THE ONE TRADE YOU SHOULD NEVER MAKE.

What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

MARK 8:36.

G.o.d HAS CREATED US to live in two worlds, and while the spiritual is most important, our culture tends to value the tangible. We devote our time to making more money, and we spend our money getting more and more stuff. Some of us use our wealth as chips to show that we're smarter and sharper than others. We want to win, and possessions are the way we keep score. Others, though, don't really care what somebody else has. We just want as much as we can get to make our lives as pleasant as possible.

Jesus made the stark, sobering observation that the value of a single soul is greater than all the gold, oil, real estate, jewels, stocks, cars, and everything else of value on the planet. Jesus died to rescue our souls from eternal death. He died for our family members, our neighbors, the cranky old guy down the street, and the natives in the middle of the Amazon basin.

One of our most important, and yet one of the most difficult, tasks is to shift our attention from what is visible to what is invisible, from the tangible to the eternal, from what will rust and rot to what will last forever.

Souls are that important.

What's the lure of stuff? Why do we let it rule (or at least shape) our lives?

How would your life be different if you were gripped with the reality that a single soul is more important than all the world's wealth?

"The meaning of life is the most urgent of questions."-ALBERT CAMUS

MARCH 21.

WHEN G.o.d KNOCKS YOU DOWN.

As [Saul] journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" . . . Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

ACTS 9:3-4, 8.

SAUL, who later became known as Paul, was a member of the religious elite of Israel. He was trained by the best teachers, and his pa.s.sion led him to capture and persecute members of a new sect: Christians. Saul was one of those people who are thoroughly convinced they're always right. (You know the type.) On the road to Damascus, G.o.d met Saul in blinding light. In an instant, Saul realized that all he had believed had been false and that his life had been a lie. That moment was the pivotal point in this strong leader's life.

Was he devastated? Yes and no. He was literally and figuratively knocked down. His pride was shattered, his confidence blown away. But he submitted himself to Christ and to Christ's gospel, and G.o.d rebuilt him to become the most influential leader the church has ever known.

Great leaders often have great pride. To become useful to G.o.d, their pride has to be crushed. G.o.d can then use the broken pieces to create new, humble people whose consummate abilities are under the leading of the Spirit instead of driven by selfish ambition.

When G.o.d knocks you down, don't shake your fist at Him. Instead, let G.o.d reform your pa.s.sions and redirect your path so that you can use all your G.o.d-given abilities for Him and for others instead of for yourself.

How can you tell if it's G.o.d who's knocking you down?

Does it encourage you or depress you that G.o.d is willing to crush your pride to reform you? Explain your answer.

"Until a man has found G.o.d and been found by G.o.d, he begins at no beginning, he works to no end. He may have friendships, his partial loyalties, his sc.r.a.ps of honor, but all these will fall into place, and life falls into place, only with G.o.d."-H. G. WELLS

MARCH 22.

BORN AGAIN.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most a.s.suredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d."

JOHN 3:3.

WE CAN IMAGINE Nicodemus scratching his head as he leaned in and listened to Jesus the night they met up to chat. Nicodemus was one of the top religious leaders of the country, respected and admired by everyone who knew him. He was devoted to keeping a rigid set of religious rules to prove to G.o.d that he was worthy. That's what all his friends taught, and that's the system he had known all his life.

But then Jesus rocked his world. Probably with a twinkle in His eye because He knew He was stretching Nicodemus's mind, Jesus announced a revolutionary new way of relating to G.o.d. It wasn't through all those rules and rituals Nicodemus had been following. This new way was through the Spirit of G.o.d transforming people's hearts and making them alive as they'd never been before. It was so radical that Jesus called it being "born again."

All of us long for a rich, full, meaningful life. G.o.d promises that kind of life as the result of experiencing His forgiveness and transformation. But some of us can't accept the fact that it's a gift. We still want to prove ourselves by following some set of rules, so we push Jesus' offer away instead of gratefully accepting it.

Jesus is incredibly patient. Though Nicodemus didn't seem to understand that night, he eventually grasped the fact that he could never follow enough rules to impress G.o.d. Sometime later, Nicodemus believed, and he was born again.

Why do some people cling to their hope of proving they are good enough to be accepted by G.o.d?

What does it mean to be born again? Is that true for you?

"G.o.d doesn't have any grandchildren."-E. STANLEY JONES "To be good in the eyes of the world is one thing. To be saved is another matter."-ZIG ZIGLAR

MARCH 23.

AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW.

[Jesus said,] "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

JOHN 13:13-15.

THE DISCIPLES could sense that this night was different. The whole week had been intense. It began with the crowds shouting and waving palm branches as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt, but the days since then had been a checkerboard of arguments, miracles, debates, and challenges. Now, on the night of Pa.s.sover, they gathered in a room to be together. Jesus had told them He would be arrested and killed. Would it happen soon?

In the thick air of antic.i.p.ation, Jesus did something totally bizarre. He ceremoniously washed each of the men's feet. They watched in amazement as He went from one disciple to the next. When He was finished, He sat down and explained that He had done this as an example for them to follow after He was gone. Washing their feet was a simple act of service, usually performed by the lowest-ranking servant in a home. "Serve one another," Jesus was telling and showing them. "If you think you're too good to serve one another this way, just remember that I did it, and I'm your Lord and Teacher."

Washing their feet also symbolized forgiveness. Just as He forgave the disciples-and they would need His forgiveness again in an hour or so when they abandoned Him to the soldiers-He wanted them to forgive one another.

We can all think we're too cool, too good, too sophisticated, or too something else to stoop to serve others around us, but Jesus wants managers, officials, parents, and any others in authority to lead by serving.

How do you think the disciples felt that night when they watched Jesus wash their feet and heard His explanation?

What are some ways you can serve people who report to you?

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."-ALBERT SCHWEITZER

MARCH 24.

THE RESULTS OF TRULY TRUSTING.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.

PSALM 28:7.

TRUSTING G.o.d MAY BEGIN as the desire for Him to meet a need in a particular situation, but it ends in a richer, stronger relationship with Him. Difficulties aren't aberrations of life; they are an integral part of life. Sometimes, to be sure, we bring them on ourselves by doing something foolish and destructive, and sometimes others wound us by their selfishness. Whatever the cause-by people or natural disasters or demonic activity-difficulties drive us to G.o.d with cries for help.

The answer may come instantly, but far more often, G.o.d takes His time to work more deeply in our hearts to purify our motives. Then, when the answer comes, we don't even think of claiming credit. We gladly point people to G.o.d as the source of the solution.

But a strange thing happens. When the answer comes, we're glad; however, something much deeper has happened in our hearts. We realize that we know G.o.d better than before, and that makes our rejoicing even sweeter.

Whenever a friend comes through for us when we're in trouble, we tell everybody we know, and we praise our friend's virtues. It's the same in our friendship with G.o.d. When we're convinced that He has come through for us, we can't stop talking about Him, and in fact, we sing His praises.

When G.o.d answers prayer, are we ever tempted to ascribe the solution to our own brilliance or to other people instead of G.o.d?

How has G.o.d been your "strength and shield" lately? Whom do you want to tell about Him?

"I looked at G.o.d and He looked at me, and we were one forever."-CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

MARCH 25.

GUIDANCE FROM ABOVE.

Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth.

PSALM 67:4.

AT CERTAIN TIMES IN HISTORY, we see the hand of G.o.d moving very clearly and powerfully. Accounts of the formative years of our nation show time and again how G.o.d inspired people to pursue freedom. When freedom was realized after the Revolution, He gave our leaders incredible wisdom to structure the three branches of government as checks and balances. Today, we still enjoy the benefits of G.o.d's guidance in those crucial days of deliberation.

At other times in history, however, we can't see G.o.d's hand moving at all. Tyrants and dictators seize power over foreign lands and murder millions, and in our own country, scandals threaten to destroy our values. Things seem to be out of control-out of our control for sure, and seemingly out of G.o.d's control, as well.

A day will come, though, when we'll see how G.o.d orchestrated all the events of human history to accomplish His sovereign design for mankind. We'll see that G.o.d used even the events and leaders that appeared out of control to accomplish His grand purposes. On that day, G.o.d will show us how He governed the nations, directing events and leading people, but He'll also judge those who fought against Him.

In our nation's history-and in our own lives-G.o.d reigns supreme, guiding, directing, and shaping events to accomplish good things. Though at times He seems to be a million miles away, He's present, active, and engaged. We can count on it.

What are some ways you've seen G.o.d direct our nation and your life?

Take a few minutes to praise Him for His leading.

"The highest story of the American Revolution is this: it connected in one indissolvable bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."-JOHN ADAMS