April 12 | Isaiah 55:1-3

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DAILY READING

Isaiah 55:1-3

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REFLECTION

Free For The Taking

by Jennifer Jerrome

I was twenty-six when my husband and I bought our first home. We didn’t think much about it. That’s just what you did…get married, buy a house, have a baby, and raise a family. But for today’s young adults, the story is a little different. Buying a home, even renting, is not that simple. There are more hoops to jump through, and costs have skyrocketed.

I’ve been told by twenty-somethings that they don’t have a lot of hope for the future. It’s not that they don’t want to work hard, it’s that they feel even if they do it won’t be enough. Social media, politics, natural disasters, diseases, etc. are enough to make anyone of any age question the future.

Maybe Isaiah was speaking to people who felt similar despair. Financial insecurity touches every aspect of life. That’s why Isaiah 55:1-3 was, and continues to be, a life-giving message today.

The passage literally asks readers to “Listen, listen to me…Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” And here is the essential message Isaiah wants us to hear...

Money is not necessary to feed your soul.

This is one time when having money gives you no advantage. God’s faithful love can’t be bought with denarii, gold, euros, pesos, or any form of currency. According to Luke 6:  

20 “Blessed are you who are poor, 

for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied…

24 “But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

25 Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will go hungry.

We are to fill ourselves with “the richest of fare” and not waste our valuable time on junk that “does not satisfy.”

Whatever that junk may be for you, ask God to help you stop filling yourself with empty calories and start feasting on the true bread of life. And with that comes hope for a future filled with God’s abundant love. A love that doesn’t depend on interest rates and comes with zero hidden fees.

PRAYER

Father, may we listen to your life-giving words. Words that offer freedom from the daily struggle of having enough or being enough. We are enough in You. Thank you for taking “the least” and making them first at the feast of the kingdom. May we fill ourselves with the finest you have to offer and live in your grace. Amen

April 11 | Revelation 3:14-19

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DAILY READING 

Revelation 3:14-19

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REFLECTION

Turn Up the Heat!

by Judy Webb

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)

The Voice version of this text reads: because you are neither cold with apathy not hot with passion…

Lukewarm: useless to Christ because of complacency and indifference. So, it isn’t wise to claim the middle of the road as a resting place. Sitting on the fence could cause us to topple over, and strong wind or fence shaking could prove disastrous.

My small group is studying the Book of Esther, a story of mounds of courage and piles of determination, but not before a mountain of fence-sitting. Esther had a lukewarm heart, a shy personality along with a weak belief in her Jewish ancestry. She momentarily forgot the battles her ancestors fought; the freedom they grasped after being rescued from slavery in Egypt to a promised land of freedom.

Esther, a poor orphan, was taken in by her Uncle Mordecai. As a beautiful young woman, she had the opportunity to leave poverty and join the world of royalty, rich royalty that grossly flaunted its riches. They were wasteful, reclining on couches of gold and silver; they ate and drank with no restrictions.

Esther’s survival instincts were strong, though a lukewarm Jew. She hid in the shadows, keeping her heritage secret to safeguard her life. Until one day she was forced to take a stand, to acknowledge her heritage and jump down off that fence and boldly take her place in history. At that moment, she went from lukewarm, to on fire for her people and her actions saved a nation.

So, where does that leave you and me? Have we also been brought to our place in the world “for such a time as this?” I believe so. When we live a safe life, if we never take a stand, or speak up for right in a world that reveres wrong; we are lukewarm. What Jesus wants to change is our middle of the road walk. A lukewarm Christian has enough of Jesus to satisfy a craving for religion, but not enough for eternal life.

A lukewarm Christian hasn’t learned the value of generosity, doesn’t understand that we are to share our wealth and our faith. Just look around and discern what God is telling you or asking you to do. Take a stand, lend a hand, share your story, then hop off the fence and heat up the room!

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PRAYER PRACTICE

Dear Jesus,

Sometimes we need a wake-up call. It is likely that our world desperately needs Christians to be bold and take a stand for what is right, and call out what is wrong. Come Holy Spirit, light a fire under us today. Amen.

April 10 | Hebrews 13:5-8

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DAILY READING

Hebrews13:5-8

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REFLECTION

Never, Never, Never, Never, Never

by Beth Voltmann

As humans, we have a natural, sinful tendency to cling to those things that we believe will

protect us, provide for us, and bring us happiness and security. Money is just one of many idols

that competes with God for our hearts, but as believers, we know that we are to store up

treasures in heaven, not on earth.

James cautioned believers to keep their lives free from the love of money and to be content

with what they have... “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

According to Charles Spurgeon (in the Blue Letter Bible commentary), if this passage were to be translated with the full emphasis of the Greek meaning given, it might loosely read, “He hath said, I will never, never leave thee; I will never, never, never forsake thee.” James, the brother of Jesus, who once doubted that Jesus was the promised Messiah, became one of the leading elders of the church after Christ’s ascension. He urged the church to consider and imitate how he and the other apostles lived out their faith, trusting that God would always provide, defend, protect, and love them. They believed that God would always be true to his promises.

Do you believe God? The response to all of life hinges on this. God is enough! When you find yourself running after the things of this world in the hope that you will find security, provision, help, or hope...turn your eyes back to Jesus and ask yourself:

• When will God leave me? NEVER

• When will God forsake (desert or abandon) me? NEVER

• When will I be without a helper? NEVER

• When should I be afraid? NEVER

• When should I stop trusting in God’s provision? NEVER
  

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Trust him, believe in him, love him with your whole heart. He is enough!

May we give praise that God is “never gonna let us go."

“King of My Heart” Bethel Music

PRAYER

Lord God, we ask forgiveness when we devote our hearts to things of this world that will not

satisfy or save us. Stir within us a heart to follow, to be content with what we have, and to

devote our lives to trusting in Jesus. We want to say with full confidence, “The Lord is my

helper; I will not be afraid.” Thank you that you are always faithful to your promises. Amen