Daily Strength for Men E-Book

Chris Bolinger

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 643

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. Psalm 28:7 NIV Men face challenges to their faith at work and at home. Daily Strength for Men offers a daily dose of wisdom for men who seek to draw strength from God's Word. Each devotional covers two days, offering flexibility and freedom to contemplate the message in depth. You will find: - a reading that applies to your life - inspirational Bible verses from the Old Testament - contextual Bible passages and related Scriptures - questions for reflection and application, and - an uplifting prayer. Daily Strength for Men will equip you to walk faithfully with God—the source of your strength.

Leseprobe

Chris Bolinger has created an instrument that God will use to change men’s lives. Daily Strength for Men is a practical, powerful platform for leadership and life change. Nothing moves the heart of a man more than a deep dive into God’s Word, and each and every page of the material drives home that kind of intentionality. I highly recommend Daily Strength for every man, no matter what his particular season of life.

Dr. Craig Fry,former president, Christ Led Communities

If our hearts are the heart of the matter to God, men will find Daily Strength to be the spiritual omega-3 they need to heed the admonition in Proverbs 4:23 to “guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life” (ISV).

Doug Pollock,speaker and author of God Space

Daily Strength for Men will help the men in your church get spiritually healthy by pointing them to God’s Word every day.

Charles Arn,president of Church Growth, Inc., and author of Side Door

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

Daily Strength for Men: A 365-Day Devotional

Copyright © 2018 Chris Bolinger

978-1-4245-5753-0 (faux leather)

978-1-4245-5754-7 (ebook)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ISV are taken from the International Standard Version, Copyright © 1995–2014 by ISV Foundation. All rights reserved internationally. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked NRSVue are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright 2021, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Cover design by Chris Garborg at garborgdesign.com.

Typesetting by Katherine Lloyd at theDESKonline.com.

Printed in China

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Contents

Foreword

Introduction

January 1: Day 1: Created for You

January 2: Day 2

January 3: Day 1: “Let There Be Light”

January 4: Day 2

January 5: Day 1: The Image of God

January 6: Day 2

January 7: Day 1: Working to Thrive

January 8: Day 2

January 9: Day 1: A Perfect Match

January 10: Day 2

January 11: Day 1: Cleaving

January 12: Day 2

January 13: Day 1: The Promise of the Rainbow

January 14: Day 2

January 15: Day 1: Promising the Impossible

January 16: Day 2

January 17: Day 1: Haggling with God

January 18: Day 2

January 19: Day 1: Redeeming an Evil Act

January 20: Day 2

January 21: Day 1: God Comes Through

January 22: Day 2

January 23: Day 1: Smashing Tablets

January 24: Day 2

January 25: Day 1: Magic in Your Touch

January 26: Day 2

January 27: Day 1: Sibling Rivalry

January 28: Day 2

January 29: Day 1: Demanding a Benediction

January 30: Day 2

January 31: Day 1: Our Mighty Resources

February 1: Day 2

February 2: Day 1: Who’s Your Daddy?

February 3: Day 2

February 4: Day 1: God’s “Silence”

February 5: Day 2

February 6: Day 1: Courage Begins at Eighty

February 7: Day 2

February 8: Day 1: Four Promises

February 9: Day 2

February 10: Day 1: The Rock

February 11: Day 2

February 12: Day 1: A Pregame Pep Talk

February 13: Day 2

February 14: Day 1: Fear of Leading

February 15: Day 2

February 16: Day 1: Testing God’s Patience

February 17: Day 2

February 18: Day 1: With Great Power…

February 19: Day 2

February 20: Day 1: Leaving Home

February 21: Day 2

February 22: Day 1: Lance’s Rise and Fall

February 23: Day 2

February 24: Day 1: An Essay for Mr. Vernon

February 25: Day 2

February 26: Day 1: Sacrificial Love

February 27: Day 2

February 28: Day 1: A Part of the Plan

March 1: Day 2

March 2: Day 1: Doubting God

March 3: Day 2

March 4: Day 1: Not a Perfect Prophet

March 5: Day 2

March 6: Day 1: Having a Catch

March 7: Day 2

March 8: Day 1: God Is Good

March 9: Day 2

March 10: Day 1: Step by Step

March 11: Day 2

March 12: Day 1: When You’re Awake

March 13: Day 2

March 14: Day 1: Five Feet Nothing

March 15: Day 2

March 16: Day 1: Commanding Respect

March 17: Day 2

March 18: Day 1: Training to Win

March 19: Day 2

March 20: Day 1: Unlocking Joy

March 21: Day 2

March 22: Day 1: Esther’s Courage

March 23: Day 2

March 24: Day 1: Two Imposters

March 25: Day 2

March 26: Day 1: A Soprano’s Sweet Song

March 27: Day 2

March 28: Day 1: A Voice from a Whirlwind

March 29: Day 2

March 30: Day 1: With Friends like These…

March 31: Day 2

April 1: Day 1: Happy and Blessed

April 2: Day 2

April 3: Day 1: A Shield about Me

April 4: Day 2

April 5: Day 1: Richest Man in Town

April 6: Day 2

April 7: Day 1: Praising God in Uncertainty

April 8: Day 2

April 9: Day 1: A Little Lower

April 10: Day 2

April 11: Day 1: A Stronghold in Egypt

April 12: Day 2

April 13: Day 1: A Life Navigation App

April 14: Day 2

April 15: Day 1: The Apple of His Eye

April 16: Day 2

April 17: Day 1: Heroic Restraint

April 18: Day 2

April 19: Day 1: Nothing but Blue Skies

April 20: Day 2

April 21: Day 1: Moving to a New Pasture

April 22: Day 2

April 23: Day 1: Rod and Staff

April 24: Day 2

April 25: Day 1: The Pursuit of Sinners

April 26: Day 2

April 27: Day 1

April 28: Day 2

April 29: Day 1: Fearless Stephen

April 30: Day 2

May 1: Day 1: A Gentle Reminder

May 2: Day 2

May 3: Day 1: Offering Reassurance

May 4: Day 2

May 5: Day 1: A Prefight Blessing

May 6: Day 2

May 7: Day 1: Plenty and Famine

May 8: Day 2

May 9: Day 1: Wee Little Man in Jericho

May 10: Day 2

May 11: Day 1: Great and Good

May 12: Day 2

May 13: Day 1: Person to Person

May 14: Day 2

May 15: Day 1: Taste and See

May 16: Day 2

May 17: Day 1: You Are Opposed

May 18: Day 2

May 19: Day 1: The Desires of Your Heart

May 20: Day 2

May 21: Day 1: Stand Up Eight

May 22: Day 2

May 23: Day 1: The Patience of Joseph

May 24: Day 2

May 25: Day 1: A Mighty Fortress

May 26: Day 2

May 27: Day 1: It Is Well

May 28: Day 2

May 29: Day 1: In God We Trust

May 30: Day 2

May 31: Day 1: The Best Things in Life

June 1: Day 2

June 2: Day 1: (Good) News Flash!

June 3: Day 2

June 4: Day 1: Doubting Disciples

June 5: Day 2

June 6: Day 1: You Can Depend on Me

June 7: Day 2

June 8: Day 1: A Rock Becomes a Failure

June 9: Day 2

June 10: Day 1: A German Requiem

June 11: Day 2

June 12: Day 1: Groundhog Day

June 13: Day 2

June 14: Day 1: Forgiving Every Penny

June 15: Day 2

June 16: Day 1: Marvelous Things

June 17: Day 2

June 18: Day 1: A Joyful Noise

June 19: Day 2

June 20: Day 1: Forever

June 21: Day 2

June 22: Day 1: Field of Peace

June 23: Day 2

June 24: Day 1: Schindler’s Pit

June 25: Day 2

June 26: Day 1: A Spiritual Diet

June 27: Day 2

June 28: Day 1: Fighting for Justice

June 29: Day 2

June 30: Day 1: To Infinity and Beyond

July 1: Day 2

July 2: Day 1: Running Away Naked

July 3: Day 2

July 4: Day 1: Introverts Unite!

July 5: Day 2

July 6: Day 1: Drinking like Dogs

July 7: Day 2

July 8: Day 1: Salvation on a Mountain

July 9: Day 2

July 10: Day 1: Redemption in Hickory

July 11: Day 2

July 12: Day 1: Sword of the Spirit

July 13: Day 2

July 14: Day 1: The Bible’s Knuckleheads

July 15: Day 2

July 16: Day 1: Good News for the Simple

July 17: Day 2

July 18: Day 1: Smelling the Color Nine

July 19: Day 2

July 20: Day 1: Special Agent

July 21: Day 2

July 22: Day 1: A Wonderful Life

July 23: Day 2

July 24: Day 1: Steadfast and Plentiful

July 25: Day 2

July 26: Day 1: Knitted Together

July 27: Day 2

July 28: Day 1: Lift Up Your Voice in Praise

July 29: Day 2

July 30: Day 1: A City under Siege

July 31: Day 2

August 1: Day 1: Bigger Than the Boogie Man

August 2: Day 2

August 3: Day 1: Lord, Have Mercy

August 4: Day 2

August 5: Day 1: Unbroken in Christ

August 6: Day 2

August 7: Day 1: A Dazzling Adornment

August 8: Day 2

August 9: Day 1: Risking the Den

August 10: Day 2

August 11: Day 1: The Value of Wisdom

August 12: Day 2

August 13: Day 1: Peace on the Battlefield

August 14: Day 2

August 15: Day 1: The Trust of Ananias

August 16: Day 2

August 17: Day 1: Still Standing after Fifteen

August 18: Day 2

August 19: Day 1: The Wisdom of Hazel

August 20: Day 2

August 21: Day 1: Shading Our Eyes

August 22: Day 2

August 23: Day 1: Surprise!

August 24: Day 2

August 25: Day 1: A Straight-A Student

August 26: Day 2

August 27: Day 1: Keeping Your Hands Clean

August 28: Day 2

August 29: Day 1: A Good Neighbor

August 30: Day 2

August 31: Day 1: Rotting Bones

September 1: Day 2

September 2: Day 1: My Dog’s Better

September 3: Day 2

September 4: Day 1: The First Evangelist

September 5: Day 2

September 6: Day 1: What’s in a Name?

September 7: Day 2

September 8: Day 1: Sharpen His Saw

September 9: Day 2

September 10: Day 1: Turn, Turn, Turn

September 11: Day 2

September 12: Day 1: Beauty at the Well

September 13: Day 2

September 14: Day 1: Songs or Tales

September 15: Day 2

September 16: Day 1: A Tenacious Center

September 17: Day 2

September 18: Day 1: An Unspectacular Life

September 19: Day 2

September 20: Day 1: The Power That Heals

September 21: Day 2

September 22: Day 1: 700 Years in the Making

September 23: Day 2

September 24: Day 1: Lighting the Darkness

September 25: Day 2

September 26: Day 1: At the Back of the Stage

September 27: Day 2

September 28: Day 1: Just off Red Square

September 29: Day 2

September 30: Day 1: The Wild Man

October 1: Day 2

October 2: Day 1: The Rolling Thunder

October 3: Day 2

October 4: Day 1: Perfect Peace for “Pistol”

October 5: Day 2

October 6: Day 1: The Rock of Ages

October 7: Day 2

October 8: Day 1: Waiting for God

October 9: Day 2

October 10: Day 1: The Crooked Straight

October 11: Day 2

October 12: Day 1: The Forgotten Part

October 13: Day 2

October 14: Day 1: Extra! Extra!

October 15: Day 2

October 16: Day 1: The Value of Strength

October 17: Day 2

October 18: Day 1: No More Weariness

October 19: Day 2

October 20: Day 1: A Firm Foundation

October 21: Day 2

October 22: Day 1: 450 vs. 1

October 23: Day 2

October 24: Day 1: A Nu Thang

October 25: Day 2

October 26: Day 1: Overblown?

October 27: Day 2

October 28: Day 1: Like a Flint

October 29: Day 2

October 30: Day 1: Falsely Accused

October 31: Day 2

November 1: Day 1: Not a Beast

November 2: Day 2

November 3: Day 1: Amazing Love!

November 4: Day 2

November 5: Day 1: Paul the Sheep

November 6: Day 2

November 7: Day 1: No Separation

November 8: Day 2

November 9: Day 1: Are You the One?

November 10: Day 2

November 11: Day 1: Feeling God’s Pleasure

November 12: Day 2

November 13: Day 1: Back in Kindergarten

November 14: Day 2

November 15: Day 1: Healing in the Dark

November 16: Day 2

November 17: Day 1: The Good Old Days

November 18: Day 2

November 19: Day 1: The Master Planner

November 20: Day 2

November 21: Day 1: The One Thing

November 22: Day 2

November 23: Day 1: The Gift of Today

November 24: Day 2

November 25: Day 1: Perseverance

November 26: Day 2

November 27: Day 1: Minute by Minute

November 28: Day 2

November 29: Day 1: Your True Name

November 30: Day 2

December 1: Day 1: From a Birmingham Jail

December 2: Day 2

December 3: Day 1: New and Improved

December 4: Day 2

December 5: Day 1: Extravagant Grace

December 6: Day 2

December 7: Day 1: Fallow Ground

December 8: Day 2

December 9: Day 1: A Better Man

December 10: Day 2

December 11: Day 1: Trusting and Obeying

December 12: Day 2

December 13: Day 1: Good Fortune

December 14: Day 2

December 15: Day 1: Shameful Joy

December 16: Day 2

December 17: Day 1: In the Belly

December 18: Day 2

December 19: Day 1: Crushing Your Sins

December 20: Day 2

December 21: Day 1: No More Mr. Nice Guy

December 22: Day 2

December 23: Day 1: Pay-It-Forward Joy

December 24: Day 2

December 25: Day 1: From a Distance

December 26: Day 2

December 27: Day 1: Your Glory Days

December 28: Day 2

December 29: Day 1: Shouting at Jesus

December 30: Day 2

December 31: Day 1: Whole Again

Endnotes

About the Author

FOREWORD

By David Murrow

Spending consistent time in the Bible can literally turn your life around. Research indicates that men who engage with the Bible at least four times a week are

57 percent less likely to abuse alcohol,

68 percent less likely to stray from their marriage vows,

61 percent less likely to view pornography, and

74 percent less likely to gamble.

These men are also

more than twice as likely to share their faith and disciple others and

more than four times as likely to memorize Scripture.

Obviously, the Bible is good for men. But how do we get men to read it? Chris Bolinger has written a devotional that guides men into God’s Word. Daily Strength for Men is unique in three ways:

Whereas most devotionals give readers a new passage each day,

Daily Strength for Men

camps out on a single passage for two days. Men read the same passage twice, which gives the “seed” a greater chance to take root in their hearts.

Bolinger mixes things up by focusing on devotions and prayer one day and Scripture reading and application the next. I appreciate the variety this brings to my devotional time.

Daily Strength for Men

is drawn completely from the Old Testament. Bolinger mines these “forgotten books” and introduces men to the riches they can find there.

One more thing: I’m a bit of an odd duck. Most men read their devotions in the morning, but I’ve always been a Bible-before-bed kinda guy. I’ve found these devotions make great evening reading and serve as a guide for my bedtime prayers.

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I have.

David Murrow,director of Church for Menand author of Why Men Hate Going to Church

INTRODUCTION

It was early on a cold Ohio morning in December, and I was meeting with my Christ Led Communities (CLC) brothers as I did every Friday. We studied the Bible, shared our lives in our prayer requests and our discussions, and encouraged each other, often citing passages of Scripture. I had come to rely on the strength that I drew from these men, strength that I couldn’t seem to get on my own. CLC stresses the importance of having a daily quiet time, but I had found it difficult to get much out of my own Bible readings, and my devotions had been inconsistent at best.

As I left that December meeting, I decided to find a devotional that would give me a daily shot of strength from God’s Word. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to be challenged to go further in my walk with Christ. I wanted stories of men who had overcome obstacles, who had kept their faith under pressure. And I wanted encouragement because I felt discouraged by the weight of the challenges and stress in my life and the lives of my friends and family members. After my two-month search for a devotional came up empty, I decided to write my own. I started by listing Bible verses that I found encouraging. Once I had a good set of those, I considered how each verse struck me. Sometimes, a verse made me think of a person who had impacted me. Other times, a verse made me think of a film, a song, or a story.

My notes became devotions. After a few months of work, I stopped to see where I was and discovered two things. First, every verse that I had used was from the Old Testament, thirty-nine books on which I and many other Christian men generally focus little attention. Second, even though I had written the devotions, each still made me stop and think about how I could apply the verse to my life.

I decided each verse needed two days of treatment. The first day would be my thoughts. The second day would include Scripture passages for context and enrichment and questions for reflection and application.

The result is Daily Strength for Men. I pray that it strengthens you and brings you closer to God, the source of our strength.

Check out DAILYSTRENGTHFORMEN.COM for additional resources, including a toolkit, which will help you get the most out of this devotional.

January 1

Day 1

Created for You

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

GENESIS 1:1

When you read the first verse in the Bible, do you ask why? Why did God create the heavens? Why did God create the earth? The answer to these “why” questions will astound you.

For decades, or even centuries, scientists have told us that there is nothing special about the earth. After all, there are one hundred billion galaxies in the universe and one hundred billion stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Orbiting around many of these stars are planets.1 Our planet, therefore, is just one of trillions and trillions of planets in the universe. If there is intelligent life on our planet, then there has to be intelligent life on other planets. In fact, the universe must be teeming with intelligent life. Earth is insignificant. We, the intelligent inhabitants of earth, are insignificant.

In an interview with journalist and author Lee Strobel, Dr. Guillermo Gonzales, who earned his PhD in astronomy at the University of Washington, painted a very different picture of our home planet:

We’ve found that our location in the universe, in our galaxy, in our solar system, as well as such things as the size and rotation of the Earth, the mass of the moon and sun and so forth—a whole range of factors— conspire together in an amazing way to make Earth a habitable planet. And even beyond that, we’ve found that the very same conditions that allow for intelligent life on Earth also make it strangely well-suited for viewing and analyzing the universe.2

Dr. Jay Wesley Richards, who coauthored the book The Privileged Planet with Gonzales, told Strobel, “We suspect this is not an accident. In fact, we raise the question of whether the universe has been literally designed for discovery.”3

God created the heavens and the earth for us, the people of earth. He did it so that we could live and, just as importantly, so that we could study and appreciate every aspect of his creation.

January 2

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 1:1–2, 26–28 NRSVue

When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters…Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

Related Passage—Isaiah 45:18–19 NIV

For this is what the LORD says—he who created the heavens, he is God;he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it;he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says:“I am the LORD, and there is no other.I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness;I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.”

Questions for Reflection and Application

Why did God create you?

How do the verse, the passages, and the devotion change your views of God? Of yourself?

How do you demonstrate, to God and others, that you are a special creation, important to God? What are two changes you can make in your approach to life to show more honor to your Creator?

Who are three people whom you can influence, through your words and actions, to realize that they, like you, are creations of a loving God?

Father, thank you for not only the “what” of creation but also the “why.” Amen.

January 3

Day 1

“Let There Be Light”

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

GENESIS 1:3 NRSVUE

The first time that God spoke in the Bible, it was to create light. Light is essential to life. In the process of photosynthesis, green plants absorb energy from light and use this absorbed light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates feed the cells of the plant, thereby enabling the plant to live and grow. As a by-product of photosynthesis, plants give off oxygen, which people and animals need to survive.

Light, of course, is also essential to seeing. Of the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—sight is dominant. Research suggests that we perceive more than 80 percent of all impressions through our sight.4

In chapter 8 of the gospel of John, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (v. 12). That life is not just life in heaven after we die but fullness of life here on earth. Many other Bible verses mention light. In fact, the word light appears over 250 times in the Bible. Some verses that discuss light are:

The L

ORD

is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:2)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

God gave us light so that we can live. He gave us the light of Christ so that we can understand and appreciate his goodness. In everything.

January 4

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 1:3–5 NRSVue

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Related Passage—John 1:1–10 NASB

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him.

Questions for Reflection and Application

Why do you think that John refers to life as “the light of men”? Why does he refer to Jesus as the “true light”?

Do you take the benefits of sunlight for granted? What are some other things that you take for granted?

What strength can you draw from the reminder that God created everything, including light, without which there would be no life on earth?

How is God calling you to live differently starting today?

God, you are the maker of light, and, like light, you are essential in my life. Amen.

January 5

Day 1

The Image of God

God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

GENESIS 1:27 NRSVUE

What does it mean to be made in the image of God? In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the fourth definition of the word image (“exact likeness or semblance”) uses Genesis 1:27 as the example of the definition. So being made in the image of God means being made in the exact likeness or semblance of God. The Hebrew root of the Latin phrase for image of God, imago Dei, means “shadow or likeness of God.”

The word semblance usually refers to external appearance, but the Bible tells us that no one has seen God (Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; and 1 John 4:12). When he spoke to the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4), Jesus said that “God is spirit” (v. 24), and a spirit does not have physical attributes. The attributes of God that we bear, therefore, must be unseen qualities of God. In his book About You: Fully Human, Fully Alive, author Dick Staub lists some of those qualities:

Creative

: Every person has the desire and ability to make things.

Spiritual

: Every person has a spiritual nature that, while unseen, is just as real as our physical nature.

Communicative

: God spoke creation into existence, and our ability to communicate reflects God’s ability to communicate.

Intelligent

: Just as God has a logical, orderly mind, each of us has a mind that enables us to think and learn.

Relational

: In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let us make man in our image.” This reveals a relational interaction in the very nature of God. We were created for relationship because “it is not good that the man should be alone” (2:18).

Morally responsible

: Just as there are natural laws that govern the universe, universal moral laws govern human behavior, and these laws are written on our hearts.

5

You are created in the image of a creative, spiritual, communicative, intelligent, relational, and moral God.

January 6

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 1:24–28, 31 NRSVue

God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”…God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Questions for Reflection and Application

Why did God make you in his image?

What are some of your creative qualities? Relational qualities? How do these reflect the image of God?

Do you think of yourself as a spiritual being? How are you strengthening that aspect of yourself?

When are you most effective at communicating? Verbally or in writing? One-on-one or in a large group? Through music? Through visual arts? Do you leverage your communication strengths when you communicate with God?

Do other people see you reflecting God’s image? What are some things you can do to make that happen more often?

Father, thank you for making me a beautiful creation by bestowing upon me your qualities. Amen.

January 7

Day 1

Working to Thrive

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

GENESIS 1:31 NRSVUE

During the six days of creation recorded in the first chapter of Genesis, God created, reflected on what he had just created, and saw that each created thing was “good.” The last thing that God created was people. After creating us, God reflected on his entire creation and saw that it was “very good.”

We are the pinnacle of God’s creation. God created the earth for us so that we would not only survive but also thrive here. Thriving, however, requires effort on our part. It requires work. This is clear from what happened right after God created us.

God gave us a mandate to “fill the earth and subdue it” by exercising our dominion over all the animals (v. 28). God created the earth for us to have everything that we need, but nature can be wild, harsh, and unforgiving. Unless we subdue the earth, we may not thrive or even survive.

Even though God put Adam and Eve in a paradise called the garden of Eden, he instructed them to work or cultivate it and to keep or preserve it. The garden had every tree that was good for food and, even with no effort by Adam and Eve, the garden probably could have sustained Adam and Eve and their children for years and years. So why did God instruct them to cultivate it? God foresaw that Adam and Eve would sin, so their farming efforts in the garden would serve as good training for farming in less hospitable places in the future.

Just as God created the earth for us, he created work for us so that we would maintain the earth for our benefit and for the benefit of the other created beings who share the earth with us. We are not supposed to endure work but to enjoy it. Work is a good gift from a very good God. He’s the best boss you’ll ever have.

January 8

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 1:28–31 NRSVue

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Related Passage—Genesis 2:15–17 NRSVue

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

Questions for Reflection and Application

Why did God want people to fill the earth and subdue it?

Why did God make Adam work the garden of Eden and keep it? Wouldn’t the garden have thrived without Adam’s efforts?

Do you feel that you are working to thrive or working to survive? If the latter, then what do you need to do to change your perspective on the work that you are doing?

Do you think that you will work in heaven? If so, then what kind of work will you do? How are you training for that work now? How should you be?

Father, let my hands produce good work, glorifying the one whose work is good. Amen.

January 9

Day 1

A Perfect Match

The LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.”

GENESIS 2:18 NRSVUE

Adam began his life in a paradise. The temperature was perfect. There was “every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” (v. 9). There were animals galore, and none was a threat because, according to the first chapter of Genesis, all animals were vegetarians.

There was just one thing missing: a “helper” who was “fit” for Adam.

The Hebrew word translated as “helper” in this verse is ezer.6 While we may think of a “helper” as someone who is subordinate or inferior to the one helped, the word ezer in the Hebrew Bible is used only in reference to a superior or an equal. Nearly all uses of the word are in reference to God in his role as savior, rescuer, or protector.

The Hebrew word translated as “fit” is kenegdo. Its meaning is not entirely clear, primarily because it is not used elsewhere in the Bible. When it is used in rabbinic texts, it applies to things that are like one another, so it means “similar.” It also can mean “according to,” “corresponding to,” or “suitable for,” as in an appropriate or complementary match.

Adam was created for relationship, but there was no being with whom he could have a suitable relationship. He needed someone who could rescue him from his life of solitude and complete him. Someone who was different but equal. Someone who had strengths where he had weaknesses and weaknesses where he had strengths. His ideal complement.

That someone was Eve. Like Adam, she was created in God’s image (1:27). She was of the same “kind” as Adam. Just as she completed Adam, he completed her. When Adam laid eyes on Eve for the first time, he was overjoyed: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (2:23).

It was the perfect match. A match made in heaven.

January 10

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 2:18–23 NRSVue

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”

Questions for Reflection and Application

In general, what are the primary strengths of men? How do these strengths “fill in the gaps” for women and help women overcome their weaknesses?

In general, what are the primary weaknesses of men? What strengths do women possess that “fill in the gaps” for men and help men overcome their weaknesses?

If you are married, then what are some areas where you can do a better job of being your wife’s

ezer

, or helper? How can you make the team of your wife and you stronger and more effective?

If you are not married, then what qualities would make a woman your ideal

ezer

? How can you determine if a woman possesses those qualities?

Father, I appreciate the order you have placed in creation, primarily in relationships. Amen.

January 11

Day 1

Cleaving

“A man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

GENESIS 2:24 NRSVUE

The Hebrew verb dabaq, here translated as “hold fast,” can also be translated as “cling” or “cleave.” The latter term is one that we don’t use much these days, but because “cleave” rhymes with “leave,” you may hear this verse referred to as the “leave and cleave” verse. What does it mean for a man to hold fast or cling to his wife? It certainly can make for an interesting mental picture!

Let’s take a closer look at the Hebrew verb dabaq, which is used in fifty-two other Old Testament verses. Here are some examples (with the translation of dabaq in italics):

“You shall fear the L

ORD

your God. You shall serve him and

hold fast

to him, and by his name you shall swear.” (Deuteronomy 10:20)

“You shall

cling

to the L

ORD

your God just as you have done to this day.” (Joshua 23:8)

“Do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but

keep close

to my young women.” (Ruth 2:8)

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue

sticks

to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. (Psalm 22:15)

My soul

clings

to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8)

I

cling

to your testimonies, O L

ORD

; let me not be put to shame! (Psalm 119:31)

Sometimes holding fast or clinging is almost involuntary. At other times, it requires a decision or act of will. That certainly is true in marriage. Sometimes you are drawn to your wife and have a deep longing for the unity that comes only in marriage. At other times, holding fast to your wife requires a significant effort to drown out the din of voices telling you to leave.

There is beauty in all types of holding fast, from magnetic attraction to staying together because of a vow. In the end, it doesn’t matter why you cleave—only that you do.

January 12

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 2:21–25 NRSVue

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Related Passage—Matthew 19:3–8 NRSVue

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.”

Questions for Reflection and Application

What does it mean for a husband to cleave to his wife?

Other than his father and mother, what are some other things that a man must leave so that he can cleave to his wife? If you are married, have you left all those things completely? If not, what steps can you take to leave them?

What are some of the reasons that Christian couples give for why they get divorced? Do you think these reasons are valid? Why or why not?

What are three things that you can do to strengthen your marriage or, if you are not married, to strengthen the marriages of those closest to you?

Father, even when I feel like leaving, help me to hold on. Amen.

January 13

Day 1

The Promise of the Rainbow

“When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

GENESIS 9:14–15 NRSVUE

Chapter 6 of Genesis records the fact that because people everywhere were hopelessly wicked, God decided to destroy “all flesh” through “a flood of waters upon the earth” (6:17). Only one man, Noah, found favor with God, and so God decided to spare Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sons’ wives. To protect Noah’s family and every species of land animal from the flood that was to come, God instructed Noah to build a massive ark (450 x 75 x 45 feet or 137 x 22.8 x 13.7 meters)7 with three decks, a roof, and one door.

It took Noah and his family at least several decades to build the ark. When the task was finally complete, with Noah and his family and all the animals onboard, God shut the ark’s door and unleashed the flood. The “fountains of the great deep burst forth” (7:11), and rain fell for forty days and forty nights.

After the rain stopped, it took another 110 days before the waters subsided enough for the ark to come to rest “on the mountains of Ararat” (8:4). It took over seven additional months before the inhabitants of the ark were able to leave the ark and find homes on dry land.

It had been over a year since the flood began. God knew that Noah and his family were not just overwhelmed but also terrified. So God made them a promise: there would never be another flood that would destroy the earth. The sign of that promise was a rainbow. The next time you see a rainbow, think about the promise that God made to Noah and his family and the promises that God has made to you.

God keeps his promises.

January 14

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 9:1, 8–16 NRSVue

God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”…Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Questions for Reflection and Application

Does the flood seem out of character for God? Why or why not?

Have you ever seen something that you knew was a clear sign from God? If so, what was it? If not, do you think that you have missed signals from God, or do you think that God has not given you a sign?

What promises has God made to you? What evidence do you have that God keeps the promises that he makes to you?

In what situations is it difficult for you to feel that God is looking out for you? What should you do in those situations?

God, whether I’m in a flood or under a rainbow, help me to remember that you keep your promises always. Amen.

January 15

Day 1

Promising the Impossible

He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the LORD, and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.

GENESIS 15:5–6 NRSVUE

Have you ever been in a rural area or on a ship—anywhere far from city lights—and looked up at the sky on a clear night? How many stars could you see? Could you count them all? Probably not.

In Genesis 15, God’s message to Abraham—then called Abram—was clear: you’ll have more descendants, or offspring, than you can count. But Abraham had no children. And he and his wife, Sarah—then called Sarai—were getting old. Really old.

Abraham was seventy-five the first time God promised him that he would be the father of “a great nation” (12:2). Now when God reassured him by showing him the stars, he was eighty-five. Sarah was ten years younger. The couple had tried for decades to have a child. It was clear that even if Sarah were not past her childbearing years, she was barren.

Yet Abraham believed God. Soon after that, Sarah convinced Abraham that because she was barren, he should have a child through her servant Hagar. He listened, and Hagar bore a son, Ishmael. When Abraham was ninety-nine, however, God announced that the chosen son was not Ishmael but Isaac, whom Sarah would bear in the next year.

Abraham laughed at the news. And when it was repeated where Sarah could hear it, she laughed too. God knew they would laugh. That’s why God said that their son should be named Isaac, which means “laughter.”

Sometimes God promises the impossible. He knows that we will find it difficult to believe and trust that he will deliver. When Sarah laughed, God responded, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (18:14). The word translated as “hard” also may be translated as “wonderful.”

Is anything too wonderful for God? He keeps his promises—even the impossible ones.

January 16

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 15:1–6 NRSVue

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O LORD God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the LORD came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the LORD, and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Related Passage—Romans 4:18, 20–25 NASB

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”…Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.

Questions for Reflection and Application

What promises has God made to you in the Bible? Think of three such promises that seem completely outlandish. Why does it seem ridiculous that God would keep those promises?

Has God made you any promises outside of those recorded in the Bible? If so, what were they?

Has God kept all the promises that he has made to you, or are you still waiting for some of them? How does it feel to wait? Do you ever doubt that God will come through?

What do you have to do for God to fulfill the promises that he has made to you?

Father, I acknowledge that no task is impossible when I place it in your hands. Amen.

January 17

Day 1

Haggling with God

He said, “Oh, do not let my lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

GENESIS 18:32 NRSVUE

Haggling. Some people are really good at it. They always appear willing to walk away from the deal if it’s not to their liking, and they never let the other party know their bottom line.

As recorded in Genesis 18, God decided that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that the two cities must be destroyed. The problem for Abraham was that his nephew, Lot, and Lot’s family lived in Sodom. So Abraham decided to haggle with God over the fate of Sodom.

Abraham started with this statement:

“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (vv. 23–25)

God responded that if there were fifty righteous people in Sodom, then God would spare the city.

Abraham then repeated his request for forty-five righteous people. Then forty. Then thirty. Then twenty. And finally, ten. Each time God responded that he would spare Sodom if there were that many righteous people living in it.

Abraham probably walked away from the exchange thinking that he was a terrific haggler. But God knew Abraham’s bottom line: Abraham was concerned only about Lot and his family, who numbered around ten.

The audacity and effrontery of Abraham’s haggling is extraordinary. Why did God ignore the insult and play along?

God would rather have us be concerned and plead for others, even in an impertinent way, than to have us be silent because of fear or self-centeredness. God looks past our rudeness to see our love.

January 18

Day 2

Passage: Verse in Context—Genesis 18:23–26, 28–32 NRSVue

Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”…“Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let my lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to my lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let my lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Questions for Reflection and Application

Think of the last time you tried to bargain with God. What were you trying to get? Was it for yourself or someone else?

It is common practice to ask others to pray to God on your behalf or on behalf of someone else. Why do we do that? If we get more people to pray for something, then is God more likely to listen and respond?

Can you change God’s mind to get God to make a different decision or take a different action? Why or why not?

God, thank you for looking past my impertinence to see my heart. Help me to be obedient to your plan for my life rather than trying to negotiate my own plan. Amen.

January 19

Day 1

Redeeming an Evil Act

“Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.”

GENESIS 50:20 NRSVUE

Joseph’s ten older brothers hated him. They hated the fact that their father, Jacob, loved him more than he loved each of them. They hated that he had dreams in which they served him. They hated his arrogance in telling them his dreams.

Joseph’s brothers hated him enough to kill him. And the brothers were about to kill him when Reuben, the oldest, persuaded them to throw Joseph into a pit instead. Before Reuben could rescue Joseph, however, the other brothers sold him into slavery.

Joseph’s next twenty years were quite an odyssey:

He was purchased by Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh.

Potiphar made him the overseer of his house, in charge of everything.

Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape, and he was thrown into prison.

The warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners.