Wonderful Words Of Life

Johnny Bartek grew up in Freehold, New Jersey. He attended one year of high school before “flunking out” at age 16. For the next several years he worked at various jobs but could not find one that he enjoyed. Dissatisfied with his opportunities at home he decided to join the Army Air Force soon after turning 18. He became a flight mechanic and was aboard the aircraft carrying Captain Eddie Rickenbacker that was lost at sea because of bad weather and inadequate navigation equipment. The crew spent three weeks at sea in a crowded life raft and all but one survived the horrific, harrowing ordeal.

Very few supplies were on the raft and after three days they ran out of food and water. One of the few items on the raft was a Bible. The inscription in the Bible read “A Sacred Token, to John F. Bartek by the First Baptist Church, Freehold, NJ, April 7, 1942.”

On the eighth day, a few minutes after they read a portion of Scripture from the Bible, a seagull landed on the head of Captain Rickenbacker which became food and fish bait to help keep the men alive until they were rescued. The men on the raft believed that it was a sign from God.

What verse did they read? “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’...for...your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

Many years before those eight men on that raft needed nourishment the Psalmist wrote, “He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.”

Prayer: How faithful You are, Father, to keep Your Word, meet our every need and protect us from danger. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 107:20 He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

From Rebellion To Restoration

Going against God’s will comes naturally. Our wants and God’s needs seem to be at odds with one another. It’s part of our sinful nature that needs our constant attention and never-ending vigilance.

Psalm 107 describes the outcome when we become careless or lax or when we do not struggle to stay close to God. It presents a picture of those who have strayed from God as “sitting in darkness,”...“ in the shadow of death” and being “bound in affliction and in irons.” Here, this “darkness” is what life is like without the Light of God in a person’s life. And we also know that when God is not present and active in our lives death looms large!

This struggle to be obedient and close to and with God is nothing new. Rebellion and self-centeredness began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. They rejected God’s requirement for them to be obedience and faithful. And when they disobeyed Him, the battle against sin and any desire that anyone would ever have to do what right in the eyes of God began. But the battle to be righteous and the desire to please God are certainly possible.

Notice this reminder from the Psalmist: “They cried to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them from their distress.” Any “trouble” we may have had, are having now or will have in the future is included when anyone at any time from anyplace cries out to God for His deliverance.

Our loving, gracious, merciful and faithful God will never desert us no matter how far we have strayed or how sinful our lives may be. “Call on me and I will answer!”

Prayer: Father, as we enter this year cleanse, forgive and deliver us from all of our sins and restore our joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 107:13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

Cows, Cuds And Meditation

Have you ever watched a cow, lying beneath a tree, quietly looking through its leaves at the puffy clouds that are passing across the soft blue sky? They seem to be concentrating on something far beyond themselves, yet important to them. Their stillness reflects a sense of peace and confidence that “all is well in my world and there’s nothing for me to worry about.” All the while they are chewing on “cuds” - round balls of grass that they bring up from their stomachs and chew some 30,000 times each day to get all of the nourishment out of them.

Could that not be a picture of meditation for the Christian to adopt? A time when we quietly “chew” on a piece of Scripture that God brings to our minds from His Word that we have hidden in our hearts.

Imagine how our lives would be different if we sat quietly and brought a verse of Scripture from His Word into our minds and then looked to Him to give us all the nourishment that it contains. Imagine the changes that would take place in our lives if we would invest even a small amount of time “chewing” on a verse or two from His Word each day asking Him to “nourish our lives” with its meaning. Imagine the peace and comfort that could be ours if we simply asked His Spirit to use His Word to calm our fears, lift our depression, eliminate our doubts, change our attitudes and convict us of our sins.

If we can imagine it we can do it! God troubles our hearts and minds to get our attention. Then we must submit to His Spirit to work in us as we meditate on Him.

Prayer: Lord, speak to our hearts and change our lives as we willingly ask Your Spirit to guide and guard us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 104:34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

What To Give To The Giver Of Gifts

“They cried” when they were in trouble and He “saved them from their distress.” Then when “they were in darkness and the deepest gloom,” He provided light for their path. And when they were in bondage He “broke away their chains” and set them free.

God’s grace and goodness for the Children of Israel reminds me of His grace and goodness for His children today. Many speak of God comforting them when He “saved” them from the distress of an emotional crisis that would have destroyed them. Often we hear stories of God’s Word providing light for His children who had a difficult time in finding direction for their lives. Quite frequently we hear testimonies of individuals who were in “bondage” caused by alcohol or other drugs who were set free by His grace.

But the stories and testimonies of God’s goodness must never end with the release from distress and the restoration of His blessings. His light for our path or the joy that comes from being set free from the bondage of sin must always lead to words of thanksgiving and times of worship. The words must always lead were selected to emphasize the importance and obligation we have to be grateful to God and honor Him for His goodness and grace.

Self-centeredness will reign in our hearts and control our lives until we honor God publicly for everything He does for us. When we honor Him in praise and worship for His “unfailing love and wonderful deeds,” we show others how dependent we are on God for all that we are or have.

Prayer: Father, fill our hearts with gratitude and our lives with humility so others can see Your greatness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 107:13-15 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,

Sing To The Lord!

When Herbert Hoover was president he asked Rudy Vallee to sing at the White House. He was very impressed by the famous “megaphone crooner” and entertainer and at the end of his performance said, “You are great, Mr. Vallee. If you can sing a song that would make people feel good, forget their problems and relieve their depression, I will give you a medal.” However, Vallee did not have a song that he could sing that would bring about those results.

But there is One who can do that. David said, “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.”

The Hebrew word for meditate includes two words from the English language: one is “think” and the other suggests “speech” or “audible thinking.” If we put them together they can bring about amazing results!

Imagine how our lives would be different if when we thought about God’s Word we would begin to talk to Him. For example, if 1 John 1:9 came to mind during a time of meditation, we might say something like, “Oh, thank You Lord for Your forgiveness. How grateful I am that if I come to You, confess my sin, ask You for Your forgiveness and repent, You will forgive me. Thank You for the assurance of Your grace and mercy. How much I need it. And please, Lord, fill my life with Your Spirit so that when I am tempted to sin, I can ask You to give me the strength to overcome the temptation!”

Prayer: Father, fill my mind with Your Word. Let it speak to my heart and then may my heart speak to You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 104:33-34 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.