TAKE A JANUARY JOURNEY, Week 2
DAY 4… January 4 SUNDAY was your DAY 3.
READ: Luke 4:38-44
Thoughts to Help You Think About the Scripture
Imagine Jesus in 2016… would He have had an
Apple Watch? You know those new watches that
have sort of a mini-computer inside of them… they
can serve as your phone, as your computer, you can
access “facebook” through them, etc. If Jesus would
have had an Apple Watch, how would He have used
it? Just like most people use it? To be able to be
totally accessibly at all times—never miss a call,
never miss a message, a tweet, a “facebook”
posting? Read Luke 4:38-44 to think about that.
My guess is “probably not”… Jesus probably would
not have used an Apple Watch to constantly be “all
access” to the entire world. Was Jesus busy in
ministry? See vs. 38-41. Was Jesus passionate
about teaching people about God’s love? See vs.
43-44. But sandwiched between these two truths is
something else. What does v. 42 say that Jesus took
time to do? The 2016 way of saying that might also
include—“He turned off His Apple Watch to be alone
with God the Father.” As we start a new year, will
you do the same as Jesus, every day, to be
strengthened by the Lord?
So what should you and I do as we come before our
Father in heaven alone? See Psalm 63:6-8.
Remember Psalm 46:1-3 as you call on the Lord for
help and protection. Know Psalm 68:19-20 for
whatever situation you are in.
WHAT WILL YOU ASK GOD FOR TODAY?
WHO WILL YOU BRING TO GOD TODAY?
WHAT CAN YOU THANK GOD FOR TODAY?
DAY 5… January 5
READ: Psalm 15:1-5
Thoughts to Help You Think About the Scripture
Does your house have some “house rules”? A common
“house rule” could be, “Rinse your dirty dishes.” There
are other “house rules” that are often part of family life.
Rules like, “In this house, we tell the truth.” Or “If you hurt
somebody, apologize.” Psalm 15:1 asks, “What are the
house rules for living with the Lord and in His family?”
While Jesus invites everybody to be with Him—see
Matthew 11:28, being with Him is NOT “anything goes.”
There are two answers the Lord gives us about WHO can
dwell with Him. The first is a “Scriptural picture” painted in
vs. 2-5. See v. 2. We could say it this way—“He who
dwells with the Lord must be TRUE, honest, and seek to
follow Christ in living life.” Are there some “hidden” sinful
areas of your life that you struggle with right now? V. 3
focuses on us treating our neighbor in a loving way. We
might get an “A” in the way we lovingly treat some
people. Yet, who are the people of life that are difficult to
love? Pay attention to v. 4. It talks about the people we
have around us in our lives. The person who lives with
the Lord “despises vile people, and honors those who
fear the Lord.” Sounds right, except if there are some
ungodly people in our life that we like to run with and
whom we let influence us. Are there some people in your
life right now that are bringing you down in God’s eyes
and you need to make a break from? V. 5 reminds us
that God’s people don’t take advantage of others. Yep, I
know the world says, “Buyer Beware!” but the Lord wants
us to deal with others rightly and fairly. This is answer
#1—of what it takes to live with the Lord.
Now here’s answer #2… it really must go with answer #1.
How are you and I doing with what we learned in vs. 2-5?
Are you always TRUE and HONEST? Does your
UNSEEN life match up with your SEEN life? What does it
really take to live with the Lord? MERCY and
FORGIVENESS from Jesus. Our only hope of living with
the Lord is God’s grace to us in Jesus’ death for our sins.
Titus 3:4-7 is great news!
WHAT WILL YOU ASK GOD FOR TODAY? WHO WILL YOU BRING
TO GOD TODAY? WHO CAN YOU THANK GOD FOR TODAY?
DAY 6… January 6
READ: Matthew 3:13-17
Thoughts to Help You Think About the Scripture
You were in the “check out” line at the store and you
submitted a $20 bill as payment for your purchase. It
is very common today when a clerk receives a $20
bill to either hold it up to the light or use a special
marker to AUTHENTICATE that $20 bill as real (not
fake) payment for the purchase. Have you ever been
through that and had your $20 bill payment rejected?
This is one way of looking at Jesus’ Baptism.
According to v. 14, how did John the Baptizer feel
about baptizing Jesus? Why was this? What is the
reason for every other person to be baptized
according to Acts 2:37-38? How is this different for
Jesus? See Hebrews 4:15.
Jesus comes to be baptized in order to identify
Himself with us as sinners. As He comes to be
baptized, He submits His life as being the future
payment for sin at the cross. After Jesus is
baptized, the whole world gets the authentication
results of whether Jesus’ life as payment for sin will
be accepted. How does the Holy Spirit communicate
that Jesus’ life for sin is “ACCEPTABLE” payment in
Matthew 3:16? How does the Father say that Jesus’
life for sin is “ACCEPTABLE” in Matthew 3:16?
What does this matter? Remember what Christ’s call
to each one of us is… see Proverbs 3:5-6. It’s not a
partial commitment. See what Peter said in Matthew
19:27-30. Jesus IS the Savior. Jesus IS the only
person who can pay for our sins. Jesus IS the only
connector of us with God the Father so that our lives
will be protected and taken care of. Jesus IS the
ONLY way to life in heaven. So commit your all to
the Lord. Jesus has been authenticated. You and I
can trust Him completely!
WHAT WILL YOU ASK GOD FOR TODAY?
WHO WILL YOU BRING TO GOD TODAY?
WHO CAN YOU THANK GOD FOR TODAY?
DAY 7… January 7
READ: Luke 5:1-11
Thoughts to Help You Think About the Scripture
Here are TWO GREAT TRUTHS about our relationship
with Jesus. As Jesus sought to build a relationship with
Simon (also known as Peter), notice where Jesus came to
meet Simon, vs. 1-3. Now notice, as Jesus was trying to
get Simon’s attention, what kind of miracle did Jesus do
in front of Simon? See vs. 4-7. Why would this location
and kind of miracle be especially meaningful to Simon?
TRUTH #1. Jesus meets people WHERE THEY ARE.
How did Jesus do something similar in Luke 7:11-17? In
sort of a different way, how did Jesus meet a woman
from Samaria in John 4:5-19? Isn’t that great news for
you and me? Jesus will meet us right where we are, even
if where we are isn’t a spiritually perfect place to be… if
where I am is full of fear and worry, if where I am is an
evil lifestyle that I’ve been in, if where I am is a place
where I have hurt others. Look at the testimony of the
Psalm writer in Psalm 116:1-11. Can you tell about how
the Lord has come to meet you when you were in some
ugly or evil places?
Back to Luke 5. What is Peter saying in v. 8? Doesn’t it
sound much like Psalm 51:9? Peter’s call for the Lord to
“Go away from Him…” is a confession of his sins. It’s
repentance. It’s the realization that there is no right
reason for Jesus to have anything to do with sinful Peter.
Can you and I say the same about ourselves?
TRUTH #2. So WHERE DOES JESUS GO? Check out
Luke 5:8-11. Aren’t you glad of this second great truth
about Jesus… even as I stand with sin all over me, the
Lord Jesus WON’T GO AWAY FROM ME! Even as there
are things in my life that Jesus hates, the Lord won’t turn
His back on me. What does the Lord do? Look what the
Lord says in Isaiah 1:18. When our lives go from being
stained in red, to white as snow, this is a way of saying
that our sins are forgiven. Now notice how we then
proceed… Isaiah 1:19-20. Someone once said it this
way, “Jesus meets us RIGHT WHERE WE ARE, but He
LOVES US TOO MUCH to LEAVE US STAY JUST LIKE
WE ARE.
WHAT WILL YOU ASK GOD FOR TODAY?
DAY 8… January 8
READ: Acts 5:1-11, Psalm 51:6
Thoughts to Help You Think About the Scripture
St. Augustine said, “The truth is like a lion. You don’t
have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself.”
And yet, we like to often conceal and protect truth,
don’t we (often for fear of the truth not being
accepted by others)? Remember the last time
somebody hurt you with a lie? Wasn’t it worse than
even physical pain?
At the heart of Acts 5:1-11 is not that Ananias and
Saphira gave less money to the Lord. What was the
main problem? What does God want from us
according to Psalm 51:6?
What are areas of your life that you have trouble
being truthful with other people about? What are
areas of your life that you have trouble being truthful
with God about? Why is the latter just plain
stupidity? See Psalm 139:1-6.
There is every reason for us to be truthful with the
Lord. See 1 John 1:8-10.
Take a moment right now and be truthful with the
Lord about some things that you have been trying to
hide or deny. God will accept you. Ask Him to forgive
you, change you, and strengthen you.
Think about a prayer partner that you can build a
confidential relationship with. It is important to have
another person that you can be truthful and
accountable with.
WHAT WILL YOU ASK GOD FOR TODAY?
WHO WILL YOU BRING TO GOD TODAY?
WHO CAN YOU THANK GOD FOR TODAY?
DAY 9… January 9
READ: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Thoughts to Help You Think About the Scripture
Sometimes, this side of heaven, the pain doesn’t pass
away. Sometime, this side of heaven, there is not
physical healing of the body. Those aren’t popular words,
but they are true words according to the Bible. The
Apostle Paul had that kind of physical pain in his life that
never would go away this side of heaven. What does
Paul call it in 2 Corinthians 12:7? What does the Bible
say was the purpose in this pain for Paul according to v.
7? Why could Paul have gotten a “big head” about how
spiritual he was? Because of a spiritual, “out of body”
experience that the Lord gave him—see 2 Corinthians
12:2-4.
Sometimes God uses pain and even a hard life to keep
us humble—or to say it another way, dependent on the
Lord for strength. Are you living with something like this—
either physical or emotional? What did Paul ask of the
Lord in prayer in v. 8? Now notice God’s answer in vs.
9-10. The Lord doesn’t take the pain away but gives Paul
something to neutralize the pain—HIS GRACE! It makes
me think of God’s grace like medicine. This side of
heaven I can’t get rid of all my pains and hardships.
Jesus said it would be that way in John 16:33. But, there
is something to help me MAKE IT THROUGH even the
worst pain. Where do we find peace (John 16:33)? Paul
says that God’s POWER is PERFECTED (comes to its
highest level) in my WEAKEST MOMENTS! How have
you seen that to be true in your life? So we can go on!
Because, according to v. 10, “when we are weak (but
hanging on to the Lord by faith), we are strong.” You and
I can make it through all things… see Philippians 4:13 to
be reminded of HOW! Have a close spiritual friend who
can keep reminding you of this. Find someone else with
terminal hurt that you can remind of God’s grace!
WHAT WILL YOU ASK GOD FOR TODAY?
WHO WILL YOU BRING TO GOD TODAY?
WHO CAN YOU THANK GOD FOR TODAY?