Author: Ken Crawford

“The blessed and inviting truth is that God
is the most winsome of all beings
and in our worship of Him
we should find unspeakable pleasure.”
— A. W. Tozer

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.
— Ecclesiastes 7:10

The only thing we get by spending our time looking in the rear view mirror is a big disaster in our front windshield! Our best days as Christians are always ahead. Jesus has promised to return and take us home to God — what better future could there be. So let’s not get distracted with nostalgic cynicism. We can thank God for his past blessings, but let’s not waste the present with pessimism. Let’s make a commitment to redeem our time and trust that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead also holds our future in his hands.

Holy God, give me a sense of purpose in each day that you give me life and give me an optimistic outlook on the future and on my Lord who will meet me there. Please help me have a sense of genuine joy knowing that no matter where the road leads me today, I will journey with you. In Jesus’ name I thank you for being my loving God and eternal Father. Amen.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
— Hebrews 4:12 NIV

The Holy Spirit guides and strengthens Christians in multiple ways (e.g., Romans 8:13-14, Galatians 5:16-26), including through Scripture. The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture and uses Scripture to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us so we can be useful to God and equipped to do good things in the world (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This influence of the Spirit means that the Spirit penetrates into the areas of our being using Scripture to remake us more and more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). The real question for me, and I think for you, is whether we are intentionally asking the Spirit to remake us as we open the word of God. Are we hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of our Lord, and are we longing for the compassion of Jesus that only Spirit-led people can live?

O God, you are my God, and I hunger to be like you in righteous character and gracious compassion. May the Holy Spirit have your way in my heart and remodel my life to be a living echo of the life of your Son, Jesus, my Savior. In his name, I pray. Amen.

So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear [God’s] voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness …”
— Hebrews 3:7-8 NIV

God has spoken to the hearts of his children over the centuries inviting them back into relationship with him. These Spirit-inspired messages came in many and various forms, but the clearest came through Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-3). Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us and to those around us, inviting us to come home to him. We must respond, or our hearts harden, and we lose any possible sensitivity to the message of grace. The message from the Holy Spirit, uttered over and over through the centuries, now comes to you and me in today’s verses: “Hear God’s voice! Do not harden your hearts!” How will we respond today?

Father in Heaven, I want to have a tender heart that responds to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to hear your voice and respond to your grace. I ask that the Holy Spirit convict me of my sins, help me take notice of and avoid my vulnerabilities, overcome my weaknesses, and empower me to be like Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
— 1 Peter 5:5

The word “submissive” is often positive or negative based on its relationship to us personally. It’s nice having someone serve us submissively, but serving someone else submissively is hard work. Unfortunately, we are selfish way too much of the time. But God is at work in direct opposition to anyone who is full of pride and unwilling to serve others, especially if those “others” are older believers! Whether it’s easy to wear the clothes our Father demands or not, we are to intentionally clothe ourselves with humility!

Father, thank you so much for the great heroes of faith listed in Scripture. Thank you for those other heroes of faith who have shared their examples and lives with me. Bless them with strength and health. And Father, please use me to bless and to serve all of your children, especially those who have lived many years in faithful service to you and your Kingdom. Because of the grace of Jesus, and in his name I pray. Amen.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
— Isaiah 40:29

Even the most pumped up and positive ones of us find ourselves broken and weary at some point in our life. It isn’t so hard to believe and follow Jesus when we are soaring on the wings of eagles or running and not getting weary in our walk with God. Often the toughest time to keep our faith vibrant is when we are trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other while not fainting. In those moments of absolute powerlessness, weakness, and brokenness the Lord is often most real, most powerful, and most present.

Thank you, God, for sustaining me and keeping my faith alive when I have been under attack from the Evil One and have grown weary with the challenges and hardships of life. Please give those I love, and mention now by name, the strength to press on even though they are weary and weak. Please be real in their lives and let them know that you are coming with grace to help and redeem as their Great Deliverer. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.”
— Ecclesiastes 12:1

When we are young and have so many things to do, many things can distract us from what is important. We must let the Lord gather our passions under his grace in those early days of excitement and frenetic joy so we can be used for God’s greater good. For most of us, age brings a crescendo of limitations of one kind or another. This doesn’t mean life has to be bad, just that we had better put our priorities in order. Hopefully we learned the lessons of faith in our youth so that we have the maturity and wisdom to be mentors, examples, and counselors for those who come after us on the path.

Holy God, I pray for the youth of your Church. Give them passion and joy as they find you and follow Jesus. May their faith be real, vibrant, joyous, and triumphant! Give them a sense of your glory. Sustain them through their later years with a deep assurance of your presence, victory, and grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.
— Judges 2:7

It is so easy to lose the sacred experience of worship and in our daily lives we are drawn toward more secular activities. God is always present, powerful and eager for connection with us. Every experience with God is life-changing and formative to bring us closer to Him. Each generation must have its own first-hand faith. Transforming faith takes more than receiving a godly heritage and stories of the past deeds of God. It requires a fresh experience of God’s mighty presence!

Holy God, help me pass down my faith in you, and my love for you, to my children and to other young believers. More than that, Abba Father, help them experience your mighty power and great deeds personally through ministry and sacrificial service. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus! Amen.

Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.  — Proverbs 23:22

“Honor your father and mother.” This is basic to God’s plan for our lives. When families are built within God’s covenant of grace, respect and obedience by children toward their parents is a blessing to the children! As adults, we preserve the dignity of our parents and teach our children important life-lessons when we honor and respect them appropriately. Let’s not get swept up in our era of parent-bashing. Let’s bless our parents in ways that honor God. (If your parents were ungodly or abusive, find older folks in your church family for your emotional and spiritual support, while in as many ways as is possible treat your physical parents with honesty, respect, and integrity.)

Loving Father and eternal God, thank you for my parents — physical and/or spiritual. Bless them with what they most need to find their way home to you. Give me wisdom to know how best to show my love and respect to them. Most of all, Father, please help them to see that my love and character come from you. In Jesus’ name pray. Amen.