Midweek: HIStory in 366 Days

There are all sorts of wonderful devotionals out there, but it can be difficult finding one that is simple enough for children to grasp and meaty enough to challenge adults. This devotional from Jennifer Lane --her very first book --has nailed it! Jennifer has penned personal meditations for every day of the year (including the leap year) and compiled them into what she calls "A year-long journey through the story of Creation, man's fall, and God's plan to redeem us all." In her introduction, Jennifer says her love of history was ignited as she homeschooled her children, teaching history (Old Testament history included) in chronological order and paying special attention to the integration of events. She shares this integration throughout her book by including "Fun Facts" about concurrent historical events around the world and their correlation to biblical history. To provide further clarification, there are maps, a chart of the kings of the divided kingdom, and a helpful article on Jewish feasts as given to Israel and why they are significant. This is teaching that provokes further learning. 

Take a moment to read some of Jennifer's thoughts on Exodus 5 (March 1):

After Moses and Aaron had their successful meeting with the Israelite leaders, they got up the courage to go before Pharaoh and ask him to let the people go worship God in the wilderness. Of course, Pharaoh denied their request and made the work even harder for the Israelites suffering in slavery. God had told Moses that Pharaoh would not cooperate and would have to be forced by God's hand to let them go, but Moses must have forgotten that part. When he saw that his efforts had only made things worse for the Israelites, he felt like a total failure. He was expecting immediate, positive results, despite what God had told him.

...Sometimes God's plans take longer than we would like. When we start on a journey following God's lead, sometimes we face roadblocks and difficulties that can lead to discouragement; but God can use those experiences to help us grow closer to Him while preparing us for what comes next. Like Moses, we need to persevere to see the miracles that are coming.   

Is this something to which you can relate? I know I did. And it was simple enough to encourage our youngest.

One of my absolute favorite parts of her writing, however, is from the Introduction:

My desire is that you actually read the whole passage listed with each day's reading and just use what I wrote as food for thought. That way you will spending significantly more time in God's Word than on my words. And that's how it should be.

As someone who has been stringing together thoughts and words on the internet for years, it is a powerful reminder to me why I have been given the privilege of doing what I do. The same can be said for every aspect of a believer's life: it is --or should be --all about our King, all for His glory! I believe this wonderful devotional can assist in directing readers to give more, do more, yield more to the will of God; to conspire with Him to make His glory known throughout the world. Jennifer was kind enough to send me a complimentary copy, but I encourage you to get your copy on Amazon today!

      

Authority Even on Bad Days

Tomorrow commemorates what believers know to be "Good Friday." Good because of the fruits of the day, not so much the specifics. This morning, I was thinking about some of those specifics. One, in particular, the control Jesus demonstrated through everything that happened that day. He never freaked out. He never cursed anyone. He never disobeyed Our Father. He never reacted at all. Despite the pain and ridicule, despite the false accusations and betrayals, Jesus was always in control of His own thoughts and behaviors; the practice of authority which pointed directly to the Father and controlled the amount of attention anyone other than God would receive. Good Friday and its events are part of a whole, the "Story of Jesus," or "The Resurrection," or the "Salvation of the World." That is the intent. Because of Jesus' submission to the Father; because of His desire to bring glory to the Father by maintaining authority over His own behavior. 

As children of God, those who claim to trust Him, we are called to walk in the same authority, in the same control over ourselves. A freakout, cursing our enemies, disobedience, the unchecked reaction to circumstances and the behavior of those around us --these things only serve to demonstrate how little we fear God. If we cannot even control our own tongues or our own hands, we are puppets, slaves to our own feelings; we have no authority. If we cannot, by our actions, point to the One we claim is our life and our Lord, we are pointing to someone or something else; we make the things of this world larger than the God who created it. And if we cannot control our reaction to the terrible, untrue, uncalled-for accusations or opinions of others, we give them weight; we signal to anyone watching that for the rest of history, the authority of those who persecute us is greater and more worthy of remembrance than the authority of our God.

Remember Sarai (Sarah), the wife of Abram (Abraham), who was upset by her servant's mockery? Short version: Sarai didn't trust God. Instead, she made her own way. And when that backfired, she engaged in bitterness and childish behavior instead of being a blessing to the world (a foundational tenet of God's promise to Abraham). Sarai's failure to submit to God led her to doubt the promises she was given, promises that defied age or the opinions of others. Sarai had been chosen by God to bear Abram's seed; Hagar, her servant, had not. Sarai was the wife of the one God had chosen to be "father of many nations"; Hagar was not. Sarai possessed control over the running of the household; Hagar possessed nothing. Sarai had the promises of God. Sarai had authority. But she walked in pride and mistrust and relinquished her authority.

If Sarai had trusted God, time would not have had authority over her; she would have waited for the promised child, her child. Jesus trusted through a violent physical death, was raised as promised, and ascended to heaven where He sits exalted at the right hand of the Father today. 

If Sarai had submitted to God, she wouldn't have been so upset by Hagar's behavior (behavior Sarai invited by not trusting God in the first place) and would have had authority over her own behavior. Jesus remained silent in the face of His accusers. By choosing to place the burden of proof on them and cast the eyes of the world on the lawlessness of His murderers, He revealed His innocence and His authority. 

If Sarai had feared God, she would have understood her authority as one chosen by God, and her responsibility as a blessing to those who did not know Him. Jesus spoke and conducted Himself as One given authority from heaven. Could He have used such authority to condemn each and every one of us? Yes, indeed. He chose instead to be condemned that we might be saved, using His authority to secure for us reconciliation with the Father. Jesus was and is the Light of the World. We are reminded of this even as we remember the dark events of a "Good Friday," and the authority with which Jesus met them for the glory of the Father He so wholly obeyed.

Photo courtesy Christine Dewade

Midweek: NKJV Foundation Study Bible

This is a keeper! Thomas Nelson has again provided me with a complimentary copy of one of their fabulous Bibles. This one is the NKJV Foundation Study Bible, Wide-Margin Edition, due for release on April 7, 2026. Just to give you the basics (from the publisher's description):

• Wide margins (1.3") on every page for insights and personal notetaking
• The full text of the New King James Version
• Concise study notes provide helpful comments on passages of Scripture
• 300+ theological notes draw attention to the most important doctrinal content (and are indexed in the back by location and title)
• NKJV translator's footnotes offer clarification and information about original language texts
• In-Text subject headings
• Words of Jesus printed in red
• Book introductions give background information
• 32,000+ end-of-page cross-references
• A concordance
• Satin ribbon marker and gilt-edged pages
• Presentation page
• 8-point type
• Full-color maps of Bible lands

The book I chose is brown Leathersoft™ and is available for pre-order through Amazon, Cokesbury, and christianbook.com. 

Now that we've dispensed with the particulars, please allow me to give you my thoughts.

The format of the text is, I think, terrific. The study notes and cross-references are helpful, but the wide margins for notetaking are a dream come true! Of course, that perk necessitates smaller print and eliminates some of the supplementary articles; but if your eyes are still sharp (or your optometrist is) and you find additional articles to be superfluous, you will enjoy the freedom to journal or make your own notations a bit more liberally.

My greatest concern is with the quality of the book. The cover and its gold-stamped lettering leave me to wonder if it will stand up to normal wear and tear. The Leathersoft™ editions I have reviewed before seemed more durable; this is thin and stiff --think of the plastic, bank-issued checkbook covers of the past. I can almost picture the stitching unraveling, the cover cracking, and the print wearing off with regular use --particularly if this will be a Bible you carry to and from church. I would recommend keeping it as an "in place" Bible, for bedroom or family room, where durability would not be of great concern. If, however, Thomas Nelson would eventually offer this wide-margin edition in leather or a hardcover, I would heartily recommend it and probably give up my current "church" Bible for a copy of my own.