Sunday 31st january 2021-A FUTURE WITH FORGIVENESS

 

January 31

A Future with Forgiveness

Bible in a Year:

• Exodus 25–26
• Matthew 20:17–34

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Insight

A distinctive of Paul’s letters is that they contain both biblical doctrine (teaching beliefs) and instruction on practical living. Having explained what the gospel is in Romans 1–11, in chapters 12–16, Paul applies it to the everyday relationships of the believer in Jesus, including our relationship with God (12:1–2), other believers (vv. 3–21), governing authorities (13:1–7), the community (vv. 8–14), the spiritually weak (14:1–15:3), and co-workers (ch. 16). Paul’s overarching emphasis in these five chapters is the importance of Christlike love in the life of the believer (12:9–10; 13:8–10; 14:15), for “love is the fulfillment of the law” (13:10). Today’s passage, Romans 12:9–21, may seem like a collection of unrelated sayings, but Paul is still talking about this love that reflects Jesus. Love for enemies (vv. 14–21) is the litmus test and demonstration of such a radical love (Matthew 5:43–48). 

To learn more about the role forgiveness plays in a believer’s life, visit ChristianUniversity.org/SF107.

In 1994, when South Africa made the transition from government by apartheid (imposed racial segregation) to a democracy, it faced the difficult question of how to address the crimes committed under apartheid. The country’s leaders couldn’t ignore the past, but merely imposing harsh punishments on the guilty risked deepening the country’s wounds. As Desmond Tutu, the first black Anglican Archbishop of South Africa, explained in his book No Future Without Forgiveness, “We could very well have had justice, retributive justice, and had a South Africa lying in ashes.”

Through establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, the new democracy chose the difficult path of pursuing truth, justice, and mercy. Those guilty of crimes were offered a path to restoration—if they were willing to confess their crimes and seek to make restitution. Only by courageously facing the truth could the country begin to find healing.

In a way, South Africa’s dilemma mirrors the struggle we all face. We’re called to pursue both justice and mercy (Micah 6:8), but mercy is often misunderstood to be a lack of accountability, while pursuing justice can become distorted into pursuing revenge.

Our only path forward is a love that not only “hates what is evil” (Romans 12:9) but also longs for the transformation and good of our “neighbor” (13:10). Through the power of Christ’s Spirit, we can learn what it means to have a future of overcoming evil with good (12:21).

By:  Monica La Rose

Reflect & Pray

When have you witnessed times when the goal of mercy and grace seemed distorted to enable injustice? When have you seen both justice and mercy working in harmony?

Loving God, when the pain and injustice around me breaks my heart, help me to still believe in Your love and power to transform and heal. Help me to point with my life to Your justice, mercy, and love.

Saturday 30th january 2020

 

Friday 29th january 2021

 

Thursday 28th January 2021

 

Wednesday 27th January 2021

 

TUESDAY 26TH JANUARY 2021

 

MONDAY 25 TH JANUARY 2021

 

Sunday 24th january 2021

 

SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY 2021

 

FRIDAY 22ND JANUARY 2021

 

Thursday 21th january 2021

 

WEDNESDAY 20TH JANUARY 2021

 

TUESDAY 19TH JANUARY 2021

 

MONDAY 18TH JANUARY 2021

 

SUNDAY 17TH JANUARY 2021

 

SATURDAY 16TH JANUARY 2021

 

FRIDAY 15TH JANUARY 2021-ALL ROADS

January 15

All Roads?

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 36–38
• Matthew 10:21–42

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

John 14:6

Today's Scripture

John 14:1–7(NIV)

Insight

Before going to the cross, Jesus began His final teaching time with His disciples with these words of peace: “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). He knew what was coming and how troubling it would be for them. In addition to speaking of His return, Jesus also promised the coming of the Holy Spirit (vv. 15–31); a life of fruitfulness when connected to Him, the vine (ch. 15); and encouragement for upcoming challenges (ch. 16). Then, after describing the joys and struggles of living for Christ in a world that doesn’t know Him, Jesus closed His message the way it began—with words of comfort and encouragement: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (16:33). His victory secures our peace.

Don’t get on the expressway!” That text came from my daughter one day as I was leaving work. The highway home had become a virtual parking lot. I began trying alternate routes, but after experiencing gridlock on other roads, I gave up. The trip home would have to wait till later in the day, so I drove in the opposite direction to an athletic event my granddaughter was involved in.

Discovering that no roads would lead me home made me think about people who say that all roads lead to an eternal relationship with God. Some believe the road of kindness and good behavior will get you there. Others choose the road of doing religious things.

Relying on those roads, however, leads to a dead end. There’s only one road to take to God’s eternal presence. Jesus clarified this when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He was revealing that He was going to die to open the way for us to enter His Father’s house—to His presence and the real life He provides for today and eternity.

Skip the blocked highways that don’t lead to God’s presence. Instead, trust Jesus as Savior, for “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (3:36). And for those who already believe in Him, rest in the way He’s provided.

By:  Dave Branon

Reflect & Pray

Why is it vital to know that only Jesus can save us? Why are we prone to try to add to what it takes to be welcomed into His family?

Dear God, I want to trust You for eternity. Thank You for the salvation found in Jesus alone.

Read about the difference between relationship with Jesus and religion at DiscoverySeries.org/Q0215.

 

THURSDAY 14TH JANUARY 2021-OUR COMPASSIONATE GOD

January 14

Our Compassionate God

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 33–35
• Matthew 10:1–20

You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes.

Psalm 138:7

Today's Scripture

Psalm 138(NIV)

Insight

In Psalm 138:4–5, David calls the kings of the earth to praise God. The surrounding verses explain the reasons he issues this call: God is loving and faithful and answers those who call (vv. 1–3); He’s kind and compassionate to “the lowly”; He saves those who are oppressed (vv. 6–8).

David’s call to the kings of the earth in verses 4–5 could be considered a hopeful calling. In the days of the Old Testament, kings (outside of Israel) didn’t praise God. They were, more often than not, rebellious and resistant to Him (see Psalms 2 and 48). In Revelation, however, David’s hope is fulfilled as the kings of the earth bring their riches to the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24).

The winter night was cold when someone threw a large stone through a Jewish child’s bedroom window. A star of David had been displayed in the window, along with a menorah to celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. In the child’s town of Billings, Montana, thousands of people—many of them believers in Jesus—responded to the hateful act with compassion. Choosing to identify with the hurt and fear of their Jewish neighbors, they pasted pictures of menorahs in their own windows.

As believers in Jesus, we too receive great compassion. Our Savior humbled Himself to live among us (John 1:14), identifying with us. On our behalf, He, “being in very nature God . . . made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6–7). Then, feeling as we feel and weeping as we weep, He died on a cross, sacrificing His life to save ours.

Nothing we struggle with is beyond our Savior’s concern. If someone “throws rocks” at our lives, He comforts us. If life brings disappointments, He walks with us through despair. “Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar” (Psalm 138:6). In our troubles, He preserves us, stretching out His hand against both “the anger of [our] foes” (v. 7) and our own deepest fears. Thank You, God, for Your compassionate love.

By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

In what areas of your life do you need God’s compassion? How can you show His care and love to others? 

O God, I thank You for understanding my struggles and comforting me with loving care. Remind me always to share Your compassion with others.

Learn to love like Jesus at DiscoverySeries.org/Q0208.

 

WEDNESDAY 13 JANUARY 2021-WHAT'S YOUR SONG ?

January 13

What’s Your Song?

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 31–32
• Matthew 9:18–38

So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 31:22

Today's Scripture

Deuteronomy 31:15–22(NIV)

Insight

The final chapters of the book of Deuteronomy may seem a strange way to conclude the books of the law (Genesis–Deuteronomy). In Deuteronomy 31:27, Moses says, “If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!” Then he gives the people the song in 32:1–43, which contains a litany of dire warnings and predictions about Israel’s past and future rebellion against God. But Moses also said that the words in this song and in the entire book “are your life” (32:47) because they’d remind them of the goodness of God.

Most Americans knew little about Alexander Hamilton—until 2015, when Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote his hit musical Hamilton. Now schoolchildren know Hamilton’s story by heart. They sing it to each other on the bus and at recess. He’s their favorite founding father.

God knows the power of music, and He told Moses to “write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it” (Deuteronomy 31:19). God knew that long after Moses was gone, when He had brought Israel into the Promised Land, they would rebel and worship other gods. So He told Moses, “This song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants” (v. 21).

Songs are nearly impossible to forget, so it’s wise to be selective about what we sing. Some songs are just for fun, and that’s fine, but we benefit from songs that boast in Jesus and encourage our faith. One of the ways we “[make] the most of every opportunity” is when we speak “to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” So “sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (see Ephesians 5:15–19).

Songs can be an indicator of the direction of our heart. Do the words make much of Jesus? Do we sing them wholeheartedly? What we sing will influence what we believe, so choose wisely and sing loudly.

By:  Mike Wittmer

Reflect & Pray

What should you look for in a worship song? Is there a favorite song you can sing more often? Why?

Father, this song is my prayer to You. (Sing your favorite.)

 

TUESDAY 12TH JANUARY 2021-BREAKING THE CYCLE

 

January 12

Breaking the Cycle

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 29–30
• Matthew 9:1–17

If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Today's Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:14–21(NIV)

Insight

At the heart of the concept of becoming one with Jesus is His work of reconciliation in us. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul weaves several themes together—life, love, new creation, and the ministry of reconciliation—all framed by a call to act with urgency. It’s because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection that we can be reconciled to God. Those who accept His gift of reconciliation should “no longer live for themselves” (v. 15). Instead, we’re compelled to view everyone differently (v. 16), as people in dire need of Jesus’ reconciliation. And what is this reconciliation? God will no longer “[count] people’s sins against them” (v. 19). With urgency, Paul tells us that we’re now Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation and says, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (v. 20).

David’s first beating came at the hands of his father on his seventh birthday, after he accidentally broke a window. “He kicked me and punched me,” David said. “Afterward, he apologized. He was an abusive alcoholic, and it’s a cycle I’m doing my best to end now.” 

But it took a long time for David to get to this point. Most of his teen years and twenties were spent in jail or on probation, and in and out of addiction treatment centers. When it felt like his dreams were entirely dashed, he found hope in a Christ-centered treatment center through a relationship with Jesus. 

“I used to be filled with nothing but despair,” David says. “Now I’m pushing myself in the other direction. When I get up in the morning, the first thing I tell God is that I’m surrendering my will over to Him.” 

When we come to God with lives shattered, whether by others’ wrongdoing or by our own, God takes our broken hearts and makes us new: “If anyone is in Christ, . . . the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ’s love and life breaks into the cycles of our past, giving us a new future (vv. 14–15). And it doesn’t end there! Throughout our lives, we can find hope and strength in what God has done and continues to do in us—each and every moment.

By:  Alyson Kieda

Reflect & Pray

Where were you headed when you received Jesus as your Savior? How does it help to know that God continues to shape your life to increasingly resemble His?   

Dear God, thank You for interrupting the downward trajectory of my life and making me a new creation! Make me ever more like You.

MONDAY 11TH JANUARY 2021-LIFT UP YOUR EYES

Reflect & Pray

How does the Holy Spirit influence your words and actions when you experience conflict? How does this affect those around you?

Almighty God, thank You for the wonderful future I have with You. Help me to look to You when it’s hard to cooperate with others.

To learn more about the Spirit’s work in our lives, visit ChristianUniversity.org/ST410-12.

January 11

Lift Up Your Eyes

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 27–28
• Matthew 8:18–34

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:2

Today's Scripture

Psalm 121(NIV)

Insight

Psalm 121 is the second of the fifteen “songs of ascent” (Psalms 120–134) which were sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the three great festivals each year (Deuteronomy 16:16): Unleavened Bread (Passover), Weeks (Firstfruits), and Tabernacles. As such, it isn’t surprising that they trust themselves to God’s protection from the dangers and difficulties of the road. Since most traveling was done on foot, Psalm 121:3 anticipates God’s protection from stumbling along the way. Since most journeys by foot took several days, the people had confidence that while they slept along roads that could be dangerous (wild animals, highway robbers), their God didn’t sleep but was alert to their needs (v. 3). They sang of God’s around-the-clock protection: “the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (v. 6). This was the God they trusted in and would worship upon arriving in Jerusalem.

The clouds hung low, blocking the horizon and limiting visibility to only a few hundred yards. The minutes dragged on. The effect on my mood was noticeable. But then, as afternoon approached, the clouds began to break, and I saw it: beautiful Pikes Peak, the most recognizable landmark of my city, flanked on each side by the mountain range. A smile broke over my face. I considered that even our physical perspective—our literal line of sight—can affect our spiritual vision. And I was reminded of the psalmist singing, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains” (Psalm 121:1). Sometimes we simply need to lift our eyes a bit higher!

The psalmist pondered where his help came from, maybe because the hilltops around Israel were dotted with altars to pagan gods and often contained robbers. Or it could have been because the psalmist looked up beyond the hills to Mount Zion where the temple stood and remembered that the Maker of heaven and earth was his covenant God (v. 2). Either way, to worship we must look up. We have to lift our eyes higher than our circumstances, higher than our troubles and trials, higher than the empty promises of the false gods of our day. Then we can see the Creator and Redeemer, the One who calls us by name. He’s the One who will “watch over your coming and going” today and forevermore (v. 8).

By:  Glenn Packiam

Reflect & Pray

How can you “look up” today—beyond your circumstances—to see God? What would it look like to call upon Him for the help you really need?

Dear Father, thank You that You’re the Creator and Keeper—the One who made the heavens and the earth and watches over me. Help me to lift my eyes higher to see You and to put my trust in You.

 

SUNDAY 10TH JANUARY 2021-PAPER CROWNS

January 10

Paper Crowns

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 25–26
• Matthew 8:1–17

The Lord’s people will judge the world.

1 Corinthians 6:2

Today's Scripture

1 Corinthians 6:1–6(NIV)

Insight

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he gives his readers ways of thinking about judgment that implies more than crime and punishment. Making good judgments is more about our heart and humility than law. On one hand, Paul reasons, we aren’t even good judges of our own motives let alone the motives of others (4:1–5; 5:12). On the other hand, he didn’t want them to underestimate their capacities for good judgment in matters that might at first seem too difficult to resolve. For example, Paul saw it to be poor judgment to drag some disputes between believers in Jesus into public courts. While certain civil and criminal matters must be handled by the proper authorities, others could be handled by calm and discerning minds. Much can be learned by proving our faith—and settling differences—as we love others well as the Spirit guides us (6:1–8; John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13).

 

After a holiday meal at my house, everyone opened party favors filled with candy, small toys, and confetti. But there was something else in the favors—a paper crown for each of us. We couldn’t resist trying them on, and we smiled at each other as we sat around the table. For just a moment, we were kings and queens, even if our kingdom was a dining room littered with the remnants of our dinner.

This sparked a memory of a Bible promise I don’t often think about. In the next life, all believers will share ruling authority with Jesus. Paul mentions this in 1 Corinthians 6 where he asks, “Do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?” (v. 2). Paul referenced this future privilege because he wanted to inspire believers to settle disputes peacefully on earth. They had been suing each other and consequently harming the reputation of other believers in their community.

We become better at resolving conflict as the Holy Spirit produces self-control, gentleness, and patience within us. By the time Jesus returns and completes the Spirit’s work in our lives (1 John 3:2–3), we’ll be ready for our eventual role as “a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and . . . reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10). Let’s hold on to this promise that glitters in Scripture like a diamond set in a crown of gold.

By:  Jennifer Benson SchuLDZT

Reflect & Pray

How does the Holy Spirit influence your words and actions when you experience conflict? How does this affect those around you?

Almighty God, thank You for the wonderful future I have with You. Help me to look to You when it’s hard to cooperate with others.

To learn more about the Spirit’s work in our lives, visit ChristianUniversity.org/ST410-12.

SATURDAY 9TH JANUARY 2021-DIG IT UP

January 9

Dig It Up

Bible in a Year:

• Genesis 23–24
• Matthew 7

Get rid of all bitterness.

Ephesians 4:31

Today's Scripture

Ruth 1:3–5,20–21(NIV)

Insight

The book of Ruth isn’t the only time we see the name Mara or Marah (bitter) in the Bible. In Exodus we read how the Israelites had just escaped slavery in Egypt when God miraculously parted the Red Sea. After the Israelites crossed the sea, He released the water so their Egyptian pursuers were swallowed up. The result? “When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant” (14:31). Yet, three days later, the Israelites couldn’t find water and began to doubt Moses (and God). They found an oasis, but because its water was undrinkable, they named the place Marah. God instructed Moses to throw a piece of wood in the water and it immediately became sweet (15:22–25; see Numbers 33:8–9).

When Rebecca’s brother and sister-in-law started having marriage problems, Rebecca prayed earnestly for their reconciliation. But they divorced. Then her sister-in-law took the children out of state and their dad didn’t protest. Rebecca never again saw the nieces she dearly loved. Years later she said, “Because of trying to handle this sadness on my own, I let a root of bitterness start in my heart, and it began to spread to my family and friends.”

The book of Ruth tells about a woman named Naomi who struggled with a heart of grief that grew into bitterness. Her husband died in a foreign land, and ten years later both her sons died. She was left destitute with her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah (1:3–5). When Naomi and Ruth returned to Naomi’s home country, the whole town was excited to see them. But Naomi told her friends: “The Almighty has made my life very bitter. . . . The Lord has afflicted me” (vv. 20–21). She even asked them to call her “Mara,” meaning bitter. 

Who hasn’t faced disappointment and been tempted toward bitterness? Someone says something hurtful, an expectation isn’t met, or demands from others make us resentful. When we acknowledge to ourselves and God what’s happening deep in our hearts, our tender Gardener can help us dig up any roots of bitterness—whether they’re still small or have been growing for years—and can replace them with a sweet, joyful spirit.

By:  Anne Cetas

Reflect & Pray

What areas of life do you tend to become bitter about? What’s growing inside your heart that needs God’s loving care?

God, help me to see the goodness in life You’re always displaying. And dig up any root of bitterness in my heart that dishonors You.