40 Days of cHesed—Day 12

Day 12 Developing Your Friendship with God

What do best friends do?

They spend lots of time together. They find themselves wanting to be together as much as possible. They make the other laugh when one becomes too serious. They quietly hold hands when one is sad and down. They gladly listen to all the joyous details of success. They graciously allow the venting of every ounce of frustration and failure. They encourage and scold—as needed.

This work must be done personally. You can’t be best friends second hand. It would be like reading everything written about and by someone famous—and thinking that knowing everything about him or her makes you their best friend.

Knowing all about someone isn’t the same thing as knowing them personally. Say you were to meet that famous someone—running up to shake their hand and say, “I know all about you. I’m your biggest fan.” What would be their response?

They would stare at you with a puzzled look and (if they were a kind person) extend their hand saying, “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

God has given us his Word so that we might get to know him. And we need to invest the time to understand what he wants us to know. But through the Holy Spirit, God wants to make that knowledge intimately personal.

Intimate knowledge draws us closer. God may not have favorites (as Charles Stanley said), but he does have intimates—those who take the time and energy to know him well. When we love him with everything he’s created us to be, our friendship deepens—and our behavior changes.

Because it’s not just about knowing God’s Word—it’s about doing what God says. It’s not just being “in Christ,” it’s behaving “like Christ.”

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for words that suggest relationships.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God—your new best friend—to spend the day with you, transforming your conversations and activities, ask for help you get to know them better. Look for ways to take one thing you know about God and put that knowledge into action.

Having trouble putting your finger on what you know about God? Maybe these suggestions will get you started:

• Their pleasure to be your Father, Elder Brother and Counselor

• Their promised presence

• Their love and forgiveness

• Their desire for intimate friendship

40 Days of cHesed—Day 11

Day 11 Becoming Best Friends with God

How many really good friends do you have? Someone you can count on to always be there for you? Who really knows you, but likes you anyway?

If you have one, they say you are considered fortunate. If you have two, you are truly blessed. If you have three, you realize just how much time you must invest in these kinds of relationships! And that’s why most people consider themselves fortunate to have one good friend—because friendships take time.

But what does it mean to have a best friend? It’s more exclusive than a good friend, isn’t it? The word best really means there is only one.

Do you have a best friend? Maybe it’s a sister or brother. Maybe it’s your spouse or significant other. Maybe it’s a childhood friend who has shared all of your life’s experiences.

Well, have you ever lost a best friend to someone else? You might still consider them your best friend, but they don’t feel the same way about you any more. Boy, that hurts!

If your best friend is a person, they will—sooner or later—let you down. They may change and have different interests. They may move far away. Ultimately, even if they are your faithful friend their entire life, they will die.

That’s why God (Father, Son & Spirit) wants you to let them be your best friend.

• They really know you—and love you anyway!

• You can always count on them to be there for you.

• They will never let you down because they’ll never leave you—forever.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Readthrough 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for examples of the benefits of counting on God as your best friend—instead of depending on things or people in the world.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God to spend the day with you, transforming your conversations and activities, tell him you want him to be your best friend. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what it means to be best friends with God.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 10

Day 10 The Heart of Worship

Why do we talk about getting to the heart of something? The heart of something is the most important component—the main thing. If you can understand that main thing, then you have a chance to succeed.

If living up to our created potential and saying “yes” to God are what make God smile, how do we get a handle on how to do that consistently? We go to the second part of our covenant formula.

The first part is pretty easy—since God did all the hard work. To be part of the covenant, we have to be “in Christ.” We do that by accepting God’s offer of adoption—joining the family of God.

The second part is where the rubber meets the road. To remain part of the covenant, we have to become “like Christ.” The terms of the covenant are all about the attitude of obedience. We call this covenant keeping. It’s living up to our part of the bargain.

So, if we can understand covenant keeping, we will understand the main thing about worship. And if we understand the main thing, we’ll feel the heartbeat of worship inside us.

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied by quoting from the Old Covenant Law: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Yes—that is this week’s memory verse! He went on to add that there was a second command like the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus put them together because the truth is that if we really love God completely, we will love each other, too. This is what it means to be “like Christ.” We show our love for God by loving each other. Jesus showed his love for God by becoming a man and offering his life as the blood sacrifice so that we could be his brothers and sisters. Jesus wasn’t content to just have it all for himself—because God wanted to include all of us in his family. Jesus showed that he loved God by loving us.

"Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1,2 (NIV)

Parents try to teach their children to help each other, to share, to take turns, to include everyone. In the beginning it sounds a lot like nagging, but the parents keep at it—hoping that it will sink in. Parents know that the children have learned well when they see them actually loving each other.

• When the older ones help the younger ones—without having to be told to do it—the parent smiles.

• When one child freely shares his most treasured toy with another, the parent smiles.

• When children take turns so that everyone gets to participate, the parent smiles.

• When a child reaches out to include one who is sad and feels left out, the parent smiles.

Why does the parent smile? Because the child has made the proper response to the parent’s teaching. The child has understood the instructions and internalized them—as evidenced by their ability to choose proper actions in response to various circumstances.

God smiles at these sweet deeds because they are actually a type of worship. When we come to understand why we need to obey our parents, we will understand why we need to obey God.

God considers this worship because worship happens when we make the proper response to his actions.

• He creates—we praise and admire.

• He inspires—we use our imagination to create, too.

• He speaks wisdom to us—we echo his words with one voice

• He gives the gift of music—we sing and make music before him.

• He sets our hearts in motion—we dance before him.

• He reaches out to us—we reach our hands up to him.

• He shows us the depths of his love for us—we share that love with others.

• He gives us resources—we use them to help in the family business.

• He forgives us when we let him down—we forgive others when they let us down.

• He pulls us up when we fall—we help another get up when they fall.

Do you see a pattern here? We’re giving glory to God by reflecting Christ in our actions. That’s worship—and it’s expression is not narrow, but very diverse and broad. (We will look at the different times and places we worship later this week.)

The heart of worship is keeping covenant because that is the proper response to God’s action in making covenant with us.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, look for examples of covenant-keeping behavior.

Keep Breathing!

Today when you ask God to spend the day with you, tell him you really want him to transform your conversations and activities.

Start by looking for just one piece of evidence of his action around you—and ask him to help you make the proper response. Warning: that response may or may not be in your comfort zone.

It will, however, be an act of obedient covenant keeping. It will show God that you’ve been listening. And it will reflect the image of Christ to those around you.

Most of us know that worship happens during church services. But that’s not the only place. It happens in small groups and in our individual relationship with God. Worship is supposed to happen all the time. As a matter of fact, it’s going on in heaven right now! The more practice we get with a lifestyle of worship here, the more ready we will be to worship God for eternity in heaven!

Stay with it—you’re making God proud to work out with you!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 9

Day 9 What Makes God Smile?

There is nothing that makes God smile faster and bigger than when we say “Yes, Dad” with a smile on our face and eagerness in our voice—and then go off to do what God asked us to do.

We know that obedience is important because it is such a big theme in the Bible. There is a reason it is such a big deal. That reason has to do with covenant. So, let’s take one more step in our understanding of God by understanding more about covenant.

Last week we learned a number of things about covenant. Once we understand the importance of having covenants, we can begin to look at the way God chose to make them. Basically, God put together a formula for covenant with four parts:

1. Parties – those who take an oath to abide by the terms of the covenant.

2. Terms – the responsibilities of the parties to keep the covenant.

3. Promises – the benefits of keeping the covenant.

4. Consequences – the cost of failing to keep the covenant.

Every covenant had each of these four parts, although the details could differ from one covenant to another. (And God made quite a few covenants, as you can see in the Old Testament writings.) The covenant that we are invited to take part in is the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

A summary of the New Covenant and its covenant-keeping formula looks like this:

In Christ + Like Christ = With Christ

Parties: (those included in the covenant)	In Christ +	Those who choose to be “in Christ” (part of the body of Christ, the church) through accepting God’s offer of reconciliation and adoption
Terms: (requirements of covenant keeping)	Like Christ =	Those who live like Christ (loving God and one another) find that the requirements of the covenant are, by definition, being kept
Promises: (for faithful covenant keeping)	With Christ	All the faithful (those “in” and “like” Christ) share with Christ all he is and has – now and forever
Consequences: (of rejecting God’s covenant offer)	Hell	Those who reject God’s offer of reconciliation through Christ live apart from his presence – now and forever

(Don’t panic—we’ll unpack the details of this formula before the end of our Journey together!)

We know that obedience makes God smile because the New Testament records that it made God very happy that Jesus was completely obedient. There were, of course, many difficult things that God asked Jesus to do. And so Jesus may not have always been a picture of outward cheer and joy as he went about his duties. But there was never a hint of rebellion—he never put his will before the Father’s will. He knew what he had to do—and for him, that included becoming our covenant-making sacrifice by his death on the cross. Because he was fully human, he got tired and was hungry and lonely—the same stresses we all experience. And because he was also fully God, he never lost sight of the goal or stumbled on the path to accomplish that goal.

That means that it is our attitude that makes God smile. It is our willingness to do what he asks us to do that makes him happy. It is the “If I ask you, will you?” question that we face every day. And as long as we keep answering “Yes, Dad” and then do what he asks us to do, God will be smiling.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 2:12-17 again (you’re getting the hang of it). While you’re reading, look for the signs of the attitudes God wants to develop in us.

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to spend the day with you today, tell him that you really do want to include him in every conversation and activity. What will that look like? Well, it won’t be like having an imaginary friend you talk to out loud (like Harvey the rabbit in the classic story).

It probably will feel more like knowing your mother can hear what you’re saying when you’re playing with your friends. The difference is that, while your mother may yell out the window for you to play nice and use kind words, God speaks quietly into your heart. He asks if you will remember his presence. His gift of free will allows you to ignore him. You have to choose.

Don’t let that feeling stop you from including God—let it transform what you say and do! The sooner we admit that God sees and hears everything we do—whether we invite him or not—the further down the road to obedience we’ll get.

Hey, this is a workout—you’re supposed to sweat!

But listen to the coach say, “Come on—take a deep breath. Now exhale all the way. There, isn’t that better?” That cleansing breath is critical for moving forward.

When you get to that moment of choice, take in a big breath of God’s presence. Then exhale your doubts and look over at God. He will be smiling.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 8

WEEK 2 – Worship: You Were Planned For God’s Pleasure

Day 8 Planned for God’s Pleasure

When you plan out a masterpiece—whether it’s a work of art or a dinner or a vacation—you usually are doing it because it makes you happy. It gives you pleasure. You like planning it and you like doing the work, because you want to get the pleasure of experiencing the result.

The only thing that compelled God to create was the desire to create. We can understand that, since we are created in his image. We create because we are creative.

Just as we don’t plan to have a disaster, God didn’t either. He knew that free will and choice would make his creation more challenging—but God is always up for a challenge!

And so God planned all of creation and they worked together to make it—with the best brought forth last: man. All the other parts of creation were things other than God, but man was made in God’s image. They would be able to walk together in the cool of the garden. They could do things together. Nothing is more pleasant than that!

One of the amazing things about God’s plan for man is that we may have the blessing of children. This is one of the ways we get closest to understanding God and his plan in creation. When we decide to have children, we understand that there will be many things that we can’t control (remember Day 2?), but we plan for the best possible outcome—a healthy baby.

When that baby arrives, the pleasure is just impossible to describe. That baby is our glory. We dress him or her up to show off to everyone. We listen for them to say: “What a beautiful baby!” “He looks just like his Daddy,” or “She has her Mommy’s eyes.” We can just sit and watch them all day long when they’re darling babies.

When they get to be toddlers, it gets a little more challenging—we have to deal with their ability to talk and walk. They seemed so much sweeter when they couldn’t talk back or get into things…. But then they learn to say precious things, like “I love you!” and they run to you and fly into your arms and give you a big bear hug.

And on and on it goes—they go to school and then off to college and careers and possibly get married and have children and slowly become real adults who begin to have a deeper appreciation for you because they have their own children and home and life.

While there are challenges in each stage of their growth, there can be tremendous pleasure, too. And when they make good choices, you are so proud. And when someone says, “They’re really a chip off the old block!” it makes you even more proud. And when they say how proud they are to be known as your child, well, you just choke back the tears.

And that’s worship in a nutshell.

God planned us so he could love us. That gives God pleasure. God also planned to be loved by us. And when we love him with everything that he created us to be, well, he just chokes back the tears.

And that means that we’re going to do everything we can to help you express your love for God in every way you can.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Remember to read through the entire passage without stopping. We want you to feel the flow of John’s thoughts so that you’ll have a better understanding of John’s words.

Read 1 John 2:12-17. While you’re reading, watch for John’s many reminders of who we are as God’s children. Do you see yourself?

Getting In Shape

This second week we want you to build your strength by adding this exercise to last week’s: How would your life change if God were a welcome participant in each conversation and activity?

Have you ever been with someone when they come across a friend? What happened? Perhaps the person you were with didn’t introduce you, or they picked up a previous conversation in which you weren’t included. Did you feel as if you were suddenly invisible? Ouch! Worse yet, did they say things that embarrassed you or perhaps betray another’s confidence? What did you do?

Once you’ve gotten accustomed to realizing God spends each day with you, work hard not to say or do things that would make him sad or uncomfortable. Thoughtlessness of this kind really puts a wrinkle in intimate communication! It will bring a tear to God’s eye—but not the kind we want!

Are you panting a little? Yes, this is a little bit harder. It takes a little more concentration. The coach shouts: “Breathe, breathe!” And if you will inhale God into everything you do, you will begin to feel more confident about what you exhale being pleasing to God. Remember:

• Invite God to spend the day with you.

• Invite God to join each of your conversations and activities.

Here we go!

40 Days of cHesed—Day 7

Day 7 The Reason for Everything

Let’s do a quick review of our first six days:

• While it’s all about God, he wants to include us in his purpose!

• God has provided a safe environment in which to grow in relationship with him.

• We have the proper perspective for relationship with God through covenant.

• Our relationship with God is meant to last forever.

• We have taken a closer look at life from God’s view.

• We choose to embrace the changes God desires, so that we don’t lose sight of Heaven as our destination.

What is the point of all these thoughts and activities?

It is wrapped up in the word glory. Have you ever noticed that we use a lot of words that we don’t know how to define? We kind of know what they mean, but we can’t explain them very well.

Glory is one of those words.

If we’re going to understand that it’s all about God and that we bear the Image of God and are to grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ—we’d better understand something about glory.

Basically, glory has to do with the attractive, visible characteristics of something or someone. Let’s take a look at three examples from the Bible. (Remember now, the first two are examples from 2000 years ago—a different time and different culture.)

1. A woman’s hair was considered her glory. Long, beautiful hair was particularly glorious because it took time and work to grow it and care for it well. (Think: no crème rinse or blow dryer or curling iron.) Properly cared for, long hair was an attractive, visible characteristic of someone who was considered a proper lady. (Hair that was cut short, or shaved off completely, usually signified the woman was not married and not respectable.)

2. Likewise, a man’s glory was his wife. An attractive (see above) and hospitable wife was a visible characteristic of the man’s good judgment and excellent leadership of, and domestic provision for, his household. Think of The Wife of Noble Character from Proverbs 31!

3. Finally, God’s glory is man – the Image of God. The only man who reflected that image clearly was Jesus Christ. However, when man (male and female) functions well in the covenant community, the characteristics of God are both visible and attractive to those who witness it.

Giving glory, then, states that some visible characteristic is worth being publicly acknowledged for its beauty or truth or strength or wisdom. It is giving credit where credit is due.

The attractive, visible characteristics of Christ that are seen in Christians, then, are not to be sources of praise for the individual. They are not to be viewed as evidence of great personal character or ability, but as evidence of Christ’s character and ability in them. They are to be a source of giving glory to God.

When we say “glory to God” we mean that we choose to acknowledge that the character of God is visible and beautiful when:

• We are amazed at the tremendous complexity and variety and beauty of God’s creation—with no exact duplicates!

  • We acknowledge that each child born is a unique and special gift from God to the world. That child’s potential is to be acknowledged and nurtured on purpose toward God’s purpose—no one else can take their place.

• We experience the gifts of music, whether vocal or instrumental, God has given man.

• We experience the imaginative and creative abilities God has given man to make new things out of the raw materials God created.

  • We experience the beauty of art, whether drawing or painting or sculpting or writing or capturing images on film.

  • We wonder at those who study science and technology and their many innovations throughout history.

• We see lives transformed and reconciled by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through the covenant community.

  • Through the joyful exercise of the Spiritual Gifts by every one of God’s people—according to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

  • Through the building of caring relationships in small groups.

  • Through the fervent and effectual prayers of God’s people.

  • Through the humble acts of service with and for God’s people.

  • Through the loving hands of God’s people that reach out to invite others to join the family.

Maybe you get the picture by now: it really is all about God. Everything that we have is a gift from God to be used according to God’s purpose, not ours.

Whatever you see or hear or do, remember to give credit where credit is due.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again. While you’re reading, think about seeing God’s glory—his attractive, visible characteristics—when you read, “light.” You can also try substituting “refusing to help” for “hate.”

Keep Breathing!

Well, this is the last day of the first week of getting in shape. Good for you—you made it!

So, today when you invite him to spend the day, tell him that you know that it’s all about him. Thank him for wanting to include you in his day! Keep your eyes open for signs of God’s glory—and be sure to point them out to everyone you meet along the way!

You’re in great shape! Stay with us.

40 Days of cHesed—Day 6

Day 6 Life Is a Temporary Job

Have you ever had a summer job? Maybe you worked in retail over the Holiday season? Perhaps you’ve even worked for a temporary agency? That kind of job is known as seasonal work. Now the season may be of your design or not; but temporary assignments are not the stuff of career dreams.

Temp jobs are a path to get you from where you are to the next stop along your life’s journey. They are a means to an end, not the end itself.

There are people who work temp jobs on purpose. They like the freedom of knowing the start and finish dates of their assignments. They like the variety and challenge of learning new things and meeting new people. They like the comfort of knowing that even if they don’t care for the task they’ve been given, it won’t last forever.

All successful temporary workers have one common trait: they embrace change. They don’t expect things to stay the same. They know that change is coming. And they work hard at being flexible and adaptable—ready for whatever challenge presents itself.

We saw that we were made for eternity on Day 4. There’s a beautiful old hymn that goes “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through.” And that’s the truth. Don’t make your life here the end—remember that it’s just the beginning.

While we’re here, we’ll experience lots of temporary assignments! We call them stages or phases or transitions or cycles—the list of terms is really long. What they all have in common, however, is that wherever you are today, you’ll soon be moving on to the next step.

That’s because they all represent some type of growth—whether physical, emotional, intellectual, developmental, moral or spiritual. All of creation is continually growing or changing—it’s natural.

So, why do we even have to think about this? Well, because most of us just don’t like change. It’s uncomfortable because:

• We like things to stay the same. (If it was good enough for Dad, it’s good enough for me.)

• We like to be able to predict what will happen.

• We like to be able to plan out our schedules.

• We don’t necessarily like surprises.

• We don’t like interruptions, either.

• We don’t like to be inconvenienced.

• We don’t always care to learn new skills.

• We don’t always like to practice skills once we’ve learned them, either.

The secret is in knowing when to keep on doing what you’ve been doing and when to change.

Sometimes it is easy to see that change is coming—like with the seasons or the weather. Growth is another signal that change is coming—time for bigger clothes or a new school or even a new baby. Empty nesters are struck by the quiet—sometimes even wishing they could hear the sounds of doors slamming or music playing too loudly.

Other times, it can be very difficult to see that change is needed—like letting your children grow up and learn from their own mistakes. Career changes must sometimes be prompted by job loss—when we aren’t willing to step out and take the risk associated with growth. Changes in styles of dress or grooming can be even more difficult to make. Then there is seeing the need to address a prejudice or stereotype.

More than all these examples of physical, emotional, intellectual, developmental or moral change, we must be on the lookout for spiritual growth and change. We have to accept the changing assignments that go along with being in God’s family and bearing the Image of God—by growing to be like Christ.

Don’t make your life more difficult by making Knowledge of God an idol—something that you value more than knowing God personally. Knowing everything about God (even if it were possible) won’t bring ultimate success. The pursuit of ultimate knowledge (about God or anything else) is man’s biggest trap. God does know everything about everything, however. You can trust that he will be sure you know what you need to know when you need to know it!

We all have current assignments at home or at work or at school or at church. But have you considered whether you’re in the assignment that is best for you? How can you know? The only way to know your current assignment is to stay in touch with the Assignment Supervisor. Wonder who that is? That would be the Holy Spirit.

Give up a little of your resistance to change. Embrace the freedom of the temp job—take a leap of faith! Study to be prepared for any task placed before you, but leave the making of assignments to God. In God’s family business, we’re all workers—we’re not the boss. We’re working to get ready to retire from this earth and move on to heaven.

But if you’re still here, there’s still work for you to do.

"…I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:12b-14 (NLT)

Just remember to keep checking in—every day—throughout the day—to see what that work assignment is.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 1:1 through 2:11 again. While reading, substitute “lack of restraint” every time you read, “sin.” Does that change your perspective?

Keep Breathing!

When you invite God to spend the day with you today, tell him you’re checking in to see what the current assignment is. Thank him for his creativity in the variety of assignments in the business. Ask him if there’s a new skill he wants you to learn. Look for him to confirm any assignment change through the Holy Spirit in you—and the Holy Spirit in your brothers and sisters, too.