Read 2 Kings 5:8-14
“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” (v. 13)
Our world abounds with advice. Self-help books clog shelves, pop psychologists abound on the airwaves, and the internet offers help for whatever problems persist in our lives. People called “Life Coaches” are now paid ridiculous amounts of money to guide people into finding purpose in their lives. While these sources may offer some actual help to people, rarely do they address the core problems that people face.
I imagine that the world in which Naaman lived was much the same. Since he was the second most powerful man in the Kingdom of Aram, people were lined up with ways to make his life better. Some of them might have provided a temporary easing of Naaman’s suffering, but none of them could solve the core problem of leprosy.
Then two lowly servants pointed him in the right direction. A young Jewish girl pointed him to the Prophet Elisha, who at this time spoke for God. When Naaman didn’t like what the prophet had to say, another servant reminded him of the importance of obedience. How desperately we need to hear and obey God’s Word today. That is the only path to true wisdom. (Randy Joe Bland)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

Where will you go to find answers to the problems of life?

This devotional is the Monday, October 19, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read Psalm 119:9-16
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (v. 9).
101 courses are generally considered rudimentary, or basic introductions to further studies or pursuits. Many colleges may offer several of these 101 courses, but I don’t know of any that offer Purity 101! In fact, there seems to be very little written or taught on purity outside of religious circles. It is not a popular topic in our day. If you want any authoritative instruction regarding purity, the Bible, God’s Word, will give you the best overview and the clearest understanding that this is a matter of the heart!
Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” This psalmist seemed to understand that, for after raising the question about cleansing his way, he went on two verses later to say, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” The object of cleansing is purity; parameters of moral purity are found throughout God’s Word, so that aligning ourselves with God’s standard and living by it is basic and imperative for Purity 101. (Rodney Stearns)

Purity is based on our relationship with God, without such a relationship purity becomes unlikely!

This devotional is the Thursday, October 15, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read Genesis 25:28-34
“Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright” (v. 34).
My father died when I was four-and-a-half years old, and my mother was left to raise my two brothers and me on a very limited income. I cannot recall a time when I left the table hungry, though many times I would have preferred something different to eat. Having grown into adulthood, and even into my senior years, I live very affluently compared to my childhood. Those early days and experiences have caused me to be frugal, sometimes eating leftovers when I preferred, and could have afforded, other things more appealing to me, thus controlling my appetite.
The Scriptures do not tell us why Esau did not kill some wildlife and prepare himself something to eat. We only know that he was very hungry, faint, and perhaps thought that he would die from his hunger. Because of this, he was willing to sell his birthright, something that was a very precious possession of the firstborn. He may have been fairly close to home when he encountered Jacob and could have found something to suffice his hunger in the tent of his parents. However, it seems that he was controlled by his appetite rather than controlling his appetite. (Larry DeOrnellis)
Controlling our appetite does not only refer to our hunger, but also to our emotional and sensual appetites. God is interested in helping us to control all of our appetites.
This devotional is the Thursday, October 1, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.

Read Philippians 1:3-8
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (v. 6).
Perhaps, like myself, you have a cache of unfinished projects. These are projects I have laid aside to complete at a later time because something else required my attention, I ran out of supplies, or I was bored and needed a change. When I look through my stash of unfinished projects, I remind myself God always finishes what He starts!
Today it may seem God has forgotten you. You may feel like God is never going to finish the work He began in you. Perhaps despair is stalking you with the thought your case is too hard for God. Don’t ever think for one moment God is unable or unwilling to complete the work He started in your life. Your situation is not too hard for God! Don’t quit before God has a chance to finish His work in you. God always completes what He starts. He is faithful to bring His work in your life and mine to perfection if only we will cooperate. God does not have “unfinished business” or “unfinished projects.” (Lee Ann Davison)

“Then I’ll dread not the future, and fear not the foe.
I am safe in His keeping wherever I go;
For no soul that has trusted Him will He forget,
For He never has failed me yet.” — W. J. Henry

God will continue to work until all is perfectly complete.

This devotional is the Friday, September 25, 2015, entry from Opening the Word.

Read Psalm 41:10-13
“And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face forever” (v. 12).
At one time the State of Illinois was going through a great financial depression. Pennsylvania had previously faced a similar situation; their solution was called “repudiating the debt.” This simply meant the disowning or disregarding of all their debts, leaving their creditors holding the sack. It solved their problem — but not their creditor’s.
Since Pennsylvania, a larger and richer state, took this action, there was pressure on Illinois, a smaller and poorer state, to do the same. This plan was initiated in their state capitol, but a representative named Stephen Douglas was greatly against such a move. Although he was elderly and very ill, his aids carried him into the Senate chamber on a stretcher. He powerfully argued against such action, and instead moved “that Illinois be honest.” His argument and his motion touched the hearts of all members and soon passed. Eventually Illinois became one of the wealthiest of the States.
The psalmist declared that God upheld him in his integrity and even gave him a fixed place before the face of God. It will be of lasting value if we give integrity a high place of honor in our lives and business practices. It should also have a prominent place in our personal and church dealings; dealings that are honest, upright, and ethical will have the favor of God. (Ray Crooks)

“My life shall be a challenge, not a compromise” (Charles Cowman).

This devotional is the Monday, September 14, 2015, entry of Opening the Word.

Read John 3:25-30
“He must increase, but I must decrease” (v. 30).
Real respect can be extremely costly. In the world’s eyes, John de- creased to the point that his head rolled, and Jesus did not perform a miracle to stop it. One of the last glimpses we get of John from Scripture is the question he sent to Jesus. “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3). In the light it had looked so right to respect Jesus. Now in the dark John had questions. But for his respect John received the greatest accolade of all, for Jesus said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11).
A life of respect is a life of humility. Selfish people cannot be respectful, because respect always involves giving instead of receiving. True respect is not trading compliments. It is giving honor with no expectation of the honor being returned.
Today we honor the victims of the tragedies that unfolded on September 11, 2001. The stories of courage that have come from that tragedy never cease to amaze. We respect those men and women because they had an inner sense of respect for the lives of others and gave themselves to save those lives. (Gordon Snider)
Can respect that is not costly be called respect?
This devotional is the Friday, September 11, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read John 14:15-21
“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (v. 15).
I like to poke my youngest nephew in the tummy — or perform some other silly act — just to get him to laugh. I like to spend time with my parents because they mean a lot to me. Sometimes I will get a glass of water or run an errand for my husband because I love him.
When we truly love our family, we like to do things for them. Is this the cost of love? Perhaps. If I had never married, I would have less laundry to do each week. But marriage to my husband is definitely worth the work!
Similarly, obedience to God, when it stems from our love for Him, becomes less of a chore. We want to please Him because we love Him.
First John 2:5 could be paraphrased this way: Everyone who obeys God’s Word is showing how much they love God. Love is the soil, and obedience is the sweet-smelling flower.
If I ever begin to feel like obedience to God is too hard, I am focused on the wrong things. When I think of what love for us cost God — the horrible death of His only Son — I realize that any price I have to pay is never too much. (Ashlee Englund)

Loving God can never really cost too much.

This devotional is the Thursday, September 3, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read Psalm 112:1-10
“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (v. 4).
The Hebrew word for “ariseth” is commonly used for the sunrise (Ps. 97:11; Isa. 58:8). The morning light is one of the most welcome sights known to man. The night may have been long and dark — no stars or moon — but the darkness will be conquered. The sun will rise to push away the oppression of the nocturnal black.
Life can bring its own night. The effects of sin and the foibles of fallen humanity may leave the righteous groping for direction, stumbling and struggling without any immediate sense of the Son. But light will dawn anew. The psalmist declares that, for the upright in heart, the darkest night will have a dawn of hope. Dr. Thomas Chalmers, facing the Scottish Reformation of 1843, cited these words to his beleaguered hearers: “Never was the truth — a word spoken in season — more vividly realized . . . a strong expression of conscious comfort and encouragement . . . called forth.” The sun will shine again for the righteous. The night will not be forever for the children of the Son. (WES)

The righteous will have their dark times. They shall receive comfort.
Their own character will secure this [light]. — Charles Spurgeon

Live righteously in the dark and the Son of Righteousness will come in a sunrise of hope.

This devotional is the Monday, August 24. 2015 entry of Opening the Word.