To start off with, something from the Life Principles article for the January 1st reading, stood out since it was addressing my area of focus this year: "But we cannot fully love one another until we have ourselves experienced the love of God." In essence, obeying the greatest commandment enables us to obey the second. So, what I learned last year, can apply to this year; in that, I can learn to love others more by following God's example of love for me as well.
6-Jan: As I read Genesis 3:8, what a sad fact that our sin causes us to hide from the awesome and wonderful presence of the Lord. And then, after the flood in Genesis 9:1, God gave Noah essentially the same command as Adam & Eve: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth"; which showed that this was truly a new start. Sadly, man's sin nature manifested itself again in that very same chapter. God is truly gracious and patient.
9-Jan: As I was reading the story of Abram & Sarai, and the "mess" they made by pulling Hagar into the covenant that God had made with Abram; it reminded me that I am sometimes like that. I may know what God has said; but, I might second-guess and wonder how He would fulfill it or maybe take the path that I can see how it might be fulfilled instead of trusting God to do what He said, even if it seems "impossible".
10-Jan: Gen 18:14a "Is anything too difficult for the LORD?" clearly stood out in yesterday's devotional reading. In fact, we've seen variations of this Truth throughout Scripture, like when God asked Moses "Is the LORD's arm too short?"; or when the angel told Mary "For nothing is impossible with God!" God said it when Sarah laughed, not believing that she would be able to bear a child at her age; reminding me that I need to trust God in His promises and never forget that He is ABLE.
6-Feb:
- As Isaac was looking for a wife, Gen 24:63 says he went out to meditate, and when he lifted his eyes, he saw Rebekah riding on a camel. I get the sense that when he was "meditating", he was spending time with God in prayer; and it makes me wonder if seeing Rebekah at that moment was a direct answer to prayer.
- In Gen 29:35, when Leah gave birth, she said "This time I will praise the LORD" and named her son Judah, which means praise. After trying to find happiness in her husband, her children, she finally looks to God and gives praise to HIM. And interestingly, Judah is the one from whose line will be born the Messiah.
- In reading the story of Joseph in Genesis 41, we are reminded that we need to wait and trust in the LORD for His perfect timing and greater Plan; and that we can grow and be prepared, especially through dark times.
- In Exodus 5:22, when Moses said "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?" was exactly the passage I was thinking of as I was going through a situation in which this applied. It is just like God to bring me to this passage just a couple of days after the incident, to remind me that He is still at work even when we only see what appears to be our failings despite good intentions and obedience. We just need to wait for Him to "finish the story"
- Exodus 13:17-19 contain several good reminders - we might sometimes be led into the "wilderness" because God is protecting us from something far worse, in essence letting us go through only what we can handle. And Moses bringing the bones of Joseph out of Egypt showing Joseph's faith and assurance in God's promise of deliverance in bringing them back to the Promised Land.
15-Apr:
- Exodus 32:15 shows that the LORD can "change His mind" through intercession, when Moses pleaded for God not to destroy the Israelites for their sin
- Exodus 36:1 talks about skillful persons "in whom the LORD has put skill and understanding to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary". This shows that not only are our spiritual gifts given by God; but also our natural gifts, and both can be used for His service
- Psalm 25:16-17 stood out, for these verses reflect a common cry of my heart: "Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses."
- Deut 9:3 is a good reminder that God goes before us and enables us: "Know therefore today that it is the LORD your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the LORD has spoken to you."
- Deut 12:18 fits in with finding the "joy in living": "You shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all your undertakings"
- Joshua 6 - The victory over Jericho was not about blowing the trumpets, marching around the wall, shouting, or any of the specific things that the Israelites did. It was really all about OBEDIENCE. God already gave them victory, they just need to OBEY.
18-Jun:
- 2 Sam 24:10 shows that a heart sensitive to the Spirit will be troubled when we sin, for King David was troubled after numbering the people, and then asked for forgiveness
- One application of the story of the healed blind man in John 9 is really beautiful - that though we may face difficulties and have people who criticize, we have the hope that God can be glorified in our circumstances. And when we tell others what He has done in our lives, He will make us a great witness for Him!
- Similar to what God told Joshua, in 1 Kings 2:3, David encourages Solomon by reminding him that "success" comes from keeping God's commands
- 1 Kings 8:10 shows the presence of the LORD filling the Temple. Today, He lives in hearts of believers, and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with His Presence which should naturally result in worship
- 1 Kings 13:1 refers to one prophet only as a "man of God", never giving his name. Sometimes, we may be called to serve Him in quiet anonymity, but we can be assured that God knows our name and sees our service
- 1 Kings 19:2 is an example that great challenges often follow great victories. Elijah had just had his great victory on Mt Carmel, and directly afterwards, his life is threatened by Jezebel, which fills him with fear and causes him to run and hide in depression. Yet God provides for him and reminds him of His gentle Presence; and then in 2 Kings 1:10, we see that after time alone with God, Elijah is re-energized and boldly speaks to King Ahaziah without fear
- In John 15:11, Jesus says that His joy may be in us and our joy may be made full when we keep His commandments and abide in His love. Again, joy is linked to His presence, for we need to be abiding in Him; whereas, when we fail to keep His commandments, it hurts our relationship with Him
26-Jun:
- In 2 Kings 11:2, Satan tried to wipe out the Davidic line by using Queen Athaliah killing the royal offspring. But, God protected Joash and hid him in the house of the LORD for six years. This brings to mind that throughout history, Satan has also tried to destroy God's chosen people (e.g. during the time of Esther, the holocaust, etc)
- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26) - The devotional used this verse to describe "burnout", and we are reminded that we can "return to the Flame and be rekindled". Amen!
- In 2 Kings 19:19, King Hezekiah prayed for deliverance that "all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God". God heard his prayer and struck the Assyrians in a mighty way. What a reminder that "when we fight our battles on our knees, we win every time."
6-Jul:
- Typically, I don't find the genealogy passages in the Bible to be very interesting, but one verse in 1 Chron 7:24 stood out to me. It talked about Sheerah "who built lower and upper Beth-horon, also Uzzen-sheerah." Wow! In that time period among this very patriarchal culture, a woman is credited with building a couple of cities. There is not a lot of information on her, so there are not really any additional details. It just encouraged me that God does use some exceptional women in special ways.
- In Psalm 77:4, Asaph said "You have held my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak." This does bring to mind sleepless nights when something is troubling us deeply. And the "solution" the Psalmist gave came in vs 11 "I shall remember the deeds of the LORD...I will meditate on all Your work....You are the God who works wonders". This tells me that when we are troubled, we can focus on His Faithfulness and His ability to work wonders!
- In 1 Chron 13, after God struck down Uzza because he touched the ark, even in thinking to keep it from falling, vs 12a said that "David was afraid of God that day..." It was a terrible circumstance, and David had even gotten angry about it. But, out of the awful event, David was reminded to FEAR GOD, for He is Holy, that His commandments must be obeyed, and that He judges sin. And it may be that this is what led David to be even more careful in vs 15:2 when he gave careful instructions regarding the ark. We really must FEAR God, and remember that in His Holiness, He hates sin.
- In Acts 7:56, Stephen said he saw "the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God". The note in the devotional Bible made an interesting point that I had never really seen before, that when Jesus ascended to heaven, He "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; yet here, He is "standing", possible to greet this first Christian martyr. This demonstrates that Jesus is not just sitting and watching from heaven all that is going on with us; but, that He is actively involved and paying attention.
- 1 Chron 21:1 says "Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel." This is a reminder that our Enemy, the Devil, does stand against us and is actively trying to tempt us to fall into sin. In this case, he unfortunately succeeded with causing David to number Israel, thus incurring God's displeasure.
- The Acts 9 passage on the road to Damascus is an illustration of how God uses adversity to get our attention. Saul received a "wake-up call" when Christ got his attention on that road, and his life changed forever!
- 1 Chron 29:9 "Then the people rejoiced because they had offered willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart..." supports what God has reminded me of this past couple of months, that giving to God is a privilege and it brings us joy to be able to give back to Him, what He has first given to us.
19-Jul:
- 2 Chron 13:18b "The sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD the God of their fathers" & 2 Chron 14:7b "'The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him and He has given us rest on every side.' So they built and prospered"- Throughout Scripture, we see how God blesses and delivers those who trust in Him!
- 2 Chron 15:4 "But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him." - Another reminder that the who seek the LORD will find HIM!
- Psalm 81:8 was a reminder of how important it is to take the time to LISTEN to the LORD. This inspired me to just sit quietly in order to sense God's Presence and to listen to His small still voice
- 2 Chron 18:13 "But Micaiah said, 'As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.'" - the prophet Micaiah stood firm against pressure to speak favorable words to the king, and did not waver in speaking the words God gave him, so much so that the king hated him and identified him as one who "never prophesies good" concerning him. Yet, Micaiah spoke the truth and vindicated in his proclamation of disaster against the king, when "a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king" (2 Chron 18:33) - no matter what man does to the contrary, God's Word will come to pass
- Acts 16:30-31 clearly tell us how to be saved: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."
- 2 Chron 20:15b "The battle is not yours but God's" - This truth is an echo of that seen in Joshua's battle against Jericho and in David's battle against Goliath. No enemy can stand when He is leading us in battle.
- 2 Chron 24 - The story of Joash is one that ends tragically. As a baby, God preserved him from death by hiding him in the temple with Jehoiada the priest. In the beginning of his reign, he "did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest". BUT, after Jehoiada dies, Joash abandons God and served idols. At the death of Joash, he was so despised, especially for the murder of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, that he was not allowed to be buried in the tombs of the kings. There are so many lessons to learn from this story - to continually have good influence of godly people in our lives, to be able to stand firm in our own faith and not depend on others, and to be faithful to the end.
6-Aug:
- Manasseh is generally remembered as an evil king, but, when God brought the Assyrians to capture him, "he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." And God heard his prayers, and it said, in 2 Chron 33:13b "..Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God"; and the following verses showed him making changes consistent with his restored relationship with the LORD.
- In Ezra 8:22-23, I was reminded that Ezra lived out his trust in God, just as he had declared; ensuring that his actions were consistent with his words, even in light of danger from the enemies
- In Nehemiah, the people had drifted from the LORD, and we are reminded that some signs of drifting are: 1) losing interest in God's Word, 2) neglecting Prayer, 3) losing interest in Church, 4) not giving time or money, 5) not sharing Jesus with others, and 6) no longer feeling close to God
- Nehemiah 13:26 demonstrates clearly why believers are not to marry unbelievers, maybe even more so than the unequally yoked passage, for here it tells us "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin."
25-Oct:
- Related to the Book of Job, we are reminded that "God Limits Our Adversity". There are times when it may seem like our sorrow will never pass, but, it will. God will only allow a trial to continue until it accomplishes His purpose in our lives; and He will bring it to an end according to His timetable.
- Ecclesiastes 5:19 reminds me of the that what God has given us, we are to use it to bless others - the picture is one of a funnel rather than an container
- In 1 Corinthians 11:26, it says that when we partake in the Lord's Supper, we "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes", which tells us that it is not only a remembrance of what Christ did for us on the cross, but also should help us to look forward to His Return
- Isaiah 3:10-11 is a clear statement that the righteous will be rewarded with the "fruit of their actions"; but the wicked will get what they deserve
- Related to Psalm 107:9 that God satisfies our soul, the devotional tells us that means God fulfills all our needs - belonging (in His family), worth (ransom paid by Christ), and competence (enabled by the Holy Spirit). This reminds me of Valued, Able, and Loved.
17-Nov:
- Isaiah 30:1 describes the rebellious as those who execute plans that are not God's....that's convicting
- 2 Corinth 9:8 essentially says that God gives to us that we may give to others; and points to Life Principle#23 that "You can never outgive God"
- What Paul said in 2 Corinth 11:28 about "the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches" resonated with me, because I sometimes feel "pressure" out of my concern for those in my class also
- Isaiah 43:7 says that we have been created for His glory, which tells me that our purpose is to manifest God' majesty and reflect who He is
- What a beautiful promise in Isaiah 43:20 "I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people." And as the devotional pointed out, it also means that God does not promise to keep us out of the "wilderness" or "desert", but that He will provide what we need to sustain us through it
- In Galatians 4:9, Paul said "I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you", and as the devotional pointed out, the goal is not just to "sin less" or "do better", it is total transformation until we reflect Jesus. That's convicting....
- Eph 3:13 is an encouragement not to "lose heart at my tribulations", a reminder that God has a purpose through it all
- Isaiah 58:10 is a really good verse to encourage reaching out to those in need: "And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted. Then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday"
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