FEBRUARY 18.

THE PROMISE TO AN OVERCOMER.

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

REVELATION 3:21.

EARLY IN JOHN'S ACCOUNT of his revelation from Christ, he tells of Jesus' observations of and directions for the seven churches. Some were following Him with integrity and faith, but some were struggling. The believers at Laodicea had some problems. Was it persecution for their faith? No. Were they suffering economic hardships? No. Had they experienced the devastation of a natural disaster? Not at all. Christ tells them that He isn't pleased with them because they are spiritually apathetic (see Revelation 3:14-16).

These believers were so wealthy that they didn't feel the need for G.o.d. Instead of seeing their riches as gifts from G.o.d and using their wealth to help others, they spent it on themselves. Jesus looked beneath their superficial riches into their hearts. He told them they were actually "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17). The solution was to turn to Him for forgiveness and to change the direction of their lives.

G.o.d allows difficulties in our lives so we may overcome them. For some, it's poverty or an addiction or physical illness or a tragic accident or natural disaster. But for others, it's the burden of wealth. Some of the wealthy lack insight about where their wealth came from or how to use it. G.o.d calls all of us to trust Him in overcoming the problems in our lives, but those who are rich face the added difficulty of realizing that wealth can be a hindrance to vibrant faith.

In what ways can wealth be a serious obstacle to following Christ?

What do repentance and overcoming look like for a rich person?

"Our strength grows out of our weakness."-RALPH WALDO EMERSON

FEBRUARY 19.

A SURE CURE FOR TROUBLED HEARTS.

[Jesus said,] "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in G.o.d, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

JOHN 14:1-3.

JESUS HAD JUST DELIVERED news to His disciples that rocked their world. Earlier, He had described a series of calamities that the world would experience in the last days. His men probably thought, That sounds terrible, but at least Jesus will go through it with us. But now He tells them, "I'm leaving. First I'll be killed, and then I'll be leaving you" (see John 12:23-24; 13:33). The looks on their faces probably told Jesus that He should give them some desperately needed perspective.

Our faith in G.o.d, He explained, gives us ultimate security. Though we may experience all kinds of difficulties and heartaches, we can count on G.o.d's love and on our place with Him in eternity. With that a.s.surance, our hearts aren't nearly as troubled.

To give His disciples confidence, Jesus explained that each of them would have a permanent home in heaven. During the three years they had followed Him, the disciples had never had a place they could call home. Though Jesus was going away, His promise of a home must have meant a lot to them. Jesus also promised that He would be with them again, both in Heaven and when He would return to earth to rule during the Millennium.

When disturbing news troubles us, we can count on G.o.d's promises. In this case, Jesus promised the ultimate security of a home in heaven and the ultimate thrill of being with Him forever. That's a sure cure for troubled hearts.

What are things that sometimes (or often) trouble your heart?

How do these promises give you confidence and peace?

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."-CORRIE TEN BOOM

FEBRUARY 20.

THE G.o.d OF THE VALLEYS.

A man of G.o.d came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'Because the Syrians have said, "The LORD is G.o.d of the hills, but He is not G.o.d of the valleys," therefore I will deliver all this great mult.i.tude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"

1 KINGS 20:28.

THE SYRIANS WERE a lot like many of us. They believed that G.o.d was in control only on the mountains and was absent in the valleys. We often believe that G.o.d is attentive and active when times are good and we are on the "mountaintops" of life, but we often see difficulties, or "valleys," as a sign that G.o.d can't be trusted. In our age of affluence, many of us expect G.o.d to give us trouble-free lives of peace and plenty. But G.o.d often has a different agenda. He knows that faith is forged most often in the hot fires of difficulties, in the valleys of our lives, so He takes us into these valleys to build our trust in Him.

Will we find G.o.d when we've experienced a tragic loss through death, disease, divorce, or some other major setback in our families, at work, or in our health? Author C. S. Lewis famously observed, "G.o.d whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."[6] In the valleys, we may have to wait for an answer from G.o.d, but we can be sure an answer will come. G.o.d delights in revealing Himself to us. Sometimes He shows Himself quickly, and sometimes He delays for a while.

If you are in one of life's valleys and are tempted to a.s.sume that G.o.d has abandoned you, remember that He is the G.o.d of the valley just as much as the G.o.d of the mountain.

What do you normally think about G.o.d when you are in one of life's valleys?

How does Lewis's statement encourage you to keep pursuing G.o.d in times like that?

"He who offers G.o.d a second place offers Him no place."-JOHN RUSKIN

FEBRUARY 21.

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.

Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

PHILIPPIANS 2:2-4.

THE PARADOX OF LIFE is that by giving, we receive; by sacrificing, we gain; and by putting others first, we feel fulfilled. Some people get it. Newborn babies certainly don't have much success or many skills to offer, but they give their mothers and fathers tremendous joy. Employers who celebrate their people's successes more than their own reap the joy of their employees' smiles and greater productivity, the natural product of feeling affirmed.

We experience this paradox, however, only when we start at the right point: "lowliness of mind." Thinking properly about ourselves is the first step. Instead of selfish ambition to achieve status, we feel secure in G.o.d's love. Instead of conceit that we're better than others, we value others highly. Some people confuse humility with shame, but humility doesn't mean we despise ourselves and demean our abilities. Instead, it means that we see our abilities as gifts from G.o.d to be used to build others up and accomplish His purposes. As we see all we have and all we are as gifts from G.o.d, we can stop promoting or defending ourselves, and we can focus our attention on others around us. Their needs become important to us. That's how Christ lived, and as we walk with Him, that's how we'll live too.

Why, do you think, are most people (and even many Christians) so self-focused?

What would it take for you to live this paradox? How would it impact your relationships?

"You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want."-ZIG ZIGLAR

FEBRUARY 22.

RUN TO WIN.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-25.

THE APOSTLE PAUL was very familiar with Greek culture, including the Olympic Games. In this particular pa.s.sage, he used the metaphor of a race to describe the Christian life. Finishing the race wasn't good enough for Paul. He wanted to win his race, and he wanted to inspire all of us to win our races too.

Athletes in ancient Greece were incredibly popular, just as athletes are today. They trained, worked, and labored under their coaches' instructions for one purpose: to be the one standing on the podium, wearing the laurel wreath of a champion. Everything in their lives was subjugated to that purpose, and everything was evaluated by how it contributed or detracted from winning the race. Dedication. Intensity. Pa.s.sion. Focus. Those were the traits of athletes who strove to win, just as they are for athletes today.

Paul encourages us to run with the same fierce dedication to winning our race. We honor Christ with everything we are and everything we do. But our reward is different. The day after the race at the Olympic Games, the laurel wreath had already wilted, but our wreath is imperishable, lasting for all of eternity.

Some rewards don't mean much because we didn't work hard for them. The imperishable crown of victory we win for following Christ, though, matters because it is dearly won. It's worth the effort.

What do you think the "imperishable crown" symbolizes?

Is it worth fierce dedication in your life? Why or why not?

"G.o.d will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas but for scars."-ELBERT HUBBARD "I win not because of my own efforts or my own goodness, but rather through the grace, love, and mercy of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died so that I might win this game of life and live with Him forever."-ZIG ZIGLAR

FEBRUARY 23.

FATHER KNOWS BEST.

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your G.o.d, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go."

ISAIAH 48:17.

G.o.d SEEMS TO SPEND a lot of time in the book of Isaiah warning His people of the trouble they'll experience if they wander away from Him, but He also reminds them again and again of the benefits of following Him. The question for the people of Israel then and for us today is, Has G.o.d proven He is trustworthy?

Like little children, we may choose to obey G.o.d to avoid punishment and experience rewards. While those are certainly strong motivations, G.o.d appeals to us to respond in a more mature way, to enjoy a rich relationship instead of just the consequences of punishments and rewards. He reminds us of His role as our Redeemer, who paid a high price to forgive us, and He tells us again about His character as a G.o.d of infinite love and blinding holiness. By His actions and His nature, He has proven that we can trust Him.

Trust implies relationship and interaction. G.o.d will lead us as we stay connected to Him. We'll be attentive to the "still small voice" of the Spirit as He whispers to us, and we'll respond when He reminds us of pa.s.sages of Scripture that give us guidance. That's what it means to be led by G.o.d, and when it comes to the direction of our lives, our Heavenly Father knows best. But if we are too busy to pray or too preoccupied to pay attention to the Spirit, we'll miss His leading.

What are some reasons people trust G.o.d's leadership in their lives?

What needs to happen so that you are more responsive to His leading?

"The hardness of G.o.d is kinder than the softness of men, and his compulsion is our liberation."-C. S. LEWIS

FEBRUARY 24.