Day 38: Giving Back

Reading: Psalm 18:43-50

God's faithfulness should be praised highly and worshipped. When God shows David His faithfulness and saves him from his enemies, David devotes Psalms to Him as praise, worship and thanksgiving. We are never deserving of God's grace or faithfulness, but He bestows His unconditional love and kindness anyways. We are to give back our lives in praise and thanksgiving to Him.


Reading: Matthew 25:14-46

Another way we give back to God's faithfulness is being faithful to Him. He blesses us with gifts and talents. Like the servants in the parable, we can take those gifts and resources and increase them by using them, or we can hide them and bury them for ourselves and lose them, like the servant who lost the silver given to him after disgracing his master. When God blesses you with the gift of music, join the praise team at your church. If He blesses you with the gift of teaching, help in children's ministry. If He gives you a passion to mentor youth, hang out with the youth group kids. Whatever you're good at, use it for God. Be faithful with the gifts He's given you.

Jesus goes into serving Him, in serving others. When we see the poor, the hungry, the lonely, the hurt- we are to care for them. Caring for them is caring for God and His children. If we fail to do this, we fail at what God has called us to do. Jesus even says that those who turn their backs on those in need, He will turn His back on them. Be faithful to Christ in serving those in need. He is all about love, and we are to follow that example.


Reading: Job 40:3-42:17

As we conclude Job's story, we read about God reassuring Job that He has plans beyond Job's understanding. He also praises Job for remaining faithful to Him throughout the hardships He's endured, and rebukes his friends for the lies they told about He and Job. Job remained faithful to God, giving Him control of his life, and never blaming Him for the trials he was put through.
God remains faithful to Job in doubling his fortune after all is said and done. Job is blessed for his faithfulness.


Are you giving back to God? We may face hardships and struggles as David and Job did, but we need to remember that God will be faithful to you, and we need to praise and thank Him for that. God has given us many gifts and resources and we need to give back to Him in those areas too. Don't let a day pass by that you don't thank and give back to God. We are undeserving of His grace, but He gives it to us unconditionally.

Day 37: The Unknowns

Reading: Psalm 18:37-42

When we face battles in life,mike David faced throughout his, we can trust that God will give us the strength we need when we need it. Though we do not know the hardships that lie ahead in life, it is best we don't. Instead of worrying about preparing ourselves for the hardships we know are coming, we take them as they come, trusting God to grant us our strength then. Though we may look at ourselves now and feel like we could never have the strength to take on hardships that come, we need to remember that God will supply us our needs as we need them. When we were kids, asking our parents for spending money for a trip we were going on, they never gave it to us weeks ahead of time. Smart parents waited until the day of the trip so we didn't lose our money. God's supply is similar. He gives us what we need right when we need it. David had this kind of faith in God when he faced trials, and we should follow the same suit.


Reading: Matthew 24:32-25:13

When Jesus is coming again is another unknown in our lives, like the coming of hardships in our lives like we discussed from Psalms. We know He is coming again, and He tells us to keep watch and be ready, but we don't know the time. There will be signs, like when summer comes each year. Being ready is important. Don't let your guard down, because He will come when we least expect it.
The parable shared about the ten virgins is an example of those who missed the opportunity, because they weren't prepared, compared to those who were prepared. This can apply to us and always being ready for Jesus' coming again. Make sure your heart is right and you're living alice for Him. He doesn't care what you've done, but where your heart is.


Reading: Job 38:1-40:2

Suffering is another unknown to us at times. When bad things happen to good people, the feeling is harsh. We see the troubles and suffering Job is put through, and God finally speaks after numerous conversations with unhelpful friends. God goes on and on about how He is all-knowing of those secret things that we as humans can never know, from the snowy storehouses of nature to the paths of lightning bolts. Suffering is much like those mysteries. God has extraordinary plans for our lives, and though we hit those bouts of suffering time after time, we need to trust in His plan and His work. We may never have answers to our sufferings, but God works through them to weave His master plan in our lives, and as a testimony to others around us. Just trust Him, and know He has a plan.


Here are many unknowns in life. When we hit those times, it is important to remember that God alone is our hope, trust and security. He will supply our needs and work in our lives.

Day 36: The Powerful Tongue

Reading: Proverbs 4:1-9

Words of Wisdom:
Words are powerful. They can tear down and they can grow. God's Word can grow our wisdom. When we devote ourselves to gaining wisdom from Him at all costs, we will be able to make wiser, smarter decisions in life. Proverbs is all about wisdom and the importance of getting it. When we strive to get wisdom, we get good judgment. Wisdom will protect you, guard you, and place honor on you. Just hear the powerful words of this Proverb. It is a blatant command to get wisdom and run at it at all costs.


Reading: Matthew 24:1-31

Word of Power:
God's Word is always true. Jesus states this as He is speaking to His disciples about the future of our world. Much of the description is unsettling and scary, but God's promises are true. We need to remember that God's Word is most true over all prophecies that are thrown at us. Jesus warns against false words about coming prophets and speculation, but reminds us to stay in tune with His Word. We need to cling to the love and the power His Word holds and keep following what it proclaims. Go and share His Word to all nations, informing the lost of His promises and salvation. The hope that comes with the Word of God always there. His love is with us, and we can never be separated from it. Jesus makes it very clear to hold tight to His truths, and to not fall for the false words of this world. The Word is living power. Use it.


Reading: Job 35:1-37:24

Empty, Hurtful Words:
Job has sure gotten the run around with his friends and their so called advice. Their words are empty and hurtful, offering no help to the situation. We may find ourselves attacked or spoken to with empty words filled with nothing but stirring up hurt and anger, the frustrations are almost endless.
One thing we need to keep in check are the words we use towards others. We may think we're speaking right words and offering sound advice, but your words may actually be hurtful and unhelpful. When Job is constantly attacked by his friends, when he is already down, is pretty discouraging. All our words should be out of love, as the basis of God's grace is love. Watch your tongue and make sure your words are our of love. It's one thing to direct out of love and concern, but it's a whole other story when your words are simply placing guilt and are attacking others. Keep your tongue in check and pray before you speak.


Words hold extreme power. They can hurt, hinder, love, grow, build up or tear down. God's Word is true, always. His promises are true. Watch your words, and cling to God's.

Day 35: Leadership Lifestyle

Reading: Psalm 18:25-36

We are all called to be leaders. No matter how introverted you are, just the example and life you live in front of others says a lot about what you believe in. In Psalms, we read how one lifestyle of a leader is to rely on God. David, a great leader, continually cries out to God for protection, strength, and guidance. As leaders, we need to make Christ our leader. He is the one we need to rely on for decisions we make, steps we take, and troubles we face. Follow David's example and make God your control center to your leadership, whether you're leading before crowds, or quietly on the side.


Reading: Matthew 23:1-39

The rant Jesus carries on about the Pharisees and religious leaders is quite a harsh one. This tells us just how much Jesus cares about the "practice what you preach" concept. He carries on about the traits a good leader should have and what these leaders don't carry.

Humility- As leaders, we must approach others with a sense of even ground. The "holier than thou" attitude doesn't cut it. We should never thrive on titles, promotions, awards, or positions. Instead, we need to put Jesus on the pedestal, and share the glory with Him. When we care about what people think of us, that's inward-focused. Humility is caring for others without getting recognition is the key to a good leader.

Integrity- What you do behind closed doors should always reflect what you teach and how you act in public and before the people you lead. When you teach, don't weigh others down with your words. Be sure they are building up. If you're putting words out to people that you can't even attempt to follow, you probably shouldn't. It's one thing to put a challenge out there that you, yourself knows you need to work on and try to, but it's a whole other to call others out on their areas that need work when you're not right there either.

Compassion - As leaders, we need a heart for people. Jesus shows us a huge example of this throughout His ministry. Be available to help people, not hinder them. Care about people.

Vision - The religious leaders attacked the petty problems. Jesus had a vision and mission. The narrow minds of the religious leaders distracted from the big picture. When we get too legalistic, we fail to see the true purpose of the mission. Carrying it out becomes almost impossible.

Generosity - Good leaders don't self-indulge. They give back. We need to let our hearts reflect what we portray on the outside.


Reading: Job 33:1-34:37

A good leader has tough critics. When you have an influence on people, some will take it hard and put in their "two cents" about your leadership. Job certainly had critics in his so called friends. Sometimes the toughest critics come from our friends or from people within our church family. If you are grounded well, you will know what to do with those opinions. Either take them or toss them.
Another perspective on this is to make sure you are being a good critic. Don't judge others superficially, like Job's friends do. Know their whole story, listen to it, take it into consideration, and then offer your advice. Remember that being a critic about something you can't even get right is definitely wrong. It's pretty hard to relate when you don't even know the correct model of something.


Leadership is an honorable and daunting task all in one. We are all leaders in our own way, whether it be up front, leading crowds of people, or subtly off to the side leading by example through your life and actions. Keep yourself in check when you're being that leader and example.

Day 34: Life's Victories

Reading: Psalm 18:16-24

God is our ultimate rescuer and causes great victories in our lives. David faces so many challenges, and has many enemies pursuing him. Can you imagine the relief he finally gets to feel after God rescues him from those enemies? We all have someone or something that irks us. Maybe people nag at you, or you have a job where all you hear is complaints all day long. Maybe you have a family member or coworker always on your case for no reason. Whatever your "enemy" may seem to be, cry out to God. If He can resume David from thousands of pursues out to kill him, you better believe that He can rescue you from your tormentors too. If you are currently in a peaceful place of life, thank Him for that peace!


Reading: Matthew 22:15-46

In this reading, we see how impressive Jesus is with dealing with the tricks and traps of the religious leaders. His wisdom comes into play here as He continually shuts down the traps set up for Him. As Christians, we can face some daunting questions from the critics and curious alike. Our best ammunition for these times is God's Word. Knowing scripture, and having it embedded into our lives won't guarantee we'll know all the answers every time (only God knows all), but it will be a good basis of understanding when we are put in a position to give a good, Biblical answer. Remember that it is ok the say that you don't know, but you'll look into it. It's not wrong to talk to a Pastor or a trustworthy fellow Christian about a question that arises. As a camp counselor, I faced all sorts of questions from kids from 5-18. Some were pretty deep, especially the ones from the Sr. High kids. But a blessing of working at a Bible camp was that I was surrounded by plenty of fellow staff members from all walks of faith who I could bounce questions off of and get good advice at handling questions and situations that arose. It's ok to not know all the time, but be sure to keep in the Word for reference. It's your best one to find victory in the traps and tricks.


Reading: Job 30:1-32:22

Job is very confident that he'll be found blameless before God. He knows the power of God, and refuses to have His wrath put upon him. Job lists off the things he has done right in, and we can sure take an example from Job in these matters:

- Stay Pure: In a world like ours, purity is not valued much anymore. In God's eyes, it is of greatest value. Don't copy what the culture says is ok, or what is happening on media. Copy what God says in this area.

- Dodge Materialism: This is yet anger big issue in our culture. Keeping up with the latest and greatest is a way of life in our country. But God says that it is all absolutely meaningless. Don't waste your time, energy and resources getting the newest gadgets and toys. Put it into something with eternal value.

- Love Enemies: This can be tough, especially after reading the Psalms passage we read today. The greatest revenge you can have on an enemy though is loving and being kind to them. Seems pretty backwards, but it will drive them crazy. God calls us to love our neighbors, and yep, our enemies are also our neighbors.
- Be Generous: One of the things God cares about most is giving to the poor and being generous to those in need. Don't hoard your resources, but take what you need and pass it along to someone else in need.

Following these few ideas will help you find victory in being a confident, blameless person.


Allow God to give you a victory.

Day 33: Most Intimate Friendship

Reading: Psalm 18:7-15

The presence of God is overpowering, whether you look at this Psalm literally or symbolically. When God shows up, the earth trembles - your earth trembles. The relationship with God we have is powerful and intimate. When God's love hits us, it's like a mighty wind. When God's anger comes out against things that are against love, like abuse, it's a feeling of His fist and wrath coming down. Though our lives are filled with other relationships, like family, friends, and loved ones, we need to remember that our relationship with God is even more intimate. He knows our thoughts, desires, dreams, fears and feelings. We see much of the intimacy of God as we read His Word, and specifically Psalms. Allow Him to have at intimacy with you as you spend time each day engaging in His Word and in prayer. Before long, you'll catch yourself in constant communication with Him throughout your day.


Reading: Matthew 21:33-22:14

The invitation to God's kingdom is a huge privilege. He invites us to be in an intimate, loving relationship with Him. We can either accept or reject that invitation. When Jesus is telling these parables to the crowds, He is directing them at the religious leaders. They refuse to take the invitation Jesus offers them. This invitation shouldn't be taken lightly. We are privileged to have the way that Jesus prepares for us to join Him in His Kingdom. If we refuse, we face eternal torment and separation from this wonderful relationship God has for us.


Reading: Job 25:1-29:25

The friendship concept in Job's story is a strong comparison of how much more intimate our relationship with God is compared to the relationships we carry with our earthly friends. We see Job's friends accuse him of things he didn't do, and Job is confident that God has his back because He knows what Job has done.
Job speaks of God's wonderful friendship in chapter 29. He reflects back on the times when he could truly feel the intimate friendship he had with God. Though now he feels like the relationship is far away, he puts forth that hope and trust that he'll feel it again. Job even speaks of how the importance of this friendship in how it brings upon wisdom that can't be bought or found anywhere else. Having that intimate relationship with Christ is how you can feel what He feels and apply it, like helping the poor and widows as Job did.


A relationship with Christ is not like any other. It is the most important friendship you could have that benefits for an eternity. Don't take His invitation lightly.

Day 32: Keep the Faith

Reading: Proverbs 3:21-35

Faith in God gives us true confidence. We may find confidence in things like sports, skills, looks and smarts, but ultimate confidence comes from The Lord. When we display a life of confidence, we gain wisdom from God, learning to apply His Words to our lives.
We find ultimate peace, trusting in Him to take care of us no matter what. When we sleep, we don't need to worry. We can have complete security in Christ no matter what our situations are. This goes for jobs, spouses, kids, and futures. When we have confidence in God, we trust in Him completely with everything.
Our faith and trust in God creates strong intimacy with Him. Could you imagine if you had a spouse you couldn't trust or have faith in? Or a friend you couldn't trust? What would happen to the intimacy of those relationships? The same concept goes with God. When we don't put our faith and trust in Him, it's hard to have a good relationship with Him.


Reading: Matthew 21:18-32

Making faith the center of your life can be a task. Jesus calls us to do this to have the best life now, and an eternal life with Him. He shows us ways of doing this throughout this reading. Great faith comes without doubt. To attain great faith, you must wipe away doubt. It sounds so simple, but it's a hard task. Jesus tells us though that we can wither fig trees and move mountains when we have great faith. Doubting is always the hard part.
Faith entails obedience. When we have faith, our actions will show it. When the religious leaders question Jesus' authority, they disobey by not believing in Him, even though they end up talking themselves into corners anyways! Jesus goes on to say that sinful people who have nothing to do with God in the first place are the ones who are more open to faith because they don't put their smarts and rituals in the way. Obedience is easier for them because they can see Jesus for Who He really is. Those with religious smarts assess too much and put their thoughts in the way. Truth is cancelled out by preconceived notions. This is very dangerous to faith.


Reading: Job 22:1-24:25

Faith in the middle of struggles is another tough element to life. We've all been there, or will be there someday. We see how Job handles his unending struggles and the accusations of his friends with faith. Though he says he searches for God and can't seem to find Him, he knows He's there, with great plans. Job knows his life and knows he's innocent in the eyes of God, even though his friends continue to accuse him of doing wrong, which led to his misfortune. Job knows God has a grand plan though, and he keeps the faith through the hardship and accusations. How easily could he have turned from God though.
The lesson we can take from this is to keep the faith in all of life's situations. The fires of life may hurt and burn us, but we come out stronger because of them when we keep the faith. Job shows this throughout his story. God may feel far away, but He is there through it all, asking you to trust Him. What you decide to do from there is what will form your character and faith.


Faith can be a daunting task. But when we hold on to it, it is beautiful. Let your actions speak about your faith, no matter your circumstance.