Author: NBibens

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How do you respond to adversity? How do you handle hardship? If you were to lose everything and face poverty, what would you do? We might think the response to affliction and poverty would be misery and despair. But that doesn’t have to be the case. In 2 Corinthians 8, the Apostle Paul holds up Christians from Macedonia as a wonderful example. He says, “…in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” 

How did they respond to severe affliction? With abundant joy. How? They focused on helping others, not wallowing in their misery. How did they handle poverty? They were overwhelmingly generous. They didn’t cling to what precious little they had—they gave to others who were also in need. They remind us that our situations don’t define us. We can choose how to respond to life situations, even the hard ones, with joy and generosity. 

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Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 says, “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” 

Here Solomon gives a short plan for enjoying life. First, remember all good things are from God, and thus be thankful. Second, we should accept our lot—that is, be content. And third, we should find joy in our work. Work isn’t always fun, but if we have the ability and power to work, then we should be thankful and seek joy in productivity. 

If we will develop thankfulness, and contentment and always work in light of God’s blessings, we can find great joy. Many are busy seeking selfish gain, while others turn to laziness to seek joy. But the faithful follower of God can find joy in fruitful labor. 

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When things go bad, we often want someone to blame, even if we are the ones at fault. In Numbers 20, the Israelites came to a place in the wilderness without water. The people grew angry and said to Moses, “Why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”^[1] The people blamed Moses for their plight, but it was their fault! 

Had they obeyed God, they could have conquered Canaan and been living in a land flowing with milk and honey. Instead, they rebelled and were punished for 40 years. That wasn’t Moses’ fault. He hadn’t brought them to an evil place—they had made evil choices. When we encounter problems, instead of casting blame, we would do well to do some self-reflection first and see if perhaps we are the one who needs to change.

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^[1] Num. 20:5

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In Acts 18, we are introduced to Apollos. This man would become an important convert to Christianity and a powerful gospel preacher. In verse 24, Apollos is described as “mighty in the Scriptures.”^[1] That’s quite a compliment. What made Apollos mighty in the Scriptures?

Well, first, he knew the Scriptures. Some translations say that he was “well-versed” or “competent.” He had spent time reading, studying, and learning God’s Word. It’s impossible to be mighty in the Scriptures without putting forth the effort to learn them. But there was more to Apollos. 

He didn’t just know the Scriptures—he was passionate about discussing God’s Word with others. He wasn’t just an academic—he sought to help others by sharing God’s Word with them. And perhaps what made him mightiest of all is that he was correctible. When others explained God’s way more accurately, he humbly accepted the instruction and changed. Being mighty in the Scriptures means always being willing to learn and be corrected.

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^[1] LSB

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What is life? What makes life valuable and fulfilling? What does real life actually consist of? Well, there’s one thing life isn’t about—possessions. In Luke 12:15, Jesus says, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” That statement is true for both the poor and the rich. One translation renders Jesus’ words this way: “…for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 

It’s easy to think our lives would be better if we just had more. More money, more stuff, nicer stuff, and so on. Or if we are wealthy, it might be tempting to tie our value to our possessions. Jesus knows the strength of such temptation and thus warns us against covetousness. Whether we are rich, poor, or somewhere in between, we must remember that it is faithfulness to God, not our possessions, that brings value and meaning to life. 

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Do you ever feel tired and worn out? There are so many things that can wear us down. Sadly, we often let frivolous things consume our time and wear us down. But sometimes, even good and honorable things can become burdensome. Doing what is right and good can bring its own set of challenges. But instead of giving up on goodness, we need to cultivate an attitude that will empower us to persist. 

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” God knows that it isn’t always easy for us to do good. Sometimes, we are persecuted. Sometimes, we’re mocked. Other times, it seems fruitless, or maybe we feel alone trying to be faithful. Whatever might get us down, God says, “Don’t give up.” Reaping blessings for doing good isn’t just a wish—it’s a promise from God. So don’t give up, and don’t grow weary in doing good and following the Lord. 

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How would you describe your relationship with God’s Word? Are you a casual reader? Is it something you think about now and then but not consistently? Is it entirely ignored? Do you ever talk about Scripture with others?

The Apostle Paul sets a high standard but also demonstrates a goal worth striving for. Acts 18:5 says, “When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. ” Another translation renders that verse “…Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”^[1] What commitment! Paul gave the same devotion to the Word that most people give to their careers and livelihoods. True, Paul was an apostle. But in our own capacity, each of us can be absorbed with the Word. We can make studying Scripture a priority and sharing it a habit. 

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^[1] NET

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It’s natural to want to fit in. Standing out and being different can feel uncomfortable, unnerving, and maybe even dangerous. Perhaps one of our greatest temptations as Christians is simply the temptation to look like the world around us. We want to be faithful but don’t want people to think we’re different or weird. 

While being different can feel unnerving, a proper perspective reminds us that being different can also be a great honor. This is especially true in terms of faith. In Exodus 33, Moses pleaded with God to remain present with the nation of Israel. In verse 16, Moses says, “Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” Moses understood that to be distinct from the world was a blessing and a privilege. Never be ashamed of the great distinction of belonging to Christ. 

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In Mark 10:33-34, we read about Jesus telling His disciples of His impending death. He told them that in Jerusalem, He would be delivered to the Jewish leaders, be mocked, spit on, flogged, and killed, but then rise on the third day. The next thing Mark records is that James and John came to Jesus and asked Him to give them what they wanted: seats of honor in His kingdom. How rude! They’d ignored Jesus’ teaching, and right after hearing about Jesus’ sacrifice, they were concerned with personal honor. But do we make the same mistake?

Do we seek to serve and honor Christ, or are we seeking ways to get honor for ourselves? Is our faith a means of serving God or trying to get God to serve us? Are we humbled by the sacrifice of Christ or more concerned about our well-being? What do we want—Christ’s honor or our own?

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Luke 11 describes a time when a Pharisee was astonished that Jesus did not wash His hands before dinner. Jesus used this opportunity to rebuke the Pharisees for focusing on external rather than internal matters. 

We all understand the value of washing our hands. And of course, the Pharisees washed for ritualistic purposes as much as hygienic ones. And yet, this scene still teaches us an important lesson. 

Jesus knew the benefits of hand washing but also understood the greater importance of inward cleansing. Many today worry about clean food, good exercise, and natural medicine, yet ignore spiritual health. They eat natural and organic foods but rarely partake of the bread of life. They exercise rigorously but don’t discipline themselves for godliness. They seek natural medicine but never appear before the Great Physician. Health is important, but don’t fret over physical health while ignoring the much greater need to be spiritually well!