"If Jesus Christ be G.o.d and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."-C. T. STUDD

July.

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JULY 1.

G.o.d CARES.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of G.o.d, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 PETER 5:6-7.

COUNTLESS STORIES in the Scriptures show us G.o.d's care for people. In Genesis, He created a world of plants, animals, seasons, and water to provide for us so we could live. He freed His people from slavery in Egypt and then gave them food to eat every day on the journey to the Promised Land. He gave them instructions so they could live the best life possible, and He forgave and restored them when they got off track. In the New Testament, Jesus' interactions with people show us G.o.d's love up close. He touched lepers, forgave adulterers, healed the sick, raised the dead, and was infinitely patient with followers, who were painfully slow to grasp His character and His mission.

If G.o.d's care is unmistakable, why do we have difficulty trusting Him when we're in need? Peter gives us a clue. At least one factor, he explains, is our pride, which says, "I don't need G.o.d. I can do it all by myself." Pride pushes G.o.d away and blocks the channel of His love and power to meet our needs.

We long to experience G.o.d's presence and care, but some of us long even more to appear self-sufficient. The first step-the most important step-to experiencing G.o.d's care is to humbly admit our need for Him. Without this honesty, we go it alone, and we miss the wonder of seeing Him work in and through us in the most difficult moments in our lives.

What are some reasons people insist on trusting themselves instead of turning to G.o.d for help?

Do you need to experience G.o.d's presence and care in your life today? Humble yourself and trust Him to provide for you.

"When we trust G.o.d, He trusts us and blesses us over and over."-ZIG ZIGLAR

JULY 2.

LAUS DEO.

Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forever-more! From the rising of the sun to its going down the LORD's name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.

PSALM 113:1-4.

WHAT DO YOU PRAISE? Most of us praise our favorite sports team, a great restaurant, a great band, successful companies, or the courage of a hero we admire.

When we praise these things, what do we do? We shine a light on their most positive attributes, calling attention to them so that others will think highly of these things too.

How do we feel when we praise something or someone? We are emotionally engaged, excited about others' knowing what we know and feeling what we feel.

But we utter genuine praise only when our hearts are connected to the thing we're praising. Otherwise, it's just empty chatter.

In this beautiful psalm, sung each year at the beginning of the Jewish Pa.s.sover meal, the psalmist is certainly emotionally engaged! He calls on everyone to join him, and he wants us all to praise G.o.d all day, for all time, and in all places. He wants the world to know that G.o.d is wonderful, mighty, and gracious.

On one side of the capstone of the Washington Monument, 555 feet high, a plaque reads Laus Deo ("Praise to G.o.d"). The builders wanted to be sure that G.o.d received the credit for their work and their nation, so they engraved these Latin words permanently at the top. You and I have the same opportunity every day to give G.o.d credit for all He has given us, including our ability to work and care and help others.

What or whom do you praise most often? Does G.o.d seem as wonderful as that person or thing? Why or why not?

What are some ways praise can become more central to your daily life?

"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty G.o.d and to obey His will."-GEORGE WASHINGTON

JULY 3.

THE G.o.d FOR ALL NATIONS.

Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

PSALM 117:1-2.

ETHNOCENTRIC. It's a pleasant-sounding word, but it's full of arrogance. When we think we are the only nation or race G.o.d blesses, we badly misunderstand the breadth and depth of the grace of G.o.d. Sure, He loves us with an undying love, but He loves everyone else on the planet just as pa.s.sionately. He has no favorites.

The Israelites had been given a mandate to take the message of G.o.d's love to every nation, but they got wrapped up in their role as G.o.d's chosen people. G.o.d chose them so they could bless others, not so they could remain in a "holy huddle." On those few occasions when they did reach out to touch other cultures, G.o.d richly blessed them. When they withdrew into pride and exclusivity, G.o.d withdrew His hand of blessing.

Our nation has gone through spasms of being incredibly inclusive, welcoming people of every land to join our melting pot, but also of being terribly exclusive, banning immigrants and treating those who came as second-cla.s.s citizens. Christians need to realize that G.o.d's grace transcends national boundaries, race, and culture, just as they needed to do so at other points in our history. G.o.d loves people from all over the globe, whether they've immigrated to America or live in the remotest deserts of foreign lands. Our primary task as believers is to break down the walls and love them into G.o.d's Kingdom.

To what extent are you ethnocentric? (What would your children or best friends say about your level of ethnocentrism?) What are some ways you can break down walls and love people from other races and cultures into the Kingdom?

"G.o.d governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?"-BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

JULY 4.

LIBERTY FOR ALL.

So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.

PSALM 119:44-45.

PARADOXICALLY, we don't experience true liberty by throwing off all restrictions. We enjoy genuine freedom only in the context of laws. When the laws of a nation are just, reasonable, and good, its citizens know what is expected of them-in traffic, in business, in the community, in the home. And as long as they live within those laws, they prosper.

Spiritual life works the same way, but it sometimes requires maturity to value G.o.d's laws and experience freedom. Young believers get a taste of grace, and they sometimes think it doesn't matter what they do; the sky's the limit! But sooner or later, they face the painful consequences of breaking G.o.d's laws, and they learn to value the restrictions.

G.o.d's Word records hundreds of laws to guide us, protect us, and provide the most rewarding life possible. They aren't given to us to steal our fun and make our lives miserable. Quite the opposite. As we live by them "continually, forever and ever," we experience freedom from fear, relief from guilt, richer relationships with people, and a closer relationship with the One who wants us to thrive by following His loving guidance.

Our prisons are full of people who feel bitter, guilty, angry, and oppressed because they didn't follow the laws of the land. Similarly, our homes and neighborhoods contain people who suffer the consequences of lying, stealing, adultery, jealousy, laziness, and all other forms of selfishness.

The happiest people in the world are those who follow laws-G.o.d's and man's-and enjoy the liberty obedience gives them.

What are some evidences in your life and your family of the loss of freedom for breaking G.o.d's or man's laws?

Has the Holy Spirit tapped you on the shoulder to tell you that you need to follow a specific law? If so, what will you do about it?

"With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help but knowing that here on earth, G.o.d's work must truly be our own."-JOHN F. KENNEDY

JULY 5.

EXTRAVAGANT GOODNESS.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the a.s.sembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders.

PSALM 107:31-32.

WHEN THE BIBLE SAYS that G.o.d is good, it means that all of G.o.d's intentions toward us are for our benefit, and His actions are designed to accomplish those intentions. But do we believe it? Do we really believe that G.o.d is good, not in some cosmic sense, but in a real-life, tangible way so that our belief makes a difference in our lives today?

We sometimes limit the scope of what we call "good," to the detriment of wisdom and spiritual vitality. We think of all the "good things" of life-ice cream, camping, dinner with friends, our team winning the championship-and it's easy for us to confine "good" to only those events that are pleasant. But G.o.d's goodness isn't confined in any way. He intends for each of us to grow strong in our faith, and He orchestrates circ.u.mstances to test us, stretch us, and cause us to realize how much we depend on Him. His "goodness" isn't measured only by pleasant times (though He gives those in abundance). Instead, He is more like a great coach who knows how to get the best out of his players, pushing some, encouraging all, and testing each one to his or her limits.

If, at our insistence, G.o.d's goodness were shown only in the narrow, limited giving of pleasant experiences, we would remain spiritual infants. But G.o.d insists on growing us up. Unfortunately, we all have to go through "adolescence," when we struggle to believe that the authority in our lives (G.o.d in this case) is wise and good. If we stay with it and gain real wisdom, though, we'll learn to see G.o.d's extravagant goodness in every situation we encounter. He's a great coach!

How have you thought of G.o.d's goodness up to this point in your life?

How does it help you to think of G.o.d as a coach whose task is to test you and stretch you so that you learn to depend on Him?

"To the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift [James 1:17] we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land." -JAMES MADISON

JULY 6.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

Our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.

PSALM 126:2-3.

MOST OF US CAN'T IMAGINE being exiled for many years, struggling to find hope amid the despair, and then finally coming home again. Prisoners in n.a.z.i concentration camps who were freed by the Allies certainly experienced this roller coaster of emotions, and political prisoners in any land can relate too. When this psalm was written, the nation of Israel had been in captivity. Many had been killed, many were tortured, and many died of starvation and hopelessness. When the survivors were set free and nearing home, they were overcome with relief, joy, and thankfulness. They were so happy that they couldn't stop laughing!

In America, all of us (except for Native Americans) are wanderers or descendants of wanderers who found a new home. Some of us and many of our ancestors escaped famine, abject poverty, political or religious oppression, slavery, or threats of death but found new hope in a free land! Many immigrants who came through Ellis Island tell of the same kind of joy and hope that the Israelites felt when they returned home.

In a spiritual sense, all of us who know Christ were once "strangers" in despair, living in a foreign land of hopelessness and certain death. But G.o.d has rescued us, freed us, and brought us into the land of His forgiveness, love, peace, and strength.