TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 119:105-112
Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. - Psalm 119:111
TODAY IN THE WORD
Two years ago, the classic children’s book, The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, celebrated its 100th birthday. The four friends in the book, Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and Toad, launch and experience whimsical and creative adventures in lyrical prose that has appealed to generations of readers. Many illustrators have done their part in literally hundreds of editions to bring these characters and their stories to life for us.

Among classic books, the Bible as God’s Word is of course in a category by itself. Do you open it expecting to find joy? The writer of Psalm 119 did. His joy in Scripture is quieter but no less powerful than the joy in Psalm 98 (see February 19).

The key is verse 111: “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.” In the psalm’s poetic parallelism, joy is connected with the idea of “heritage” or inheritance (NASB). The Bible is God’s gift that incorporates and also transcends tradition and history, recorded for us by believers of old and divinely preserved by the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, it is God’s revelation to us of what He has said and done for His people.

Paul saw it in the same terms when he commended the Ephesian elders “to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Because Scripture is the inspired written record of God’s redemptive work in the world, it is indeed the joy of our hearts!

Today’s reading also captures other truths of God’s Word and our relationship to it. The Word guides us like a lamp along the path of righteousness. It preserves our life. We are called upon to honor it, obey it, and set our hearts upon it. But biblical truths aren’t absorbed by osmosis. We have an ongoing responsibility to teach and learn them, as well as to obey them in the face of temptation and opposition.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
“The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart,” wrote David. “They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb” (Ps. 19:7-14). If joy is found in God’s Word, it can also be found in the discipline of Scripture memorization. Rather than thinking of it as a chore, consider it a taste of honey or the pursuit of joy. You can choose a verse or passage from this month’s study to commit to memory as a way to keep the theme of joy in your heart and mind for days and weeks to come.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:16-26
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. - Galatians 5:22-23
TODAY IN THE WORD
Urban farmer Will Allen works to provide healthy foods to underserved populations in Chicago and Milwaukee. Co-founder and CEO of Growing Power, Allen and his staff run innovative farms and gardens, make bulk food purchases through a national cooperative, and teach inner-city young people about organic food and the business of agriculture. One of his farms combines fish and vegetable farming, called “aquaponics.” Allen was honored for his work in 2008 with a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.”

Like fresh fruits and vegetables, the gardens of our spiritual lives require care and cultivation. In today’s reading, we find the roots of godly joy—God Himself. Part of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to cultivate joy. This passage is built around a contrast between, as it were, two gardens. One garden (vv. 19-21) is filled with “acts of the sinful nature,” or things God hates. It is clear that these sins oppose joy. For some items, such as “fits of rage,” this is plain, while for others it is not as obvious. For example, the world tends to encourage “selfish ambition” as a key to success, and sexual immorality provides a kind of happiness and immediate gratification that not everyone recognizes as counterfeit or false. But the truth is that all of these are sworn enemies to godly joy.

The second garden (vv. 22-26) is filled with the “fruit of the Spirit,” or things God loves. Together these qualities go a long way toward describing a godly character. How do we get there? “Keep in step with the Spirit”; live as people who have crucified the sinful nature; and take joy in obedience. Joy is second only to love on this classic list. The Greek term, chara, includes the feeling of gladness, the act of rejoicing, and the cause or occasion of joy. The cause or occasion can be a person, bringing us full circle back to God Himself.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Genuine joy has deeper roots than appearances or external behaviors. We see a sobering example of inauthentic joy in the parable of the seeds (Luke 8:13). The seeds that landed on rock at first received the word with joy, but without roots they withered when tested. In theological terms, there are people who hear the gospel with great enthusiasm, but when tested they fall away and it turns out they were not true believers after all. Godly joy is much more lasting than a momentary feeling.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 1:18b-30
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. - 3 John 4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Christian Smith, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina, says that the kind of religious faith found most often among American youth is “moral therapeutic deism.” As he explains in his book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Life of American Teenagers, this basically means, “God created and watches over the world but otherwise is only to be called upon to solve problems.” What about obeying His commands? “All He requires is that people be nice and fair to each other.” And the purpose of life? “To be happy and to feel good about oneself.”

When Jesus Christ becomes merely a means to the end of personal happiness, discipleship is dead. Ironically, the pursuit of this kind of happiness can never lead to true joy, for as today’s reading teaches, it requires real discipleship to progress in joy in the faith. Paul exhorted the Philippians to stand firm, be unified, and contend without fear for the sake of the gospel, even in the face of suffering and persecution (vv. 27-30).

Paul was rejoicing even in the face of the suffering experienced by both him and the Philippian church. He understood “what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance” (v. 19). Although he was under house arrest at the time he wrote this epistle, he knew he would be released. But the joy he felt wasn’t primarily about his physical circumstances; it was mostly the spiritual reality of bringing glory to God (v. 20).

Paul’s greatest desire was to be with Christ, the One whom he loved and served (vv. 21-23). On the one hand, death would bring him into Jesus’ presence. On the other hand, to live was also Christ, and God had shown him that his service was not yet completed. Work yet remained to be done. “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me” (vv. 25-26).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you been tempted by “moral therapeutic deism,” seeing God as a beneficent force who can give you what you want if you’re a good person? This will never lead to joy. Instead, joy comes from the desire for Christ’s presence above all else. In your prayer time today, first repent of any desires that you’ve placed before Christ. Then commit yourself to the discipline of following Jesus and seeing your circumstances as an opportunity for joy. Finally, ask the Holy Spirit to enable your life to bear the fruit of joy.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 2:1-20
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. - Luke 2:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Fyodor Dostoevsky and two fellow prisoners had been sentenced to death. Last rites had been offered. A firing squad stood ready to execute the condemned men. At that dramatic moment, a messenger from the Russian Tsar appeared with a pardon. Their lives had been spared! Apparently this had been the plan all along—the mock execution was conducted only to teach them an unforgettable lesson. The other two men immediately went insane. Dostoevsky, on the other hand, went on to become a great novelist who wrote such books as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. He never forgot the power of grace and forgiveness.

Like the messenger who brought good news to Dostoevsky, the angels in today’s reading made a dramatic announcement that brought good news for all humanity. The Christmas story is a vital part of our study on joy. Throughout this month we’ve seen that joy is a result of God’s power and presence, and the Incarnation is the ultimate example of both. The first announcement of His birth was delivered to shepherds, perhaps a symbolic nod to David, the shepherd-king who had received a promise that his throne would endure forever (2 Sam. 7:16). The shepherds were faithful to believe the message, find the child, and spread the word (vv. 15-20).

The birth announcement itself is familiar: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (vv. 10-11). The phrase “Christ the Lord” clearly identifies the baby as both God and Messiah, an amazing and almost incomprehensible truth. God became a man!

Theologians are still searching for words adequate to this mystery. Furthermore, the Messiah had come not just for the Jews, but for “all the people.” To God’s glory, His plan of redemption was unequivocally revealed as worldwide in scope. “Glory to God in the highest” (v. 14)!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sharing the gospel of Christ is all about joy. The angels took great joy in sharing the good news with the shepherds. The shepherds in turn took great joy in sharing their experience with all who would listen. Sometimes we get sidetracked on evangelistic methods—the right number of steps, the right questions in the right order, or a personal testimony with the right ingredients. What if we put it more in terms of joy? Like Dostoevsky, we’ve received a pardon and want to shout it from the rooftops!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 16:16-34
He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. - Acts 16:34
TODAY IN THE WORD
One spring evening in Chicago, choir director Joseph Richardson was taking a walk with his four-year-old daughter, Kaniyah. Suddenly, a red Chevy Cavalier jumped the curb and hurtled toward them, speeding out of control with a drunk driver at the wheel. The father had only a split second to react. Richardson grabbed his daughter and lifted her out of the way, just before the car pinned him against an iron fence. He was killed—Kaniyah was injured, but she lived. Richardson made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his own life to save the life of his daughter.

Christ loved each of us that much. When the force of this truth hits us, we cannot help but respond with heartfelt joy—whether tears of joy or shouts of joy, it is deep, powerful joy.

In today’s reading, Paul and Silas had been carrying out a successful ministry in Philippi, and the church there grew to a size that “disturbed” the city. The trouble began when Paul cast out a demonic spirit from a slave girl who had been following them around, calling out that these men knew the truth (see James 2:19). Since her owners had profited from her fortunetelling abilities and lost out economically from her liberation, they took revenge by dragging the missionaries into court on trumped-up charges.

Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten, and imprisoned. They responded by singing hymns (v. 25). For them, faith was not simply the absence of discouragement, or the courage to pray for release, but the presence of godly joy. They felt so secure in Christ that when an earthquake hit and the prison doors sprang open, they felt no need to run. They sensed a greater work of God taking place, and indeed the jailer and his entire household were ripe for saving faith. Within a single, roller-coaster ride of a night, this jailer went from suicidal (because he assumed the prisoners had escaped) to offering hospitality to two former inmates and receiving the joy of eternal life (v. 34).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Philippian jailer asked one of the most significant questions in Scripture: “What must I do to be saved?” And Paul and Silas gave one of the most significant replies: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (vv. 30-31). It is the prayer of all of us at Today in the Word that all of our readers trust in Christ for salvation (John 1:12). If you have never been delivered from sin and experienced the joy of faith in Christ, we pray that you will trust the saving work of Jesus today!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 3:22-36
The friend who attends the bridegroom . . . is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. - John 3:29
TODAY IN THE WORD
During an exam at Bijelo Polje University in Montenegro, one student was so bored that he interrupted the test to ask his girlfriend to marry him. The examiners gave Edin Smailovic permission to speak because they thought he had a question about the exam. Instead, he got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Edita Bikic, who was also taking the test. He had planned to ask her during a holiday in Egypt after the semester finished, but he said he was too excited to wait. Happily, Edita said yes.

The joy of marriage is reflected in the words of John the Baptist in today’s reading. Throughout the Gospels, whenever Christ is recognized for who He is, the person blessed with eyes to see responds with joy.

When the ministry of Jesus began to surpass that of John the Baptist, John’s followers were tense and confused. What was going on here? Who was greater? John didn’t hesitate—he had the privilege of being the best man, but the Bridegroom was Christ Himself (v. 29). One key to joy is knowing our identity in relation to Christ, and John had that joy in abundance.

He even had the faith to rejoice in a decreased ministry (v. 30). He knew his ministry’s success and power came from heaven, not himself. He knew he was a forerunner to a greater One who had now come. The waiting was over; the time of joy had arrived. “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” The Bridegroom had entered the scene and great events were about to unfold.

Who is Jesus and how could He inspire such faith and joy? He is God. While John’s message came from heaven, Jesus Himself came from heaven. He testified from direct experience. (vv. 31-32). He didn’t just talk about truth and life, He is truth and life. Our eternal destiny and joy are wrapped up in how we respond to these ideas. Who do you say that He is?

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If one key to joy is to know who we are in relation to Christ, then who are we? We are His children. We are His friends. We are His disciples. We are His worshipers. We are people who live because He died, and who shall live because He rose again. We are trophies of His grace. We are His messengers to the world. We are guests invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” (Rev. 19:7).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 35
The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. - Isaiah 35:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Assault on Eden, writer Virginia Stem Owens chronicles an experiment in communal living. About a dozen people, including she and her family, set up a farm in New Mexico in the early 1970s, seeking to escape the “rat race” of modern materialism and live in pursuit of deeper spiritual realities. They were, in essence, seeking to return to the Garden of Eden, as it was before Adam and Eve made the fateful choice that brought sin and death into the world. Closing her narrative, Owens reflects: “We are all of us somewhere on that long road that runs from the gate of Eden, closed forever to human habitation, to the gate of the New Jerusalem that stands perpetually open to receive the glory and honor of nations. And along each part of the road wander pilgrims.”

Today’s reading captures the joy of redemption and the coming of God’s kingdom. Isaiah 35 puts the focus on “that day”—the future time when Zion will be restored and the glory of the Lord will be fully revealed. What will “that day” be like? It will be like flowers blooming in the desert or water flowing in the wilderness. It will be a time of miracles and power—the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the “mute tongue [will] shout for joy,” the lame will walk and run and jump. The barrenness of history will be transformed to beauty, its apparent randomness revealed as God’s master plan (vv. 1-2, 5-7). The “Way of Holiness” is a picture of the divine righteousness, justice, and peace (safety) that will rule in that day (vv. 8-9).

Most of all, “that day” will be a day of joy: “The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads” (v. 10; cf Isa. 51:11). The troubles of this present world will slide from our shoulders, for the exiles will at last be home!

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
“Sounds great,” the thought might have crossed your mind. “But what do we do until then?” Isaiah answered that perfectly human and reasonable question with an exhortation to keep the faith, relying not on our human weakness but on God’s strength and faithful lovingkindness (vv. 3-4). “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.” In the words of the psalmist: “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:6).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 13:44
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. - Matthew 13:44-45
TODAY IN THE WORD
Browsing a rural Ontario yard sale one summer, art collector Paul Martin could not believe his eyes. A large landscape painting depicting Lake Okanagan was available for only $200. It turned out that the painting was by Canadian artist E. J. Hughes, and rare enough to be valued at about $120,000! Martin has made a career out of searching flea markets, thrift shops, and yard sales for art treasures. He finds them to be good investments, and plans to use the money from auctioning off the Hughes painting to pay for his child’s college education.

Both literally and figuratively, discovering hidden treasure brings great joy to the finder. Both verses in today’s reading are a simile or comparison emphasizing the all-surpassing value of the kingdom of heaven, and both highlight the joy of the seeker in finding and sacrificing all to attain it. We can understand the “kingdom of heaven” (this exact phrase is found only in Matthew) to be the “reign of the Messiah.” As one theological reference work clarifies, the phrase “signifies God’s sovereign, dynamic and eschatological rule.”

How is God’s kingdom like a treasure hidden in a field? One part of the answer is the similarity between buried treasure and the truth that the rule of God in this present world is not obvious—it requires effort to discover and recognize. The man who found the treasure had to dig it up. The merchant who found the “pearl of great price” (KJV) had to learn how to tell it from other pearls on the market.

A second part of the answer is that possessing it costs everything we have. Both men had to sell all they owned in order to obtain the treasure. In the same way, the kingdom of God is an all-or-nothing commitment. It must be chosen with undivided passion and joy, and that choice governs all that follows (Phil. 3:7-11)

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christ commanded us to count the cost of discipleship . . . and the cost is everything. Have we “sold all” for this treasure, this spiritual journey? Or are we hedging our bets and holding back? It won’t work. We can value nothing—not even our own families—that’s in competition to our love for God’s kingdom. We are to be willing to carry a cross, appearing to the world as a condemned criminal. “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-33).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Peter 1:3-12
You believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. - 1 Peter 1:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
Pilgrimages to the Holy Land were quite popular in the fourth century A.D. One of the pilgrims was a nun from Spain named Egeria. Traveling on foot or by mule, Egeria seems to have been the leader of her pilgrimage group and the one financing their three-year trip. At the various holy sites they visited, they read Scripture, sang psalms, and celebrated communion. Especially meaningful were their visits in and around Jerusalem to the sites of Christ’s Passion, including Golgotha, the Mount of Olives, and the empty tomb. Egeria described how the Jerusalem Christians worshiped during Easter by literally following Jesus’ footsteps around the city as Holy Week unfolded.

This is the “inexpressible and glorious joy” which Peter wrote about in today’s reading—the joy of Christ’s death and resurrection that accomplished God’s purpose of redemption. Verses 8 and 9 are the key: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Faith means to believe in the One we have not seen and to love Him. The “inexpressible and glorious joy” that such faith inspires is justified because we are on the way to Him—our souls are in the process of being fit to spend eternity with Him.

The foundation stones of our faith are God’s mercy, the gift of spiritual rebirth, the resurrection of Christ, the resulting hope that we don’t deserve but that He freely gives, and the eternal inheritance awaiting us (vv. 3-5). Our present sufferings are nothing by comparison, and in fact they have the purpose of refining and enriching our faith (vv. 6-7). We even have the privilege of knowing more of God’s plan of redemption than the prophets did (vv. 10-12). All of this has been done, is being done, and is guaranteed by God’s power. Our faith is sure, and joy is our response.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What key truths and principles have you learned from Scripture this month about godly joy? What might be different about your joy in the month to come? We conclude this month’s study with a benediction from Jude 24-25: “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 1:26-31; Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
There is a time for everything . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh. - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4
TODAY IN THE WORD
One popular stereotype of Christians portrays them as dour grumps with no sense of humor. This is actually an extension of how many people view God, thinking of Him as a giant killjoy who doesn’t want people to have fun or laugh or tell a good joke. After all, there’s nothing funny in the Bible, is there?

We’ll spend the next month answering this question, studying Scripture to see how God uses humor perfectly and purposefully in His Word. We’ll learn how God uses humor to teach us about ourselves, to emphasize His own character and works, and to delight His people. Our study will include the godly place for humor and an exploration of the great divine comedy of our redemption.

The human capacity to laugh, to tell a joke, and to delight in what is funny must be traced back to the very origin of humanity. Genesis 1 describes the creation of the first man and woman as representatives of God’s image on the newly created earth. The full deity participated in the decision to create humanity and to endow them with purpose—note the plural pronouns in verse 26: “Let us make man in our image.” God concludes His assessment of His creation by describing the man and woman as “very good” (v. 31). This man and woman were created to manifest the full image of the Godhead.

Of course, after the Fall, humanity had marred the ability to perfectly reflect the image of God. Sin permeated every aspect of human existence. Activities that once were pure became tainted with wrong motives, inappropriate applications, and selfish ends. This includes the appreciation of humor and the ability to laugh. Delight in the comedies of life became twisted, and humans didn’t know when to laugh or what was funny.

The words of Ecclesiastes remind us that God’s people are not called to abandon laughter, but rather to learn its proper time and application. It is folly to laugh when we should mourn; it is wise to know the time for embracing laughter and mirth.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
James 1:5 reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously.” As we begin our study this month, spend time in prayer asking God for His wisdom to know when to laugh. Followers of God are not called to a life of grim existence, but we must guard against inappropriate humor. Ask the Lord to use His Word to shape your heart—and your sense of humor—to conform to His image.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Proverbs 26:13-19
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. - Proverbs 26:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The characters in Flannery O’Connor’s stories are often described as grotesque, but O’Connor explained that they are intended to highlight the spiritual condition of modern humanity: “The novelist with Christian concerns will find modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make these appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural; . . . to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures.”

For the next few days we’ll see how God uses grotesque exaggerations to teach His people the truth and to combat a distorted sense of what is natural. Our passage today presents three darkly comedic characters: the sluggard, the meddler, and the joker.

The sluggard is characterized by making excuses. In verse 13, the excuse is exaggerated to reveal the preposterous situation of someone too lazy to engage his responsibilities. Is it possible that a lion might be in the street? Yes . . . but it’s also extremely improbable. A sluggard will seize on any remotely plausible excuse to shirk his task.

Likewise, the sluggard can’t make any progress in life; he is like a door that can only turn from side to side. It’s as if this lazy person is tethered to the bed, unwilling—and therefore unable—to get anything done. In fact, a sluggard can’t even accomplish the basic necessities of life (v. 15). Laziness will impair our ability to function at even the most fundamental level.

The meddler has no more sense than someone who provokes a dog. Inserting yourself in the affairs of others is hazardous to your own well-being (v. 17)! The final character in our passage depicts the dangerous consequences of inappropriate joking. This person deceives others and then attempts to gloss over the situation by claiming, “I was only joking!” The devastation caused by such deceit is compared to a madman wildly shooting flaming arrows. Humor is never an excuse for lies, manipulation, or deceit.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Modern sensibilities encourage joking at the expense of others and justifying deceit with the excuse of humor. In fact, it’s a natural human tendency—even little children will make a cruel remark and then say, “I was only joking!” The reality is that such jokes are not funny; they are as dangerous as lobbing firebombs into the lives of others. If you struggle with these comments, reflect on Colossians 4:6: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 7:1-5
All the time there is a plank in your own eye. - Matthew 7:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Over twenty years ago, Os Guinness asked, “How do we speak to an age made spiritually deaf by its skepticism and morally color-blind by its relativism? . . . One contribution must surely come from a wide rediscovery of the prophetic fool making of the divine subversive.” Jesus embodied this divine subversive more fully than anyone, as He shocked His audience into seeing the true reality.

Today’s passage is one example of Jesus’ use of exaggeration and humor to make a point about the way we should interact with each other. The context of these verses is the Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Lord’s Prayer in the previous chapter. Jesus had already instructed His followers to link the divine forgiveness they receive from God with their own extension of forgiveness to others (see Matt. 6:12). Here He addressed the foolishness of passing judgment on others without acknowledging the truth about ourselves.

This text is frequently misapplied as an excuse not to make any value claims or to assess the actions of others. Given the whole counsel of Scripture, this interpretation doesn’t make sense (see Prov. 1:31; Isa. 3:10), and a few verses later Jesus described the process for evaluating people’s claims of truth and the rightness of their actions (vv. 15-23). Instead, Jesus was challenging the human tendency to find fault with others without examining our own lives before God.

The image is purposely exaggerated and quite funny. Here is someone worried about the tiny speck of dust—something practically invisible!—in a brother’s eye, all the time ignoring the massive plank—like a telephone pole!—blocking his own vision.

Jesus’ words remind us that we need to acknowledge and address our own shortcomings, both their existence and magnitude, before we can turn to point out the flaws of others. This doesn’t excuse tolerating the presence of even sawdust or small failings in our lives. Rather, it emphasizes that it is foolish to try to correct others when our sin looms large and we persistently ignore it.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you have a telephone pole stuck in your eye, clogging your vision? Do you find it easier to criticize people around you rather than hear the conviction of the Holy Spirit? In order for God to use us to help others deal with their sawdust, we must first be willing to let go of our planks. If the Lord is convicting you of some blind spots in your life or of some tendencies that you’re reluctant to release, give those things to God. Ask Him to prepare you to encourage, not criticize, others on their Christian journey.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 44:9-20
I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens. - Isaiah 44:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
If you’ve been feeling unlucky in life recently, numerous Web sites would like to help you! They offer lucky charms to give you success in love, at work, or even for playing the lottery—all for a fee, of course. One site recommends that you buy a lot of lucky charms to maximize your lucky power (and obviously, increase their profits). If you’re decked out with their bracelets and pendants, things will go your way!

Most of us can see the silliness of ascribing the power, protection, and provision of God to an inanimate object like a bracelet or pendant or horseshoe. Our passage today uses exaggeration and humor to convey the great foolishness of relying on anything or anyone but God.

Note particularly that not only are the idols worthless, but also the one who believes in them is foolish (v. 9). Look through these verses to see the words God used to describe the person who creates and trusts in an idol: blind, ignorant, and deluded are just a few! Next, we see the layers of foolishness. A man, who himself grows weak and tired, crafts an object. The man has limited energy and power, and yet he thinks that somehow this thing he has made will have the power to save him (vv. 12, 17). It’s even more ridiculous, considering that he uses some of the materials (whether iron or wood) for utilitarian purposes like providing heat, and still believes that this same material now has properties worthy of worship. The situation is absurd; he is bowing down to a block of wood (v. 19).

A finite man fashions an inanimate object, and deems it worthy of worship. The man cannot save himself, and the idol has even less power. In contrast, the infinite Creator has fashioned both man and all the heavens and earth (vv. 21, 24). He has demonstrated that He is faithful, loving, and powerful. The only reasonable, rational, and sane response is to bow down before the Lord. Wood makes a great fuel for a fire, but a ridiculous object to worship.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Most people probably don’t have shrines for idols in their homes, and we don’t bow down before carvings. But the point of today’s passage reminds us that it’s ridiculous to put our confidence in anything or anyone other than God. Just as wood is appropriate for a fire, our relationships and abilities are gifts from God. But we misuse them if our hope for deliverance is placed in our talents, or if we think that our comfort will come from relationships. God alone deserves our worship, our trust, and our complete devotion.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 23:1-39
You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. - Matthew 23:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the joys of spending time with young children is seeing the world from their perspective—especially seeing them laugh. After watching I Love Lucy with her children, one mom said, “I forgot how funny this show is until I saw my kids laughing hysterically!”

The overall message of our passage today is deadly serious, but even in the middle of Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees, He embeds a humorous, grotesque exaggeration. If you don’t find verses 23 through 25 comical, read them to an 8-year-old boy!

Two themes emerge from our reading: backward priorities revealed as hypocrisy and the reversal of privilege in God’s kingdom. First, Jesus targeted the Pharisees for not practicing what they preached (v. 3). It’s important to remember that the Pharisees were deeply concerned with keeping pure in order to be in a right relationship with God. But they missed the point: it wasn’t about their strict dietary observance or dress code or tithing. The end result of these exertions was not to please God, but rather to receive the admiration of others (v. 7). The consequences of their hypocrisy went beyond their own failure to please God; they also burdened others and kept them from understanding how to please God (v. 15).

In God’s kingdom, those who seek their own advancement will find themselves last in line (vv. 11-12). The images that Jesus used to depict the reality of the Pharisees’ spiritual preening should shock us: blind leaders, whitewashed graves, and snakes who cause the death and destruction of the righteous prophets of God. In their dedication to the smallest matter of ritual purity—straining out the gnat—they are willing to engage in the grossest perversions of God’s desire. Their path to righteousness is as absurd and ridiculous as swallowing a camel.

If we’re familiar with this text, it’s easy to skim right past this simile. But Jesus is being deliberately provocative here. It’s an image intended to make us smile and then make us think. Trying to stuff a camel in one’s mouth is crazy—and deadly. So too is trying to please God on our own terms.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Children can help us adjust our perspective in marvelous ways. They can puncture our pride, reveal hypocrisy, and make us laugh at silly posturing. Thank God for His grace in this way if you have children in your life. If not, consider working in a Sunday school class, nursery, or other children’s ministry in your church. As you spend time with children, ask God to root out any deadly hypocrisy in your life. Instead of swallowing camels, seek to be a servant in God’s kingdom who points others to life in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 18:16-40
O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God. - 1 Kings 18:37
TODAY IN THE WORD
If you’ve ever lived in a home with a teenager, you’ve probably experienced sarcasm. Requests to do chores are met with, “Sure, Mom, I’d LOVE to take out the trash [huff, huff, eye roll].” When queried whether homework has been completed, the little darling says, “Of COURSE, Dad, I’m not STUPID!”

Scripture contains descriptions of ungodly people using sarcasm, but you might be surprised to find accounts of sarcasm from saints like Paul and Elijah and even God Himself. For the next few days we’ll explore occasions when sarcasm is used to make a redemptive point.

Today’s passage opens with Ahab’s inverted view of reality. He addressed the prophet Elijah as the “troubler of Israel,” yet from the litany of sins committed and endorsed by Ahab, he himself was the source of much of Israel’s misery (vv. 17-18). He not only tolerated the worship of false gods in Israel, but he also actively promoted the cult of Baal and supported its prophets (see 1 Kings 16:29-33).

Elijah confronted the people of Israel with the choice between serving God and Baal (v. 21). Yet the people refused to choose the Lord, so Elijah prepared a dramatic demonstration of the difference. He stacked the deck in favor of Baal: Baal had 450 prophets; God had one. Baal had a dry altar; God had an altar that was completely drenched with water.

Even with these advantages, the prophets of Baal failed to produce fire. Elijah taunted them: “Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened” (v. 27). This egged the prophets of Baal to further exertion, and it contrasted Baal with the Lord who never sleeps and who is always present with His people (v. 36; see Ps. 121:4).

There was no answer from Baal, but there were consequences from Jehovah (v. 40). Ultimately, though, Elijah’s sarcasm was intended to provoke the people of Israel to repentance by revealing the ridiculousness of Baal worship. His sarcasm challenged evil in order to turn the people back to reality.

TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Elijah’s sarcasm toward the prophets of Baal contrasts with his sober prayer to the Lord in verses 36 and 37. Elijah was not flippant when it came to the worship of God. Is your own worship characterized by ridiculous posturing and exertions to no effect? Or do you come before the Lord humbly and prayerfully, expecting Him to work in accord with His Word and character? The pretension and presumptuousness of sin should be scorned, but the worship of our holy God demands our offering of praise.