Men's Devotional Bible-NIV: With Daily Devotions from Godly Men (Paperback)

Chapter One

GENESIS

The Beginning

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.

JOB 14

7 "At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. 8 Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, 9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. 10 But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. 11 As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, 12 so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.

13 "If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! 14 If a man dies, will he live again?

THURSDAY

VERSE FOR THE DAY: AUTHOR: PASSAGE: Job 13:15 Charles Colson Job 13:13-19

God Is Who He Is

OBEDIENCE is the key to real faith-the unshakable kind of faith so powerfully illustrated by Job's life. Job lost his home, his family (except for a nagging wife),his health, even his hope. The advice of friends was no help. No matter where he turned, he could find no answers to his plight. Eventually he stood alone. But though it appeared God had abandoned him, Job clung to the assurance that God is who he is. Job confirmed his obedience with those classic words of faith: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" ((Job 13:15).

This is real faith: believing and acting obediently regardless of circumstances or contrary evidence. After all, if faith depended on visible evidence, it wouldn't be faith. "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7), the apostle Paul wrote.

It is absurd for Christians to constantly seek new demonstrations of God's power, to expect a miraculous answer to every need, from curing ingrown toenails to finding parking spaces; this only leads to faith in miracles rather than the Maker.

True faith depends not upon mysterious signs, celestial fireworks, or grandiose dispensations from a God who is seen as a rich, benevolent uncle; true faith, as Job understood, rests on the assurance that God is who he is. Indeed, on that we must be willing to stake our very lives.

Additional Scripture Readings: Habakkuk 3:16-19 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Weekending

RETHINK

Our human sexuality, our maleness and femaleness, is not just an accidental arrangement of the human species, not just a convenient way to keep the human race going. No, it is at the center of our true humanity. We exist as male and female in relationship. Our sexualness, our capacity to love and be loved is intimately related to our creation in the image of God. What a high view of human sexuality!

Notice too that the Biblical stress upon relationship helps to enlarge our understanding of human sexuality. The problem with the topless bars and the pornographic literature of our day is not that they emphasize sexuality too much but that they do not emphasize it enough. They totally eliminate relationship and restrain sexuality to the narrow confines of the genitals. They have made sex trivial.

How much richer and fuller is the Biblical perspective! To chat over coffee, to discuss a great book, to view a sunset together-this is sexuality at its best, for male and female are in intimate relationship. -Richard Foster

REVIVE Saturday: Genesis 1:26-28 Sunday: 1 Corinthians 13

(Continues...)

• Devotional meditations for each weekday, located near the designated Scripture reading, plus Weekending, a devotional meditation for each weekend, providing an entire year of devotional readings.
• Material in the devotions written by over 100 well-known Christian men, including James Dobson, Billy Graham, Tom Landry, Chuck Swindoll, and Ben Carson.
• Presentation page.
• An author index with biographical information on each man who contributed to the NIV Men's Devotional Bible.
• Introductions to each book of the Bible.
• Double-column format.