The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17
“But God is faithful.” 1Co 10:13
IT’S JUST PART OF LIFE’S JOURNEY (3)

Here’s a promise you can stand on when your world has been shaken: “But God is
faithful.” Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass
away” (Lk 21:33). In a world of uncertainty you can sing, “On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand.” Your job, your health, your relationships and your investments
are all “sinking sand.” But God’s faithfulness is as solid as a rock. He will be faithful
to you in the delivery room, in the operating room, in the nursing home, in the
unemployment line, in the criminal proceedings, and in the divorce court. The Psalmist
wrote: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of
the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall
strengthen your heart” (Ps 27:13-14 NKJV). Focusing on God’s faithfulness will keep
you from falling apart, giving up, having a nervous breakdown or losing your mind. Be
honest; hasn’t God been better to you than you’ve been to Him? Hasn’t He been faithful
when you’ve been unfaithful, and consistent when you’ve been inconsistent? “The gifts and
calling of God are without repentance” (Ro11:29). When God gives you a gift, He doesn’t
take it back. When He makes you a promise, He won’t break it. Even when Abraham died,
God remembered His promise and blessed his children down through the generations.
Why is this important to know? Because when you begin to see God’s faithfulness to you,
it will make you want to be faithful to Him.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 18
“He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”
1Co 10:13 NIV
IT’S JUST PART OF LIFE’S JOURNEY (4)

The Bible says, “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” You have
been tempered for the test! Like tempered steel or glass, certain additives have been
placed within you to increase your ability to stand up to the pressures life will throw at you.
The fact that you’ve been exposed to this level of testing is a sign that God has given you
the grace to handle it. He’s not going to let you escape this trial because He’s equipped
you to deal with it. So stop feeling sorry for yourself, or giving up, or saying you can’t take
it anymore.
Not everybody in a gym can handle the same level of weight because each is at a
different stage of development. But the trainer knows. He will push you to your limit, but
he will never add one weight more than you can carry. God is a good trainer and He’s
working according to a plan. He not only knows the right technique, He knows how much
weight needs to be added in order to get you to the next stage of development. He will
let you strain, shake, and sweat, but He won’t let you break. While you are focused on temporary
stuff like getting a better house or car or job, He has something entirely different
in mind: “We…are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord” (2Co 3:18 NIV). Once you understand this and line up your will with
God’s will, you’ll begin to appreciate what He’s doing and cooperate with Him.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19
“God…will…make a way of escape.” 1Co 10:13
IT’S JUST PART OF LIFE’S JOURNEY (5)

Look at the last part of this verse: “[God] will…make a way of escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.” Before the Army sends you into battle it first sends you to boot camp.
You’re up at dawn running miles with a heavy backpack, climbing over barricades,
crawling through mud with the sounds of gunfire all around you, taking orders from authority
figures you don’t like, who make you do stuff you don’t want to do. But when
you pass the test you get to wear the uniform and fight for your country. Now with that
picture in mind, reread these words: “But will with the temptation also make a way of
escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” The Living Bible says, “So that you can bear up
patiently against it.” God is looking for people who are able to bear up under training,
then go out and win the battle with the Enemy.
For every problem, God has a solution. But it may not be the solution you have in
mind! Satan’s strategy is to defeat you by wearing you down, so winning is not a matter
of escape but of endurance. Tenacious faith and commitment is one of the great themes
of Scripture. It’s also the secret of victory. When their prison doors miraculously opened,
Paul and Silas realized that God’s plan for them was not to escape but to stay there and
win the jailer and his family to Christ. Sometimes God’s “way of escape” is to keep you
where you are and use you to bring glory to His name.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20
“Catch…the little foxes that spoil the vines.” SS 2:15 NKJV
LITTLE FOXES

Michelangelo once sculpted a figure out of marble while a friend watched. Later his
friend went away on business and when he returned he said, “I see you haven’t
worked on your sculpture.” The great artist replied, “I’ve been working constantly on it
since you left.” His friend asked, “How’s that possible?” Michelangelo replied, “I’ve softened
a line here, straightened the lip there, defined the muscles more clearly, polished this
and sharpened that.” His friend said, “But those are trifles!” Michelangelo replied, “Trifles
they may be, but trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle!” Solomon writes,
“Catch…the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” One Bible
teacher put it this way: “Small things that seem unimportant can spoil ‘tender grapes,’ like
a relationship, a career, or a life dedicated to Christ. How many marriages fail because
spouses paid no attention to the little things? How many athletes lost competitions because
of tiny missteps? Many of us can see the big picture of our lives and our relationship with
God, but we neglect the details necessary for bringing it all into focus. We must attend to
‘trifles’ if we hope to succeed. As we act faithfully in the little things God will bless us with
greater opportunities. We’ll develop the faithfulness and obedience to conquer the great
issues in life.” Only when you’re faithful in small things will God entrust you with greater
things (See Mt 25:21). So, what “little foxes” do you need to catch today? Little resentments,
little habits, little areas of dishonesty? Nip them in the bud. Deal with them, and
watch how it changes your life.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 21
“The…years of abundance…came to an end.” Ge 41:53 NIV
HOW TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL SECURITY

The Bible says: “Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain…The seven years of abundance
in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph
had said. There was famine in all other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was
food” (vv.49-54 NIV). In his book Surviving Financial Meltdown, Ron Blue teaches us some
valuable principles for achieving financial security: (1) Think long-term. The longer term
your perspective, the better financial decisions you’ll make. Set goals in writing for the
future. Invest for the long term and worry less about short-term ups and downs in your investment
portfolio. (2) Spend less than you earn. To accomplish this you need to know
what you’re earning and what you’re spending. Make a spending plan (or, if we dare use
that loathed term, a budget). Monitor how you’re doing. Develop the self-control to avoid
overspending. If you consistently spend less than you earn over a long period of time,
you will do well financially. (3) Maintain emergency savings. A reserve set aside will help
you ride out the surprises life throws at you. You must spend less than you earn to build
savings. Savings will then help you avoid debt. These principles work together. (4) Minimize
the use of debt. Debt increases risk. It may allow you to do more and have more now, but
it will reduce your ability to have more in the future. These four financial principles are so
simple that they may easily be overlooked, yet they’ve stood the test of time.

MONDAY OCTOBER 22
“Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.” Php 2:3 TM
PLAYING THE LESSER PART

Frances Green was an elderly lady living on a pension. Every year she sent a dollar to
the Republican National Convention. One day she received an invitation to meet
President Reagan. Not realizing the RSVP should include a generous donation, she scraped
up every cent she had and took a four-day train ride across America. She slept sitting up
because she couldn’t afford a sleeper. When she arrived at the White House and found her
name wasn’t on the guest list, she was heartbroken. Overhearing her story, a Ford Motor
executive contacted a presidential aide and got clearance to give Frances a tour and introduce
her to the president the next day. But the following morning there was a military
uprising overseas and the president was in high-level meetings. When Frances showed
up at the White House the executive showed her around and walked her past the Oval
Office hoping she’d at least get a glimpse of the president. As they passed he looked up,
stood up from his desk and announced, “Frances! Those darn computers fouled up again!
If I’d known you were coming I’d have come out to get you myself!” The little woman
from California had nothing to give the president that day, but there was something he
could give her, so he made time in his busy schedule.
Paul says, “Don’t push your way to the front…Put yourself aside, and help others get
ahead.” In other words, be willing to play second fiddle. Remind yourself that God sees,
God evaluates, and God rewards. So, today go out of your way to help somebody.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 23
“We are labourers together.” 1Co 3:9
GROWING INTO LEADERSHIP (1)

Acartoon shows an executive sitting forlornly behind a big desk. Standing meekly on
the other side of the desk is a man dressed in work clothes who says, “If it’s any comfort
to you, it’s lonely at the bottom too.” The truth is, you’ll meet lonely people at the top,
on the bottom, and in the middle. Loneliness is not a positional problem, it’s a relational
one. The Bible says, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly” (Pr18:24 NKJV).
The saying, “It’s lonely at the top,” was never made by a great leader. Stop for a moment
and think about that. If you’re all alone, nobody is following you. And if nobody is following
you, you’re not really leading. What kind of leader would leave everyone behind?
An ineffective one. An insecure one. A dysfunctional one. Effective leadership is about
lifting people, not elevating yourself. And to lift people you must get close to them. As a
leader you must always remember these three things: (1) To have credibility, you must
make it to the top. Many folks are willing to give you advice on things they have never
experienced, but credibility comes from paying the price to achieve personal success.
(2) To have respect, you must acknowledge that you didn’t get to the top by yourself. Sir
Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest because he had the right team. You need one too.
(3) To have fulfillment, you must take others to the top with you. “We are labourers together.”
True success is shared success, and it only happens when you’re willing to invest in the lives
of others.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24
“I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings.”
Ro16:22 NLT
GROWING INTO LEADERSHIP (2)

Paul surrounded himself with people who were willing to lay down their lives for him
(See Ro16:3-4). Some of them are virtually unknown. Ever hear of Tertius? He recorded
Paul’s thoughts so we could read them. We all know about Timothy, but do you know
about Gaius? “He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church” (Ro16:23 NLT).
Many served in the shadows so Paul could work in the limelight. Sadly, when some leaders
arrive at the top they spend their time trying to push others off it. They play “king of
the hill” because of immaturity, insecurity and competitiveness. That may work for a time,
but it doesn’t last long. When your goal is to knock others down, your time and energy
are spent watching out for people you think would do the same to you. It’s a miserable
way to live, and it’s no fun for those who have to work with you. Jules Ormont said, “A
great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibilities.” If
you’re in a leadership position, don’t rely on your title to convince people to follow you.
Build relationships. Win people over. When you don’t love people, you’re only a few steps
away from manipulating them. When that happens you’ll have a high turnover. A few
years ago the three great tenors—José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti—
were performing together. When a reporter tried to find out if there was any rivalry among
the superstars, Domingo said, “No, you can’t be rivals when you’re together making music.”

THURSDAY OCTOBER 25
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me.” Ps 139:23 NLT
GROWING INTO LEADERSHIP (3)

In his Pogo cartoon strip, Walt Kelly said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” The
hardest person in the world to lead will always be yourself. Human nature seems to
endow us with the ability to size up everybody except ourselves. After having a victorious
Goliath experience, followed by a devastating Bathsheba experience, the Psalmist
wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life”
(vv.23-24 NLT). That’s a prayer you need to pray every day because we all have two
problems. What are they? (1) We don’t see ourselves as we see others. If we don’t look at
ourselves honestly and realistically, we will never understand where our personal difficulties
lie. And if we can’t see them, we won’t be able to lead ourselves effectively. It’s said
that Frederick the Great of Prussia met an old man who was walking ramrod straight in
the opposite direction. “Who are you?” Frederick asked. “I am a king,” replied the old man.
Frederick laughed. “Over what kingdom do you reign?” Proudly the old man replied, “Over
myself.” (2) We are harder on others than we are on ourselves. We judge others according
to their actions, while we tend to judge ourselves according to our intentions. When we
do the wrong thing, we let ourselves off the hook because we believe our motives were
good. And the problem is, we are usually willing to do that over and over before requiring
ourselves to change!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise
seek it out.” Pr 18:15 NIV
GROWING INTO LEADERSHIP (4)

The story’s told of two Irishmen out hunting, when one of them falls to the ground. He
doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy
whips out his cell phone and calls 911. Frantically, he tells the operator, “Paddy is dead!
What can I do?” The operator says, “Just take it easy. First let’s make sure he’s dead.” There
is silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line and says, “Okay,
he’s dead, now what?” When you are under pressure you can fail to hear what’s being
communicated, and the results can be fatal. So: (1) In order to lead people you must first
understand them. You must have insight into the human heart. Sensitivity toward the
hopes and dreams of people is essential for connecting with people and motivating them.
(2) Listening can keep problems from escalating. Good leaders are attentive to small issues.
They pay attention to their intuition. Not only do they listen to what’s being said, they
also hear what’s not being said. They are secure enough to ask for honest feedback, and
not become defensive when they receive it. (3) Listening establishes trust. Dr. David Burns,
Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine,
said, “The biggest mistake you can make in trying to talk convincingly, is to put your
highest priority in expressing your own ideas and feelings. What people really want is to
be listened to, respected, and understood. The moment they are, they become more
motivated to understand your point of view.”

SATURDAY OCTOBER 27
“Listen…and I will give you some advice.” Ex 18:19 NIV
GROWING INTO LEADERSHIP (5)

As a leader, it’s your job to see that things get done. But as the workload grows you
will have to find people with talents equal to the task; otherwise you will stop growing.
So what keeps us from seeking out the right people and delegating the right tasks to
them? (1) Past hurts: Somebody let us down so we’re reluctant to trust anybody. (2) Pride:
We don’t want to share the credit with others. (3) Perfectionism: We are not willing to be
put at risk while people with potential learn on the job, so our vision bottlenecks and
everything bogs down. Moses had this problem with Israel. Here’s how he solved it:
“Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who
come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle
it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice…You must be the people’s
representative before God and bring their disputes to him…But select capable men from
all the people…and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult
case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter,
because they will share it with you. If you do this…you will be able to stand the strain, and
all these people will go home satisfied.’ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything
he said” (vv.17-24 NIV). If you want to be a good leader, follow his example!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 28
“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” Ro 8:2
OVERCOMING OUR CARNAL NATURE

Paul addresses the daily battle that’s waged between our old nature and our new one:
“The power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions…I can will it, but I
can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I
do it anyway…Something…within me…gets the better of me every time. It happens so
regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that
delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve
tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do
anything for me?” (Ro 7:18-24 TM). If that sounds like a description of your life, read on:
“The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has…cleared the air, freeing you from a…
lifetime of…tyranny at the hands of sin and death” (Ro 8:2 TM). When you fly in an airplane
the law of aerodynamics overcomes the law of gravity by lifting you above it. And
Jesus does that for us. The “law of sin” can rule only if your flesh is alive. So the answer
is—die to self! That’s the tough part, for just when you think you’re dead your old nature
rises up again. Thank God, a new power is in operation, and the closer you live to Jesus
the more that power will work in your life.

MONDAY OCTOBER 29
“But Paul shook the snake off into the fire.” Ac 28:5 NIV
SHAKE IT OFF

The story’s told of a farmer whose mule fell into a well. Since he had no way to get him
out, he decided to bury him there. He got a truckload of dirt and dumped it on top of
the mule. But instead of lying down under it, the mule started kicking and snorting until
he worked his way to the top of it. This continued all afternoon. Truckload after truckload,
the mule just kept shaking it off and stepping on top of it. Finally when the dirt reached
the top of the well the mule just snorted and walked away, a dirtier but a wiser mule.
What was intended to bury him, just brought him out on top.
On his way to Rome Paul was shipwrecked on an island. As he was gathering
firewood a snake attached itself to his arm. What did he do? The Bible says he just “shook
it off.” There’s an important lesson for you in those two stories. You can either dwell on the
past, or shake it off and move toward the future God has planned for you. Paul, a man with
a past, writes about “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to
those things which are ahead” (Php 3:13 NKJV). Now, Paul didn’t forget his past, he just
shook it off and kept going. You say, “But I’ve failed so badly.” The Bible says, “[He] will
not remember your sins” (Isa 43:25 NAS). Sometimes forgiveness requires a healing
process, but until you make the decision to forgive yourself and others, and “shake it off,”
the process can’t even begin.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 30
“Bearing with one another.” Col 3:13 NAS
“AS IS”

Have you ever been in a discount store where merchandise is labeled “slightly irregular,”
or “purchase as is”? They don’t tell you where the flaw is. And once you buy it
you can’t return it. Well, in case you haven’t noticed, we all live in the “as is” department.
Stop and think about the people in your life. They’re a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses,
virtues and vices, right? If you’re looking for perfection, you’re in the wrong store.
What’s the point? It’s this: The only way to have a successful relationship with someone is
to love and accept them “as is.” Don’t buy into the myth that most folks are “normal” except
the ones in your life. Based on that idea, relationships are an endless quest to fix
others, control them, or pretend they are something they’re not. Thomas Merton said,
“Love is letting those we love be perfectly themselves, and not twisting them to fit our
own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we see in them.” A hallmark
of spiritual maturity is acknowledging that nobody is perfect, and committing to love them
in spite of it. Paul writes: “Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference
(a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as
the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so you must also [forgive]” (Col 3:13 AMP). To love
someone “as is” means to focus on their areas of strength and support them in their areas
of struggle. ”What about their flaws?” you say. “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1Pe 4:8
NLT).

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31
“Loose him, and let him go.” Jn 11:44
REDEEMED, RELEASED, AND REDIRECTED

When Jesus stood at his friend’s grave and said, “Lazarus, come forth,” His friend,
who’d been dead for four days, shuffled out, still bound from head to toe in grave
clothes. His grave clothes didn’t just fall off the minute Jesus spoke to him. No, he needed
someone to “loose him, and let him go.” There’s an important lesson here. When you accept
Christ, He changes you from the inside out. But certain experiences in your past can
slow you down, keep you bound spiritually, and determine how you see yourself. And
while the Holy Spirit does the initial work, transformation is a process—one that needs the
help of others. It doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. The Bible says, “If anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become
new” (2Co 5:17 NKJV). You’re “becoming”! When Jesus saves you it’s like emerging from
the tomb wrapped in the grave clothes of your past. What are those grave clothes? Negative
influences and thought patterns, low self-esteem, old habits, destructive relationships,
etc. That’s why God sends people to love you, help liberate you and release you into your
potential. It’s important that you identify these people and build your life around them. It’s
also why you need to develop an intimate relationship with God through prayer and Bible
reading. Through His Word, you get a true picture of how He views you. Through prayer,
you get to know His heart and begin seeing yourself through His eyes. When that happens,
you begin to live redeemed, released, and redirected.