Come!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 22:12-21

TO CHEW ON: "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.." Revelation 22:17

“Come!” What a welcome word to hear when we’re homesick. What a comforting word to hear when we’re lonely. What a delicious word to hear when we’re hungry or thirsty.

"Let everyone who is thirsty, Come" Designed by David Hetland
(stained glass window Trinity Lutheran Church, Jamestown, North Dakota.)

The book of Revelation ends with this arms-wide-open invitation from God. Though our sins separated us from Him, Jesus made a way for us to be friends with God. God invites each one of us to come to Him by putting our faith in Jesus. When we do, God sees us as clean and holy. And we can look forward to spending eternity (forever and ever and ever and ever... to infinity) with Him in heaven.

"Little Children" by Darlene Slavujac, Copyright 2008.
Used with the artist's permission

God’s invitation is to everyone. God’s invitation is to you. Have you come?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the invitation to come. I accept it. I want to be dressed in a clean robe and spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. Amen.



MORE: What’s in a Name?
The names Jesus is called in Revelation 22:12-21 tell us some important things about Him.
Which name (or names) reminds us:

1. Jesus has always and will always exist?

2. Jesus is a King from David’s family?

3. Jesus is a person?

4. Jesus should be the boss of our lives?

5. Jesus is pure and beautiful?


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.

Making Things Right

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Philemon 1-25

TO CHEW ON: "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." Philemon 10,11



Onesimus was a slave who lived in Colosse. His master’s name was Philemon. One day Onesimus stole some money from Philemon and ran away to Rome.

After some time, perhaps after all the money was spent, Onesimus found Paul. He may have met Paul before because Philemon was a Christian and a church met in his home. Paul had probably visited there.

Soon Onesimus became a Christian too. Then he faced a big problem. What should he do about his master Philemon and the money he had stolen? If he went back, Philemon might punish him or even kill him. He would certainly be a slave again. But if he didn’t, his conscience would bother him and give him no peace.

What would you have done? Do you think it’s important to confess and make right the wrong things we’ve done to people? Why or why not?

Paul wrote Onesimus’s master a letter. In it he asked Philemon to forgive Onesimus and take him back as a Christian friend. Then Paul sent Onesimus back to Colosse to deliver the letter to his master.

"Philemon" by Johann C. Weigel, 1695

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, is there anything I need to confess or make right with someone? Please give me the courage to do it. Amen.


MORE: How the Story Ends
The Bible doesn’t tell us how this story ends. What do you think happens when Onesimus returns to Philemon?

"Onesimus and Philemon" by O. A. Stemler

Write or tell the ending to the story:

• as Philemon would tell it

OR

• as Onesimus would tell it.

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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.

The Worst

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Titus 3:3-8

TO CHEW ON: "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:4,5

Who is the worst person you’ve ever heard of? What did they do that made them so bad?



We may think of some people, like mass murderers or violent thieves as beyond help. People may say things about them like, “Put them in jail and throw away the key. That’s the best they deserve.”

This may be true. But then, none of us deserve any better as far as God is concerned. For though you and I may not have done really big bad things, we have sinned. And the punishment for our sin is death. All the good things we could ever do are not enough to earn God’s pardon and to make us His friends.

But He doesn’t save us and make us His friends because we’re good. Neither does He leave us out because we’re bad. God accepts each person who comes to Him. This is not because of what we have or haven’t done. Rather it’s because His death paid the price for our sin. His love is big enough to love even the worst person.

"The Good Shepherd" by William Dyce, 1856

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being merciful and saving people who don’t deserve it. Thank You for saving me. Amen.

MORE: Pray
Do you know someone who does bad things? Talk to God about that person regularly. God loves them and can save and change them.

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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.

The First Martyr

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 7:51-60

TO CHEW ON: "Then he fell on his knees and cried out, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he fell asleep." Acts 7:60

Stephen was known for his wisdom. He was full of the Holy Spirit. He did many signs and miracles. But even such a special man had enemies.

Some important people argued with him about Jesus, and lost the argument. They decided to silence him. So they got people to tell lies about him. Then they arrested him and put him on trial. Stephen used his trial to talk about Jesus even more.

"Stephen before he is martyred" - Artist unknown

When he told the High Priest (his judge) and the crowd, they were enemies of God because they had killed Jesus, it was too much for them. In anger they dragged him outside the city and threw stones at him.

"The stoning of Stephen" - Artist unknown

But even then Stephen honored Jesus. He asked God to forgive the people who were hurting him. Then he died.

"The stoning of Stephen" by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1851-60

Would we have had such forgiving hearts?

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me the courage to stay true to You and love my enemies no matter what happens. Amen.


MORE: Modern Martyrs
Have you ever been teased for being a Christian? Have you been threatened or hurt? That is persecution.

What is the difference between being persecuted and being a martyr?

- Check out Kids of Courage for some modern-day stories of people who are being persecuted.


- Pick out one country where Christians are being persecuted and martyred. Begin to pray for that country and the Christians who live there.

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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.

Prison Prayers

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 33:7-13

TO CHEW ON: "And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." 2 Chronicles 33:13

“The Assyrians are coming!” A messenger blurted the news to King Manasseh.

Manasseh called his priests and told them to pray to the gods, check the omens, and make sacrifices. But not to the God of heaven. For Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son and Judah’s king, was not like his dad. Instead of worshiping God, he rebuilt hilltop shrines where people went to pray to statues of Chemosh and Baal.

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

He sacrificed his own sons to idols, was deeply into witchcraft and even built idol altars in the temple. God had tried to talk to Manasseh and the people, but they refused to listen.


The sacrifices Manasseh made that day did no good. He was captured by the Assyrian generals, chained and taken to prison in Babylon. There, in a dungeon and all alone, he had time to think. He remembered the things his father Hezekiah had taught him. He knew what he had done was displeasing to God. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe God would still take him back.

One day he cried out to God. He told God how foolish he had been. He begged God to save his life and set him free.



Soon after the prison keeper unlocked his cell and sent him home. Oh joy!! Now he knew that God was real and powerful. When he got back to Jerusalem, he demolished the idols, shrines and altars. He cleaned up the temple. He told the people that from now on, they were to worship only the Lord God of Israel.

Sometimes God uses hard things like sickness, accidents, tragedies and facing the consequences of our choices to bring us back to Him. How much better to serve God all along than to risk such problems. But then, better the problems that bring us back to God than being separated from Him forever and ever.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for using even troubles to bring us back to You. Amen.

MORE: God’s Invitation
Over and over in the Bible, God invites us to come back to Him if we have gone away. 1 John 1:9 is such an invitation. Can you fill in the missing words from this verse. Use the word bank, below, if necessary.

If we 1. ___ our sins, he is faithful and just and will 2. ____ us our 3. ____ and 4. ____ us from all unrighteousness.

Word bank:
sins   purify
confess   forgive

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. 

No Spears Needed

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 4:1-5

TO CHEW ON: "He will judge between many peoples
    and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore. Micah 4:3

Can you remember a time when there was not a war happening somewhere on earth? I can’t. It seems that every night the news is full of problems in one part of the world or another. It’s much more usual to get news of more wars starting than to hear of people getting along. But Micah the prophet predicts such a war-free time.

Micah lived in Judah at the same time as Isaiah. God gave him messages for Samaria (capital of Israel) and Jerusalem (capital of Judah). They were messages of doom. “Samaria will be destroyed. Jerusalem has become just as bad. Soon it will be flattened and just a garbage dump.”


But Micah didn’t only predict bad news. God also gave him a message of hope. “In the last days Jerusalem will come back to life,” he said. “God Himself will rule from there. It will be a wonderful time when people will want to learn about God and His ways. God Himself will settle the quarrels between nations.”

Micah described a time when peace was everywhere. In that time people wouldn’t need their weapons any more. Instead they would make their swords and spears (weapons) into plowshares and pruning hooks (garden tools).


Has this prophecy come true? No. It is something we can still look forward to. But isn’t it a great thought, to have God, who knows everything and is always fair, as king? Won’t it be wonderful to live in a place where everyone gets along? I wonder what they’ll find to put on the news!

PRAYER: Dear God, please bring this peaceful time to earth soon. Amen.

MORE: Peacemaker
Wars start small. Disagreements and hurt feelings grow from arguments into fights. As more and more people take sides these fights take over nations and continents.

We may not be able to do much to bring peace to nations. But we can do something about bringing peace to our home, school and playground. Here are a few peace-making attitudes. Can you think of more?

1. Forgive when someone says something mean, hurtful or untrue about you.

2. Don’t believe rumor or gossip. Find out what was really said and try to understand how the other person feels.

3. Refuse to get even. Remember, it takes two to make a quarrel.

4. Love all people the same, regardless of abilities, looks, race or beliefs.

5. Repay evil with good.

6.

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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. 

Get Out of Jail Free

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 61:1-3

TO CHEW ON: "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners," Isaiah 61:1


If you’ve ever played Monopoly, you’ll know that if you get sent to “Jail” there are consequences. You must miss your turn. You don’t get to move around the game board like the other players. By the time you’re free again, all the best properties may be bought by others. Unless you have a “Get out of jail free” card. Then you get to go free!

The way Isaiah described the deliverer or Messiah who would come someday sounds a lot like a “Get out of jail free” card. As well as bringing good news to the poor and comfort to the brokenhearted, the promise was that He would free captives and release prisoners.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus was about to give His first sermon. In front of the gathered listeners He started by opening the scroll of Isaiah and reading these exact words (Isaiah 61:1). And then He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17-21)


By that he meant, “I am the one who Isaiah was talking about. I can and will do all these things.”

And he did! He hung around with poor people and let them know God loved them very much. He gave a brokenhearted mother her son back from the dead. He brought light to people of all kinds – from blind Bartimeus to the spiritually blind tax collector and cheater Zacchaeus. And He freed people from many things like sickness and demons and lifetimes of doing bad things.


The good news is, Jesus is still our Get out of Jail Free card! What is your jail? Is it a problem with getting angry at every little thing? Is it the need to be liked by everyone? Is it the habit of eating too much? Is it fear or swearing or being sneaky? Whatever it is, Jesus can set you free. Why don’t you ask Him today?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, my prison is ______ Please set me free. Amen.


MORE: Prison Break
The verse about freedom, below, has some large, bold letters. What word do those letters spell?

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

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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. 
ANSWERS

The Call

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 6:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'
And I said, 'Here am I. Send me.'” Isaiah 6:8

God sat on a high throne. The train of his majestic robe was more glorious than any bride’s. It filled the temple. Angels were all around. Some flew back and forth calling “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is filled with his glory.” At the sound, the temple pillars shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

These are things Isaiah saw in a vision. He would never forget what happened next. As he saw God’s glory and heard the angels, Isaiah suddenly felt like he wasn’t good enough to be there. “Woe is me,” he said, “for my mouth is dirty with bad words.”


Then one of the angels came to him. He had a coal from the altar, and touched that coal to Isaiah’s lips. “God has taken away your guilt and sin,” he said.

Then Isaiah heard God’s voice: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

Without knowing what God would ask him to do, Isaiah replied, “Here am I, send me.”


God called Isaiah to be a prophet that day. He would spend more than forty years speaking God’s words to the people of Judah.

Has God called you to do something for Him? If He hasn’t yet, someday he may. He may not call you in a vision like He did Isaiah. But however He calls, make sure your answer is the same as Isaiah’s.

PRAYER: Dear God, when You call, I want to answer, “Here am I, send me.” Amen.

MORE: Unique Calls
God calls people in many different ways. Using the books and/or the internet, find out how God called:

William Cameron Townsend - founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators.



Billy Graham - evangelist.


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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. 

Loving Enemies

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Jonah 3:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened." Jonah 3:10

God did ask Jonah to go to Nineveh again. This time Jonah said “yes.”

When he got to this large city, he walked around, shouting: “If you don’t stop being wicked and violent, God will destroy in you in forty days. Instead fast, put on sackcloth and pray to God. Pray hard. Who knows, God might still spare you.”


Jonah was secretly wishing God would destroy Nineveh. It was the capital city of the country of Assyria. The Assyrians were known for their cruelty. They had often been mean to the people of Israel and Judah

But the people of Nineveh were not mean to Jonah. They didn’t tease or laugh at him. Instead, they listened. Even their king came out to hear what Jonah had to say. Then he did exactly what Jonah said. He told all the people to do the same.

In the days that followed, these people showed that they were truly sorry. They changed so much that after forty days God didn’t destroy them after all.


Still today no one is too hard for God to save. Our race, color or sex doesn’t stop God from loving us. Even the horrible things we’ve done in the past can’t keep Him from loving us. Instead He looks at each of our hearts. He will save anyone who comes to Him with a heart that is truly sorry.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You love and can save anyone. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Nineveh
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The Assyrians were known for the cruel way they treated their enemies and the people they won in battle.

- Using books and/or the internet, find out some of the things the Assyrians did to conquered people.

- Do you blame Jonah for wanting God to destroy them?

- Are there people who have mistreated you and whom you wish God would destroy instead of save?

We need God to help us love our enemies, just like Jonah needed God to help him love the Ninevites.

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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. 

Reunion

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 33:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” Genesis 33:10

The day Jacob had looked forward to and dreaded was here. Today, after many years, he would see Esau again.

1.What happened when the brothers met? Genesis 33:4
2. Who of the brothers had done something wrong and needed to be forgiven?
3. Who did the forgiving?

The meeting of Jacob and Esau

Seeing Esau again and knowing he was no longer angry was a big deal for Jacob. He compared getting Esau’s forgiveness to seeing the face of God.

Are there broken friendships in your life? Be like Jacob and Esau, and mend them.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me forgive the people who have hurt me, and help the people I have hurt to forgive me. Amen.

MORE: Forgiveness
What does it mean to forgive? Do you agree or disagree with the statements about forgiveness, below. Look up the reference to see what the Bible says.

1. It’s enough to say ‘I forgive you,’ even though you keep thinking mean thoughts about the person who hurt you. (Psalm 103:12)

2. You can’t forgive someone unless they say ‘sorry’ to you. (Luke 11:4)

3. You should forgive someone as soon as they hurt or offend you. (Mark 11:25)

4. If you forgive a person for something, but then he does the same thing over and over, you don’t have to forgive him because it seems he’s not really sorry. (Luke 17:4)

5. We should forgive others, just like Jesus forgave us. (Colossians 3:13)

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.