FACING THE FURNACE

Today's promise: God is a refuge for the oppressed

Facing the furnace

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty."

Daniel 3:17 NLT

A candle in the darkness

"In 1989, Lazlo Tokes was the pastor of a fast-growing reformed church in the city of Timisoara, Romania. His powerful preaching had caught the attention of communist officials, and they began a strategy of suppression. Just before Christmas, they decided to send him into exile.

But when the police arrived to hustle Pastor Tokes away, they were stopped cold. Around the church stood a wall of humanity. Christians from around the city — Baptist, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic — had joined together to protest.

All through the day they held their post. As it grew dark, a Baptist student named Daniel Gavra pulled out a packet of candles, lit one, and passed it on to his neighbor.

Then he lit another. One by one the burning candles were passed out among the crowd. Soon the darkness of the December night was pierced by the light of hundreds of candles. When Pastor Tokes looked out his window, he saw a sea of faces lit up by a warm glow.

Two days later, police finally broke through the crowd and dragged Pastor Tokes away. But that was not the end. People streamed to the city square. Hundreds were shot. Young Daniel's leg was blown off. Yet the brave example set in Timisoara inspired the rest of the nation. Within days, the entire population of Romania had risen up and the bloody dictator Ceausescu was gone."

Adapted from How Now Shall We Live? Devotional by Charles Colson (Tyndale) pp 711-12

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

LEAST POWERFUL PEOPLE

LEAST POWERFUL PEOPLE

READ:
1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall.
-1 Corinthians 10:12

An unusual list called The 100 Least Powerful People in the World appeared in the online publication 24/7 Wall St.  Among those selected were corporate executives, sports figures, politicians, and celebrities who shared one common characteristic-they used to be powerful.  Some were victims of circumstances, others made poor business decisions, while others lost their influence because of moral failure.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul draws a somber lesson from Old Testament history.  The people Moses led from slavery in Egypt toward freedom in the Promised Land kept turning their backs of God who had delivered them (vv. 1-5).  Idolatry, immorality, and grumbling were among the things that brought them down (vv. 6-10).  Paul points to their collapse as an example to us, and sounds this warning:  "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (v.12).

Every follower of Jesus can stand firm on God's promise; "He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it" (v.13 PHILIPS).  All of us have power to influence others in their faith.  How tragic to squander it by yielding to a temptation that God has empowered us to resist. David McCasland

Lord, there are temptations to sin everywhere.  Help me
not to give in.  Make me sensitive to see the ways out
that You provide.  I want my love for You to be real and
to encourage others in their faith journey.
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The best way to escape temptation is to run to God.

INSIGHT
In this story of Israel's testing, the key may be that "all" were baptized (v.2), and "all" ate and drank spiritual food and water (vv.3-4), but with "most" God was displeased (v.5).  Even in the struggles of the exodus, there were some who remained faithful to the Lord.

Have a blessed day and weekend.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace

EXILES IN A FOREIGN LAND

Today's promise: God is a refuge for the oppressed

Exiles in a foreign land

"Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our lyres, hanging them on the branches of the willow trees. For there our captors demanded a song of us. Our tormentors requested a joyful hymn: "Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!" But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?"

Psalm 137:1-4 NLT

Your Babylon

In captivity in Babylon, the Jews wept for their homeland and prayed for the day when they might return. But when the day of their release from captivity finally came and they were allowed to return, only about fifty thousand (out of hundreds of thousands) made the trek back to Jerusalem. Why?

For one thing, some of the Jews were making a good living in Babylon — a better living than their fathers had made in Jerusalem. Others had married Babylonian spouses and become assimilated into Babylonian culture. They had forgotten Jerusalem. Can you blame them? Seventy years of captivity is a long time.

Whatever the reason, some of the Jews weren't like the writer of Psalm 137, which apparently was written shortly after their return from exile.

The Bible speaks of heaven as our Jerusalem and suggests that where we are now living is Babylon on earth.

How comfortable are you in your Babylon? How are you faring there? Have you forgotten that you, too, are an exile, a pilgrim in a foreign land? What are you looking ahead to?

From The One Year® Book of Psalms with devotionals by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale) entry for November 11

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

FINDING SHELTER

Today's promise: God is a refuge for the oppressed

Finding shelter

"You are loving and kind to thousands, though children suffer for their parents' sins. You are the great and powerful God, the Lord Almighty."

Jeremiah 32:18 NLT

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 9:9 NLT

About this week's promise:

It isn't fair that we should suffer for our father's or grandfather's sins, or that innocent people be crippled by drunk drivers, or that millions starve because of corrupt governments. But all these things are realities in a world ruined by sin.

What can we do? We can recognize unfairness and injustice as facts of life (which are not the same as calling them acceptable). We can also determine to live in a way that is just and fair; with God's help, we can rise above the corruption.

The abused need not become abusers, and the impoverished need not live in moral poverty. Unbelieving parents need not inflict their despair and hard hearts upon their children.

Ask God to show you how to be a light and a welcome relief in an unjust world.

From the TouchPoint Bible with commentaries by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 663

For more on this week's topic, check these Tyndale resources:

The One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie (2005)
Holding on to Hope by Nancy Guthrie (2002)
The North Face of God by Ken Gire (2005)

 

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

GOD'S GIFT OF SALVATION

Today's promise: God forgives all sins, no matter how big

God's gift of salvation

"Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But You offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear You."

Psalm 130:3-4 NLT

The afternoon of Aldersgate

On May 24, 1738, John Wesley was depressed. He had been wrestling with spiritual questions. Was faith alone enough for salvation? If so, could a man be converted instantaneously?

That afternoon at London's St. Paul's Cathedral, he heard an anthem sung that opened his heart. Based on Psalm 130, it began, "Out of the deeps of long distress, the borders of despair…" He was greatly moved because the anthem from Psalm 130 told his personal story. That evening he attended a meeting in a little chapel on Aldersgate Street, heard a reading from the introduction to Luther's commentary on Romans, and felt his heart "strangely warmed." He had taken the leap from verse 1 to verse 5 of the psalm.

Many outstanding Christians have loved this psalm. One of them was John Owen, who wrote an extended commentary on it — with nearly three hundred pages on verse 4 alone! He loved that verse because once when he was "brought to the mouth of grace" and when his soul was "oppressed with horror and darkness," that fourth verse brought him close to God.

God offers forgiveness, verse 4 says. Forgiveness is God's free gift. Have you accepted it yet?

adapted from The One Year® Book of Psalms with devotionals by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen (Tyndale) entry for October 30

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

CONFESSION: THE FIRST AND NECESSARY STEP

Today's promise: God forgives all sins, no matter how big

Confession: the first and necessary step

"But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong."

1 John 1:9 NLT

The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:17 NLT

Intimacy with God can be restored

"There's nothing like a tough time to reveal what we're made of. When trouble rears its ugly, scary head, either we trust the promises of God and respond with obedience, or we panic and react sinfully.

Too often we are guilty of the latter. When things fall apart, we become sarcastic, possessive, moody, self-centered, bitter, envious…or a hundred other unflattering things. Now the situation is really messy. Not only are we facing trouble, but we've complicated the matter by pulling away from God. Our doubt and disobedience have alienated us from the One we need most.

The good news is that intimacy with God can be restored by simply acknowledging our wrong attitudes and actions. The word confession in the New Testament literally means 'to say the same thing.' In other words, we agree with God — about our wrong choices, about His perfect forgiveness, and about the truth that we are brand-new people who have the power to say no to future temptation.

If you've added to your troubles recently by responding wrongly, confession is your bridge back to God.

from Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods (Tyndale) p 70

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

INITIAL POINT

INITIAL POINT

READ:
Psalm 119:97-104

It is written, "Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God."  -Matthew 4:4

If you drive south of our home in Boise, Idaho, you'll see a volcanic butte that rises out of the sagebrush on the east side of the road.  This is the initial point from which the state of Idaho was surveyed.

In 1867, four years after Idaho was organized as a territory, Lafayette Cartee, the Surveyor General of the United States, commissioned Peter Bell to survey the new territory.  Bell took a sledge and drove a brass post into a little know on the summit of that butte, declaring it to be the initial point from which he began his survey.

The survey established the language of land description in Idaho:  Townships are designated north and south of the initial point; ranges are designated east and west.  With such descriptions, you always know exactly where you are.

We may read many books, but the Word of God is our "initial point," the fixed reference point.  John Wesley read widely, but he always referred to himself as "a man of one book."  Nothing can compare to the Book of books, the Word of God.  When we allow the Bible to be our guide in all of life, we can say with the psalmist, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103). - David Roper

Dear Lord, we are grateful for Your Book.  In it
we learn of You and find guidance and direction
for our lives.  Help us to learn to love Your Word
and to eagerly dig into its pages.  Amen.
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The Bible is like a compass;
if followed, you're going in the right direction.

INSIGHT
The author of this psalm is not named.  Many scholars say that David penned it because it speaks of suffering caused by persecution (vv. 157, 161) and of finding comfort and strength in God's Word.  It is also similar in tone and expression to other Davidic psalms and is consistent with David's experience.  In verses 97-120, the psalmist affirmed his deep love for God's Word and spoke of how it  made him wiser and more understanding than his enemies (v.98), his teachers (v.99), and the older (wiser) men of his day (v.100).  God's Word provides wisdom and perspective for life.

Have a blessed day and week ahead.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace