Like Paul, we are being asked to trust in the gifts that we have been given, so that by and though these gifts we may bring others to the way, the truth and the life that is Christ.

Day 164 1 Kings 11:1‐12:19; Acts 9:1‐25; Psalm 131:1‐3; Proverbs 17:4‐5 Unlikely Choices Solomon—upright, faithful, wise beyond measure—strays from the Lord at the end of his life, neglects the commands and admonitions of the Lord, intermarries with a multitude of foreign women, and the consequences of his departure from the Lord include two wayward sons…

Day 163 1 Kings 9:1-10:29; Acts 8:14-40; Psalm 130:1-8; Proverbs 17:2-3 God’s Gift Cannot Be Bought Simon the magician has two problems. The first is that he thinks that he has something of equal value to the power of the Holy Spirit with which to buy that power. The second is that he is seeking…

Day 162 1 Kings 8:1‐66; Acts 7:51‐8:13; Psalm 129:1‐8; Proverb 17:1 The Stubbornness of a Cat Have you ever tried to teach your cat to play fetch? Doesn’t work, does it? Sure, a cat will go after a ball, but it will never return it. Cats do what they want to do, and that’s it….

Day 161 1 Kings 7:1‐51; Acts 7:30‐50; Psalm 128:1‐6; Proverbs 16:31‐33 God’s Temple In the passage from Acts, Stephen is defending himself from lying witnesses who claimed that Stephen spoke against the holy Temple and the law of Moses. Stephen responds with a history of God’s acts of salvation. Moses and the Temple are highlighted…

Day 160 1 Kings 5:1‐6:38; Acts 7:1‐29; Psalm 127:1‐5; Proverbs 16:28‐30 Solomon and Stephen: Built for Glory Oh, to live in the house that Solomon built. Oh, to speak the words that Stephen spoke! This day we are in the middle of things. The middle of Solomon’s construction of his house and other glorious structures built…

Day 159 1 Kings 3:4‐4:34; Acts 6:1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 16:26-27 Shaped to Be Used for the Kingdom St. Augustine, FL held a grand celebration of the 450th Anniversary of America’s First City in 2015. Ponce de Leon’s arrival in La Florida was part of the Age of Exploration: a time associated with names like…

Day 158 1 Kings 2:1-3:3; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25 Strong and Courageous, or Fearful and Foolhardy? David told Solomon to “be strong and courageous”; instead, Solomon is fearful, and consolidates his power by killing all of his perceived enemies, including his own brother.> On the other hand, the apostles ARE strong and courageous,…

Day 157>br>1 Kings 1:1‐53; Acts 4:1‐37; Psalm 124:1‐8; Proverbs 16:24 I Promise I’ll Change “I promise I’ll change.” Such is the cry of many a guy trying not to get kicked to the curb by his wife or girlfriend. But women are skeptical, and for good reason. Real life change is difficult.>br>Acts tells of Peter…

Day 156 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 16:21-23 Wonder and Amazement As I reflect on the healing of the lame beggar in Acts 3, I am struck by a series of words that appear in the NIV translation: “wonder and amazement,” “astonished,” and “surprise.” I am surprised that people were surprised at…

Day 155 2 Samuel 22:21‐23:23; Acts 2:1‐47; Psalm 122:1‐9; Proverbs 16:19‐20 The Meditations of a Pilgrim The meditations of a pilgrim anticipate the destination. The pilgrim’s mind is filled with ideas of what it will be like when he “gets there.” We do the same thing; on long road trips to vacation sites, our thoughts…

Day 154 2 Samuel 20:14-22:20; Acts 1:1-26; Psalm 121:1-8; Proverbs 16:18 Whom Will You Serve? During the reign of David, there was continual struggle between the Nation of Israel and the various pagan tribes. The Lord called upon David to atone for Saul’s sin in murdering the Gibeonites (who were not enemies of Israel). Even…