THE FINISH LINE

1 Corinthians 9:24:27

Say to Archippus, “Take  heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Colossians 4:17

When I was in college, I ran on the cross-country team. In the final even of the season, the state’s small colleges competed against each other, with about 75 runners in the event. We ran the 5K course in the rain and mud on a cold November day.

As I neared the finish line, I spied a runner from one of the other schools just a short distance ahead of me. He became my goal. I ran as hard as I could and passed him just as I crossed the finish line. That last dash meant I finished 42nd, which seemed a lot better than 43rd! It meant our team finished one position higher in the final standings than the team represented by the runner I beat. The point? I didn’t give up — I ran all the way through the finish line.

This is probably what Paul  had in mind as he wrote to Archippus, one of his young ministry proteges: “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it” (Colossians 4:17). When we feel discouraged and want to quit, it’s good to remember that the Lord who entrusted us with the privilege of spiritual service will give us the grace and strength to carry out that service. Let us “run with endurance” (Hebrews 12:1) so that we will receive the “imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:25). —bill crowder

Run the straight race through God’s good grace, lift up thine eyes and seek His face; life with its way before us lies, Christ is the path and Christ the prize. —monsell

Running with patience is perseverance in the “long run.”

EMPTINESS WITHOUT GOD

Haggai 1:1-11

You eat, but do not have enough; . . . you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:6

A little bit of doggerel goes as follows: “A cheerful old bear at the zoo could always find something to do. When it bored him, you know, to walk to and fro, he reversed it and walked fro and to!” The writer apparently thought people could learn a lesson from the bear, for these creatures seem to be quite happy as long as they have enough food to eat and a few of their own kind around them.

This is not true of humans, however. The Israelites who had returned from Babylon discovered that man cannot find happiness when he lives only for himself. They ignored the fact that God’s temple had not been rebuilt, but gave themselves to the construction of fine houses and completely occupied themselves with materialistic things. Yet their harvests were poor, their clothing inadequate, and their wages did not keep pace with rising costs (Haggai 1:6). The prophet told them they were reaping a harvest of unhappiness because they were putting selfish pleasures first.

God has made us a in His own image and for His glory. We can never find true joy until we obey Christ’s admonition to see “first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Only then will we sow and reap abundantly, and eat and truly be filled. —herb vander lugt

O the emptiness of life without the Savior! Nothing worldly here can truly satisfy; we can only reap a harvest that’s abundant, serving Jesus as to self we daily die. —bosch

Selfish gratification will lead to spiritual stagnation.

NOT “WHY?” BUT “WHO?”

Psalm 42

Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. Psalm 38:9

While appearing on a panel with other bereaved parents, I was surprised at how much I learned by listening. We were there to help a group of chaplains minister to the grieving, but we ende up learning from one another.

One mom, who had lost her infant daughter to meningitis, shared a simple truth that touched me. She related that as she tried to work through the huge question of “Why?” she spoke to her dad about it. He told her that a better question to ask is “Who?” He explained that she may never know why her daughter was taken so early, but the help she needed most would come from pursuing who God is in this tragic situation.

Think of what this means to us in our difficulties. When we face unexpected grief and ask “Who?” we get this answer: “The Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). When we face a period of weakness, we discover that “the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (Psalm 18:2). When the ungodliness of this world seems overwhelming, we can know that the “God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

When “Why, God?” is on your heart, ask instead, “Who are You, God?” Then seek Him in His Word. —dave branon

In the desert of grief God provides an oasis of grace.

ALL ABOUT GRATITUDE

Colossians 2:6-7, Colossians 3:12-17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Colossians 3:17

For centuries, people in many countries have held harvest festivals to celebrate the bounty of the land and the blessings of life. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established a national holiday in the United States as “a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.”

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen thinks that most holidays have been corrupted by commercialism, while Thanksgiving Day has retained its intended purpose. He said, “This is a very rare day. It is wholly and entirely about gratitude.”

No matter what others do, we as followers of Christ have the privilege and responsibility to extend the spirit of thankfulness to every day of the year. Paul urged the Colossians to keep growing in Christ while overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6-7). We are to do everything “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation also declared that all our blessings “are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

This is a fitting day to express gratitude to God. And so is tomorrow, and every day that follows. —david mccasland

Worthy is God of our worship, worthy is He of our praise, magnify Him with thanksgiving, gladly our voices we raise. —anon

The joy of living comes from a heart of thanksgiving.

HEARTPRINTS

Acts 9:36-43

Dorcas . . . was full of good works and charitable deeds. Acts 9:36

We leave fingerprints on doorknobs, on books, on walls, on keyboards. Since each person’s fingerprints are unique, we leave our identity on everything we touch. Some supermarkets are even testing a technology that allows customers to pay by fingerprint. Each customer’s unique print and bank account number are kept on file so that the only thing needed to pay a bill is a scan of their finger.

A woman in the early church left another kind of print — a “heartprint.” Dorcas touched many people’s lives through her unique gift of sewing and giving away garments. She described as “full of good works and charitable deeds” (Acts 9:36). We too are to be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). We each have a unique heartprint that can touch another.

An unknown author wrote this prayer about encouraging others: “O God, wherever I go today,  help me leave heartprints! Heartprints of compassion, understanding, and love. Heartprints of kindness and geniune concern. May my heart touch a lonely neighbor or runaway daughter or anxious mother or even an aged grandfather. Send me out today to leave heartprints. And if someone should say, ‘I felt your touch,’ may that one sense Your love touching through me.”

Will you make this your prayer today? —anne cetas

Just what do Christians look like? What sets their lives apart? They’re ordinary people who love God from the heart. —d de haan

People with heart for God have a heart for people.

HEARING AID

1 Samuel 3:1-14

It shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:9

Joshua, a precocious 2-year-old, watched his mother baking cookies. “Please, may I have one?” he asked hopefully. “Not before supper,” his mother replied. Joshua ran tearfully to his room, then reappeared with this message: “Jesus just told me it’s okay to have a cookie now.” “Jesus didn’t tell me,” his mother retorted, to which Joshua replied, “You must not have been listening!”

Joshua’s motivation was wrong, but he was absolutely right about two things: God longs to speak to us, and we need to listen.

In 1 Samuel 3, another young boy learned those same ageless principles. When Samuel followed Eli’s counsel and prayed, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears,” he was open to receiving God’s powerful message (verse 9). Like Samuel, we long to hear God speaking to us but often fail to discern His voice.

God spoke audibly to Samuel. Today He speaks to us by His Spirit through the Scriptures, other people, and our circumstances. But as a result of neglect and nonstop activity, some of us have become “hard of hearing.” We need a “spiritual hearing aid” like the one in Samuel’s prayer: “Speak, for Your servant hears” (verse 10). This humble attitude is a real help for the spiritually hard of hearing. —joanie yoder

Adjusting your hearing aid. Set a specific time to read God’s Word each day. Meditate on what you have read. Make prayer a priority throughout the day.

God speaks through His Word — take time to listen.

GOD’s LITTLE BLESSINGS

Psalm 36:5-10

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Psalm 36:7

Our family was  at Disney World a few years ago when God handed us one of His little blessings. Disney World is a huge place — 107 acres huge, to be exact. You could walk around for days without seeing someone you know. My wife and I decided to do our own thing while our children sought out the really cool stuff. We parted at 9 a.m. and were planning a rendezvous around 6 p.m.

At about 2 p.m., my wife and I got a craving for tacos. We looked at our map and made our way to a Spanish-sounding place for Mexican food. We had just sat down with our food when we heard, “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.” Our three amigos had, at the same time, a hankering for a wet burrito.

Ten minutes after they joined us, a violent summer storm ripped through the park with whipping winds, heavy rain and loud thunder. My wife commented, “I’d be a wreck if the kids weren’t with us during this!” It seemed that God had orchestrated our meeting.

Ever notice those blessings from Him? Ever spend time thanking Him for His concern and care? Consider how remarkable it is that the One who created the universe cares enough to intervene in your life. “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!” —dave branon

Thank You, God, that You’re our Father, Shepherd, Guardian, Guide, and Stay; how we praise You for the blessings You bestow on us each day! —sper

Belonging to God brings boundless blessings.

GIFTS WITHOUT GUILT

James 1:13-21

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. James 1:17

Kara and April left central Russia and traveled across six time zones to attend a retreat in Tallinn, Estonia, for women serving the Lord in Eastern Europe. because of fogged-in airports and diverted flights, they had to spend an extra $600 on air expenses. Kara felt guilty about leaving her husband to care for their two young children and to run their ministry. The unplanned financial burden added to her guilt, and she e-mailed her husband that she was having difficulty enjoying the retreat.

He told her not to worry about the extravagance and said, “God is, after all, the God who made us heirs with Him and co-heirs with Christ. The God who gave Eve to Adam. The Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. Heaven is the ultimate of this . . . but I also think that He has given us gifts to be enjoyed — and a time to enjoy them. And this time, for you, is now. Don’t worry — sacrifice is waiting for you aplenty when you get home.” We can benefit from his response.

As Kara was able then to enjoy the retreat, we too, as God’s children, can let ourselves enjoy without guilt the good things He sends our way (1 Timothy 6:17). We, in turn, can use those good gifts to bless others. —dave egner

Although sometimes we may receive from others gifts that have a hidden guilt attached, the blessings we receive from God our Father come to us by grace — and they’re unmatched! —hess

Every good gift comes from the Father.

CLEANING OUT THE FILES

Philippians 3:13-21

Forgetting those things which are behind . . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

A certain businessman was notorious for saving almost everything that came across his desk — especially correspondence. Consequently, the files in his office were bulging. One day his secretary asked if she might dispose of all the old, useless material. The man was reluctant, but finally said, “Well, all right, but be sure you make a copy of everything before you throw it away.”

That’s the way some Christians handle their sins. They know that Jesus paid the penalty, but somehow they can’t let go of the guilt. It’s as if Christ’s suffering were not enough, and they must contribute some of their own anguish by continually lamenting their failures. They want to keep copies of everything they’ve done. How foolish!

The apostle Paul wanted nothing of this. He accepted as an accomplished fact the removal of all his guilt before God because Christ’s death had marked PAID IN FULL over his account. The memory of earlier days remained vivid, but it didn’t weigh him down.

Everything that happens to us is retained in that remarkable filing system called “memory.” A wise forgetfulness based on Christ’s atoning sacrifice can keep all guilt feelings from cluttering up our life. —dennis de haan

The Lord forgives our sins because of Calvary, and He Himself remembers them no more; so let us not be burdened with their memory, but look ahead to all He has in store. —hess

Guilt is a burden God never intended His children to bear.

THE DEAD SEA SQUIRRELS

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

You shall teach them diligently to your children. Deuteronomy 6:7

Our family was excited to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit that was coming to town all the way from Israel. These ancient copies of the Old Testament provide evidence that our Bible has remained accurate over the centuries. Our nephew Daniel was so elated about this outing that he told his schoolmates, “Our family is going to see ‘the dead sea squirrels!’” We all laughed when we heard his misquote. His little ears had turned a word he had never heard (scrolls) into a word he did know (squirrels). And his childlike enthusiasm, he also knew that the family was going to see something wonderful!

Daniel’s excitement underscores an important spiritual aspect of parenting. Values are transmitted to our children not only by what we say but by the emotions we convey. Both content and heartfelt appreciation for God’s Word can be communicated to children in a variety of ways (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), including what they overhear in our conversation with others.

Young children may not initially understand each spiritual idea we discuss, but they can catch the importance we place on it. Children pick up on spiritual values and grow in understanding as we express reverence and excitement about the Word of God. —dennis fisher

Lord, give us wisdom to provide the proper atmosphere to lead our children in Your ways by what they see and hear. —sper

Train up a child in the way he should go — but be sure you go that way yourself.