New Hope Church of Sloan

06/01/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Fri May 31 - - Job 40 - 42

Daily Walk
No where in the Book of Job does God answer any of the burning questions that caused so much debate between Job and his friends. He simply answers the need of Job's heart.
God does not explain each phase of the battle, but He makes Job more than conqueror in it. Job's knowledge of God before his trials was primarily secondhand, by the hearing of the ear, perhaps from his parents, friends, and acquaintances.
But now, after passing through the fire of adversity, he sees God more clearly and gains faith and courage to trust Him personally.

It was because of Job's God-fearing lifestyle that God permitted him to be tested by Satan, in order that his life and devotion might run even deeper.
Are you facing a severe test of your faith today?
View it not as a sign that God has left you but as a token of His desire to deepen and strengthen your commitment to Him. Complete this sentence:
"Though I do not understand why, God is asking me to show my trust in Him by ____________________ and I will".

05/30/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Thur May 30 - -Job 38 - 39

Daily Walk
God is not nature (as pantheism claims), but is revealed by nature (see Romans 1:18-21). You have read today how God's works in the world of nature demonstrate His power and glory.

With this thought in mind, conduct an outdoor walk today. See how many attributes of God you can find by observing the world around you. Then apply each characteristic of God to your life today.

For example, observe the sun. It rises every day—same time, same place. This shows us that God is unchangeable. And if God is unchanging, then His promises aren't fickle. They can be relied on today, and tomorrow, and forever.
Now see what else you can learn from nature about;
~ God's infinity (not limited by space),
~ eternity (not limited by time),
~ omnipresence (everywhere present),
~ omnipotence (all-powerful).

Better yet, do this while you take a walk with a friend.

05/30/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Wed May 29 - - Job 35 - 37

Daily Walk
Here are three of the most difficult words any Christian will ever have to utter: "I don't know."

Somehow the notion has developed that if you cannot explain everything about God's actions and attributes, it is a sign of spiritual weakness or immaturity.
Job repeatedly took God to task because of the seemingly unreasonable things God was doing in his life.
Knowing that God was absolutely just and impartial, Job concluded that God owed him an explanation. But it took young Elihu to remind Job of another important truth about God: His ways are different from human ways. In the words of the prophet Isaiah:
'"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD" (Isaiah 55:8).

Just as you must trust the surgeon to do his skillful work even though you do not understand all his techniques, so God asks you to trust Him to accomplish His purposes in your life—even though it may involve surgery you do not understand this side of heaven.

05/28/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Tues May 28 - - Job 32 - 34

Daily Walk
Can you think of three occupations from the world of government, business, medicine, or sports that demand absolute impartiality if the job is to be done correctly?

Did you think of things such as: Supreme Court judge, personnel manager, surgeon, or umpire?
These are all examples of jobs requiring impartiality in the work world. But what about in the Christian life? How impartial does God want you to be?

Have you ever given preferential treatment to a prominent guest at church?
Have you ever avoided someone who obviously came from a different ethnic, financial, or spiritual background than you?
If so, you were exercising partiality.
And according to James 2:9, God looks on such treatment of persons as sin.

Elihu realized that God is absolutely impartial (34:16-20) and expects the same of us. Check up on your own personal contacts in your neighborhood, office, or church. What needs to change about your treatment of others so that James 2:1 is true of you?
James 2:1 (ESV) My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

05/28/2024

Sun May 26 Morning Message

When problems seem like they're hitting us constantly, what is it that keeps us from giving up? What gets us back up on our feet when we feel like quitting?

05/27/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Mon May 27 - - Job 29 - 31

Daily Walk
Every good store manager takes stock of his inventory at regular intervals. He carefully examines his goods to see what he has on hand and what he doesn't, what he needs to buy and what he needs to throw away.

That's precisely what Job did in chapter 31. He took stock of his life to see where his character, conduct, and spiritual life were deficient. Although there was no grave area of sin, Job's attitude of confession prepared him for God's instruction later.

When was the last time you took personal inventory in your life? Right now, check up on your personal thought life, your behavior toward others, and your walk with God. Confess your areas of sinful neglect; thank God for your areas of strength; and map out a project today to begin "restocking the shelves" in places where you are weak.

05/27/2024

05/26/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Sat/Sun May 25 & 26 - - Job 25 - 28

Daily Walk
Here is a good thought from the Book of Ecclesiastes to add to your Bible reading today: "Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools"(Ecclesiastes 7:9).

When words have all been used up, tempers usually flare and fists fly. Such was the case with Bildad. All his arguments had been refuted. There was nothing left to say. So he struck out in anger and showed the shallowness of his own counsel.

Work on your anger factor today. On a note card, write the words of Ecclesiastes 7:9 and then tuck it in your purse or pocket.
Whenever you begin to boil about a problem today—a disagreement with your spouse, a traffic jam, a missed appointment, a tedious assignment, an unexpected disappointment—ask yourself these two questions: "Is it worth making a fool of myself?" And "Is the God I serve big enough to handle it? "Then deal with your problem in God's way.

05/24/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Fri May 24 - - Job 22 - 24

Daily Walk
There is at least one thing Eliphaz and Job agreed upon—they both were appalled at the treatment received by the fatherless.

Eliphaz stated in 22:9 that the wicked "broke the strength of the fatherless." The rightful privileges and means of support for the fatherless were taken away. Their boundary markers were moved; their flocks were driven off; they were left cold, hungry, and at the mercy of the elements.
But the God of all mercy had not forgotten them.

God has a special place in His heart for the fatherless and orphaned.
Psalm 82:3 exhorts us to "defend the cause of the weak
and fatherless."
Do you know of a single-parent home in your neighborhood or a family that is destitute because of unemployment or illness?
You can (and should) pray for them. But don't stop there. Offer to take care of the kids while their parent runs some errands. Call a needy neighbor and invite him or her over for dinner. Get involved in the lives of another family. If you know Jesus, you have something to share!

05/23/2024

Read Thru The Bible
Thurs May 23 - - Job 20 - 21

Daily Walk
How can you explain the seeming inequities in the world today: the wicked generally going unpunished, the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer, the swindler prospering while the honest man goes bankrupt?
Isn't God concerned about such things?

If you have pondered thoughts like those, you're not alone. Centuries ago, Job asked the same penetrating questions about the prosperity of the wicked. He looked around him and saw distorted business ethics, perverted justice, unpunished criminals, and unjust suffering.
Everywhere he looked was cause for pessimism—until he looked up. And suddenly everything snapped into sharp focus.

The God of eternity works out His plan from the perspective of eternity. In the end, all accounts will be settled justly. "The evil man is spared from the day of calamity" (21:30).
But for now, God calls upon the righteous to trust Him, to leave vengeance in His hands, and to walk by faith.
Pick an unfair situation from your life and look at it from God's perspective.
What do you see?
How will you respond?