THE LORD SPOKE (April 15)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Judges 19

It’s one of the ugliest stories in the whole Bible. It’s one you hope your kids don’t discover too early because it’s not going to be easy to explain. It’s full of adultery, homosexuality, murder, and horrible pain caused by black sin.

It’s here at the end of Judges to illustrate the utter depravity of man and just how low you can sink when you attempt to live without God in your life. There really is no depth to which you cannot plunge if you loose the mooring of a life tied up with God and His Word.

Israel had a better beginning. It had started off so well under great spiritual leaders like Abraham and Moses. Even most recently, Joshua’s body was hardly cold before they began to slip. The distressing days of the judges had brought the nation to ruin. Total depravity wasn’t just a theoretical term in the theology books. It was a case of TV playing itself out in real, everyday life.

Can we find any encouragement at all in this story? It seems difficult but consider this: God does not ever leave His people without hope. There was still, in spite of everything, a godly remnant that kept the light of faith burning. God was about to raise up one of the nation’s greatest spiritual giants - a boy named Samuel. A lad who became the leader of a nation back on track for the Lord.

He wasn’t perfect. No man ever was, save the God/Man. But Samuel was listening for God’s voice and when the Lord spoke, he heard it. Therein is encouragement enough for you and me for this day. God still speaks and if you are listening, He speaks to you through the words of Scripture.

Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou has sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

O give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may speak with soothing power
A word in season, as from Thee,
To weary ones in needful hour.

O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,
Until Thy blessèd face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

Frances R. Havergal


New Testament: Acts 16

What happens when your plans don’t work out? How do you react? What if someone else starts making the plans and tells you he’s getting his directions straight from God? You’d be skeptical, wouldn’t you? In fact, you’d probably be a little mad. You wouldn’t be quick to just hop in the car and go with him.

But that’s right where Dr. Luke found himself. He’d been part of the planning, or at least aware of it. Yet he had the spiritual insight to recognize that Paul and his companions were “kept by the Holy Spirit” from moving down into the province of Asia (Acts 16:6).

Then Paul had a vision and “we got ready at once to leave” (Acts 16:10). It took them in the opposite direction from what they’d planned. What can we learn from this?

1. Be careful to listen to the Spirit’s leading. Don’t sit and wait for something to happen to get you moving. Be active now but be sensitive to direction from the Lord. It’s entirely appropriate to start moving and to ask Him to close doors if you shouldn’t be going through them.
2. Follow the leader. Find a man of God who is in tune with the Lord. Make sure he’s getting his directions from the Lord! You’ll know that from the quality of his Bible study and his prayer life. When you find him, latch on to him. Notice Luke’s own testimony - “after Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:10).
3. Plan your work and then work your plan. The group of missionaries went into Macedonia and began to hit each of the principle cities. The story carries over into the next chapter but notice how they progressed from Neapolis to Philippi, to Amphipolis, to Apollonia, to Thessalonica, and to Berea. At each spot the procedure was similar - first to the synagogue or Jewish meeting place and then to the marketplace (or jail!).
4. Expect opposition. The devil can be counted on to provide it every time. Just don’t you be part of it yourself! Keep your eyes fixed on the goal and your hands on the plow. Move straight forward and take your encouragement from the Lord.
5. Be faithful to your calling. Serve the Lord with gladness. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:11-12).