MAY 1 Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:1-10 Key Verse: 1-Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the

evidence of things
not seen.

OBJECT OF OUR FAITH

Key Words: Now faith is God defines faith for us in verse one of our text. But the key to faith is the object of our faith. Some people put their faith in their retirement plans, others in their parents, some in their spouse, and a few in their pastor. Your faith can be no stronger than the object of your faith. Have you ever heard someone say, Well, Ive got faith? My question is: Faith in what? Do you have faith in your faith? Thats no good. The object of your faith is of supreme importance. I heard of a young man who looked at a pond frozen over with a thin layer of ice and cried out, Ive got faith that this ice will hold me! So he jumped and went crashing through the thin layer of ice into the cold waters of the pond. Now, my question for you is this. Did the young man show faith? The answer is yes! The problem was the object of his faith. Which raises the question what is the object of your faith? I have a saying that goes: Faith is taking God at His Word and acting upon it in spite of my feelings, circumstances or apparent consequences. I do what Gods Word tells me to do because God should be the object of my faith and of your faith. So who or what do you have faith in today? If not God, your faith is like that layer of ice that will let you down and disappoint you every time you depend on it to hold you up. I leave you with these words: Have faith in God.

What to do: Make sure God is the object of your faith.

FOLLOW ME
Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 Key Verse: 1-Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Key Words: Be ye followers of me What a joy it is to hang around people such as Paul who walk in faith.

MAY 2

There was a man one day whose wife was very ill. It was in the frontier days and he had to go to a place that had medicine to save his wifes life. The only problem was that it was wintertime and in order to get to the person with the medicine, he had to cross a lake. The lake had been iced over. His wifes life depended upon it, so he had to get up and cross this cold lake that had now been covered with ice. He was terrified. He was concerned that the ice would break. Scared to death but spurned on by love for his wife, he got down on his hands and knees and inched along, ever so carefully. All of a sudden, he felt a trembling on the ice. He was even more terrified. Maybe the ice was cracking. The rumbling got louder. It became thunderous. The man was living in terror. But as the noise got closer, he looked up behind him and saw a man driving a team of horses across the ice. The horses pulled a carriage that was loaded with a bunch of boxes and it just went thundering across the ice. All of a sudden, the man stood up, started walking, and then running. All of a sudden this man that was full of fear became a man full of confidence. He learned something about the ice. He learned that if it could hold a team of horses thundering across it, it could certainly hold him! If you want to have more confidence in God, then hang around somebody whos riding with God with a team of horses so that youll know He can carry you with whatever youre facing. Find somebody whos been where you are and has experienced Gods deliverance. Their story of faith will encourage you.

What to do: Get around those who walk in faith in God, and remember it is hard to soar with the eagles when you run around with the buzzards.

MAY 3 Bible Reading: James 2:14-26 Key Verse: 26-For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead also.

BRING YOUR UMBRELLA

Key Words: faith without works is dead also Faith alone saves, but a faith that saves will never be alone. Im reminded of a story I read some time ago. The story went like this: In a farming community, it hadnt rained in a long time, and things were getting desperate. The ministers decided they were going to call a prayer meeting. They

said Look, we want the whole town to come to the prayer meeting and bring their religious symbols. So the whole town showed up for the prayer meeting and people brought crosses and Bibles. The Catholics brought their rosaries, and they all cried out to God. They finished the prayer meeting. No rain was in sight. They all went home. The next day though, in the town square where they had had the meeting, there was a little boy. Oh, God, we need rain! God show Your power, and give us rain. The day before, with all the preachers and all the religious symbols calling upon God, no rain came. The little boy shows up the next day by himself in the town square, and as he was praying, the sky got darker. As he was praying, rumbling occurred. As he was praying, the shower hit, and it was pouring down rain. What was it about this little boy? He said the same things that all the people said the day before. The day before they had all the preachers, they had all the ministers; they even brought their religious symbols. But the day the young boy came, when the clouds got dark, he lifted the symbol that he brought: an umbrella. He expected it to rain. When you anticipate rain, you take an umbrella. When a man tells you its going to rain, when a meteorologist says its going to storm today, most people will get their umbrellas because they believe his word. Meteorologists are wrong half the time and we still take them at their word. Why is it, when it comes to God, Who is never wrong, we hesitate to believe and act on His Word? So, let me ask you are you lifting up your faith by your works? Think about it.

What to do: Remember a faith that saves will never be alone.

THEN GET IN

MAY 4

Bible Reading: Acts 6:1-7 Key Verse: 5-And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a
man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Key Words: a man full of faith Stephen practiced his faith; you can read about it in chapter 7. We often believe that we are full of faith until we are called upon to put some faith with our words. There was a tightrope walker who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding

acts; he would do it blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, Tightrope, I dont believe you can do it, but Im willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls. Now, Tightrope wrote back, Sir, although Ive never been to America and seen the Falls, Id love to come. Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the fallsblindfolded!! And he makes it across easily. The crowds go wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it? Well, of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it. No, said Tightrope, do you really believe I can do it? Well, of course I do, you just did it! No, no, no, said Tightrope, do you believe I can do it? Yes, said Mr. Promoter, I believe you can do it. Good, said Tightrope, then you get in the wheelbarrow. Now that raises the questionare you willing to get in?

What to do: Walk it; dont just talk it.

MAY 5 Bible Reading: Matthew 9:20-31 Key Verse: 29-Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto
you.

BE IT UNTO YOU

Key Words: According to your faith be it unto you Today if the Lord looked at you and said, According to your faith be it unto you. Would you be helped? Would your financial needs be met? Would those loved ones be saved? According to your faith be it unto you. F. B. Meyer told of once having a dog which he used to feed at the table, until his wife objected. The dog seemed to sense the cause of being refused food while the family were at their meal, so he used to crawl under the table when the wife was not looking and sit with his nose resting upon his masters knee. The silent,

expectant faith of that dogs appeal was too much for Dr. Meyer and when the wife was not looking, he used to slip choice morsels of food under the table and into the waiting, expectant mouth of the dumb animal. Reach the hand of faith up to God in expectancy and He will not fail. According to your faith be it unto you. Now, those are convicting words, are they not!?

What to do: According to your faith be it unto you. Think about it.

MAY 6 Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 11:10-25 Key Verse: 24-Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours:
from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

EVERY PLACE

Key Words: Every place whereon the soles of your feet These are some words of encouragement to Moses and Israel. Now, while I do realize that these verses are intended for a nation. I wonder how many of us have ever claimed some territory for God. Let me explain with an illustration. The Reverend George Grubb tells in his book, What God Hath Wrought, the following incident. During one of his campaigns he entered the tent a little earlier than usual one evening, and found the tent attendant walking up and down the rows of seats. What are you doing? Mr. Grubb asked. Well, he said, I am claiming all the people who sit in these seats tonight for Jesus, for God says that every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, so I am walking up and down these seats and claiming them for God. Amen! We need people like this in our churches! Maybe you will become one for your church.

What to do: Be a people claimer for the pews in your church.

MAY 7 Bible Reading: Jeremiah 32:13-25 Key Verse: 18-Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the
iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,

GREAT AND MIGHTY GOD

Key Words: the Great, the Mighty God Someone has said that a little faith will get you to heaven but a great faith will put heaven in your soul. A small faith could come because we see our God as small, but a great faith comes because we see our God as great. A businessman had to travel to a small town for a meeting and invited his wife to come with him. She was excited about the trip until she learned her husband was going to be flown to the small town in a twin-engine Cessna plane. Honey, Ive decided not to go. What! Why not? I am not going on a little-bitty, twin-engine Cessna. Her husband smiled and knowingly said, Honey, your faith is too small. She quipped, No, the plane is too small. The businessman really wanted his wife to go with him, so he cancelled the Cessna and booked travel on a major airline. His wife went with him because, as she put it, her faith grew because the size of the plane grew. So, let me ask you: how big is God to you? The answer will tell you a lot about your faith.

What to do: The closer your relationship to God, the greater your faith.

MAY 8 Bible Reading: Acts 8:14-37 Key Verse: 37-And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And
he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

A FAITH THAT LEADS TO JESUS

Key Words: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God How does one know if their faith is a true faith? The answer is that true faith will lead you to Jesus where a false faith will lead you to works, your own goodness, and religionjust to name a few of the things that false faith leads to.

C. I. Scofield once told of a skeptical physician who said to his Christian patient: "I could never understand saving faith. I believe in God and I suppose I believe in Jesus Christ I am not conscious of any doubts. I believe that Jesus was the Son of God, and I believe in the Bible, yet I am not saved. What is the matter with me? Well, said the patient, a week ago I believed in you as a very skilled physician. I believed that if I should get sick and put myself in your hands I would be healed. In other words, I trusted you. For two days now I have been taking some mysterious stuff out of a bottle. I dont know what it is, I dont understand it, but I am trusting in you. Now, whenever you turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and say, Lord Jesus, Christianity seems to me to be full of mysteries. I do not understand them, but I believe Thou art trustworthy and I trust Thee; I commit myself to Thee, that is faith. A very simple thing, is it not? The faith of the patient did not heal him; it was the remedy that healed him; but the faith took the remedy! Which raises the question: Who does your faith lead you to?

What to do: Make sure you have a real faith, not an artificial one.

MAY 9 Bible Reading: Luke 6:27-38 Key Verse: 38-Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down,
and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

THE FAITH TO GIVE

Key Words: Give, and it shall be given unto you There is an age-old principle that if you want to get, you have to first invest. Often the investing requires our faith, and I might add, a lot of it! Legend has it that a man was lost in the desert, just dying for a drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack--a ramshackled, windowless, roofless, weatherbeaten old shack. He looked about this place and found a little shade from the heat of the desert sun. As he glanced around he saw a pump about fifteen feet away--an old, rusty water pump. He stumbled over to it, grabbed the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing came out. Disappointed, he staggered back. He noticed off to the side an old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read a message that said, "You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug, my friend. P.S.: Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave."

He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, it was almost full of water! Suddenly, he was faced with a decision. If he drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the water in the old rusty pump, maybe it would yield fresh, cool water from down deep in the well, all the water he wanted. He studied the possibility of both options. What should he do, pour it into the old pump and take a chance on fresh, cool water or drink what was in the old jug and ignore its message? Should he waste all the water on the hopes of those flimsy instructions written, no telling how long ago? Reluctantly he poured all the water into the pump. Then he grabbed the handle and began to pump, squeak, squeak, squeak. Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed! To his relief fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump. Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again drank its refreshing contents. Then he filled the jug for the next traveler. He filled it to the top, popped the cork back on, and added this little note: "Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back." The key to financial giving by faith is first giving God ourselvesall of ourselves. The lack of financial giving is just a sign of a greater problem, and that is our lack of faith to turn loose of our selfish ways and our desire to handle the situation.

What to do: Give God all of yourself.

LIVING BY FAITH

MAY 10

Bible Reading: Job 34:1-23 Key Verse: 23-For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into
judgment with God.

Key Words: For he will not lay upon man more than right Sometimes the greatest faith is the faith to accept that a righteous God will always do right. Let me explain. In May of 1970, a disastrous earthquake shook Peru, killing as many as 50,000 people, many of whom were buried under a mass of mud and rocks falling from the Andes Mountains. The number of the dead was so great that many were buried in trenches, wrapped in blankets, and many children in old newspapers. Lamberto Guzman, a journalist in the city of Yungay, said men and women were holding hands in groups, shouting to God to have compassion. Then he added, God didnt hear us. The earth kept trembling.

Novelist James L. Johnson tells how he and his eight-year-old boy were watching a TV documentary about people living in tin shacks in Saigon, dying of meningitis because the available penicillin had been siphoned into the black market. Turning to his father with tears in his eyes, the eight-year-old asked, Daddy, cant God do anything? In the lives of all of us, there are times when it seems that God doesnt hear, that the earth keeps trembling, that children keep dying, and that God cant do anything. The problem of evil is as old as man. Why does a good God, with all power at His disposal, seemingly turn a deaf ear to some of our most heart-searching prayers? We cannot always understand. But we can always trust. We can agree with Abraham who asked, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25). And with Job who said, For he will not lay upon man more than [is] right (34:23) and Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (13:15). Accepting that we serve a righteous God who always does right on occasion can, and will, try our faith; but remember that God will not lay upon us more than right.

What to do: Walking by faith is not easy or all believers would do so. Learn to trust God explicitly and know that He always does right.

MAY 11 Bible Reading: Acts 10:1-8 Key Verse: 4-And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord?
And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

A FAITH BUILDER

Key Words: Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God Two things that I have found that really build our faith are: 1) Praying and watching God answer the prayer; and 2) God using me to be someone elses answer to their prayer. So it was with Peter. God used Him to answer the prayer of Cornelius. Dave Clark writes: I can still see one of the great provokers in my life. I met her on a work trip to Kentucky. Our youth group was working on a womans house, but it wasnt very much fun. We hated where we were. Porches and front yards littered with old cars, sofas and garbage. We hated it and we began to make fun of the way those people lived and we began to act like a group who would rather be doing something else. We picked on each other. We argued, we made sarcastic jabs every

chance we got. In other words we acted just like the older people in our church when they lost sight of who they were. Eventually the woman who owned the house we were working on came out with tears streaming down her face. She sat us down in the grass in front the house and she stood there, shaking her stubby finger at us and speaking through the few teeth she had left. I mean to tell you she laid into us like Ive never seen before or since. She railed at us, Whats wrong with you kids? Dont you know? Dont you know Ive been praying for a long time for someone to show up and help me? Dont you know how badly my kids need to have bedrooms and a bathroom that works? Ive been praying for a long time. Dont you know you are the answer to my prayers? Why dont you treat each other like the answer to prayer? From that moment on, everything changed. Instead of obligation, the work became true mission. Instead of tearing each other down, we built each other up. It was amazing. When someone tells you that you are the answer to a prayer, everything changes. It provokes you. I came here today to tell you that you are the answer to prayer!!

What to do: Obey God; today you could be the one God uses to answer their prayer.

MAY 12 Bible Reading: James 1:1-12 Key Verse: 6-But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

STOP STRUGGLING

Key Words: But let him ask in faith Notice our key verse; it doesnt say but let him work or let him struggle. It simply says, Ask in faith. Often the door to Gods blessing are looked upon as being locked and we struggle to unlock them when in reality they were unlocked the whole time. I recently read a story about Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist. He would issue a challenge wherever he went. He claimed that he could be locked in any jail cell in the country and set himself free in short order. While he had always kept this promise, one time something went wrong. Houdini entered the cell in his street clothes and the heavy metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed, strong, and flexible piece of metal and set to work immediately. Something seemed to be unusual about this lock and after thirty minutes he had not opened the door. Even after an hour passed he had not accomplished his task and

he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation. After laboring for two hours Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. When he fell against the door, it swung open! The door had not even been locked, but in his mind it was locked, and that is all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell. Today, dont struggle. Simply ask God in faith and He will open the door of blessing in your life.

What to do: Stop struggling.

MAY 13 Bible Reading: Galatians 2:15-21 Key Verse: 21-I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the
law, then Christ is dead in vain.

HOKEY POKEY

Key Words: do not frustrate the grace of God Isnt it amazing how easily the flesh is deceived in regard to spiritual things? Because of pride man wants so badly to be his own Savior. (See Cain in Genesis 4; the rich ruler in Mark 10, for example.) Jared Moon records the following. My two year old son has a toy called "Hokey Pokey Elmo" that declares about the Hokey Pokey, "That's what it's all about". Though my son is only 2 years of age, he already understands that Elmo is wrong, for Caden rarely plays with Elmo. Just as it is foolish to live life for the Hokey Pokey, because it is not God, it does not produce the love of the Father in us, it is temporary, and it cannot provide eternal life; it is equally foolish to live for the world and its desires because they too cannot provide what only God can. Imagine a man who lives his entire life for the Hokey Pokey. Every time you talk to him, he is talking about the Hokey Pokey, and he tries to get you to do it with him. We would think a man like this is crazy; but, based on the Scriptures, a man who lives his life for the world and its desires is just as foolish as the man who lives for the Hokey Pokey. Both of these men are living for things that cannot provide them with what they desperately need. Eternal life is found in accomplishing the will of God through the finished work of Christ alone. Do you believe this today? How will you respond as a result of this truth? Will you choose to live for a world that has as much power to provide you with eternal love, joy, truth, etc. as the Hokey Pokey, or will you accept the free gift of salvation found in Christ alone?

The choice is yours; what will you choose?

What to do: Today you make your choices. Tomorrow your choices will make you so choose carefully.

IF

MAY 14

Bible Reading: Romans 6:1-8 Key Verse: 8-Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him:

Key Words: Now if we be dead We constantly use the word "if" to express disbelief and to express belief. A young man might tell his parents that he was leaving the house to go to the drug store, and his sister might look after him and say, If youre going to the drug store, Im Joan of Arc. Later the mother of the household might start to leave the house, saying that she was going to the drug store, and the daughter might say, Oh, if youre going to the drug store, bring me some tooth paste. In the one sentence she expresses doubt and disbelief; in the other sentence she expresses confidence and trust. The if in the text, Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him (Romans 6:8) is of the latter variety. Because we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. We possess that life, that new man, in and around and overshadowing all of our thoughts and actions and being. That new man not only resembles Christ, but that new man within us is Christ Himself; for we are made partakers of the divine nature, and it is Christ in us which is our hope of glory. So which if group are you in; are you in the if group that doubts your salvation, or are you in the if group that produces confidence and trust? Just something to think about and act upon!

What to do: Make sure you are in the right if group.

MAY 15 Bible Reading: I Kings 4:22-34 Key Verse: 33-And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even
unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

FAITH THAT KEEPS GOING

Key Words: the hyssop that springeth out of the wall Donald Grey Barnhouse writes: "Botanists have not been able to agree on the identification of the plant, hyssop, that is mentioned in the Scriptures. It certainly has no relationship to the plant of the same name that has been domesticated in parts of our country. But a verse in Kings speaks of the wisdom of Solomon, who studied many things: the hyssop that springeth out of the wall (I Kings 4:33). I saw a plant that fulfills this description in Palestine, under interesting conditions. The first time I was in Jerusalem I was taken into the palace of the Grand Mufti and then into the Hall of the Sanhedrin, where few tourists ever penetrate. In this room is a window that looks down upon the wailing wall. At the foot of the wall, beating their heads slowly against it, were groups of Jewish rabbis, mostly from central Europe, and as they bowed forward they wailed reciting the book of Lamentations over and over again. Above their heads was the high expanse of the wall, and from it grew the long trailing plant that was identified as the hyssop of the Bible. The remarkable thing about this particular plant is that it has a very short root sometimes not over half an inch long. It can cling to the surface of the rock, drawing its sustenance from the air, from the wind, from the rain when there is any, from bits of dirt that fall from above or are borne on the wind to the meager roots, or from particles of nourishment in the rock itself. From that tiny root the plant flourishes, sometimes twelve to fourteen feet long. What a great plant to grow from such a slender root. Is it any wonder the plant can be such a symbol of faith? Faith, in itself, is worthless, just as a root is worthless if it is unattached. If one grasps the branch and pulls the root away from the rock, the branch will soon die. Faith, to be of any value, must cling to the rock. Faith, nothing in itself, becomes everything when it clings to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages.

What to do: Make sure your faith is attached to Jesus Christ.

MAY 16 Bible Reading: Acts 8:27-40 Key Verse: 37-And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And
he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

FAITH & SALVATION

Key Words: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God There are three key elements in making the decision to be born again. In no particular order they are: The intellect (verses 31, 37). The emotion (verse 39). Salvation does invoke the emotion but its not simply an emotional experience, as some would have you believe. The will (verse 37). For example, a young man meets a young woman. They are immediately attracted to one another. They both say to themselves, "Now there is someone I'd like to marry." At that point, if the emotions had their way, there would be a wedding. But the intellect intervenes, questioning the impulsive emotional response. Would we be compatible? What is she really like? Can I afford to support her? Both conclude it would be better to take some more time and answer a few questions before they proceed. So the two begin spending more time with each other. He eventually concludes that she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Now his intellect has sided with the emotions on the idea of marriage. But the final and heaviest vote remains to be cast -- that of the will. It stops the march toward the altar with the questions, "Am I willing to give up this lifestyle for another? What about my freedom -- is it worth the trade? Am I willing to assume the added responsibility?" The marriage will occur only when the will finally agrees with the emotions and the intellect. And so it is in coming to Christ. Which raises the question: Are you born again? Do you have Jesus Christ as your Savior?

What to do: Ask Jesus Christ to be your Savior. I call salvation the A,B,Cs to eternal life: Acknowledge that you are a sinner (Romans 3:10-11). Believe that Jesus came to earth, died, and was resurrected in order that you might be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Confess Him before men, not to be saved but to demonstrate that you are saved (Romans 10:10, 17).

MAY 17 Bible Reading: Matthew 15:21-28 Key Verse: 28-Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith:
be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

TRADING STAMPS

Key Words: O woman, great is thy faith The woman of Canaan put her faith into action. An actionless faith is no faith at all. Years ago my mother collected S & H trading stamps. For months we gave her all we had, and her friends would give her their stamps as well. One day she exclaimed that she had over 8,400 stamps, sufficient enough to get an electric blanket that she had desired. Now, my mother believed the announcement and the promise made in the S & H Premium Catalog. She telephoned the trading stamp company and was told that she could redeem her stamps at a store a few miles from our home. She believed, then got in the car and drove the distance, taking the stamps with her. A couple of hours later, she returned triumphantly displaying her new electric blanket. At every step of the transaction, she exercised faith. The faith exercised in these household transactions is a picture of faith that we need as believers. If you can believe what you read in an instruction manual about trading stamps, you can certainly believe what you read in the Bible. If the woman of Canaan would not have put her faith into action, her daughter would not have been healed. I wonder how many blessings we miss because we fail to put our faith into action!

What to do: Real faith is not just talk; its action.

MAY 18 Bible Reading: Luke 7:36-50 Key Verse: vss. 38, 50-38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to
wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

WASHING & WEEPING

Key Words: 38: wash his feet with tears; 50: Thy faith hath saved thee This woman certainly faced some obstacles in getting to Jesus. First, she was a sinner (verse 37), probably a prostitute. Second, she had to get through the Pharisees in order to get to Jesus. She had to go over the attitude of Simon, but she was undeterred! True faith does not look at the obstacles, but rather at God. I recently read about a dear old woman who had a very beautiful faith. She was obedient, and obedience is the only beauty of faith. Someone said to her, I believe that if you thought the Lord told you to jump through a stone wall, you would jump. The old lady replied, If the Lord told me to jump through a wall, it would be my business to jump, an it would be His business to make the hole. It would be impossible to define more simply the exact relationship between obedience and faith. Here is the essence of true faith. Although we do not understand every step of the way by which we must walk, we are fully persuaded that whatsoever God has promised, He is able to perform.

What to do: Make sure God is your focus, not the obstacles.

RUNNING TO OBTAIN

MAY 19

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 9:18-27 Key Verse: 24-Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the
prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Key Words: So run that ye may obtain In 1980, a young lady entered the Boston Marathon. She started the race looking great. And as the runners approached the finish line, she was leading the pack by a country mile, breaking all kinds of records. The crowd applauded as she crossed the finish line and was crowned champion.

It was suspicious, however, that a woman who had never won a marathon before could win the Boston Marathon especially by a country mile. Lo and behold, when they examined the situation, the girl started the race but then left the run and got on the subway, rode the subway for sixteen miles, got off the subway, got back onto the route, and crossed the finish line first! When her cheating was discovered, she was, of course, disqualified from the race. Some of us have started living the Christian life but have jumped on the subway and we want to cross the finish line with God saying, Well done, My good and faithful servant. But when He opens the books and checks the record, Hes going to know that you left the field. Hes going to see that you didnt keep on until the end, that you didnt remain an alien and a stranger, and Hes going to say, You lose the medal, because you didnt faithfully follow the rules.

What to do: Run to obtain the incorruptible crown.

JUST BE FAITHFUL

MAY 20

Bible Reading: Psalm 73 Key Verse: 25-Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I
desire beside thee.

Key Words: there is none on earth that I desire beside thee Just be faithful; do what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it, and how you are supposed to do itno matter how great the pressure, no matter how many the foes, no matter how many the trialsjust be faithful. The following is written by Tony Evans. While I was going through seminary, I worked at a Trailways Bus Station loading buses. I worked on the dead mans shift from 11:00 P.M. until 7:00 A.M. When I came to work there, I realized that the guys had a scam going. A guy would punch out for lunch and then have his buddies punch him back in when in reality he was asleep on the job. Each guy would get his turn and the other guys would cover for each other and await their turn to get three hours or so of sleep while on the job. Put simply, what they were doing was stealing. It was theft. They had agreed to work eight hours but were stealing a few hours every night from the company. After Id been around a few days, one of the guys came to me and asked me which part of the night shift I wanted to take for a long break. He explained the system to me, how long I could take, and who I was to punch in. When I told him that I couldnt do it because I was a Christian, what I thought would be a great

witnessing opportunity didnt go over too well. The guys all decided to teach me a lesson. When buses would show up during the night needing to be unloaded and then loaded again, the other guys wouldnt show up and help. I found myself loading and unloading buses by myself. That situation was hard. It was very painful both emotionally, knowing people were against me, as well as physically, because it was a lot of work. And to top it all off, Id have to still, after all of that work, go to class. It was rough. About six months into this, I got called to the office the Trailways office. The supervisor said, Unbeknownst to the night crew, we have had various night supervisors come down and observe the activities. We are aware of the scam. We have also noticed that you havent participated and have not been supported when the buses came in. We would like to offer you the opportunity to become the supervisor for the night shift and we will double your salary! My enemies became my footstool. God is watching. Some of the greatness comes in time. Most of it comes in eternity. If you want to be great, take advantage of every opportunity to serve for the benefit of others, to the glory of God.

What to do: Be faithful to God and do right. The righteous will always ultimately succeed in the end.

MAY 21 Bible Reading: Revelation 2:1-10 Key Verse: 10-Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil
shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

FAITHFUL

Key Words: be thou faithful unto death Faith is taking God at His Word in spite of my feelings, in spite of circumstances, or in spite of consequences. I simply do what Gods Word tells me to do. Full means to be filled with, so faithful means to be full of faith. A faithful person is full of taking God at His Word in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences. Some years ago my dad and I were squirrel hunting. In the distance I saw a squirrel run up a huge oak tree and then pause. I took aim and shot but I was uncertain that I had hit my intended target. I walked slowly to the huge oak tree when seemingly out of nowhere my dad appeared and said, Dont move. He had his gun aimed at my feet. I had no idea why but I knew I was in a precarious

situation. My feeling was to run, the circumstance appeared to be dangerous, and I knew the consequence could be badwhen suddenly Dad fired a shot about five feet in front of me. There he laid, a now dead cotton-mouth which had been very much alive, coiled and ready to strike when my dad said, Dont move. Even though at the time he said those terrifying words I had no idea what was happening, I knew my father would only do what was best for me. I accepted his word by faith. Today let each of us live a life full of faith, because thats what faithfulness is!!

What to do: Be full of faith unto death.

MAY 22 Bible Reading: I Kings 18:41-46 Key Verse: 43-And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went
up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

GO AGAIN, & AGAIN, & AGAIN

Key Words: Go again seven times Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Elijah would have stopped praying after the sixth time, or what would have happened if the servant would have said after the fifth time, this is useless? When one is faithful, they just keep on keeping on; they go again and again and again. Norman Geisler is a Christian Apologist and has authored over sixty books. For years he has debated and defended such Biblical facts as creation over evolution, and Christianity over humanism. Norman Geisler, as a child, went to a day Vacation Bible School because he was invited by some neighbor children. He went back to the same church for Sunday School classes for 400 Sundays. Each week he was faithfully picked up by a bus driver. Week after week he attended church, but never made a commitment to Christ. Finally, during his senior year in High School, after being picked up for church over 400 times, he did commit his life to Christ. What if that bus driver had given up on Geisler at 395? What if the bus driver had said, This kid is going nowhere spiritually, why waste any more time on him? Praise God for a faithful bus worker who just kept going again and again and again. It pays to be faithful!

What to do: Keep going!! It pays to be faithful.

MAY 23 Bible Reading: Acts 9:26-40 Key Verse: 40-But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all
the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES

Key Words: But Philip was found at Azotus Those who are faithful to God never stop looking for opportunities to serve Him and seldom become discouraged by being told no, or this cant be done. They just keep on keepin on! George and Jeanie Douglas were bankrupt just fifteen years ago. Today they enjoy the benefits of being co-founders of the $40 million company Computer Business Services. When George lost his job and was trying to figure out what his future would hold, he decided to change his attitude about life and become more of an optimist. As part of his new commitment to living with greater expectancy, Douglas took a spiral notebook and drew a line down the middle of one page. On one side he wrote "yes" and on the other he put "no." He then stuck that notebook in their car as a reminder to look for opportunities. Every time they drove into a parking lot they quit taking the open parking spaces far from the door and started driving up toward the front with expectations of finding a place. They tracked their results from every parking lot for seven years. If they found a spot close to the door they marked it on the "yes" side of the notebook. If they had to take a place that wasn't near the door then they marked "no." They compiled the results of their little seven-year experiment and found that 67 percent of the time there was a parking space near the door. Life has similarities to parking lots. Opportunities await those people who live with expectancy. The same can be said for those who live for God faithfully. Those who fail to live their lives faithfully serving God will never realize what God could have used them to accomplishif they would have not been so deterred by signs which read, No Parking Spaces Available.

What to do: Just keep on keeping on for God. A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.

MAY 24 Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-16 Key Verse: 16-Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

BE FAITHFUL TO MIND THE LIGHT

Key Words: Let your light so shine Anyone can shine brightly during the good times, but what about during times of adversity and trial? In the midst of afflictions, its during those times that our faithfulness shines brightest. The Gospel Herald records the following: Years ago John Walker was the keeper of the light on the Robins Reef at Staten Island under the United States Government. There he lived happily in the faithful discharge of his duties for four years. He was then taken with severe pains and Catherine, his wife, sent to the shore for medical help. When this was forthcoming the physician ordered that John should be removed to the hospital at once. As he was being carried to the boat which was to bear him to the shore he called to his wife, as a parting direction, Mind the light. He was faithful to his trust to the end. The poor fellow never returned to the lighthouse. Catherine stayed on to Mind the light, and carried out the duties so well that she was appointed keeper. Then for more than thirty years she stayed in that lonely spot, caring for the warning beacon to keep mariners from damage on the cruel rocks. Mind the light. The words recall for us our duty and privilege as Christians. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation we are set to Shine as lights in the world. This can only be done when we are faithful! So be faithful!!

What to do: Your faithfulness will shine bright and your lack of faithfulness leaves others in darkness. So be faithful.

MAY 25 Bible Reading: Acts 9:36-43 Key Verse: 39-Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they
brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

I NEVER KNEW

Key Words: all the widows stood by him weeping I realize that the story of Dorcas is a picture of the resurrection. I also realize that Dorcas knew of the impact she had on others. But what of those of us who often do not know of the impact we are having on others? Canon Hague tells of a chaplain who was ministering to a dying boy in the last war. He asked him if he had any message for his mother. Yes, he said, tell her I am dying happy. Anything else? Yes. Write to my Sunday School teacher. What shall I say? Tell her I died a Christian, and I have never forgotten her teaching. A few weeks later the chaplain received a letter from this Sunday School teacher. It went something like this: God have mercy upon me. Only last month I resigned from my Sunday School class, for I felt that my teaching was doing no good; and scarcely had I, through my cowardly, faithless heart, given up my appointed work than I got your letter telling me that my teaching had been the means of winning a soul to Christ. I am going back to my pastor at once to tell him that I will try again in Christs name, and I will be faithful to the end. Be faithful! You may never know this side of heaven the influence you are having on others!

What to do: When it comes down to it, our only responsibility is to be faithful. Be faithful.

MAY 26 Bible Reading: Mark 16:9-18 Key Verse: 15-And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature.

DELIVER THE MESSAGE

Key Words: and preach the gospel to every creature Will you be faithful this week to deliver the message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

During the war this advertisement appeared in a newspaper in England, calling for help: Boys, 16 and over, to run messages Apply A.R.P. Warden. Derrick Belfall was only fourteen, but he felt that he could help. He was turned down because of his age. This did not stop him; he went back again and again until the official passed him and gave him the necessary badge. He was given the job of delivering messages to A.R.P. workers, who could not be reached while on duty except by boys on bicycles. After each trip he had to report whether or not he had succeeded in getting the message through. His usual report was, Derrick Belfall reporting Ive delivered the message. One day he was delivering a message during a blitz, and succeeded in getting it through. On the way back to report he passed a building that had crumbled under the explosion of a bomb. The workers were clearing away the debris. Derrick thought that he could help. He heard the cry of a child, and worked frantically to clear away the bricks and beams across the cellar door. He climbed down and lifted the child to safety, but he was not so fortunate. Before he could get out, the wall collapsed and completely buried him. He was past all help. When asked if he wanted to send word to anyone, he replied, Yes, just say, Derrick Belfall reporting Ive delivered the message. We have our orders to deliver a message. The order comes from our own Savior. We are to deliver this great message to all people.

What to do: Have you delivered the message?

FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE THINGS

MAY 27

Bible Reading: Song of Solomon 2 Key Verse: 15- Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines
have tender grapes.

Key Words: the little foxes Ive often said the average person will take care of the big things; its the little things that often escape our attention. Its the little things where we often fail in our faithfulness. The little flowers we fail to pick up for our wife. The little hug we fail to give to our child. The little word we fail to properly define in preparing for a message. The little corner of the building we fail to clean. The little thank-you note we fail to send.

Its the little things where we fail in our faithfulness, not only to man but to God. Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. To give my life for Christ appears glorious, he said. To pour myself out for othersto pay the ultimate price of martyrdomIll do it. Im ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $l,000 bill and laying it on the table Heres my life, Lord. Im giving it all. But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kids troubles instead of saying, Get lost. Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isnt glorious. Its done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; its harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul. So, today be faithful in the big things but take care of the little details of life as well.

What to do: Dont waste your time waiting and longing for large opportunities which may never come. But faithfully handle the little things that are always claiming your attention.

OTHERS

MAY 28

Bible Reading: Luke 6:27-36 Key Verse: 31-And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them
likewise.

Key Words: And as ye would that men should do to you; do ye also to them likewise. If there is one area where faithfulness to God would need to be applied, it has to be found here in Luke 6:31. We, as a people, are self-centered. Me, myself, and I are predominant words of our day. We fail to be faithful in the area of do unto others because our focus is continually on us. Today, people are depressed because the focus of life is I. Today, people are stingy because the focus of life is I. Today, people are bitter because the focus of life is I.

But the blessings from God flow when our focus is on others. One stormy night an elderly couple entered the lobby of a small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk said they were filled, as were all the hotels in town. But I cant send a fine couple like you out in the rain, he said. Would you be willing to sleep in my room? The couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted. The next morning when the man paid his bill, he said, Youre the kind of man who should be managing the best hotel in the United States. Someday Ill build you one. The clerk smiled politely. A few years later the clerk received a letter from the elderly man, recalling that stormy night and asking him to come to New York. A round-trip ticket was enclosed. When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, where stood a magnificent new building. That, explained the man, is the hotel I have built for you to manage. The man was William Waldorf Astor, and the hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria. The young clerk, George C. Boldt, became its first manager. Being faithful to think of others really does pay.

What to do: Evaluate your life in regard to you thinking of others before you think of yourself.

MAY 29 Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:1-10 Key Verse: 1-Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which
are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

WE ARE ABOUT FAITHFULNESS

Key Words: and to the faithful in Christ Jesus The verse doesnt say to the rich, or to the popular, or to the fashionable, but to the faithful in Christ Jesus. The Christian life is all about our faithfulness to God. Clarence Jordan was a man of unusual abilities and commitment. He had two Ph.D.s, one in agriculture and one in Greek and Hebrew. So gifted was he, he could have chosen to do anything he wanted. He chose to serve the poor. In the 1940s, he founded a farm in Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia Farm. It was a community for poor whites and poor blacks. As you might guess, such an idea did not go over well in the Deep South of the 40s. Ironically, much of the resistance came from good church people who followed the laws of segregation as much as the other folk in town. The town people tried everything to stop Clarence. They tried boycotting him, and slashing workers tires when they came to town. Over and over, for fourteen years, they tried to stop him.

Finally, in 1954, the Ku Klux Klan had enough of Clarence Jordan, so they decided to get rid of him once and for all. They came one night with guns and torches and set fire to every building on Koinonia Farm but Clarences home, which they riddled with bullets. And they chased off all the families except one black family which refused to leave. Clarence recognized the voices of many of the Klansmen, and, as you might guess, some of them were church people. Another was the local newspapers reporter. The next day, the reporter came out to see what remained of the farm. The rubble still smoldered and the land was scorched, but he found Clarence in the field, hoeing and planting. I heard the awful news, he called to Clarence, and I came out to do a story on the tragedy of your farm closing. Clarence just kept on hoeing and planting. The reporter kept prodding, kept poking, trying to get a rise from this quietly determined man who seemed to be planting instead of packing his bags. So, finally, the reporter said in a haughty voice, Well, Dr. Jordan, you got two of them Ph.D.s and youve put fourteen years into this farm, and theres nothing left of it at all. Just how successful do you think youve been? Clarence stopped hoeing, turned toward the reporter with his penetrating blue eyes, and said quietly but firmly, About as successful as the cross. Sir, I dont think you understand us. What we are about is not success but faithfulness. Were staying. Good day. Beginning that day, Clarence and his companions rebuilt Koinonia and the farm is going strong todaybecause he was faithful.

What to do: Be faithful to God; thats what this life is all about!!

HUMILITY & FAITHFULNESS

MAY 30

Bible Reading: Matthew 23:1-12 Key Verse: 12-And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall
humble himself shall be exalted.

Key Words: he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Many a preacher wants to preach to the masses, but the key to doing so lies in humbling oneself and being faithful to the congregation God has led him to. Be faithful in the small things! Charles Spurgeon preached to thousands in London each Lords Day, yet he started his ministry by passing out tracts and teaching a Sunday school class as a teenager. When he began to give short addresses to the Sunday school, God

blessed his ministry of the Word. He was invited to preach in obscure places in the country side, and he used every opportunity to honor the Lord. He was faithful in the small things, and God trusted him with the greater things. I am perfectly sure, he said, that, if I had not been willing to preach to those small gatherings of people in obscure country places, I should never have had the privilege of preaching to thousands of men and women in large buildings all over the land. Remember our Lords rule, whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

What to do: Be faithful where you are. Remember: Joseph started as a slave before he became a governor. Daniel started as a servant before he became a vice-president. Peter started as a follower before he became a leader in the church at Jerusalem. You just stay faithful in humility and let God do the exalting.

GOD IS FAITHFUL

MAY 31

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 1:1-9 Key Verse: 9-God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Key Words: God is faithful We are to be faithful; God IS faithful. The sun is a light twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. All year long, all decade long, all century long, the sun just keeps on shining. The problem, however, is that the earth gets dark. How can there be all that light and the earth still gets dark? Its because the earth turns. The earth gets dark because the earth is spinning on its axis. Therefore, the side that faces the sun gets the light, and the side that is facing away does not. If there is darkness in your life, it is not because God, the Father of Lights, is turning; it is because you are turning. He is the Father of Lights and in Him there is not shadow. There is no darkness in Him. Because God is faithful, He is consistent. Just like the sun, He is always shining and in His light there is no shifting or moving shadow. We just have to make sure we are turned toward Him.

So, if you are facing darkness in your life, God has not moved. You have. God is faithful.

What to do: When you face a problem, dont question God. He is faithful.

I deeply appreciate the help of

Cathy Fortenberry Sandy Lancaster Glenda Myrick Mary Parsons John and Tascha Piatt Reba Pontbriand And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these people to help this devotional would not have been possible.

Dr. Mike Rouse