Between Saul and David

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SUNDAY

July 31

Between Saul and David
Read the following glimpses into David’s life before he became king: 1 Samuel 16:6–13, 17:45–47, 18:14, 24:10, 26:9, 30:6–8. What does this tell us about David?

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God chose Saul as the first king of Israel because he matched the description the people had requested. But when God chose David to be the next king of Israel, He reminded Samuel that the Lord looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
David was far from being perfect. In fact, some would argue that David’s later moral lapses were much more serious than Saul’s sins. Yet, the Lord rejected Saul but forgave even David’s worst mistakes, allowing him to continue being king. What made the difference?
See Psalms 32:1–5, 51:1–6. What crucial concept is found in these texts that is so central to faith?

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God is in the heart business. He not only reads the heart, the center of thought, inner attitudes, and motives, but He can touch and change hearts that are open to Him. David’s heart yielded to the conviction of sin. He repented, and he patiently accepted the consequences of his sins. In contrast, whatever outward confessions he made, it was clear that Saul’s heart was not surrendered to the Lord. “Yet the Lord, having placed on Saul the responsibility of the kingdom, did not leave him to himself. He caused the Holy Spirit to rest upon Saul to reveal to him his own weakness and his need of divine grace; and had Saul relied upon God, God would have been with him. So long as his will was controlled by the will of God, so long as he yielded to the discipline of His Spirit, God could crown his efforts with success. But when Saul chose to act independently of God, the Lord could no longer be his guide, and was forced to set him aside.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 636.
Ask yourself, how does what goes on inside your heart differ from what people see of you on the outside? What does your answer say to you about yourself?

Worship in Eden

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SUNDAY

June 26

Worship in Eden
Genesis 1 records the story of Adam and Eve in their new home. The Creator of the universe had just designed and formed a beautiful new planet, crowning His work with the creation of the first family. The world came from Him perfect; in its own unique way, earth must have been an extension of heaven.
Genesis 2:1–3 then adds another element: the setting apart and making holy of the seventh day, an act tied directly to His work of creating the heavens and the earth, the act that forms the foundation of the fourth commandment— a day set aside for worship in a special way. Though Scripture does not say, one could imagine the kind of worship that these sinless beings, in the perfection of creation, gave to their Maker, who had done so much for them. (Little did they know, at that time, just how much He would end up really doing for them!)
Read the tragic story of the fall in Genesis 3:1–13. What changes now took place in Adam’s relationship to his Creator? (vss. 8–10). How did Adam respond to God’s questions to him? (vss. 11–13). What does his response reveal about what had happened to him?

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After the Fall a whole lot of elements that certainly were not there before suddenly appeared. Just like that, in a moment of disobedience, the entire moral fabric of these beings changed. Instead of love, trust, and adoration, their hearts were now filled with fear, guilt, and shame. Instead of desiring His holy presence, they hid from Him. For Adam and Eve, their relationship with God, which surely impacted how they worshiped Him, had been shattered. The close and intimate communion with God they once enjoyed (Gen. 3:8) would now take a different form. Indeed, when God came to them, they “hid themselves” from His presence. So full were they of shame, guilt, even fear, they fled from the One who had created them.
What a powerful image of just what sin did—and still does—to us.
Think about times in your life when some experience, perhaps some sin, made you feel guilt, shame, and the desire to hide from God. How did this affect your prayer life? What did it do to your ability to worship Him with your whole heart? Not a pleasant feeling, is it?

Heirs According to the Promise

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SUNDAY

June 19

Heirs According to the Promise
One of the great struggles of the Christian church from the earliest days, a struggle that was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation (and one that in various ways continues today, even in our church), deals with the question of the gospel, of salvation, of how we are saved. Paul, with the church in Galatia, had to deal squarely and directly with the issue, where false theology had crept in and threatened the integrity of the gospel itself.
Read Galatians 3:26–29. What is the main point that Paul is making? (As you read, note that the Greek word translated “put on” comes from the word meaning “to be clothed.”)

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In verse 27, Paul says that all those who were baptized “have clothed yourselves with Christ” (NIV). Though all were sinners, their sins had been washed away, their old filthy garments were gone, and they were now “clothed,” covered in the righteousness of Jesus. His life, His perfection, His character they can now claim as their own. All the covenant promises have been fulfilled in Jesus, and now, clothed in Christ, they can claim those promises for themselves. They are heirs of the promise first made to Abraham (Gen. 12:2, 3), not because of status, gender, or nationality, but only through faith in Christ.
Read Romans 6:1–6. What is Paul saying there that should help us understand what it means to be “clothed” in Christ?

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Being clothed in Christ is more than just a legal standing with God. Christians are united with Christ; they are surrendered to Him; and through Him they are being renewed, rejuvenated, and restored. Christians who refuse to change their old ways, their old habits, and their old lifestyle need to look in the mirror at what they are really clothed in.
What are you wearing? Is what you wear in public different from what you wear when no one (you think) is watching? What does your answer tell you about yourself?

“Who Touched My Clothes?”

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SUNDAY

June 12

“Who Touched My Clothes?”
Mark 5:24–34 and Luke 8:43–48 tell the story of the woman who had “an issue of blood twelve years.” Besides being a dangerous medical condition in and of itself, this sickness in that culture came with the stigma of ritual uncleanliness, as well, no doubt adding to her misery. Meanwhile, the doctors could do nothing; she was so desperate that she spent all her money on them, and yet she became only sicker, which isn’t surprising considering the kind of medical treatments done back then. We barely can imagine how much suffering and shame she endured because of her ailment.
And then comes Jesus, the One who is doing all these incredible miracles.
Read Mark 5:24–34 and Luke 8:43–48. What significance can be found in the fact that the woman believed all she had to do was touch Jesus’ garment to find healing?

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This woman had a great deal of faith in Jesus, enough to believe that if she could touch even His clothes, she would be healed. Of course, it wasn’t the clothes themselves that healed her—not even the touch. It was only the power of God working in someone who, out of desperation, came to the Lord in faith, aware of her own helplessness and need. Her touching His clothes was faith revealed in works, which is what Christianity is all about.
Why would Jesus ask who touched His garment?

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By asking the question and making the woman’s act, and healing, public, Jesus used her to help witness to those around Him. He certainly wanted others to know what happened, and He probably wanted her, too, to know that it wasn’t any magical power in His clothes that brought her healing but the power of God working in her through the act of faith on her part. However embarrassing her condition had been, she now was healed and could give witness to what Christ had wrought in her.
How can we learn to come to the Lord, as did this woman, in faith and submission, aware of our own helplessness? More so, how can we maintain faith and trust in Him when the healing that we ask for doesn’t come as we want it to?

Days of Fervor

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SUNDAY

June 5

Days of Fervor
Matthew 21, recounting some of the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, is filled with drama, tension, and excitement. It also reveals, as the Bible often does, the fearful ability of our hearts to deceive us and the power of the evil one to blind our minds to the most obvious truths. It’s easy for us, looking back, to think: How could those leaders have been so hard, so blind, so indignant in the face of all the evidence that Jesus had given them?
Yet, we mustn’t fool ourselves. Is there any reason to think—even as Seventh-day Adventists, living with so much light—that we are much different? Do we not, at times, show a hard and callous indifference to truth, particularly when it interferes with our pet sins and desires and worldliness? Sure, God loves us, Christ died for us, and forgiveness is available to all. But those same words could be said about the folks in this chapter, as well, the ones who not only turned their backs on Jesus but who worked against Him. How careful we need to be, for we deceive ourselves if we think that we can’t be deceived, as well.
Read through Matthew 21, which forms the background for the parable in the next chapter. Though so much is happening there, what is the basic theme of the chapter? That is, if you had to write a summary of it in a few lines, what would it be? More important, what spiritual lessons can we take from it for ourselves?

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Perhaps the most fascinating lines in the entire chapter are the last two. No matter how hard the people’s hearts were to Jesus, something of His message must have gotten through, because they knew He had been talking about them. It would have been one thing had they completely missed His point, but they didn’t. That was the problem: they seemed to have understood it, at least well enough to want to get Jesus out of the way. How fascinating, too, that it was the people themselves, the Jewish crowds drawn to Jesus, who restrained the leaders from arresting Him then. How sad—those who should have been teachers of others were the ones who had the most to learn and, in many cases, never learned it. When they finally do, it will be too late (Rom. 14:10).

Same Parents, Same Food

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SUNDAY

May 29

Same Parents, Same Food
“ ‘There was a man who had two sons’ ” (Luke 15:11, NIV). In this parable, the two sons born to the same father represent two character traits. The older son apparently demonstrated loyalty, perseverance, and industry. The younger one was, no doubt, unwilling to work, unwilling to be accountable, and unwilling to take his share of responsibility. Both were from the same heritage. Both probably received identical love and commitment from the same father. One son was, it seemed, faithful; one was disrespectful. What caused the difference?
What other stories does this remind you of? Gen. 4:1–8, 25:25–34.

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It’s a strange phenomenon, is it not, one that is seen all the time. Two (or more) siblings from the same parents, living in the same home, have the same teachings, the same love, the same food even, and one becomes spiritual, faithful, and determined to serve the Lord, while the other, for whatever reason, goes in the opposite direction. However hard to understand, it does show us the powerful reality of free will. Some might see something significant in the fact that it was the younger of the two brothers who rebelled, but who knows the reason why he did what he did?
Read Luke 15:12. What lesson can we learn from how the father reacted to the son’s request? What does that tell us about how God relates to us?

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The text does not say what kind of dialogue ensued between the father and the son or whether the father remonstrated with him, asking him to reconsider, asking him not to be so rash, asking him to think through his actions. Most likely he did, but in the end, the son was given the “portion of the goods” that were his, and off he went. All through the Bible, we can see this same principle: God allows human beings the freedom to make their own choices, to go their own way, to live as they want. Of course, as we all know so well, our choices come with consequences, consequences that we don’t always imagine or foresee.
What have been the results of some of your own free choices lately? Not so easy to turn back the clock, is it?

Zealous for Jerusalem

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SUNDAY

May 22

Zealous for Jerusalem
Read Zechariah 1, 2. Though you might not understand all the details and symbols, what is the message the Lord is giving to His people here? What is the background to these events? What clear biblical principles are seen in these chapters, what promises are made, what hope is offered to the Lord’s people, and on what conditions? How are these same principles manifested among us today, regardless of how different our immediate circumstances are in contrast to the situation depicted in Zechariah?

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Although Jerusalem lay in ruins because of the conquest of the Babylonians 70 years earlier, God provided hope for the future of the city. Zechariah received the message from the Lord that not only the temple but Jerusalem would be rebuilt.
Zechariah began by declaring to his listeners that the Lord had been displeased, “sore displeased,” with their fathers. But Zechariah immediately gave courage to those who were listening by assuring them that, if they would turn to God in humility and repentance, He would turn to them (Zech. 1:1–3). Zechariah’s visions were meant to give strength and inspiration to continue the building of the temple in Jerusalem for the worship of God.
Following the first vision of Zechariah, recounted in chapter 1, the Lord gave some incredible encouragement, saying, “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy” (vs. 14).
And then, this: “ ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,” declares the Lord Almighty’ ” (Zech. 1:16, NIV).
The man with the measuring line portrayed the plans for the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and the temple in Zechariah’s time. But with only the foundations laid, the building of the temple seemed like an impossibility.
Just before Zechariah’s vision of the filthy garments of Joshua, he received a message of promise to communicate to the Jews recorded in Zechariah 2:10–13. God told them to “sing and rejoice,” and then He promised to live with them. How encouraging that message must have been as the people of God attempted to join together to worship Him.

Bring No More Futile Sacrifices

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SUNDAY

May 15

Bring No More Futile Sacrifices
“In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls” (Isa. 3:18–23, NIV).
The opening chapters of Isaiah present a fairly bleak picture of the spiritual state of the southern kingdom. Over time, the descendants of those who witnessed the incredible miracles of the Exodus had fallen into complacency—and worse! No doubt most of them believed all those wonderful things happened, but the question they might have been asking themselves was, So what? What has any of that to do with us today? Why is what had happened to our ancestors long ago relevant to us, today?
Skim through the first five chapters of Isaiah. What were some of the things that the people were doing, or the attitudes they had, that caused such a harsh warning to come upon them? What parallels can you find to our church today?

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Perhaps the scariest part in all this is found in the first chapter, in which the Lord decries all their religious observances and practices. In other words, these were people who professed to serve the Lord and who went through the forms of worship. And yet, what does the Lord say about them and their worship? (See Isa. 1:11–15.)
As always, though, the Lord is gracious; as always, He is seeking to save all whom He can. The Cross is all the proof we’ll ever need as to how much the Lord wants us to have salvation. Thus, even in these initial chapters, we see the Lord calling out to His people, offering them a way to avert disaster.
How do you worship the Lord? What are you thinking about when you do? How much is show, and how much is deeply felt submission, praise, and repentance, and how can you know the difference?

The Naked Truth

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SUNDAY

May 8

The Naked Truth
Eagles can soar to an altitude of 10,000 feet, higher than most birds. Like the eagle, David soared high. The shepherd-king reached heights of greatness few monarchs ever attain. He was clothed in the spoils of military victory and covered with honor and glory. But David forgot that his kingly robes were a gift from God. They could not hide a man’s sins—even a king’s—from God’s sight.
David’s garments, in a spiritual sense, were priestly, as well as kingly; he was the head of Israel’s theocracy, too. The bitter sins that stained these garments inspired Psalms 32 and 51. To appreciate fully the imagery in these psalms as a covering for sin and the imagery in other psalms of God’s wings as a divine covering, we need to look at how the narrative events of David’s life inspired them. As we shall see, how ironic and tragic that in a study devoted to the spiritual lessons of garments, the sad story of David’s fall begins in a literal lack of them.
At the pinnacle of greatness, David faces his fiercest battle. The war isn’t waged on the bloody fields of Rabbah but over the six inches of mental turf that lies behind David’s frontal lobe. Satan chooses his “weapon” well. What Goliath with his monstrous lance failed to do to David, a bathing woman, seen from the king’s rooftop, does. Obviously, David forgets the lesson of his sling: how easily a “giant” is felled by one small stone, or, in this case, one small glance.
One small stone and down falls a giant. One small glance and down falls a king. David did many things to “cover” his sin of adultery and avoid exposure. What were they? 2 Samuel 11. Why do our attempts to cover sin to avoid detection or punishment lead only to committing greater sins and to the threat of still greater exposure? How do the narrative details of David’s story enforce this point?

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One forbidden glance sets in motion events that end in murder and near civil war. David’s story is of concealment after concealment to avoid consequences. The awful reality of sin is that committing one sin, without confessing and forsaking it, leads to committing another more heinous sin in order to hide the previous offense. David committed adultery and murder under the cloak of kingly power. But God’s eye sees beneath the outer garments and lays bare the heart.
It has been said, “If adversity has slain its thousands, prosperity has slain its ten thousands.” With David’s life in mind, what dangers does prosperity expose the soul to? Why does adversity often draw us closer to God? How can we avoid prosperity’s pitfalls?

“A Still Small Voice”

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SUNDAY

May 1

“A Still Small Voice”
Elijah’s life, recorded in first and second Kings, includes instances where he bravely faced kings and their threats on his life. There was, however, one notable exception—the time when, scared by threats from a nasty queen, he ran for his life.
In 1 Kings 18, he called down fire from heaven onto Mount Carmel, had the prophets of Baal slaughtered, and warned Ahab of the approaching rain. The power of the Lord came upon him, and after he tucked his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab for the 20 miles to Jezreel.
By the next chapter, however, this same man of God appears in a whole new light.
Read 1 Kings 19:1–4. What lessons can we take from this passage regarding how, no matter what our relationship with God has been, no matter what great triumphs of faith we have experienced, none of us are immune to deep spiritual lows?

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The Lord, though, wasn’t done with Elijah, not even after his rather desperate and somewhat pathetic prayer. He still gave Elijah powerful evidence of His love for him and His interest in Elijah’s life.
Read 1 Kings 19:5–19. What is the significance of Elijah’s wrapping his face in the mantle?

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It’s fascinating that though Elijah saw a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire, none of these caused him to wrap his face in his mantle. It was only the presence of the Lord in “a still small voice” that brought this response to him—a response of fear, respect, and self-protection.
What Elijah needed to learn was that, mighty and moving though these forces be, they do not of themselves portray a true picture of the Spirit of God.Elijah heard the voice of the Lord in a quiet and subtle way telling him what to do, and it was this voice that he obeyed.
How can we learn to recognize the voice of the Lord speaking to us? More important, however, is this question: do you obey what you hear, or do you squelch that “still small voice” speaking to your soul? What does your answer tell you about yourself?

Old Covenant Grace

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SUNDAY

April 24

Old Covenant Grace
Jesus said it about as clearly as human language could express it: “ ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked’ ” (Luke 12:48, NIV). It’s a powerful principle, one that we as Adventists, with all that we have been given (and we have been given so much!), would do well to take seriously. Just compare the truths we have been given with some of the other doctrines out there (eternal torment in hell, Sabbath changed to Sunday, 144,000 Jewish virgins preaching the gospel when the church is secretly raptured during the reign of the antichrist) in order to understand all that we have been entrusted with.
Hence it is this principle that makes the sin of Aaron and the golden calf that much worse.
Read Exodus 32:1–6. What possible excuse could Aaron have had for partaking in this flagrant apostasy?

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The apostasy itself was bad enough, but that Aaron acquiesced in it seems even more incredible. Think about all that Aaron had been privileged with. Aaron was right there with Moses from the start (Exod. 4:27–30); Aaron was Moses’ spokesman before Pharaoh (Exod. 7:1); Aaron cast the rod that became a serpent (vs. 10); Aaron smote the waters that turned to blood (vs. 20); and Aaron was part of a select few who were able to approach the Lord in a very special way (Exod. 24:9, 10). In short, the man had been given privileges that few in history ever had, and yet, when a great test came, he failed miserably.
However, and here’s the amazing thing: God not only forgave Aaron his sin, the Lord eventually allowed Aaron to wear the sacred garments as the covenant nation’s first high priest, a type for the high priestly ministry of Jesus Himself (Heb. 8:1). In other words, though Aaron was guilty of a terrible sin himself, he was also the recipient of God’s redeeming grace, grace so great that it not only forgave him but allowed Aaron to assume a sacred office that, at its core, is all about God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness. Thus, Aaron’s life is a special example of mercy and redemption available to all in Christ.
Have you ever failed, even miserably, to live up to what you have been given? How can you get from Aaron’s example hope for yourself that all is not lost, even despite your mistakes? 

The Genesis of a Family Disaster

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SUNDAY

April 17

The Genesis of a Family Disaster
Life, as we all know, doesn’t come sealed off, in distinct and separate categories or sections. Everything impacts just about everything. In fact, Einstein’s theory of general relativity teaches that all matter in the universe has a gravitational pull on all other matter. That is, your body exerts a gravitational pull not only on your neighbor but on the sun and everything else in the created world, as well.
Of course, we don’t need a lesson in physics to recognize the reality of how the deeds and actions of one person can radically and even tragically impact others, even generations later. Who we are, where we are, why we are what we are—these all have been affected to some degree by the actions of others completely out of our control. Thus, how careful we need to be regarding the things we say and do, for who knows the impact, short-term and long-term, and either for good or for ill, that our deeds and words will have on others?
Read Genesis 24 and 29:21–30. What kind of family is being created here? What lesson should this reveal to us about how following customs of the world, especially when they go against principles of truth, can lead to disaster?

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“The sin of Jacob, and the train of events to which it led, had not failed to exert an influence for evil—an influence that revealed its bitter fruit in the character and life of his sons. As these sons arrived at manhood they developed serious faults. The results of polygamy were manifest in the household. This terrible evil tends to dry up the very springs of love, and its influence weakens the most sacred ties. The jealousy of the several mothers had embittered the family relation, the children had grown up contentious and impatient of control, and the father’s life was darkened with anxiety and grief.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 208, 209.
What things have you been handed that were beyond your control? A lot, isn’t there? Right now, think about some important decisions you are going to make. Ask yourself: how might these choices impact others, and is that what you really want to see happen?

The First Days

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SUNDAY

April 10

The First Days
Skim through the first two chapters of Genesis. Try to imagine what this earth, fresh from the hand of the Creator, must have been like, a world untainted by sin. In what overt ways does our world today differ from what it was like back then?
Adam and Eve were put in an environment beyond our wildest imaginations—a stunning home in a gorgeous garden with animals and other creatures as loyal friends. They reveled in the spectacular scenery, the scented flowers, the birds, and the animals in God’s love and in their love for each other. They neither wanted nor needed anything more, and they tended the garden as they were bidden by their Maker. Adam and Eve surely looked forward to their Master’s visits as they strolled together in the garden and actively communicated with Him. They knew that He loved them and, in return, their love for Him increased each day.
Adam and Eve’s connection with their Maker and their Master developed and grew through these daily cherished contacts in a world that didn’t know sin and the decay and devastation that sin always brings. How might we have a similar relationship with our Creator, but now in a world long corrupted by sin? See 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Luke 21:36; Matt. 6:25–34; John 17:3.

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Adam and Eve held open-faced communion with the Lord, a privilege that we don’t have now. However, we do have the privilege of living our lives in constant connection with the same God as did Adam and Eve. Sure, sin has gotten in the way, but, through Jesus, who has connected heaven to earth with bonds that never can be broken, a way has been paved for us to live as closely and intimately with our Creator as is possible now.
How intimately and closely do you walk with God? As you mull over your answer, ask yourself, What things am I doing that strengthen that intimacy, and what things break it? What choices must you make if you want a closer walk with your Lord?

The Creator of All That’s Been Made

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SUNDAY

April 3

The Creator of All That’s Been Made
Our God is the Creator. John 1:1–3 makes it clear that anything that was created; that is, anything that once didn’t exist but then existed, did so only through the action of the Lord.
Someone once asked the question, “Why is there something instead of nothing?” It is perhaps the most basic of all questions that could ever be asked. Read John 1:1–3. How does it answer that question?

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This idea is interesting, too, in light of what is known as the Big Bang Theory, which teaches that our universe, instead of being eternal, as many believed through the millennia, actually came into existence billions of years ago. Whether the theory turns out to be true or false, many have seen it as evidence for a God, a Creator, because a lot of science, a lot of physics, and a lot of math equations were needed for the Big Bang to have ever occurred. And, as one scientist asked, “Who breathed fire into the equations?”
We know the answer, don’t we?
Scientists now speculate, too, that there are whole vast sections of the universe that we cannot see, that are filled with what is called dark matter and dark energy. What this should tell us, if nothing else, is that we are very limited in our view of what’s really out there.
Read Colossians 1:16, 17. What else—and who else—has God created that, at least for the most part, are beyond what we can see every day? What lessons should we draw from this about how humble we need to be regarding our knowledge of reality?

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Notice, too, in those verses that not only were all these things created by God, they were also created “for Him.” What might that mean? How can we understand that? What should it mean for us to know that we, too, were created “for Him”?

Staring in the Mirror

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SUNDAY

March 27

Staring in the Mirror
Police officers in three cars converged on a woman who was driving and forced her to the side of the road. They then approached the car, their weapons drawn. The woman was horrified as she got out, her hands raised.
“What did I do?” she asked, trembling with fear.
They asked to see her registration, and after a few minutes everyone relaxed and the guns went back into their holsters.
“Please,” she said, “what was wrong? Why did you pull me over?”
“Well,” one of the officers said, “we saw you driving like a maniac and making obscene gestures at other drivers.”
“For that you pulled me over with weapons drawn?”
“No, ma’am,” answered the officer, “it was just that we saw the bumper sticker with the Christian symbols, and we assumed the car had been stolen.”
This (we admit) silly story illustrates a sad point: not all Christians, or those professing Christ, have lived up to the high standards that their faith calls them to. Some do better than others, but we all fall short. What Christian, looking in the mirror, stares in the face of someone who is perfectly reflecting the character of Jesus? What Christian, no matter how faithful, staring in the mirror, can claim any kind of righteousness for himself or for herself? What Christian, staring in the mirror, isn’t horrified by what he or she knows lurks beneath the surface?
Read Isaiah 64. What message is being proclaimed there? What garment imagery is used to describe human righteousness, and what does it mean? What hope is presented in the chapter, as well?

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The phrase “filthy rags”means a garment defiled by menstruation. What more powerful image could the Bible give to describe human righteousness after the Fall? The apostle Paul picks up on this theme in Romans 3, where he makes it clear that both Jews and Gentiles are in the same position before God: sinners in need of divine grace. Isaiah 64 may be seen as an Old Testament precursor to Romans 3, pointing out our dilemma as sinners and yet not leaving us without hope.
When was the last time you took a deep look at yourself, your thoughts, your innermost motives, and your desires? What did you see? How scary was it? What is your only hope?

The Praying Lord

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SUNDAY

March 20

The Praying Lord
Read Mark 1:21–35 and Luke 4:31–42. What lessons can you learn about His habits of prayer? What should this say to us about our need to pray?

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Jesus is found going to the synagogue on that Sabbath in Capernaum, teaching the Scriptures to an amazed group of people who recognized His authority and healing a demon-possessed man. After the meeting, Jesus and His disciples went to the house of Peter and Andrew, and there He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. At sunset, many (“the whole town” [Mark 1:33, NIV]) congregated around Jesus and brought all sorts of ill and demon-possessed to be healed.
“Never before had Capernaum witnessed a day like this. The air was filled with the voice of triumph and shouts of deliverance. Not until the last sufferer had been relieved did Jesus cease His work. It was far into the night when the multitude departed and silence settled down upon the home of Simon.”—Ellen G. White, Lift Him Up, p. 86.
That must have been an exhausting day for Jesus. However, He did not sleep late the next morning. He needed to be in communion with His Father; so He got up before dawn, went to a solitary place, and spent time in prayer. Jesus, the Son of God, He who had been with the Father before the world began (John 17:5), He who had created the entire universe (John 1:3), nevertheless felt the need for prayer? The concept is remarkable.
After stressful days, we tend to postpone prayer and communion with God. But it is precisely during those moments of psychological drain that we most need the soothing balm of prayer and time in the Word of God. Jesus knew this and practiced consistent closeness with His Father. If this was necessary for Jesus, how much more should it be for us?
Prayer is a positive factor in well-being and mental health. However much we don’t understand about prayer, about how it works or even about why it works, we are admonished to pray (Luke 18:1, 21:36, Rom. 12:12). Who, spending time in communion with the Lord through prayer and reading the Word, hasn’t felt the positive impact this can have on our spirit and mind? We don’t have to understand all the mysteries of prayer in order to know how crucial it is to have a close relationship with God.
What kind of prayer life do you have? How much time do you spend in the Word of God? What are ways you can make your devotional time more meaningful and life-changing? However important that we spend time in prayer and reading the Word, time alone isn’t the only element. What other factors are needed?

A Perfect Environment

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SUNDAY

March 13

A Perfect Environment
Today, living as we do in a world tainted and corrupted by sin, we can only imagine what it must have been like for our first parents in Eden. No sin, no suffering, no death—nothing to bring them the kind of sorrows and pain that we all know so well. In a sense, we’re so used to these realities, they’re so common, that we forget that they all are intruders, things that were not in the original creation, things that were never meant to be, things that we are promised will one day be forever gone.
Read Genesis 1:27–2:25. What picture is presented about what life and the environment were like in Eden? How different is it from what we know today?

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The newly created couple was placed in a garden that God Himself had planted (Gen. 2:8). Although the biblical account is brief, image when we consider the wonderful bounties nature provides for us today, the luxurious mix of produce that must have come from this, the first garden. Their senses were exposed to sights, sounds, tastes, feelings, and aromas that certainly brought much satisfaction and well-being to our first parents. It truly was Paradise.
There is no doubt that the environment was the best to suit the newly created humans. Their physical, emotional, and mental needs were more than met. Mental states such as uncertainty, anxiety, and worry were completely unknown, because there was nothing there to cause them.
“The Creator chose for our first parents the surroundings best adapted for their health and happiness. He did not place them in a palace or surround them with the artificial adornments and luxuries that so many today are struggling to obtain. . . . In the garden that God prepared as a home for His children, graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. There were trees of every variety, many of them laden with fragrant and delicious fruit. On their branches the birds caroled their songs of praise. Under their shadow the creatures of the earth sported together without a fear.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 261.
Try to envision what Eden must have been like. Think of the sights, the smells, the tastes, everything designed to appeal to our senses. What should that tell us about how, in principle, our physical bodies are good and were made for us to enjoy?

Alcoholic Beverages

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SUNDAY

March 6

Alcoholic Beverages
Wine, beer, and other liquor have been associated in the Western world with memorable events, happy occasions, holidays, and important business transactions. There is a seemingly clean and beautiful face to alcoholic beverages. They not only have become socially acceptable but also a “necessity” in certain circumstances. Unfortunately, there’s another side to alcohol that those who make their living selling it don’t want their potential customers to see.
Read Proverbs 23:29–35. What do these verses say about the adverse effects of alcohol? From your own experiences, what have you seen of the devastating effects from the use of this poison?

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The image of beautiful wine soon biting like a snake and poisoning like a viper is powerful. Alcohol’s chemical makeup is treated by the human body not as food but as a toxic substance. It is absorbed into the stomach and transported by the bloodstream to the brain, lungs, kidneys, and heart in just a few minutes. The liver especially is taxed in order to process a substance that takes hours of hard work to break down. When the presence of alcohol is chronic and prolonged significantly, the organs will deteriorate, and the person suffers from one or more illnesses.
Unfortunately, the effects of alcohol transcend the drinker. Alcohol use comes with a terrible social cost. Half of all automobile and workplace accidents are alcohol-related. Many crimes are committed under the effect of alcohol. Public and private funds are depleted to provide health care to cure maladies caused directly by alcohol. And, closer to home, the spouse and children of the addict often are victims of verbal and physical abuse.
Alcohol, as well as any other psychoactive substance, will affect our ability to make the correct moral choices; under the influence, folk are likely to slip deeper and deeper into sin.
Those trapped in any kind of substance abuse need to realize their problem and their need of help from a power greater than themselves—and that includes God’s grace, the support of family or a caring church community, and the treatment prescribed by qualified professionals (if possible).
As Seventh-day Adventists, we take a very strong line on alcohol use. Without judging or condemning them, how can we help those among us who are struggling with this problem, which in the eyes of God might not be as bad as other problems that are deemed more socially acceptable?

At the Root of Evil

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SUNDAY

February 27

At the Root of Evil
What was the cause of Satan’s expulsion from heaven? Isa. 14:12–14. What does it say about freedom that even in a perfect environment, heaven, this terrible trait was able to arise?

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Lucifer, the most magnificent creature from the hands of God, was given the highest place in heaven outside of the Godhead. His honor, beauty, and intelligence were supreme, yet sin nevertheless grew within him (Ezek. 28:12–15). The perfect peace and happiness of all creatures was greatly disturbed by this act of self-exaltation and jealousy toward Christ.
“ ‘I will make myself like the Most High’ ” (Isa. 14:14, NIV) was the thought that triggered dissension, rebellion, violence, and much pain to all inhabitants of heaven and then to the entire human family. “Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God.”—Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 145.
By contrast, we look at Jesus. The inception of sin through jealousy and selfishness is rebuffed by Jesus’ willingness to be humbled to the lowest level of humankind and to be killed, like a criminal, in order that each person may be saved from the ultimate devastation caused by sin (2 Thess. 1:9).
Read James 3:16, 17. What contrasts are presented here? What should this tell us about how damaging and demonic jealousy is?

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Our sinful nature is such that the first bad deed makes the next one easier. When the wrong path is initiated with jealousy and selfish ambition, the result seems to be a smorgasbord of sin: “disorder and every evil practice” (vs. 16, NIV), as James describes it. The wonderful news is that there is room for another option, one that is “pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (vs. 17, NIV). This option is love.
Lucifer did not look at what he had; instead, he chose to contemplate what Christ had. How often do we tend to do something similar? How much jealousy and envy do you harbor for those who have “more” than you? How can you overcome this dangerous emotion?

Origins

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SUNDAY

February 20

Origins
Two prevailing views of human origins exist, each mutually exclusive of the other. One portrays humans as products of pure chance, the result of a cosmic accident in which our existence wasn’t planned for. We just happened to come into existence. Though this view always has existed among some people, in recent centuries—particularly after the false theories of Charles Darwin became popular—the idea of humanity existing purely by accident has deceived millions. Thus, many have come to believe that life is inherently without purpose, or that any purpose it might have individuals must try to make for themselves. For millennia most people thought that they had originated from God or from gods; today, many think that they came from the apes.
In contrast, there’s the view taught in the Bible.
Read Genesis 1:26, 27; Psalm 8:5, 100:3; and Acts 17:24–28. How radically different is what’s presented in these texts from the view of our origins as expressed previously? How should each view impact our own sense of self-worth and self-esteem?

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Not only did God purposely create us, He created us in His image. He also created other wonderful, life-bearing plants and animals, but in their beauty and perfection they do not bear resemblance to their Maker as humans do. Furthermore, humanity is placed above all of them with dominion and authority.
In contrast to the atheist belief in no transcendent purpose for our human biology and psychology, the Bible teaches us that God chose to share “His image” with the human family. Obviously, much of that image has been marred and lost by generations of sin, yet the imprint continues in each person, and that lost image can be restored progressively by the transforming power of the Spirit working in those who are surrendered to Christ.
Not only did God create us, He redeemed us, as well. In fact, Ellen White said that Christ would have died for even one person. What does that tell us about our inherent worth, regardless of what the world might think of us? Why is it so important to keep before us our worth in the eyes of God?