Travis Peterson is a Baptist minister living in northern Illinois.  He has served churches in both Illinois and Korea.

How is your Spiritual life?  Take a look on the “In Orbit” page at www.edhandkinsministries.com .

December 2                            All About Him

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen.  Romans 11:36 NASB

Today’s Readings:  Romans 9, 10, 11, 12

Did you ever play “King of the Mountain” as a child?  This game, far too violent for our modern sensitivities, pits every child for himself, scrabbling, tumbling, pulling, and struggling to be the sole participant standing atop any pile of rocks, mattresses, dirt, boxes, hay bales, or any other mountainous thing.  It’s a fun game, but it can be a bit painful.

“King of the Mountain” may be fun for children in the back yard, but it is devastating when we try to play it in life.  Sadly, we often scratch, claw, and fight to make things focus on ourselves.  We miss the words of Romans 11:36.  We fail to see that all things exist from God (at his whim), through God (by his power), and to God (for his glory).

What will you do with your life today?  Upon what will you focus?  Will you play “King of the Mountain,” and make everything in your day revolve around you and your glory?  Such a game might seem fun, but it will be more than painful. 

Today, instead of trying to be the king, why not bow to the King of kings.  Make this day be all about God from start to finish.  From your morning coffee to your mid-night snack, center everything you do upon God, the one who truly has the right to be the King of all things.   

Prayer:  Pray declaring this day to be all about God from start to finish.

Travis Peterson

December 3                               Qualified?

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.  Romans 15:14 NASB

Today’s Readings:  Romans 13, 14, 15, 16

“What difference can I make?”  I have to confess that I have asked myself this question upon numerous occasions in my life.  And, if I am to be truly honest, I have allowed this question to keep me from getting involved in the lives of others in need.  It is so terribly easy to think that we are unable or unqualified to speak to the needs of others in the church or in our families.

But take a look again at the words of Romans 15:14.  God tells us that we, if we know him and his word, are qualified to make a difference in the lives of those around us.  God declares his children to be full of goodness, knowledge, and the ability to admonish or warn others in need.  We do not need to sit back, wring our hands, and wish that somebody would step up and make a difference in the lives of our friends and families.  God has given us the qualifications that we need in His word to truly have a life-changing impact on the world around us.

Today, remember that God has qualified you for His work if you are His follower through Jesus Christ.  Do not back down from the opportunity to stand up, speak out, use the scripture, and make a difference for the sake of your friends and for the glory of God.

Prayer: Pray that God will give you the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life today.                                    Travis Peterson

December 4                        Trophy of Grace

. . . So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  Ephesians 2:7 NASB

Today’s Readings:  Ephesians 1, 2, 3, 4

Whether shining on our shelves or collecting dust in our garages, our trophies are special to us.  Why?  Our trophies stand as lasting proof that we were a part of a winning team or that we personally won a competition.  If anyone ever asks if you have ever won anything, your trophies stand as the proof.

Ephesians 2:7 answers a “why” question.  Why did God save us?  Why did God make a place for us in heaven?  He did these things in order that he might demonstrate the surpassing greatness of his grace.  If you are willing to imagine, you and I, if we are saved, stand as eternal trophies of God’s grace.  Like trophies, all true believers will stand as eternal reminders of just how gracious God has been.  If anyone in eternity would ever ask if God is really gracious, he need merely point to one of us, and we will stand as eternal proof that He truly is amazingly gracious.

How glorious it is to recognize that you and I will stand forever as proof of God’s grace and mercy in Christ.  But we need not wait for heaven to be a testament to God’s grace; we can tell of His grace right now.  Today, take the time to think about how merciful God has been to you and tell someone else about God’s grace. 

Prayer: Thank God for His grace and ask Him to use you as a living trophy of His grace.                                                      Travis Peterson

December 5                   Get Rich Quick

The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.  Psalm 119:72 NASB

Today’s Readings:  Ephesians 5, 6      
Psalms 119:1-80

Whether from an email offering $90 million from a Nigerian widow who just needs to “borrow” your bank account or the Power Ball drawing on TV, Americans are constantly falling for get rich quick schemes.  We want to have our needs met, to be comfortable, and to have all the resources and delights that this world has to offer.  Yet, the schemes and the money of this life ultimately leave us empty and unfulfilled.

God, however, offers us riches that are beyond compare.  In Psalm 119:72, God says His word, the Bible, is worth more than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.  What is worth more, the big lotto jackpot or hearing the word of the Lord?  Think before you answer.  Yes, the lotto can set you up for life, but it cannot set you up for eternity.  The lotto can buy you material things, but it cannot lead you to your Creator, the only one who can truly satisfy your soul.

If you are following this book and its readings, you are clearly someone who is committed to reading and meditating on the scriptures.  So let me encourage you to keep it up.  God’s word is a treasure, worth more than a mountain of gold with rivers of silver.  Keep reading!  Keep meditating!  Keep raking in the riches of the word of God.

Prayer:  Pray that God will open your eyes to see wonderful treasures in His word today.                                                  Travis Peterson

December 6                   Humility of Mind

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.  Philippians 2:3 NASB

Today’s Readings:  Philippians 1, 2, 3, 4

“What about me?”  That question rings in the ears of almost any parent who has more than one child.  As I write this, my wife and I have just welcomed into the world our second child.  With his arrival, we watched carefully our 3-year-old daughter’s reaction.  And, though she has been very loving and giving so far, she still makes sure we notice her too.

It is cute to see our little 3-year-old clamoring for our attention, but it is not so cute in the life of a grown and growing Christian.  “What about me,” we cry when the music does not fit our taste, when the committee does not include us, or when the pastor asks someone else to teach the class.  We want to be recognized, noticed, or at least considered.

In Philippians 2, we see the call to have an attitude like Jesus.  Part of that attitude is thinking about others’ needs before our own desires.  God calls us to humbly value the thoughts, opinions, and desires of others above our own.  We are to actually think of them as more important than we are.  We can do this, because Jesus showed us how and his Spirit helps us even now.

Today, carefully watch how you allow yourself to think.  Capture the question, “What about me,” and replace it, by the grace of God, with “What about you?”

Prayer:  Pray that God will help you have true humility of mind toward others.                                                              Travis Peterson

December 7                   Seek Things Above

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Colossians 3:1 NASB

Today’s Readings:  Colossians 1, 2, 3, 4

“You’re looking in the wrong place,” I heard my wife telling my daughter.  “No, your ballet outfit is in your bedroom.”  Obediently my little girl trotted down the hall to her room and found her 3-year-old-sized apparel right where she had left it.

It’s funny how difficult it is for us to find things when we do not look in the right place.  You might look and look and look for the Illinois state capital building, but if you look in Carbondale instead of Springfield, you will never find it.  To find what you seek, you have to look in the right place.

What do we seek?  All people, no matter how young or old, seek satisfaction for their souls.  Colossians 3:1 reminds us that, if we are believers, we need to seek our satisfaction in the right place too.  We cannot seek true and lasting soul satisfaction in the things of this world.  We have to have our hearts and minds set on Christ in order to find the satisfaction for which we so deeply long.

Today, determine to look in the right place.  Do not seek fulfillment and meaning in the things you can accomplish on this earth.  Sure, give your all to what you do, but be sure to live your life for things that will last.  Make today about Christ.  Set your mind on things above.

Prayer:  Pray for a mind that is focused on eternal things.

Travis Peterson  

December 8            Exercise That Matters

On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NASB

Today’s Readings:  1 Timothy 1, 2, 3, 4

True story:  Today, for the first time in about five months, I pulled the treadmill out of storage and decided to get back to the work of staying in shape.  These past couples of weeks have been tough on my diet, as sweet ladies from our church have brought meals to our house to help my wife who is still recovering from the birth of our son.  And, make no mistake about it, these ladies can cook!

So, armed with determination and a few extra pounds, I got to work.  After about 20 minutes of alternating between my normal pace of running and an embarrassing couple of walking breaks, I found myself wondering if the whole exercise thing was worth my while. 

Thanks be to God, my life will not ultimately be judged on my commitment to diet and exercise.  Those are both good things, but there is something more important.  Spiritual exercise is the true exercise that matters.  Prayer, Bible meditation, participation in worship services, fellowship, accountability, and the like are all a thousand times more important than what I did on the machine today.

Do you want to stay spiritually fit?  Do you want to avoid being flabby and lethargic in your walk with Christ?  Then take the time today to do your spiritual exercise. Godliness is profitable and holds promise for this life and the life to come.    

Prayer:  Pray that God will bless you as you devote yourself to a disciplined spiritual life.                                            Travis Peterson