Read the Book!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

TO CHEW ON: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

Have you ever had a toy that needed putting together, or a complicated watch or camera? It came with an instruction book, right? That book had all the information you needed to put the toy together, to set the watch, or take photos with the camera. It’s a lot easier to understand how something works by reading the book than trying to figure it out yourself.

As Christians we have an instruction book too. It’s the Bible.

The Bible is no ordinary book. Though sections of it were written hundreds of years apart, and by many different people, it fits together and never gets outdated. Each part is necessary and useful in some way.

Some parts tell us stories about how God worked in the past. Some show us what God is like. Some help us to pray and worship. Some tell us the story of Jesus. And many parts tell us how to live in ways that please God.

If you haven’t been reading the Bible for yourself, give it a try. Start with the book of John – a book that’s all about Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Scripture - the Bible. Please help me to hear it, understand it and obey it. Amen.


MORE: Life’s FAQs
Does the Bible have answers for life’s Frequently Asked Questions?
Below are some. Look up the bible references, then match each one to the question it answers:

1. How can I break bad habits?
2. What do I do when I’m afraid?
3. How do I handle worry (anxiety)?
4. What attitude should I have toward money?
5. How do I answer an angry person?
6. How can I know God?
7. What will happen to me after I die?


A. 1 Timothy 6:9-10
B. Proverbs 15:1
C. 1 Peter 5:7
D. John 11:25
E. Philippians 4:13
F. Psalm 56:3
G. John 14:6


ANSWERS

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Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Top Secret

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 2:8-11

TO CHEW ON: "Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so." Esther 2:10


Why was that man looking at her, Esther wondered as she hurried home from the market. A few days later pounding at the door interrupted their meal. A servant of King Xerxes was there. “She has been chosen for the king,” he said to her cousin Mordecai.

Esther was a beautiful young Jewish girl whose grandparents had been taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Because her parents had died when she was little, she had been raised by her kind cousin Mordecai.

Nebuchadnezzar was now dead and the Persian king Xerxes ruled from his palace in Susa. He had recently done away with his first wife Vashti. Now he was looking for a beautiful replacement to be his new queen.

Mordecai looked shocked and sad at the servant’s words. But the king had ordered it. What could they do but obey?

As Esther packed her things, Mordecai came into the room. “You will be fine,” he said to her. “You are kind and beautiful. You will make new friends. Who knows, you may even be the new queen. But do one thing for me – and yourself. Keep it a secret that we are Jewish.”

"Many girls were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai" - Esther 2:8

Of course the story probably didn’t happen exactly like that. But we can be pretty sure Esther went to the palace with mixed feelings. She may have been excited and looking forward to the new adventures there. But she was also probably a little nervous and afraid.

When she got to the palace, things went very well. She soon became a favorite of Hegai who was in charge of the women. He gave Esther and her servants the best rooms in the harem. And even though Esther may not have known why it was important, she kept her nationality a secret. She never breathed a word about being a Jew.

Opportunities like the one that came to Esther sometimes come to us too. We may get special attention at school or church, be asked to give an interview on TV or be chosen as class president. When these times come, your loved ones may be full of advice. Be wise and listen to what they say, like Esther followed the advice of Mordecai.

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me wise advisers. Amen.

MORE: Advisers
Parents aren’t the only people who can give us wise counsel. Teachers, coaches, pastors, grandparents, older brothers and sisters are just some of the people whose advice we may want to follow.

- Who are the advisers in your life?

- What advice have they given you in the past? Did you follow it?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations 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.

A Young King's Advisers

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 12:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him." 1 Kings 12:8

After being king in Israel for forty years, Solomon died. When Jeroboam, who was still in Egypt, heard this, he rushed back to Israel. Then he led the people of Israel when they came before Solomon’s son Rehoboam, who was the new king. They wanted to ask something of him.

“Solomon your father forced us to work very hard,” they said. “We will serve you as king if you are easier on us.”

“I’ll give you my decision in three days,” Rehoboam told them. During those days, Rehoboam went to some people for advice. First he went to the elders, those men who had advised his father and had experience working with people and in government.


Then Rehoboam went to his friends, the young men he’d grown up with. “What do you think?” he asked them. “Should I do what the people ask?”

“No way!” they said to him. “You’re the king. Make sure they know it. Tell them, if you think my father was bad, you haven’t seen anything yet!”

1. Which advice to you think was wiseset? ____________

2. Which advice did Rehoboam listen to? (1 Kings 12:14)._____________

Three days later the people gathered again to hear Rehoboam’s answer. What did he say? Complete each statement (1 Kings 12:14):

3. “My father made your yoke heavy. I will ___________

4. “My father scourged you with whips. I will _____________


Because of Rehoboam’s harsh answer, the people of ten Israel tribes decided they no longer wanted Rehoboam to be their king. Instead they chose Jeroboam to lead them, just as the prophet had predicted. Because Rehoboam listened to foolish advice, the kingdom was split.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to know wise advice and to follow it. Amen.

MORE: Finding Wise Advisers
Do you ever ask for advice? Asking for advice is a wise thing to do – if you choose to ask the right people. Who would you ask for advice about the following situations? Choose from the list of possible advice-givers at the bottom, or fill in your own choice.


1. You have had a pain in your stomach for weeks. ________

2. When you try to read the computer screen, the words are blurry. __________

3. You know that a group of kids in school is stealing money from lockers and backpacks. _______


4. You’re wondering what job to do when you grow up._________

5. You don’t know what subject to pick for your science fair project._________

6. You’re wondering what to get your mom for her birthday. ____________

MOM     DAD    TEACHERS    FRIENDS
MEDICAL DOCTOR    EYE DOCTOR
SCHOOL COUNSELOR    BROTHERS & SISTERS

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations 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.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Caught

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 18:1-14

TO CHEW ON: "Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule he was riding kept on going." 2 Samuel 18:9


David was on the run from his son Absalom. David thought of all the things Absalom had on his side – the army, many of the people, even the wisest counselor Ahithophel. “God, please spoil Ahithophel’s advice,” David prayed.

Down the road David met his friend Hushai. He was also known as a wise man. “I’m coming with you,” Hushai told David.

But seeing Hushai gave David an idea. “Why don’t you help me another way?” he said. “I’d really like it if you went to Absalom and pretended you were going to be on his side. Then when Ahithophel tells Absalom what to do, you can suggest something that isn’t as wise.”

Hushai did as David asked. When Ahithophel told Absalom he should go after David right away, Hushai said, “No, that’s not a good idea.” Then he suggested they wait till his army gathered.

When Absalom decided to follow Hushai’s advice, Hushai sent spies to David to tell him what was going on.

The delay helped David and his men get organized. Even so, Absalom’s army was soon nearby. The two sides met in a thick forest. Did they have any chance against Absalom’s army, David wondered.

Absalom rode his kingly mule into battle. When he met David’s men, his mule took off with him on it. As they passed under a tree, Absalom’s long hair got caught in the branches of an oak, while the mule ran away.


There he was, hanging from the tree by his hair!

Soon someone found him. They recognized him as Absalom and called Captain Joab, who put him to death.

Absalom’s plan to become king seemed foolproof. He had plotted and schemed to make it happen. He had won people over to his side and had an army with wise advisors. But his plan was not God’s plan. God wasn’t with him and in the end, everything fell apart.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to keep trusting You even when things look impossible Amen.

MORE: Wise Man Who Am I?
In Bible times kings relied on the advice of wise men like Ahithophel and Hushai. The Bible has stories of other wise men. Can you guess the name of each wise man by his clue? Use the Bible references if you like.

1.I was a believer in Jesus who won debates against the religious teachers of my time because I was wise. Who am I? (Acts 6:8-10)

2. I and my friends were the wisest of all the king’s servants-in-training after living on only vegetables and water. Who am I? (Daniel 1:19-20)

3. The Bible called me the wisest man who ever lived. Who am I? (1 Kings 4:29-31)

4. After I told the king the meaning of his dream, he put me in charge of the land of Egypt. Who am I? (Genesis 41:39-40)





Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations 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.

Instruction Manual

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 20:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "And God spoke all these words..." Exodus 20:1

Suppose you got a new wristwatch. The advertising on the package says it can not only tell the time but it’s also an alarm clock and a stopwatch.

You take it out of the package. You put it on your wrist. But when you look at it a few minutes later, it isn’t even showing the right time, let alone doing all that other stuff. What do you need to do to get it working?

a. Push and press the stem and buttons to see if you can get it to work.
b. Talk to the watch, telling it what you want it to do.
c. Read the manual, then follow the instructions on how to set and use it.

Just like we need to read manuals (c.) to find out how to use our tools and gadgets, we also need a manual to tell us the best way to live. God has given us this manual in the Bible. One of the important places in the Bible where God clearly tells us how to live is in the Ten Commandments.

When God came down on Mt. Sinai, the people had to stay back. But God told Moses to climb the mountain and come close to Him. Then He told Moses ten rules for living. We call those rules the Ten Commandments. We still follow them today.

God gives Moses the Law - Artist unknown

Using the Bible references, write the Ten Commandments in your own words below:
1. Exodus 20:3
2. Exodus 20:4
3. Exodus 20:7
4. Exodus 20:8
5. Exodus 20:12
6. Exodus 20:13
7. Exodus 20:14
8. Exodus 20:15
9. Exodus 20:16
10. Exodus 20:17

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You know how we work best and tell us how to live so we can be happy. Thank You for these rules for living. Amen.

MORE: The Top Ten
Review God’s top ten rules for living. Which do you find the hardest to obey? Why?

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations 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.

Taking Advice

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 18:13-27

TO CHEW ON: "Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said." Exodus 18:24

One day Moses got some important visitors. His father-in-law Jethro brought Moses’ wife and two sons to be with him. They had a wonderful family reunion and Moses told them the incredible story of how God brought them out of Egypt

The next day, Moses took Jethro to work with him. Continue telling the story by choosing the best ending:

1. Jethro saw that all day: (Exodus 18:13):
a] Moses gathered manna.
b] Moses made plans for traveling.
c] Moses judged the people.

2. He said to Moses: (Exodus 18:17):
a] “What you are doing is not good.”
b] “The way you do this is brilliant.”
c] “Why are you so lazy?”

3. Jethro had a better way for Moses to do all that judging. He told Moses, he should: (Exodus 18:20-22):
a] let people decide things for themselves.
b] train others to judge the easy cases and Moses would judge only the hard ones.
c] scold the people for being so quarrelsome.

"Jethro and Moses" by James Tissot

4. When Moses heard Jethro’s advice he: (Exodus 18:24)
a] listened to it and did what Jethro said.
b] argued with Jethro about why he really needed to judge everyone.
c] was upset because Jethro had criticized him.

What do you think of Jethro’s advice? Can you think of other ways Moses’ problem could have been solved?

If even wise men like Moses can learn from the advice of others, we should do the same!

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to listen to the advice of parents, teachers and others who are wise. Amen.


MORE: Whose Advice?

Though asking for and taking advice is good, it’s also important to remember that we shouldn’t take the advice of just anyone.
Some things we can ask ourselves when choosing an adviser about a situation are:
1) does this person have special knowledge about this?
2) does this person have experience with this?
3) does this person care about me and have my interest at heart?
4) has this person given good advice in the past?

Whose advice would you ask for in these situations? Pick from the list of possible advisers at the bottom – or think of the name of someone you know.

1. You have bad stomach aches.
2. You can’t understand your math assignment.
3. There is a bully at school who constantly harasses you.
4. You want to know more about God.
5. Your friend is in trouble.

Doctor, Teacher, Pastor, Counselor, Parent, Grandparent, Friend, Sunday School teacher.

Answers

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations 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.