Oct 23 2024

Afternoon Bible Verse

Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

Afternoon Bible study

Think about the last scoop in the carton of your favorite ice cream. You knew it was in the freezer just waiting for you to spoon into your bowl and dig into its creamy deliciousness. Then your child comes up to ask for that last scoop.

As much as we craved that ice cream, of course we willingly give it up for our child. Why? Because we love our children more than life itself and would sacrifice anything for them. With that in mind, how much are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord?

People give to the Lord in various ways. They give money to their church in the form of a tithe. They donate to Christian charitable organizations or sponsor needy children. They give of their time and energy volunteering for worthy causes in their communities.

God wants and expects us to give—and to do so cheerfully and gladly. In 1 Chronicles 29 we read about how King David rejoiced when his people gave to God willingly from their hearts. They weren't forced or coerced but instead, considered it a privilege to bless the Lord with their gifts.

No matter how we go about giving to our Lord, or how much we give, what matters isn't the gift itself but the heart and attitude behind the giving.

We would gladly do and give anything for our children because we love them. In the same way, we should do and give everything willingly for God. By doing so, we are showing that our hearts are perfectly in tune with God's heart and that His love is so much greater than our sacrifice.

Afternoon Prayer

Dear Lord God, work in my heart so that I can be a willing giver to you. Change my heart to give as freely as you gave your son for me. And as you change me and make me more like you, may I rejoice in the fact that giving to you is an honor and a privilege. In Jesus' name, amen.

Oct 22 2024

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible Verse

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. :

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible study

It is common for human beings to think that everything can be explained. If we don't know the answer to a question, we should be able to ask someone who does know or look it up online. Yet there are some questions that even the most erudite scientists cannot answer with certainty—questions for which only God knows the answer.

Back in the days of the Old Testament, the Jews thought they knew what to expect from their coming Messiah. They had heard stories about the Messiah for generations. They knew He was coming to save His people. They imagined what being alive during that time would be like and how this wonderful savior would come to Earth.

But the Messiah didn't arrive in Jerusalem with the expected pomp and fanfare. And except for a few shepherds on a hillside, no one even knew He had arrived at all. He came to young, scared parents in an animal stable.

That's what the Jews found so confusing… the Messiah's arrival didn't look or sound like anything they had imagined. It may sound unbelievable to us, but it made perfect sense to God.

It's also hard for us to believe that all of humanity can be restored to God through the single perfect sacrifice of Jesus—but that's how God did it. Because, through this plan, we cannot earn our salvation through what we do.

We may not be able to understand this, much less explain it to anyone… but we can trust that God knew what He was doing all along. And during every moment of our lives, we have the ability to thank him for that by glorifying him.

Yesterday Afternoon's Prayer

Oh Lord, if only we could remember that we don't have all the answers— far from it. Please help us as we go about our lives, making mistakes and forgetting that you have the answers to everything we need to know. Thank you for always being with us and especially for our blessed salvation through your son, Jesus Christ. In His name, amen.


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