As you think about your desire for things and your use of them, what brings a smile to G.o.d's face, and what makes Him frown?

What is one thing you can do today to honor G.o.d with your possessions?

"Plant a kernel of wheat and you reap a pint; plant a pint, and you reap a bushel. Always the law works to give you back more than you give."-ANTHONY NORVELL

MAY 26.

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

JAMES 1:17.

IN THE WONDERFUL and popular old hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," Thomas Chisholm wrote, "O G.o.d my Father, / There is no shadow of turning with Thee; / Thou changest not, Thy compa.s.sions they fail not; / As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be."

Theologians tell us that G.o.d is immutable-His nature never changes. For many of us, our eyes glaze over when someone quotes old hymns and theologians, but this truth is essential to our emotional stability and spiritual growth. People are fickle. We change our minds about every conceivable thing-sometimes several times in a few minutes. If we are indecisive too often, people around us wonder if they can count on us. The same conclusion would be true of G.o.d if His decisions and nature changed, but they don't.

When everything else in our lives is out of control, G.o.d is the rock-solid foundation we can stand on. When the future looks like a thick fog bank, G.o.d is the lighthouse. We may fear that a spouse or parent or best friend or boss will waver, but we never have to wonder if G.o.d's love, strength, and purpose for us will change. They won't.

Our faith is based on many things: the evidence of G.o.d's creative hand in nature; His love and power described in the Bible; the life, death, and resurrection of Christ; and the miracle of changed lives around us. In the ultimate sense, though, our faith rests on the truth that we can count on G.o.d's faithfulness. At the bottom of all the muck of struggles and confusion, we find a solid rock.

Why is it important to our faith that G.o.d never changes?

What are you counting on Him for today?

"I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in G.o.d's hands, that I still possess."-MARTIN LUTHER

MAY 27.

THE FAMILY NAME.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.

PROVERBS 22:1.

IN EVERY AGE and in every culture, a person's name has been important. Whether names signify characteristics of the person or the family or if they have been pa.s.sed down from one generation to another, the mention of a name can stir praise or shame.

For those of us who follow Christ, our names carry double meaning. As our character is tested and shaped and we prove to be trustworthy, the mention of our names will bring smiles to people's faces. But as believers, our reputation doesn't stop with "Jones" or "Smith" or "Kosnowski." We are children of the King, with a royal heritage and n.o.ble lineage. The G.o.d of the universe calls us His own. He created us, and He bought us back from slavery to sin.

Nothing-absolutely nothing-is more important than our names as G.o.d's beloved children. Riches will end, fame will fade, and possessions will rust and rot, but the "loving favor" of G.o.d will last for eternity.

What names do we call ourselves, especially when we've done something we're not proud of? Those angry declarations may express our emotions at the moment, but they aren't the truth about who we are in the eyes of G.o.d-and that's the most important truth of all.

How well are you earning a good reputation and a good name among your peers?

What names do you call yourself when you've failed? What's the real truth about your ident.i.ty?

"Paint the picture of your life with G.o.dly decisions and you will never be ashamed to attach your signature to the portrait you create."-IKE REIGHARD

MAY 28.

EXALTED IN ALL THE EARTH.

Be still, and know that I am G.o.d; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

PSALM 46:10.

THE PSALMIST WAS HAVING a really bad day! Everything around him was out of control. His problems were so severe that it seemed the mountains were being thrown into the sea and an earthquake was shaking the earth! His political world was turned upside down: The nations raged, and he felt threatened on every side (see Psalm 46:1-3, 6). We don't know how much of this was actual and how much was metaphorical, but either way, he was in big trouble.

In the midst of all the turmoil, G.o.d spoke to him and said calmly, "Be still, and know that I am G.o.d." The Lord didn't run around trying to fix everything, and He didn't direct the psalmist to work like crazy to make everything right. Work might come later, but for now, he needed G.o.d's perspective. And the only way to get it was to stop, look, listen, and remember the goodness and greatness of Almighty G.o.d. When the time was right, G.o.d's grace and strength would be evident in nature and on the political scene, and He would reign where chaos had existed.

Modern society produces tremendous stress. Expectations are sky-high, and opportunities quickly morph into demands for more things, better opportunities, and higher achievements. Some of our stresses come from outside, but we create many others. Whatever the source, G.o.d stands in the midst of our chaotic lives. When everything seems to be coming unglued, He whispers, "Stop. Be still. Listen to Me, and be sure that I can do anything that needs to be done."

Will we listen?

Describe a time when you felt like your life was coming unglued.

How does it help to stop, be still, and focus on G.o.d in times of chaos?

"I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man."-ABRAHAM LINCOLN

MAY 29.

PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

This is the testimony: that G.o.d has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of G.o.d does not have life.

1 JOHN 5:11-12.

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE it is prideful to think they can be sure of their salvation. They think only G.o.d knows if people are saved, because no one is ever completely free from sin in this life. Many of these people see the Christian life as a cla.s.sroom, and they think G.o.d grades on a curve. If they've done enough right and avoided enough sins, maybe, just maybe, they'll score high enough to pa.s.s.

John, though, gives us a completely different perspective. The issue isn't having more deeds on the good side of the scale than on the bad side. The central, singular point of salvation is this: Do we have the Son? Salvation is a gift. We can't earn it. In fact, we acknowledge our complete inability to do enough things right to twist G.o.d's arm to let us into heaven. Instead, we stand before Him with empty hands and open hearts, trusting that Christ's sacrifice paid for our sins completely and ushered us into G.o.d's family. In faith, we turn from our own efforts and embrace Jesus, G.o.d's Son.

John's message is plain and simple, but it threatens those who want to prove themselves to G.o.d and others by giving enough, serving enough, and attending church enough to earn acceptance. The focal point of faith, John tells us, is Christ. He is all we have and all we need. Then, out of full hearts, we give, serve, and attend church because we're already accepted, not because we're trying to become accepted. It makes a huge difference!

How can someone know that he or she "has the Son"?

Do you? How does your grasp of the simplicity and humility of your faith in Christ affect your att.i.tude and actions?

"All self effort is but sinking sand, Christ alone is the rock of our salvation."-H. A. IRONSIDE "Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship with a person-Jesus Christ."-ZIG ZIGLAR

MAY 30.

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS.

It is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"

ROMANS 10:15.

TODAY, WE USE E-MAIL and cell phones to communicate with people in the next room or on the other side of the world. In ancient times, however, messages were carried the old-fashioned way: by couriers. They braved rugged terrain, blistering heat, and threats of thieves to take news, good or bad, across the land. Our communication tools are computers and phones; their tools were the sandals on their feet.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul uses a quote from Isaiah 52:7, when messengers brought news to exiles in Babylon that they were now freed from captivity. After seventy years of torture and humiliation, the captives were free! In the same way, we who take the message of Christ's forgiveness to others bring great news of stunning freedom. In this case, it's not freedom from political oppression, but freedom from sin and death.

Think of the best news you've ever heard, and remember the utter thrill of hearing it for the first time. We have the wonderful role of taking the best news ever told to people who desperately need to hear it. In the ancient world, thankful, thrilled people would say to those who brought good news, "Your feet are beautiful!" When we take the news of Christ's forgiveness to guilt-ridden people, our feet are beautiful too.

What's the best news you've ever received?

What are some things you need to do to make your feet beautiful to lost and oppressed people around you?

"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!"-KEITH GREEN

MAY 31.

REACHING OUT IN LOVE.

We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love G.o.d," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love G.o.d whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves G.o.d must love his brother also.

1 JOHN 4:19-21.

SOME PEOPLE ANNOY US. They interrupt us when we're trying to concentrate, ignore us when we need their help, or give us unwanted advice. Sometimes, the best we can do is to tolerate them.

Tolerating people, however, isn't loving them, and G.o.d has set a high standard for us in relationships-especially in the family of G.o.d. Our love for people, though, doesn't come from self-effort. G.o.d has imparted genuine, unconditional love to us, and He gives us an example of what love looks like. He is the prime mover, the One who initiated love toward us when we were completely unlovable. He showered us with grace, forgiveness, and affection, and we respond warmly by calling Him "Abba, Father" (see Romans 8:15, NLT).

The love we show others indicates our level of love for G.o.d. If we fail to love horizontally, we can a.s.sume there's a problem in our vertical relationship with G.o.d. We won't reach out in love until G.o.d has first reached into our hearts to enable us to love Him.

We love those around us by pursuing what's best for them. When we're listening, we're fully present in the moment. When we're caring, we give everything we've got because we're aware that G.o.d gave His all to us. The more we experience the transforming love of G.o.d, the more His love spills out of us toward those around us.