Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

MATTHEW 9:22.

JESUS WAS IN A BIG HURRY. Well, actually, Jesus wasn't in a hurry-the disciples were. A synagogue ruler, Jairus, had asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his deathly ill daughter, and He had agreed to go (see Mark 5:22-24). The disciples thought this would be a great opportunity for Jesus to get some great press. When He heals the guy's daughter, they probably figured, this movement will go somewhere!

A huge crowd of people followed them. Suddenly, a woman who had been sick for years reached through the crowd to touch Jesus' cloak, and she was instantly healed. Jesus realized power had flowed out of Him, and He stopped to talk with her. The disciples and Jairus probably tapped their feet and coughed nervously to get Jesus' attention. A little girl was dying! But Jesus kept on talking to the woman.

Finally, Jesus finished His conversation with the woman, and He and the crowd moved on to Jairus's house. During the delay, the little girl had died, but that was no problem to the Lord of life. He spoke to her and brought her back (see Mark 5:41-42).

Who would stop to spend so much time with a chronically sick woman when a critically ill little girl needed help at once? Only One who knew that connecting with the woman at that moment was essential if she was to have a real relationship with Him. Death? That wasn't a problem. Jesus could deal with it later. But taking time to talk, to connect, to impart love as well as power to a woman who needed Him? That took priority.

What does this story tell you about G.o.d's priorities in His relationship with you?

Take some time now to respond to G.o.d's love and tell Him how you feel about Him.

"When you have come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly."-BARBARA J. WINTER

OCTOBER 29.

THREE THINGS G.o.d REQUIRES.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your G.o.d?

MICAH 6:8.

THE PROPHET MICAH describes a tense courtroom scene as G.o.d accuses His people of being disloyal to Him and committing fraud against one another (see Micah 6:2-4, 9-11). G.o.d's tone, though, isn't harsh and condemning. He pleads with them as "My people," and He reminds them of many times when He rescued them from trouble. He doesn't want to judge them; He wants to build them up.

Like scolded teenagers, though, the people of Israel respond to G.o.d's correction with mock repentance. They complain, "What do you want from me? Okay, I'll give you everything you could possibly want. How about a thousand rams to sacrifice? And how about ten thousand rivers of oil? Not enough, G.o.d? Then I'll give you my firstborn child as a sacrifice. Surely that's enough for You!" (see Micah 6:6-7).

At this pressure-packed moment, Micah steps in and calmly speaks the truth, which cuts to the heart of the matter. "What does the LORD require?" he asks in response to their emotional, over-the-top offers of sacrifice to appease G.o.d. "G.o.d doesn't want rams or rivers or dead children. He wants only three things from you: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. That's enough, and that's plenty."

G.o.d is grieved when we rebel against Him or ignore Him, and like the parent of a defiant teenager, He is probably exasperated when we still don't understand and mock Him. Instead, G.o.d wants three things from us: good choices, rightly placed affections, and humility to embrace His love, acceptance, and forgiveness. That's enough, and that's plenty.

Have you ever responded to G.o.d in an over-the-top way like the people of Israel responded to Him? If you did, what were the circ.u.mstances?

What does it (or would it) look like in your life to make good choices, rightly place your affections, and humbly embrace G.o.d's love, acceptance, and forgiveness?

"Many times I have people come forth and say I have missed my calling, that I should have been a preacher. I find this both flattering and very humorous because, even though I'm not preaching, I am spreading the Word."-ZIG ZIGLAR

OCTOBER 30.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME.

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

JOHN 14:23.

IN ONE OF HIS LAST DISCUSSIONS with His closest followers, Jesus makes the same point three times in quick succession: Love for G.o.d is inextricably linked to obedience to Him, and G.o.d richly rewards our faithfulness (see John 14:15-18, 21, 23). In the last of the three statements, Jesus promises a rich relationship with G.o.d as the direct result of our love-sp.a.w.ned obedience. He says we'll feel "at home" with Him. What does that mean?

When a guest comes into your home, especially an important person that you don't know very well, you may find yourself on edge, making sure you do everything just right, but you're never quite sure if you've done enough. When a close friend comes over, however, everything is different. You prepare for the visit, but with a sense of antic.i.p.ation, not fear. When you get together, you relax, talk, listen, unwind, and discuss things that are on your hearts. If an interruption happens, it's no big deal. You pick up where you left off. The time together feeds your soul because you feel deeply understood by someone you trust and who loves you the way you are-no pretenses, no masks, and no games.

Our love and obedience to G.o.d are steps toward a relationship like the one with a close friend. The more we obey Him, the more we realize that He is wise and strong beyond comparison. As we see Him work in our lives and the lives of others, we love Him even more. We trust Him more each time, and we learn to relax, to feel at home with Him. It's not that we take Him for granted or that we believe we're on the same level. That's the limitation in the metaphor of a friendship. Our relationship with G.o.d is never between peers. It's between King and amba.s.sador, Master and trusted servant, powerful Father and dearly loved child.

What does it mean to you to be at home with G.o.d?

Are your love for G.o.d and your obedience to Him making you feel more at home with Him? Why or why not?

"It is the most astounding thing what happened to a tax gatherer, a fisherman, a farmer and a small business man-the disciples-when they lived with Jesus. They were transformed as the marvelous alchemy of His spirit had its way with them." -HENRY DRUMMOND

OCTOBER 31.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

[The man who was blind] answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

JOHN 9:25.

THEOLOGIANS HAVE WRITTEN THOUSANDS OF BOOKS (some thrilling, some boring) about what happens when people trust in Christ and experience forgiveness. At that moment of conversion, their eternal address changes. All their sins are forgiven, and they become children of G.o.d. Guilt and shame are washed away by the unconditional love and acceptance of Almighty G.o.d.

Most of us, however, don't grasp these magnificent truths until we've been Christians and studied the Bible for a while. Even then, some aspects of the colossal transformation remain shrouded in mystery. They are simply too wonderful to grasp. Even from the first day we trust Christ, though, we know deep in our souls that something is different-very different.

One day, Jesus restored sight to a man who was born blind. The religious leaders questioned the man to find some reason to discount the miracle and to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. When they stated emphatically that Jesus was a sinner, the man must have laughed out loud. "There are some things I don't know," he told them, "but there's one thing I'm sure of: I was blind, but now I can see. That's enough for me."

We are wise to plumb the depths of G.o.d's truth to discover the different aspects of the incredible transformation we've experienced, but the deeper we go in our understanding, the more we realize that salvation is a genuine miracle of grace-a miracle that produces unmistakable and amazing changes in us from the inside out.

Describe the unmistakable transformation you've experienced because you trusted Christ.

Is G.o.d's grace to save you still a wonder to you? Why or why not?

"If you let yourself be absorbed completely, if you surrender completely to the moments as they pa.s.s, you will live more richly those moments."-ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH

November.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30.

NOVEMBER 1.

THE CURE FOR CONCEIT.

I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as G.o.d has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

ROMANS 12:3.

PEOPLE HAVE AN AMAZING CAPACITY for self-deception-either thinking too highly of themselves or too lowly. Both bring a lot of trouble. Inflated egos lead to boorish behavior, hurt relationships, and using people instead of loving them. Crushed egos cause people to build walls around their hearts and drive them to prove that they aren't that bad after all.

To correct mistaken self-perceptions, Paul instructs us to "think soberly," that is, to have G.o.d's perspective of ourselves. Each of us contains the image of G.o.d, but that image is tarnished by sin. One writer said we are equal parts saint and beast, which explains the inner conflict we experience.

By faith, we realize that G.o.d created us the way He wanted to, and we accept our abilities and talents as gifts from Him. Sin, though, clouds our hearts and distorts our thinking. We desperately need G.o.d's grace to restore us, and we need His wisdom to lead us. We are wonderfully created, tragically fallen, deeply loved, and completely forgiven. That's a sober a.s.sessment of each of us who calls Christ our Savior and Friend.

What does it mean for you to think soberly, honestly, and truthfully about yourself?

How does the statement "We are wonderfully created, tragically fallen, deeply loved, and completely forgiven" give you a grasp on your self-worth?

"Very often when a person thinks too highly of himself, it is not a case of pride as much as it is a simple mistake."-IKE REIGHARD "Conceit is a weird disease. It makes everyone sick except the one who has it."-ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 2.

GET BUSY.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in G.o.d should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

t.i.tUS 3:8.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION, the Christian life isn't a spectator sport! Certainly, reflection and meditation are important elements of a life of faith, but not to the exclusion of action. Martin Luther called people who hid behind spiritual reflection to keep from taking a stand for Christ cowards. What would he say about some of us today?

Many of the commands in the Bible are simple, direct calls to action: Love sincerely, forgive those who hurt you, help the weak, a.s.sociate with the lowly, study the Scriptures, give generously, speak words that build people up, and reach out to the needy, to name just a few.

When we take action, we take risks. With the risks, however, comes the opportunity to see G.o.d do amazing things, and seeing G.o.d work is the greatest thrill in our lives. Will we do it right and for the right reasons every time? Of course not, but we won't have the opportunity to fine-tune our actions and motives if we're not moving forward.

Don't miss out on the incredible joy of seeing lives change. Reach out, give a helping hand, and speak up for Christ.

What commands can you take action to obey today?

What can you expect from G.o.d and from yourself when you move ahead?

"Feelings follow actions. So when you don't really want to or feel like doing what needs to be done-do it and then you will feel like doing it." -ZIG ZIGLAR

NOVEMBER 3.