GOOD OPPORTUNITIES AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS

Daniel 1:1–2:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:1–3:5; Job 40:3–12 When Daniel is invited to dine at the king’s table—a great honor reserved for the favored (Dan 1:1–4)—he turns down the offer. Instead of eating food and wine fit for a king, Daniel and the other Israelites settle on a diet of vegetables and water (Dan 1:12). Daniel’s decision seems to contradict human nature. When a good situation comes along (like being invited to eat at the royal table), we often jump at the chance. Yet in doing so, we may fail to consider the ramifications. Daniel knows that eating at the king’s table means compromising Yahweh’s commands against eating certain foods. So when he’s offered a great opportunity, he is bold enough to say no and to offer an alternative (Dan 1:10–14). Daniel knows that God will provide for those who love Him. He also knows that being in God’s will is more important than anything else, even if it means facing opposition. Paul’s statement in 1 Thess 2:2 demonstrates that he understood this as well: “But after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi … we had the courage in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.” Opposition did not deter Paul from doing what was right in God’s eyes, just as it didn’t prevent Daniel from keeping God’s commands. When we’re faced with the promises of this world, how do we react? Do we boldly pursue money, fame, or power? Or do we deny these things for the sake of following God’s will? The purpose to which we’ve been called is too important to be set aside for things that will fade over time. We must be willing to face opposition boldly instead of pursuing what the world has to offer. Even when we have to depend on a miracle—as Daniel depended on God to keep him healthy when others were eating better food—we must make God’s will the priority. No matter how difficult it becomes, we have to seek God’s will. When we consider that our relationship with God is eternal, what matters is not the opinion of one king, but the opinion of the King of the universe. What opportunities do you have that are not God’s will? JOHN D. BARRY

CONSTANTLY IN PRAYER

Ezekiel 47:1–48:35; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10; Job 39:24–40:2 Desperate circumstances often dictate our prayers. We pray for others when they’re in need, or we thank God for others when they fill our needs. But how often do we thank God for the faith of those around us? When Paul writes to the believers in Thessalonica, he opens by saying, “We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention constantly in our prayers” (1 Thess 1:2). Paul and his disciples thank God for their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father” (1 Thess 1:3). Those who appear to be moving along well by our standards may be struggling in their faith. Other believers, just like us, go through ebbs and flows in their journey. It shouldn’t take a catastrophe for us to recognize their need for prayer. We can learn something from Paul, a church planter and disciple maker who was no doubt keenly aware of the growth and struggles of the believers he mentored. For those of us who are less observant, these struggles may simmer underneath our radar. We should stop and take notice of the faith journeys of the people around us—people in our churches, our schools, and our workplaces. For whom can you thank God today? Who needs your observant prayers today? REBECCA VAN NOORD

THE NEW JERUSALEM

Ezekiel 43:1–44:31; Revelation 21:9–27; Job 39:1–10 We are being made new. God is working in us now, and He will one day complete His work. Scripture speaks of the ultimate hope of this renewal: our reunion with God. For the first-century Jews, the new Jerusalem signified God once again dwelling with His people. In his revelation, John describes the relationship between God and His people when He completes His work in us: “Behold, the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will take up residence with them, and they will be his people and God himself will be with them. And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any longer, and mourning or wailing or pain will not exist any longer. The former things have passed away” (Rev 21:3–4). The Lamb of God has achieved this picture of new creation and dwelling in God’s presence. His light is present throughout the imagery: “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon, that they shine on it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23). Because of the Lamb’s sacrifice, the former things have passed away. God will make you completely new—free from sin, suffering, and pain. You are in transformation right now; He is shining His light in your life, exposing the darkness and separating it from the light. And someday you will stand before Him without fear of sin or pain or death or sorrow—a work of new creation. How are you, like the recipients of John’s revelation, living in expectation of being made new? How is God making you new today? What area of your life needs to reflect His work in you? REBECCA VAN NOORD

SHEPHERDING IS A TOUGH BUSINESS

Ezekiel 34:1–35:15; Revelation 17:1–18; Job 37:16–24 Leadership requires accountability, yet many leaders of the past considered themselves above rebuke. Even when their deeds failed to catch up to them in their own lifetimes, history judged them clearly. History often remembers and records people as they really are. And if history doesn’t recall the truth, God does. Ezekiel was firm in his rebuke of the leaders of his time—Yahweh commanded him to be: “And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock’ ” ’ ” (Ezek 34:1–3). During Ezekiel’s lifetime, the leaders of God’s people were not being leaders at all. They were looking out for themselves rather than the good of the people. The same is true of leaders in our own time. If absolute power corrupts absolutely, as John Dalberg-Acton remarked, than surely we are all at risk of losing our way. Rather than responding with dismay, we should determine to take right action and speak the truth. We must be people who seek God above ourselves. We must be people who put the needs of others before our own. We must want the glory of God among all people, above all things. We are all leading in one way or another, and others are watching us. That gives each of us an opportunity to lead by example. And any leader who is led by something other than God’s will ends up corrupt. Ezekiel’s criticism presents us an opportunity to change—to accept our rebuke and choose to live above reproach. Will we take it? How should you change your approach to leading others in light of Ezekiel’s rebuke? What needs to change for you to live above reproach? JOHN D. BARRY

MERCY AND JUDGMENT

Ezekiel 32:1–33:33; Revelation 16:1–21; Job 37:9–15 “God is judge,” we like to say—especially when someone is struggling with injustice. When we get to the book of Revelation, though, we might struggle to understand God’s judgment. Yet even as John describes God dispensing judgment, he emphasizes God’s righteousness and loving nature. He tells us we should not forget that God is a righteous judge. The Bible is unapologetic and straightforward when speaking about God’s judgment. This is especially true in Revelation. Here the judgment God exacts echoes the plagues that He sent on Pharaoh and Egypt in the book of Exodus—blood, darkness, fiery hail, and locusts. Although Pharaoh was given multiple opportunities to obey God’s request, he still chose his own way. By turning the bodies of water into blood, God spoke what Pharaoh should have realized: “By this you will know that I am Yahweh” (Exod 7:17). Revelation 16 pronounces God righteous not in spite of His judgment, but because of it (Rev 16:5). We might be tempted to question God’s judgment, but Revelation shows us that His judgment displays His righteousness. Revelation also shows God’s love for and protection of the saints—that His judgment is vengeance for their blood (Rev 16:6). Those who receive judgment in Revelation express fierce opposition to God in their blasphemy. They rebel even to the end: “And people were burned up by the great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give him glory” (Rev 16:9). When other judgments come, the responses are the same (see also Rev 16:11, 21). Nothing hints at repentance. God’s judgment is not arbitrary, and His willingness to show mercy is great. Throughout the Bible, we hear about His longsuffering nature and His mercy that extends to a thousand generations. When we speak of His judgment, we should not diminish His mercy. We should speak carefully about God as a righteous judge, but we should balance and outweigh these statements by speaking of His longsuffering nature and incredible love. How do you carefully weigh words about God’s judgment? REBECCA VAN NOORD

THE LAST PERSON YOU WOULD EXPECT

Ezekiel 26:1–27:36; Revelation 13:1–10; Job 36:13–23 Yahweh is capable of doing anything and everything He pleases. If He were not a good God, this would be deeply frightening, but considering His wonderful character, this is comforting. In Ezekiel 26:1–6, Yahweh describes the sins of Tyre and His plans against the powerful Phoenician city-state. The people of Tyre are arrogant. They do as they please, usually to the detriment of other people. Yahweh refuses to put up with this any longer. When He finally destroys Tyre, He does it through unexpected means: Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Neo-Babylonian empire from 605–562 BC. Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s cruel and ruthless nature, Yahweh uses him to enact punishment on Tyre (Ezek 26:7). Stories like this make me wonder how written prophecy would look today. How often would we see God use people without their realizing it? How many evil-hearted people have been used for a larger and better purpose? We’re never really certain how God is acting. We learn bits of information through prayer and the Bible, but only He knows what outcome He will produce. We know the trajectory—Christ’s full reign on earth and the admonishment of evil (e.g., the destruction of the beast in Rev 13:1–10)—but we don’t know precisely how that will play out. There is no easy answer to this perplexing question, but what is certain is that Yahweh will ultimately carry out His will in the world. And His will might come in unexpected ways. No one can know the mind of God but God Himself. So when we pray, let’s pray for the miracle, not for the means. How do you perceive God acting in your life and the lives of others? What miracle should you be praying for? JOHN D. BARRY

A WELCOME FRIEND

No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. HEBREWS 12:11 Evaluating a trial as a joyful occurrence is something a Christian must discipline himself to do, because joy is not the natural human response to troubles. He must make a conscious commitment to face each trial with a joyous attitude. Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he said to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice…. I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (4:4, 11). He had learned to be content and rejoice in the midst of trials. That’s not something that happens by accident. When you see a trial coming, take on an attitude of joy that comes from anticipating the perfecting work the Lord will do through it. We must have a decisive conviction that we are going to face trials with a joyful attitude. It is the joy of one who counts it a privilege to have his faith tested because he knows the testing will draw him closer to the Savior. Then a trial will become a welcome friend.