Read Hosea 10:12-15
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (v 12).
I find myself in the time zone called Urgent. Daily stress challenges my peace, and joy trickles through my soul instead of springing up as a fountain. Tyrants abound in the form of deadlines and due dates, each demanding exclusive and immediate attention. Fellowship with believers is a luxury regularly snatched away by some unavoidable crisis. Time in the Lord’s presence is routinely interrupted with the question, “Can’t you do that later?” Yet God urges me to draw even closer to Him. I turn to Him for guidance and strength for the many challenges surrounding me. Reading or listening to God’s Word inspires, waters, and nourishes the shriveled and trampled down parts of my life until they again show signs of life.
In this chaotic season of life, God reveals areas I must yet cultivate so even the seemingly wasted areas of my life will glorify Him. He enables me to touch others for Him in the midst of our mutually hectic lives. Living in the time zone of Urgent, it is always time to seek the Lord. He is faithful to bring needed guidance and showers of refreshment for my soul. (LeeAnn Davison)
“The first goal of guidance is to lead us into a closer relationship with Jesus. All other goals should be subservient to that” (Lorne Cunningham).
This is the Friday, September 25, 2014 devotional reading of Opening the Word.
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Read 1 Samuel 12:13-15
“But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers” (v. 15).
Perhaps you have had the experience of following a mother with a small child through a grocery store. The experience begins in the produce section, where you first hear those words, “If you do that one more time, Mommy is going to have to spank you!” Of course, if you follow long enough, you will realize that the mother did not mean it at all.
Israel was not being warned by a doting parent. Israel was being warned by God through His prophet Samuel about the consequences of making poor choices. It is clear that Israel had a very short memory. Throughout their history, they failed and were judged. Fresh admonition came again, and they failed and were judged again. Their failure included wanting to be as other nations and have a monarchy instead of a theocracy, adopting pagan religions, and leaving off God’s commandments.
We are ripe for a harvest of penalties as we move farther and farther from the Judeo-Christian roots and God’s absolutes. We are faced with a truth crisis, and we can anticipate certain destruction of society as we move further from God’s pattern for an ordered society. (Lonnie Witt)

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Read Romans 11:30-36
​“O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (v. 33).
​During the nineties, we had a gentleman who attended the church we pastored that became one of our best friends. We had many conversations about a variety of subjects, but especially about the Bible and religious things. I remember the time we were discussing what is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer and he brought up the part that says, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” He thought the “in earth” meant “in us”, as we are earth. I marveled at his wisdom because he had only attended school through the third grade. I could only conclude that God had imparted to him a part of His wisdom.
​Our text talks about “the depths of the riches of the wisdom … of God.” “The depths” indicates something more than usual; something that surpasses what we expect. That is exactly how it is with the wisdom of God.​ Then it talks about “the riches of the wisdom of God.” The “riches of the wisdom of God” is more than gold or monetary things. It is the joy, peace and contentment that come from understanding the wisdom of God. We can obtain great knowledge through formal education or life experiences, but true wisdom comes only from God. (Larry DeOrnellis)

In our day of great knowledge, we need to understand that wisdom comes not from knowledge but from God.

This week’s featured devotional is the Friday, September 12​​​​​​​​​​​​, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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Read Esther 4:12-17
​“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish” (v. 16).
​During Emperor Nero’s first persecution, the believers begged Peter not to be seen in Rome. His life was considered necessary to the well-being of the church. Finally persuaded, he fled along the Appian Way only to be met by a vision of Christ traveling toward the city. The amazed Peter exclaimed, “Lord, whither goest thou?”
With mild sadness, the Savior replied, “I go to Rome to be crucified a second time,” then vanished. Peter immediately turned back and reentered the city. Some time later, he himself was crucified. (Ray Crooks)

I counted dollars while God counted crosses,
​​I counted gains while He counted losses,
​I counted by worth, by the things gained in store
​​But He sized me up by the scars that I bore.
​I coveted honors and sought for degrees,
​​He wept as He counted the hours on my knees;
​I never knew until one day by the grave
​​How vain are the things that we spend life to save;
​I did not yet know until my loved one went above
​​That richest is he who is rich in God’s love.
– Unknown

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose” (Jim Elliott).

This week’s featured devotional is the Thursday, September 4​​​​​​​, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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Read John 6:60-65
“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (v. 65).
Without getting involved in a theological discussion of election, let us remember the fact that “The Lord is not . . . willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It is also important to remember the words of Jesus when He said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). This drawing we often refer to as conviction. This may be more evident in evangelistic services in dealing with unsaved people.
During an altar call several years ago, it was evident that God was drawing a young father to repent. I had spoken to him personally, but he said he had rejected God so long, it was no use to seek Him. After some persuasion he finally said, “I’ll try,” and went to the altar. As he and others began to pray, God drew near, and he soon arose from the altar rejoicing that God had saved him. The Father had brought him to Himself.
“The Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:7, 8). (Burl McClanahan)

Jesus is pleading; O list to His voice:
Hear Him today, hear Him today.
They who believe on His name shall rejoice;
Quickly arise and away. — Fanny J. Crosby

God still hears the repentant sinner.

This week’s featured devotional is the Tuesday, August 19, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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Read Ecclesiastes 12:8-14
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (v. 13).
The phone rang. Answering it, I found a telemarketer offering a product/service that interested me. We talked about it for a little while, but I was in a hurry. I wanted to get to the bottom line. What would this cost me? The telemarketer had different ideas. His goal was to set up an appointment so I could spend twenty minutes online and on the phone talking to someone about the benefits of the product.
We ended the phone call with the telemarketer promising to email information, including prices, to me and to call the next week.
Reading Ecclesiastes can be a challenging assignment. The emphasis on vanity, emptiness, can be almost enough to bring discouragement to an optimist. Times were hard for Solomon. He had started his reign as king by doing the right things, but along the way he lost his focus. Now, coming down to the end of this book, he weighed what is really important.
Here is the bottom line; here is what is really important. “Fear God, and keep his commandments.” Finally, Solomon realized this. He had allowed his life to be full of emptiness. It was the wrong choice. Make a better choice than Solomon made. Give your life to God and do His will. “This is the whole duty of man.” (Mark Avery)

Fulfill your duty to God.

This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, August 11, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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Read Romans 6:12-23
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (v. 22).
“And now . . .” What a blessed contrast! Because He came to me and died on Calvary, my whole life has been changed. No longer am I a slave to sin! And because of that change the fruit of my life has changed! No longer do I bear the fruit of bitterness, conflict, and impurity. Instead, I bear the fruit of forgiveness, peace, and genuineness. How can this be?
A few years ago, while we lived in Ukraine, a friend brought us some of the largest and sweetest grapes I had ever seen. They were the fruit of his own harvest, so I immediately asked him if he could help me grow such luscious fruit. He soon brought me a young vine with a sheet of directions for planting. The first thing he required was that I dig a hole one meter deep by one meter wide. When I had removed all the old soil, I was to plant that little vine in a carefully prepared mixture of compost and sand. Even if I had a new vine, the fruit would be determined by the soil it grew in.
The Christian life requires a radical change. I can be assured of everlasting life only when I have allowed God to change the soil in which my life grows. If you allow your life to grow in natural soil, the result will be inferior fruit! (Gordon Snider)

The Christian life requires a radical change.

This week’s featured devotional is the Wednesday, August 6, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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Read Hebrews 4:14-16
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (v. 16).
These verses are truly encouraging us to pray. “Come boldly” simply means we do not necessarily have to be great orators, but we have freedom to express to God our feelings, needs, and confidence that He hears us. He has invited us to share with Him our need for forgiveness so that we can receive His mercy. We also can bring to Him every burden we bear, every trial we are enduring, every temptation that we face, and every need we encounter. He has grace sufficient for whatever life hands us.
Throughout my life, I have “come boldly” to God’s throne. I came boldly when a family member was diagnosed with cancer. I came boldly in one of the darkest times of my life when a pregnancy ended three weeks early in a stillbirth. I came boldly when there was not enough money to pay taxes. I have come boldly when my daughter had a very high fever. This list could keep going, but the simple truth is this: Every time I have come boldly to the throne of grace I have obtained mercy and found grace to help. Every prayer was answered, and every need has been supplied! (Marla Cook)

Every need supplied
Every need supplied
He gives healing, cleansing, sweet peace inside
Every need supplied.

Come boldly! After all, this is your Father you are talking to!

This week’s featured devotional is the Sunday, August 3, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!

Read Isaiah 25:6-9
“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it” (v. 8).
“I wanted you to know that your talks with me in college were not in vain. I now believe and am going to church.” These words were from Russ, a young professional man who in the university had been a skeptic. He and I had long discussions about Jesus and His truth claims. When he claimed that he had come to faith, I was surprised. I had not felt I had done much in the way of convincing him. What changed him? It certainly had not been my arguments, which were inadequate. Rather, it was small bits of truth that in an incremental way lodged in his heart and eventually bore the fruit of faith. That young man experienced a kind of progressive revelation of truth.
God, through progressive revelation, “precept upon precept; line upon line,” has shown man about heaven. The lines in Isaiah 25:8 foreshadowed what John would more clearly reveal in Revelation 21. There will be no tears in heaven, and God’s people will enter into a glory that will never fade away. This clearer depiction of coming blessings prompted Charles H. Gabriel’s inspirational words of what awaits believers. (Dave Gordeuk)

Oh, that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.
— Charles H. Gabriel

Glimpses of heaven greet those who look for them.

This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, August 25, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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Read Deuteronomy 30:1-10
“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (v. 6).

As a child, my mother would say that a rule (law) was because she loved me. I would think, “How can she love me if she doesn’t let me do that?”
As a parent myself, I fully understand her logic. We did not allow certain behavior because we knew it would result in harm. Playing with matches resulted in burns. Playing with knives could injure as well.
The restrictions were not because we wanted to be mean or demanding but because we felt we knew what was best for our children. Our goal was to raise godly young men, of value to ministry and the community.
The laws of God can be viewed in the same light. No doubt the Israelites felt they were being confined by the laws of Jehovah. To them, the concept of God loving them enough to keep them from evil, was probably unbelievable. They feared God, and “served” Him, lest judgment fall at the smallest infraction.
In our lives, however, if we truly love God, His law is not a burden to us. We love to follow His commands, because we love Him, and want to please Him. We serve Him out of love, not fear. We realize that His laws are designed for our good, as well as His glory. (Sue Colburn)
When we love God with all our heart, we find abundant life!
This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, July 21, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
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