God's Face January 22, 2017

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:4–15 Bible in a Year: Exodus 4–6; Matthew 14:22–36 For God . . . made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6 Much of my career as a writer has revolved around the problem of pain. I return again and again to the same questions, as if fingering an old wound that never quite heals. I hear from readers of my books, and their anguished stories give human faces to my doubts. I remember a youth pastor calling me after he had learned that his wife and baby daughter were dying of AIDS because of a tainted blood transfusion. “How can I talk to my youth group about a loving God?” he asked. I have learned to not even attempt an answer to these “why” questions. Why did the youth pastor’s wife happen to get the one tainted bottle of blood? Why does a tornado hit one town and skip over another? Why do prayers for physical healing go unanswered? One question, however, no longer gnaws at me as it once did: “Does God care?” I know of only one way to answer that question, and the answer is Jesus. In Jesus, God gave us a face. If you wonder how God feels about the suffering on this groaning planet, look at that face. “Does God care?” His Son’s death on our behalf, which will ultimately destroy all pain, sorrow, suffering, and death for eternity, answers that question. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). —Philip Yancey God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the cross. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 66 - Anger: Your Strongest Emotion

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Anger: Your Strongest Emotion Day 66 "BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Ephesians 4:26 NASB). The Bible instructs you to be angry! Anger by itself is not a sin, and it is one of the most common emotions associated with grief. "I went through that shock and denial period for about three months," says Dora after the death of her daughter. "Then suddenly, as the shock wore off and the reality set in—anger. Intense anger. Just wanting to wail, to scream from the depths. There's no way I could express as much anger as I was feeling." You need to release your anger in a way that is productive for healing and not harmful to others around you. To release your anger does not mean to lash out, to throw a fit, or to lose control of it; releasing your anger involves the open and honest expression of your emotions in a way that is physically, mentally, and emotionally freeing. You can do this by expressing your anger to God in prayer (don't hold back!). You can release your anger in the presence of a person who will listen quietly and neither judge nor offer advice. Another healthy way to release anger is to write down every angry thought that comes to mind until you cannot think of another angry sentence to write. Some people find that expressing their anger out loud, and loudly, in a private place is helpful. The fact that you should "not let the sun go down on your anger" means you should deal with it when it is present. Don't go to sleep and forget it, only to have it come back in greater strength later. Holy Spirit, grant me the freedom and opportunity to release my anger in a way that helps, not hurts. Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Abandon It All January 21, 2017

Read: Romans 12:1–8 Bible in a Year: Exodus 1–3; Matthew 14:1–21 I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.—Romans 12:1 When I played college basketball, I made a conscious decision at the beginning of each season to walk into that gym and dedicate myself totally to my coach—doing whatever he might ask me to do. It would not have benefited my team for me to announce, “Hey, Coach! Here I am. I want to shoot baskets and dribble the ball, but don’t ask me to run laps, play defense, and get all sweaty!” Every successful athlete has to trust the coach enough to do whatever the coach asks them to do for the good of the team. In Christ, we are to become God’s “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). We say to our Savior and Lord: “I trust You. Whatever You want me to do, I am willing.” Then He “transforms” us by renewing our minds to focus on the things that please Him. It’s helpful to know that God will never call on us to do something for which He has not already equipped us. As Paul reminds us, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (v. 6). Knowing that we can trust God with our lives, we can abandon ourselves to Him, strengthened by the knowledge that He created us and is helping us to make this effort in Him. —Dave Branon Heavenly Father, no one deserves our sacrifice and dedication more than You. Help us to realize the joy that comes from abandoning ourselves to You. There is no risk in abandoning ourselves to God. INSIGHT: In many ways, Paul’s letter to the Romans is the most theological of his epistles. Yet it is also intensely personal and wonderfully practical. The first eleven chapters of Romans describe God’s grace and how it relates to our rescue from sin and restoration to God. This is the heavily doctrinal portion of the letter, but it is also marked by encouraging and comforting words of the depth of God’s care for us. Chapters 12-15 bring us the practical implications of the teaching of Romans 1-11. The call to be living sacrifices, exercise spiritual gifts, and so on, all find their basis in the work of Christ that has brought us back to God.  Bill Crowder Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 65 - Rage!

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Rage! Day 65 Rage. Have you felt it? Screaming, wailing, intense, and coming up out of nowhere. It is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "violent and uncontrolled anger; a fit of violent wrath." If you can relate to the above descriptions, you are experiencing an emotion common to the grieving process. "I think the rage I had inside caused my high blood pressure, and I didn't know how to express my anger," says Annie after her father died. Your anger does need to be expressed, but it must be done slowly and not impulsively. Impulsive anger deals with "personal rights" and "my plan," the kind of anger that shows you are still trying to remain in control. As God is "slow to anger," so are you encouraged to have this attribute. "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city" (Proverbs 16:32 NASB). Impulsive anger can hurt others and cause new problems for you. But the dynamic of being "slow to anger" allows you to express your anger, to see the cause of it, and to deal with it. Lord, give my rage a slow fuse and keep it from becoming a hungry, devouring flame. Amen. Through a Season of Grief The daily email messages you are receiving are also available in a book format. Purchase as a gift for a friend or buy a print copy for yourself. Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard is available at online and local bookstores or at griefshare.org/devotional. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Breath of Life January 20, 2017

Read: Genesis 2:4–8 Bible in a Year: Genesis 49–50; Matthew 13:31–58 Then the Lord God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.—Genesis 2:7 On a cold and frosty morning, as my daughter and I walked to school, we enjoyed seeing our breath turn to vapor. We giggled at the various steamy clouds we could each produce. I received the moment as a gift, reveling in being with her and being alive. Our breath, which is usually invisible, was seen in the cold air, and it made me think about the Source of our breath and life—the Lord our Creator. For He who formed Adam out of the dust of the ground, giving him the breath of life, also gives life to us and to every living creature (Gen. 2:7). All things come from Him—even our very breath, which we inhale without even thinking about. We may be tempted, living with today’s conveniences and technology, to forget our beginnings and that God is the one who gives us life. But when we pause to remember that God is our Creator, we can build an attitude of thankfulness into our daily routines. We can ask Him for help and acknowledge the gift of life with humble, thankful hearts. May our gratitude spill out and touch others, so that they also may give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness. —Amy Boucher Pye Dear heavenly Father, what an awesome and powerful God You are! You created life by Your very breath. We praise You and stand in awe of You. Thank You for Your creation. Give thanks to God, our Creator, who gives us the breath of life.  INSIGHT: Who hasn’t found themselves taking the unexplainable mysteries of life for granted? Who doesn’t obsess from time to time over what we don’t have, rather than treasuring the breath of life given to us by an all-wise God who has chosen to share His life and joy with us? According to the great story of the Bible, that’s why our Creator breathed His own life into a handful of earth. He wants to share His eternal existence, His love, His joy with us. That’s why He came to our rescue and offers us a restored relationship with Him through Jesus Christ—a life of forgiveness and hope. Mart DeHaan Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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