David's brothers were soldiers in Saul's army, fighting the Philistines. David's dad told him to take some special food to his brothers and their captain and to bring back news about his beloved sons. When he arrived at the camp, David saw that the entire army cowered in fear of the Philistine giant. David took the opportunity to offer his services to Saul (in spite of the taunts of his brothers) and won one of the greatest victories of personal bravery in military history.

The door of opportunity, though, swung open in an unlikely way. Though David had often been forgotten at home, G.o.d used the circ.u.mstances to open a wide door of opportunity for David to excel. David didn't wallow in self-pity. He marched through the door of opportunity. His life and the lives of all Israel were radically changed that day.

How did G.o.d use a painful situation as an open door for David?

Is there a difficult circ.u.mstance in your life that G.o.d might use to open a door for you?

"Great doors of opportunity swing on the tiny hinges of obedience."-IKE REIGHARD

AUGUST 18.

G.o.d'S HANDIWORK

The heavens declare the glory of G.o.d; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

PSALM 19:1.

ONE OF THE MOST HELPFUL and spiritually uplifting activities we can do is notice nature. Even a casual glance at the stars or a garden shows us the vast scale of G.o.d's creation and the incredible complexity of every creature. To measure distances in s.p.a.ce, scientists use the distance light travels in a year. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, or about 6 trillion miles a year, so we call that distance a light-year. At that amazing speed, light from the sun takes over 8 minutes to reach the earth. The nearest star in the galaxy is Alpha Centauri, 4.3 light-years away, so that the light astronomers see when they look at it left Alpha Centauri 4.3 years earlier.

The earth is an amazing phenomenon, with several distinct characteristics necessary for life that, as far as we know, don't exist in this combination anywhere else in the universe. And as biologists a.n.a.lyze the intricacies of DNA, they find complexity and predictability beyond anything they imagined.

Weather systems, landforms, ocean currents and other large-scale features amaze us. Hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, and earthquakes disrupt our lives and reveal how fragile we can be. And on a much smaller, less violent scale, we delight in the beauty of a single flower or the movements of a lizard grabbing its next meal.

Noticing G.o.d's creative work takes only a moment, but we need to take it a step further and reflect on the implications of what we see. If Creation is so vast, G.o.d is greater still, and if His handiwork is so amazingly intricate, we can be sure that He knows every detail of our lives, too. Noticing nature results in deeper trust.

Do you take time to delight in nature and notice G.o.d's handiwork? Why or why not?

What does nature teach you about G.o.d?

"G.o.d writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars."-MARTIN LUTHER

AUGUST 19.

ABIDE IN ME.

[Jesus said,] "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

JOHN 15:5.

IN THIS BEAUTIFUL METAPHOR, Jesus ill.u.s.trated the integral relationship we have with Him. We don't have to own a vineyard to understand His a.n.a.logy. We've seen enough ads for fine wines to get the point. Bunches of fine, healthy grapes grow only if the branch is vitally connected to the vine. Jesus describes that connection as abiding, which means "to be completely at home."

When we are completely at home with a roommate or spouse, we aren't on edge. We relax, we communicate, and we get things done with minimal friction. In that environment, we share common goals, and we work together to reach those goals. In the same way, our relationship with Jesus can be so completely "at home" that we communicate often and easily, sharing a common purpose to honor the Father in everything we do. We have rich, deep conversations, and we genuinely enjoy each other.

In a strong, intimate relationship with Christ, His power, peace, and purpose flow into us and through us, and His Spirit works wonders to transform us and change others we touch-those are healthy bunches of spiritual grapes.

In the same way that a branch can't produce grapes unless nourishment flows from the vine into it, we can't produce anything apart from a vibrant relationship with Christ. When Jesus said, "You can do nothing," He didn't mean we can't brush our teeth or perform any other task without His help. Plenty of people do all kinds of things without Christ. He means that we can't do anything of eternal significance apart from His direction and power.

How can a person tell if he or she has this kind of vital connection with Christ?

What does it (or would it) mean for you to genuinely abide in Him?

"There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow."-MARTIN LUTHER

AUGUST 20.

A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

JAMES 1:12.

WE GIVE AWARDS in every field of business, academics, and government, and we give them for every conceivable achievement. Imagine giving a top award at a big banquet to the person who endured and conquered temptation most effectively! That, James tells us, is the award G.o.d gives, and it includes the "crown of life" as a symbol of the person's dedication to G.o.d.

How do we endure temptation? First, we have to recognize it. Far too often, we glamorize sin, excuse it, laugh at it, and let it become a normal part of our lives. White lies, s.e.xual jokes, gossip, a critical att.i.tude, and many other behaviors are part of life for most people-including many Christians. We won't resist the temptation to sin if we don't realize it's destructive.

When we recognize the temptation, we need to get as far away from it as possible. Change the channel, delete the song, filter the site, close our mouths, or walk away. Nature, though, abhors a vacuum, so we need to replace the temptation with something good and wholesome and honoring to G.o.d and the people in our lives. Read inspiring books, listen to uplifting songs and talks, hang out with people who build others up instead of tearing them down, speak words of hope and affirmation.

n.o.body said these things are easy. Resisting and enduring temptation takes focused attention and energy, and it requires tenacity to keep resisting when the temptation rises again out of nowhere. But G.o.d generously rewards, with the crown of life, those who hang in there-what a reward!

What are the most common temptations you face each day?

What are some ways you can recognize them, resist them, replace them, and endure?

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved."-HELEN KELLER

AUGUST 21.

WHAT JESUS IS.

Of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from G.o.d-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30.

THE BELIEVERS IN CORINTH were, sad to say, much like wealthy people throughout history: They were proud of their possessions and positions, and they looked down on those who didn't have as much. Paul, though, put them in their place. He wrote that G.o.d has a very different standard operating procedure. G.o.d uses the weak to shame the mighty, the foolish to shame the supposedly wise, and the common to shame the n.o.ble (see 1 Corinthians 1:27). Does that sound harsh? No, it reflects G.o.d's att.i.tude and actions when Jesus stepped out of the glory of heaven to enter a broken, sin-stained world to give His life for us. For our sake, He became seemingly weak and foolish, and He died like a common criminal.

Jesus, though, didn't stand on a hilltop and make p.r.o.nouncements about the wisdom of G.o.d. He became G.o.d's wisdom in flesh and blood. In the Old Testament, people looked to prophets to tell them about G.o.d's character, but Jesus personally embodied all the truth and grace we need to know. Do we want to grasp G.o.d's fiery righteousness? Jesus demonstrated the holiness of G.o.d by never sinning and by standing up for truth in the face of fierce opposition. Do we want to know what it means to be sanctified? Jesus was set apart to fulfill the Father's mission. He's the only person who was born to die, not born to live. Do we want to get a handle on redemption? We need only look at the Cross to see the sinless Son of G.o.d dying in our place to purchase forgiveness, peace, and eternal life. In Jesus, wisdom isn't just a concept-it's a Person.

Why is it important to you that wisdom is a Person?

Tell Christ how much you appreciate all He has done for you.

"Do you need help today? Lift up your hands to the Lord in supplication and in expectation, and soon you will lift up your hands in jubilation and celebration."-WARREN W. WIERSBE

AUGUST 22.

ALL THINGS.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13.

THIS IS ONE of the most frequently quoted-and most often misunderstood-verses in the Bible. Many people see it as a blank check on G.o.d's account that they can cash whenever they want His help to accomplish anything they want to do. Sorry, but that's not Paul's point at all.

The "all things" in this verse refers to his previous comments about contentment. Paul had explained that he had found the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether he was enjoying wealth, pleasure, and plenty or had very little of the world's riches and comfort (see Philippians 4:11-12). The secret, Paul relates, is to focus on Christ and be delighted in Him above all else.

But Paul was a realist. He knew that finding contentment in difficult times is hard. In those times, he needed Christ to give him perspective and strength to keep his heart focused on Him. Only then could he be truly content, at peace instead of gritting his teeth with each pa.s.sing minute. Paul, though, was supremely confident that Christ would, in fact, give him the resources he needed to respond well to every situation.

We need to take a long, hard look at our hearts to see what disrupts our sense of contentment. Then, we can turn to Christ for wisdom to get His perspective and strength to endure difficulties with grace and grat.i.tude. The world and our friends and family members want to know if our faith is genuine. If we complain when we experience a small b.u.mp in our comfortable road, they have reason to wonder. If, however, our contentment and joy are unshaken when we experience loss, they can see that our hope in Christ is the real deal.

How can you prepare your heart so that you continue to experience contentment during difficult times?

Describe how Christ can give you wisdom and strength during those times.

"You never test the resources of G.o.d until you attempt the impossible."-F. B. MEYER "The Savior I love and worship is an every day, every need Lord who knows my needs and supplies them even before I ask."-ZIG ZIGLAR

AUGUST 23.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE.

It is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which G.o.d has prepared for those who love Him."

1 CORINTHIANS 2:9.

SOME OF US SIT in church week after week singing the songs and listening to the sermons, but in our hearts, we secretly doubt that all the promises about heaven really apply to us. Yeah, they sound great, we tell ourselves, but they're for the rest of the people sitting here, not me. The overwhelming reality of our sinfulness makes us feel as if we're beyond G.o.d's grace and that heaven is only a pipe dream.

The wonderful, optimistic promise Paul quoted was written-don't miss this-to the Corinthian believers. They were the most prideful, blatantly selfish, brazenly s.e.xual, least mature believers in the world, but Paul's faith in the transforming grace and power of G.o.d extended even-maybe especially-to them. The promise of eternal life applied to them!