves to others,dont we tend to think werethe ones who have too little?

As Jesus reminds us, there arepeople in this worldand verypossibly in our neighborhoodor at least nearbywho dontknow where their ood willcome rom today, or who donthave access to health care, clean water, or adequate education.The list could go on and on.

Like Jesus, todays proverb leads

me to consider what I have doneor the poor lately, and then it

goes a little urther. When wegive to the poor, its like lendingto the Lord. Looking into theiraces is like looking into the

ace o Jesus.

So what have we given to Godrecently?

God wants us to take this chal-lenge seriously, as seriously as we receive his kindness andbounty.

We practice wisdom when wehandle our resources the wayJesus would have us do.

Those who are kind to the poor lend to the Lord , and he will

reward them or what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

mahew 25:31-46 FRIDAY, SEPtEmbER 23

sTeWArdsHiP

For health and strengthand daily ood, we give you thanks, O Lord. Aswe receive your gits withopen hearts, give us wisekindness to share with

others in need. In Jesusname, Amen.


28/69

Pride. Some say it was the rooto Adam and Eves sin. Pride ledthem to think they knew bet-ter than God, and to think they

could handle the risk o goingtheir own way. So they did, andthey discovered they couldnthandle it at all. But then it wastoo late.

Pride is also what Jesus is talk-

ing about in the parable in Luke18. It is wonderul, o course,that people pray. But the pray-ing Pharisee is sel-absorbed,seeing himsel only in compari-son to other people, especiallythose whom he judged to be

worse than himsel. Pride tendsto want to know how we aredoing compared to others, andit thrives on the oolish ideathat we are better in some way.Pride depends on comparisonto shape identity.

Humility doesnt compareus to others. It calls us to see

ourselves in the light o Godsstandards. Humility leads usto realize how much we needGod, and it understands that

our need is no less than anyoneelses. Humility desires that wesee ourselves as God sees us.

Thats wise because its real.Humility exposes who we are,and at the same time it reveals

our need or the Savior whose very lie exemplied humility.A close relationship with Jesushelps us cruciy our pride andnd the reeing power o truehumility.

[The Lord] mocks proud mockers but shows avor to the humble

and oppressed. Proverbs 3:34

Luke 18:9-14 SAtURDAY, SEPtEmbER 24

Pride

Lord, I dont want to beproud. I dont want alsehumility or wounded sel-esteem either. Please helpme to see mysel as yousee me, so that I can see

your grace better. Thankyou. Amen.


29/69

When you compare yourselto others and decide that youdont measure up, you can eas-ily all into envy. And that can

make you rotten inside.

Envy is not the same as jeal-ousy, in which a person has notolerance or rivalry or unaith-ulness. In act, I can be rightlyjealous or my wies love, just

as God is rightly jealous or theaithulness we owe him. Butnot all jealousy is right.

Envy comes in when we eel we have a right to somethingthat someone else hasand weeel they shouldnt have it at all.Envy has led people to steal orkill to make sure the thing they wanted was not enjoyed bysomeone else.

Saul was envious o David. Davidwas more successul, and he re-

ceived more praise. When thathappened, Saulwho had his

own successesno longer heardthe songs sung or him, but onlythe songs sung or David. And itmade him rot on the inside.

I know some envious people.They have a hard time praisingothers and hearing praise orthose they envy. In the end, itcan hurt them more than any-one else, or it can rot the soul.

In contrast with envy, wisdomcalls us to rejoice in the goodthat others do, and to praiseGod or the blessings and gitshe provides others.

A heart at peace gives lie to the body, but envy rots the bones.Proverbs 14:30

1 Sauel 18:1-9 SUNDAY, SEPtEmbER 25

envy

Lord, sometimes I allinto envy when I makecomparisons. Help meto be joyul about thegits you give to others,and to appreciate all youhave given me. Guide me

to serve you aithully. InJesus name, Amen.


30/69

Proverbs has a lot to say abouteyes, and it links them here toa proud heart. Haughty eyes,says the writer, produce sin.

So i you want wisdom, youdont want haughty eyes.

The word haughty comes roman old Anglo-French word, haut,which means high, and whichcomes rom the Latin word

altus , rom which we get ourword altitude. Putting all thattogether, we nd that haughtyeyes are the kind o eyes thatlook down at other people, as ithe one looking down is higherup than others.

At the heart o this again is theproblem o comparingwedont just look down, we lookdown at other peopleas i they arelower or lesser than we are.

Somehow we eel we need

to prove that we are worthsomething, i or no other rea-

son than to make sure we canidentiy someone who is worthless than we are. But, o course,thats oolish. It leads to hurting

others as well as ourselves.

God says, Dont look down,look up. You are so worthwhileto me that I gave my Son sothat I could have you or mychildren. God doesnt do this

with haughty eyes; he does itwith eyes o love. Our desperateneed became his loving oppor-tunity. Wisdom means we wantto do the same with others be-cause we have seen that look olove rom God in Christ.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart . . . produce sin.Proverbs 21:4


HAugHTy eyes

Thank you, Father, or your love, which reachesout to me in my need.Please help me to see oth-ers with your eyes o love,

and to share your lovewith them. Amen.


31/69

As Proverbs oers us insightsabout wisdom in everyday lie,its not surprising to hear some-thing about marriage, or at least

about aithulness in marriage.

Whats tough about todays verses is that they sound sonegative. The prominent mes-sage seems less about buildinga good marriage than about

pointing out the dangers owrecking one through adultery.And the words are strong andconsistent: dont go outside theboundaries o what God has set.Dont firt with behaviors thatmove you in that direction.

This message is just as impor-tant today as when it was rstwritten. There is a reason whyadvertisers appeal to sexualityto sell their products. Not onlydoes it ascinate, but the excite-

ment and intimacy attached tosex are naturally appealing. ByGods design, we long or in-

timacy. But in the end we getburned i we look or it in waysthat cannot deliver. And no- where is that more important

than when it comes to marriageand amily, because when trustis broken there, the damage o-ten cannot be repaired.

These words arent just or mar-ried people. They are or every-

one, because wise amily lie ismore than just avoiding adul-tery. Its about doing all we canto protect Gods intention oramily. And that takes a com-munity.

Lord, you have given mar-riage as a git. Help meto honor your intentionsabout love and sex andtrust and vows, or thegood o all in my com-

munity. For Jesus sake,Amen.

Can a man scoop re into his lap without his clothes being

burned? Proverbs 6:27

Provers 5 tUESDAY, SEPtEmbER 27

Honoring mArriAge


32/69

We all have a heart. We rarelythink o the act that it pumpsabout 100,000 times each dayand pushes nourishment through

some 60,000 miles (96,500 km)o veins, arteries and capillariesit just keeps going. But when ourheart isnt well, we know we arein trouble.

In Proverbs, the human spirit

reers to the heart o our per-sonality, the seat o our emo-tions, the part o us that revealsour character, passions, preer-ences, and other aspects o whowe are.

Most o us tend to take ourspirit, our heart, or granted,until it is wounded or crushed.When that happens, we can getvery troubled with anxiety, eel-ings o insecurity, and doubt.Proverbs points out that when

our spirit is strong, we can han-dle a lot o adversity. But when

our spirit is crushed, lie can be-come almost unbearable.

Wisdom calls us to understand

that we live rom the inside out. We oten reverse that, believ-ing that i our circumstances(money, job, clothes, and so on)were better, then we would behappier on the inside. But its aools game to attempt shaping

our spirit rom the outside.

So when I look at my lie what I do, where I ocus mythoughts, and what I talk aboutwith otherswhere am I invest-ing more: in my inner spirit orin the outer things o lie?

The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who

can bear? Proverbs 18:14

Provers 15:13-15 WEDNESDAY, SEPtEmbER 28

from THe inside ouT

Lord God, by your Spirit,create in me a pure heart. . . and renew a steadastspirit within me. Help meto ocus on developing a

wise spirit that honorsyou. In Jesus, Amen.


33/69

How do I invest in my spirit?How do I live more wisely romthe heart o my being?

Throughout the Bible we are re-minded o the call to pay atten-tion to our inner lie. Considerthe surprise o Davids amilywhen David was anointed to beking, even though he wasnt asimpressive as his brothers. The

Lord had said, People look atthe outward appearance, butthe Lord looks at the heart(1 Samuel 16:7). Or considerJesus words that we need to bemore concerned with what canhappen to our soul than what

can happen to our body (Luke12:4-7).

Todays verses bring the wis-dom o Proverbs into our lie oprayer. Paul could have prayedor all kinds o external things,

including reedom rom his pris-on cell (see Ephesians 6:20). Butinstead he prays that God will

strengthen his readers with pow-er in their inner being, with thegoal that Christ will live in theirhearts. When we have Gods

strength on the inside, we canhandle whatever lie throws ourway on the outside.

Thats what I want. I want tobe wise, live wise, and havethe person o wisdom in me.

So in the morning when I getup, I pray this prayer o Paul, onmy knees. Its a way to remindmysel about priorities. And itsespecially a way to ask God orhis help in making my lie aninside job.

Father, I pray that you willstrengthen me with powerthrough your Spirit in myinner being, so that Christmay dwell in my heart

through aith. In Jesusname, Amen.

I pray that . . . [the Father] may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being . . . . Ephesians 3:16-17

Ephesians 3:16-21 tHURSDAY, SEPtEmbER 29

An inside joB


34/69

Today brings us to the end oour study o Proverbs and itstheme o wisdom. While theremay be some sayings that stick

with us more than others, ourgoal hasnt merely been toread some witty words. Wevepursued wisdom in order toshape our hearts and mold ourcharacters so that we can thinkand act wisely or good in this world. Wisdom is really aboutbecoming like Christ.

In Scripture, the heart is the vi-tal center o our moral, spiritual,and intellectual lie. Our heart isthe expression o our core iden-

tity. Everything fows rom ourheart. So i that is where Christdwells and i that is what weare shaping with wisdomthenprotecting our heart becomes ahigh priority.

We could try to guard our heartby shielding it rom bad infu-ences, but there is a more posi-

tive way to strengthen our heart. Jesus reminds us that beyondmerely obeying commands isGods call to love. The nal pur-

pose o our heart is to show loveor God and others. The best wayto protect our heart is to makesure that it is lled with love orGod. And that happens whenWisdom resides there, when theSpirit o Christ lives within us.Becoming people o wisdom isabout becoming people who re-fect the character o Jesus.

May God bless your journeyas you pursue the wisdom hewants you to have.

Lord Jesus, in a world ullo distractions, help meguard my heart. May it bethe wellspring o love oryou and your kingdom in

every part o my lie. Inyour name I pray. Amen.

Above all else, guard your heart, or everything you do fows

rom it. Proverbs 4:23

mahew 22:37-40 FRIDAY, SEPtEmbER 30

ABove All else


35/69

Rev. Jul Medenblik is a ormer attorney who was called to parish minis

try. He has served as a pastor o New Lie Christian Reormed Churchin New Lenox, Illinois, and as a church planting and development team

leader or Christian Reormed Home Missions. On August 1, 2011, he

began serving as president o Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand

Rapids, Michigan, and he will be inaugurated to the post on October 15.

Jul and his wie, Jackie, are blessed with a son, Joshua, and a daughter,

Julianne.

B fath

j mbk

How are we to endure troubles? Move through grie? Forgive others?

Make an impact or good on the people around us? In short, how

are we to ace all that lie throws at us? The Bible oers a key insight

into such questions when it tells us that Gods disciples live by aith.

This month well discover how God used ordinary but aith-lled

people or his extraordinary purposes. Lets explore some Old and

New Testament passages, and in so doing well be encouraged to live

by aith today!


36/69

God o time and eternity,thank you or inviting usto be yours through theadventure o aith. May

our hope and certaintyrest in you alone. Amen.

This month we take a journeyo discovery by looking at someo the Bibles heroes o aith.As we begin, we should note

that todays reading is markedby a repeated phrase o intro-duction: By aith. . . . The au-thor o the book o Hebrewsdoes not want any conusiono ocus. Many o the peoplehe identies are so well knownthat our ocus can quickly turnto those people and their mem-orable words or actions. But thewriter wants us to know that itis not people but God who isgreat.

By aith in God, an adventurebegins or ordinary people whoare equipped by God or his ex-traordinary purposes. Can weidentiy with this type o aith?The atmosphere o aith-lledliving overfows with hope and

certainty. Hope looks ahead tothe ulllment o Gods prom-

ises, and certainty stems romthe security o Gods love andaithulness. By aith we trust inthe one true God alone.

As we journey together thismonth, well see that aith his-tory spans the centuries. Butas we enter into what the an-cients were commended or, we must avoid thinking that

these stories are simply or his-torical review. Each story chal-lenges us to understand that lieby aith is available or all whobelieve today, or all who hopein God and ollow his call in anuncertain world.

Faith is being sure o what we hope or and certain o what we do

not see. This is what the ancients were commended or.Hebrews 11:1-2

Herews 11:1-12 SAtURDAY, OCtObER 1

By fAiTH


37/69

Some o the names in Hebrews11 are well known. Others arenot. But all are the names obelievers through whom God

worked to keep his promises.

As we ponder Hebrews 11, which is sometimes describedas the Bibles chapter on he-roes o aith, we should notethat this chapter never uses

the word hero. It simply liststhe names o ordinary peoplewhom God used or extraordi-nary purposes.

For the past sixteen years, Ihave had the privilege o pas-toring the same church amily.In that amily I have known or-dinary people who are heroeso aith.

As I write this devotionalpiece, a ather o ve is acinglie without his beloved wie

and best riend because oher death. Amys aith saw her

through nine years o battlingcancer that ultimately aectedher breathing. She took her lastearthly breath on Christmas

morning.

Amys husband has shared withme that as he and his childrenace the uture, it is throughaith that they will becomemore than conquerors (see

Romans 8:35-39).

Faith is something that tethers usto God and pulls us orwardstep by step and day by day.

Dear God, I am an ordi-nary personyou knowthat. I desire to be usedby you or your purposes.Empty my lie so that youmay ll it with your gits,

including the git o aith.In Jesus name, Amen.

I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson . . . David

and Samuel and the prophets, who through aith conquered king doms. . . . Hebrews 11:32-33

Herews 11:32-38 SUNDAY, OCtObER 2

ordinAry PeoPleeXTrAordinAry god


38/69

The Book o Judges has a cer-tain rhythm. People who wereclose to God would all awayrom him. Then trouble would

enter their lie, so theyd cryout to God. God would answertheir cries and deliver them.Then, ater a time, the cyclewould begin again.

But in that cycle God provided

leaders. One such leader wasDeborah, a prophetess and ajudge. She was an instrumento God who called or Barak toollow a plan laid out by God togive victory over the enemy.

But Barak said he would notcarry out Deborahs request un-less she, as Gods spokesperson,went with him. Deborah notedthat i she went with him, thehonor would not be his, orGod would deliver the enemy

into the hands o a woman.Baraks response, in eect, wasSo what?

Barak did not uss about whogot the credit or honor; he only wanted to make sure Godsprophetand thus Godwould

be with him.

Maybe you have heard that ateam can accomplish a greatdeal i its members dont carewho gets the credit. The samecan be said or the church. I

individual church members arelooking or credit or honor, thenthe glory o God is not centraland the result is a church thatis weaker, not stronger. Heroeso aith grow by giving credit toGod.

Dear God, orgive me when I seek to put my-sel rst. Help me to pointothers to youin wordand deedday by day.

May the name o Jesus belited up, I pray. Amen.

Barak said to her, I you go with me, I will go; but i you dont

go with me, I wont go. Judges 4:8

Judges 4:1-10 mONDAY, OCtObER 3

WHo geTs THe crediT?


39/69

Where do we nd heroes? Wemight try to nd them in sports,movies, television, or the news.But what about in a winepress?

Gideon was threshing wheat ina most unlikely place. Peopleusually separated wheat romcha out in the open air sothat breezes could blow the un-wanted cha away. But Gideon

did not live in a usual time.

Israel had again allen awayrom allegiance to God. So Godwas using the Midianites as aninstrument o punishment. TheMidianites plundered Israel andravaged the land, destroying thecrops and harvests. As a result,armers threshed grain in placessheltered rom an open viewin a winepress, or instance. Itwas a time o ear, and Gideonwas a earul man.

Sometimes people think heroeso aith have no ear, but thats

not true. Following God is otena journey that begins with anencounter in which God callsthe earul away rom their ears.

Do you hear the irony in Godsmessage to Gideon through hisangel? The Lord is with you,mighty warrior.

How can we ace our ears andjoin the journey o aith? By

remembering that we are notalone. The Lord is with eachone o us. Still today God de-sires to give that same messageto us as ordinary people whomhe calls or his extraordinarypurposes.

Dear God, you know myears. Help me to acethem by trusting in yourorgiveness, presence, andprovision through Jesus

Immanuel (God withus). Amen.

The angel o the Lord came . . . where . . . Gideon was threshing

wheat in a winepress . . . . Judges 6:11

Judges 6:1-12 tUESDAY, OCtObER 4

A Hero in Hiding?


40/69

An angel appears to Gideon,but that is not enough. An angeltells Gideon that God sees himas a mighty warrior, but that

is not enough. Gideon, like somany beore him and so manyater him, protests that he is notqualied. In eect, Gideon saysthat God must be making a mis-take in calling him.

But God doesnt give up. Inresponse to Gideons objec-tions, God promises, I will be with you. That should havebeen enough, right? But not orGideonand sometimes notor us as well.

Gideon asks or a sign that it isreally the Lord who calls him.Gideon will also ask or ad-ditional signs (Judges 6:20-24,36-40). And, graciously, Goddoes not turn away.

As he goes to prepare an oer-ing and set it beore the Lord,

Gideon receives this wonderulpromise: I will wait until youreturn.

God waits or Gideon, and he waits or us. In what is otencalled the parable o the prodi-gal son (Luke 15:11-32), Jesusgives us a picture o God as a waiting Father. Gods patiencetoward us shapes us on our

journey o aith.

Gideon prepared an oeringto honor God and to ask ora sign. What can you oer theLord, who waits or you?

How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and

I am the least in my amily. Judges 6:15

Judges 6:11-18 WEDNESDAY, OCtObER 5

WHy Are you cAlling me?

Waiting Father, help meto know that my aithremains small unless Ibring an oering o myheart. Help me also to beamazed at your patiencewith my small, sometimes

stumbling steps in thisjourney o aith. Amen.


41/69

Gideon is now prepared totake up his position as leadero Israels troops against Midian.One o the ways we usually

identiy leaders is by the num-ber o their ollowers. Gideonhas been able to raise an armyo 32,000. As Gideon surveyedhis troops, he must have beentempted to be impressed by hisown ability and strength.

But to yield to that temptation would have betrayed what itmeans to be a hero o aith.A hero o aith trusts God, notonesel. And to make that clear,God began to whittle away

at the size o Gideons army.Everyone needed to see thatit was not Gideons army thatwould bring victory, but Godsunailing strength.

Gideon saw his army dwindle

rom 32,000 to a mere 300. ButGod provided encouragementto these 300 by letting them

overhear a dream o someonein the Midianite camp. WithGods encouragement and aunique military strategy, the

enemy was conused. Godbrought about the victory.

This story can also help us seethat God takes care not only othe big concerns in our liebut also o the little things. We

oten think were in control oeveryday details, but then wemiss seeing how God providesand leads even in the ordinarythings o lie. Heroes o aith areled by God in all they do, andby no one else.

Dear God, may I trust inyour provision rather thanmy own abilities. When Iam prideul o my gits, re-mind me that they come

rom your hand. Keep meclose to you. Amen.

The Lord said to Gideon, You have too many men. I cannot

deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me,My own strength has saved me. Judges 7:2

Judges 7:1-22 tHURSDAY, OCtObER 6

Too mAny?


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Samson is listed as a person oaith in Hebrews 11:32. Andyet his liestyle may cause us towonder.

Samson had amazing strengthrom God, but he seemed otento abuse it or his own sport.From birth he had been dedi-cated to serve God, but Samsonshowed disrespect or all kinds

o Gods laws or his people.Eventually he was betrayed intothe hands o his enemies byDelilah, a woman he was livingwith. His great strength let him,and they made him a prisoner.They gouged out his eyes and

put him to work grinding grain.(See Judges 13-16.)

Do we eel much sympathyor someone like that? Isnt ittempting to say he deservedwhat he got?

Though Samson couldnt seeanymore, we might say that at

the end o his lie his real sightwas restored.

Samsons lie was marked not

by prayer but by physical, brutestrength. Yet in the last momento his lie, he turned to God inprayer and asked God to re-member him. God answeredhis prayer by giving him greatstrength again. And Samsons

last act as a leader o Israel wasmarked by a victory that costhim his lie. Samson sacricedhis lie or Gods people. Maybethats why he is remembered inHebrews 11.

Dear God, may Samsonslie remind me that in spiteo what I have done, youcan still redeem me. MayI be willing to sacrice oryou as you have done or

me through Jesus, yourSon. Amen.

Samson prayed . . . Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God,

strengthen me just once more . . . . Judges 16:28

Judges 16:23-31 FRIDAY, OCtObER 7

HoW do you judge A Hero?


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Because o a amine, Naomi lethome with her husband andtwo sons in search o ood and abetter uture. But then Naomis

husband died. Her two sonsmarried, but they also died.

When the amine ended backhome in Israel, Naomi returned,but she told people not to callher Naomi anymore. Call me

Mara, she saidwhich meansbitter.

Yet in the midst o her troubles,Naomi still ound the aith towrestle with God and ask himto bless her daughters-in-law.

Can a person in trouble still bea blessing to others? Absolutely.I have seen people in times otrouble deepen their aith byaiming to continue to help oth-ers. I have seen peoples aithstrengthened when they moved

rom ocusing on their own con-

cerns to giving o themselves toothers, or Jesus sake.

Today you may nd yoursel

questioning God and evenwrestling with him. In this kindo struggle, I invite you to hearNaomis trust in God and herblessing o others. She knewthat her daughters-in-law hadsuered as well. She did not

add to their suering. In themidst o a tearul separation,she prayed or them. Naomiwas on a journey o aithonein which her tears accompaniedher walk with God.

Dear God, today someo us are really struggling.May we hear rom youeven through our tears.Give us eyes to see othersand to bless them even as

we struggle. And pleasegrant us peace. Amen.

Naomi said . . . Go back, each o you . . . . May the Lord show

you kindness, as you have shown kindness . . . . Ruth 1:8

Ruh 1 SAtURDAY, OCtObER 8

TrouBles And Blessings


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Naomi has urged her twodaughters-in-law to return totheir homes. In the middle o acircle o tears, Orpah says good-

bye and turns toward home.At the same time, Ruth clingsto Naomi and reuses to turnaway, promising to go whereNaomi goes and to trust in herGod.

People in sorrow and loss some-times just want to be alone.They may even have a viewthat everyone would be bettero i they just were not around.But isolation can be a tool oSatan that leads to even more

trouble and sorrow.

Naomi is wrestling with God,but she will not wrestle alone.God doesnt mean or the jour-ney o aith to be a solitary walk.Even Jesus wanted his disciples

with him when he struggledin the garden o Gethsemane(Mark 14:32-34).

As Naomi returns home, shesays to others, I went awayull, but the Lord has broughtme back empty. Sorrow and

loss can distort our view o the world and even our view oGod. Naomi is not really return-ing empty.

The harvest time is just begin-ning, and God has given Naomi

a git in calling Ruth to stand byher side. In the midst o loss,God provides Naomi a amily.

Dear God, help me to seetoday anyone who needsme to stand by their side.May you move me rommy comort zone to be ocomort to another. May

the Comorter direct me,I pray. Amen.

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your

people will be my people and your God my God.Ruth 1:16

Ruh 1:15-22 SUNDAY, OCtObER 9

Heroes need one oTHer


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When you dont have ood, yousearch or it. Ruth is going toglean the elds to nd letovergrain, and God is also at work

not only to help her nd letoversbut to give a harvest o blessing.

Boaz is a distant relative toNaomiand much more. God isabout to use an ordinary personor his extraordinary purposes

again. Through the kindness oBoaz, Ruth is allowed to gleanuntil the harvest is nished. Thisjourney is marked by the gener-osity and hospitality Boaz demon-strates in his work lie and by theway he runs his arming business.

Today many o us will return towork ater a weekend. Whetherwe work at an oce, job site,actory, school, or elsewhere,we will enter into the world oothers as we get back to work.

How we do our work will a-ect how others see the God weclaim to serve.

Sadly, the praise that we giveGod on Sunday can be blem-ished by our words and actionson Monday. A hero o aith is

called to be aithul every dayo the week. A lie o consis-tency o character is a lie thatGod can use to shape anotherpersons lie or eternity.

God used Boaz and Ruth to

eventually be the great-grand-ather o King David. And thismeans that Ruthan outsiderbecame part o the amily lineo Jesus. (See Ruth 4:18-22;Matthew 1.) All this took placebecause God was at work.

Dear God, may I be awitness or you in all my words and deeds. Andmay I realize that you use

events in time to aecteternity. In Jesus, Amen.

Ruth . . . said . . . Let me go to the elds and pick up the letover

grain behind anyone in whose eyes I nd avor. Ruth 2:2

Ruh 2 mONDAY, OCtObER 10

god AT WorK


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Today is my birthday. Someyears ago my mother revealedto me that she prayed a prayersimilar to Hannahs. That gives

me deep armation and en-couragement in my work.

This poignant story in Scripturecan help to remind all parentsto dedicate their children to theLord, and to pray continually

or Gods protection and direc-tion in their livesinto all kindso vocations. All o us, in act,can be reminded to serve Godin our work, as 1 Corinthians10:31 urges: Whatever you do,do it all or the glory o God.

As a pastor, I have known anumber o couples who haveprayed or children in theirstruggle with inertility. I knowthat many have also prayed aprayer similar to Hannahs.

Sometimes God answers thoseprayers by giving people chil-

dren, and other times God an-swers in other ways. From ourlimited perspective, we maystruggle with some o Gods

answers or with the seemingsilence o God. But we can beassured that God always hearsus and cares about our needsand longings.

At the same time, perhaps all

o us can be challenged to praythat all the children in our com-munities may come to know theLord and dedicate their lives tohim. Heroes o aith realize thataith needs to be passed onrom generation to generation.

Look on your servants misery and . . . give [me] a son, then I

will give him to the Lord . . . . 1 Samuel 1:11

1 Sauel 1 tUESDAY, OCtObER 11

A moTHers PrAyer

Dear Father, Son, andHoly Spirit, we pray thatthe next generation willcome to aith in you. Raiseup this generation and the

next or your glory, OLord. Amen.


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Todays verses begin with thenote that the word o the Lordwas rare and there were notmany visions in those days. Eli

the priest was growing old, andhis sons had dishonored theLord through disobedience andabuse o their role as priests whowere supposed to serve God.

In the midst o this silence and

this trouble, Samuel began toserve in the house o the Lord,where the ark o God was. Theark contained the tablets o theTen Commandments and servedas a symbol that God was stillpresent among his people.

When God woke him in themiddle o the night, Samueldidnt know who was speak-ing. He thought it might beEli. Eventually Eli realized thatthe Lord might be speaking

to Samuel, and then Samuelreceived the instruction that

would direct his uture and hisrole in Gods kingdom.

The posture that opened up

that uture or Samuel wasone o listening. Despite theact that God gave us two earsand only one mouth, we livein a world that unleashes a tor-rent o words. We need spaceand peace and silence in order

to hear and ocus on GodsWord to us today, provided inthe Bible. God invites us: Bestill, and know that I am God(Psalm 46:10).

God is still speaking. Are welistening?

Dear God, may your Spiritdirect us to still our heartsso that we can hear your Word to us. Direct ourpaths and our lives, we

pray, and help us listen toyou. In Jesus, Amen.

Samuel said, Speak, or your servant is listening.1 Samuel 3:10

1 Sauel 3 WEDNESDAY, OCtObER 12

THe eArs of A Hero


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These words rom Jonathan,son o King Saul, came rom abackground o knowing onesneed. The previous chapter ex-

plains that the Philistines hada monopoly on metalworking,and they deprived Israel o theability to make metal tools andweapons. As a result, when thearmy o Israel gathered, onlySaul and Jonathan had a metalsword and spear.

In this desperate situation, Jonathan, as a person o aith,aimed to be used by God. He was uncertain about the u-ture, but he was certain that

God could save his people. SoJonathan and his aithul armor-bearer went out to attack thePhilistines, the enemies o God.

Oten we are tempted to holdback rom a step o aith unless

the outcome is assured. For ex-ample, we hesitate to invite aperson to church unless we are

sure they will say yes. We dont want to appear oolish. And yet, the line between oolish-ness and aith has always been

a matter o perspective.

Jonathan set out with no guar-antee that God would give himthe victory. He only knew thatIsrael totally depended on Godand that God could give suc-

cessand that was enough.

As people o aith, we need tobe open to perhaps momentsin which we ollow God, notnecessarily knowing the desti-nation but trusting the guide.

Dear Spirit, guide us in alltruth, and especially guideus in moments o uncer-tainty. May we know thepower o ollowing you

and you alone. In Jesusname, Amen.

Perhaps the Lord will act in our behal. Nothing can hinder the

Lord rom saving . . . . 1 Samuel 14:6

1 Sauel 14:1-23 tHURSDAY, OCtObER 13

THe PoWer of PerHAPs


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The Lord willing, I will be inau-gurated as the seventh presidento Calvin Theological Seminarytomorrow. Ive been told that

when the presidential searchcommittee began its search pro-cess, their opening devotionswere based on the verses romtodays Scripture.

I do not mean to compare my

selection to that o David, but Ido know something o being anunlikely choice. Maybe youdo as well. I so, we are in goodcompany.

I am sure that God has a senseo humor, and I know that hesees ar beyond what we see.As Samuel came looking or aking, he was initially impressedby appearance and height. EvenDavids ather hadnt botheredto call David in rom the elds

to appear beore Samuel. It wasonly ater all the other sons hadbeen seen and passed by that

Jesse sent or Davidand Goddirected Samuel to anoint this young shepherd as the utureking o Israel.

These verses remind me thatGod is the great directornotme. I am also challenged to seeothers as God would see them.The outward appearance canget in my way o seeing as God

would have me see. As I moveinto a new position, I pray orGods vision, and I pray that heprompts me to recognize theunlikely people that he aimsto work through to build hiskingdom.

Dear God, please orgiveus when our sight is lim-ited and prejudicial. Be

our vision, I pray today! InJesus name, Amen.

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the

heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

1 Sauel 16:1-13 FRIDAY, OCtObER 14

An unliKely cHoice


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Lord willing, I will be inaugu-rated as president o CalvinTheological Seminary today.Today also marks my ordination

as a pastor.

I remember very well my rstpreaching assignment. My wiehad gotten me a new pair oshoes or that special day. Sheadvised me to scu the soles

so that my steps would be alittle more certain. I orgot. (Shemight say I ignored her advice.)

As I walked toward the pulpit,I elt airly condent. For thismemorable day, I had decidedto take a picture to mark themoment. I took the picture and, with camera in hand, beganascending the pulpit steps. Thesoles o my new shoes then act-ed like skis, and the carpet likesnow. I took o in fight and

quickly landed at the bottomo the stepsupright but a little

surprised. So was the congrega-tion.

I recall that incident like it hap-

pened yesterday. God has a way o reminding us that hispower is revealed not by ourwisdom but by the Spirit, whoworks through us.

Todays verses remind us in a very vivid way that God usesordinary people or his extraor-dinary purposes.

God also uses the wisdom oa spouse. And I now scu thesoles o new shoes beore wear-ing them.

Lord, may your Spirit di-rect and lead us. Thankyou or calling each o usto be used by you. May we become demonstra-

tions o your Spirits powerin us. Amen.

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive

words, but with a demonstration o the Spirits power, so that youraith might . . . rest on . . . Gods power. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

1 Corinhians 2:1-5 SAtURDAY, OCtObER 15

feAr And TremBling


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1 Samuel 16 records the storyo Samuel anointing David tobe kingthe Lords anointed.And yet Saul also is Gods

anointed. Now we nd Davidrunning or his lie rom Saul,who is jealous. David is an obvi-ous threat to Sauls throne, andSaul has decided that the onlyway to deal with this threat is toeliminate it.

In todays verses Saul entersa cave where David and hismen are hidden. By cuttingo a piece o Sauls robe whilethe king doesnt notice, Davidproves that he could easily have

taken Sauls lie. But David re-grets even this action againstSaul.

Some urged me to kill you, butI spared youbecause [youare] the Lords anointed, David

says. Those words prompt Saulto drop his pursuit o Davidor a time.

But i David knows he also isthe Lords anointed, why notthink that perhaps God placedSaul in the cave so that David

could take Sauls lie and hurryup the process o becomingthe next king? Because con-dence in being the Lordsanointed means trusting Godstiming, not ones own.

In lie we are oten challengedto trust Gods timing. We wantsomething nowbut Godseems to be in no hurry. Ourimpatience needs to be shapedby trust in Gods power andGods schedule.

Dear God, please deepenmy trust in your timingand your purposes. WhenI am anxious, help me tolean into you and not run

ahead o you. In Jesusname, Amen.

Some urged me to kill you, but . . . I said, I will not lay my hand

on . . . the Lords anointed. 1 Samuel 24:10

1 Sauel 24 SUNDAY, OCtObER 16

gods Timing, noT ours


52/69

Sometimes people live down totheir name. Nabal means ool,and Nabal certainly demonstrat-ed that his name described his

character. Davids men had keptNabals focks and shepherdssae, and in return David ex-pected Nabal to show apprecia-tion. But Nabal saw no reasonto say thank you, and he eveninsulted David and his men.

Disagreements can be com-pared to a re. In response toa re, we can do one o twothings. We can either uel it tokeep it going and growing, orwe can put it out.

Nabals wie Abigail was wiseand knew what was needed.She mediated on behal oNabal. She even put the blameon hersel. Her words and ac-tions reduced the tension and

doused the re that could havegone out o control. Abigails words and actions that day

resulted in peace instead obloodshedat least or a time.

Our words can still cause res

to erupt. Whether its a wordo gossip or boasting or preju-dice or insult, there is always aprice.

Nabal soon paid a price or hissel-styled ways. But Abigail was rewarded or her gentle words that calmed a storm.(See 1 Samuel 25:36-44.) Godused her ordinary words or anextraordinary moment in his re-demptive story.

Dear Word o Lie, mayour words be shaped bya heart that is more andmore in line with yours.Help me to develop

the habit o gentle, wisewords. Amen.

Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear

what your servant has to say. 1 Samuel 25:24

1 Sauel 25:1-27 mONDAY, OCtObER 17

genTle Words


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People o aith are not promisedan easy lie, but they are prom-ised that God will be with them.

As we begin to look at the lie othe prophet Elijah, we see that hiswork begins with a message ojudgment rom God. King Ahaband Queen Jezebel are ruling theland, but in their kingdom Baal isworshiped ront and center and

the worship o the true God ispushed to the back row.

The sins o the rulers and thesins o the people lead to Godspunishment. Elijah announces,As the Lord, the God o Israel,lives, whom I serve, there willbe neither dew nor rain in thenext ew years except at my word. The consequence oIsraels sin is that the nations er-tile land will become a desert,and everyone will suer. Gods

judgment even aects Elijah.He will need water and ood inthis time o amine.

It will not be easy to be a per-son that God will use. But Godtells Elijah where to live andnd water, and God assures

Elijah that the ravens will sup-ply him with ood.

We dont know what the oodlooked like ater being in a ravens beak. What probably didhappen, though, is that when-

ever a raven landed with hisdaily bread, Elijah gave a prayero thanks: The Lord has pro-vided or metoday.

You will drink rom the brook, and I have directed the ravens to

supply you with ood there. 1 Kings 17:4

1 Kings 17:1-5 tUESDAY, OCtObER 18

noT An eAsy life

Maker o heaven andearth, thank you or pro-viding or me today. Thankyou or your promises tobe with me, especially in

the dicult times o lie.Carry me, I pray. Amen.


54/69

The brook that provided wateror Elijah dried up. So God toldhim to move to another area, where a widow would supply

him with ood.

A amine was ravaging the land,and it was severely aecting thelie o that young widow. Withno husband, no ood, and ahungry child, it looked like she

and her son would die soon.

She was planning their nalmeal when Elijah arrived. Tiredrom his journey, he asked heror water and ood.

She explained that she was pre-

paring a last meal or her sonand hersel. But Elijah asked ishe could rst make him a smallloa o bread, and he shared with her a promise rom theLord: The jar o four will notbe used up and the jug o oil

will not run dry until the day theLord sends rain on the land.

This widow now had to make adecision. Should she believe the words o this prophet beoreeeding hersel and her son?

This ordinary person wassomeone whom God woulduse or his extraordinary pur-poses.

She did as Elijah asked, honor-ing the Lord with her act o hos-pitality. And God miraculouslyprovided her with four and oilthat never ran out until the endo the amine. She gaveandGod gave even more.

God o lie and light, helpme to be more generous.May I be challenged bythe realization that I can

never out-give you. InJesus name, Amen.

Dont be araid. . . . But rst make a small loa o bread or me

rom what you have and bring it to me . . . . 1 Kings 17:13

1 Kings 17:7-16 WEDNESDAY, OCtObER 19

firsT give


55/69

You would think it was enough.To have a jar o never-endingfour and a bottomless jug o oilwas a sign o Gods avor, right?

(See 1 Kings 17:14-16.) Surelythat was enough or this motherto have aith.

But then the womans son be-came sick. His condition wors-ened, and he died. The jar still

had four and the jug still hadoil, but it was not enough. Herlie elt empty, and she criedout against Elijah, questioningthe motives o his God.

Elijah asked her to give himher sons body, and she did so.He carried the boy upstairs,where he cried out to God andstretched himsel over the body.In his mercy God gave the gito lie again, and death was van-quished.

Elijah had the great joy o re-turning the son, alive, to his

mother. The body that was soheavy as it was carried to theupper room was no burdenin the return trip to a mother

whose groans o sorrow turnedto shouts o joy. God had turnedher doubt and emptiness intoaith and ullnessand she gavewitness to her aith in God andhis Word.

Sometimes we weep and ques-tion God. But when we centerour lie on Jesus, the one whodied and came back to lie orour sake, we begin to see Godsplan to replace the tears andsorrows o this world with tes-

timonies o aith and joy.

Dear God, wipe away ourtears. Surround those indeep sorrow with yourcare and comort. May we

nd, in you, aith and lieeternal. Amen.

Now I know that you are a man o God and that the word o the

Lord rom your mouth is the truth. 1 Kings 17:24

1 Kings 17:17-24 tHURSDAY, OCtObER 20

from WeePing To WiTness


56/69

A conrontation was coming.God sent Elijah back to conrontKing Ahab, who had broughtBaal worship into Israel and

whose wie, Jezebel, was tryingto kill o the Lords prophets.In the midst o this turmoil wasObadiah. He was in charge oAhabs palace, but he was also adevout believer in the Lord.

What was it like to be in such animportant position in a corruptadministration? Obadiah didnot conuse his position withhis purpose or living. Obadiahknew he had been placed insuch a position not or his per-

sonal gain but to be an instru-ment o God, and particularlyan instrument o lie. Knowingthat his purpose was to saveothers, Obadiah protected ahundred prophets o God romcertain death.

We do not know much aboutObadiahs rescue mission, but

we know it was intentional,strategic, and dangerous. AsObadiah supplied ood and water or the prophets whom

Jezebel was trying to kill, hemay even have diverted oodand water rom the queenstable.

In a dicult situation, Obadiahmarked his course by clariy-

ing his mission in lie: to serveGod and be an instrument osalvation. From that oundation,Obadiah ound the reedomthat comes rom serving God.

Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two

caves . . . and had supplied them with ood . . . .1 Kings 18:4

1 Kings 18:1-15 FRIDAY, OCtObER 21

serving To sAve

God o lie and salvation,help me not to conusemy position in lie withmy purpose or living.Help me to see that youdesire to work through

me as an ambassador oryou. Amen.


57/69

One prophet o God standsagainst 450 prophets o Baalon Mount Carmel. The ocuso this conrontation is on how

the Lord and Baal will respond.But the question that promptsthis battle pulls everyone onMount Carmel into the confict:Whom will you ollow? WhenElijah conronts the people withthat question, they say nothing.

The peoples silence is the si-lence o indecision. It is alsothe silence o disobedience.Ultimately it is deadly. No deci-sion or God is a decision thatwill lead to separation rom the

God who brings lie.

What lled that silence?

In that moment o conronta-tion the people could haveresponded with cries o repen-tance and with prayers seeking

orgiveness. But they said noth-ing. They did not commit to

anything. Perhaps they thoughtsilence was the better approach.

Maybe you have been in situa-

tions where it seemed sensibleto say nothing. But at MountCarmel the peoples silence wasa sign o waveringthey ailedto coness their sins, and thatwas a statement against God.

Stating our aith and our needor repentance is the way wecome out in the open. Dontbe silent. Following God meansunderstanding the need or andthe power o orgivenessandsharing that with others.

How long will you waver . . . ? I the Lord is God, ollow him;

but i B

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Devotion -Today 2011 Sep Oct