Zealous for Jesus

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 30

Romans 12:11 ESV NASB

not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

Zealous for Jesus

All of us are capable of being zealous, regardless of our personality type. Even the most phlegmatic person can be passionate about something.

Some people are into soccer, for others it’s food. So the issue isn’t whether or not one can be zealous, but where a person’s devotion lies.

In Romans 12, the apostle Paul provides some instruction that includes being zealous in serving the Lord. John Piper paraphrased it this way: “Do lots of work for Christ, passionately.” The words “never be lazy, but work hard . . . enthusiastically” (v.11) emphasize being earnest and devoted in getting things done. What does that look like? Consider the following questions: Are we efficient, or do we procrastinate?

Do we work hard to get things done, or do we give up halfway? Romans 12:11 also contains this idea: Do lots of work for the Lord passionately—not being grouchy. A person passionate about serving the Lord doesn’t consider the number of hours he has clocked in for the Lord. He’s willing to do more, and he does it without complaint or protest. The reason is simple. Serving Jesus is the highest privilege in the universe for human beings.

In a Billy Graham biography written by John Pollock, there was a conversation recorded between Billy Graham and President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Johnson asked Billy, with whom he had been a friend for years, what position he would like to have in his administration. Billy Graham replied: “Sir, I believe that Jesus Christ has called me to preach His gospel. To me this is the highest calling any man could have on earth.” In view of God’s mercy, let’s strive to be zealous Christians—passionately serving Jesus. —Poh Fang Chia

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Technology and the trivial

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 26

Psalms 23:1 ESV NASB

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Technology and the trivial

If our technology had existed in Jesus’ day, our Bibles might read: “Jesus asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ but they were checking their e-mail and missed the question.” Or “A third time He asked him, ‘Simon . . . do you love Me?’ Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time, but then his cell phone rang and he replied, ‘I’m sorry, Lord, I’ve got to take this.’ ” Or on Pentecost, “Peter continued preaching for a long time, and a handful of people believed and were baptized while thousands more texted and sent out tweets on Twitter” (see Mark 8:27-28; John 21:15; Acts 2:40-41).

Technology can stifle our spiritual growth in subtle ways. The first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

None of these things come easily in our wired world. Who has the time or discipline to study the apostles’ teaching and pray when cable television and the Internet jangle with unimportant yet interesting diversions? Let’s face it, our lives would be little changed if we missed that latest score, review, or celebrity gossip.

Yet filling our minds with such minutiae comes at some cost, for we may unknowingly project our reading of the virtual world upon the eternal truths of God’s Word. When everything is trivial, then anything is trivial. Fellowship and community are thought to be the strengths of our new media, but busy texters ignore us and intrusive phone calls interrupt us. We often sit in the presence of bodies whose minds are elsewhere.

Lest you think I’m simply a hater of today’s technology, ask yourself this: When the Good Shepherd leads you beside “peaceful streams,” do you “rest in green meadows” or reach for your iPhone? —Mike Wittmer

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Your Will Be Done

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 25

Matthew 6:10 ESV NASB

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Your Will Be Done

The two requests in verse 10 of the Lord’s Prayer are two sides of the same coin (Matthew 6). When we pray for God to rule as king, we’re also acknowledging that we will obey the King and do His bidding.

God has planned good for us (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28), so we can pray, “May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” This is a prayer of submission and surrender, in which we ask God to conquer us, to overcome our sinful will and willful resistance, and to align our wills to His perfect one. It’s a prayer that says, “We choose to obey God.” But what is God asking us to do? First, God’s will for unbelievers is that they believe in Jesus Christ and receive salvation (John 6:40; 1 Timothy 2:3-4). Second, if you’re a believer in Jesus, you’re already in God’s saving will. God wants us to know His good and perfect will (Romans 12:2). He wants us to be holy (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and Christlike (Romans 8:29). He wants us to live honorable lives (1 Peter 2:15) and to suffer for doing good—not evil (1 Peter 3:17, 4:19). He wants us to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The list could go on and on, for the Bible provides clear direction for life’s decisions (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The problem, then, is not that we can’t know God’s will. Rather, we’re often unwilling to do what we already know is God’s will (Deuteronomy 29:29; John 7:17). That’s why it’s so important that we pray more and more, “May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Lord, I want to obey You now. And I pray that the whole world will obey You too.” —K.T. Sim

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His Perfect Timing

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 24

Mark 6:41 ESV NASB

And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all.

His Perfect Timing

One hour and 36 minutes until deadline. Having returned to full-time teaching this year, I’m learning the complexities of balancing a job along with working with my husband in ministry and continuing my writing. All of which trail the two main roles in my life—wife and mom. Life is far from predictable. Some days—most days—it feels impossible. Tempted to live in the land of “never enough time,” I can either become overwhelmed or wait expectantly on the Lord. Only one choice allows my life to become a daily transfer of the impossible to the possible (Luke 1:37).

Because the secular world thrives on a treadmill of activity, we can mistakenly demonize any level of busyness. While we need to be aware of the reasons for our packed schedules and regularly assess their validity, the need for time does not always suggest a lack of order. Sometimes it is the presentation of a divine opportunity.

When Jesus ministered to the multitudes and became aware of their hunger, He didn’t chastise them for their lack of preparation (Mark 6:35-37). He fed them. Their need was not a result of sin; it came as a revelation of the kingdom—both in their spiritual hunger and their physical satisfaction (vv.42-44).

God wants to unfold in our lives His principle of kingdom provision—where “not enough” becomes the assurance that He “is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Not because we are asking for our own desires, but because we are working for His (James 4:3).

When we’ve given all we have with the heart of a faithful steward, we have only to wait. He will provide. Present the need to Him and wait on His perfect timing. —Regina Franklin

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Healing Confession

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 23

James 5:16 ESV NASB

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Healing Confession

In 2006, confession of sin became an artistic expression. Two artists, Laura Barnett and Sandra Spannan, created an exhibit in a storefront in Manhattan, which allowed passersby to confess their sins. They sat in the storefront, dressed as 19th-century washerwomen. The words on the window read, “Air your dirty laundry. 100-percent confidential. Anonymous. Free.” Onlookers were encouraged to confess their sins on pieces of paper. When those who “confessed” walked away, however, the women collected their written sins and displayed them for all to see.

James commanded believers in Jesus to confess their sins to one another (5:16). The context for this verse is praying and caring for the physically sick. Praying for the sick, however, included a command for mutual confession and prayer. James was teaching that all sin, especially unconfessed sin, is a dangerous enemy to the body of Jesus. It leads to the breaking of fellowship with God and others, the building of relational walls and the destruction of community, and the prevention of moral change in the lives of believers.

Confession brought healing—physical and spiritual. Scripture reveals that we should first confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). Then, despite the risks (rejection, embarrassment), we can and should “confess [our] sins to each other.” How? Sin that has affected the body of Christ should be confessed to the body. Sin against a fellow believer should be confessed to that individual. For sin that is not against the body of Christ or a person, we should use wisdom and find a fellow believer to whom we can admit our sins. God gives us divine help as we confess our sins to Him.

There’s great power in a community that is serious about mutual confession and prayer. —Marvin Williams

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Spiritual Unity

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 20

Ephesians 4:3 ESV NASB

being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Spiritual Unity

Segregating ourselves along ethnic and social lines is a common human practice. We’re simply more comfortable around “our kind” of people, and we tend to keep our distance from those who seem different from us.

In his letter to the church at Philippi, the apostle Paul addressed the challenges faced by a group of people from mixed backgrounds. Within this particular group, there were people of Asian, Greek, and Roman heritage. The New Testament also specifically mentions a businesswoman who sold expensive cloth to the rich, a slave girl who was demon-possessed, and a prison guard (Acts 16).

Paul’s answer to the question of how to blend their multiple ancestries and social classes was the unity they shared in Christ. He wrote, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News” (Philippians 1:27). Unity was at the top of Paul’s list for this diverse fellowship. It’s the same message he stressed to the church in Galatia: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The apostle wasn’t denying the value of one’s ethnic background or gender. He was, however, lifting up and affirming the spiritual oneness that is found in Jesus. Here’s where we share common ground, regardless of our race, social status, or gender. Ethnicity and social class will always possess the potential to divide. But our shared unity in Jesus has the power to supersede our differences and draw us together for a greater purpose. —Jeff Olson

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Prayer - America's Only Hope Sign

By now, if you reside in the Southern United States, you are bound to have seen the yard signs that read: Prayer - America's Only Hope, which are based on 2 Chronicles 7:14: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Because of the moral degradation of this country, prayerful repentance & guidance is truly our only hope.

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Be Silent

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 19

Zephaniah 1:7 ESV NASB

Be silent before the Lord GOD ! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.

Be Silent

Recently a friend said to me, “I used to fear how people perceived me. Then I discovered that Satan’s deviousness is something even greater to fear. Later, however, I learned that to fall under God’s wrath is to be feared the most.”

Zephaniah describes the day when God’s anger will be poured out as “a day of terrible distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” (1:15). The prophet’s description presents a terrifying picture! Note the descriptive nouns used to characterize this day when God will pour out His wrath on those who have chosen sin instead of Him.

The initial warnings in Zephaniah’s message were directed to the people in Judah. They had worshiped God, but only superficially—for they worshiped other gods too. Judah had turned away from following the Lord and failed to seek Him and His guidance (vv.4-6). Though they said they believed in the existence of God, it had little or no impact on the way they lived.

Zephaniah said, “Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord, for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment is near” (v.7). What does it mean to be silent before the Lord? It may mean that we should stop making excuses for our sin, or that we cease trying to deny that we’re sinners—deserving of God’s wrath. Silence is sometimes viewed as a way of admitting one’s guilt (Leviticus 10:3). It is also a sign of reverence (Psalm 62:1; Habakkuk 2:20).

After being silent, we must repent by seeking the Lord and following His commands, to do what is right and to live humbly (Zephaniah 2:3). Although God’s great day of judgment is coming soon (1:14-16), it’s not too late to turn back to God. —Poh Fang Chia

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Compartments

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 18

Jeremiah 23:24 ESV NASB

“Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD . “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD .

Compartments

I was talking with a friend the other day about how easy it is to live our life compartmentally. For instance, on Sundays we can enter the compartment of going to church and worshiping God. But the rest of the week we might ease out of church-mode and enter compartments that deny God’s presence and His commands.

The prophet Jeremiah, in a strongly worded message condemning false teachers, proclaimed the following truths about God: • He is “close at hand” (23:23). God is present in the daily events of our lives—all of them. • He is “far away at the same time” (v.23). God is both transcendent (existing beyond the limitations of our material world) and immanent (existing in and sustaining our universe).

God declares that He is “everywhere in all the heavens and earth” (v.24). He can’t be contained by any compartments we try to lamely create. He’s there, and He knows our actions and the words we say (v.31).

In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote, “The Scriptures teach that God is infinite. This means that His being knows no limits. Therefore there can be no limit to His presence; He is omnipresent. In His infinitude He surrounds the finite creation and contains it. There is no place beyond Him for anything to be. God is our environment as the sea is to the fish and the air to the bird.”

I love that thought—God is our environment. We live each moment accompanied by Him. Every moment is filled with Him. And we can’t deny His presence in any place or decision in our life, for He is “everywhere” (v.24).

No compartment can contain God. Let’s live today in the comfort and conviction of His presence, for He is “close at hand” (v.23). —Tom Felten

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Who You Are

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 17

1 John 3:1 ESV NASB

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Who You Are

A confused, middle-aged man flagged down a bus driver in Seattle. He wore expensive clothes and spoke French, German, and English, but he did not know who he was. He remembered slices of his life: living in Slovakia, teaching English in China, and last night’s sleep in Discovery Park, but he could not remember his own name.

The authorities researched the man’s story on the Internet, and within five hours they had discovered that his name was Edward Lighthart. But learning his identity did not get Edward out of the woods. He looked at an old picture and could see beyond a doubt that he was Edward Lighthart, yet he couldn’t make the emotional and psychological connection with his identity. He struggled to own who he was. Many of us can sympathize with his plight. We know intellectually that we are the children of God, adopted by grace into His family, and yet we emotionally relate to our Father as slaves who must earn His acceptance by our own effort. We mistakenly suppose that our integrity or servant’s heart attracted God’s attention, and so we try harder in a futile attempt to achieve what we can only receive.

We hear that we have “become a new person” in Christ so that “the old life is gone; a new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We read that our “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). We learn that “we died and were buried with Christ” (Romans 6:4). But we look at our sin and can scarcely believe it.

Like Edward Lighthart, we need to continue to look at our true picture. Don’t be misled by what you have or have not done. Embrace your true identity. Own it. Then ask God for grace to become what you already are. —Mike Wittmer

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Taking God For Granted

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 16

Psalms 2:11 ESV NASB

Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.

Taking God For Granted

My wife and I have been married for 16 years. But, to my own embarrassment, there have been times when I’ve taken her for granted. I’ve been so familiar with her presence that I’ve been insensitive to her needs and wants.

Just as it’s not healthy to take our spouses for granted, King David would say it’s not healthy to take God for granted. Desiring to unite the nation spiritually, David went to retrieve the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim, where it had been located for over 25 years. They transported the ark on a new cart (2 Samuel 6:3). It must have been classy and convenient. But as they transported the precious piece, the oxen stumbled, and a man named Uzzah reached out—with good intentions— to stabilize the ark. And when he touched it, God’s judgment broke out against him and he died (v.7).

David became angry and afraid of God, and he decided to abandon the mission (v.10). Could it be that God had responded with such drastic measures because David had taken Him for granted? Had the king ignored God’s standards (Numbers 4:15,20; Deuteronomy 10:8) or failed to inquire how he should transport the ark? David assumed he knew what God would approve. In this failure, David had begun to trifle with God’s holiness. This dramatic episode presents some vital truths: (1) We must revere God and never attempt to manipulate Him.

This narrative reveals how God feels about placing our preferences ahead of His purposes. (2) Obedience to God’s specific will is more important than good intentions.

Coming close to doing God’s will is not enough. Let’s pay close attention to our relationship with God, not allowing privilege to become presumption. May we approach Him with awe and according to His revealed will! —Marvin Williams

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Uncovered

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 13

John 4:29 ESV NASB

“Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”

Uncovered

I remember how nervous he was, how fearful. Our friend came in and sat on our couch. He had something to tell us, but he couldn’t get the words out. He carried a weight he had held alone, a burden he couldn’t hide anymore. The hiding had nearly buried him.

Most of us have something we try to hide, some part of our story we would be horrified for others to know. Jesus met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, and she was certainly hiding. John tells us that the woman was drawing water “about noontime.” (v.6) Because of the heat, the villagers did not come to the well at noon, but she did. She knew how to avoid the other women. She would not, however, be able to avoid Jesus.

Jesus surprised the woman by asking her for a drink. “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman,” she said (v.9). She was accustomed to Jews (particularly men) keeping their distance. But Jesus came near, telling her that He could actually offer her living water so that she would “never be thirsty” again (v.14).

Eager for this living water, she asked Jesus for it; but Jesus made an abrupt turn, telling her to first bring her husband to Him. When the woman protested that she had no husband, Jesus recounted to the flabbergasted woman her five failed marriages—and that she wasn’t married to the man she was currently living with.

For a moment, the woman felt panicked. She had been found out, the place of her deepest shame was now in the open. Quickly, however, the shame evaporated. She had encountered love. And she sprinted to the village, breathless with her amazing story. And “the people came streaming from the village to see Him” (v.30). Who wouldn’t run to the One who uncovers our darkest shame—and then embraces us? —Winn Collier

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Coyote Wild

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 12

Posted to Romans 8:12 on Aug 10, 2010 at 01:42 PM

Romans 8:12 ESV NASB

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--

Coyote Wild

I live in a neighborhood where people mow their lawns, plant flowers, and clean up after their dogs. But sometimes at night, we hear eerie noises. I’m not talking about the neighbor’s beagle yelping at the moon. This is creepy howling that is totally untamed. For our neighborhood is plagued by coyotes.

Sometimes when they wake me up, I lie there and think about the coyote wildness inside us. We all have it—it’s part of our spiritual DNA. Paul explained it this way: “There is [a] power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (Romans 7:23). Paul’s transparency helps us see that even Christians who walk with God struggle with unruliness in their souls.

Fortunately, he also reminds us that we have no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do (8:12). If you’re like me, you might forget that you have a choice—you don’t have to listen to the whispers of your wild side: A few more glasses of wine won’t hurt. . . .

Just glancing at that woman is no big deal . . . While we do have a choice when it comes to sin, we can’t make the right call consistently without the power of the Holy Spirit. As believers in Jesus, we have God’s Holy Spirit alive within us, but we have to allow Him to do His job. Paul said, “Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16).

Untamed, like those coyotes, “the [sin nature] never did obey God’s laws and it never will” (Romans 8:7). With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can exchange our reckless tendencies for God’s peace—a better option than lying awake at night, listening to the call of the wild. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

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Love Notes

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 11

Posted to Psalms 1:2 on Aug 10, 2010 at 11:44 AM

Psalms 1:2 ESV NASB

But his delight is in the law of the LORD , And in His law he meditates day and night.

Love Notes

Elena Desserich was nearly 6 years old when she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. As the cancer took its toll, her ability to speak was gradually stolen away. But little Elena would not be denied. Wise beyond her years, she continued to communicate and express her love for her family through handwritten notes.

Sadly, cancer took Elena less than a year after her diagnosis. Before she died, however, she apparently began to hide literally hundreds of little love notes and drawings throughout the house for her family to find after she was gone. Her parents would continue to find them intermittently in places like briefcases, among Christmas decorations, and tucked between the pages of old coloring books.

Elena’s thoughtful little notes remind me of God’s letters to us—the Bible. He left us 66 letters—love notes from a heavenly Father that tell us the story of His care and draws us to His ultimate good for our lives.

Thinking of the Bible in this way takes me to the Psalms, where David penned these lyrics for God, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). He also wrote, “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. . . . The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart” (19:7-8).

Later, in the New Testament, the apostle Paul reminded us, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled” (Romans 15:4).

Today, take time to read the Bible and find the love notes left for you there. Let each one fall afresh on your heart—reminding you of God’s unwavering love that has changed your life forever. —Jeff Olson

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Pure Work

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 10

Posted to 2 Timothy 2:21 on Aug 9, 2010 at 11:05 AM

2 Timothy 2:21 ESV NASB

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Pure Work

I was 16 when I first discovered The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer. I reread it recently and my soul was refreshed in a new way. Oh, how I wish I could write like Tozer, with such depth of insight and deft use of words! Tozer entered the ministry without high school or college education. He trained himself over years of diligent study and prayerful seeking of the mind of God.

With no teacher but the Holy Spirit and good books, Tozer became a theologian, a scholar, and a true wordsmith in the use of the English language.

His life reminds me of the truth found in today’s Scripture reading. First, Tozer lived out what it means to be a good worker, “one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

What did Paul mean when he wrote “work hard”? (v.15 NKJV). Some Bible translations render those words as “study.” It’s been said of Tozer: “He determined to memorize many sections, and succeeded. He wore out many copies as he read and reread the Book.”

Second, Tozer endeavored to be a special tool for honorable use by God. How does one do that? Paul gave the answer: “Keep yourself pure” (v.21) by fleeing youthful lusts and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

Tozer wrote, “The Bible . . . is a means to bring [people] to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.” Let’s continue to pursue God in purity and with hard work. He can use us to reach and train others. —Poh Fang Chia

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Beyond Sentimental Slogans

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 09

Romans 12:14 ESV NASB

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Beyond Sentimental Slogans

There’s a billboard company in my area that likes to post nice slogans on its signs when it doesn’t have paid clients. “Kyoto—Targets Bring Results” declares one environmentally conscious poster. “Knowledge Speaks but Wisdom Listens” reads another. “Love Nature—Love God” says a third. These fill-in billboards are always nice, sweet, and kind. But a strange thing happened recently. Driving to work one morning, I noticed the billboards had changed—along with their tone. “Don’t Buy from [name removed]!” read one sign, taking a shot at one of our large Australian supermarket chains. “[Name removed] Treated Us Badly” read another.

The nice slogans of the billboard operator turned sour when a client disappointed them. There’s a stark lesson in those billboards. Do we really mean the kind words we say? Does our facade of niceness melt when we’re wronged or disappointed? According to Scripture, true character is revealed through conflict. “Bless those who persecute you,” the apostle Paul told the Romans (12:14). “Never pay back evil with more evil,” he wrote (v.17). We’re not to take revenge, Paul reminds us, but to conquer evil with good (vv.19-21).

Paul told his protégé Timothy to display love and purity when being persecuted (1 Timothy 4:12) and to oppose false teachers with gentleness and patience (2 Timothy 2:25, 4:2). The apostle Peter encouraged his flock to live such good lives that their accusers’ claims would be proven false (1 Peter 2:12,20)—imitating Jesus, who didn’t retaliate when He was insulted or threaten revenge when He suffered (v.23). Sentiments of kindness are mere slogans if they can’t withstand the harsh test of conflict. —Sheridan Voysey

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Giving to others

DAILY DEVOTIONAL, AUGUST 05

Acts 9:36 ESV NASB

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.

Giving to others

Rebekah Rushing, who was a high-level executive assistant at Enron Corporation before it collapsed due to accounting fraud in 2001, demonstrated that ethics is much more than not doing wrong. She went beyond looking out for herself. Rushing, along with two former colleagues, set up a fund at a local bank to help other displaced workers. With $90 of her own money and the help of some publicity, the fund grew into hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was then disbursed to needy former Enron employees. Rushing was quoted as saying: “Things worked out for me and I want them to work out for everyone else.” It’s easy to see that Rushing is a woman who lives to help others—not just herself.

Luke described a woman in the New Testament who selflessly gave to others as well. Tabitha, a devoted believer in Jesus (Acts 9:36), produced fruits of justifying faith in Jesus Christ. Her good works flowed from her faith in Jesus, and her faith motivated her to perform good works in abundance—particularly by tangibly helping the widows of Joppa (vv.36,39). While serving the poor in her community, however, she became ill and died. Later, she was miraculously brought back to life by God’s power (vv.40-41).

Tabitha is a great example of how we should live to serve others. It all begins with a vibrant relationship with Jesus. We can’t begin to live beyond our own concerns if we aren’t in fellowship with the One who lived and died for us. As we stay connected to the True Vine (John 15:1-5) and follow Him, He will live His life through us, and that life includes selfless service, generosity, and personal sacrifice. It also includes seeing—not ignoring—the needs of others. And by the grace that flows from Jesus to us, we tangibly give of ourselves to meet those needs. —Marvin Williams

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