11/21–11/27

CHOICES

INTRODUCTION TO DEVOTIONS

1.) The purpose of our Devotions is to give encouragement and guidance from the Scriptures.

• To support and further exposition for subjects taught in morning worship.

• To give opportunity for meditation on themes of Scripture, that we might study the
whole counsel of God.

• To encourage reading Scripture. Each devotion includes references that could be looked
up in the Bible, giving the reader experience searching the Scriptures.

• To learn how to find passages, becoming familiar with key sections of the Bible.

• To learn to use the Table of Contents (in the front) or the Concordance (in the back)
to help find any passage with confidence.

• To give practical applications for the passages that are studied, so that we might learn
how to apply God’s Word to our daily lives.

• To give models of prayer, that we might learn how to pray more earnestly and
effectively.

2.) The devotions this week parallel key elements of the teaching we received this week, January
9, 2011, from Pastor James Hilton. This begins a new series: “Choices.”

3.) These Devotions are written by Thomas Warren.

4.) Other resources: the Journey Website: www.thejourneyoc.net; and http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/,

a searchable on-line ESV Bible; and http://esv.org has devotions and a Bible reading calendar.
See especially: http://desiringgod.org, John Piper’s website—this site has great teaching and
study that are Biblical, and that are accessible for anyone who wants to grow in faith. These
resources are not only very faithful and helpful, but many of them—hundreds of sermons,
conference addresses, and Bible Studies, all in MP3 format, as well as some printed materials—
are free.

5.) This week’s devotions are designed to be a practical guide, a step by step manual to help you
choose to pursue your relationship with God by reading, meditating, and praying his Word.

6.) Each day has an exercise to guide you to grow in intimacy with God by understanding,
reading, and hearing his Word.

7.) There is an appendix with practical steps to help you meet God by reading his Word.
SUNDAY JANUARY 9, 2011

Read Psalm 37:23; John 5:24; 17:8, 11; Romans 5:1-5; 8:15–39; and Galatians 3:1, 26.

Choosing to believe: Assured of a true and saving faith . Before you can enjoy intimacy
with God you must first be assured of your relationship with him. Jesus said that eternal life
begins the moment you trust in him, not when you die (John 3:36, 6:47, 54). The first and
greatest choice that you make as a believer in Christ is to put your trust in him. When you trust
him you come into a relationship with him. Some people might think they are followers of Christ,
but if they have not made this most important commitment, they do not. Some people think they
have made the crucial choice, but in fact, their choice was to improve themselves morally, or to
stop certain sins, or to come to a specific church, or answer some questions asked of them by a
pastor when they joined the church, or get baptized. True assurance is based on a choice that
you made, but that God must help you make. You could not have made that choice apart from
God or separated from the gift of faith that he gives to those who have a true faith. So this
decision is made by you, but you could never have made it unless God gave you the gift of faith
(see Ephesians 2:8–9). How do you know if you have made this choice, if you have used your gift
of faith, or not?

There are several tests you can apply to yourself to evaluate whether you are a true Christ-
follower or not. A simple test is to read one of the Scriptures listed above, like Romans 8:15–39
and as you read that, when you are relatively quiet, to measure your heart by the language of
this incredible passage. Did you receive a Spirit within you that cries out, “Abba” to God? Abba is
the name that a little child would use in calling for her father. That is the kind of language that
those who have a true faith use toward God. He is our Heavenly Father and we are free to
address him with the language of endearing love and tenderness. “Abba!”

The Spirit of God assures us within our hearts, that we are the children of God. This is an “inward
testimony.” This is not writing a sign across the sky or whispering some words in your ear, but
there is a tangible, real assurance that is given to every true Christ-follower that they know the
God of creation and redemption, and that nothing can separate them from God. The Spirit within
us bears witness that we are the children of God. There is a communication between God the
Spirit and you. That word is comforting, assuring, and it brings you confidence to come to God,
not from fear, but because you are loved and accepted by God for the sake of Christ’s death for
you.

Another test of your personal and intimate relationship with God comes by means of the little
choices you begin to make as a follower of Christ. Some of those choices are seen in Galatians
5:22–23. The Spirit of God who lives within you begins to form in you a set of qualities that you
did not have to the same degree or in the same measure before you came to know God
personally. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control are all qualities that any kind or disciplined person might understand, but they are a set
of qualities that are a growing part of your life as you follow Christ and as you become more and
more like him in your affections, passions, choices, and decisions. Love is a decision. Joy is a
choice. Peace is something you must pursue. Patience doesn’t just happen. Kindness is more
difficult than it sounds. They are choices you make.

1 Peter 2:21 says that we walk “in his steps.” No one walks like Christ walks without first being
changed by God on the inside. To walk like Christ walked is to live in a manner that is very
similar to the way he lived. He loved the Father, you love the Father. He did God’s will, you do
God’s will. He was holy in his moral choices, you are holy in your moral choices. He was kind to
others, you are kind to others. He was loving, you also are loving. When you live like Christ, you
are choosing to be like him. No one is perfect in this imitation of Christ, but there should be some
choices, some values, some priorities that you both share.

Assurance is very important. It shows that you have made the most important choice of all. It
was a decision to trust God by faith. God helped your make that choice by giving you faith to
trust him. That began your journey toward God that will end until you stand before him (see 1
Corinthians 13:12).

Application: Do not presume that because someone has told you that you were a Christian that
they were right. That confirmation of your true faith must come from within you. Other people
might desire that you become a Christian, but they cannot exercise faith for you. Others might
tell you that you are at peace with God, but only you know if that were true. Only you can be
assured of your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Only you can know for sure.

Choices: I have come to know Christ as my Lord and Savior. I choose now to exercise the faith
God has given me and to trust him, to love him, and to obey him. Because I have chosen him by
faith, I know that my sins are forgiven and that I will live with him forever. I choose to walk with
God and I desire to experience all that God has for me, to know God better, and to live for him
every day.

Memory Verse: John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of
God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Prayer: Faithful God and Savior, assure your children of your saving work in their hearts; trouble
those who are not so related to you yet, that they might seek you with all their strength. Give us
grace to live so that our faith touches every choice we make. By Christ we ask. Amen.

MONDAY JANUARY 10, 2011

Read Psalm 119:55; 2 Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Peter 1:3–5; 1 John 5:13

Following Christ. Having confidence that you know God and are loved by him opens the door to a
new world of choices, freedoms, peace, hope, and fruitfulness in your life. The decision to trust God is
followed by a million smaller decisions to keep on trusting him every day. You are being guarded by
the power of God (1 Peter 1:3–5) but you are also free to choose to move closer to him or to keep
away from God. A Christ-follower has a freedom to choose God that is impossible for a person who
does not know God. You can surrender the problems of today to God, or you can fret about them. You
can yield your life in obedience and trust in his will, or you can be resistant to his will and do what you
want.

Some decisions we make with the mind. We reason through options, decide between alternatives by
working through those options to figure out which are the better or the worse for us. Buying a car can
be like that. You find a good car and if the price is too high you say no. Or you see the same car at a
good price and you say yes. But there are also decisions of the heart. This is not about being
reasonable or rational, but it is about following your loves, your desires and hopes. This is moving into
the world of romance and love. You choose to love someone because you love them. There might be
dozens of reasons to be cautious, but love is not a game of reason.

Do you choose God with the reason or with the heart? Do you follow him because his ways are best,
rational, more profitable for you; or because you love him more than anything? Some of us come to
God through the faculty of reason, others come through the heart. Our hearts may need to be taught
to be more reasonable, and our reason no doubt needs to lighten up a bit. But Scripture calls us to
love with our minds (Romans 12:1–3 our “reasonable” logical worship) and with our hearts (love the
Lord with all your heart …”). Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. With all you are.

How surrendered are you? Do you trust God’s wisdom? Do you believe that God’s ways are best? Do
you believe that obeying God is really the best choice? Or do you surrender to God when it doesn’t
compete with your heart or your head? Some choices to follow God don’t seem very rational. We
follow God because we trust him. Others choices are almost pure rationality. We can reason that
God’s grace has come into our lives, therefore God loves us, and so we need not be anxious about
anything. That is almost pure reason impacting our emotions, and it really works.

How do you make your choices? Heart or head? Love or reason? A lot of conflict between couples
comes from the different ways people make choices. When we make really bad choices it may stem
from a decision of the heart that was made when we should have had a little more logic. Or when we
were so logical in our choice that we forgot about love. Surrender to God covers both the
reasonableness of God and it extends all the way to his amazing love. When we make choices
involving God, we should make those choices with our whole person, heart, soul, mind, strength.
Surrender to God is lived out in the million decisions you make after you decided to love him.

Application: Surrendering to God means to let him determine which way you will go. It means that
you are admitting that you don’t have a clue. It accepts that God is wise and loving. Surrender
means, whatever comes, you are willing to go through it because God is with you and he never leaves
you nor forsakes you (Hebrews 13:5c).

Choices: By faith in my Savior I freely choose to surrender my will to God’s will. I choose to trust the
wisdom of God, the truth of God, the power of God, and the love of God for my life. I choose to
surrender my heart, soul, mind and strength to God. I will begin to explore the Word of God, the Bible,
to grow in my faith and to begin to walk with God every day of my life.

Memory Verse: John 8:31, So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

Prayer: Thank you, Holy God, that you are worthy of my trust, in every day, and in everything.
Nothing is greater than you, nothing is better than you, nothing can defeat you. In surrendering to
you, help me surrender my heart and my mind to you that I will neither argue with you nor doubt
your love for me. Open your Word to me that I might know you better and obey your because I love
you. By Christ we pray. Amen.

TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2011

Read Psalm 1:2; 56:9; 1 Kings 18:37; Ezra 7:25; Romans 7:22

God’s Word. Surrendering to God begins with learning more about God. God’s Word is not just a
selection of religious talk or nice ideas about God. It is where we experience a face-to-face dialogue
with God about the choices we are making today and the life God has for us to live right now. God’s
Word is the measure and authority by which we live our lives. It teaches us about God. It is the source
of our confidence before God. It tells us how great God’s grace is and how much he loves us. It shows
us how we are to live in him and for him. But simply stated, it is where we hear from God directly.
God speaks to us in the Bible. But we have to open up the Book and read it or listen to it, if we are to
hear from God.

The Word of God is not absorbed by symbiosis. It is not caught like a virus. It must be read or listened
to. In every case, good, godly, God-honoring people tell us that the secret to their lives, their power in
prayer, their love for others, their faithfulness under trial, their hope when they are being tested with
trials, all of these gifts comes from the Word of God. How did the Word become so precious and
helpful for them?

Each of us needs to discover a way to read the Bible that fits our style of learning, our need for
interaction with God, and our time available. Working through a 3-year course of Bible doctrine might
be boring or completely frustrating to one person but life-changing for another. Doing a word study
might be pointless to one person and radically transformative for another. Do what fits where you are
and who you are in Christ. The essential principle is that you should be in the Bible, in whatever way
works for you, every day. Read as much as you can take in. At the end of this devotional you will
find several different study guides and Bible reading plans to help you.

Reading the Bible is different from reading a novel and many people today have little experience in
reading more serious literature that requires real thought and intense concentration. There is almost
universal agreement that reading the Bible should be done with a pen or pencil in hand. Have a
notebook handy to jot down questions or to write down a verse that jumped off the page to you. Take
your time. It would be better to read just a few verses and understand the flow of the paragraph than
to read several pages in a rush finish some reading goal (like you are running a race) and understand
little of it. The Word of God requires us to think about what is being communicated to us. You can
understand the Bible. Its meaning is plain enough for everyone to understand it.

The Bible (Billy Graham quoted an old saying) was written so that a Charwoman (a maid or household
servant) could understand it, and it has challenged the greatest minds who ever lived with its depth
and insights. Read slowly with pencil in hand and mark key words. Think about what the author was
saying and ask “What does it say?” This question is about who is speaking, what was the
circumstances he was writing about, and what was the purpose of it.

Then ask, “What does it mean?” This question is seeking to discover what the author was he was
hoping to have in the lives of those he was writing to. The Bible says that Christ is risen from the
dead. It means that Christ’s death is something we celebrate because our sins are forgiven.

And finally ask, “What are the implications for my life?” This is the most personal part of reading the
Bible. This takes a verse it seeks a way to respond to what it says, what it means, with some specific
response to it. Reading about Christ’s death and your forgiveness might prompt you to see the
implication that you ought to forgive someone in your life because God has forgiven you.

We have amazing resources that can be accessed by computer or in bookstores that can answer just
about every question we might find as we read the Bible. There are thousands of books about the
Bible, study guides by the hundred, reading plans, audio studies, sermons, podcasts, pamphlets, free
pdfs, online study helps, commentaries, and much more. Help is here.

Having a plan for your Bible reading is critical for your success. Any plan you pick is infinitely better
than having no plan. Without a plan you are lost, you don’t know where to read. You are
overwhelmed and you won’t keep at it. With a plan you know where you are, where you have been,
and where you are headed. It takes away that horrible question: “What will I read today?” You know
where you will read by looking at your plan, and picking up where you left off. That is easy!

If you are a slow reader, read slowly. Many people discover as they read the Bible day by day that
they improve their reading speed. Be that as it may, the speed with which you read doesn’t matter as
much as reading something in the Word each day, even if it is only one little verse. Try to read
effectively and with understanding. Reading the text carefully and slowly is more beneficial than
zooming through a chapter. We are aiming at understanding and listening for God to speak through
his Word. If you read with understanding, God will speak to you. He has a lot of amazing things to say
to you.

There are zillions of reading plans. Choose one that fits your time, your life, and your interests. If you
find that your plan isn’t working, find one that does, or invent your own.

Get a Bible that you can understand. If you read a few verses outloud and you can’t follow what
you’ve been reading, look for another version or translation that fits you. It is best to read the Bible in
your heart-language, that is in the language you grew up speaking. The vocabulary of your heart
language will speak to you with more power, it will be more encouraging to you, and you will
understand it better.

Some people are helped by reading a paraphrase version of the Bible, like The New Living Translation
or The Message. Those Bibles read like people talk today, but they are interpretative and they do
some of the work for you. Other Bibles are less literary or smooth when you read them and are more
literal and they follow the order of the words from the language the Bible was written in more closely
closer, but that can make it sound wooden or the word order may seem a bit odd. The English
Standard Version is accurate and faithful, but it is a little wooden. The New American Standard Bible
is very close to the original languages in word order and it can seem out of sync with modern English
when you read it. The King James Version is very difficult for most modern readers to understand. It
was written in the 17th century and many words are unfamiliar to us today. We use the ESV at the
Journey because it is a faithful modern translation. You should have more than one translation around
if you are doing any serious study. Paperback versions are cheap and available everywhere.

Some people who really struggle with reading have found that listening to the Bible on CD or MP3
player works well for them. Some of you have 30 minute commutes and that hour-a-day time warp
could get you through the Bible in about a year. Listening to the Bible has helped thousands of people
to become familiar with the stories and teaching of the Bible, and they found that when they opened
the Book to read it, they were already familiar with what they were reading because they had heard it
on CD, so they could read with more understanding and impact on their lives.

God speaks through his Word to you. He gave us the Bible so that we can hear from him directly. No
one needs to tell you what God’s will is. You can read it for yourself. You don’t need any professional
to tell you how you ought to live. You can read God’s Word and see for yourself.

By thinking about the text, praying through difficult passages, meditating on sublime and lofty
sections dealing with God’s glory and majesty, heaven and redemption, you are building your life on
the foundation of God’s Word and you are getting to know God better. The end of that reading and
praying, study and meditating, is that you will know God better.

Application: God’s Word is inspired by God. His voice can be heard as you read it. His will can be
known as you search it. His love can be experienced as you take its message into your heart. We
surrender to God by knowing his Word and doing what it says.

Choices: I choose to find my own Bible reading and study plan to help me grow in my faith and to
become close to God in my daily life. I choose to look at my schedule and my daily routine, to find a
time in which I can meet with God regularly. I choose to set time aside every day, if God permits, to
be with God by reading or listening to his Word.
Memory Verse: Matthew 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on
the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Prayer: Give me a hunger and thirst for your very Word, Dear God. Show me how you want me to
study it, to hear its message, and to apply it to my life. Show me how to hide your Word in my heart
that I might not sin against you, and that my joy in you might be complete. Help me find a time to
meet with you every day. By Christ I pray. Amen.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12, 2011

Read: Genesis 5:22; 6:9; Psalm 1.

Walking with God. Lots of people walk with God. But the Bible mentions just two of them in that
language: Noah and Enoch. They must have taken the time to be with God. They must have made it a
priority every day to spend time with God. Ever wonder why so few have walked with God? Maybe it
is because to walk with God requires effort. People who walk with God may be rare. But you can be
one of them. What choice do you make so that you, too, can walk with God?

Wonderful, amazing, godly, loving, humble people don’t fall out of the sky. The begin as not-so-
wonderful, ungodly, not-very-loving, mostly-proud people who had come to Christ. But they didn’t
settle with just being forgiven. To move toward godliness, they grasped the fact that other people
had walked with God and were intimate with him, and they wanted that too. They read the Bible not
only to learn about God, but to learn how to walk with God, how to talk with God, how to listen to him.
They read the Bible and learned how to avoid certain sins that can wreck you relationship with God,
and how to restore a relationship with God after you’ve broken it. They read the Bible to think about
their own lives, to examine themselves, to repent of their sins, to aspire to purity and humility and all
those qualities that are so precious and powerful in the lives of the godly, and they made choice after
choice, day after day, year after year, to become the person that God wants them to be. At the center
of their maturity, as the core of their decisions, without fail and always, is the Word of God.

Praying the Bible is one result of reading the Word on a regular basis. Praying the Scriptures is a
completion of the conversation with God. He speaks in his Word to you and you pray it back to him in
petition, confession, adoration, praise, repentance, sorrow, rejoicing, heartbreak, and overwhelming
joy in forgiveness. Walking with God is not seeing God occasionally, thinking about him once in a
while, or reading your Bible when there is a crisis. Walking with God is having a living, real,
continuous relationship with God that is not at the mercy of the kind of day you had, or how sick the
kids are, or how much money you have in the bank. That relationship with God is the single constant
in your life.

You can walk with God. You can become more godly—more like God in your character and in your
choices. The godly are known because they know their weaknesses, they don’t try to hide their sins,
they aren’t impressed with themselves at all, they are humble, teachable, and they make good
decisions. When they fail they admit it right away, and when they succeed they give God all the
credit. They choose God.

Application: Knowing that you can walk with God means that you are the one who must determine
how much effort, time, and energy you give to this relationship. If you value God you will find a way
to meet with him. If you want to grow, he will teach you and guide you to know more about him, and
to know him better.

Choices: I choose to walk with God because I love him and want to know him better. I desire nothing
more than God. My relationship with God is more important than any relationship I have. I will choose
to build my relationship with God by using my faith when I read the Bible, expecting to meet God
there and hear his voice in the words of Scripture.

Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth
that I desire besides you.

Prayer: O God who has spoken in your Word, thank you for revealing yourself in words that we can
read, study, take into our minds and hearts, and that show us your face, and that teach us how to live
for you. Give us a hunger for your Word so that we desire it more than food or comfort. By Christ we
ask. Amen.

THURSDAY JANUARY 13, 2011

Read: Deuteronomy 6:6; Psalm 104:44; 145:5; Matthew 6:6; 14:23; Luke 5:16; Acts 10:9; 10:30

A Time, a Place, a Quiet . “The world is too much with us,” writes William Wordsworth. Too
much running around. Too much work. Too much noise. Too much pressure. Too little quiet.

Some years ago there appeared in large metropolitan areas like New York City and London, little
stores that had cubicles where you could lie down in silence and be given purified air with high
oxygen. They were a great success for a while because people in the city needed a place to be
quiet, away from the noise and rush of city life.

If you want to have a conflict with a teenager, ask them to give you their texting cell phone, or
take away their MP3 player. Kids are so used to having music or words running through them all
the time they will go into shock when that flow of sound and noise and words is taken away.

The world is too much with us. We can only do one thing at a time. A recent study showed that
multi-tasking is a myth. You can do two or more things fast, but you are really only doing one
thing at a time and switching between them. Some people are very good and extremely fast at
switching back and forth, but they are still doing only one thing at a time.

Reading the Word of God requires a kind of thinking, a kind of quietness, a kind of reflection that
is possible only when that is the only thing you are doing. God is deserving of our attention. But
when the phones are ringing, when the kids are calling for you to come help them, when you are
trying to pick up or wash up, or get ready, or trying not to be late, fixing the car, mowing the
grass, you are not doing one thing, and the world is too much with you.

Reading God’s Word requires a time. When you read it, you do it best when you have set apart a
time for it. Put your time with God on your calendar, in your smart phone, on your to-do list.
Make an appointment with God. Determine how much time you will give to that appointment,
and keep it. Make it more important that anything else you have to do in your day. Begin with
that appointment or end your day with it, or have it at noon, but whenever you make it, keep it.

Place. You have places where you do things. You read, you cook, you play, your rest. For your
time with God, you need to have a place, a chair perhaps, a quiet nook in your home, a break
room at work, study hall at school, or a place outside that you can claim for that time you have
set. Having a place to read the Bible minimizes distractions. Your brain will try to find 500 other
things for you to do while you are reading, so having a place that you use just for this purpose
can help. Perhaps you put a soft blanket on a chair while you are reading. Or you use a special
notepad, or pen that you use only for that time. But in some way you are setting aside that place
as the place where you meet with God. You have a time and you have a place.
And now the quiet. If you read God’s Word in a place that is zooming with interruptions, noisy
chatter, loud clashes or intrusive music, you won’t have a chance. Many people find that the first
thing they do before they read God’s Word is to take some time to become quiet inside. You rest
in the Lord, and think only of him. You breathe quietly and let the presence of Christ become
more real, and then you read or listen.

Quiet and alone is hard to come by. Young mothers and fathers are always on duty. They may
need to find a time before or after the kids have gone to bed. Or they may find a time at lunch or
during a short break at work or school. Some people use an MP3 player with some soothing
music to be a way of finding “quiet” in the midst of a noisy home or an apartment with too-thin
walls, or a barking dog next door.

Quiet is abhorred by our culture. People are so stimulated with music and words that when they
have silence, they immediately turn something on to interrupt it, to drown out the quiet. You
may have a little withdrawal from the din of noise that is around you, when you first get still in
your place of quiet. Noise and begin constantly entertained is addictive. By weaning yourself a
little at a time, the quiet can become the most precious and grace-filled place on earth. To be
quiet in God’s presence is wonderful.

Do you have a time, a place , and a quiet ?

Application: Choosing to be with God runs against everything in your culture. The world tells you that
you must have sound flowing into your life. Some have found it a great joy to turn off the radio in the
car and to use that place for a little moment of quiet to be with God. Some use the ambient sound
generators, “white noise” machines, to find a kind of quiet. Turning on a fan or an air purifier can give
you a little place of quiet. Choose a time. Choose a place. Choose a quiet.

Choices: Now that I have looked at my schedule and my obligations for the day, I now choose a time
each day in which I will meet with God in worship, prayer, and reading or listening to God’s Word. I
choose this as a priority in my day, and no matter what time I have selected, I will see that as an
appointment with God that I will keep unless I am hindered by something I cannot control (“an act of
Providence”). No discouragement or barrier will keep me from seeking the Lord. If I fail, I will be
forgiven and will try again. If I succeed, I will give God the glory.

I choose a place in which to meet God.

I choose a quiet (a time of day, a place that has few distractions, or a way to create quiet by music or
other means) in which I can meet God and give him my complete attention.

Memory Verse: Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord.

Prayer: Great God, teach me how to pursue you in the quiet. Give me a time and a place where we can
meet. I long to be with you. By Christ I pray. Amen.

FRIDAY JANUARY 14, 2011

Read Genesis 2:4–7; Romans 1:2; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12

God’s face and his breath. When God made Adam he breathed into him the breath of life. He had
spoken to bring other living things into existence, but for man he breathed into him. The image is God
coming before the lifeless body of Adam and giving him life, face to face. The creation of human
beings was intimate, personal, and suggested God’s care and the capacity that people would have for
a relationship with God. People shared life that was given to them from the face of God. It is an
astonishing picture of God’s love.

When we come to Paul’s description of the Word of God, his language reminds us of the account in
Genesis. The Word of God is “God-breathed.” Some translated it “inspired” but that doesn’t nearly
capture this word. The word is only used here (2 Timothy 3:16) in the New Testament. In a way
similar to the way God made Adam, God breathed his Word.

This doesn’t mean that the Bible has heart and soul. But in some wonderful way the Bible is living and
powerful (Hebrews 4:12). Because God inspired it, it speaks God’s words and will. The Bible is living in
that it applies its message, in a special and personal way, to every person who trusts Christ. It covers
every kind of situation, it addresses every conflict we will face. It tells us everything we need to know
of God (facts like we can never know everything about God). It has been read by God’s people and it
has always been found to be profitable for them. It is “useful” (NIV) for “teaching, reproof, correction,
and training in righteousness.” It is useful because it comes from God.

The Bible is special. It is the way by which God, the infinite and unknowable, communicates with man
the finite and limited. Christ places his authority upon the Word of God. Prophets are quoted by him.
His apostles are given his authority to write what Christ wanted to be in his Word. Christ’s authority
establishes the “usefulness” and “profitability” of the Word. Paul said, “All scripture is God-breathed
…”

All of Scripture is inspired, but not all of it can be mastered. God has not answered every question we
might ask him. It is not a textbook on chemistry or physics, though where it speaks on science, it is
accurate every time. It wears cultural garments, uses language that we can struggle to understand
fully. Like everything from God, the Bible gives us enough, but it also keeps us humble. No one
masters the Word of God. At best, it masters you.

Meditating of the Word means to think about what it says. But more than just thinking about it,
meditation means to think about your life, your decisions, and your relationships in light of the
teaching of God’s Word. It means to reflect on how the Bible speaks to your particular needs, sins,
hurts, joys, or successes. The Bible is rich and it speaks to every situation we can face. The Bible
speaks to every need, every kind of sorrow, every reasonable question we can ask about God, and
every dilemma and conflict we can experience. The Bible is amazing.

This breath of God that gives us the Bible is the whisper of God before our face. God’s face before our
face, you can feel his breath on you. Some have experienced God speaking so clearly to them by the
Word of God written, that they have trembled, or wept, or shouted for joy, or crumbled into self-
abnegation when their sins were laid bare and their selfish hearts brought into the light. They have
also been emboldened to take courageous stands of conscience, been enlightened to produce songs
of praise and glory to God, or inspiring books about God, or drifted into songs of sweet praise that
angels could sing someday. The breath of God rises from the pages of Scripture and it is useful for us.
It is what we need, if we choose to read it.

Application: The Word of God is useful. It is useful only when its content, message, teaching,
corrections, and reproofs make entry to your life through your mind, by reading or hearing it. No one
can meditate on God’s Word if they haven’t heard it or read it.
Choices: I choose to hide God’s Word in my heart that I might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11). I
choose to meditate on a portion of God’s Word and to seek counsel in these pages when I make
important decisions and moral choices. I choose to make God’s Word a part of my daily life.

Memory Verse: Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have
done; I ponder the work of your hands.

Prayer: Forgive my neglect of your Word, O God. Your breath breathed a kind of life into the pages of
Scripture, because it is here that you speak, teach, comfort, rebuke, and correct your children. Bring
me close to feel your warm face in the pages of your Holy Book. By Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

SATURDAY JANUARY 15, 2011

Read Psalm 19:9; 119:24, 103; Jeremiah 5:14; 23:29; James 1:23;

Fire, gold, hammer, honey, light, milk, and mirror. A metaphor is a way to describe something
that is unique. Take something you know about and use that to describe something new, something
that is like the thing you know about. By starting with what you know, you are introduced to what you
don’t know.

Try to explain to someone who had never seen one, what a car is, and they’d be dazzled with talk
about internal combustion engines, disk brakes, and smog controls. But tell them they are a bit like a
child’s wagon, just bigger, and they can get the general idea. The writers of Scripture use many
metaphors to describe the Bible. They find new and expansive ways to describe the way the Bible
affects their lives. Some of these word-pictures are clever, some are fearsome, and a few are very
sweet.

The Word is fire. Jeremiah 5:14 and 23:29 tells that the Word can bring judgment, destruction and
devastation to our lives. We can be judged by the Word. That is the chief reason we don’t like to read
it. It speaks not only God’s love and forgiveness to us, but the painful message of his displeasure with
our actions, words, and thoughts. Reading the Word is like holding a flaming book in your hands. It can
scorch pride, incinerate impurity, consume any trust in things, wealth, or status. It is like a fire that
consumes those things in us that God hates and, too often, the things we love. The fire of God’s Word
is not going to destroy you, just your sin.

The Word is gold and honey. Psalm 19:9–10 teaches us that the Word is like precious gold. Some
people have chosen faithfulness to the Word over vast fortunes. They saw the Kingdom of God and
heard of its eternal value and they chose to give up the treasures of this world in order to be faithful to
the Word. They gave up earthly gold to have the gold of God’s Word. The Word is honey: it is sweet to
the taste and it fulfills longings for the delights that can be found only in God.

Christ-followers know the sweetness of the Word because they have read it, heard it, and hid it in their
hearts. The Bible is just words, but the word tells us the “sweetest name I know.” The honey of the
Word creates more and more longings for the God of the Bible. The sweetness of the Word tells us
about the nature and acts of God, his love for us, his comfort, his purposes, and his promises to us
who love him. There is nothing in this life that is sweeter than the promises and the comfort of God’s
Word. The truth of Scripture, the power of the Word of God, the faith that comes by the Word of God,
the authority and inspiration of the Word, are sweet because of the God of the Bible and his Son Jesus
Christ, applied his Word to our lives by the Spirit who has been given to us.

The Word is light. 2 Peter 1:19 tells us that the Word is a light shining in the dark. The light of the Word
of God is an interim light, a temporary measure until the fullness comes. The Word of God will last
forever and ever, but when we come into the presence of God, speak with Christ face to face,
experience a new a deeper ministry of the Spirit in heaven with God, the purpose of the written word
will have been fulfilled. We now live in a spiritually dark world. Sometimes we don’t know which way
we should go. God knew that we’d struggle. So he gave us his Word as a light upon our path (Psalm
119:105, 130).

The Word is a mirror. James 1:23 reminds us how fleeting our understanding of ourselves is. We glance
at the mirror and are surprised at what we see. Our appearance looks unfamiliar. We have forgotten
exactly how we looked the last time we combed our hair or brushed our teeth. That is the same way
when we read the Bible, close the book and walk away. We immediately begin to forget. Soon we have
only dim memories of what we knew with such conviction just a few hours ago, to be true and critical
to our lives. But now it seems to have slipped away from us. So we must return to the mirror of God’s
Word and look again at the reflection of ourselves, or rather, of the light of Christ and his light shined
into our lives one more time. The reason we need to be in the Word of God regularly is because we
soon forget what we learned. We look into a mirror and an hour later can’t remember what we looked
like.

There are many more metaphors that describe the Word of God. Rain, Seed, Snow, Solid Food, Sword,
Water to name a few. The Word becomes Rain or a mirror, or gold, or honey, only when you read it or
hear it. Pick up the fire of God, the gold of God, the light of God, and look at yourself in God’s mirror.

Application: Whether the Word is fire or gold depends on your choices. What do you choose?

Choices: I choose to trust the Word of God because Christ has assured me of its authority and
inspiration. I choose to permit the message of the Bible into my heart, into my soul, into my mind, and
as a source of my strength.

Prayer: Meet me in the pages of Scripture, Holy Father, and teach me about yourself. In learning about
you, I know myself more honestly. Teach me the gravity and vileness of my sin, then pour within me
your honey and rain—rain upon me your gold and snow that I might be made rich and refreshed. By
Jesus Christ I ask. Amen.

STUDY HELPS: GETTING STARTED IN YOUR PERSONAL TIME IN GOD’S WORD

There are many ways to study the Bible. Find the way that works for you.

1. Find a Bible you can understand. We use the English Standard Version at The Journey. Other good
translations are: The New International Version, The New King James Version, The New American
Standard Version and there are many others as well.

If you want a little easier-to-read version, The New Living Translation, and The Message are very
easier to understand, and are faithful to the meaning of the Word.

2. Set up your place.

Get your Bible, a notebook and a pen or pencil. Select the chair or spot you will be for your
reading/listening, and have it ready before you begin.

This personal study of God’s Word is called a Quiet Time, Personal Worship, Devotions, Bible Study or
many other similar names. Now you are ready.

3. When it’s time for your appointment with God, sit down and begin with a short prayer. Ask God to
speak to you through his Word.
Open your Bible. Take up your pen/pencil. Have your notebook handy, and begin to read.

(If you are listening to a Bible cd or MP3, you know what to do.)

Tip: Don’t run a race. Read slowly and with understanding. There is no value in reading an entire
chapter if you don’t understand it. Bible reading demands you think about what is being said, who is
speaking, what the setting is, and who is in the audience. Pay attention to details. Mark up your Bible.
Identify the various people in the scene. Mark key words that are important.

4. If you are not already in a study, we are suggesting that you begin reading the Gospel of Mark. It
has 16 Chapters. If you take a Chapter a day that is 16 days. If you take about ½ Chapter a day, then
you are up to 32 days.

Make a choice: “I choose to read ½ a chapter of Mark’s Gospel every day for the next month.” Or
something that you decide.

To get started, read the about ½ of Mark Chapter 1. You would write in your notebook (or use the
Bible Reading Record that is attached to the end of this devotional, to check off what you’ve read):

January 9, 2011, Mark 1:1–20 {you could write questions or key verses here}

The next day you’d write:

January 10, 2011, Mark 1:21–45

5. If the Mark study is too much for you, begin with a goal you can reach. If you can only give 5
minutes a day, set that for your goal: “I choose to read 5 minutes a day.” Don’t worry about how
many verses you read, just read for the amount of time you have.

If you think you can only have a time with God 3 days a week (you are really pressed for time, with
kids, work, and the rest), set that as your goal. Begin there. If your time is pinched, don’t jump in to a
two-hour daily Bible study, you will find a thousand reasons to quit. Choose wisely.

You could just read Mark’s Gospel for the amount of time you have available. Make a note of what
you read in your notebook, jot down the date you read it, and you are on your way.

The key is consistency. Read a little every day is better than reading for an hour once a month.

6. Your notebook will become very valuable to you as you study. Keep your notebook near your Bible,
and leave it there when you finish, and it will be there when your next scheduled appointment with
God comes around.

Some people go through several little notebooks a year. Others will use the same notebook for many
years. It’s up to you.
Here are a few Bible Reading Plans for you to look through:

This first plan is a survey of some key portions of the entire Bible. The great thing about it is that you
get an overview of the whole Bible in just 2 months. You could spread it out over a longer period,
even over an entire year, if you wished. Use it as it fits your life and time.

HERE IS A 61 DAY PLAN TO COVER KEY SECTIONS OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE: JUST 2
MONTHS!

Day Today's Scripture Reading Description

Day 1 Genesis 1-3 Creation and Fall

Day 2 Genesis 12, 15, and 22 Abraham, Isaac

Day 3 Job 1-3 and 38-42 Story of Job

Day 4 Exodus 1-5, 12-14, and 20 Moses and the Law

Day 5 Leviticus 1, 10-11, 16, and 25-26 Instructions

Day 6 Numbers 3-4, 6, and 11-14 Journey to the Promised Land

Day 7 Deuteronomy 5-8, 28-31, and 34 Moses' last message to the Israelites

Day 8 Joshua 1-6 and 23-24 Joshua, Israelites enter the Promised Land

Day 9 Judges 1-4 and 13-16 Period of the Judges

Day 10 Ruth 1-4 Story of Ruth

Day 11 1 Samuel 7-10, 12 King Saul

Day 12 1 Samuel 15-20, 28, and 31 King Saul

Day 13 2 Samuel 5-8, 1 Chronicles 15-17 King David

Day 14 2 Samuel 11-13, 15, and 18 King David

Day 15 1 Chronicles 21-22, and 28-29 King David

Day 16 Psalms 1, 8, 19, 23, 51, 100, 103 and 139 Psalms of King David

Day 17 1 Kings 3, 6-12 King Solomon

Day 18 2 Chronicles 5-10 King Solomon

Day 19 Ecclesiastes 1-5 and 12 King Solomon

Day 20 Song of Songs 1-2, Proverbs 1-3 King Solomon

Day 21 2 Chronicles 14-16 King Asa

Day 22 1 Kings 17-19, and 21 Elijah

Day 23 2 Kings 1-2, 6-7, 11-12 Elijah, Elisha, Kings

Day 24 2 Chronicles 24-26 Kings

Day 25 Joel 2, Jonah 1, Amos 3, Micah 1-2 Prophecies

Day 26 Isaiah 1-2, 6, Hosea 1-4 Prophecies

Day 27 2 Kings 17-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32 Hezekiah

Day 28 Isaiah 40 and 52-55 Consolation of Israel

Day 29 2 Kings 21-23, 2 Chronicles 33-35 Manasseh, Josiah

Day 30 Nahum 1, Zephaniah 3, Jeremiah 1-5, Habakkuk 1 Prophecies

Day 31 Ezekiel 1-3, 18, and 33, Lamentations 3, Obadiah Fall of Jerusalem

Day 32 Daniel 1-2, 4-6 Daniel

Day 33 Ezra 3, 6-7, Haggai, Zechariah 1-2 Return, rebuilding of Jerusalem

Day 34 Esther 1-4, 7-8 Story of Esther

Day 35 Nehemiah 1-2, 4, and 6 Rebuilding the wall

Day 36 Malachi Last Old Testament prophecies

Day 37 Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2 Birth of Jesus

Day 38 John 1, Mark 1, John 3-4 Early ministry of Jesus

Day 39 Luke 4-6, Mark 2-4 Teachings of Jesus

Day 40 Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the Mount

Day 41 Mark 10, Luke 8-12, Matthew 17-18 More teachings of Jesus

Day 42 John 13-17 Jesus' upper room discourse

Day 43 Matthew 26-28, Mark 15-16 Death and resurrection of Jesus

Day 44 Luke 22-24, John 19-21 Death and resurrection of Jesus

Day 45 Acts 1-4, 8-10, 12-14 The Church starts, scatters, expands

Day 46 Galatians 3-6 Paul's warnings about true vs. false religion

Day 47 James 1-3, Acts 15 Teachings and ministry of James

Day 48 1 Thessalonians 2 and 4; 2 Thessalonians 3 Paul's letters on adversity and persecution

Day 49 1 Corinthians 1-2 and 13 Paul's writings on living, loving like Jesus

Day 50 2 Corinthians 4-5 and 8-9 Paul's writings on authentic Christianity

Day 51 Romans 5-8 and 12 Paul's letter on Christian doctrine, practice

Day 52 Philemon; Ephesians 4-6 Paul's writings on practical Christian living

Day 53 Colossians 1 and 3; Philippians 2 and 4 Paul's writings on growing in Christ

Day 54 1 Peter 1 and 4-5 Peter's first letter to the Church

Day 55 1 Timothy 1-3; Titus 2 Paul's teaching on Church leadership

Day 56 Jude; 2 Peter 1 Jude and Peter's writings on true vs. false religion

Day 57 2 Timothy 3-4 Paul's example, encouragement to Timothy

Day 58 Hebrews 10-13 Teachings about living for Jesus Christ

Day 59 1 John 1-3 John's letter on loving Christ, each other

Day 60 2 John; 3 John John's postcard letters to friends

Day 61 Revelation 1-4, 19-22 Jesus Christ's revelation to John

To use this Chart, just cross off the Chapter you have read and keep in your Notebook. Makes keeping
track of your reading simple. This plan is pretty hard going if you did all of it in one year. Many people
use this chart to keep up with the progress of their personal Bible reading and it might take them 3
years or more to complete it. This chart is an easy way to remember where you left off.

This chart is “straight through.” But you could begin with the New Testament (Matthew), or the
Psalms, wherever you wish. The Chart will keep record of what you’ve read.

BIBLE READING RECORD FOR THE ENTIRE BIBLE

Genesis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
Exodus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Leviticus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Deuteronom
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
y
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
Joshua 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
Judges 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21
Ruth 1 2 3 4
1 Samuel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
2 Samuel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
1 Kings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22
2 Kings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25
1 Chronicles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
2 Chronicles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Ezra 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Nehemiah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Esther 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Job 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42
Psalms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
10
81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
0
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 15
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Proverbs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Ecclesiastes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Song Of
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Solomon
Isaiah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66
 Jeremiah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
Lamentation
1 2 3 4 5
s
Ezekiel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
Daniel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Hosea 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Joel 1 2 3
Amos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Obadiah 1
Jonah 1 2 3 4
Micah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Nahum 1 2 3
Habakkuk 1 2 3
Zephaniah 1 2 3
Haggai 1 2
Zechariah 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Malachi 1 2 3 4

Matthew 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Mark 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Luke 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
John 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21
Acts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Romans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Corinthians
2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Corinthians
Galatians 1 2 3 4 5 6
Ephesians 1 2 3 4 5 6
Philippians 1 2 3 4
Colossians 1 2 3 4
1
Thessalonia 1 2 3 4 5
ns
2
Thessalonia 1 2 3
ns
1 Timothy 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 Timothy 1 2 3 4
Titus 1 2 3
Philemon 1
Hebrews 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
James 1 2 3 4 5
1 Peter 1 2 3 4 5
2 Peter 1 2 3
1 John 1 2 3 4 5
2 John 1
3 John 1
Jude 1
Revelation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22

the Journey at First Baptist Orange City

975 E Graves Ave  Orange City, FL 32763  386.775.3500
www.theJourneyOC.net