Sunday, June 13, 2010

Redirection

I have determined that I can no longer keep up with my Blog on a regular basis.  The rehearsal schedule for the new production at Stained Glass Theatre, A.D. the Musical, takes up a great deal of my time.  I want to devote the rest of my time to my husband and my church activities.  For those of you who have read the devotional messages, I am sure that you will be able to find other sources.  I want to encourage you to read your Bible every day and seek God's will for your life.  Let Him speak to you through His Word and regular prayer.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Be Kind

Since my last entry, I have read 1 Samuel 26:1-2 Samuel 8:1 and Acts 21:18-26:3. My favorite verses are:

2 Samuel 2:6 And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

Acts 24:13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

Are we living in such a way that God will show kindness to us because of our kindness to others? Are those who accuse us of evil unable to prove anything against us? This should be our goal—to live a life pleasing to God and to the people around us. Never do anything to provoke an accusing attitude in others; and if we are accused by someone because they want to bring us down for some reason, may it be proven false. I hope that God and others will be kind to you today.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

God Cares

You may have noticed, it has been some time between entries. Besides getting married a month ago today, I have recently begun rehearsals for A.D. the Musical, Stained Glass Theatre’s July-August production. It is very time-consuming, but it is very gratifying because this is the ministry that God has called me to do. I hope you have a calling from God in your life that brings you fulfillment and joy!

Since my last entry, I have read 1 Samuel 17:32-25:44 and Acts 16:25-21:17. My favorite verses are:

1 Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

Our God is amazing. He created the universe, yet He takes a personal interest in His children here on earth. David spoke His name with full assurance that God would help him defeat the giant Philistine confronting him. And He did! There is nothing going on in your life or mine that we cannot trust God to take care of. He has all power; and He is willing, even eager, to share it with us. Call on His name today and watch the results.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Just Obey!

Since my last entry, I have read 1 Samuel 13:12-17:31 and Acts 14:7-16:24. My favorite verses are:

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

God wants to share fellowship with His children. Too often, we interrupt that fellowship because we are disobedient. No matter what sacrifices we make in repentance for our disobedience, it is never the same as if we had simply obeyed God in the first place. Yes, He does forgive when we ask Him to; but the rift has been made, and blessings have been lost. If we listen to His voice and obey Him, we can have sweet, unbroken fellowship with the Father. Then, we can enjoy the same results that the early church experienced—our churches can be established in the faith and the number of believers in the church family can increase daily. What a wonderful testimony that would be to others in this world!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

God Raised Jesus

Since my last entry, I have read 1 Samuel 6:13-13:11 and Acts 12:1-14:6. My favorite verses are:

1 Samuel 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Acts 13:30 But God raised him from the dead:

God is the One who decides how He cares for us. It pleases Him to treat His people well. He does require obedience from us, but He loves us whether we obey or not. He disciplines us in love when we need it, and He forgives us when we confess to Him that we have done wrong. All of this is possible because of Jesus Christ who died for our sins. One of the greatest statements of our Christian faith is in Acts 13:30. Because Christ lives, we too can live—for eternity! God is Good.

Monday, May 24, 2010

God Speaks; God Listens

Since my last entry, I have read Ruth 4:1-22, 1 Samuel 1:1-6:12 and Acts 9:31-11:30. My favorite verses are:

1 Samuel 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

Acts 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

God speaks to His people, and He listens to His people as well. We need to do more listening than speaking when we spend time with the Lord! Then we need to get busy doing the things that He tells us to do. I am so thankful that God chose to offer eternal life to Gentiles as well as Jews; I am one Gentile who has accepted that gift and now the eternal God dwells within me. It is my prayer that He will speak to me often and that I will be obedient to His voice. I know that He hears me when I pray; I have seen the evidence in miracles of answered prayers. Take time today and every day to talk to God, and always take time to listen to what He has to say to you.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Are You Persecuting God?

Since my last entry, I have read Judges 20:35-21:25, Ruth 1:1-3:18, and Acts 8:13-9:30. My favorite verses are:

Judges 21:4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Are we making peace with God or persecuting Him? God desires to have fellowship with His children, and he wants those who are not yet His children to come to Him seeking salvation. He calls them, just as He called Saul—perhaps not in an audible voice, but at least by bringing conviction of wrongdoing to their hearts and souls. If you are not in harmony with God, if you are persecuting Him by mistreating His own chosen ones, rise early and come to Him seeking forgiveness and peace. Don’t even wait for “the morrow”; come to His altar with your peace offering today.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Your Own Way, or God's Way

Since my last entry, I have read Judges 15:7-20:34 and Acts 6:1-8:12. My favorite verses are:

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

What a contrast in these verses! When everyone does his own thing instead of being obedient to the faith, God is not happy. When God is unhappy, man misses out on the blessings that God would like to give him. Oh for an increase of the Word of God! If the number of Christians were multiplying instead of diminishing, the world would be a much better, safer, happier place. But when every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is conflict and unhappiness. Determine today to live in obedience to the will of God; make your place in the world a good place to be.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Teaching and Preaching Daily

Since my last entry, I have read Judges 11:5-15:6 and Acts 4:22-5:42. My favorite verses are:

Judges 13:24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Samson is a well-known man from the Bible. He is mostly remembered for his relationship with Delilah and how she brought about his downfall. But at the beginning of his life, he was blessed by the Lord. As long as he was faithful to the Lord and obeyed Him, he was blessed. Unfortunately for Samson and the people he could have influenced for good, he made bad choices as he grew older. Notice in the passage from Acts that teaching and preaching about Jesus is not a once a week, church only, thing. The disciples did it daily in the temple and in every house—what an example for us to follow! We, the children of God, should want to talk about Jesus all the time; He is the greatest thing ever in our lives! If Samson had been busy doing God’s work daily, his life might have turned out much differently.

Friday, May 14, 2010

The God Who Has the Power

Since my last entry, I have read Judges 5:7-11:4 and Acts 1:5-4:21. My favorite verses are:

Judges 6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

God has power to control times and seasons. Baal did not have any power because he was not God. He could not defend himself against attack because he did not exist except in the form of helpless images. The true God who controls everything in the universe can and does defend Himself when He chooses to. But He often “lets nature take its course”; after all, He created the course of nature. He wants His children to acknowledge His power and to respect it. He also wants us to tell others about Him and to show by our lives that we trust Him to take care of our needs. We live by faith; we don’t need to know all the answers. God has the answers and reveals to us what He wants us to know when He wants us to know it.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Praise God

Today I read Judges 1:19-5:6 and John 20:3-Acts 1:4. My favorite verses are:

Judges 5:3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Singing praise to God is a wonderful way to draw close to Him and experience a special anointing of His Spirit. Doing this in a congregational setting is also a witness to others that praise is an important part of our worship. We learn about praising God in His Word. Many, many valuable lessons are contained in God’s Word; but John tells us that they are only a small fraction of the things that could have been written. Jesus’ life story is beyond the world’s ability to understand or even contain. But we need to tell everything that we do know about Him to those who are living and even dying without Him.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Choose to Serve God

Since my last entry, I have read Joshua 19:3–Judges 1:18 and John 17:1-20:2. My favorite verses are:

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

We all choose whom we serve. The best choice is to serve God—the only one true living God. He showed Himself to us in His Son Jesus Christ; They were One and Jesus desired for His followers to be one with Them. If we come to Him for salvation and accept the sacrifice that He made for us so that our sins could be forgiven, we can be one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They will dwell in us and love us, and we can show that love to others.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Do you long for peace?

Yesterday I read Joshua 16:8-19:2 and John 16. My favorite verses are:

Joshua 18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Peace—something many long for and few find. The Israelites gathered at Shiloh (the name comes from a word meaning peace) after the Promised Land had been subdued. Peace after years of conflict was sweet to them. They set up their place of worship so that they could thank God for peace. But they soon returned to battle because there were still enemies to overcome. Jesus reminded us that this world is a place where tribulation will always be present. But because He has overcome the world, we can have peace in Him. If you are longing for peace and have not found it, come to Jesus; He can give you peace in the midst of a troubled world.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Love one another

Yesterday I read Joshua 15:20-16:7 and John 15. My favorite verses are:

Joshua 16:4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

God’s expectations are higher than man’s. Joseph suffered a great deal of pain and injustice from his own brothers and from the strangers that his brothers sold him to. But he said later that it was not his brothers’ fault because it was God’s plan. Joseph had to be in Egypt at the right time and place to prepare the Middle East for a great famine. In spite of very difficult circumstances, Joseph remained faithful to God. When the children of Israel received their inheritance in the Promised Land, Joseph’s descendants received twice as much as any of his brothers’ descendants. God rewarded Joseph’s faithfulness a generation later. We may not always see the results of our labor for the Lord, but God is in control and He will take care of it. We are to obey and serve, and that obedience is not trivial. Jesus said that we are to love one another as He loved. That is the highest possible standard because He loved us so much that He died for us! Are we willing to suffer and even die for the cause of Christ? God expects that much.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Following God

Today I read Joshua 13:17-15:19 and John 14. My favorite verses are:

Joshua 14:8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Following God wholeheartedly is very important for His children. The first time the Children of Israel made it to the Promised Land, they sent 12 spies to “check it out”. Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, were eager to obey God and follow Him into the land which He had promised to give them. The other ten “made the heart of the people melt” by saying there were giants and fortified cities that they could not possibly conquer. They did not trust God because they were afraid. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, all the older generation had died except for Joshua and Caleb. They were still ready to follow God and claim the Promised Land for their own, and God kept His promise to them. The twelve apostles in the New Testament walked with Jesus in the flesh, but they still did not follow God wholeheartedly. When Jesus told them that He was going to the Father, they were afraid and questioned what they would do without Him. He assured them that He and the Father would be with them still, but Philip said, “show us the Father”. They wanted to see God for themselves and did not understand that in seeing Jesus they were seeing God. Our faith today is probably still as weak as that of the Israelites of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament. No matter how much God does for us, we can’t seem to trust Him long term to take care of us when we face things that are new and different and frightening. God has not changed through the centuries; His promises are true, and He keeps His word. We need to believe and trust and obey in every circumstance of our lives.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Have you heard?

Since my last entry, I have read Joshua 8:16-13:16 and John 12:1-13:38. My favorite verses are:

Joshua 9:9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt.

John 12:12-13 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

In both of these scriptures, someone heard about the Lord. In Joshua, it was a “tribe” of the descendants of Gibeon who heard of the destructive power of God against his enemies and did not want to experience His wrath. They deceived the Israelites into believing they were from a far away country, but it saved their lives. In the second passage, the people heard that Jesus was coming, and they gathered to worship Him. People need to hear about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If His children are not telling about Him, others will not hear! Talk about the Lord so that people can say they heard about Him from you.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Get Up!

Today I read Joshua 4:8-8:15 and John 11:1-57. My favorite verses are:

Joshua 7:10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Prayer is vital to a powerful Christian life. God’s children sometimes need to literally fall on their faces before God to confess sin or to intercede for another person or to bring special needs to God and ask for His help. But there comes a time when God tells us to GET UP! We must be busy about His work—obedient to His calling and command. We need to live our lives knowing that they are forever. If we believe in the Son of God, we need not fear death or destruction. He has promised that even death will not separate us from Him and His power. He has conquered every enemy—even death. Believe in God and His Son; then get up and live your life sustained by Their presence.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Strength and Courage

Since my last post, I have read Deuteronomy 33:4-Joshua 4:7 and John 9:24-10:42.  My favorite verses are:

Joshua 1:9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

John 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

We are to obey the commandments of the Lord; after all, they are commandments, not suggestions.  If we are doing so, we can be strong and courageous.  God will be with us and we will not need to be afraid of anything.  As Christ followed his Father's commandment, he received courage and strength to be obedient even to death.  He laid down His life; He had the power to do that because He was obeying His Father.  It is not easy to obey and serve God, but there are great rewards for doing so.  Christ is now in heaven with His Father.  We have the promise that we will join Them there if we have accepted the gift of salvation for which He died.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Know the Truth

Today I read Deuteronomy 30:4-33:3 and John 8:25-9:23. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

God is a God of truth; Jesus told us that knowing the truth will make us free. To know God is to be free from the power of sin in our lives. If we seek God and obey God, we can live an abundant life with joy and peace. God is a God of judgment; but if we are living in His will, we do not need to fear that judgment—it will be for our enemies. If there is ever a disagreement between us and God, God is right and we are wrong. God is perfect; we are not. We must learn to bow to His truth and justice and be very grateful that it is tempered by His grace and mercy. May you know the truth today!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Move Up

Today I read Deuteronomy 29:1-30:3 and John 8:1-24. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 29:9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.

John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

Once again God reminds His people to keep the words of His covenant. He includes a promise for prosperity for those who obey. But it is so difficult sometimes to obey God even when we know there are rewards for obedience and consequences for disobedience. Jesus tells us clearly what the problem is. We are “of this world”; we are not “from above”. Because God made us human, in the likeness of Adam, we are prone to sin. It is only by accepting Jesus as our Savior that we have any hope of leaving the realms beneath and going to the realms above. He lifts us up to a higher plane and makes us a part of God’s family. Thank you, God, for coming down to lift me up!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Jesus with God

Today I read Deuteronomy 28 and John 7:20-53. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 28:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

John 7:33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

God has told his people from the beginning that He expects them to keep His commandments and obey Him. Jesus came to live on this earth in the flesh so that He could be our intercessor with the Father. After he was crucified and rose again from the dead, He returned to the Father. Now, He speaks to the Father on our behalf when we fail to keep the commandments. When we seek forgiveness in the name of Jesus, He joins us in asking the Father to forgive us. What a wonderful thing to have Jesus on our side helping us to live in a way that is pleasing to God. Stay close to Jesus, and in doing so you will be close to God.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Bread of Life

Today I read Deuteronomy 23:8-27:26 and John 6:33-7:19. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 27:10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

To obey God is important because it allows us to live in harmony with others as well as with God. His commandments tell us how to get along with people around us—they are good, common sense rules. Jesus went further in His instructions for life. He tells us that if we come to Him, we will never want for anything. We will not only have what we need in this life, we will have eternal life with Him. He doesn’t promise to give us everything we want, but our needs will be met. He is the bread of life; He sustains us day by day. Rest in Him for today and forever.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Be Not Afraid

Today I read Deuteronomy 19:1-23:7 and John 6:4-32. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

John 6:20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

God is with you if you are a Christian—one of His children saved by faith in His Son Jesus Christ. His Spirit dwells within you. The promises given in His word are as true for you today as they were for those He spoke to in the Bible. He fights for you against your enemies; He is on your side. But some of His own children are not expecting Him to come to their aid. When He comes, they are frightened because they do not understand that He wants to take care of them. To them He says, as Jesus did to His disciples in John 6, “It is I; be not afraid.” Let God come to you and be with you and protect you. Don’t be afraid!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Honour the Son

Today I read Deuteronomy 16:13-18:22 and John 4:47-5:47.  My favorite verses are:
 
Deuteronomy 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
   
John 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
 
God promised to send a prophet "like Moses" to the Israelite people.  In fact, He sent His Son Jesus who spoke words from the Father to the children of Israel.  But His words were not to the Israelites only--they were to all people in the world.  God sent His Son with the message of salvation--freedom from the bondage of sin, and access to the Promised Land, which spiritually is the eternal kingdom of heaven.  We can receive the free gift of eternal life if we believe the message of God's greatest prophet--his Son.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Worship and Rejoice

Today I read Deuteronomy 14:14-16:12 and John 4:18-46. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 16:11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God wants us to rejoice in our worship of Him. He wants families to rejoice in His presence. He wants those who are in difficult circumstances to rejoice in Him. He says to rejoice in the place which He has chosen. Sometimes we find ourselves in places where we would rather not be; we need to seek the Lord’s will and get in the place He has chosen for us—the place where He is. Then we can worship Him in spirit and truth and rejoice in knowing that we are in His presence.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Which Path?

Since my last entry, I have read Deuteronomy 8:14-14:13 and John 1:43-4:17. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 13To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

God asks us to do certain things in relation to Him—fear, love, serve, keep commandments, and believe on His Son. He says it is for our good. We will be rewarded with abundant life here and everlasting life in heaven with Him. There are also consequences for those who fail to do what God asks—they will suffer the wrath of God. The same God who gives abundant blessings to those who obey him will rain abundant wrath on those who will not obey! They will suffer in this life and spend an eternity separated from God in a fiery hell where there will be no relief even for a moment. Each of us makes a choice; God acts based on that choice. Which path have you chosen?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Walk His Way

Today I read Deuteronomy 6:14-8:13 and John 1:14-42. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 8:6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

If we walk in the way that God leads, it will take us to His Son, the Lamb of God. And He will take away our sin and save us for eternity. We will live forever with the Father and the Son. We can never keep all the commandments of God on our own; it is only by the grace of God through His Son Jesus that we can be made perfect because our sin is forgiven and covered by the blood of His sacrifice. If you have never done so before, come to Jesus today and ask Him to forgive you and walk with you from this day forward. If you know Him as your Savior, be sure you are walking in His ways—that He is the Lord of your life.

Good Heartburn

Yesterday I read Deuteronomy 4:1-6:13, Luke 24:9-53, and John 1:1-13. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

God wants us to seek him with every part of our being—heart and soul. The disciples in Luke said their heart burned as he spoke to them. We all need that kind of heart burn. Let God speak to you until you feel a fire in your heart and soul that compels you to tell others about the great things He has done in your life!

Friday, April 9, 2010

God wants to bless!

Since my last entry, I have read Deuteronomy 1:4-3:29 and Luke 23:7-24:8. My favorite verses are:

Deuteronomy 1:25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.

Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

These two verses show the contrast between what God wants to do for us and what we choose for ourselves. God desires to give us a good land with good fruit—a place where we can prosper and enjoy His blessings. We choose, by our disobedience, to be punished until we wish for even the land to turn against us and deliver us from God’s judgment. We want the mountains and hills to hide us from the face of God. Nothing can hide us from God, and if we seek His forgiveness and choose to be obedient to His will, we can receive the blessings that He wants to give to us.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Use His Mouth and Wisdom

Today I read Chapters 32-36 of Numbers and Deuteronomy 1:1-3 as well as Luke 21:1-23:6. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 33:38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.

Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Aaron obeyed God, even to the point of death. This is a good legacy for any Christian to leave behind for his family and friends. God told Aaron that he was going to the mountain to die. I’m sure Aaron would have liked to go into the Promised Land with the children of Israel, but it was not to be so. After being a priest to them for more than 40 years, he was ordered to pass the torch to his son and go home to his Father. God decides when it is time for each of His children to leave this world behind and come home to Him. We simply need to serve him faithfully until that time comes. We are never alone—He is always with us to help and guide us. In Luke 21:15 we are promised, just as Moses was, that God will speak through us with power and authority. We do not need to fear our adversaries because God will make us able to overcome them in word and deed. When we don’t know what to do or say, God will make a way!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Have a Blessed Easter Weekend

Yesterday and today I read Numbers 28:13-31:54 and Luke 19:37-20:47. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 29:39 These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.

Luke 19:38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

It is Easter weekend—a very special time for Christians. Jesus willingly gave His life as a sacrifice for our sin so that we could be forgiven by God and live eternally with Him. But as I read my Bible yesterday and today, I couldn’t help but think how much the verses above reminded me of Christmas. The verse from Numbers speaks of all the different vows and offerings which the Israelites were commanded to give to the Lord. We tend to associate Christmas with gift-giving, and this verse reminds me that no matter how many gifts we give to God, we cannot keep up with the blessings He gives to us. We are not living under the law; we are not required to make ritual sacrifices as the Israelites were in the Old Testament, but we are expected to give cheerfully to the Lord and His work on a regular basis. The verse in Luke contains the phrase “glory in the highest” which is most often associated with Christmas, but here it is used the week before Easter. The same sentiments expressed at His birth were still valid at the time of His death. Blessing and glory to the King, the Lord, the God of heaven and earth! Praise Him as you recall the price He paid so that you might have eternal life.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Accept Salvation

Today I read Numbers 25:17-28:12 and Luke 18:22-19:36. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 26:65 For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus came to give His life so that lost souls would have a way to come to God and be saved for eternity. God wants everyone to accept the gift of His Son and be saved, but there is an end to his patience. When the children of Israel refused to obey and follow God into the Promised Land, He caused them to wander hopelessly in the wilderness until all of that generation died EXCEPT for Caleb and Joshua. They were the only two spies who declared to the people that they should obey God and enter the land which he had promised to give to them. These two men trusted God and chose to obey him even when they were massively outnumbered. God honored their commitment by preserving their lives and strength after all the others of their generation had died and allowing them to enter the Promised Land and possess land there. For those who choose to reject God’s authority and His Son’s sacrifice for their sin, God has consequences. The consequences, like the rewards for obedience, are eternal. If you choose to reject God in this life, you cannot change your mind halfway through eternity and accept salvation. Choose THIS DAY whom you will serve!

Monday, March 29, 2010

God's Word is Sure

Today I read Numbers 22:11-25:16 and Luke 17:1-18:21. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Luke 17:24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

When God speaks, He speaks truth and does not change it. His word is sure. When Christ said that His return would be as lightning shining in the heavens, He spoke the truth. His coming will be magnificent; it will not be secret or hidden. His children can rejoice when they see the light of His coming. Those who have rejected Him and have not received salvation will see the light and know that they are doomed to an eternity without God and will never see light again. Are you ready for that light to shine over the whole world?

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Obey and Be Faithful

Today I read Numbers 18:27-22:10 and Luke 16. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 20:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Moses and Aaron struck a rock to make water come out of it for the people of Israel; God had told them to SPEAK to the rock to bring forth water. They disobeyed God and suffered the consequences. They were not allowed to enter the Promised Land which God was giving to Israel. Jesus emphasized that it is important to be faithful in whatever God entrusts you with. If we can’t take care of the little things, God will not trust us with bigger responsibilities. We need to be obedient and faithful to God; then God will bless us. We choose—consequences or blessings. The choice seems obvious! So why do we continually fail to obey and serve God? Thanks be to God, He remains faithful to us. He will forgive us when we come to Him and confess that we have failed again. May we use our second, third, fourth . . . chance to do what is right in the eyes of God. Obey and serve Him faithfully today!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Worship and Serve

Today I read Numbers 16:39-18:26 and Luke 14:12-15:32. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 18:22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Numbers 18:22 caught my attention and made me think that some Christians must have read this verse and thought it applied to them. Sorry, I am being sarcastic—but it does seem to me that some people think that they are not supposed to come near the church. They do not worship and serve God with the church family as God intended for His children to do. The tabernacle in the Old Testament was a special place which only the priests and Levites could approach to make sacrifices for themselves and the people of Israel to atone for their sins against God. Today, because Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, we can approach the very throne of God to seek forgiveness when we sin against Him. And there is joy in heaven each time someone receives salvation and finds that free access to God. We do not need a priest to go between us and God. Each of us has full access to God and His church, and we should take advantage of the provision He has made for us.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Humble Yourself

Today I read Numbers 14:23-16:38 and Luke 12:48-14:11. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 16:10 He has brought you and all the other Levites near himself, but now you demand to be priests.

Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Christ warned people that they should not exalt themselves. To do so is not only presumptuous in the eyes of other people, it is offensive to God. He will decide who is to be exalted and who is to be humbled. If we humble ourselves; that is, make ourselves of no account and give glory to God, then God will exalt us—raise us to a higher level. In the book of Numbers, some of the Levites declared that they should be counted as priests of God just as Aaron was. They wanted to exalt themselves to a position God had reserved for others. God not only humbled them, he took their lives. It is a very serious thing to take it upon yourself to instruct God! He is in control, and He will not give that privilege to anyone else. We can ask Him for things, but NEVER presume to tell Him what to do. We should present ourselves to God to be used in His service according to His perfect will.

Monday, March 22, 2010

God's Power and Pleasure

Today I read Numbers 11:5-14:22 and Luke 11:44-12:47. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 11:23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

The Lord of the Old Testament is the same Lord of the New Testament, and He has the same heart. He has both the power and the desire to do good to His people. God’s hand is not too short to give us great blessings, and it gives Him pleasure to do so. He wants us to have abundant life here on this earth and eternal life in heaven. Serve God and see what great things He will do for you—see whether His word will come to pass. I guarantee that He will keep His promises!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Follow the Light

Today I read Numbers 9:13-11:4 and Luke 11:15-43. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 10:35-36 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

When Moses and the children of Israel began their travels through the wilderness, God’s Spirit came down on the tabernacle and glowed like fire so that the people could see Him. When He rose from the tabernacle, they knew it was a signal to move to another place. Moses prayed a prayer for the Lord to go before His people when they moved and another prayer for the Lord to return to His people when they made camp. In Luke Jesus reminded His disciples to let their light be seen. Hopefully, when others see the Light of Jesus in us, they will be moved to follow God. We must not fail to go where God leads us and be a light so that others can see the way and go with us.

Ask, Seek, Knock

Thursday I read all of Numbers 7; today I read Numbers 8:1-9:12 and Luke 10:28-11:14. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 9:2-3 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. 3In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.

Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

God wants us to remember important milestones in our walk with Him. He commanded the Israelites to commemorate the night that the death angel passed through Egypt without killing any first-born among the Israelites. He gave specific instructions on how and when it was to be done. We must never forget times in our own lives when God really came through for us. And know that He will continue to do so. The verse from Luke reminds us that as long as we Ask, Seek, and Knock, God will do His part by opening doors of opportunity and blessing.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

When His Face Shines

Over the past few days, I have read Numbers 3:31-6:27 and Luke 8:30-10:27. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

God wants His people to be blessed. He wants to give us grace and peace. When God lifts His face and it shines on us, we have everything we need. We can depend on Him as completely as a little child depends on his father. God has made Himself plain to children; He honors their childlike faith and trust. Jesus loved children, so He rejoiced in knowing that His own Father God revealed Himself to those children.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Obey as Families

Today I read Number 2:14-3:30 and Luke 8:1-29. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 2:34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers.

Luke 8:25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

It seems that the theme of obedience has caught my attention again. The children of Israel camped, moved, and went where God told them through Moses. And they did it in family groups. I thought of how sad it is that the traditional family in our society is the exception today rather than the rule. So few families stay together it seems. And even those who are “together” seem to be drawn in many different directions with various activities. I wonder how much difference we would see in our country today if each family lived a life directed by God as a unit. Even the wind and water followed Christ’s directions when he commanded them to be at peace. If only mankind would do the same!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Get Busy Doing

Today I read Leviticus 27 and Numbers 1:1-2:13 as well as Luke 6:42-49 and all of Luke 7. My favorite verses are:

Numbers 1:54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

God wants us to do what He says. He was pleased when the Israelites did everything Moses told them to do as God had told him. And Jesus reminds us that we are to do what He says. Calling Him Lord doesn’t make it so; if He is truly our Lord, we will do what He tells us to do. God the Father and God the Son are both worthy to be served and obeyed. Christians are led by the Holy Spirit of God to do those things which are pleasing to God. Get busy doing God’s work today.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Walk with God

Today I read Leviticus 25:50-26:46 and Luke 6:13-41. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 26:12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

If we obey God, we will be blessed. God told the Israelites that if they were obedient, He would walk among them. What a glorious picture—God Himself walking among His people. Imagine being out for a stroll with Father God sharing your life with Him. And the blessings would be so abundant that they would necessarily overflow to others. As we give, we will receive; that is God’s promise. Be stingy—be in need; be generous—have abundance. God IS Good!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Respect Others

Today I read Leviticus 24:22-25:49 and Luke 5:23-6:12. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 25:17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.

Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

God expects His saved people to behave differently than lost people. The way you treat others is a good indicator of whether Christ lives in you. If you fear God and obey Him, you will show respect to others; you will not take advantage of people who find themselves helpless. People who think they are too good for God because they are successful in the world’s eyes often treat others with contempt. This is evidence that they DO need God whether they realize it or not. As you go about your business today, treat those people you come in contact with the way Jesus would have treated them—have compassion and respect for others.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Feed the Hungry

Today I read Leviticus 23:15-24:21 and Luke 4:38-5:22. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Luke 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

God made provision for the poor and needy in the Old Testament. He ordered His people to leave the corners of the fields and the gleaning for the poor to gather for food for themselves and their families. I believe that God is still pleased today when His people provide help for those in need. I think the churches should be in the business of helping provide food for the hungry—people who are struggling financially to make ends meet. And we should follow Jesus’ example of regular prayer. If we keep in touch with the Father in prayer, we are more likely to do the things which please Him.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Set Apart to Serve

Today I read Leviticus 20:1-23:14 and Luke 3:18-4:37. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 20:8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to keep His laws because He had set them apart from other nations to be His special chosen people. He expected better things from them than from the heathen nations. Jesus quoted the command to worship only God and serve Him. His people who are saved are set apart to serve Him. Whether under the Old Covenant or the New Covenant, God’s people are expected to be faithful to Him. We are to worship Him, serve Him, and keep His commandments.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Honor the Elderly

Today I read Leviticus 18:13-19:37 and Luke 2:41-3:17. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

I am sure that Jesus respected the elderly because he grew in favor with God, and God had commanded His people to honour the elderly. If we fear God, if we have reverence for Him, then we will have respect for those who are old. I fear that today’s society does not teach us to respect the elderly; they are often cast aside for convenience sake. I realize that it is often necessary to place them in homes where they receive needed care that cannot be given by family members. But I believe some are “put away” because family members do not want to be bothered with their care. God expects us to love one another; this is especially true of family. How are your family relationships? Do you need to make changes in order to be pleasing to God the Father?

Friday, March 5, 2010

Cleansing from Sin

Today I read Leviticus 16:11-18:12 and Luke 2:1-40. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 16:30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Under the Old Covenant, the priest had to cleanse himself then go into the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices for the sins of the nation of Israel. He made atonement for them before God, and they were clean from all their sins. This was done once each year at an appointed time. The forgiveness of sins was temporary; many sacrifices had to be made throughout the year by the people to keep them “clean”. When Christ the Lord was born in Bethlehem, the angels told the shepherds that a Saviour had been born. This Saviour would offer Himself as a sacrifice ONCE for all time to cleanse all the people who accept Him from all their sins forever. A New Covenant came into effect. We do continue to sin day by day, but we do not have to make continual sacrifices. We simply confess our sins before God and ask for His forgiveness; and it is granted because we are His children saved by the blood of His Son, our Saviour. What a Great and Merciful God He is to have made such a provision for us!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Scapegoat

Today (March 3) I read Leviticus 13:8-16:10 and Luke 1:5-80. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Luke 1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

In the sacrificial laws given by God to the Israelite people there was provision for a scapegoat. This animal, instead of being killed, was let go into the wilderness alive to carry away the sins of the people which had been confessed over its head. Jesus Christ, who died as a sacrifice for our sins, now lives to make intercession for us with the Father. He is our scapegoat—we confess our sins to Him, and He makes atonement for us with the Father. Because of this, we can indeed rejoice in God who is our Saviour.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Be Holy

Today I read Leviticus 11:12-13:7, Mark 16, and Luke 1:1-4. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Mark 16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

When God taught the people of Israel what He expected of them and gave them laws to live by, He said that they were to be holy because He is holy. This applies to Christians today. It does not mean that we will become perfect like God, but it does mean that we are to be different from other people in the world. We are to be set apart for God’s service; we are to always strive to be more and more like Him. When Jesus rose from the dead, the angels gave instructions to His followers to wait for Him. He did not leave them alone and frightened; He kept His word and came to them. The angel said to tell Peter specifically that Jesus would be seeing him. After Peter had denied knowing Jesus, he must have needed this special reassurance that he was not to be left out of the reunion. God is gracious and forgiving; He knows that we are weak and sinful, but He chooses to come to us and dwell in us. We should choose to accept His presence and make every effort to let it shine through in our daily lives.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Priesthood

Yesterday and today I read Leviticus 7:28-11:11 and Mark 14:57-15:47. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 8:36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Mark 15:27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

It is important that we obey God. It was especially important for the priests in the Old Testament because they represented God before the people. Aaron and his sons did everything commanded by God. God’s children are referred to in scripture as a “royal priesthood”. We too are responsible for obeying God because we are his representatives to the world. Lost people watch how Christians live, and their eternal souls may depend on what they see. If we are disobedient to God, we may cause one of these souls to follow our bad example and never receive salvation. Jesus set the perfect example, and the thieves who died on crosses on either side of Him had seen His life. One of them remembered that Jesus had done nothing to deserve death; he asked Jesus to forgive him for the sin in his life. Jesus, as He promised, forgave the man and gave him the gift of salvation. As we go through this day, may we consider everything we do as representing God to man. Perhaps it will help us to be obedient children.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Listen When God Speaks

Today I read Leviticus 6:7-7:27 and Mark 14:28-56. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 7:22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Mark 14:28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.

God spoke to Moses as to a friend; He told Moses everything that he required of His people and Moses was to pass it on to them so that they could obey and be pleasing to God. Unfortunately, they either did not listen or did not obey or both. Over and over, God called them to repentance for their disobedience and He forgave them when they turned back to Him. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke to His followers as their Friend. He told His disciples more than once that He would be killed then rise from the dead. But they didn’t listen or they failed to understand. When He came out of the grave, they were as surprised as anyone else. We now have God’s written Word; He speaks to us through it. Do we “listen” when we read His Word? Read with prayer and listen to what God is saying to you through His Word today.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Sacrifice and Service

Today I read Leviticus 4:10-6:6 and Mark 14:1-27. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 4:17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the veil.

Mark 14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

When the ancient Jews sinned against God, they “bought” forgiveness by sacrificing an animal and having its blood sprinkled before the Lord. The animal paid the price for one man’s sin with its life and was, of course, a type of our Lord Jesus paying the price for the sin of all mankind with His life. Before Jesus gave His life for our sin, He lived His life as a man so that He could understand what it is like for us to be tempted by sin. He met sinful people with forgiveness and love. Those who loved Him in return wanted to serve Him in whatever ways they could. The woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume was criticized for being wasteful. Jesus defended her right to give Him her best. We, too, should give Jesus the best that we have and know that He is pleased when we do.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Salt and Watch

Today I read Leviticus 1:9-4:9 and Mark 13:7-37. My favorite verses are:

Leviticus 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Mark 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

In the Old Testament God commanded that every sacrifice offered to him was to be seasoned with salt. In the New Testament Jesus told His followers that they were the salt of the earth. We no longer offer animals and other food in sacrifice to God; we give ourselves to Him. We are not the seasoning on the sacrifice; we are both the seasoning and the sacrifice. God wants us to give Him our all. And as we make ourselves completely available for His service, we are to heed the command of Mark 13:37—Watch! We must be alert to what is going on around us because Satan is at war against us. He wants to defeat us so that we are ineffective in our service to God. We must be willing to serve God and watching to avoid Satan.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

All that you are is His

Today I read Exodus 40, Leviticus 1:1-8, and Mark 12:22-13:6. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

We serve a glorious God who is worthy of all our love. He has given many of us everything we need and much of what we want above our needs. He is generous with both material and spiritual blessings—IF we fulfill the first (greatest) commandment. We are to love Him with all that we are—heart, soul, mind, and strength—emotionally, spiritually, and physically, we are to be completely His. Just as the cloud covered and filled the tent, God’s glory can cover and fill each of us. Seek His presence today!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Beauty and Responsibility

Today I read Exodus 38:19-39:43 and Mark 11:26-12:21. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

I love to do cross stitching—creating beautiful pictures by working different colored threads into a cloth background. That is what I was reminded of when I read Exodus 39:3. I can imagine the stunning effect of working gold wires in with blue, purple, and scarlet threads in a fine linen cloth. God must love beautiful things; you only have to look around at the beauty of his creation to know that. But God is not selfish. Jesus told those who asked about paying taxes that they were expected to “Render to Caesar” what was owed him; Christians are expected to pay taxes. We are also expected to pay tithes—at the very least. God wants what is due him, but he wants us to be faithful with our finances in other areas as well.

Give Him Your Best

Today (February 21) I read Exodus 37:1-38:18 and Mark 11:1-25. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 37:7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.

Mark 11:9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Much of what was made for the Tabernacle of God was made from pure gold. The angels on the ends of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant were gold. Gold was, and still is, a precious metal, highly valued. Its use in the Tabernacle showed obedience to God as well as high regard for the place of His presence. God is always worthy of our very best. Jesus Christ, His Son, is also worthy of our best. When He entered Jerusalem before He was sold to His enemies to be crucified, He was surrounded by people who were praising Him. As we worship and praise the Father and the Son, may we be aware of their awesome majesty and give Them our very best.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Giver or Hoarder?

Today I read Exodus 36 and Mark 10:20-52. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 36:5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.

Mark 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

We can never outgive God. How good it is when we are blessed by Him and can give “more than enough” to His Kingdom work. Since Jesus reminds us that it is very hard for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom, it makes sense to give as much as we can back to Him so that we won’t have that “rich man” worry. Are you a generous giver or a hoarder? Most of us fall somewhere in between—we give, but not as much as we could or should. Maybe tomorrow we can try giving more than usual and see if God responds with more than usual blessings!

Friday, February 19, 2010

God is Gracious, Good, and True

Today I read Exodus 34:3-35:35 and Mark 9:41-10:19. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Mark 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Wow! God described Himself perfectly. What a great and wonderful God to be so patient with us when we are so prone to sin against Him. He is always good and true and He wants us to strive to have those same qualities. One of the ways God showed His goodness was in the way Jesus treated children. Can you picture in your mind the Son of God picking up little children in His arms and blessing them? He truly loved the children and was upset with His disciples when they tried to keep the children away from Him. How blessed we are to be able to worship and have fellowship with such a loving, gracious God!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Believe and Rest

Today I read Exodus 32:10-34:2 and Mark 9:12-40. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

If you are a child of God, you are blessed. His presence is with you wherever you go, and He meets your needs. We can rest in Him because He will take care of things according to His will, and we do not need to worry or stress over anything. All things are possible if we believe in Him. Most of us don’t have the kind of faith it takes to trust fully in God and Jesus as we should; but as we learn to trust Him more, our faith grows and our rest becomes more fulfilling. God is in control; we need to let Him direct our lives in our best interest. Will you hand over everything to Him today?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Are You Stiffnecked?

Today I read Exodus 30:15-32:9 and Mark 8:21-9:11. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

Mark 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

What does God see when He looks at you? Does he see a stiff neck or a tender heart? There are many people who are set in their ways and will not change for the sake of other people or even God. God wants people to serve Him who are willing to make changes when He asks them to. Recently, I have begun breaking ties with my Fremont Hills Church Family because I feel God calling me into full time ministry at Stained Glass Theatre. It is not easy to say goodbye; but at the same time, it is exciting to begin a new walk with God. The biggest change God ever asks for is when He calls upon the unbeliever to declare that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world. Peter made that declaration to Jesus Himself. That was the first step toward his becoming a powerful preacher of the Word. The change wasn’t immediately complete—Peter had setbacks on his way to becoming a faithful servant of God. But Peter would repent—change his direction—each time he went astray, and He came back to God each time. Today, consider what God is asking you to do.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Does God dwell with you?

Today I read Exodus 29:10-30:14 and Mark 7:29-8:20. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 29:45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

Mark 8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

God chose the children of Israel to dwell among. He chose to be their God. But they did not remain faithful to God even though He has always remained faithful to them. The Pharisees were a group of Israelites who were very religious. They claimed to know and serve God, but they would not accept that Jesus was God’s Son. They tried to convince Him to give them a special sign from heaven to prove that He was the Son of God. Mark said they were tempting Him. Jesus performed many signs during His ministry on earth, but He did not have to perform signs and miracles to prove who He was. As He followed the leadership of His Father, people who encountered Him had to decide whether or not to believe what they saw. They could not tell Jesus what to do; He did the will of His Father. Each of us today must choose whether or not to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world. To those who choose to believe, He will give eternal life.

Obey out of Love

Today (February 15) I read Exodus 26:9-29:9 and Mark 6:27-7:28. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 28:35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Some of the consequences in the Old Testament seem extremely harsh. The High Priest was to have bells sewn on the hem of his robe so that it would make noise. He had to be heard when he entered the holy place in the tabernacle; otherwise, he would die. God made specific requirements for the priests; if they did not obey those requirements, they were punished. The penalty for disobedience to God was death. God still expects obedience from his children; but since we are living under the New Testament rules, we experience more mercy. Jesus had compassion on the people who were wandering around like lost sheep because they did not understand what God required from them. Instead of striking them dead, he taught them many things. As His children, we need to be willing learners and obedient followers.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Commune with God

Today I read Exodus 24:16-26:8 and Mark 5:41-6:26. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Mark 6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

When God gave Moses instructions for building the tabernacle and all its furnishings, there was one special piece called “the mercy seat”. It was not something to sit on, however; it was a covering for the ark of the covenant. God told Moses that He would meet him there, so apparently God sat on the mercy seat! God said that He would commune with Moses there. It was a very special place where God would tell Moses all the things that he needed to pass on to the Israelites. Do you have a special place where you meet with God and commune with Him? Of course, we can pray anywhere we happen to be—and should—but isn’t it wonderful to be able to have a place you can go back to time and again where you feel especially close to God and can commune with Him without any distractions. If you don’t have such a place, consider choosing one; or better yet, listen to God and let Him choose the place. Then meet Him there regularly to receive instruction from Him.

In Mark 6:6 we see that Jesus, as well as He knew the hearts of men, marveled at the fact that they would not believe Him. They heard the message that He preached and saw the miracles that He did, and yet they did not believe that He was the Son of God. He continued to teach—reaching out to mankind as their loving Messiah. He still reaches out to us today; He wants us to believe His Words and accept Him as the Savior and Lord of our lives. Receive His teaching today, and believe the Word that He has given to us; allow Him to live in you.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Believe and Obey

Today I read Exodus 21:14-24:15 and Mark 4:24-5:40. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 21:15, 17 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. 17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

God was serious about children honoring parents. We hear much about child abuse, but sometimes it is the other way around. Sometimes children, both young and adult children, mistreat their parents. It may be physically abusing or attacking them, or it may be a case of verbal, mental, or emotional abuse. In either case, God said the penalty is death. I’m sure that all of us have disobeyed parents at times in our lives. But if we resort to cursing or striking them, God demands serious punishment. If you are harboring a bad attitude toward your parents, consider making amends today.

I love the words of Jesus in Mark 5:36. He spoke them to a particular ruler in this instance, but I believe they apply to all of us. If we believe in Jesus and His ability to take care of our needs, there is no reason for us to be afraid. When we receive bad news, we need to filter it through our faith in Jesus. He was not surprised or upset by it; He knew it was coming, and He has a way prepared to care for us in spite of it. God is Good, and we can rest in Him.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Honor Your Parents

Today I read Exodus 19:14-21:13 and Mark 3:30-4:23. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

I have honored my earthly father for as long as he lived; and from now on, I will honor his memory as one of the greatest men of God that I have ever known. I am thankful that God allowed me to be raised by a man after His own heart. My mother, too, is a woman deserving of honor. She was a faithful wife for nearly 65 years and a Godly mother to her children. As we consider her future, her children and grandchildren are ready to do what is best for her because we love and respect her. So for all of you with ears, hear what God says—honor your parents if you wish to have a long life. I know that some children have earthly parents who may not be worthy of honor. I am sorry for that, but I know that we all have a Father in heaven who can change the way things are here on earth if we ask Him. But we must use our ears to listen to what He says, and we must obey.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Personal Update

I got caught up on reading my Bible through today.  I plan to start doing daily devotions again tomorrow.  Thank you for your patience during this past, difficult, week.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Daddy's Funeral

Today at 1:00 we are having my daddy's funeral.  My brother and sisters and I will be singing "Gone Home".  We miss him, but we know he truly has gone home and one day we will all be together again.  Pray for God's grace and strength for my mother and all of our family.  Thank you!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

I am still busy with my family making arrangements for my daddy's funeral.  I will be getting back to writing a daily devotion soon.  Thank you for prayers and concern.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Personal Note

This morning my Daddy died.  He was 86 years old and had lived a life of service to God for most of those years.  He was a deacon, teacher, church planter, and preacher at different times in his life.  I am grateful for the Christian legacy this man of God gave to me.  He is home with his heavenly Father and his Savior Jesus Christ.  I will miss him, but I know that I will be with him again some day and for eternity.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

God Is Watching

Today I read Exodus 1:1-3:1 and Matthew 25:20-26:2. My favorite verses are:

Exodus 2:8-9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

When the children of Israel were told to kill their boy babies, some of the women simply could not do so. One in particular fixed a waterproof basket for her baby and set it afloat in the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and felt compassion for him. She needed a woman to nurse the child; and, ironically, she asked his mother to take care of him and PAID her to do so. When our actions are pleasing to God, He will bless us; sometimes it will happen in surprising ways. Jesus reminds us that whenever we do either good or bad to other people, it is just as if we were doing it to Him. God is watching everything we do and listening to everything we say. I wonder if we would behave differently if we thought about that on a regular basis!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Watch

Today I read Genesis 49:6-50:26 and Matthew 24:42-25:19. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

God is involved in our lives. He wants to do good for us, and even when Satan or people create problems for us, God can turn it around for our good. Whether our circumstances are bad or good, we can trust God to care for us. And he wants us to be watching what goes on around us in this world because there will be signs to warn us when the end of time is near. We don’t know exactly when Christ will return to take his children home, but we are to be serving him faithfully so that we will not be caught off guard when he comes.

Friday, January 29, 2010

God's Word Is Eternal

Today I read Genesis 47:8-49:5 and Matthew 24:13-41. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 48:11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

God is faithful to His children. Jacob (Israel) had suffered much in his lifetime. One of his greatest sorrows was when he thought Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. He had grieved for him for years before he learned that Joseph was actually alive in Egypt. In the verse above, he rejoices that he not only saw his son Joseph again; but he also got to see Joseph’s sons. He gave God the glory for being able to see these grandsons. God had given his word to Jacob when he was a young man at Bethel that He would watch over him wherever he went. God kept that promise just as He keeps all His promises. In Matthew Jesus reminds us that His words are eternal. Heaven and earth will one day be destroyed, but the words of the Father and Son will be true forever! Read the written Word; commune with the Living Word in prayer. Be part of something eternal.

Obey and Be Blessed

Today I read Genesis 44:2-47:7 and Matthew 22:40-24:12. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Joseph knew what it meant to be led by God and used by God; he let his brothers know that they did not need to feel guilty for selling him into slavery. He knew that it was God’s plan for him to be in Egypt at that time to guide Pharaoh in the storing of food to save lives during the years of famine. Because he obeyed God even in difficult circumstances, God blessed him. Jesus spoke to the children of Israel living in Jerusalem during his ministry. He reminded them that He would have gathered them together and protected them if they had obeyed him. But they repeatedly disobeyed and robbed themselves of the blessings and care God wanted to give to them. Each of us must choose whether or not to obey God’s direction in our lives. Remember that obedience brings blessings!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Love the Lord

Today I read Genesis 42:23-44:1 and Matthew 22:11-39. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 43:29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment.

The greatest commandment we have is to love God. We show our love for God by loving people and treating them in ways that are pleasing to God. Joseph asked God’s blessing on his little brother. Joseph treated people the way God wanted him to in general, but he had a special love for this younger brother who he had been separated from years before. He wanted God to be gracious to Benjamin, and I think God heard and answered his prayer. If we love God and others as he commands, we will have the assurance that He hears and answers our prayers.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Believe and Receive

Today I read Genesis 40, 41, and 42:1-22; I also read Matthew 20:33-22:10. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 41:39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art.

Matthew 22:21 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

God is pleased with people like Joseph who are faithful to serve him even in adverse circumstances. Pharaoh recognized that God had revealed wisdom to and through Joseph. Because of that, Joseph was taken from prison to second-in-command of Egypt.

In Matthew we are all told to ask God for things when we pray; if we believe when we pray, we will receive what we ask for. I think that if we ask for something we know we should not have that we don’t really believe God will give it to us. Those things we truly believe in when we pray are the things pleasing to God. What a wonderful Father He is to allow us to have so many of our wants fulfilled as well as our needs!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Be Faithful to God

Today I read Genesis 38:3-39:23 and Matthew 20:4-32. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

We see that the Lord was with Joseph and made him fruitful even as a slave. God blessed Joseph, but that did not mean that he “lived happily ever after”. Life is not a fairy tale; there are problems to be overcome, but being faithful to God through the difficult times as well as the good times is commendable. That is the kind of life that Joseph lived, and in the end he was given power and riches and an abundant life. But he went through estrangement from his family, slavery, and imprisonment on his way to that outcome. The outcome of an abundant life takes on eternal significance in the light of what Jesus, the Son of man, did for us. He gave His life to ransom our souls; he bought our freedom from the slavery of sin. He lived humbly as a minister, or servant, to others; then He died a sacrificial death on the cross. Now all who accept His gift of salvation know that in spite of hardships faced in this life, the inevitable outcome is victory over death—eternal life in heaven with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Children

Today I read Genesis 36:31-38:2 and Matthew 19:5-20:3. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Dealing with children can be a very difficult proposition. The Bible has quite a lot to say about children. The first verse that I have chosen today illustrates a mistake some parents make, and its consequences. Jacob showed favoritism for his son Joseph over all his other children. Because of that, Joseph’s brothers hated him; they couldn’t even speak to him civilly. They wanted to be rid of him, and eventually they did capture him and sell him to foreigners as a slave. They told their father that he had been killed and caused their father years of inconsolable grief. Jesus, on the other hand, showed love and compassion for all children. He told the disciples to bring the children to Him and commented that “of such is the kingdom of heaven”. We are His spiritual children when we accept His gift of salvation, but little children who have not reached the age of accountability for their actions are innocent in His sight. Jesus loves children; he wants children to come to Him and learn from Him and become His spiritual children when they are old enough to seek salvation. Parents need to lead their children in that direction—teach them about Jesus and encourage them to be like him.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Communicate with God

Today I read Genesis 35:9-36:30 and Matthew 18:11-19:4. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 35:14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Do we remember when God speaks to us? He may speak through His word, the Bible, or through a pastor or teacher or Christian friend. We need to take note of the times that we hear from God. We may not set up physical monuments to mark those times, but we should remember them and take time to offer thanksgiving to God for them. Jacob poured out an offering in sacrifice to God for his care; we may simply offer praise and worship acknowledging God’s work in our lives. God also wants to hear from us; if two of His children agree—make a covenant—to ask Him for something, He will do what they ask. God loves us; He wants to communicate with us. He wants to bless us as we serve Him.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Meet God Anywhere

Today I read Genesis 33:9-35:8 and Matthew 17:9-18:10. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 35:3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Bethel means House of God; Jacob had a desire to return to that place where he had encountered God years before. But notice that God had not remained in Bethel all those years; He was with Jacob in the way he went. We can go to a church or other special place that we consider to be God’s dwelling place in order to feel close to God; but as His children, we can be close to God anywhere and at any time because He dwells within us! It is good to sometimes return to the place of our salvation or to a place where God helped us in a time of distress. We may feel a special closeness to God associated with the experience we had there originally. But always remember, God is omnipresent; He is everywhere! We do not have to go to any particular place to be near Him. It is the condition of our hearts that causes us to feel close to, or far away from, God.

The verse from Matthew is more closely related to yesterday’s comments than today’s. This verse supports the concept of children having Guardian Angels. If we despise (mistreat, abuse, neglect) little children, we may face the wrath of God because “their angels”—the angels who are responsible for the welfare of these children—stand before God in heaven. They are, no doubt, reporting to him what is happening to the children. God does not intervene immediately in many situations, but I believe He takes note of what is happening and remembers it. There will come a day when He will judge those whose actions have been reported to Him by the Guardian Angels.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Angels

Today I read Genesis 31:45-33:8 and Matthew 16:8-17:8. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

At Stained Glass Theatre we have begun rehearsals for The Outpouring which personifies angels and demons and dramatizes the conflict between them. God’s angels are messengers who watch over His children and bring them good news. Few people living today have seen angels, but they are working whether we see them or not. Some day, Christ will come WITH His angels to take His children home to heaven.

Monday, January 18, 2010

God Meets Our Needs

Today I read Genesis 30:37-31:44 and Matthew 15:18-16:7. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

God took care of Jacob in his business dealings with Laban. Jacob had promised to serve God, and he found God to be faithful in caring for him. God was watching over him and allowed him to return to his home a wealthy man rather than a pauper, cheated out of what was rightfully his. Jesus Christ responded to a foreign woman’s request in Matthew 15. He told her at first that He was sent to proclaim God’s kingdom to the children of Israel only; but because of this woman’s great faith, He honored her request and healed her daughter. Christ showed great compassion and faithfulness to the woman and her family just as God the Father did to Jacob and his family. He will do the same for us. If we come to God in faith, believing that He will meet our needs, HE WILL!

Be Faithful in Word and Work

Today (January 17) I read Genesis 29:21-30:36 and Matthew 14:25-15:17. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 30:28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Verse 28 is Laban saying to his son-in-law Jacob that he will pay whatever wages Jacob names. Laban had become prosperous through Jacob’s good management of his sheep and goats. He did not want Jacob to leave, so he offered to let Jacob “name his wages”. Faithful, trustworthy employees are often rewarded with promotions and better pay. God wants His children to be that kind of workers; we should work for our earthly employers as faithfully as we work for God. God wants us to draw near to Him with our hearts, not with deceitful words. A Christian’s words as well as his works should be pleasing to God.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Believe and Obey

Today I read Genesis 27:38-29:20 and Matthew 13:54-14:24. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Matthew 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

God is faithful to us; He keeps His promises. He never leaves us, but sometimes we leave Him. Sometimes we are unfaithful and go our own way instead of obeying God. If we refuse to believe God, He will not work His good will in our lives. If we obey and serve Him, He will bless us and keep us and bring us safely to our destination. Believe God today; follow Him and see what good things He has in store for you.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Generations

Today I read Genesis 26:22-27:37 and Matthew 13:25-53. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

Matthew 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

God has a great memory. He blessed Isaac, Abraham’s son, and Isaac’s descendants because of the good life Abraham lived. God blessed generations for the sake of one life lived in obedience to Him. Even when the descendants sinned against God and refused to obey Him, he continued to bless them for Abraham’s sake. For us today, it should be an encouragement to know that our lives can make a difference not only for our lifetime, but for generations to come. May we live in such a way that God can bless our descendants for our sake. And one day we have the promise that we will shine like the sun in God’s kingdom. All darkness will be banished and only the light will remain. Jesus reminds us again to listen. And we must not only listen, but also obey.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Use Those Ears

Today I read Genesis 25:5-26:21 and Matthew 12:46-13:24. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

Matthew 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Isaac sowed in the land where God told him to live, and he reaped as much again as he had sowed. God blessed him because he obeyed—he did what God told him to do. We can all share that kind of blessing if we do what Jesus said to his followers. God gave us ears for a reason; He wants us to listen to Him! His messengers will share with us words from God. If we listen and obey, God will bless us.

Good or Evil

Today (January 13) I read Genesis 24:21-25:4 and Matthew 12:16-45. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 24:56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

When God is guiding and blessing our lives, we want to keep busy about His business. When we are following His will, we have good treasure in our hearts; we can do good things because we are doing God’s things. If we are not following and obeying God’s leadership, our heart will harbor evil treasure and it will bring out evil things in our lives. If you are one who has never accepted the gift of salvation, you cannot follow God’s will until you are saved. You are condemned to bring forth evil, because a heart without God is an evil heart. Seek good; do good; treasure good things.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Rest in the Lord

Today I read Genesis 20:15-24:20 and Matthew 10:28-12:15. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Abraham exhibited great faith in God when he tied his son up and put him on the altar of sacrifice to kill him. God was pleased with Abraham’s act of obedience, but did not allow him to go through with the sacrifice. He provided a ram to sacrifice in place of Isaac, Abraham’s son. God will always bless obedience on the part of His children. He wants us to be able to find rest—not conflict, worry, sorrow, or any kind of wearisome burden. He will give us rest when we come to Him and accept it. Resting in the Lord is the perfect rest because He, after all, is in control of all situations; we do not have to help Him work things out for the best.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Mercy and Compassion

Today I read Genesis 17:11-20:14 and Matthew 9:6-10:27. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 19:16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

Matthew 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

The Lord is merciful to us even when we are disobedient. Mercy is sometimes defined as “not getting what we deserve”. We often deserve to be judged and disciplined by a righteous God; instead, He loves us and saves us from the penalties of sin. In the case of Lot and his family, the angels took them by the hand and led them out of Sodom before God destroyed the city. God wants to be our Shepherd and lead us away from things and places that are dangerous for us. He has compassion—a wonderful word conveying deep feelings of concern for our welfare. He loves us while we are yet in sin, and He offers us the gift of salvation by His Son Jesus Christ so that we can live in His presence and care for eternity. Alleluia!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Be Perfect

Today I read Genesis 14:21-17:10 and Matthew 8:10-9:5. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Matthew 8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

God expects more from us than we are willing to give in many instances. He told 99-year-old Abram to be perfect. But notice what precedes this; if we kept it in our mind at all times that we are walking before God—He is watching everything we do—we would be more likely to make right decisions. And if we always made decisions which meet with God’s approval, we would be perfect. Unfortunately, we forget or ignore the fact that our lives are open before the Almighty God, and we choose to do things that are not pleasing to Him. When He confronts us with our own sinfulness, we may be like the “whole city” referred to in Matthew. We may just ask Him to go away. Most of us are somewhere between these two extremes—we are not perfect, but we are not asking the Lord to go away and leave us alone. We try to please Him; and when we fail, we ask Him to forgive us and we try again. Hopefully, by the time we are 99 years old, we will be much closer to “perfect” than we are now.

The Rock

Today (January 7) I read Genesis 12:8-14:20 and Matthew 7:9-8:9. My favorite verses are:

Genesis 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Matthew 7:24-25 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

God makes really big promises. He didn’t offer Abraham a small plot of land; He gave him all the land he could see. And He didn’t just give it to him for his lifetime; it would go to his descendants as well. If we will listen to God and obey Him, we will be set on a strong foundation. The Lord Himself is the Rock on which Christians stand firm; nothing in this world can defeat us as long as we stay on the Rock.

Followers