Refreshing

Daily
in Gods Word
Emphasis on
 The Why of Anger
August 1

Bible Reading: Genesis 4:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 6 - And the LORD said unto Cain,
Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance
fallen?
Key Words: Why art thou wroth?
 The fruit of anger comes from three primary seeds planted
in our heart.
First, there is the seed of frustration. Martha shows her
frustration in John 11:21 when she said to Jesus, If thou
hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Secondly, there is the seed of humiliation. Jonah was
angry with God because he had preached that Nineveh was
going to be destroyed, but God repented and now Jonah feels
humiliated (see Jonah 4:9).
The third seed is rejection. That was Cains problem. He
felt rejected by God and thats why he was angry.
Dr. J. Gregory Mantle tells of a minister friend whose
congregation always refused to accept his messages which
were Biblically sound. The choir made things worse and he
asked the choir to resign. The choir did and persuaded the
congregation from taking part in singing on the following
Sunday. This continued for many Sundays. One day, sitting
dejected on a park bench, the pastor saw a torn newspaper
flapping on the ground. It had a message: No man is ever
fully accepted until he has, first of all, been utterly rejected.
He was comforted, he was rejected for Christs sake. The
recognition of this fact was the beginning of a most fruitful
ministry.

What to do:
Dont let being rejected make you angrylet it make
you better.

The Why of Lying

August 2

Bible Reading: Genesis 12:10-20

Key Verse: Verse 18- And Pharaoh called Abram,
and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me?
why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Key Words: why didst thou not tell me that she
was thy wife?
 There are probably any number of reasons why people
lie, but I believe the primary reason is because people fear the
results of telling the truth.
Peter lied about being a disciple of Jesus (John 18:25)
because he feared if he told the truth what they would do to
him.
In II Kings 5, Gehazi lied to Elisha (verse 25) because
he feared the consequences of telling the truth.
If we think about why we lie, usually it will be because
we fear the results of telling the truth.
What we fail to realize is that lying gets us into more
trouble while the truth sets us free.
A little girl came very early one morning to her
mother, saying, Which is worse, Mama, to tell a lie or to
steal? The Mother replied that both were so sinful she could
not tell which was worse. Well, Mama, replied the little one,
Ive been thinking a good deal about it, and I think its ever so
much worse to lie than to steal. Why, my child? asked the
mother. Well, you see Mama, its like this, said the girl. If
you steal a thing, you can take it back, unless youve eaten it,
and if youve eaten it, you can pay for it; but a lie is forever.

What to do:
If you want to be free, tell the truth.

The Why of Curiosity

August 3

Bible Reading: Exodus 3:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 3 And Moses said, I will now turn
aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not
burnt."
Key Words: and see this great sight, why the bush
is not burnt
 You are probably familiar with the old saying,
Curiosity killed the cat. Well, we are not cats but we are
curious people. We want to know what just happened, how it
happened, and why it happened. So it was with Moses. He
just had to see why the fire did not consume the bush.
I read about three young college students who went
downtown in a large city and just pointed up to the sky. They
did this just to see what type of response they would get.
Well, it didnt take long until there were ten, and then twenty,
and finally over one hundred people looking up to the sky
with them. They were all curious as to what others were
looking at.
The why of curiosity is that we want to see whats
going to happen next.
Sign in the window of an English company: We have
been established for over one hundred years and have been
pleasing our displeasing customers ever since. We have made
money and lost money, suffered the effects of coal
nationalization, coal rationing, government control, and bad
payers. We have been cussed and discussed, messed about,
lied to, held up, robbed, and swindled. The only reason we
stay in business is to see what happens next.

What to do:
Live so that the world would become more curious
to find out about your God.

The Why of Questioning God

August 4

Bible Reading: Exodus 5:15-23

Key Verse: Verses 22 And Moses returned unto the
LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil
entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent
me?"
Key Words: why is it that thou hast sent me?
 There is a distinct difference between asking God a
question and questioning His decisions. Moses was
questioning the decision of God to send him to free the
people, yet God had not freed them and Pharaoh continued to
treat them badly (verse 23).
So let me ask you: have you ever questioned God? The
Jewish leaders questioned God. See Malachi 1:6-7; 2:17; 3:7-
8.
The Pharisees questioned Jesus and asked His
disciples why He ate with publicans and sinners.
Martha questioned Jesus as to why He was not there
when they needed Him (John 11:21).
We question God when we fail to understand what
God is doing. We feel as though God has forsaken us. But
need I remind you of the words of Abraham when he asked,
Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Some years ago, forty-two to be exact, I was in an
accident and doctors told my family I would not live, and if I
did, I would never walk again. Needless to say, the doctors
were wrong in both cases; but I will confess to you, the
learning to walk again was tough. It became a daily
drudgery trying to walk and having to do painful exercises. At
one point, I did ask God why! Why did You bring me to this
place in life? How can I serve You if I cant walk? How can I
be used if I am in constant pain? How and why were the two
questions I asked continually. Now, looking back on it I can
see that God wasnt doing something to me but for me. It
helped me to be more compassionate toward others. It let me
see people from a different perspective. It helps me
appreciate daily each step and breath I take.
So when you are prone to question God, remember
God isnt doing something to you, but for you.

What to do:
Remember, God doesnt do things to us, but for us.

********************
 Why Is This Happened to Us?
August 5

Bible Reading: Judges 6:11-24

Key Verse: Verse 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh
my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this
befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our
fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us
up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us,
and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."
Key Words: why then is all this befallen us?

An angel from God appeared before Gideon and

reminded him that God was with him. So Gideons question
was, If God is with us, why are we under bondage to the
Midianites? Gods answer can be found in verse 14, And the
LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and
thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites; have
not I sent thee?
The Holocaust is one of the terribly traumatic episodes
of modern history, yet it has also yielded some astounding
stories of bravery and faith. In France a Jewish family were
hidden by some concerned French nationals in the basement
of their house. The Jewish family waited and waited for their
deliverance. At the end of the war these words were found
scribbled on the wall of that basement:
I believe in the sun even when it does not shine.
I believe in love even when it is not given.
I believe in God even when He is silent.

Why do things happen to us? Ultimately, things

happen for our good and His Glory.

What to do:
Faith isnt just for the good times; its for the not-so-
good times as well. Live by faith during both of these
times.
 ********************

Why Are You Grieving?

August 6

Bible Reading: I Samuel 1:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 8 Then said Elkanah her
husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and
why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not
I better to thee than ten sons?"
Key Words: and why is thy heart grieved?

There are those times in life that we grieve. It may be

the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, or maybe, as in
Hannahs case, an unfulfilled desire. You see, grieving will do
one of two things to us. It will cause us to mourn (Joshua
7:6), and stop our serving God; or it will motivate us to pray
and be fervent in seeing our desires fulfilled. So it was in
Hannahs life.
If we stay in a state of grief and mourning, we lose so
much of life.
The home of Paul Laurence Dunbar, noted poet, is
open to the public in Dayton, Ohio. When Dunbar died, his
mother left his room exactly as it was on the day of his death.
At the desk of this brilliant man was his final poem,
handwritten on a pad. After his mother died, her friends
discovered that Paul Laurence Dunbar's last poem had been
lost forever. Because his mother had made his room into a
shrine and not moved anything, the sun had bleached the ink
in which the poem was written until it was invisible. The
poem was gone. If we stay in mourning, we lose so much of
life.

What to do:
Dont let your grief stop you, but let it motivate you
to a more fervent prayer life.
 ********************

The Why of Resentfulness

August 7

Bible Reading: I Kings 21:5-14

Key Verse: Verse 5 "But Jezebel his wife came to
him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that
thou eatest no bread?"
Key Words: Why is thy spirit so sad

The word sad in our text carries the idea of a sad,

resentful attitude.
Ahab is resentful of Naboth for not placating to the
king.
It seems as though when we fail to get what we want
that some resort to feelings of anger and resentfulness. (See
Cain in Genesis 4 or Jonah in chapter 3.) Resentment comes
from one feeling slighted for something they feel as though
they deserved, whether it be recognition or even land.
Camels may build up a pressure cooker of resentment
toward human beings until the lid suddenly blows off and
they go berserk. In Asia, when a camel driver senses trouble,
he gives his coat to the animal. Rather like Japanese workers
reported to work off frustrations by beating up models of their
executives, the camel gives the garment quite a beating --
jumping on it, biting it, tearing it to pieces.
When people are sad as a result of resentfulness,
they desire to destroy the one they resent. So it was with
Ahab the difference is that he allowed Jezebel to do his work
of destruction.

What to do:
Remember, if you live your life trying to get even
with people, youll live a very sad and destructive life.

********************
 Why Are You Sad?
August 8

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 2:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 2 Wherefore the king said unto
me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not
sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I
was very sore afraid,"
Key Words: Why is thy countenance sad

The word countenance is defined as ones facial

expression. I have always defined is as our face revealing
what our heart is feeling.
Israel is now under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar and the
Babylonians. Nehemiah has just learned of their condition,
thus his countenance was sad.
Your countenance is one of the ways that we express
what we are feeling.
Whenever I go to the doctor, the nurse will inevitably
ask me if Im in any pain; and if so, from one to ten, with one
being the least and ten being the most, what level of pain I am
in. The chart they have on the wall numbered from one to ten
has drawings of facial expressions for each number so you
know your pain level by the facial expression at which you are
looking.
Sometime back one of my daughters came by to see her
mother and me. When she arrived, I looked at her and said,
What are you upset about? She immediately responded,
What makes you think Im upset? My answer: Its written
all over your face.
Our facial expressions say a lot about us. So today, I
encourage you to be happy in the Lord and let others know it
by the expression on your face.

What to do:
 The glow of the face reveals the glory of the heart so
live a glowing life and glorify God.

********************

The Why of Meetings

August 9
Bible Reading: Nehemiah 6:1-14
Key Verse: Verse 3 And I sent messengers unto
them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I
cannot come down: why should the work cease,
whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"
Key Words: why should the work cease

The Gentiles had called for a meeting with Nehemiah.

Nehemiahs response was, Why should the work cease just so
I can meet with you?
Now, dont misunderstand, there are times that
meetings are necessary; but meetings should not cease the
work but rather enhance it. Meetings should result in God
being glorified through the decisions that are made.
The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didnt know what to
do. Napoleons massive army was preparing to attack.
Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town,
which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of
citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should
try to defend themselves or display the white flag of
surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people
had gathered in the local church.
The pastor rose and said, "Friends, we have been
counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed.
As this is the day of our Lords resurrection, let us just ring the
bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His
hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of
God to defend us." The council accepted his plan and the
church bells rang. The enemy, hearing the bells, concluded
that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend
the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp
and left.
 Now, thats my kind of meeting.

What to do:
Plan so that meetings do not simply stop the work,
but enhance it.

********************

Why Dont You Give and Attend?

August 10

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 13:10-21

Key Verse: Verse 6 Then contended I with the
rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken?
And I gathered them together, and set them in their
place."
Key Words: Why is the house of God forsaken?

They were not only forsaking Gods house by not

giving financially; they were forsaking Gods house by not
attending.
The new admonition for giving can be found in II
Corinthians 9, and the New Testament command for
assembling together can be found in Hebrews 10:25, and
other verses as well.
There is a story of a little teeny pygmy who was
standing over a rhinoceros that he killed. This was an odd
sight to behold, a big, violent rhinoceros under the feet of a
little teeny pygmy. A guy saw this dead rhinoceros and this
little pygmy over it and said, Did you kill that? The little
pygmy said, Yeah I killed it. Curious, the man asked, So
how did you, a little tiny pygmy, kill this rhinoceros? He
answered, With my club. Yep! I killed this rhinoceros with
my club. The man was still thoroughly confused, Well, how
big is your club? The pygmy said, There are about a
hundred of us in my club. In other words, he was
surrounded by folk who had the same belief systems and
worked together so that they could handle being attacked by a
rhinoceros.
Let me close with an analogy When you leave church
on Sundays, you go to your car and make your way home or
out to dinner. You will deplete the reserve of gas in the tank.
You dont have to be a bad person for your car to go from full
to empty. You just have to use the car. If you drive, I can
guarantee you, you will deplete gasoline. Many times, when
people leave church, they are spiritually full because of the
time they spent singing praises to God and hearing His Word.
However, within two hours of being filled, their spiritual tank
will begin to dissipate. All a person has to do to lose their
filling is to live life. So the church should be the place you
come for the refilling of spiritual fuel for your soul.

What to do:
Dont run around on empty. See you Sundays and
Wednesdays for some spiritual fill-ups.

Why Didnt I Die?

August 11

Bible Reading: Job 3:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 11 - Why died I not from the womb?
why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of
the belly?"
Key Words: Why died I not from the womb?

Jobs question of why he did not die at birth is one that

numerous people have asked when going through difficult
situationsand Jobs situation was extremely difficult. His
children had died, he had lost his livelihood and his health,
and his friends were belittling him. So Job asked, Why died I
not from the womb? The answer is God had Job right where
He wanted him, and right when He wanted him there. Its
often those difficult times of life that is why God has us here.
Abrahams journey to the Promised Land was difficult
but God had him there for just such a time as that. Elijahs
battle with Ahab and the prophets of Baal were planned by
God; and yes, God had Elijah there for just such a time as that.
Today you may be going through a difficult time.
Dont begrudge it. It could be that God has you here for such
a time as this, so others can see the glory of God at work.
A little boy's legs were not developing as they ought.
The pediatrician told his parents that their son needed to wear
a leg brace, which would help to position the legs and feet to
grow properly. The parents wanted to do the right thing for
their son but were miserable following the doctors orders.
The bar held the little boys feet and legs completely straight
and unbendable. Each night when his parents would put the
brace on and put him to bed, he would cry from discomfort
and from his dislike of it. The little boy was sure to have felt
hurt that his parents would treat him wrongly and possibly he
even doubted their love for him. The mother was at times
tempted to take off the bar but resisted because she felt in her
heart that she was doing the right thing for her son.
As difficult as this time was, the doctor, the mother,
and the father did what they did because of their concern and
their thought for his future well-being years down the road.
They were willing to sacrifice convenience now for a better life
later.
God cares for His children. Right now He might use
means of restraint and discomfort to achieve His desired
result but He operates out of the love He has for us.

What to do:
Remember, God has you in your particular situation
for such a time as this.
 ********************

Why Do the Heathen Rage?

August 12

Bible Reading: Psalm 2

Key Verse: Verse 1 " Why do the heathen rage, and
the people imagine a vain thing?"
Key Words: Why do the heathen rage

The word imagine we have already seen in Psalm 1

where the godly man is said to find his delight in the law of
the Lord in which law he meditates day and night. The word
meditate is the same as the word imagine. The godly man
uses his imagination to meditate on the things of God; the
godless nations use their imagination to find ways to rid
mankind of God.
This is what our courts call premeditated crime. This
is not a crime of passion, but a crime of purpose; one which
has been planned and carried out by deliberate design.
The next important word is set: the kings of the earth
set themselves. The word literally means to take ones stand,
in other words, the nations take up position. They decide they
have had enough of religion, especially the Judeo-Christian
religion, and they take their stand against it.
Isnt that the world we live in today? I am reminded of
the words of Hillary Clinton in this past presidential election
when she was unaware that her microphone was live,
Evangelical Christians are the problem. They are the ones
keeping America from moving forward. The world today has
premeditated itself to destroy Christianity and that, my
friends, is why the heathen rage.

What to do:
Remember, you are salt and light. So flavor the
world with Christ by letting your light shine.
 ********************

The Why of Disquietment

August 13
Bible Reading: Psalm 42
Key Verse: Verse 11 Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope
thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the
health of my countenance, and my God."
Key Words: why are thou disquieted within me?

The word disquieted means not quiet. Notice it is his

soul that is not quiet, or in much turbulence, or roaring of
trouble.
The psalmist, whoever it is, has a soul that is in much
turbulencenot at peacetroubled. It could be David as he is
pursued by Saul or maybe Hezekiah as he faces the army of
the Assyrians. Whoever the psalmist may be, they give us the
answer for a turbulent soul which is to hope in God. Praise
God, get your focus onto God, not your troubles.
Whenever I interview a prospective staff person, I will
ask three unusual questions.
First, what is the last book you read, not including the
Bible. (What they read, they become.)
Second, where do you want to be in five years? (Do
they plan ahead?)
Third, I take them to my office window and ask them
what they see. Some say trees, plants, birds, etc. The answer
I am looking for is, I see Gods creation. (What is their
focus?)
Hope looks beyond the turbulent things of life and
sees God at work, understanding that God doesnt do things to
us, but for us!!
So let me ask you, Right now, what do you see? What
is your focus?
What to do:
He who focuses on God, will overcome all his
troubles.

********************

The Why of Mischief

August 14

Bible Reading: Psalm 52

Key Verse: Verse 1 - "Why boastest thou thyself in
mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God
endureth continually."
Key Words: Why boastest thou thyself in mischief

This psalm is speaking of Doeg the Edomite. You can

read about him in I Samuel 21 and 22.
The word mischief carries the idea of someone who
enjoys being bad, hurtful, malignant.
A dear friend of mine just recently found out that his
dear wife has Stage 4 malignant cancer. Thats bad news;
thats hurtful news. Well, the person filled with mischief is
bad news because they are the malignant cancer.
Their tongue is malignant; its sharp and deceitful
(verse 2).
Their attitude is malignant; they love evil more than
good (verse 3).
But this malignant, mischievous person is headed for
destruction (verse 5).
But why? Why are some people filled with mischief?
The answer is simple. They enjoy seeing others hurt more
than helped. They enjoy being a burden more than being a
blessing. They enjoy gossip and talking about people more
than reaching people for Christ. Thats why they are
mischievous!!
The Alaskan wolf reminds me of a person who is filled
with mischief. The wolves run in a pack and they hurt
anything on four legs. They team up on their prey to kill it.
Now, they do not kill to eat. They do not kill to provide for
their young. They kill because they simply enjoy killing.
Thats the mischievous person. They look for their human
prey to hurt, injure, and leave emotionally scarred just for the
fun of it.
You may know of someone like this but its wise to
know that while they are hurting others, they are also hurting
themselves. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap Galatians 6:7.

What to do:
Remember, it takes a hurting person to hurt others.

********************

Why Are You Worried?

August 15
Bible Reading: Matthew 6:28-34
Key Verse: Verse 28 - "And why take ye thought for
raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:"
Key Words: why take ye thought
Mark that word thought. It means to be anxious or to
worry. If God takes care of the lilies of the field, shall he not
much more provide for His child?
Warren Wiersbe says that 98% of everything we worry
about never becomes reality.
In 480 B.C. the outmanned army of Spartas King
Leonidas held off the Persian troops of Xerxes by fighting
them one at a time as they came through a narrow mountain
pass. Commenting on this strategy, C. H. Spurgeon said,
Suppose Leonidas and his handful of men had gone out into
the wide-open plain and attacked the Persianswhy, they
would have died at once, even though they might have fought
like lions.
 Spurgeon continued by saying that Christians stand in
the narrow pass of today. If they choose to battle every
difficulty at once, theyre sure to suffer defeat. But if they
trust God and take their troubles one by one, they will find
that their strength is sufficient.

What to do:
You can worry or trust God, but you cant do both.
Which will you choose?

********************

Why We Cant See the Real

Problem
August 16

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 3 - "And why beholdest thou the
mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not
the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Key Words: why beholdest thou the mote that is in
thy brothers eye

Have you ever wondered why some people cant see

their problems or situations as clearly as you seem to see it?
A Wall Street broker had fallen in love with a young
lady and began dating her. He was very wealthy and he had to
be careful whom he related to. He didnt want to relate to
somebody who would damage him or only come after him for
his money. So he had one of his associates hire a private
detective to find out everything there was to find out about
this lady. He didnt want to make a mistake. He also didnt
want the private eye to know whom he was doing the
investigation for, lest the girl find out later and think that her
love didnt trust her.
 The broker got his associate to hire a private eye to
check up on this lady without telling the detective who it was
that was making the assignment and paying the bill. After a
number of weeks, the report came back on the young lady
whom the broker was considering. The report said, I have
investigated this young lady and she has a squeaky clean life.
Perfect in every detail, no flaws, no known mistakes. She is on
the up and up in every possible way. However, there is one
little possible blip on the screen of her life. She is often seen
around town in the company of a young broker whose dubious
business practices and principles are well known. You see,
the problem may just be you, not the other guy.

What to do:
Remember, if all you see is the faults of others, its
because you have a beam in your eye.

Why Are We Fearful?

August 17

Bible Reading: Matthew 8:18-28

Key Verse: Verse 26 - "And he saith unto them, Why
are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and
rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great
calm."
Key Words: Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?

No doubt since some of these men in the boat with

Jesus were fishermen and used to rough seas, the storm
tossing the boat must have been a feisty one.
 Jesus quickly identifies the cause of their fear when He
says, O ye of little faith. You see, faith and fear cant dwell
together in the same heart.
We need to be like the 84 year- old grandmother who
fiercely maintained her independence and lived alone in the
family home.
Her 4 children lived in the same town, but she rarely
called them except in emergencies. It was with some
apprehension, therefore, that one of her sons drove to her
house one morning in answer to her phone call.
When he arrived, she said she suspected that there was
a burglar in her bedroom closet, since she had heard noises in
there the night before.
"Why didn't you call me last night?" he exclaimed.
"Well," she replied, "it was late and I hated to bother
you, so I just nailed the closet shut and went to bed."
That's the kind of attitude we can have when faced
with anxious moments in our lives. Nail the door of fear shut
and go to bed in calm assurance.

What to do:
Nail your fears shut with the nail of faith and the
hammer of Gods Word.

The Why for Parables

August 18

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:10-17

Key Verse: Verse 10 - "And the disciples came, and
said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in
parables?"
Key Words: Why speakest thou unto them in
parables?

A parable is a true story which illustrates a point.

John Phillips writes the following in regard to our text.
 The disciples, as mystified as everyone else, asked for
an explanation for this new kind of teaching. The Lord's
answer clearly revealed His change of attitude toward the
Jews since their blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries [secrets] of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given, He said (13:11). The
Lord had closed the door on Israel as a nation.
Individual Jews can still be enlightened by exercising
personal faith in Christ. These believers become members of
the church and heirs of the heavenly kingdom. Unregenerate
Jewry to this day is devoid of understanding and blind to the
mystery truths of the kingdom.
The Lord added a comment about His method:
Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have
more abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken away even that he hath (13:12). The disciples were a
case in point. As time went on, especially after Calvary and
Pentecost, their eyes were opened to all truth. Israel became
more and more blind, rejecting the Son of God in the Gospels
and the Spirit of God in Acts, thus sealing their doom for the
entire church age.

What to do: (Thought)

He who refuses to see becomes more and more
blind.
Why Do They Transgress?
August 19

Bible Reading: Matthew 15:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 2 - "Why do thy disciples transgress
the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their
hands when they eat bread."
Key Words: Why do thy disciples transgress the
tradition of the elders?

I love tradition, but I will be the first to confess some

traditions are not Biblical at all. So was the problem with
some of the Jewish leaders. It was a tradition that in a public
assembly you wash your hands before eating.
Jesus rebuked these elders by saying, Why do ye also
transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
There were those Jews who failed to honor their father and
mother by giving them gifts. They would simply say Corban
(Mark 7:11-12) which means We have dedicated these gifts to
God which of course they had not done. In saying Corban
they were excused from giving gifts because they had
promised the gifts to God.
These people had a real problem. They were more
concerned with the outward cleaning of the hands than they
were with the inner man being clean.
We need to be more concerned with the inner man.
You see, the outward actions of man tell us what he is. If you
clean him up on the outside, he will still take drugs, drink
alcohol, and live a riotous life.
So why do people transgress? Because they are clean
on the outside but dirty on the inside.
Old spiritual traditions will never save a person that
only comes through Jesus Christ Who makes man clean
outwardly and inwardly.

What to do:
Accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior and let Him
clean you up.
The Why of Failure
August 20

Bible Reading: Matthew 17:14-21

Key Verse: Verse 19 - "Then came the disciples to
Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him
out?"
Key Words: Why could not we cast him out?

The disciples had failed in their attempt to cast out the

demon from the young lunatic. Jesus answer is found in
verse 21, Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and
fasting. This takes total commitment.
When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain
with his Roman legions, he took a bold and decisive step to
ensure the success of his military venture. Ordering his men
to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover, he commanded
them to look down at the water below. To their amazement,
they saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel
engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any
possibility of retreat. Now that his soldiers were unable to
return to the continent, there was nothing left for them to do
but to advance and conquer! And that is exactly what they
did.
You must get involved to have an impact. No one is
impressed with the win-loss record of the referee.

What to do:
He who fails to be committed, is thus committed to
fail.

Why Call Jesus Good?

August 21

Bible Reading: Matthew 19:13-22

Key Verse: Verse 17 "And he said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that
is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments."
Key Words: Why callest thou me good?

The young man had come to Jesus on the grounds of

salvation coming through keeping the commandments. So
Jesus answered him on the same grounds. The Lord said in
effect, If you want to earn eternal life, live a perfect life. To
keep the commandments of God perfectly is an impossible
task for sinful man. The question is, did he really believe
Jesus alone could save?
I am afraid he is like the man that slid over the side of
a cliff and was able to grab a branch at the last second. He
hung dangling over the precipice, hundreds of feet from the
ground below. He screamed out with a loud voice, Help me!
Somebody help me!
A voice came out of the sky, Do you believe that I can
help you?
The man responded, Yes, I believe. Please help me!
The voice came out of the sky again, Do you believe
that I have the power to help you?
Yes, I believe! I believe! Please help me!
Do you believe I love you enough to help you?
Yes, I know you love me. Please, oh please, HELP
ME!
Because you believe, I will help you. Now let go.
After a brief silence, the man said, Is there anybody
else up there?
And thats the way some are today. God is good until
we are dangling over the edge with our problem.

What to do:
Let go and let God help you.

********************

Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

August 22

Bible Reading: Matthew 27:45-56

Key Verse: Verse 46 - "And about the ninth hour
Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama
 sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?"
Key Words: why hast thou forsaken me?

The answer to Jesus question is found in Psalm 22.

First of all, so all the ends of the earth shall remember and
turn to the Lord (verse 27). So that God can be seen as
righteous, providing a plan of escape from hell to heaven
through Jesus Christ (verse 31). Indeed, God is holy (verse 3).
God forsook Jesus so He wouldnt have to forsake us.
Amen and amen!
I read about an instant cake mix that was a big flop.
The instructions said all you had to do was add water and
bake. The company couldnt understand why it didnt sell-
until their research discovered that the buying public felt
uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently
people thought it was too easy. So the company altered the
formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg
to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked and sales
jumped dramatically. That story reminds me of how some
people react to the plan of salvation. To them it sounds too
easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says ... God
saved you by His special favor when you believed. And you
cant take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not
a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can
boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9). Unlike the cake-mix
manufacturer, God has not changed His formula to
make salvation more marketable. The gospel we proclaim
must be free of works, even though it may sound too easy.

What to do:
Remember that salvation depends upon Christs
work for us while rewards depend upon our work for
Christ.

********************
 The Why of Tumult and
Confusion
August 23

Bible Reading: Mark 5:35-43

Key Verse: Verse 39 - And when he was come in, he
saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep?
the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth."
Key Words: Why make ye this ado

The word ado means uproar, confusion. So Jesus

simply asked the crowd that was gathered round the damsel,
"Why make ye this ado" (tumult, confusion) "the damsel is not
dead, but sleepeth."
I have found in life during times of trouble that much
of the confusion we face is brought on by our own actions.
For nearly a year, Laddie Marshack, picture editor of
TV Guide, has had a running correspondence with the gas
company. One month she would get a note informing her she
had underpaid her bill; the next that she had overpaid.
Finally, the whole thing was cleared up. Laddie received a
card containing a number of standard reasons for the
irregularities in accounts, such as "Signature incomplete" and
"Payee not this company." None, however, applied to her, but
on the back of the card was penciled in a patient but long-
suffering hand writing: "You have been paying the date-
please pay the amount."
Like I said, more often than not we are the cause of
our own confusion.

What to do:
Dont let the trouble-makers keep you from doing
what you can.

********************
Why Are You A Trouble-Maker?
August 24

Bible Reading: Mark 14:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 6 - And Jesus said, Let her alone;
why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work
on me."
Key Words: why trouble ye her?

The word trouble carries the idea to bother, cause

grief. I love what Jesus said, Let her alone.
Ive always been amazed by some, who, if things are
not done to their liking, they become troublesome to others.
Years ago I was plowing in my garden and the
neighbors dog evidently didnt care for me. He came running
up alongside the fence where I was plowing and began to bark
and growl at me. Now, at this point I had not bothered the
poor animal a single time; but he was having a barking fit
running back and forth along the fence line wishing he could
get to me. Well, it wasnt long before another dog started
barking and then another and another. Well, before long
there were a half-dozen dogs just a yelping away at me, but
only one of those dogs knew why he was barking, and he
didnt have a reason.
Remember, the word trouble in our text means bother,
cause grief. Well, thats what that dog was trying to do; he
was trying to bother me and give me some grief. Thats what a
trouble-maker does. They bother you wanting to cause grief
in your life.
When I see these people, I want to shout out like
Jesus, Let them alone! They are doing what they can!
So let me encourage you. Dont be disheartened
because of some trouble-makers. Just remind them to let you
aloneyou are doing what you can.

What to do:
 Dont let the trouble-makers keep you from doing
what you can.

********************

Why Are You Fellowshipping

with Sinners?
August 25

Bible Reading: Luke 5:27-39

Key Verse: Verse 30 - But their scribes and Pharisees
murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye
eat and drink with publicans and sinners?"
Key Words: Why do ye eat and drink with
publicans and sinners?

The scribes and the Pharisees were constantly looking

for faults in Jesus and certainly they would consider eating
and drinking with publicans (tax collectors) as not just a flaw,
but as a sin.
They were constantly complaining about Jesus and
His actions.
I learned years ago if you dont want people
complaining about you, then do nothing, say nothing and be
nothing. Be careful about complaining about others, it can
come back to haunt you!
A story is told that out West, a cowboy was driving
down a dirt road, his dog riding in back of the pickup truck,
his faithful horse in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate
a curve and had a terrible accident.
Sometime later, a highway patrol officer came on the
scene. An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the
serious nature of its injuries, he drew his service revolver and
put the animal out of his misery. He walked around the
accident and found the dog, also hurt critically. He couldnt
bear to hear it whine in pain, so he ended the dogs suffering
as well.
 Finally he located the cowboy who suffered multiple
fracturesoff in the weeds. Hey, are you okay? the cop
asked. The cowboy took one look at the smoking revolver in
the troopers hand and quickly replied, Never felt better!

What to do:
Remember, when you reach out to others, someone
is going to complain.

********************

Why Are You Looking Here?

August 26

Bible Reading: Luke 24:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 5 - And as they were afraid, and
bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto
them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?"
Key Words: Why seek ye the living among the
dead?

We all understand that this is a reference to the

resurrection of Jesus. The dead are in the grave. The living
saved are with the Lord. II Corinthians 5:8, To be absent
from the body [the spirit] is to be present with the Lord.
You wont find Jesus in this old dead, sin-sick world.
You wont find Him in drugs, alcohol, or fornication. You
dont find Jesus in those things that are dead.
My wife and I just recently bought a new house (new
to us anyway). Located on our property is a two-acre pond
filled with bass so when you go fishing in this pond, you wont
find catfish, brim, trout, or mullet. All you find is bass. If you
go looking for Jesus, you wont find Him in the cemetery; you
find Him with the living.
The late evangelist, B. R. Lakin, had a son pass away in
his teen years. Needless to say, he was shaken to the core.
After his sons funeral, some came to the evangelist, and
family and friends wanted to take him out to eat. He didnt
want to go but he did. While he was in the diner, a lady who
knew him and knew his son had passed away, approached
him to give her condolences. Not knowing exactly what to
say, she remembered what she had heard others say, so she
said to B. R., Im sorry about the loss of your son. B. R.
Lakin stood up from his table, looked at the lady and lovingly
said, Lost, lost? My dear friend, I have not lost my son. I
know exactly where he is.
May I add he was not in the cemetery, but in Glory. So
I say dont seek the living among the dead because Jesus
arose! We know the living arent in the cemetery. Amen!!

What to do:
Dont seek the living among the dead. They arent
there!

********************

Why Dont You Understand?

August 27

Bible Reading: John 8:36-44

Key Verse: Verse 43 - Why do ye not understand my
speech? even because ye cannot hear my word."
Key Words: Why do ye not understand my
speech?

Have you ever wondered why the lost cant understand

us? I Corinthians 2:14, But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
A man went to his friends house to hang out and
watch television. His friend had a small 13 color TV, but they
both sat down and relaxed in front of what turned out to be a
great movie. The young man jumped up during a commercial
and proclaimed that he intended to run back to his house and
continue the movie on his brand-new 19 color TV.
So the man goes home, turns on his 19 color TV set,
and doesnt get the movie. He keeps turning channels but
cant find the movie. Even though the picture is sharp, he
cant get the movie. Even though hes got great sound, he
doesnt get the movie. He had no idea that his friend, even
with his little-bitty TV, was hooked into a satellite that gave
him the ability to pull down that great movie. His friend had
the ability to pull a picture from up above that he himself did
not have access to. The man may have had a bigger and better
TV set but he couldnt get reception because he didnt have
cable.
If you are a Christian, you have cable. You have access
to Gods viewpoint. If you are a non-Christian, you may have a
bigger set, but you dont have cable. You cant hook in and
link into a divine frame of reference no matter how expensive
your life is, no matter how much money, and no matter how
much power or prestige you have. So many non-Christians
have a lot to show of this world but they cant pull in a divine
picture because they dont have a good cable connection. This
is the state of natural man.

What to do:
The only way to go from natural man to spiritual
man is through Jesus Christ.
Why Are You Gazing?
August 28

Bible Reading: Acts 1:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 11 - Which also said, Ye men of
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this
same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go
into heaven."
Key Words: why stand ye gazing
 Nothing wrong with gazingwe are told to, Looking
unto Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2); but gazing doesnt accomplish
much.
I remember the first time I saw the woman that was to
be my future bride. I stood there gazing. Now again, there is
nothing wrong with gazing, but if all I ever do is gaze at her,
she is going to think I am some kind of nut case. After we
got married, I still gazed at her, but she certainly expected
more from me than gazing. She wanted me to do some work:
mow the grass, clean the car, repair things that are broken
around the house.
The essence of what the angel is saying was, Dont
just stand here! Get busy! This same Jesus Who is taken up
from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen Him go. He is coming again! Get busy!
Four questions every person needs to answer.
1) Who are you? Not your name, but spiritually who are
you? Hopefully a child of God.
2) Why are you here? Why did God put you on this
earth? For His good pleasure.
3) Where are you going? Eternally, where are you going?
Hopefully, heaven.
4) How do you get there? Through Jesus Christ.

What to do:
Dont be caught just gazing at heaven, get busy
populating it.

********************

Why Are You Marveling at This?

August 29

Bible Reading: Acts 3:1-12

 Key Verse: Verse 12 - And when Peter saw it, he
answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why
marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us,
as though by our own power or holiness we had
made this man to walk?"
Key Words: why marvel ye at this?

The people were marveling at the lame man who sat at

the Gate Beautiful who was cured from his lameness and is
now walking again. So Peter says, Why are ye marveling at
this? This is nothing, God does these things all the time.
God is in the miracle business. For months my wife and I had
our house on the market. We were going to move out of the
suburbs into the country. We found our dream home, but in
order to purchase it, we had to sell what was our current
home. That didnt deter us. We went ahead and put a bid on
our dream house with the understanding that we could not
finalize the contract until our house we lived in sold. Under
the conditions of the contract we had on the new house,
people could make an offer on our dream house; but we had
first dibs on the house. We had 48 hours to sell our house or
we would lose our dream house. Discouraged would
probably be an understatement. We knew our house would
not sell in 48 hoursand it didnt. It sold in four hours! Four
hours after being discouraged, we are now on cloud nine!!
Only God could do that!! This was a God thing. We marveled
at what God had done; but why did we marvel? Because God
performs these miracles all the time!
So dont stand around marveling, for with God nothing
is impossible!

What to do:
God is never late! Never forget that!

********************

Why Are You Judging Others?

August 30
 Bible Reading: Romans 14:1-11
Key Verse: Verse 10 - "But why dost thou judge thy
brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?
for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.
Key Words: why dost thou judge thy brother?

There is a game thats played in some churches called

The Judge. The game goes something like this. First, we
pretend to be better than others. That allows us to operate as
the Judge. Secondly, we decide how pious and righteous
others are by their appearance, by what we hear about them,
and by what we see.
Now the game is decided based upon how much like us
these people are. For example, does their appearance and
standards measure up to us? Does what we hear about them
measure up to us? Does what we see about them measure up
to us? If so, they win; and if not, they lose.
The problem is that the one judging doesnt measure
up to the Bible. We are told in John 7:24 that we are not to
judge based upon appearance only. In our text, we are asked
why we are judging our brother. This, indeed, is a dangerous
game.
In his little book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H. A.
Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He related an
incident in the life of a man called Bishop Potter.
He was sailing for Europe on one of the great
transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found
that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After
going to see the accommodations, he came up to the pursers
desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other
valuables in the ships safe. He explained that ordinarily he
never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his
cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other
berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he
might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted
the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, Its all
right, bishop, Ill be very glad to take care of them for you.
The other man has been up here and left his for the same
reason!

What to do:
With the same judgment we judge, we shall be
judged. Think about it.

********************

Why Are You Saying That?

August 31

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 10:23-33

Key Verse: Verse 30 - For if I by grace be a partaker,
why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give
thanks?"
Key Words: why am I evil spoken of

Needless to say, the church of Corinth and Paul had

some major disagreements. As a result of those
disagreements, some were speaking evil of him.
One area was in eating meat offered to idols (verse 27).
Some found it offensive to eat the meat offered to idols. Paul
said, If you go to a feast and they offer this meat, eat it! For
this reason, some spoke evil of Paul.
Have you ever had someone speak evil of you because
they dont agree with you? Two rules here: first, if they are
right, change; if they are wrong, dont worry about it.
Tony Evans writes:
When my kids were little, I took them to the Ft. Worth
Stock Show. This is a place where once a year various
livestock are put on display. Now, Im no Farmer Brown, but
looking at the animals was fun for the kids, so I took them.
But, it smells out there. It stinks really bad. There are
all these animals and they could only be kept so clean. It
wasnt long after we got there that I was ready to go. My kids
begged me to stay a little bit longer, but after awhile , I
couldnt take the smell anymore. I had to get out of there!
 I gathered everyone up and we made our way to the
car. It was still stinky. We got in the car and made sure the
windows were all up so we could escape the smell. It was still
stinky! We got halfway home. It was still stinky. Finally, we
pulled up at our house. The stink that was at the Ft. Worth
Stock Show was in the house. How could it be stinking in
Dallas when the problem was in Ft. Worth? Well, I had
somehow gotten the problem on my shoes. Its easy to
analyze everybody else, but you may actually be smelling
yourself.

What to do:
If you are wrong, change. If you are right, keep
going.

Notes:
I deeply appreciate
the help of

Mary Parsons
 Glenda Myrick

And my lovely wife, Linda

Without God using these

people to help, this
devotional would not
have been possible.
Dr. Mike Rouse

is a ministry of
5568 Chalkville Mountain Road
Birmingham, AL. 35235
(205) 854-2741
www.mountainviewbaptist.org