Bible Minute

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 21, 2006
Topic: Christian Living/Situational


Worship: More Than a Song

A boy and his mother walked into the store. The mother asked countless questions about the price and quality of an item. After the fifth question, the clerk gave her a dirty look, tired of her endless questions. The mother complained to her son as they walked out, "Did you see that dirty look that man gave me?"

The boy looked up at her and said, "Mom, he didn't give you a dirty look. You had it when you walked in."

If you've ever left church with a sour attitude, maybe it was because you took it in with you. Let's look at what kind of attitude the Bible says we're supposed to have when we go to worship.

What Does God Say?

Psalm 100:2-4 states,

"Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name " (NLT).

    * What attitudes should we have as we come to God to worship?
    * What facts about our relationship with God do we need to acknowledge?
    * What attributes might "sheep" have that would help create a worshipful attitude?

My Thoughts

Worship doesn't just "happen," it takes preparation. How do you prepare to enter God's presence to worship? If you are not currently preparing yourself for worship, what are some practical steps you could take to do this? If you are already preparing for worship, what are some new ways to prepare for this important time?

My Part

There is both private worship (just you and God) and public worship (church). This week, set aside three times to worship God privately. Use some of the ideas that you came up with in the "My Thoughts" section to prepare for these times of worship.

Additional Scripture: Luke4:8

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 22, 2006
Topic: Thankfulness


A New Way to Praise

In Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is an old fisherman alone on a vast ocean trying to overcome a giant fish. After catching the giant marlin, Santiago tries to make his way home to sell his catch. He is repeatedly attacked by sharks until he is exhausted and can no longer defend his catch.

Like Santiago, we can sometimes feel that we're alone in this world and constantly being attacked by dangerous predators. We think that we are solely responsible for bringing in the "catch."

What Does God Say?

It's easy to see in Psalm 100 that David knows his position in life. He might have been the king of Israel, but he was still a servant of God. This psalm is considered a psalm of thanksgiving. Throughout the verses, David exhorts us to sing and serve, give thanks and praise. But why?

In this psalm, David refers to the Lord as the Creator, King, God and Shepherd. David understood his position. Even though he was king, he knew that he was not alone. No matter how bad things got; there was someone greater than he was. David knew that he could fall back on fact that,

"For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
and His faithfulness to all generations"(v. 5, NASB).

His security was in his relationship to God. And that's something to be thankful for.

My Thoughts

    * What ways does David tell us to worship that are out of your normal routine?
    * Who is the focus of David's worship? Jot down a simple prayer, but focus only on God.
    * What are the typical ways that you praise God?

My Part

    * Throughout Psalm 100, there are several commands concerning how we are to praise the Lord. Make a list of what they are. Beside them write down ways that you can "serve, sing, come before, etc."
    * God is many things to David. Take a minute to tell God what roles He plays in your life.
    * David says, "His faithfulness is to all generations"(v. 5, NASB). Talk to an older or younger family member and ask how God has been faithful to them. Praise God for His timeless faithfulness.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 23, 2006
Topic: Thankfulness


Give Thanks Today

The story of Pollyanna is about a little girl who played the "glad game." Using the "be glad" verses in the Bible, she always looked for things to "be glad" about, even when life went wrong. Our jaded "realistic" world criticizes Pollyanna as being simplistic or unrealistic about life, but it wasn't a false cheerfulness. This character knew when things were good and when they weren't. She just made a choice about how to respond. And that's an important principle for us today.

What Does God Say?

You have a choice to make too. You can choose to be thankful or grateful...or you can choose to go through life complaining and unhappy. Even when it all goes badly, there are still reasons beyond our circumstances, even beyond our attitudes or optimism to be thankful. Those reasons are rooted in the character and work of God and that never changes.

Psalm 100:3-5 gives us three reasons to be thankful:

"Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations" (ESV).

First, God made us and we belong to Him as His people. Second, He is good, and that means more than we can ever comprehend. And third, His love never changes, and His faithfulness lasts through generation after generation. No matter how rough your life gets, no matter what goes wrong or how you feel or even what mistakes you've made, these things never change about God. So, you always have a reason to give thanks.

My Thoughts

That's just the beginning. Take a look at these verses and describe the reasons you find to give thanks. Which of these do you use?

    * Psalm 56:12-13
    * Psalm 99:3-4
    * 1 Corinthians 1:4; 15:57
    * Ephesians 5:18-20

My Part

For most of us, it's not automatic or natural to respond to our circumstances with an attitude of thanksgiving. It requires a conscious choice. Are you willing to make that choice today? God wants us to be thanksgiving people, not just once in awhile but as a lifestyle.

Create a covenant or promise card that says something like, "Today I choose to be thankful because God is___." Then fill in the blank with the reasons and verses you've found. Focusing your reasons on the unchanging character of God is a lot more solid than relying on reasons from your own circumstances or experience. Keep your promise card where it's a daily reminder (your desk, your wallet, by the bed or on the refrigerator). You can also memorize Philippians 4:4-6 or Colossians 3:15-17 to remind you to take thankfulness into your whole life.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 24, 2006
Topic: Salvation


A Bond No One Can Separate

Someone said, "My salvation does not depend upon me holding on to Jesus. Rather, it depends on Jesus holding on to me--and He doesn't have slippery fingers." That's a really comforting thought, but is it consistent with what the Bible says? Let's take a look.

What Does God Say?

"He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me" (Psalm 62:6-7, NLT).

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand" (John 10:28-29, NLT).

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God" (Ephesians 2:8, NLT).

    * How is God described in the passage from Psalms?
    * What or who can take you from God's hand?
    * How are we saved?

My Thoughts

God offers salvation to you, because He loves you. Our sin has separated us from God. By sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and be raised again to glorious life, God created a way for you to avoid the penalty for your sin. The penalty itself is not avoided--but Christ already paid it for you. That is God's grace.

Ephesians says that it is by God's grace that you are saved when you believe. That's what God asks of you. Believe (trust) that He has done what He says, and accept that gift. A gift is something that is not earned but is freely given out of love.

Because we can't actually do anything to gain our salvation, we also can't do anything to revoke it. Our actions are not stronger than God's love. He is unshakeable.

But He also loves you so much that He will not force His will on you. Although there is no thing we can do to earn salvation, we are still given the choice to accept it or deny it. There is no in between.

My Part

If you have already accepted God's gift of salvation, take heart knowing that He is strong and secure. Romans 8:39 says, "Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (NLT). Ask God to send someone across your path this week that you can share this awesome assurance with.

If you have not yet accepted that gift, what's holding you back? Why don't you make that decision today?

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 27, 2006
Topic: Worship/Praise/Worthiness


Start with God

"It's not about me." If you've read The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, you probably remember that it starts with that concept. It's a good one. But the problem is, we tend to forget it the moment we turn the page. We can make just about anything "about us" without much effort. It takes a lot more to shift our focus to God, to start with Him in everything, even in our worship.

What Does God Say?

Worship starts and ends with God. But we're still involved as the one who does the worshiping. Even the writers of the Psalms didn't leave themselves out entirely; you can hear their hearts, their needs, their fears, their anger and repentance in their writings. But in Psalm 95, the writer begins with God--even when he cries out with a question. And he generally comes back to God at the end, recognizing who's really in charge and worthy of all worship.

Psalm 95:1-7 is a call to worship God; one that draws others to join in:

"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand" (ESV).

Take these verses apart, and see what you learn about God who is worthy of our focused worship.

    * He is the rock of salvation (v. 1): one of His names.
    * He is the great God, the King above all gods (v. 3): His position.
    * He holds the earth, the mountains, the sea and dry land (vv. 4-5): His power and the extent of His creative work.
    * He is our maker and caregiver (vv. 6-7): His relationship to us.

And that's just one psalm that directs our worship to focus on God.

My Thoughts

Worship means we adore and praise God and give Him glory for all that He is, all that He has done and all that He has promised to do. This is the worship He expects from us, and He's the only one worthy of it.

Exodus 20:4-5 says, "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God" (ESV).

    * What is the object of your worship? What shifts your focus off God?

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart" (ESV).

    * What keeps you from whole-hearted worship that begins and ends with God?

My Part

In some ways, we tend to come before God expecting Him to pay attention to us, not the other way around. It's a matter of pride: we see ourselves as pretty important and not less than God.

    * What do you do to worship God? Is it limited to church, or are there other times you worship?
    * What attitude do you bring to worship? Do you focus on God first? Or are you looking at what you'll get out of it?
    * What are some things you've done that make it "all about you" and not about God?
    * What do you think you can do to change that?

The next time you join in worship at church or just on your own, start with God. Borrow from the psalms if you need the words to begin with. And remember, "it's not about me."

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 28, 2006
Topic: Worship/Praise/Worthiness


Come Into His Presence

Which is more important--the right wing or the left wing of an airplane? If you are going to get up in the sky and fly, you need both wings. So it is with coming into the presence of God. You can experience worship privately or you can experience it corporately.

Which is more important? If you are going to experience the fullness of the presence of God, you need to worship both by yourself and with others. The Bible gives examples of both, and encourages both.

What Does God Say?

Worship is for the family.

"The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more" (1 Samuel 1:19, NLT).

Worship is for difficult days.

"And David said to his servants, 'Is the child dead?' They said, 'He is dead.' Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped" (2 Samuel 12:19-20, ESV).

Worship is for acknowledging the glory of God.

"And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house" (2 Chronicles 7:2, ESV).

Worship is for hearing His Word.

"And the king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets--all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the LORD's Temple" (2 Kings 23:2, NLT).

Worship is for living every day in God's presence with God's help.

"One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple" (Psalm 27:4, ESV).

Worship is because of who God is.

"Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe" (Psalm 5:7, NLT).

Worship is for all.

"Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed" (Revelation 15:4, ESV).

My Thoughts

Do you have a church home and a church family with whom you can worship? Do you have a Bible that's easy to read? Do you have a designated place, a consistent time and a specific plan for reading the Bible on your own? Are you committed to being in church every Sunday of the year?

If you answered "no," to some of these questions, set a goal to make changes in these areas so that you are better able to worship God both personally and corporately.

My Part

Daily living in the conscious presence of the Lord is both the goal and the result of worship. Take time to acknowledge your need, and your gratitude, for God's presence in your life and heart.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 29, 2006
Topic: Worship/Praise/Worthiness


Praising God

The Duke of Wellington, the British military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, was not an easy man to serve under. He was brilliant, demanding and not one to shower his subordinates with compliments. Yet even Wellington realized that his methods left something to be desired. In his old age, a young lady asked him what, if anything, he would do differently if he had his life to live over again. Wellington thought for a moment, then replied, "I'd give more praise."

How many of us might wish we had done the same when it came to our relationship with God! Psalm 95 says,

"Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him" (vv. 1-2, NLT).

But why? Let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about why we should praise God.

What Does God Say?

"For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods" (Psalm 95:3, NLT).

"Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care" (Psalm 95:6-7, NLT).

    * What does verse 3 say about the Lord?
    * What title is given to the Lord in verse 6?
    * What does verse 7 say He does for us?

My Thoughts

When you come before the Lord in prayer, how much time do you spend in praise compared to the time you spend asking God for things either for yourself or others? If you feel you're asking more than praising, consider the following:

The Lord is a great God, meaning He is huge, powerful, wise, majestic--the list goes on and on. Verses 4 and 5 of this Psalm are filled with imagery of the massive features of this big world (the mountains, the sea, etc.) all being made by God and belonging to Him. That alone would make Him worthy of our praise.

Yet, in all of that, He created you. Not as just one little blip on a piece of a great cosmic jigsaw puzzle. No, He specifically and specially created you. God made you, as you are, for a purpose. You are no chance or accident--the Great God of the universe intentionally created you. That personal attention makes Him even more worthy of our praise.

Because the Lord has put so much care and love into making you, He wants to see you fulfilled and living for Him. Verse 7 says that He watches over us and cares for us. God, not only created you, but He will walk with you every minute of every day. That is more than enough reason to shout His praise every day.

My Part

Reread Psalm 95:1-7, and make a list of things that you can praise God for. At least once this week, set aside a minimum of ten minutes to pray focusing only on praise.

Additional Scripture: Psalm 111; Psalm 150

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Nov 30, 2006
Topic: Worship/Praise/Worthiness


Worship That Pleases God

An elderly man, dressed in white robes, takes up his bag and wearily climbs the mountain near his oriental village. When he reaches the top, he drops to his knees before a large, flat rock. Taking vegetables, rice and some barley from the bag, he spreads them out on the rock. He bows, closes his eyes and chants some words over and over. Then, rising, he makes his way back down the mountain to his home. He tells his wife he has worshiped. But did his worship please God?

A woman enters a church building and quietly slides into a pew. She sings and prays and listens to a sermon. After the service is over, she says she has worshiped. But did her worship please God?

What Does God Say?

In Psalm 95, you'll find the words of a person who knew how to worship.

"O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95:1-7, NASB).

My Thoughts

Two people are beside each other in church--both singing the same praise songs, both listening to the Bible reading, both bowing to pray at the same time. Are both truly worshiping God? Maybe. But it is also possible that only one, or neither, is actually worshiping.

In John 4, Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman who told Him she had her own way of worship (v. 20). He said she didn't know what she worshiped (v. 22). Then He told her, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (v. 24).

Our word "worship" was once spelled "worthship." When you truly worship God, you are aware of His worthiness in your spirit (the heart, not the place matters). You also recognize His worthiness in truth (your right relationship to Jesus, the Truth, is essential). Christian worship involves the object (the worthy God of the Bible), the worshiper's attitude (a heart right with God) and faith in God's spoken truth. The old man on the mountaintop was worshiping the wrong object. The woman in church may have gone through the motions but with her heart far from God.

My Part

Read Psalm 95:1-7 again.

    * How many times do you find the words "let us" in the passage?
    * What are some worship activities the psalmist asks us to do? For example, in verse 1: "Let us sing for joy to the Lord."
    * How many descriptions of the Lord can you find in the passage? Do they show His worthiness?
    * What statements do you find in the passage that show the psalmist worshiped "in spirit and in truth"? What have you learned about how to worship God?

Close your study in prayer, thanking God for what He has shown you today about worship in spirit and in truth.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 1, 2006
Topic: Worship/Praise/Worthiness


Bow Before the Lord

Bowing is one of those issues that you always have to wonder, Is this something that I am supposed to do? People bowed in the dark ages. This is the 21st century...right?

What Does God Say?

Sure, in the time that we live in, bowing doesn't carry the same understanding for us that it did in biblical times. We shake hands with leaders instead of bowing. What does the Bible show us about bowing? Throughout the Scriptures, there are many references to bowing. In the Ten Commandments we read, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them" (Exodus 20:4-5, NIV).

When Moses encounters God in Genesis, his reaction is to fall on his face before God. Abraham does the same thing. Whenever we see any of the patriarchs before God, they are on the ground flat on their face in front of God.

We see a different aspect of bowing in Daniel. When Nebuchadnezzar orders everyone to bow before the statue, it becomes a major issue when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse. They felt that bowing to an idol was an issue worth dying over.

So, are there references in the New Testament to bowing? Definitely. The apostle Paul tells us that one day every knee will bow to Christ. It is the act of bowing that shows submission and worship.

Throughout the Book of Revelation, we see multiple examples of bowing. For example, in Revelation 4:9-11 we read:

"Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

'You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created'" (NKJV).

My Thoughts

The question then becomes whether the idea of bowing before God is something that we are responsible to actively do. You may find yourself asking, "Can't I just bow my heart?" Well, yeah, you can bow your heart. But the heart is not all of you. And worship is supposed to be a total experience of all of your being.

Not only that, there are other created beings that are better than we are that have found their way to their knees before God. Look back again at Revelation 4.

There is clear linkage between the real act of worship and thanksgiving, because when we find ourselves flat on our faces before God, it will be pretty easy to thank God for what He's done for us. So, how do we apply bowing to our lives?

My Part

In Psalm 95:6, David says,

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker" (NKJV).

Now, if you are able to, let me encourage you to try that today. Do it first of all in private. Physically bow down before God. Assume the position of submission. Fall on your face. If you aren’t physically able to lie down on the floor, lay face down on your bed. Think about who God is. Meditate on God’s holiness and His power.

    * Who are you in relation to God?
    * What is your reaction to God as King? Is it similar to the elders in Revelation 4?
    * What about the lordship of Christ causes you to be thankful?

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 4, 2006
Topic: Christian Living/Situational


Practicing the Presence of God

Nicholas Herman was born in 1611. At age 18 he came to know Christ. He first became a soldier and then a servant in the home of a wealthy French family. At about the age of 55 he joined a group of monks called Carmelites and took the name of Brother Lawrence. What drew people, both great and small, to him was the obvious way he lived his life in the presence of God. After his death in 1691, his letters were collected and edited into a book entitled The Practice of the Presence of God.

In the midst of a busy life filled with cooking, cleaning and all the other chores that servants were expected to do, Brother Lawrence never lost contact with God. Is that possible today? What does the Bible say?

What Does God Say?

"His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone (Acts 17:27-29, NLT).

    * What is God's purpose for humans?
    * According to these verses, how do we already experience God's presence?
    * What differences are there between being in the presence of an idol made of gold, silver or stone and being in the presence of a living God? Try to come up with at least three differences.

My Thoughts

What might be standing between you and a deeper experience of the presence of God? What can you do to change this?

My Part

Brother Lawrence notes, "The depths of our spirituality does not depend upon changing the things we do, but in doing for God what we ordinarily do for ourselves." In this next week, select at least four things that you ordinarily don't like doing and consciously do them for the Lord. Imagine God being present and accepting these acts as your gift to Him. Record how this makes you feel toward these tasks.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 5, 2006
Topic: God's Love


The Presence of God

What does it take to stay in the presence of God? I don't mean in the sense of Psalm 139 where it says,

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?" (v. 7, NKJV).

All of us always are in the presence of God in that sense.

No, the sense I mean is the difference between sitting next to a stranger and sitting next to an old friend. This is the kind of presence Adam and Eve shared with God before their sin. Today, while sin does still interfere in our relationship with God, it is possible to enjoy the presence of God.

What Does God Say?

Read Psalm 100:2: "Serve the LORD with gladness" (NKJV). That's how we approach our King. We are His servants and He is our Lord. But He is such a King that we can serve Him with gladness. We can "come before His presence with singing."

Most of the time when we think of serving a master, we think of a dour looking servant holding out a glass of wine for the master, and the master dismissing the servant with barely a wave or a thanks. This servant doesn't serve gladly, and he certainly doesn't approach his master with a song on his lips!

Psalm 100:3 tells us why our Master is different.

"Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (NKJV).

Look how much God has invested in us. He made us; we are His people; we are the sheep of His pasture and He is our shepherd. A God who is cold and distant doesn't do those things. Our God created us; He has called us His people and declared Himself our shepherd, our protector. It's because He's done all this for us that we can come into His presence as drawing near to an old friend. As John wrote, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19, KJV).

My Thoughts

How have you felt the presence of God this last week?

What has helped or hindered this experience?

My Part

The Bible has a lot to say about drawing near to God. Take some time this week and do a word study in the Bible. Look for occurrences of the words "friend," "presence," "shepherd" and others like those. Write down what these verses teach you about God and yourself.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 6, 2006
Topic: God/Jesus


Getting to Know You

When you've dated someone for a while, you think you know him or her. So, you get married and then five...ten...maybe 50 years down the road you still know that person. But there's a depth to your knowledge that wasn't there when you first said "I do."

It works like that in our relationship with God. When we first meet Him, we know Him a little bit. But over time, we get to know Him more deeply as we "do life" with Him. The key to knowing God more, however, is not just time but His Word.

What Does God Say?

Many of the Psalms reflect a personal conversation with God and often about God. For example, Psalm 100:3 gives us two foundational truths to knowing God:

"Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture" (ESV).

First, you need to know that He and He only is God--nothing more, nothing less. He never changes.

And secondly, He is the one who made us; we belong to Him. He came first; He's not a product of man's search for meaning. And we did not invent Him ourselves.

In Psalm 100:5, we also learn:

"For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations" ( ESV).

These three things help us know what kind of God He is and why we can put our faith and trust in Him. He is good--He can never be anything other than good. He is loving, with a love that never changes. It endures no matter what we do or how we respond to Him. And He is faithful. He will be as faithful to us today as He was to His people in the past and as He will be for the generations to come.

My Thoughts

God already knows you intimately, and He wants you to know Him the same way. Read through Psalm 139:7-18.

    * What does God know about you?
    * What do you find surprising about His knowledge? What do you find comforting?
    * Does this sound like a God you can trust with your life?
    * What do you know about God in comparison?

What will you do to get to know Him more?

My Part

Psalm 23 is very familiar but also very personal. Take a few minutes to read through it and describe (in words or pictures) how it helps you get to know God--what does it say about who He is, how He treats you, how you can trust or rely on Him, etc.

Then go back and pray this Psalm back to God, using the personal pronouns (eg: "You are my shepherd...You lead me...").

You can do this with other Psalms, too; you'll be talking with God and getting to know Him better through His Word and your conversation.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 7, 2006
Topic: God's Care


To Love the Lord

A resume is a list of all the jobs and experiences that a person has had. Reading the Book of Psalms is like reading God's resume. The psalmist tells us he loves God because of how God acts on his behalf.

What Does God Say?

The writer of the Psalms says it like this:

"I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (Psalm 116, NKJV).

The writer shares his amazement that God would recognize his voice and would listen to him. He understood that God wanted to be his God and that God was a God who would listen and understand and act on his behalf. His amazement turned to gratitude, and his gratitude became love and his love motivated a lifelong dedication to his God.

My Thoughts

Gratitude is always the beginning of love. You won't come to love anyone until first you are grateful that that person is in your life. Such appreciation doesn't always lead to true love, but true love never occurs apart from it.

Are there things about God in your life (your universe, your world, your home, your heart) that you're grateful for? If God has never done anything for you or has never listened to you and expressed His care, then it is not likely that you love Him. But if your life has been filled with grace--those wonderful, underserved expressions of His love, His care, His mercy, His protection, His providence, His provision and His guidance--then your heart will easily overflow with love for all God has done for you, is doing for you and is going to do for you.

My Part

Like the psalmist, take a few minutes and write down one to three things that God has done for you that brings joy and thanksgiving to your heart. Then ask God to help you "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5, NKJV).

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 8, 2006
Topic: Love


Why Should I Love God?

The movie When Harry Met Sally culminates with a scene where Harry Burns, played by Billy Crystal, finally realizes that he desperately loves Sally Albright, portrayed by Meg Ryan. He runs to find her and professes his love to her. Harry launches into an eloquent speech citing seemingly insignificant glories. He tells her that he loves that she gets "cold when it's 71 degrees out," and how it takes her a long time to order. He loves the faces she makes and the lingering smell of her perfume on his clothes. "And I love," proclaims Harry, "that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night."

In loving someone and trying to get them to love you back, there are certainly some grand gestures involved. But what makes a bigger difference are the little things, the simple things.

So, what reasons do we have for loving God?

What Does God Say?

"In my distress I prayed to the LORD,
and the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?" (Psalm 118:5-6, NLT).

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him" (1 John 4:9, NLT).

"Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8, NLT).

    * What do the verses from Psalm 118 say that God has done?
    * How did God show how much He loved us?
    * What do the last verses say of one who does and doesn't love?

My Thoughts

When was the last time you did as the hymnist said and counted your blessings? You will find, when you do that, that you have many, many reasons for loving God.

Think of all of the things that God has given you. He's given you a new day. He's given you the chance to make choices. Think of what He's done for you. He has promised that you'll never be alone. He says that you'll never be beyond His reach and that nothing will happen to you that He can't handle. He has promised to be your strength and protector. God has offered to save us from our sin through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

But there's so much more than that. By His very nature, God is love. We can be so grateful to God and express our love for Him because of what He has done for us and given us. But we truly love God because of His character. God is holy and righteous, yet He is gracious and merciful. He is powerful and He is loving. Truly, He is love.

We love God because He first loved us. What other reaction could we have?

My Part

Read through Psalm 136. Write down what each phrase says about God's character. Pray to Him, expressing your love to Him for Who He is.

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________

[nChrist]

Daily Bible Study
With Woodrow Kroll

Date: Dec 11, 2006
Topic: Prayer


Cry Out to God

Have you ever been in bed and yelled for someone to bring you a glass of water or an aspirin? You knew because that person loved you, he or she would be glad to help. That's the great thing about God; because He loves you, He wants you to bring your request to Him.

What Does God Say?

When we call out to God, we aren't really making our needs known to God. He already knows our desires. Jesus tells us, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8, NASB). By crying out to God in prayer, we are showing that not only do we depend on God, we also show our trust in Him. Essentially, we are saying that we trust God's wisdom and power to be able to handle the problems in our lives.

David was very aware of this, and he pleaded to God for help. In Psalm 116:1-2, David says:

"I love the LORD, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live" (NASB).

    * Because David knew that God would hear, He didn't worry about the outcome. David's faith was such that he knew that he only needed to voice his desire.

In verse 1, David says that God heard his voice and prayer for mercy. But David didn't stop at voicing his request. Take a look at verse 2. Because God heard him, David vowed to lift his requests to the Lord only for the rest of his life.

My Thoughts

What's your perception of God? What would assure you that He hears you? How does knowing this affect your response to God?

We need to understand that the Lord always hears us. God may not answer us the way that we think is best. But according to Psalm 116, answered prayer isn't the only reason for praising God. We are to praise Him simply because He is the God who hears us when we cry out to Him.

My Part

What request do you need to voice to God? He already knows it, but He wants you to voice them. Take a minute make your requests known to God. If you are in a place where you can, express this out loud. Show your trust in God's unique power.

Take a moment and praise God because He is the God who hears us. He is the God whom we can trust to take care of each of us.

In Psalm 116:7, David said, "Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you" ( NASB ). David knew that He could trust in the love of God. Can you trust God with your problem? Will you allow yourself to trust both His timing and answer, even if it's different than yours?

____________________

This devotional is freely distributed by Back To The Bible.
Did you enjoy this devotional?
Send it on for a friend to enjoy.
FREE E-mail Subscription:
http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/
____________________