I am in prison because I belong to the Lord. God chose you to be his people, so I urge you now to live the life to which God called you. Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way.

Ephesians 4:1-3 NCV

When you see an old man amiable, mild, equable, content, and good-humored, be sure that in his youth he has been just, generous, and forbearing. In his end he does not lament the past, nor dread the future; he is like the evening of a fine day.

Arabian Proverb

Daily Meditations by Pat Nordman Š

September 16

Jonah is an interesting character and represents us all at some phase in our lives. Instead of going to Nineveh, he sailed the other way. As one writer put it: "He arose like a pigeon let loose in a strange place, performed the circle of indecision, then darted off in the wrong direction."

Perhaps we have done the same thing: heard God's clear call and darted in the other direction. We fear that the call demands everything and we can't give that much. It is easier to resign than to face the unknown. We jump overboard into something worse to escape what God wants us to do.

September 17

"But the centurion...commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves...into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship" (Acts 27:43,44 KJV).

There are several worthwhile lessons here:

1) our plans and purposes may break up instantly, like this ship;
2) sudden changes may be for our good;
3) our helplessness calls forth others' sympathy and aid;
4) in disaster earthly possessions lose their value;
5) the means of salvation can hinge on little things: broken pieces and people we do not value; and 6) we can break on sunken rocks of unbelief and neglect.

Pat Nordman Š

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions With links to the entire devotion
Spurgeon's Morning for September 16	Spurgeon's Evening for September 16
"Partakers of the divine nature." - 2 Peter 1:4	"Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?" - Job 7:12
To be a partaker of the divine nature is not, of course, to become God. That cannot be. The essence of Deity is not to be participated in by the creature.	The sea obediently respects its boundary, and though it be but a belt of sand, it does not overleap the limit. Mighty as it is, it hears the divine hitherto, and when most raging with tempest it respects the word; but self-willed man defies heaven and oppresses earth, neither is there any end to this rebellious rage.
Spurgeon's Morning for September 17	Spurgeon's Evening for September 17
"Bring him unto me." - Mark 9:19	"Encourage him." - Deuteronomy 1:38
The Lord sometimes suffers his people to be driven into a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary he is to them.	We should be glad that God usually works for man by man. It forms a bond of brotherhood, and being mutually dependent on one another, we are fused more completely into one family.

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September 16 Da 5:1 - 6:28
September 17 Da 7:1 - 9:27

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Zaphenath-Paneah was better known by his Hebrew name of what?

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Today's Devotion

.. ...and by his light I walked through darkness! JOB 29:3 NIV

Water

by Pat Nordman

"...Our lives are like water that is poured out on the ground..."

(2 Samuel 14:14 TLB)

Greek agoradzo, to be in the marketplace; to do business there. The word is used here in the sense of doing business with God on His terms. Man sold himself a slave to sin and Satan. God paid the price of his redemption. Man is now obligated to meet God's terms of faith, repentance, and service if he wants to be redeemed. The word is not used here of man actually paying a price in money, goods, exchanging material things for the gold, raiment and ointment of V.18, but rather of his paying the price of renouncing Satan, repenting of sins, and consecrating to God in face of suffering persecution such as Christians must suffer for Christ (v.19; 2 Tim. 3:12)." Dake Bible, p.305.

Simon the magician thought he could buy religion, much like we think we can buy happiness. His mind-set couldn't comprehend that both religion and happiness are by-products of a greater search for God Himself. We won't get it simply because we want it. The minister or friend who tells us so is tickling our fancies and telling us what we want to hear. Human nature loves the gold but doesn't like to search for it.

What is free cannot be bought. The word simony developed from this wish to purchase spiritual offices. Simon Magus was ready to trade eternal life for temporal power and God's glory for his own personal fame. God advises us to "buy from [him] gold refined in the fire" with our earnest prayers, repentance and hunger for Christ's righteousness. This is the only price he asks for his love and forgiveness.

Pat NordmanŠ

Send a note to Pat Nordman , the writer of this devotion.

God does not drive us, for He has given us the gift of choice, but He pleads with us to abandon harmful associations and habits.

More Walking Through the Darkness

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~ Sacrificing Quietly ~

Jim Montgomery is a missionary. He once taught high school in San Jose, California. I remember when the Lord called him. After he was in the Philippines, he got this tremendous vision for a plan called DAWN, Discipling a Whole Nation. The basic idea was to establish a Bible-preaching church within walking distance of every person in the Philippines.

His grand plan sounded idealistic, but it was burning in his soul. He couldn't get anybody to support him because it sounded too big. I thought, Jim's going crazy. He'd write prayer letters but his account never went up.

Finally he came back to California, sold his home, and funded the beginning of the DAWN program. The house was sort of his security back in the U.S.A. When I heard what he had done, I thought, The Lord's going to honor Jim one way or another. Boy, has the Lord honored Jim. DAWN has gone to other nations: in Africa, Guatemala, and Eastern European countries. Jim started out sacrificing quietly for the cause of the Lord, and the Lord used him. There is power in Jim's life.

— Luis Palau, "Go to the Ends of the Earth," Preaching Today, Tape No. 124.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:19