Read Proverbs 17:14-19
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (v. 17).
People that are consistent in loving their friends and their God through adversity are made out of good metal. Following my father’s death in the Snow Belt area of western New York, my mother was left alone to take care of the home place. She was totally devoted to God, her family, church, and lost souls. One wintry Sunday morning, the car doors were frozen shut. There was no way to enter the front seat of the car. The back doors opened, but the locks froze so the doors would not stay closed securely. At nearly eighty years old, with love and determination, she walked through deep snow to the barn, found some clothes- line, and climbed into the back seat. She then took the clothesline and tied the two back doors securely shut. She then carefully crawled over the back of the seat and slipped up under the steering wheel of the car. She warmed up the car and drove to church. By the time she arrived at church all the locks had thawed. She joyfully opened the front door of the car, got out, and enjoyed a great Sunday school and worship service. Later she called me and shared with me that she was not too old to crawl over the back of the seat of the car so she would not miss church. (Walter Hedstrom)

Loyalty in adversity is still a priceless commodity!

This devotional is the Friday, November 20, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read Hebrews 6:9-12
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (v. 10). 
Let us face it, life is not fair. As a matter of fact, neither is God. He is holy, altogether lovely, and not fair. Did He give you what you deserved? A good friend of mine, Augusta, grew up extremely poor. She married to get away, and her life turned out worse. One day an evangelist stopped by their trailer, told the simple gospel message, and Gussie prayed through. Her husband left her with the children, declaring that religion was the problem. Her limited education made it hard to find a job, yet she felt compelled to give the gospel to those who didn’t know. She worked among the drunks in the slums, held street meetings, and helped get some churches started. With her children grown, she totaled her assets — an ancient little travel trailer with no vehicle to move it.
One of her boys ended up stationed in Germany. That year the U.S. government decided to send mothers to the boys instead of bringing them home. Gussie boarded a plane, flew to Germany, toured Italy, visited the Sistine Chapel, breathed the fresh air of the Swiss Alps, and saw many castles in Bavaria. It didn’t cost her anything. You can never out-give God. (Joyce Cooper)

God delights in doing “special” things for His own. 

This devotional is the Monday, November 9, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read Ephesians 5:14-21
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (v. 16).
“She looks so young. She can’t possibly be a grandmother!” I thought as I chatted with one of my former high school students. What a shock to learn how many grandchildren she had!
I am often taken aback to realize just how old I am. Perhaps it is because I had no children of my own whose growth would have marked the passing of the years. I don’t like to admit remembering events that happened more than a half century ago. I cringe when I read a news item about an “elderly person” who is younger than I. Elderly? Me? Yes, the majority of my lifespan has come and gone. I am definitely a senior citizen!
Young person or senior, we occasionally need to remember we have been allotted a finite number of days to live on this earth. Let us pray with the psalmist, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (90:12). (Joyce Cooper)

Another day begun!
Lord, grant us grace that we,
Before the setting of the sun,
Redeem the time for Thee.
Another day of toil!
To Thee we yield our powers;
Keep Thou our souls from guilty soil
Through all the passing hours. — John Ellerton

“Be careful to make a good improvement of precious time” (David Brainerd).

This devotional is the Saturday, October 31, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

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.