OCTOBER 4.

STARTING OVER.

I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

JEREMIAH 18:3-4.

THE BIBLE AND THE HISTORY of people of faith give us a rich record of G.o.d's not giving up on us when we fail. Abraham was a coward who twice lied about his wife's ident.i.ty to protect himself, but G.o.d transformed him into the father of our faith. Jacob was a deceiver who lied over and over again, but G.o.d touched him and made him the father of the twelve tribes. Peter denied Jesus, but a few days after the Resurrection, Jesus met him to reaffirm his acceptance, and Peter became the leader of the early church. The list of men and women who started over is almost endless.

Jeremiah gives us an image of G.o.d as the potter and us as the clay. G.o.d works diligently to form us and transform us into useful, beautiful vessels, but sometimes things don't work out. It's not the potter's fault; a flaw in the clay causes the problem. But G.o.d doesn't wad us up into a clay ball and fling us away. He lovingly starts over, eliminating the flaw and adding the elements of the Spirit, the accountability of friends, and the guidance of the Word to start shaping us again.

The process of producing a beautiful pot isn't fast. The potter takes time, carefully crafting the clay into shape for its intended use. In the same way, when G.o.d starts over with us, we may not become instantly useful. It takes time and the skill of the Potter to shape us. Sooner or later, though, we'll be useful again.

What kind of flaws can make us unusable to the Potter?

What's your role and what's G.o.d's role in shaping you?

"The G.o.d who made you can make you over." -ZIG ZIGLAR

OCTOBER 5.

JESUS LOVES THEM.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

MATTHEW 19:14.

IN ANCIENT PALESTINE, men ruled over society. Women were second-cla.s.s citizens, and children followed in a distant third place, just above the despised Samaritans. As we read the accounts of Jesus' life, we find that He turned things upside down. Instead of fearing the powerful religious leaders, He argued with them, and He broke the molds of accepted religious behavior they had so carefully constructed. Instead of ignoring women, He reached out to them again and again, including them in His circle as equals. And the snotty-nosed, loud, out-of-control children? Jesus honored them by welcoming them into His inner circle, into His life, and into His heart.

In our society, children occupy a prominent place. Many couples construct their schedules around their children's sports and hobbies, and the needs of the children are a high priority in any decisions in family life. But far too often, we neglect the emotional and spiritual needs of our children. We're so tired from working so hard that we don't have much energy to devote to them.

We need to take our cues from Jesus. We don't have more responsibilities than He had! We need to see our children the way He sees them and treat them with respect, patience, and love. If He could carve out time to value children, we can too.

To what extent are children in your life a joy, an annoyance, or a burden?

What are some things that need to change so that you can devote more emotional energy and time to them?

"Start your child's day with love and encouragement and end the day the same way."-ZIG ZIGLAR

OCTOBER 6.

COMPLETE INSPIRATION.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of G.o.d, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of G.o.d may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17.

EVERY WORD OF SCRIPTURE is inspired, which means "G.o.d-breathed." G.o.d worked through the writers' personalities and backgrounds to communicate His message to us. We may not understand exactly how this happened, but we can be certain that the message they wrote was, and is, G.o.d's divine Word.

G.o.d's truth transforms lives, but not by magic. As we listen and study it ourselves, it becomes "profitable" to us by changing our lives. The Bible teaches us truth about the greatness and grace of G.o.d and about the human need for forgiveness. It instructs us in relationships of every kind. When our lives are in alignment with G.o.d's will, the Scriptures affirm our direction; when we're off base, it shines its light on our selfishness and disobedience. The Bible gives us new tracks to run on, directing us to live in ways that honor G.o.d and bring fulfillment to us. And ultimately, our humble and willing response to G.o.d's truth shapes us so that G.o.d can use us to accomplish His purposes in others' lives.

Today, we can read scores of translations, and we can download hundreds of files of the Bible. In addition, we can listen to messages by many of the finest teachers of our day. If the benefits of studying G.o.d's Word are so great, and it is so readily available, why don't we read and study it more deeply and more often?

Describe a time when Bible study really excited you.

What are some resources you can use and ways you can make Bible study a higher priority?

"There are some promises in the Bible which I have never yet used; but I am well a.s.sured that there will come times of trial and trouble when I shall find that that poor despised promise, which I thought was never meant for me, will be the only one on which I can float. I know that the time is coming when every believer shall know the worth of every promise in the covenant."-CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

OCTOBER 7.

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A BIG BROTHER

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

PSALM 27:1.

IN THE CLOSING PAGES of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prizewinning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, young Jem Finch escorts his sister, Scout, home from the school Halloween party. As they walk through the woods in the darkness, a deranged man attacks the little girl. Jem throws himself at the attacker. In the melee, Jem is thrown to the ground and breaks his arm.

This cla.s.sic story of a n.o.ble, single-parent attorney and his rambunctious kids captured hearts of generations of readers and movie fans, in part because it depicts the warmth and loyal love of an older brother for his sister. We all long for an older brother like Jem to give us wisdom, protect us, and get us out of trouble (or most of it, anyway), and we have one. David's confident a.s.sertion is that G.o.d is our light and our strength. With Him by our side, we won't wilt in fear when we are threatened.

David, we should remember, had plenty to fear. Family and friends betrayed him, King Saul attacked him and chased him over the desert, and David found himself close to death on many occasions. But through it all, the Lord led him, provided for him, and protected him.

What threatens you and me today? When we feel hurried and harried and we believe that no one else understands or cares, we can remember how Jem took care of Scout, and even more, how G.o.d took care of David.

What would it mean for you to see the Lord as a loving, strong big brother?

What are some situations in your life right now in which you could use a big brother like that?

"Worry is stewing without doing. It's interest paid on trouble which never comes due."-ZIG ZIGLAR

OCTOBER 8.

CAN YOU LOVE THE UNLOVELY?.

[Jesus said,] "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

MATTHEW 5:44.

IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE to love people who love us and hate those who hate us. That's just the way the world works!

But it's not the way the Kingdom works. Jesus acknowledged the law of human nature, but He calls us to be different, radical, and countercultural. He wants us to go completely against our basic human natures and love the people who annoy or antagonize us, do kind things for the people who actively try to hurt us, and ask G.o.d's blessing for those who curse us and do everything in their power to cause us pain.

It doesn't make sense-until we realize that's exactly the way G.o.d has treated us. We had nothing to offer Him except our arrogance, rebellion, and apathy. For years, many of us looked at the Cross and said, "Who cares?" G.o.d gave the most He could give when Christ stepped out of eternity into time to die a horrible death for us, but for a long time, we looked the other way. We were so preoccupied with our own selfish desires that we didn't think much about other people or G.o.d. But through it all, G.o.d kept loving us, doing good for us, and giving us a wealth of gifts when we deserved only punishment.

In any relationship, and especially any strained relationship, we have a choice: to be like G.o.d or to be like all other selfish people on the planet. If we choose selfishness, we're on our own, but if we make the hard decision to pursue G.o.d and make our lives a display case of His grace, He has promised to lead us, fill us, and use us to change lives.

In what ways is "loving the unlovely" like G.o.d?

What steps can you take today to be a display case of G.o.d's grace?

"Loving the lovely is an easy test to pa.s.s. Loving the unlovely requires much patience and wisdom."-IKE REIGHARD "The best way for our faith to grow and expand is by expressing that faith to others."-ZIG ZIGLAR

OCTOBER 9.

EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for G.o.d has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where G.o.d was.

EXODUS 20:20-21.

TIMES OF DARKNESS come to all of us. We may experience tragic, inexplicable loss; confusion; failure; rejection; or for some of us, spiritual emptiness. Our response in these moments often is the product of our previous encounters with G.o.d. If we have developed trust in G.o.d in the light, we'll embrace Him in the darkness, and in fact, we'll even embrace the darkness as His path for us.

Moses had just come down from the mountain and delivered the Ten Commandments to the people. The message didn't come by e-mail. Lightning struck, thunder boomed, trumpets blared, and thick smoke surrounded the mountain and blotted out the sun. The people cowered at the magnificent and terrifying display of the majesty of G.o.d! They insisted that Moses talk to them-they didn't want to hear G.o.d's voice because they thought they would die!

Moses, though, wasn't terrified. His experiences with G.o.d at the burning bush, in his confrontations with Pharaoh, at the Red Sea, in providing water from the rock as well as manna and quail from the sky, and on the mountain that very day all convinced him that G.o.d was trustworthy no matter what circ.u.mstances he faced.

His faith in G.o.d was so strong that when the people backed away from the darkness, Moses moved toward it. He was convinced G.o.d was there, and he wanted to connect with Him as much as possible.

When we experience darkness, we'll back away if our faith is weak, but we'll move into it if our faith has been strengthened by years of experience in seeing G.o.d's faithfulness, grace, and power.

How do you usually respond in times of confusion and darkness?

What do you need to do to strengthen your faith so that you move toward G.o.d in times of darkness?

"Anxiety is not only a pain which we must ask G.o.d to a.s.suage, but also a weakness we must ask Him to pardon."-C. S. LEWIS