Daily Bread Bible Notes 2

nobody@vox.com(elsalioness) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:06:09 -0700

A Witness For God
Read: Romans 1:14-17
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Thanking God
Read: James 4:13-17; 5:7-11
As we give thanks for material needs supplied, it’s essential to remember that our plans are uncertain and our lives are a vapor that quickly disappear (James 4:14). James encourages us to be like a farmer waiting for his crops to grow and mature. “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (5:8).
As we thank God for His faithful provision for our needs, let’s turn our thoughts to the promised return of Jesus Christ. In patient expectation, we live for Him and look for the day when He will come to gather His glorious harvest home.

Obedience and Commitment to God
Read: Matthew 22:15-22
As followers of Christ, we are commanded to cooperate with our rulers, but we are called to give God our ultimate obedience and commitment.

Departure to Jesus
Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
For believers in Christ, death is not an end but a beginning. It means leaving this old world behind and getting to a better place, completing the purpose for which we were made. It’s a time for joy and excitement and a hearty "Bon Voyage!"
All voyages, however, are fraught with uncertainty, especially those that pass through waters never sailed before. We don’t fear death so much as we do the passage. Who knows what dangers lie ahead?
But the journey is not uncharted. One has taken it before us, and He has returned to bring us safely through. Although we pass through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us all the way (Ps. 23:4). His hands are on the helm as He guides us to the heavenly haven He has prepared for us (John 14:1-3).
Those who fear God need not fear death.

Faith and Obedience
Read: Matthew 21:28-32
God’s value on faith and obedience can be seen in the parables of Jesus. Christ spoke about two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The first said no, but "afterward he regretted it and went" (Matt. 21:29). The second said yes but did not follow through. Then the Lord asked His listeners, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" (v.31). The obvious answer is the one who finished the task.
Our Lord’s illustration underscores a key spiritual principle. God is interested in our faith and obedience—not just our good intentions. Next time you are tempted to shirk your duties, why not say, "I don’t feel like it," and then ask God for the grace to do it anyway. Obedience is faith in action.

Encouraging Others
Read: Acts 11:19-26
Encouraging others along in life—that’s a worthy purpose. Joses, a godly man mentioned in the book of Acts, had that gift as well. In the days of the early church, he sold some land and gave the money to the church to use for the less fortunate (4:36-37). He also traveled with Paul on missionary journeys and preached the gospel (11:22-26; 13:1-4).
You may know Joses as "Barnabas," which is the name the apostles gave to the "Son of Encouragement." When the Jerusalem church heard that people in Antioch were coming to know Jesus as Savior, they sent Barnabas because "he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith" (11:24). He "encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord" (v.23).
We too can give others a "push" of encouragement in their walk with the Lord.
A little spark of encouragement can ignite great endeavors.

Hope in God
Read: Psalm 42
Only as we submit our brokenness to the good and great Shepherd of our hearts can we find the peace that allows us to respond to life: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (v.5).
Hope in God—it’s the only solution for the deep traumas of the heart. No one is hopeless whose hope is in God.

God's Growth Persuasion
Read: Hebrews 12:7-11
When trouble comes into our lives, we sometimes feel as if we’ve been hit broadside. We feel desperation and then we wonder, Why is this happening to me?
One possibility is that God is using a painful experience to get our attention. In Psalm 119:71, David wrote, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." And Hebrews 12:11 says that chastening "yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness."
Is God using pain in your life to lovingly persuade you to change? The season of trouble may not be easy, but if we let ourselves be trained by it, new growth will result as we become more like His Son (Phil. 3:10).

Let Jesus Shine Through You
Read: Romans 2:17-24
Proclaim the gospel and let's pray that the Holy Spirit will make us personally winsome and loving and free from sin so that we can attract others to Him. How can we be "a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness" (Rom. 2:19) if the beauty of Jesus cannot be seen in us? Righteousness in the heart produces beauty in the character.

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Daily Bread Bible Notes 2