Dad s NIV DEVOTIONAL BIBLE Notes b\ Robert Wolgemuth
NIV Dad s Devotional Bible Copyright 2014 by Zondervan All rights reserved The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Published by Zondervan Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA www.zondervan.com New International Version and NIV are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Ancillary materials 1999, 2014 by Robert D. Wolgemuth. Requests for information should be sent to Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2014956953 The NIV text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without the express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page as follows: Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. When quotations from the NIV text are used by a local church in non-saleable media such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, overhead transparencies, or similar materials, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (NIV ) must appear at the end of each quotation. Any commentary or other biblical reference work produced for commercial sale, that uses the NIV text must obtain written permission for use of the NIV text. Permission requests for commercial use within the USA and Canada that exceeds the above guidelines must be directed to and approved in writing by Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA. www.zondervan.com Permission requests for commercial use within the UK, EU and EFTA that exceeds the above guidelines must be directed to and approved in writing by Hodder & Stoughton Limited, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, United Kingdom. www.hodder.co.uk Permission requests for non-commercial use that exceeds the above guidelines must be directed to and approved in writing by Biblica US, Inc., 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921, USA. www. Biblica.com Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this Bible are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of the Bible. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America N120712 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 /DCI/ 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A portion of the purchase price of your NIV Bible is provided to Biblica so together we support the mission of Transforming lives through God s Word. Biblica provides God s Word to people through translation, publishing and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God s Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Introduction NIV Dad s Devotional Bible I have no idea what you just read, my friend reported, a blank stare on his face. It made absolutely no sense to me. Whew, I responded with a sigh, I don t have any idea what it means, either! We both laughed, although in retrospect, it really wasn t that funny. It was 1995 and my friend and I were enjoying an early morning coffee at our favorite place. He was the father of two teenage sons, and I was the father of two daughters in their twenties. As we had done for many years, we were having our morning quiet time together. I had just finished reading from a devotional book, and we were going to discuss what I had just read. But instead of discussing how the reading had inspired or challenged us, we were joking over the convoluted obscurity of the words I had just read. Why, I said after I had gone back for a refill, can t a devotional be written in plain English so we don t have to get our Ph.Ds to figure it out? One year later, my twenty-two-year-old daughter and I were standing in the hallway at Zondervan Publishing House in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tom Mockabee, the then-publisher for the Bible Division, and I were discussing a number of issues when he asked me, Do you know of anyone who would be willing to help us write a dad s Bible? Julie glanced at me with that winsome grin I have loved since she was in a high chair. Dad, she whispered, why don t you do it? Another year later, the notes were complete. And what has happened to me as a result of having composed this manuscript has been absolutely incredible. In my imagination, I have returned to that coffee shop two hundred and sixty times. I have opened my Bible, read a few verses to my friend, then he and I have had imaginary discussions as to what these verses might mean to us. This edition of the NIV Dad s Devotional Bible has been refreshed, since the original was published in 1999. So much has happened since then, and I wanted to have a chance to bring it up to date. With a brand-new updated NIV translation and my notes polished to a contemporary sheen, this Dad s Bible is spanking new. It s been an unspeakable honor to have had a chance to spend many hours soaking in God s Word and asking Him how this might make a difference in my life and in the lives of you and your children. If you have a few minutes every morning, my friend and I would love to have you join us for coffee. We think it will be a great adventure. HERE S WHAT THE NIV DAD S DEVOTIONAL BIBLE INCLUDES: The New International Version of the Bible This book contains the entire text of the Bible in the New International Version (NIV). Acclaimed by many of the world s leading Bible scholars and millions of satisfied Bible readers, the NIV is now the most widely read modern-english translation in the world.
x Introduction Daily Insights These two hundred and sixty daily readings are each linked to a particular Bible text, and they have been written with one purpose: to bring God s Word to life for you. In my years as an advertising copywriter, my greatest challenge was to answer the so what question. The Daily Insights are meant to help you understand what the truths of God s Word really mean in the day-to-day challenges of being a man, a husband and a dad. They re meant to help you understand the so what. The Daily Insights can be read in sequence, Monday through Friday. At the bottom of each Insight, you will be directed to the next one. Building Your Children Seven special articles are placed throughout the text of this Bible to help you in your role as a father. These articles reflect the main points of my book She Calls Me Daddy. In these articles I outline seven key things that a dad needs to exhibit and foster to build his child s character: Protection, Conversation, Affection, Discipline, Laughter, Faith and Conduct. These subjects are discussed from a Biblical perspective, and are linked to specific Bible texts. You can locate them by looking at this Bible s table of contents on page vi. The Bible for Dads Starting on page 1411 you ll find a helpful tool that will give you, as a dad, a bird seye view of every single one of the books of the Bible. The Bible for Dads drills down to the essence of how each Bible book speaks to your life as a dad. As you read through God s Word, let these brief summaries guide your study. Then read the books themselves you ll be changed forever. Questions Kids Ask As a dad, you know that kids ask questions all the time, and the Questions Kids Ask feature that starts on page 1429 will help you answer some of the more common and perhaps more complex questions that your kids will ask about their faith walk. The feature starts with a three-page topical index of questions your kids may ask about God, the Bible, Love, Sin and the like, then follows with a Genesis-to-Revelation, verse-tagged listing of these questions and their answers. Fruit of the Spirit Index Starting on page 1469 you ll find an index that will help you locate and use the features of this Bible. The Fruit of the Spirit Topical Index links each of the Daily Insights to one of the fruit of the Spirit, listed in the book of Galatians (5:22). Welcome to the NIV Dad s Devotional Bible. It is my sincere prayer that you will find inspiration, encouragement, challenge and even some laughter within its pages. May God s remarkable grace be yours to enjoy. Robert Wolgemuth Orlando, Florida
60 BUILDING YOUR CHILDREN Conversation: just keep talking [Joseph] kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him. Genesis 45:15 The most precious connection between human beings is the bridge of conversation. This is especially true between you and your children. If you have small children, communication can be difficult. After all, you live in a world that s foreign to your son or daughter. You ve got pressure at work and are struggling to make ends meet. She s got a dolly who scraped her knee. He s got a truck that lost a wheel. So you ll have to find some things to discuss and places to discuss them. No problem. A good friend taught me a fathering lesson very early. On the weekends, never go anywhere alone, he told me. This simple advice had wonderful consequences. I took his advice, and when I ran errands on the weekends, I almost always took one or both of my kids along. And as we would drive along, I d ask them questions. Look over there in that field. Have you ever seen so many cows? I wonder how many there are? They d look and start counting. Or we d play games. Between here and the store, I d say, let s count how many trucks we pass. Or I d try to make them imagine, If you were an animal in the zoo, what animal would you like to be? Early in our lives together, we built conversation bridges, a connection of words that inextricably bound us together. Of course, this discussion assumes that neither you nor your children have electronic devices distracting you from these critical opportunities to communicate. Question: when you re with your kids, do you have specific times of the day when electronics need to be put away or turned off? Yes, I m talking about yours as well. Dinnertime? An hour or two before bed? Please establish these times so that you can teach your children how to have a conversation. Because our lives are so information intense, and because distraction and short attention spans rule the day, perhaps some basic conversational reminders are in order. In describing good conversation, Dr. James Dobson uses the helpful illustration of playing catch with a tennis ball. When you want to speak to your son, you throw him a question. When he answers, he s throwing a response back. Once you ve caught the response, you toss him another question. This is a good model to use as you teach your child how to carry on a conversation. Use role play and practice regularly. Teach your child to listen so he or she can ask a question that follows what you ve just said. Or try this strategy. Little children are famous for indecipherable drawings. When you see one, don t cut off conversation with a quick, That s nice,
61 sweetie, or What is it? Rather, extend this conversation by saying, Tell me about your picture, Jennifer. Jennifer will describe what she sees which, of course, is all that matters. As she talks, listen carefully so you can say, That s so interesting that you colored that pony orange. Can you tell me why you chose that color? Can you hear that tennis ball bouncing back and forth? Your child is learning to speak, to accurately express her thoughts. And you re learning to listen so you can catch a glimpse of who this little person really is. Keep it up. When your daughter comes home from high school after a verbal bout with one of her classmates, she will likely never talk to you about it unless, when she was small and the stakes were not quite as high, you taught her how. Finally, make mealtime a priority. When I was a kid, holidays were filled with great dinner-table conversation. In looking back Teach your kids to talk to you. Open conversation will be the lifeline that will keep your kids from emotionally hiding from you and your wife. on those great feasts, I recall that my mother always did her best to add onto our primary dining room table. Since we re a family, she d say, we re going to all eat together at the big table. No kids table in the other room. She was right. As children, my three brothers, two sisters and I learned the importance of conversation. We learned that the dinner table wasn t a conveyor belt covered with food. We were taught that sitting down to a meal was an important time of conversation and listening. Teach your kids to talk to you. Open conversation will be the lifeline that will keep your kids from emotionally hiding from you and your wife. It will allow you to learn who your children really are and will give you a vehicle to tell them about yourself. Teaching your children the art of conversation is especially critical now. Social networking and smartphones have supplanted the skills of good old-fashioned conversation. Commit that you will make your children stand out because they can actually speak. If you do, you will introduce them to a world of other adults who will honor them because of their ability to talk and listen. These skills will help them win friends, impress adults and even earn good jobs way ahead of their peers.
590 BUILDING YOUR CHILDREN Protection: love stands guard I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 As a dad, you protect your children from dangers that come in many forms. When they re very small, you may protect them from sharp knives or hot things in the kitchen. As they grow older, you may need to protect them from the neighbor s snarling dog. But when they become teenagers, the scenario changes a bit. Coming home from work one evening, I noticed a shiny European coupe parked in front of our house. Nice, I remember whispering. Very nice. Steven was a senior in high school. I had already suspected that he was interested in our daughter Julie because of his recent visits to our church. Julie was only a week short of her 16 th birthday, and Steven knew the rules that Julie and I had agreed to: (1) No single dating until Julie turned 16, and (2) boys must be interviewed by me. Steven was tall and handsome, a varsity basketball player with a physique to match. He followed me into my study where I invited him to sit in the chair across from my desk. I asked Steven about the car out front. He told me that he had bought it last summer and had spent a lot of time fixing it up with his dad. Sounds like a special car, I said. Now, Steven, what would you have said if I had come to your house last night, knocked on the door, and asked you if I could borrow your car for the evening? Steven took no time to respond. I d have said, No way. Why? I replied, acting as though his answer fascinated me. Well, because I don t know you. I don t know how you drive. I don t know how you d treat my car. I m not sure I can trust you. That car s important to me. Steven s narrowed eyes let me know he was very serious. I leaned forward on my elbows, taking just a moment to make sure he was listening carefully. That s interesting, Steven, I finally said. I know exactly what you re saying. Tonight you ve come to my house and asked to take our daughter out for the evening. And before I let you do that, I want to find out who you are. He understood. We talked about what was important to him: his sports, his family, his favorite subjects in school, his plans for next year, and his faith. I told him a little about our family and assured him that he would always be welcome in our home. I told him that our daughter s friends were our friends. He seemed
591 appreciative. When we finished our conversation, we both stood up and shook hands. You know, Mr. Wolgemuth, if I have a 16-year-old daughter of my own someday, I ll do what you did today. The story of my interviewing Steven is an example of fairly thorough emotional protection. I was exercising my right to keep Julie from being hurt by this older boy. I wasn t angry; I didn t threaten him. But I did, without a doubt, put him on notice: Be careful with this girl. She belongs to a family who really loves her. What if I have a son? you might be asking. Good question. Although we didn t have a son, I have made the following suggestion to friends of mine who have boys. It has been met with rave reviews. Suggest that your son volunteer for an interview with his date s dad. He can lead the discussion as the suitor. The point is that once he is connected with the girl s family, he will be more apt to consider himself accountable to that family. This will protect both your son and his date. I did, without a doubt, put him on notice: Be careful with this girl. She belongs to a family who really loves her. Protecting your children is your right and your privilege, but there s no need to be overbearing about it. In fact, you can actually have fun with it. It s going to take some of your time, but that s okay. Your kids are worth it.
Matthew The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah 1 This is the genealogy a of Jesus the Messi ah b the son of Da vid, the son of Abraham: 2 Abra ham was the fa ther of Isaac, Isaac the fa ther of Ja cob, Ja cob the fa ther of Ju dah and his brothers, 3 Ju dah the fa ther of Pe rez and Ze rah, whose mother was Tamar, Pe rez the fa ther of Hez ron, Hez ron the fa ther of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nah shon the fa ther of Sal mon, 5 Sal mon the fa ther of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the fa ther of Obed, whose moth er was Ruth, Obed the fa ther of Jes se, 6 and Jes se the fa ther of King Da vid. Da vid was the fa ther of Sol o mon, whose moth er had been Uri ah s wife, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abi jah the fa ther of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jo tham the fa ther of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Ma nas seh the fa ther of Amon, Amon the fa ther of Jo si ah, 11 and Jo si ah the fa ther of Jec o ni ah c and his broth ers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12 Af ter the ex ile to Bab ylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, She al ti el the fa ther of Ze rub ba bel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eli a kim the fa ther of Azor, 14 Azor the fa ther of Za dok, Za dok the fa ther of Akim, Akim the fa ther of Eli hud, 15 Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Mat than the fa ther of Ja cob, 16 and Ja cob the fa ther of Jo seph, the hus band of Mary, and Mary was the moth er of Jesus who is called the Mes si ah. 17 Thus there were four teen gen er a tions in all from Abra ham to Da vid, four teen from Da vid to the ex ile to Bab ylon, and four teen from the ex ile to the Mes si ah. Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Mes si ah came about d : His moth er Mary was pledged to be mar ried to Jo seph, but be fore they came to geth er, she was found to be preg nant through the Holy Spir it. 19 Be cause Jo seph her hus band was faith ful to the law, and yet e did not want to ex pose her to pub lic dis grace, he had in mind to di vorce her qui et ly. 20 But af ter he had con sid ered this, an angel of the Lord ap peared to him in a dream and said, Jo seph son of Da vid, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is con ceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, f because he will save his peo ple from their sins. 22 All this took place to ful fill what the Lord had said through the proph et: 23 The vir gin will con ceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Im man u el g (which means God with us ). 24 When Jo seph woke up, he did what the a 1 Or is an account of the origin b 1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One; also in verse 18. c 11 That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse 12 d 18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this e 19 Or was a righteous man and f 21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves. g 23 Isaiah 7:14
1028 MONDAY Passage for the Day Verse for the Day MATTHEW 1:1,2,16 17 MATTHEW 1:1 Are you in here? No one wants to be called a late bloomer. But in high school, that was me. Given my smaller stature compared to other boys, these four years were a lot of work. Thankfully, there was something in my hereditary constitution that did not allow me to simply give up. I tried out for several sports, and even though my name never made the final list posted on the coach s door, I kept trying. It seemed to me that I could make up for my small stature and inexperience by hustling just a little more than the other boys. Although I never made a varsity squad in high school, I did finish my pre-college career with some of my dignity intact. I had made many wonderful friends, was involved performing in the school s talent show and participating in several other enjoyable clubs and organizations. At least, I remember thinking, I ll have a good list of activities next to my name in my senior yearbook. The day we received our yearbooks was a day I ll never forget. I had just been handed my copy of the 1965 Wheaton Community High School Ilium, and I quickly scanned the senior pages. And there, right between the pictures of Dennis Wiss and Ann Woodward, where I had found myself The day we received our yearbooks was a day I ll never forget. lined up in every study hall for four years was... nothing. I looked again, quickly turning the adjacent pages to see if, perhaps, I had been listed out of sequence. Again I found nothing. My heart stopped. Filled with terror, I turned to find someone to tell. Standing five feet from me was Meredith Poe, my friend and our yearbook editor. I m not in here, I said to Meredith. You completely missed me. Quickly thumbing through her own, she confirmed my assertion. I m so sorry, she finally said to me, her face turning ashen, Oh, no... uh... I m so... so sorry, she repeated, turned and walked away. The genealogies in Matthew are about as stem-winding as reading the names of students in a yearbook; unless you re looking for your own name. Then it s an adventure to search and a victory to find. Unless, of course, your name is inadvertently missed. Then it s a heartbreak. Matthew s list of the Messiah s ancestors starts with Abraham and stops with Jesus name, the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham (verse 1). What you may not know is that from the birth of Jesus, this list actually continues. Of course, this extended genealogy is not found in the Bible. It is, however, listed in what the apostle John calls, The Lamb s book of life (Revelation 13:8). This yearbook we hear about in the book of Revelation does not have anything to do with ancestral lineage or bloodline. The names recorded in the Lamb s book, the most important yearbook in the history of eternity, are there because of a different kind of bloodline : the sacrificial blood of Jesus. Those who show up in this book are not there by birth: they are all adopted into God s family. That list of grandfathers and grandchildren will also end with Jesus Christ. Matthew and the other gospel writers tell the story of how to get on this list. If you miss this one, it won t be Meredith Poe s fault. GO TO PAGE 1029 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.
1029 TUESDAY Passage for the Day Verse for the Day MATTHEW 1:18 25 MATTHEW 1:24 Redford, Joseph and God s Son I ll never forget Redford, partly because his was such an unusual first name, but mostly because of his story. One of Redford s closest friends in the small North Dakota town where he grew up fell in love with the cutest girl in school. Emily was everything a red-blooded teenage boy could have hoped for: happy, energetic, talkative, beautiful... and willing. Late one night, Redford s friend called him. She s pregnant, he said, his voice bursting through the phone lines. What am I going to do? What does Emily want to do? Redford asked. Go away, have the baby, put it up for adoption and then come back, Redford s friend replied. She s not putting any pressure on me to marry her, so I think this is a good plan. Redford just listened. Emily quietly disappeared. Life in rural North Dakota returned to normal, quite unimpeded by the predictable questions and soft whispers. Redford graduated from the local high school, then attended the county s junior college, just a few miles east on Interstate 94. After receiving his associate s degree, Redford took a job with a local merchant. Two years later, an afternoon Greyhound bus brought Emily home. The locals were shocked to see her back, especially with three children in tow. In one hand she held the hand of a five-year-old boy with familiar blond hair and blue eyes, recognizable gifts from his well-known daddy. In the other hand was the hand of a striking, dark-skinned girl. She looked to be about three. And strapped to Emily s chest in one of those canvas slings was a newborn. The town s cheerleader-turned-woman-of-the-world had come home. And everyone knew that each of these children was hers. When Redford heard the news, he immediately looked for Emily. Her parents had mercifully invited her to live with them, and their living room is where he found her, feeding her baby. Kneeling on the floor beside Emily, Redford tenderly put his arms around his old friend. I m so glad to see you, he said, his arms embracing both the girl and her tiny baby. Welcome home. In the weeks that followed, Redford renewed the friendship with his high-school best-friend s girl. He visited Emily and her children regularly, offering to help however he could. In what seemed like no time at all, he was hopelessly in love. In six months they were married and today, Redford, Emily and their little eclectic family live in a frame house, just inside the city limits of the same North Dakota town. Joseph was faced with the dilemma of a lifetime. Mary, his precious fiancée, was pregnant. Incredibly, she claimed to still be a virgin. A virgin? he must have muttered to himself, I wasn t born yesterday. But in a dream, God told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. This child is from the Holy Spirit, God told him, and this baby s going to save his people from their sins. So in a quiet ceremony, Joseph married Mary, tenderly taking her into his home. Two thousand years later, Jesus Christ, Joseph and Mary s boy, would be faced with a dilemma. You and I, his wayward and unfaithful boys, need a home. God s loving embrace is the best news we could ever receive. Thanks, Redford, for your mercy. Thanks, Joseph, for your faithfulness. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your grace. GO TO PAGE 1033 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.
1030 Matthew 1:25 Matthew 3:4 1030 an gel of the Lord had com mand ed him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not con sum mate their mar riage un til she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. The Magi Visit the Messiah 2 Af ter Jesus was born in Beth le hem in Ju dea, dur ing the time of King Her od, Magi a from the east came to Je ru sa lem 2 and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to wor ship him. 3 When King Her od heard this he was disturbed, and all Je ru sa lem with him. 4 When he had called to geth er all the peo ple s chief priests and teach ers of the law, he asked them where the Mes si ah was to be born. 5 In Beth le hem in Ju dea, they re plied, for this is what the proph et has writ ten: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. b 7 Then Her od called the Magi se cret ly and found out from them the ex act time the star had ap peared. 8 He sent them to Beth le hem and said, Go and search care ful ly for the child. As soon as you find him, re port to me, so that I too may go and wor ship him. 9 Af ter they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them un til it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On com ing to the house, they saw the child with his moth er Mary, and they bowed down and wor shiped him. Then they opened their trea sures and pre sent ed him with gifts of gold, frank in cense and myrrh. 12 And hav ing been warned in a dream not to go back to Her od, they re turned to their country by another route. The Escape to Egypt 13 When they had gone, an an gel of the Lord ap peared to Jo seph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and es cape to Egypt. Stay there un til I tell you, for Her od is go ing to search for the child to kill him. 14 So he got up, took the child and his moth er dur ing the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed un til the death of Her od. And so was ful filled what the Lord had said through the proph et: Out of Egypt I called my son. c 16 When Her od re al ized that he had been out wit ted by the Magi, he was fu ri ous, and he gave or ders to kill all the boys in Beth lehem and its vi cin i ty who were two years old and un der, in ac cor dance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the proph et Jer e mi ah was fulfilled: 18 A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. d The Return to Nazareth 19 Af ter Her od died, an an gel of the Lord ap peared in a dream to Jo seph in Egypt 20 and said, Get up, take the child and his moth er and go to the land of Is ra el, for those who were try ing to take the child s life are dead. 21 So he got up, took the child and his moth er and went to the land of Is ra el. 22 But when he heard that Ar che la us was reigning in Ju dea in place of his fa ther Her od, he was afraid to go there. Hav ing been warned in a dream, he with drew to the dis trict of Gal i lee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Naz a reth. So was ful filled what was said through the proph ets, that he would be called a Nazarene. John the Baptist Prepares the Way 3 In those days John the Bap tist came, preach ing in the wil der ness of Ju dea 2 and say ing, Re pent, for the king dom of heav en has come near. 3 This is he who was spo ken of through the proph et Isa iah: A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. e 4 John s clothes were made of cam el s hair, and he had a leath er belt around his waist. a 1 Traditionally wise men b 6 Micah 5:2,4 c 15 Hosea 11:1 d 18 Jer. 31:15 e 3 Isaiah 40:3
1031 Matthew 3:5 Matthew 4:19 1031 His food was lo custs and wild hon ey. 5 People went out to him from Je ru sa lem and all Ju dea and the whole re gion of the Jor dan. 6 Con fess ing their sins, they were bap tized by him in the Jor dan Riv er. 7 But when he saw many of the Phar i sees and Sad du cees com ing to where he was baptiz ing, he said to them: You brood of vi pers! Who warned you to flee from the com ing wrath? 8 Pro duce fruit in keep ing with repen tance. 9 And do not think you can say to your selves, We have Abra ham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up chil dren for Abra ham. 10 The ax is al ready at the root of the trees, and ev ery tree that does not pro duce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I bap tize you with a wa ter for re pentance. But af ter me comes one who is more pow er ful than I, whose san dals I am not wor thy to car ry. He will bap tize you with a the Holy Spir it and fire. 12 His win nowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his thresh ing floor, gath er ing his wheat into the barn and burn ing up the chaff with unquench able fire. The Baptism of Jesus 13 Then Jesus came from Gal i lee to the Jordan to be bap tized by John. 14 But John tried to de ter him, say ing, I need to be bap tized by you, and do you come to me? 15 Jesus re plied, Let it be so now; it is prop er for us to do this to ful fill all righteousness. Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was bap tized, he went up out of the wa ter. At that mo ment heav en was opened, and he saw the Spir it of God de scend ing like a dove and alight ing on him. 17 And a voice from heav en said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spir it into the wil der ness to be tempt ed b by the dev il. 2 Af ter fast ing for ty days and for ty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempt er came to him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to be come bread. 4 Jesus an swered, It is writ ten: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on ev ery word that comes from the mouth of God. c 5 Then the dev il took him to the holy city and had him stand on the high est point of the tem ple. 6 If you are the Son of God, he said, throw your self down. For it is writ ten: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. d 7 Jesus an swered him, It is also writ ten: Do not put the Lord your God to the test. e 8 Again, the dev il took him to a very high moun tain and showed him all the king doms of the world and their splen dor. 9 All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down and worship me. 10 Jesus said to him, Away from me, Sa tan! For it is writ ten: Wor ship the Lord your God, and serve him only. f 11 Then the dev il left him, and an gels came and at tend ed him. Jesus Begins to Preach 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in pris on, he with drew to Gal i lee. 13 Leav ing Naz a reth, he went and lived in Caper na um, which was by the lake in the area of Zeb u lun and Naph ta li 14 to ful fill what was said through the proph et Isa iah: 15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. g 17 From that time on Jesus be gan to preach, Re pent, for the king dom of heav en has come near. Jesus Calls His First Disciples 18 As Jesus was walk ing be side the Sea of Gal i lee, he saw two broth ers, Si mon called Pe ter and his broth er An drew. They were cast ing a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 Come, fol low me, Jesus said, and a 11 Or in b 1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested. c 4 Deut. 8:3 d 6 Psalm 91:11,12 e 7 Deut. 6:16 f 10 Deut. 6:13 g 16 Isaiah 9:1,2
1032 Matthew 4:20 Matthew 5:22 1032 I will send you out to fish for peo ple. 20 At once they left their nets and fol lowed him. 21 Go ing on from there, he saw two other broth ers, James son of Zeb e dee and his broth er John. They were in a boat with their fa ther Zeb e dee, pre par ing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their fa ther and fol lowed him. Jesus Heals the Sick 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their syn a gogues, pro claim ing the good news of the king dom, and heal ing ev ery disease and sick ness among the peo ple. 24 News about him spread all over Syr ia, and peo ple brought to him all who were ill with var i ous diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-pos sessed, those hav ing sei zures, and the par a lyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, a Jerusalem, Ju dea and the re gion across the Jor dan followed him. Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a moun tain side and sat down. His dis ci ples came to him, 2 and he be gan to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when peo ple in sult you, per se cute you and false ly say all kinds of evil against you be cause of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, be cause great is your re ward in heav en, for in the same way they per se cut ed the proph ets who were be fore you. Salt and Light 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt los es its salt i ness, how can it be made salty again? It is no lon ger good for any thing, ex cept to be thrown out and tram pled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill can not be hid den. 15 Nei ther do peo ple light a lamp and put it un der a bowl. In stead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to ev ery one in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine be fore oth ers, that they may see your good deeds and glo ri fy your Fa ther in heav en. The Fulfillment of the Law 17 Do not think that I have come to abol ish the Law or the Proph ets; I have not come to abol ish them but to ful fill them. 18 For truly I tell you, un til heav en and earth dis ap pear, not the small est let ter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means dis ap pear from the Law un til ev ery thing is ac com plished. 19 There fore any one who sets aside one of the least of these com mands and teach es oth ers ac cord ing ly will be called least in the king dom of heav en, but who ev er prac tic es and teach es these com mands will be called great in the king dom of heav en. 20 For I tell you that un less your righ teous ness sur passes that of the Phar i sees and the teach ers of the law, you will cer tain ly not en ter the kingdom of heav en. Murder 21 You have heard that it was said to the peo ple long ago, You shall not mur der, b and any one who mur ders will be sub ject to judgment. 22 But I tell you that any one who is angry with a broth er or sis ter c, d will be sub ject to judg ment. Again, any one who says to a broth er or sis ter, Raca, e is an swer able to the court. And any one who says, You fool! will be in dan ger of the fire of hell. a 25 That is, the Ten Cities b 21 Exodus 20:13 c 22 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23. d 22 Some manuscripts brother or sister without cause e 22 An Aramaic term of contempt
1033 WEDNESDAY Passage for the Day Verse for the Day MATTHEW 5:21 25,33 37 MATTHEW 5:37 Ready, aim, speak Taylor University, my college alma mater, had a dinnertime custom for many years. Folklore had it that, over the years, many women had transferred to other schools because of this tradition. Every weekday, at exactly 6:00 p.m., the doors of the dining hall would open, but only for the women. The ladies would stream in, filling every other seat at the round, eight-person tables. They made this processional to the strains of an ancient upright piano in the corner, played, of course, by a music major. Once the dining hall was exactly half-filled, the men were released, set free to prowl the tables, looking for somewhere to sit. In selecting the chair they wanted, they were also choosing where they didn t want to spend their dinner hour. Now you know why the women hated this practice! Women students waited on tables, which were served family style. I m sure a homey atmosphere with pleasant conversation is what the well-intentioned founders of the tradition had wanted to create. And most of the time, the family thing worked pretty well. Most of the time. One dinner in the spring of my freshman year, I was sitting with seven of my classmates three other men and four women. We were engaged in the usual college chatter when someone mentioned the breakup of one of Taylor s fixture couples. He was a sophomore; she was a freshman one of our own. All the side conversations at the table stopped immediately. Everyone wanted to hear about the big breakup. We weren t being hateful, mind you, just fully informed. One of the women gave the report that it was Paula s decision to break off the relationship. Irreconcilable differences, she said. Paula loved Michael, but there was just no future in it. That s not what I heard, I announced, holding a virtual court, my voice raised to an unnecessary level. I heard that Michael really let her have it. He really hadn t liked her all that much and just told her so. He broke her heart, but... oh, well, these things happen. I was a veritable fountain of gossip that evening, and everyone was listening. When I finished my thorough report, I took a breath and looked up into the faces of my classmates. They were ashen, gazing at me in disbelief. The men in particular looked sick. As I looked more closely, I discovered that they weren t actually looking at me. They were looking at you guessed it, our waitress. I jerked around in my chair to see who had captured their attention. It was Paula. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life what it felt like to be sitting there, trapped in the crossfire of my friend s pain and the disbelieving stares of my tablemates. I don t recall ever, before or since, feeling such embarrassment, such shame. Words have unbelievable power. Clustered together well, they can restore and renew your family. They can lift your children s hearts and heal their spirits. Words can refresh a child s self-confidence, but words can also cause incredible pain. And once spoken, they can never be unsaid. Jesus was reminding his followers of the remarkable strength of spoken words. He was telling them that mouths are like loaded guns, and words are like the deadly bullets that fly from them. Protect your children from sniper fire from each other and from you. The life you save may be your own. GO TO PAGE 1035 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING.
1034 Matthew 5:23 Matthew 6:6 1034 23 There fore, if you are of fer ing your gift at the al tar and there re mem ber that your broth er or sis ter has some thing against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the al tar. First go and be rec on ciled to them; then come and of fer your gift. 25 Set tle mat ters quick ly with your ad versary who is tak ing you to court. Do it while you are still to geth er on the way, or your adver sary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the of fi cer, and you may be thrown into pris on. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out un til you have paid the last pen ny. Adultery 27 You have heard that it was said, You shall not com mit adul tery. a 28 But I tell you that any one who looks at a wom an lust fully has al ready com mit ted adul tery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye caus es you to stum ble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is bet ter for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand caus es you to stum ble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Divorce 31 It has been said, Any one who di vorces his wife must give her a cer tif i cate of divorce. b 32 But I tell you that any one who di vorc es his wife, ex cept for sex u al im moral i ty, makes her the vic tim of adul tery, and any one who mar ries a di vorced wom an com mits adul tery. Oaths 33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the peo ple long ago, Do not break your oath, but ful fill to the Lord the vows you have made. 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: ei ther by heav en, for it is God s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his foot stool; or by Je ru sa lem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you can not make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is sim ply Yes or No ; any thing be yond this comes from the evil one. c Eye for Eye 38 You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. d 39 But I tell you, do not re sist an evil per son. If any one slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the oth er cheek also. 40 And if any one wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If any one forc es you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to bor row from you. Love for Enemies 43 You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor e and hate your en e my. 44 But I tell you, love your en e mies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be chil dren of your Fa ther in heav en. He caus es his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righ teous and the un righteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what re ward will you get? Are not even the tax collec tors do ing that? 47 And if you greet only your own peo ple, what are you do ing more than oth ers? Do not even pa gans do that? 48 Be per fect, there fore, as your heav en ly Father is per fect. Giving to the Needy 6 Be care ful not to prac tice your righteous ness in front of oth ers to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no re ward from your Fa ther in heav en. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not an nounce it with trum pets, as the hypo crites do in the syn a gogues and on the streets, to be hon ored by oth ers. Tru ly I tell you, they have re ceived their re ward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giv ing may be in se cret. Then your Fa ther, who sees what is done in se cret, will re ward you. Prayer 5 And when you pray, do not be like the hyp o crites, for they love to pray stand ing in the syn a gogues and on the street cor ners to be seen by oth ers. Tru ly I tell you, they have re ceived their re ward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and a 27 Exodus 20:14 b 31 Deut. 24:1 c 37 Or from evil d 38 Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21 e 43 Lev. 19:18
1035 THURSDAY Passage for the Day Verses for the Day MATTHEW 6:5 13 MATTHEW 6:7 8 Show us how to pray Several years ago, our older daughter was teaching fifth grade at a Christian school in North Carolina. Classes would begin each day with an open prayer time. Missy asked each student for requests, and then she would invite anyone to be a part of the experience to pray out loud. One morning, a boy began praying for his dog. Dear God, he began, please bless Rascal today. Missy held her breath. Please help him to be obedient to my mom while I m here at school. And please help him not to run out into the busy street in front of our house. Fortunately, the boy didn t give God his home address. Unfortunately, he wasn t quite finished. And Lord, please help Rascal to get rid of his nasty ringworm. Missy silently gasped... but none of the children laughed. No one even made a sound. Of course, the children were silently saying, praying for Rascal s ringworm seems perfectly reasonable to us. When Missy told me this story I remember thinking how good it is that children are so comfortable with God that they can bring their most important concerns boldly into His holy throne room. When it comes to prayer either on their own or with their children many dads are stymied. I am comfortable asking God to bless our food, they tell me. But beyond that, I m kind of lost. In the Lord s Prayer, Jesus gave us a wonderful pattern to follow when we pray, either alone or kneeling with our kids before bedtime. Praise and thank you s. When you pray, always begin by thanking God for his goodness. If your child is young when you start this, you re going to hear your Heavenly Father get thanked for a whole lot of interesting things: birds, bicycles, Grandma, a new box of Cap n Crunch cereal. That s okay, let it roll. You re helping your children to remember that everything they have including life itself is a precious gift from God s hand. Please forgive me s. You probably won t have too much difficulty with this, since most children have a great deal of sensitivity about their own shortcomings. But it s still important that you help them identify specific forgive me s. Forgive me for not sharing my toys with Jennifer, when she s three will translate to seeking God s grace when life gets a lot more complex and dangerous. Requests. Like their lists of thank you s, this might be a long one: Bless Uncle Fred and Aunt Blanche, bless my trucks (or my dolls), bless my mom and my dad ( Amen to that), please help us have a sunny day for the picnic tomorrow. Again, it s okay. Let this happen. Your child is learning that the Sovereign Lord of the universe is a God of blessing of good and perfect gifts. And finally... close the prayer with one more statement of thank you one more expression of gratitude. There you have it a bird s-eye view of the Lord s Prayer. Take the opportunity to actually teach this. If it means having your child repeat phrases after you, that s fine. In no time, you and your child will get the hang of it. Think of it. You are ushering your family into the presence of a holy God. You re teaching them how to speak to Him, knowing He s eager to listen. This is a very good thing. GO TO PAGE 1037 FOR YOUR NEXT DAILY READING. You re going to hear your Heavenly Father get thanked for a whole lot of interesting things.