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Day 5--Read 2 Corinthians 5:7.
How do you see to get around? On "Day 1" our Scripture was Psalm 119:11. That verse
speaks of God's word being our light and our lamp. Obviously we don't see a little beam of physical light from
a flashlight shining on the physical path we are walking. So what does that verse mean by a light and a lamp?
Well, today's verse in 2 Corinthians speaks of the area God's word lights up for us. As we study God's word, our faith
grows. It lights our spiritual pathway. We should not always depend on what we see with our physical eyes.
There are many things in this world which look good but which can lead us down the path to destruction.
Make a
habit of letting the Holy Spirit tell you where to walk instead of depending on the looks of things around you.
Let your light shine from inside.
Begin each day asking God to help your faith see where you should go.
Pray for His guidance right now.
Day 6--Do you ever have trouble deciding
what is most important in your life? You know that you really need many things, but you're not always sure what you
need most and what you should get first.
Jesus's words in Matthew 6:33 can give us the sure answer to this dilemna.
He says that we must first seek God's Kingdom and His Righteousness. Then the rest of the verse says that we won't have
to worry about those other things. God will make provision for us. He will guide us into all the other things
we need. Does this mean that we never have to work? Of course not. It does mean that He is with
us and has already provided what we need and will show us what it is and how to get it when the time comes.
Ask God today to show you what is important in life and to help you desire these things. After you pray this, trust
Him to show you all the rest that you really need when the time comes for you to have it. Ask Him to help you develop
the patience you need as a young person so that you will not be overanxious and try to run ahead of God.
Day 7--Read Luke 5:32 and answer one question
before we go on. Did Jesus come for you and me?
If I read this Scriptures correctly (and its meaning seems
rather obvious to me), He did come for us. In fact, He even came for the people who were there when He said those words.
There were always people following Jesus around. Many were there to learn from Him and to get to know Him,
but there were many who were trying to trip Him up on His own words. They were self-righteous and thought they knew
the Old Testament Scriptures from Genesis to Malachi. Their problem was that they could read the words on their scrolls,
but they had not one clue of what they meant.
It was to that group that Jesus directed the words, "I didn't
come to call righteous people to repent. I came to call the sinners to repent."
Sadly, there
are many people around us today who think that they can save themselves. They don't think they need a Savior.
Tell God in prayer today that you know you need Him. Ask Him to show you whatever sins you have in your
life for which you should repent and ask His forgiveness.
Day 8--Take time right now to stop and read
the entire chapter of Romans 10. Isn't this an amazing part of God's Word?
Now let's zero in on the
seventeenth verse. We talk a lot about faith and how important it is that we have it. We know that the writer
of Hebrews tells us that, if we want to please God, we must have faith. We know that Paul tells us that God has given
the "measure" of faith to each man. Well, how do we get it?
Verse 17 tells us how we get faith.
It is by hearing the word of God which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can hear it by listening to sound preaching
which I hope you hear in your local church. You can also hear it with your eyes as you read the Bible. You can
hear it as you listen to your elders and even many of your contemporaries speaking the words of the Gospel, the words of faith.
Whatever you do take every opportunity to help your faith grow.
As you pray talk to God about helping you
understand Him better so that your faith will increase.
Day 9--How do you pray? When do you
pray? Do you assume a certain position to pray? One, two, or all three of these questions will probably come into
your mind as you read 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Some people think that they must be kneeling down to pray. Others
think that they must have their hands folded to pray. Some think that they must bow their heads and close their eyes
to pray. Others open their eyes and look Heavenward. Some people have their open Bibles in their hands or laps
as they pray and like to quote Scripture as they talk with God. There are some people who say that they must pray aloud,
and there are others who pray silently.
Now read 1 Thessalonians 5:17. When does Paul say that we
should pray? Does "without ceasing" mean what it says? (Other popular versions say "be instant
in prayer" or "never stop praying".) Does this mean that we are to go around all the time with our eyes
closed and be muttering and murmuring as we go. Of course not, we are to be ready to breathe a prayer to God whenever
we see a need.
Don't stop having set times to pray--early morning, mealtime, bedtime, etc. These are very
important times for us to really get down to business with God. But pray as you see situations--passing ambulances,
firetrucks, or other emergency vehicles; news stories on tv, radio, or in the newspaper; just things we hear or think about
as we see others during the day. These are situations for which we should immediately pray. Then, as God calls
them to mind during more "formal" prayer times, we can pray for the sitautions in more detail.
Today
ask God to help you tune your senses in to be more aware as you see things that need prayer.
Day 10--Read 2 Chronicles 20:21. If
you are like me, you can breathe a huge sigh of relief from just reading this verse. His mercy truly does endure forever.
To realize just how secure we are in God's mercies, read Romans 8:38-39. "Nothing" there means exactly zero,
zilch, nada, none. Nothing can separate us from God's love through Christ Jesus. God's mercy just keeps on going
and going. He never stops loving us and being merciful to us.
Now spend the day praising Him in every situation
(yes, even the negatives) that you bump into all day long.
Ask God to help you today as you work on praising Him.
Ask Him to remind you of all you have for which to praise Him.
Day 11--In 2008, the Birmingham News, ran
as the feature article in its religion section the report of what makes teenagers happy. The headline read,
"Religious youngsters happier than nonbelievers, poll finds." As soon as I saw it, I showed it to three Christian
young people; and they agreed that it is true for them. Amazing, isn't it? The world is learning something that
we have known for a long time. Don't you agree that you are happier than some of your friends who are not believers?
With that in mind, read today's Scripture (Psalm 37:4) and just enjoy God's presence in your life today. "Delight"
in Him, not to get Him to give you what you want, but because you enjoy His presence in your life.
Thank God today
that you can enjoy fellowship with Him. Thank Him that He does give you the "desires of your heart".
Day 12--Mark gives a shorter version of the
"Great Commission" than Matthew does; but, if you went through our Mark study, you know that Mark's Gospel seems
to move along at a faster pace than the others.
Today's verse is Mark 16:15. It doesn't tell us what
to do if we want to. It tells us the job of every disciple (follower, learner) of Jesus Christ. We are to spread
the Gospel to all the world.
Some of you readers will undoubtedly be sent physically to other lands or to
other parts of the United States to share the message of Jesus; others will be called to share as you may be called to preach
the Gospel; and others will be called to give your monetary resources to spread the story that Jesus Christ came into the
world and died on the cross to save us. However you are called by God, you are to respond by helping spread the word
that Jesus is alive and ready to save all who come to Him.
Thank God that you have been commissioned by Him to
spread the Gospel.
Day 13--Two days ago, our Scripture said that
we should "delight" ourselves in the Lord. To me, I can delight myself in Him by having close fellowship with
Him. I just asked myself a question that would be good for you to ask yourself, "With whom do I really enjoy fellowship?"
Before you go making a list of all your friends, just think in these simple terms. We have closer fellowship
with people nearest us, don't we?
Okay, then, if I am to delight myself in the Lord, I must be close to
Him.
James 4:8 says that, if we will draw near God, He will draw near us.
Do you remember
the story of the Good Samaritan? After the young man had spent all his money and had found only a demeaning job, he
decided to go home. As he approached his home and was near enough to be seen coming down the road, his father literally
ran to meet him. That father is just like God. If we move toward God, He will run to meet us.
As you pray today, work on drawing closer and closer to Him. In return, you should feel Him coming closer and closer
to you. If you don't feel Him coming toward you, stop talking so much in your prayer and listen for His "still
small voice". Then relax and enjoy God today.
Day 14--Can you depend on yourself to always
make the right decisions? Well, the wisest man who ever lived didn't think he could depend on himself. In fact,
when he was about to become the king of Israel, Solomon prayed for wisdom.
Read Proverbs 3:5. When Solomon
wrote these words, he included himself in the "thine" ("your") when he said not to trust in your own understanding.
By the way, when Solomon prayed for wisdom, God gave it to him. He'll do the same for the rest of us if we will
ever learn to pray for that wisdom and understanding in our own lives.
Pray today that God will give you wisdom
so that you will know what to do with the knowledge you gain.
Day 15--Have you ever heard someone say, "Well,
all we can do now is pray"? I'm sure you have heard it many times. Could it be that the people who say this
actually do things in the wrong order?
Think about it. We should pray first. BUT,
if we do get into frustrating situations, God will hear us and He never forsakes His children. Read Psalm
120:1.
I remember hearing a Sunday School teacher back in the "olden days of my own youth" say over
and over that a clock maker's first task each morning was to go around his shop and wind all the clocks so that
they would run all day long. She used this as an example that we should begin our days with prayer before we got into
those sticky situations from which we sometimes feel that there is no escape.
As you pray this morning, ask God
to take charge of your day. Ask Him to be with you through the easy times and through your "times of distress".
Remember that He does hear you and is not going to leave you out there dangling.
Day 16--Did you know that there
is a bird who does not really fly, but he can be found in the sky above most other birds? You need to understanding
what is meant by "flying" here. Flying in this instance means the motion that comes from a bird flapping his
wings most of the time. The eagle, on the other hand, uses his powerful widespread wings to begin his trip and then "soars"
or seems to coast through the air effortlessly.
"Effortlessly" is the key word in the
paragraph. Think about the effortlessly soaring eagle as you read Isaiah 40:31. In fact, go back and read
verse 30 and then 31.
Okay, this calls for that "p" word we don't like to use. God's
timing is not our timing. We must wait patiently upon the Lord. Then we will be strengthened and able
to walk and run EFFORTLESSLY.
Today talk to God about your patiently waiting on Him. Acknowledge
to Him that you know He is patient with you and ask Him to help you do better in this area yourself. Tell
Him that you want His strength so that you can do whatever you need to do without growing faint and weary.
Day
17--What do the words "submit" and "submission" mean to you?
Sometimes we want
to think of ourselves as the "captains of our own ships" and as the "masters of our own fates", but is
this God's plan for us? Read James 4:7.
Today's Scripture tells us that we must SUBMIT to God.
Submission here is total without holding any part of our lives back to keep under our own control. It further tells
us that we are to RESIST Satan and all his ways. The devil will flee from us if we resist him. The catch here
is that we cannot resist the devil under our own strength. If we are submitted totally to God, He stands between
us and whatever temptation is thrown at us. Satan cannot stand in the face of God. He will run like the proverbial
"scared rabbit".
Talk to God in your prayer time today. Talk to Him about submitting to Him totally,
perhaps for the first time in your life. Ask Him to help you in your resistance of the devil. Thank Him that He
is always with you to help you in times of temptation.
Day 18--Read Matthew 4:17.
If
you think that the Kingdom of Heaven is a place where Christians will live eternally when they die physically, you are right.
BUT there's more to it than that. From the moment of your salvation, you begin living in the Kingdom in some ways.
You are still walking around here on earth, but you are also a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
When
Jesus was speaking these words, He was talking to people about repentance--being sorry for their sins, asking forgiveness,
and turning around and leaving their lives of sin. That's the way we all enter the Kingdom of Heaven, through repentance.
If you have never gone to God in repentance and asked Him to forgive you of your sins through the power of the
blood Jesus shed on the cross, there is no better day than today to do it. If you are already saved, you have undoubtedly
committed sins that still need to be forgiven; so now is a good time for you to claim the promise in 1 John 1:9.
Day 19--I know that you have really not established
the home you will lead some day, but you can now formulate a plan for that family. Awesome thought, isn't it?
You will one day be the parent and will be in the position to make decisions just like your mom and dad are for you now.
First of all, it's okay for you and your spouse to be second in command at home; but you really should give some
thought to your not being "in charge" completely. It might be good to think of your home as being a
house full of servants. You can be the foreman, the head servant, the one who directs the others in what they should
do.
If you wonder Who should be in charge of the whole operation, read Joshua 24:15. You need to make
the same statement Joshua made, the decision that you and your family will serve God. Give God charge of your personal
life and the life of your family.
As you continue to mature, try quoting this Scripture every day. By the
time you have married and moved away from your parents, you will have it ingrained into your very being.
You are
not the head of your house now, so you can't tell everyone what to do; but you can begin praying right now that God will show
you how you can serve Him in your personal life even now. Commit your life right now to Him as you pray.
Day 20--Do you ever feel bubbly happy? Perhaps you just have a smile on your face and a song in your heart, and you
really don't know why you feel that way. Let me suggest that you don't feel so good by accident. The Lord, the
Rock of our salvation, makes you have these feelings. And why not? He has saved us and given us a whole book full
of promises that He means only good for us. Now doesn't that put a smile on your face and a song in your heart?
Read Psalm 95:1. Since the psalmist uses the pronouns "us" and "our", invite others
to share your joy and to recognize the joy they should be experiencing.
Pray a prayer of praise, thanksgiving,
and excitement to the Lord. Sing and make a joyful noise to the Lord. Enjoy His fellowship today and just go around
praising Him all day long.
Day 21--Read Matthew 11:29. Can you get the picture Jesus has drawn with
His words here? Have you ever seen an ox yoke? Possibly not.
My grandmother had a distant cousin whose
house we passed every time we went to town. In their yard on a corner lot, they had a yoke for a decoration. (No
oxen, just the yoke.)
A yoke consists of a cross bar over the top and two circles on either side.
Each animal of the pair has his head through one of the circles. They are the same size and cause the animals to move
together as they work. One cannot pull away from the other because the yoke keeps them going the same way together.
In the verses that surround the one you just read, Jesus is speaking about our times of weariness and feeling burdened.
He invites us to yoke up with Him and move in the same direction at the same time as He is going. If we don't try to
pull in the opposite direction, yoking up with Him makes our burdens lighter and we have a feeling of peace, a rest for our
souls.
Pray today about yoking up with our Lord. God is waiting for you to submit to moving through life
with Him instead of continuing to try to go your own way.
Day 22--Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the
pure in heart; for they shall see God."
The word "heart" here is not referring to that pump
that sends your blood throughout your body. In Biblical writing, your heart is what makes the real you. It is
your whole spirit, mind, emotions, and being.
Now how can we see God? By having a heart that is pure
before Him. No, we cannot make our own hearts pure; but we can be pure in heart through what Jesus did for us on the
cross of Calvary. His blood washes us clean so that He can present us to His Father clean throughout.
Do
you want a pure heart? Do you long to see God? If you feel like you can never attain this, remember that it doesn't
depend on what you do. It depends on what Jesus has already done for you. The only thing you have to do is accept
the gift.
If you don't feel clean and pure, tell God about it. He can show you how to have a "spiritual
bath". Do whatever He tells you to do.
Day 23--Luke 8 contains a parable Jesus told about a farmer
going out to sow seed. In the story, He tells the various places the seed fell. Some fell on good soil
and thrived. Other seed fell on infertile ground and did not grow well.
Read the whole story in Luke 8:4-15 first
and then go back and look again at the eleventh verse and see what the "Seed" is in this story.
You have had many chances to hear God's word. What kind of soil are you? If the Seed is the word of God, then
we are the soils.
You probably are like me. You need to improve your soil. Talk to God today about
being soil in which His word grows 24/7, not just on Sunday while you are in Sunday School and worship.
Day
24--Who is your best buddy? Is he someone you can trust completely with your deepest secrets? Is he someone who
gives you only good advice? Is he someone who loves you as much as he does himself? Is he someone who wants your
good above his own?
Well, whether you answered all, some, or none of these questions with "yes", you
do have one Friend who loves you just that much. In fact, He loves you so much that He died so that you could spend
eternity with Him.
Read Proverbs 18:24 and see just how close this Friend can be to you. His name is Jesus.
He does love you completely even when you don't respond appropriately to that love.
Don't you love Him?
Tell Him today just how much you love Him and how thankful you are that He is sticking close to you.
Day 25--We can take it as a command rather than
a request because it's mentioned so many times over and over in Scripture. Yes, we are definitely told to "praise
the Lord".
Who should praise Him? Psalm 150:6 says it concisely and straight to the point.
"Praise, ye, the Lord." Read the whole psalm and then go back and soak in the excitement of the
words of the sixth verse.
Begin your day with a prayer of praise and spend the rest of the day lifting
constant praise to Him in all you do and say.
Day 26--One way to interpret today's Scripture
in our language might be this way. "Calm down. Realize Who is in charge."
Now read Psalm
46:10 and decide for yourself how you would say it.
The entire Psalm 46 is an expression
and celebration of the Hebrew people that God is in control and that He will ultimately triumph. The city of Jerusalem
will be saved by Him for His people. (Has anyone been reading today's headlines?) As the people celebrate
God's triumph amidst the uproarious confusion of the nations of the world, God seems to break through their noise and say,
"Okay. That's enough. Just quiet down and realize that I am God the Lord. I will be exalted."
Read the entire psalm with that in mind. Remember what you have read whenever those times of frustration
come your way. I may have left my teenage years behind over fifty years ago, but I can still remember thinking
every situation that was not going my way was a major crisis. (Want to know the truth? I still have those
times of frustration myself, even at this advanced age.)
It will probably come as no surprise to know that Martin
Luther based the words of "A Mighty Fortress" on the text of this psalm.
Pray a prayer of confidence
and thanksgiving today. The more you confess confidence in God's control of world situations and the smaller situations
in your own world the more your faith in what you are saying will grow within your spirit. Thank God that He is
in charge and that He never changes. Thank Him for His protection.
Day 27--Have you ever been in the middle of a verbal battle with someone and couldn't
figure how to get out of it without having to admit total defeat? There is a way.
Now, I'm not telling you
to go around having arguments. Often they produce no good whether you are right or wrong. The biggest thing that
comes out of them sometimes is a new enemy who was possibly once a friend.
Read Proverbs 15:1. If
you want to disarm and surprise someone who is arguing with you, lower your voice and speak gently to him. He will usually
calm down and realize that you no longer want to dispute the matter. On the other hand, the second part of the verse
is equally true. The more you argue, the more angry both you and your disagreeing friend will become. You are
in danger of driving a permanent wedge between you.
Be careful how you show that you disagree
with someone. If the matter is important and you are right, go ahead and tell the other person; but do it quietly and
respectfully. Acknowledge to him that you understand that his opinion has merit and then quietly and without anger
explain your point of view.
Ask God in prayer today to help you handle disputes with your friends as they
arise.
Day 28--One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Romans 8. Take a few minutes to read through
the entire chapter right now.
If you have accepted Jesus's gift of salvation to you because of His death
on the cross, you are one of the "many brothers" mentioned in verse 29. Paul is describing you in verse 30.
That's you: predestined, called, justified, and glorified. Wow!
Now today we are zeroing in on verse
31. If God has done all this for us through His Son Jesus Christ, He sure must be for us. Remembering that God
is omnipotent (all-powerful), you answer the question for yourself? "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
Well, since there is certainly not anyone as powerful as God, we can know that we have the Winner on our side.
Now to see how Paul answered the question in this chapter, read on to the end.
Go
about the day now remembering that NOTHING can separate you from God's love.
I think you know what you need
to pray today. Two things: Thank Him that He is for us and ask Him to help you remember that He will always
love you no matter what.
Day 29--Do you ever need help with anything? Of course, you do. We need
help all the time.
My Bible has the title "The Helper of Israel" at the beginning of Isaiah
41. Throughout the entire text of this chapter, Isaiah uses many examples of God's help to His people throughout
Old Testament times.
We can take these words as our own to comfort us in modern day America. Look
at verse 13. Picture yourself walking along throughout the day today. Picture God holding your hand. He
is holding your stronger hand (for most of us, our right hands). He walks with us into each situation as the hours
click away on the clock. He keeps repeating the last few words of this verse over and over in your ear,
"Fear not; I will help thee."
Talk to God today about your need to feel His presence with you.
Ask Him to keep repeating these words to you as you go about your day.
Day 30--Read Philippians 1:6. Now, here is
a question for you. Who is the He mentioned in this verse? If you answered God, you made 100 on this one-question
test.
God began that "good work" when He made the plan to send His Son Jesus to live on earth
and to die on the cross for your salvation. When you opened your heart to Jesus and accepted what He did on the cross,
the good work was begun in you. God will continue to "perform it" until the "day of Jesus Christ".
He will continue to work in you until either Jesus returns to call His church to Heaven or until the day when you die and
go to meet Him there.
So you see you are a work in progress. God is continually working within you
for your good and for your maturing as His child.
Thank Him today that He does not give up on you and will
not give up on you until He has completed the work He has begun in you.
Day 31--One of my favorite verses
is 2 Timothy 1:7.
I live alone, and it gets to be quite frustrating (and I think ridiculous) for people
to be constantly asking me, "Do you ever get scared living alone in your house?"
Well, my answer is always
the same. I say, "No." Then I usually quote this verse to
them. Read it and see why I like
to quote it as an answer to these questions.
Now this doesn't mean that we should stupidly put ourselves into dangerous
situations. This verse reminds me rather that I should not live in constant fear that something will
happen.
Okay, now let's get down to the nitty-gritty here. Timothy, to whom Paul wrote this letter,
was a young preacher whom Paul had trained. This second letter to Timothy may have been Paul's last letter to anyone.
Paul was giving the younger man final instructions on how to handle his job. When he spoke of a "spirit of fear",
Paul was actually speaking of a "spirit of timidity" that may have been a problem of Timothy's. He was actually
telling him to be bold and fearless in proclaiming the Gospel and handling the affairs of the church.
Ask
God to help you be a bold Christian, one who is not shy about proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to those around you.
Day
32--Read Exodus 20:7.
Some parents literally wash their children's mouths out with soap whenever the kids
say God's name in a meaningless way. Well, my parents never did this; but they would have been quick to punish me if
I had ever done this within their earshot.
"In vain" means in a meaningless way. Watch out about saying
"God" or "Jesus" when something happens. One good rule is to use Their names only when
you are praying or when you are saying good things about the Father and His Son.
Some people long
ago made up a few words which sound like God in order to have something to say whenever they were tempted to say "God"
in the wrong situation. What do you think about using these words? (One ends in "sh" and the other
ends in "lly".) Is there any real difference in saying one of these words and saying God's name? Probably
not. We all need to remove these two other words from our vocabularies also.
I'll make a deal
with you. If you try hard not to say them, I will too. Let's pray for each other that we clean up our speech.
The Holy Spirit can help you control your speech. That's why He lives inside the believer. He's there
to help us with our weaknesses. Ask God today to have His Holy Spirit help you control your tongue.
Day
33--Read Matthew 5:5, and then we can talk about the meaning of being "meek" before God.
Meek in this
verse doesn't mean someone who bows down to others. The kind of meekness Jesus is talking about here is meekness before
God. In other words, Jesus is telling us of the great inheritance we can have if we humble ourselves before Him.
We need to have the attitude that John the Baptist had when he said, "I must decrease so that He (Jesus)
might increase." In other words, we are to humble ourselves to God.
We should live a life of
humility, acknowledging God as the source of all good around us. Whenever we are given those "pats on the back"
that we enjoy, we should reflect credit to God rather than absorbing it for ourselves.
It is not easy to live a
life of humility. We like to feel our own importance and be given credit for whatever good we may do. It takes
prayer and lots of it to live a life of meekness before our Heavenly Father. Talk to Him today about your need to humble
yourself before Him. He will not force you to bow down. As you pray, submit yourself to Him in meekness and humility.
Day 34--In Ephesians 6:10-19, we find the armor that Christians should wear as they fight spiritual battles
for God. Our weapon is to be Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, the Bible (verse 17).
God is omnipotent
(all-powerful), and He is on the side of His children. But our enemies are powerful, and the battles we fight are tough.
However, the Sword we carry is stronger and more powerful than any weapon the enemy can throw our way.
Read
Hebrews 4:12 and see just how quick, sharp, and powerful this Sword is.
Thank God today that He has given
us a powerful weapon to use as needed. Ask Him to help you learn to use it effectively. That's one of the purposes
of the Holy Spirit. He is here to teach us what we need to know.
Day 35--I want you to read (YES, READ) today's verse a couple
of times at least. You'll know why the upper case when you see what the verse is.
Read John 3:16. Think
seriously about what Jesus is saying as He speaks to Nicodemus here. His message here is that God loved us so much,
even before anyone alive now was ever born, that He sent His very own Son to live here on earth and to die to shed His blood
to wash us clean from all of our sins.
Now read the verse again and this time personalize it. Read it this
way "God so loved _________(your name) that He gave His only Begotten Son that if _______________(your name again) would
believe in Him, he/she would have everlasting life."
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, called this verse
the "Gospel in a Nutshell". This verse sums up how much God loves you.
Thank Him today for allowing
His Son to pay the price for your sins.
Day 36--In
you twentieth chapter of Second Chronicles, you can read the story of King Jehoshaphat as he led his people in victory over Moab
and Ammon. The task seemed ominous. These were people who had not allowed the children of Israel to pass through
as they had journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land in the past.
As the armies came from Edom toward this
area, the people of Judah came together to seek God's guidance against them. When they were assembled, Jehoshaphat led
them in prayer (verses 5-12) seeking God's guidance like David and Solomon had done in the past.
The answer
from God came through one of the men, Jahaziel. The Lord's answer can be found in 2 Chronicles 20:15. Read that
verse today.
Now look at the steps that led to victory again. First, Jehoshaphat prayed. He told God
specifically just how things were for him and his people. Next, he and the others waited for an answer. Then,
God sent the answer.
What can we learn from this? No. 1. We should pray about our situations.
No. 2. We should await God's answer as we read His Word. No. 3. We should follow the answer when we
find it. Notice that Ahaziel won't be around to give you God's answer, but you have a Bible which has the answer if
you will read it.
Thank God today that He has taken charge and will lead you through all your battles, whether
they be problems with your family or friends or at school or wherever you are in whatever situation. God will take charge
of your life if you will follow His way.
Day
37--In John 15:18-25, Jesus is talking to His disciples about what they can expect as they spread the Gospel and live according
to His teachings. He says that it will not be an easy life. In fact, He even says that the people of the world
will hate them because they hate Him and do not know His Father (God) Who sent Him. Read that paragraph to see what
I mean.
Today's verse from the candy jar is Matthew 5:11. At the end of the Beattitudes, Jesus tells His
listeners that it will be a blessing to be so different from the rest of the world's people but that they will suffer persecution
and ridicule for it. Where are we today in this? Are we likely to be persecuted and ridiculed for our stand with
Him?
Ask God today to help
you have the courage to be different, so different others notice your differences and will desire to know your Heavenly Father
for themselves.
Day
38--Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat one day and went ashore in the town of Capernaum. When He landed, He
was met by a group of men carrying a paralytic on a mat. The paralyzed man and his bearers had so much faith that it
was easily recognized by Jesus. Apparently, the man's paralysis was somehow related to his sins. Read what
Jesus said to the man in Matthew 9:2.
We may not all be paralyzed physically, and our physical problems may not
be caused by our sins. But we all need forgiveness everyday because we all keep on sinning daily. If we go to
Jesus in faith, He will tell us also, "Take heart, your sins are forgiven."
Talk today to God about whatever
little (or even big) sins you have recently committed for which you have not asked forgiveness yet. If you're having
trouble remembering what you need to ask Him to forgive, pray Psalm 139:24-25. Wait for Him to show you. Talk
to Him about them. Wait for His response. He WILL forgive if you ask in FAITH.
Day 39--If you had to choose God's most important characteristic, what
would it be? Now, think hard. Think about how He feels about us. Think about His reason for sending His
Son to live here on earth and to die on the cross.
The answer is the best four-letter word
in the world. It is LOVE. God loves us. In fact, His very essence is love. There are no limits
to that love where we are concerned. Read Romans 8:38-39. That Scripture tells us that none of those bad
things can keep God's love from reaching us. Wow! That's how great His love is.
Probably one of the
first Scriptures you ever memorized was "God is Love." That's really only the last part of our verse for today.
Read all of 1 John 4:8. Read the first part a couple of times or until it really sinks into your brain and
your spirit. Be careful whenever you say that you don't love someone. This verse tells you where that puts you
in your feelings toward God. You can't even selectively choose whether to love good people and not love bad people. We
must love like God loves. He loves all people but does not love some of their ways. We must do the same, love
everyone but not love all their ways. This is hard to do when some people seem to be so unlovable.
Talk
to God today about your need to love all others. His Spirit can teach your spirit to love them.
Day 40--Today's verse is a statement of something we all know but of
which we all need frequent reminding. It's Psalm 92:1. Read it. Say it over to yourself several times now
and throughout the day today. Don't you agree 5,000% with it? Think about it. It IS a wonderfully good thing
to continually go around with a song of praise to the LORD in your heart. As a matter of fact, take it out of your heart
and sing aloud the wondrous praises that you have for Him.
Make your praises to Him your prayer today. Tell
Him how much you love Him and how you appreciate His care for you.
Day 41--If you enter a completely
dark room and don't know where the light switch is, what do you need to carry with you? I know that by now you are ready
to answer this way, "Stupid, you would need to have either a lit candle or a flashlight."
While
I don't approve of calling anyone "stupid", I think the name would be extremely appropriate for me in this situation
if I didn't already know the answer.
Think of another situation. What do most people have on their
bedside tables? A lamp maybe. What is the purpose of the lamp? Of course, to give light.
In order
to find our way through spiritual matters, we also need a lamp to give us light.
Read Psalm 119:105.
We have a Lamp to give us Light in every situation. That Light-giving Lamp is the Bible, God's Word.
Thank
Him today for His Written Word, the Bible.
Day 42--I never knew who did it, and it is probably just
as well. However, when I was a young adult, I played the piano at my church. One night I opened the piano and
noticed some words crudely cared into the wood. They words said, "You can't play." Having shortly before
graduated from a college with one of the most respected music departments in the country, I chose not to take it personally.
The important question here is this. How are we to treat God's House of Prayer (the name He gave His Church)
and the things inside it which are used for His glory?
When Jesus reached the city of Jerusalem for
the last time before His crucifixion, He entered the temple area and found things going on there that were not right.
Read Mark 11:15 to see what was going on and what He did about it.
Your body is now a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Ask God to quicken His Spirit within you so that you will do only those things that are pleasing to Him.
Day
43--As Paul begins the conclusion of his second letter to the church at Thessalonica, he asks that the believers pray
for him. He is continuing to preach the Gospel of Christ, and many who hear are even hostile to Paul because of
their lack of faith. Then he contrasts their lack of faith to the faithfulness of God. He knows that God will
remain faithful to the Thessalonians and to him.
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Here you see what God's faithfulness
does for us. It strengthens us and protects us from the evil one.
Thank God today for His faithfulness
toward you. Ask Him to help you as you seek to grow your own faith. Think of others who need your prayers today.
Just like Paul needed the prayers of the Thessalonians, your parents, teachers, friends, relatives, and others whom you love
need for you to pray for their own deliverance from temptations around them.
Day 44--Yesterday we thought
about prayer. Let's keep that thought and build on it today. We're reading something else our friend Paul said
today.
Before reading today's Scripture, think about the words "devote", "watchful",
and "thankful" mean.
If you devote yourself to something, you are 100% into doing that thing.
It becomes the most important thing in your life. So, if the Word of God, tells you to devote yourself to something, that
thing should become your main activity.
When you are watchful, you are alert. In the context
of the verse you are going to read, it means being "spiritually alert". Constantly have your spirit tuned
in to the things of God.
Being thankful means having a heart full of gratitude. If you are being thankful
in your praying, you are recognizing with thankfulness all that God has done and continues to do for you.
Now read
Colossians 4:2. Will you do what God tells you to do in this verse? Will you devote yourself to prayer and make
it your primary activity throughout your life, letting nothing interfere with your prayer life? Will you remain spiritually
alert (watchful) and choose your activities, your companions, your choice of entertainment, and everything else in your life?
Will you be thankful to God always for His direction in your life?
This is hard to do. It's hard to completely
reprioritize your life, but God is there to help you. Now pray. Shut out all else and devote yourself to prayer
as you talk with God today.
Day 45--My reminder of this verse didn't actually come off a candy wrapper.
It came off a car tag I saw a week ago. The tag read, "1 John 1:9." I claim this verse about a million
or more times a day.
You need to remember that John did not write his three short epistles
(letters) to lost people but to believers. It is true that confession can lead to salvation, but this verse applies
to Christians. We all make mistakes. Okay, let's get right down to it. We need to use the "s"
word here. We all sin. We all need forgiveness, even after we choose to become children of God. This promise
is here for us to remember that we can always go to God in repentance and seek His forgiveness.
One important thing
to remember here is that we should not use this verse as an excuse to deliberately sin. No, it is for us when we slip
into sin. Never do something wrong with the excuse that God will forgive you. That is not what Jesus died for.
Thank God for the promise of 1 John 1;9 and all His other promises to you.
Day 46--Okay, I have to
make a similar confession today to the one I made at the beginning of yesterday's writing. My remembrance of this verse
came from a paraphrase of it on the outside bulletin board of a local church.
I can't remember exactly
how the sign reads, but it is something like, "Don't just know the Word, live it." This pretty well sums up
the beginning of James 1:22.
As you read James 1:22, particularly notice the end of the verse, "...deceiving
yourselves." If we just hear what God tells us to do, we are fooling ourselves when we say that it does us any
good. We are not fooling God, and few people think we are "good" just because we go to church and sit quietly
as we listen to the preacher. We are just kidding ourselves.
Ask God to help you be a better "doer"
of His Word.
Day 47--Read Mark 1:15.
Jesus was beginning to call the Twelve who would travel
with Him and serve with Him during the next three and one-half years. John the Baptist had recently been put into prison
for his preaching, and now it was time for Jesus to begin His own earthly ministry.
Don't be startled by
the wording here. Jesus, the King, was now among the people. Although He came then as the Lamb of God, He taught
them of the kingdom to come, His kingdom. When the King is with you, the Kingdom truly is at hand.
Thank
God that He sent His Son Jesus and that Jesus is our King.
Day 48--We'll continue our "candy jar"
verses today with one more that I did not find on a candy wrapper. It's probably on one, but it was not in the candy
jar as I pulled these out. It has long been one of my favorite verses, not because it soothes me and makes me feel
good but because it has many times convicted me for acting like something less than a child of God.
In Romans 1:16,
Paul said that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Whenever I have thought of this verse, I have felt compelled
to ask myself, "Am I acting like someone who is 'ashamed' to let it be known that I am a Christian?" Oh, yes,
we sometimes want to be "popular" with the crowd, so we don't exactly make our Christianity known to those around
us. We may quietly keep our mouths shut when God would have us speak up. This can sometimes even lead to our participating
in activities which are either questionable or obviously against the teachings of the Scriptures.
I remember a
friend of my mother's who had two Christmas card lists. To her Christian friends, she sent cards which quoted Scripture
and/or portrayed the Nativity in some way. To others, she sent cards which made no mention of Jesus. Now I'm not
antiSanty, but thinking of this could make me that way because it makes me realize that she missed a wonderful
opportunity to do some silent witnessing to her lost friends during the season we all seem to celebrate in one way or the
other.
Now, let's look at the rest of the verse. Why should I not be ashamed of the Gospel? It is what
gave me salvation. (If you are reading from the KJV, the word "Greek" as it is used here means anyone who
was not a "Jew".)
This living a life of constant witnessing for Christ through all your actions as well
as your words is not easy, but God can lead you through each day. Pray for His leadership so that you will not live
as though you were ashamed of Him and His Gospel.
Day 49--An old proverb says, "A penny for
your thoughts." Well, in today's economy, perhaps we should raise the price of what we're thinking.
What
are you thinking right now? Are they good thoughts? Will they help you or those around you have anything better?
OR Will they do no good and only cause problems?
Paul, a man who had been through the worst of the worst as he
spread the word about Jesus, ends one of his last letters with what he wrote in Philippians 4:8. Stop right now and
read those words. Remember as you reread that verse that Paul was in prison as he wrote.
Now, do you
have problems? Can you follow his advice here? If you do, your day will be much better spent. I can't say
that you will have an easier day, but I can tell you that you will be a more positive person as you face your negatives.
Talk to God today and ask Him to help you have a good "brainwashing". Talk to Him about concentrating
on the things around you that are "of good report".
Day 50--Psalm 75 is a beautiful song of praise.
You can picture an entire church congregation standing and singing out all the verses of this praise hymn at the beginning
of a worship service. Read the first verse of Psalm 75. Imagine singing this in church with the other worshipers
on Sunday. It is in the singing of praise hymns that we have opportunity to tell of the wonderful things God does.
Today go around with a song of praise in your heart. Let it spill out your mouth and into the ears of those
around you. Even those who think you a bit flaky will be blessed by hearing you tell of God's wonderful acts toward
His people
As you pray today, praise God for what He has done for you. Make a list of your blessings
and praise Him for each of them. It would be good to keep that list somewhere handy to look at from day to day.
Day 51--How tasty are you? I mean it. How tasty are you? Have you flavored anyone's life lately?
Did you flavor it to make it better? Did you flavor it with some of the Jesus that is within you?
Read Matthew
5:13. Jesus said this just at the end of the Beattitudes as He was delivering the Sermon on the Mount.
In
first century times, salt was very important. Today we use it as a flavoring in our food, but long ago it was used as
a preservative. The people had no refrigerators to keep meat fresh, so they salted the meat to preserve it. Another
use for salt in some ancient cultures was a medium of exchange. It was used like money. Even today salt is a very
necessary part of our diets. We should not overeat salt because that can damage our blood vessels, but we need enough
salt to prevent many health problems. In extremely hot weather, especially when there is no air conditioning, people
even eat salt tablets to help them prespire and prevent their passing out.
So I ask you, "Are you salty enough
to do any good?" Notice that this Scripture indicates that we cannot regain our "flavor" once we have
lost it. Jesus says that useless salt is worthy only to be thrown out and trampled upon.
If we are
to be effective in our witness to those around us who do not know our Savior, we must keep ourselves "salty".
We can do that by studying God's Word (the Bible) and praying regularly. Jesus has said that we are His witnesses whether
good or bad, so it is up to us to keep (preserve) our own spirits so that we can be good witnesses.
Today thank
God for opportunities He provides you to be His "salt" to those around you. Promise Him that you will keep
yourself "salty" by studying your Bible and praying to Him regularly. (Now live up to your promise.)
Day 52--Today's verse follows the one we had yesterday.
In fact, we'll follow this same pattern for the next couple of days.
Jesus called us not only "salt"
but "light" as well. In the John 1, Jesus is called "Light", and He calls us "light" in
Matthew 5:13. We are to reflect the SON just as the moon reflects the sun.
Day 53--We are to be His
light in the In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says, "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." If we are shining as
we should reflecting Jesus's light to those around us. They will see Him in us. (We'll talk more about this idea
in two more days.)
Thank God today that He allows you to represent Him and His Son in the world around you.
Day 54--Read Matthew 5:15.
This verse is more easily compared--at least in my mind--with lighting
a candle whenever the electricity goes off during a power outage. When we need to use candles to light our houses, we
put them at the highest safe point in the room so that their light can shine throughout the room instead of just in a small
area. We want the light to shine on all that is in the room and to shine so that it benefits everyone inside.
If we put the candle in a low position over to the side, only a small area is lighted.
In the
same way, we should shine the light of Jesus on all around us. We should not try to keep it to ourselves or try to hide
it from those who need to come into the Light.
Pray that God will show you where and how to best shine His Light
before others.
Day 55--Read Matthew 5:16. Here Jesus tells us that when we shine our light properly,
people see the good things we do; but, when we shine it properly, they do not credit us with those good deeds.
They give the praise to the One Whose light we are reflecting. They give the praise to our Heavenly Father, God.
Remember we said the other day that we are not "suns". Rather we are "moons". We are
to reflect the light of the SUN, the SON, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our job, and our only job, is to light
the path of those around us to God.
Talk to God today in prayer about getting yourself out of the way so that those
around you can see Jesus. Talk to Him about removing yourself from any desire for praise so that others will praise
God from Whom all blessings flow.
Day 56--We call Jesus by many names. He, of course, is
the Son of God. He is Emmanuel (God with us). He is also called the Prince of Peace.
Read Matthew
5:9. The word "blessed" here means "happy" or "to be congratulated". If Jesus is
the Prince of Peace, those who have His character within themselves should also be "peacemakers". They do
not like stirring up turmoil. They enjoy not "keeping the peace" but helping to "make peace".
One way to make peace is to refrain from talking in a gossipy way about one of your friends to another.
If you want to keep peace, you do not deliberately stir up trouble. One thing peaceful people do not do is draw
attention to themselves, thereby disturbing peace.
Ask God to help you become a person of peace. Live
by His rules so that you do not stir up trouble. Talk to Him about being one of His peacemakers.
Day 57--What kind of spirit
do you have? God has forgiven you for your sins (trespasses, debts), but have you forgiven others? Do you have
a forgiving spirit? Think about it. Do you?
One part of the Model Prayer (often called the Lord's Prayer)
says, "Forgive us our debts (trespasses, sins) as we forgive our debtors (those who have trespassed or sinned against
us)." Check it out in Matthew 6:12. See? There is it in black and white or red and white, depending
on whether you have a Red Letter Edition of the Bible.
How does this verse say that we are asking God to forgive
us?
Again I ask you, "Do you have a forgiving spirit?"
Pray about your need
to be a forgiving person. Talk to God about any grudges you may be holding against someone now. He will show you
how to forgive if you let Him. In fact, He has already shown you. Didn't He let His Son shed His blood to forgive
you? He doesn't ask you to do half as much in order to forgive others. Just talk with Him about it.
Day 58--Read Philippians 4:13.
Now let's see what this verse says and what it does not say. Consider
these two questions. Does it say that I can do anything I want to do? OR Does it say that I can do
whatever God wants me to do? Think seriously because this is important.
We are going to back up tomorrow
and study the verse before this one, but in this verse the words "through Christ" are key to understanding the meaning.
Is Jesus going to give me the strength to do what He doesn't have in His plan for me? Surely not.
In another Scripture, Paul, the author of Philippians, says that Christ lives through him. Well, that is true of every
Christian who is soldout for Jesus. So the things Christ gives me strength to do are those that He choses to do through
me. Are you a soldout Christian? Soldout to Jesus that is.
Talk to God today about completely emptying
yourself of yourself and allowing Jesus to live through you.
Day 59--Are you a contented person? You should
be. Do you know what makes a person really contented? No, it's not a lot of money, no matter what others may tell
you. Riches don't buy real deep-seated joy. They might buy some things that you can enjoy for a time, but their
enjoyment fades for some reason over time. The excitement may end because of boredom. The thrill may be gone when
you see someone with something a little newer and seemingly better. Hey, how do you think gadget manufacturers get to
be so rich? Don't you think that those big electronic companies don't already have the next thing already planned before
they put the "newest" on the market? Surely they do. They know that you won't stay satisfied for long.
Read Philippians 4:12. As Paul indicates here, wealth doesn't bring contentment any more than poverty does.
His secret of real satisfaction is living in and for Christ--not only living in Christ, but letting Him live in him.
There are true blessings to a life with our Savior.
Talk to God today about your happiness or lack thereof.
He knows if you are not happy. Sometimes we have to admit our misery in order for Him to be able to fill up our displeasure.
Be honest with Him and ask Him to direct you to real joy and help you stay there.
Day 60--Read Psalm 24:1.
A lot of people seem to think that this is a conservation verse, and there is nothing really wrong with that.
But there are some other important things we need to know aboutit.
Remember that many of the psalms were
used by God's people in their worship services. This verse and the next were the introductory verses to this psalm.
These words were probably spoken by a Levite, and we might think of it as a "call to worship". The call was
for all gathered to join in the true worship of God. The people are reminded here that it is God Who is our Creator.
Not only has He created all of us and the place where we live, He sustains us. Since He is the Creator and Sustainer
of the earth and all in it, He is the Owner or Possessor.
God made nothing that cannot worship Him.
Therefore, since we are capable of worshiping Him, that is what He made us for and what He calls us to do. The only
question for us to answer (or to ask Him to answer for us) is: Is my worship worthy of the God Who created, sustained,
and owns me?
Ask God today to show you how to better worship Him. Once He shows you, live up to it.
Day 61--If your only mental picture of David is as the boy with a sling who killed Goliath, you miss much. He
grew up to become king of Israel, and his reign was far from a peaceful one. He had trouble with the previous king who
had liked him so much when he was younger. Then once he became king himself, there were many enemies, even many among
his own subjects. Psalm 27 contains a prayer David prayed when a group was plotting against him and trying to get him
out of power. The prayer itself is in verses 7-12.
Today let's see what we can learn from Psalm 27:1.
This is the beginning of David's prayer. During this and on through verse 7, David proclaims the Lord's place in David's
life. He has complete confidence and faith in God's power, his light, to protect him. David sees God
as the strength of His life and gives Him credit for providing him with all he needs. Of course the word "salvation"
recognizes God as His Savior.
Who lights your life? Talk to God about that today. Talk to Him about
where you see the source of your protection. Be honest with Him. Then let Him show you how much better it is to
rely on Him than on anything in the world.
Day 62--Psalm 33 is another psalm of praise that the worshipers used to praise God. The worship
leader (choir leader) had his part, the choir had theirs, and the people had theirs.
The choir leader used
the first three verses to call the people to worship. Read Psalm 33:1. It calls for the worshipers to praise the
Lord. The words tell us that it is right for us (all the upright) to praise Him. This is our duty. We are
the ones who have been blessed most by Him. Of all people, we should praise our Lord. This is our duty.
Are we doing it?
Why not pray a praise prayer today? Take a pencil and paper and list all the things you
can remember that God has done for you. Think hard. You have had many blessings. Now take time to praise
Him for each of them. Spend some real quality time with God today.
After you pray, tell at least three other
people today how God has blessed you.
Day 63--Paul wrote his epistles (letters) to the
various churches and individuals in order to teach them God's ways of living. Today's verse gives instruction opposite
much of what I hear when those around me speak to each other or even to themselves.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
What does this say about the way folks treat each other? These treatments are both in word and deed. We need
to speak encouraging words to each other rather than the verbal putdowns we utter when we think we are being cute or funny.
We say that we are only kidding, but how does the other person perceive what we say? The old saying is that "sticks
and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Is that really true? Have you ever been hurt
by what someone said to or about you? Be honest now. Have you? Of course, you have. Well, if
these were your feelings, others have the same feelings.
What about our deeds? Are they
helpful and encouraging to others? They should be. When was the last time you lent a "helping hand"?
Surprise someone today. Help someone who needs your help.
Talking to God about your words and actions where
others are concerned can help you with this problem. Talk to Him about it today.
Day 64--As Jesus traveled around the area of His
ministry, He often did the unexpected. He went into areas where most Jews never went. He spoke with people with
whom most Jews never spoke. Many times even those closest to Him did not understand His actions, but He always had a
purpose, and He lived out His purpose in His earthly life.
It was at such a time that He once purposely
traveled through Samaria. The story is recorded in John 4. While there, He went near the public well. Now
it is important that you understand that Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. They never even spoke to them, but Jesus
asked a Samaritan woman to draw Him water from the well.
The woman had a reputation that made her not only
unlikely to be approached by a Jew, but the story indicates that even the other Samaritan women would have avoided her.
She was shocked when Jesus asked her for water, and she told Him of her surprise.
Jesus told her that, if
she knew Who He was, she would not question His actions. He told her that He could give her eternal water. Then
He proceeded to pretty much tell her the story of her own life. She was amazed. In fact, you really should read
the complete story in John 4.
Today we are focusing on John 4:14. Read that verse to see what He said about
the eternal water.
Now are you thirsty? Are you really thirsty for that water? In your prayer
time today, ask God to satisfy your thirst.
Day 65--Everyday we must make decisions which affect
not only the present but our futures. It is as though we were building a house. The house is our future.
We clear the land, pour a foundation, erect the sides, and finally cap it off with the roof. We must then live in the
future we have built for ourselves.
As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told a story of men building
houses. The builders made up two groups. They fell into their respective groups by how they responded to the words
they heard from our Lord Jesus. Those who listened and then followed His teachings were called wise and built their
houses upon good solid rock. Those who did not follow what Jesus said He called foolish and built their houses upon
sand which shifts with the blowing of the wind and the billowing of waves.
Today's verse is Matthew 7:24.
Does this verse describe you?
As you pray today, ask God to help you learn Jesus's teachings and show you exactly
how to follow them.
Day 66--How did Jesus save us? That's what He came to earth and lived 33 plus years
to do, but how did He do it? You probably correctly have already answered that He saved us by His death on the cross
(the Crucifixion). But just what does that mean?
Read Titus 3:5. You have undoubtedly sung many hymns
in which you have talked about being washed in His blood. "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?" is one
that comes immediately to my mind. There are many others, and you know already that Jesus told Nicodemus
that in order to be saved we must be born again in John 3. So the idea of "rebirth" should not be unfamiliar
to you. Then He renewed us by the Holy Spirit.
Now be sure to back up to the beginning of this
verse before you stop thinking about the verse you just read. Remember always that you did not do anything and could
not do anything in order to be saved. Your only part was to open your heart to Jesus and accept His Crucifixion
as full payment for your salvation. It was completely because of His mercy that you were saved.
Thank
God today that He is a God of mercy. Thank Him for being so merciful to you that He saved you not because
of anything you did but in spite of the things you have done.
Day 67--I imagine you think of Israel as one of
the world's oldest civilizations. Well, you are exactly right. The Israelites were certainly the people God chose
for Himself and who have had the opportunity to introduce the rest of us to God Himself. Well, God created the earth
and the rest of the universe before He called Abram (later Abraham) to be the father of His people. God the Creator
has been Lord from the beginning. In fact, He was already Lord before the beginning.
The Israelites,
as we have noted before, used the Psalms as their "hymnbook". Psalm 93 celebrates the Lord as Ruler of all
creation throughout all eternity. It reveals God's majesty and Lordship over all from before Creation. He is our
Lord and our King.
Read Psalm 93:1 and see how gloriously the psalmist speaks in praise of the majesty of our Lord.
As you pray today, compose your own words of praise for God's majesty over all. You will probably want to write
your praise down today and keep. Read it often to Him.
Day 68--Ken Medema is a blind Christian musician
and song writer. He often travels to churches and gives concerts. He has written a number of children's stories
which present a spiritual message. He has a great message for the Lord which many young people particularly are able
to lock into and be blessed by. I heard him a few years ago at Gulf Shores United Methodist Church.
In 1973, he wrote a short prayer chorus which is still popular today.
"Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying"
Lord,
listen to Your children praying,
Lord, send Your Spirit in this place,
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace.
As I was considering the text of this song recently, I was hit with
a question. Is it more important for the Lord to listen to me, or is it more important that I listen to Him? Think
about it.
Read Matthew 11:15. This verse is a part of Jesus's telling about John the Baptist and his importance
in preparing the way for Him, but Jesus also used these words or some with the same meaning as He taught with parables.
So the question remains and is there for all of us. Is it more important for the Lord to hear us or for
us to hear Him?
I'm going to pray today that God will help me open my spiritual ears better so that I can clearly
hear what He has to say to me. Perhaps you want to do the same thing in your prayer time.
Day 69--What does the word "meek" mean
to you? Although it rhymes with "weak", that is not what it means. Meekness is humility (being humble),
not just before men, but especially before God. We must have an humble attitude before God to receive the inheritance
He has for us.
Read Matthew 5:5. This is one of the Beattitudes Jesus included in the Sermon on the Mount.
As you pray today, humble yourself before God. Tell Him that you realize that you are nothing in yourself
and that you realize that you need to allow Him complete control of your life. Remember the reward will be to inherit
the "new earth" when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom.
Day 70--Read
Matthew 7:1. These are strong words from our Lord, aren't they? But they carry a strong meaning, and there is
a strong warning that comes with God's words here.
Undoubtedly all of us make judgments whenever we
meet others. Often our judgments (we call them impressions to try to avoid sounding judgmental) are quite wrong as we
find out later. It's never good to have a judgmental attitude even if it does seem to come naturally.
We
can't understand this verse without reading and understanding the next. Matthew 7:2 tells us that God will judge us
in the same way we judge others. Ouch! That hurts, doesn't it? It's as if we are measuring people with a
ruler, and each of us has a measuring stick that shows inches differently. Well, God's ruler to measure us is exactly
like the one we use on other people. He judges us the same way we judge them.
So we had better be
careful the next time we start to criticize someone else. Remember God will hold us to just as high a standard.
Talk to God today about helping you get rid of any judgmental attitude you may have.
Day 71--Romans 12:20 tells us some strange--at least to our human minds--ways to deal with our enemies.
Read it. Does that sound like the human way we want to deal with them? No, but it is God's way.
In this Scripture Paul is teaching how to help other people. If you back up to verse 19, you see that we are to leave
revenge to God. He says that "vengeance" is His and that He will repay men for their evil deeds. It's
His job, not ours.
Be careful to understand the reference to "heaping coals of fire" on the enemy's
head. The purpose for doing this is to lead the enemy to salvation. Learn to treat everyone, friend and enemy
alike, with respect. Let God take care of anyone who wrongs you. Your job is to forgive and to treat him in the
ways Paul tells us in verse 20. If you live by Jesus's standards for life in front of lost people, they will see that
you are truly different and will want the salvation that is already yours.
Pray today about your dealings with
other people, especially lost people. Ask God to guard your mouth and not let you say or do anything that is ungodly
to them.
Day 72--During their forty-year journey, the Israelites heard God's law as delivered to them by
His servant and their leader Moses. A careful reading of the first five books of the Bible shows you that many parts
of the law taught them how to live with each other and with others who did not even know their God. These laws were
given to them and to us to show us how to live with everyone else in the world.
Read Romans 13:8. Although
all our financial debts (and you will acquire some throughout your life) may be paid off, we still have a continuing
debt to our fellow man. That is the debt of love. We are never to stop loving. When it is hard to love
someone, we can ask God to help us.
As you start to pray today, perhaps it would be a good time to think of the
person you are likely to see during the day whom you find the hardest to love. Ask God to help you love this person
with His kind of love today. If that person is not a Christian, you may just be responsible for his deciding to turn
his life over to your Lord.
Day
73--In Romans 14, Paul tells the stronger Christians not to try to put themselves above the weaker ones and the weaker ones
not to try to "boss" the stronger ones. As Chapter 15 begins, he brings the matter into the pleasing of others
rather than only pleasing ourselves. He doesn't seem so much to be talking about weak and strong in the matter of actual
sins as in matters of realizing that they did not have to go through all the things required of Jews in order to become Christians--such
as observing certain holidays and rituals required of the Israelites.
Read Romans 15:1. Do you know someone
who is a weaker Christian who possibly needs your support? Do others often criticize him for his "failings"?
This verse tells us that we should be supportive of these weaker brothers, especially in matters that do not actually determine
our being Christians. Don't criticize or make fun of this person. Help him.
Ask God to help you
be supportive of your Christian brothers.
Day 74--The book of Proverbs is
full of wonderfully wise lessons for us. They are presented in brief form, a way for us to easily learn and remember
them. One of the best is about wisdom itself.
Read Proverbs 14:33. This is a great verse to memorize.
Take a minute and try to commit it to memory now.
As a student, your job is to acquire knowledge. BUT no
matter how much knowledge you store up inside your brain and no matter how many important facts you can spout out of your
mouth, you really need to know what to do with these facts. That's where wisdom comes in. A wise man knows what
to do with the information he has. Your knowledge is in your brain, and your wisdom is in your heart. The more
understanding you have the more wisdom you have available to you. Therefore, you must apply your wisdom and understanding
to your storehouse of knowledge.
Solomon, the author of Proverbs, asked God for wisdom and understanding as he
succeeded his father David as king. Why don't you pray for the same thing today.
Day 75--One of my
favorite Scriptures is Psalm 91. A very special relative of mine who died at an early age held this Scripture very close
to her heart as she suffered through her terminal illness. No, it's not a sad and morbid Scripture. Far from it.
Read it through now to see what I mean. You'll feel just like you are being carried high under the wing of an eagle
as it soars far above the earth. If you take this verse seriously, you will feel perfectly safe because you will realize
the strength of the huge bird carrying you.
Now let's look carefully at verse 14. Turn your thoughts to God
and His care for you. If the mother bird works hard preparing a nest for her young, how much harder must your Heavenly
Father work hard to care for and protect you. Wow! He really is omnipotent (all powerful), and He uses every bit
of this power to take care of you.
Thank Him today for His love and protection.
Day 76--Let's
go back to Proverbs today for some wise instruction. Read Proverbs 19:21.
Do you ever have big plans that
just seem to flop? Have you ever made big plans and then asked God to bless them and then had them fail? Well,
when this happens, God is not going against any promises to you. It's just that you got the order of things backward
in the beginning. God is the best Planner ever. After all, didn't He plan, create, and is now keeping the whole
universe moving. What makes us think we can plan better than He does?
Let's learn to invite Him into
our planning sessions. Let's seek His direction better and then follow His plan. When we do this, we will succeed
in ways we never dreamed.
Invite God to plan and lead you through your day today.
Day 77--Read
Proverbs 16:3. Sound familiar? It should because the verse we read yesterday (Proverbs 19:21) deals with very
much the same idea, but we really need to think seriously about this strong wisdom. We really must get it through our
heads that God is not just sitting around up in Heaven waiting for us to ask him to bless our mess. He wants to be Wise
Counselor. He wants to be our Planner. We must learn to do things in the right order. We must seek Him before
we start even drawing up our "blueprint".
Have you ever heard anyone say, "The Lord helps
those who help themselves"? Well, if you have, forget it. Some people even tell us that it is in the Bible.
Take it from someone who has looked carefully, it's not there at all. He wants to be our Leader, Guide, and Planner.
We need to learn that He id not just waiting for us to act and mess up to come into our situations. We need to learn
to have Him there as the Leader from the beginning.
Ask Him today to help you learn to rely more on Him.
Day 78--Do you know what October 31 is in the Christian calendar? It is Reformation Day. When you get
through reading this, put the name Martin Luther into your search engine. Read about the man who realized that the leading
church of that day was not relying on faith in God as it should. Read about Martin Luther and the ninety-five theses
(statements) he tacked to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany.
Read Psalm 18:2. The Lord is
called our Rock and our Fortress in this verse. If you have a hymnal at home, find "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God".
Read these words, often credited to Martin Luther. Through all the verses, the poet is describing God.
Thank God for being our strong Fortress in Whom we can live without fear.
Day
79--Jesus was crucified because He loves us and because He loves and obeys His Father. Never forget this most important
fact. His love for His Father led to His obedience to Him. God sent Him here to die for our sins. Whether
He wanted to go through the most horrible death ever known to man or not, He obeyed. Love and obedience are inseparable.
The
fourteenth chapter of John tells us what He taught His followers just before the Roman soldiers came for Him in the Garden
of Gethsemane. Read the entire chapter through. Can you see the love He has for us as you read?
Now zero
in on verse 23. He speaks here of how can have Him and the Father come to us. Notice that He says "if anyone
loves...he obeys". There is a definite tie between our love for Jesus and our obedience to His teachings.
As you pray today, take your time. Really think through what you are saying. Talk to
God about your wanting to really love Him. Talk to Him about your realizing your need to obey His teachings. Talk
to Him about your desire to learn His teachings by not just reading His Word but by really studying it. Ask Him to help
you make time in your daily schedule to learn more of Him.
Day 80--The writer of Hebrews fills the last section (Chapter 13) of his epistle with final
exhortations to the people. He reminds them of all things they have been taught to live as Christians in their personal
lives, their worship, and their political lives. He warns them not to be misled by false teachings and to take bold
stands when necessary.
Recently I saw a little witness card with Hebrews 13:6 quoted on it and a neat caption
which says, "Go out on a limb!"
Are you willing to "go out on a limb" and take a strong stand
for what you believe? Are you sure enough of what you believe to even be able to take such a stand?
Read
Hebrews 13:6. Then read the entire chapter. If your Bible has a center or side reference column, look up the many
other Scriptures which form the basis for what the author has written about. Take every opportunity to make your roots
of faith grow deep into the soil of the Scripture. Then you will know what you believe and why, and you will be ready
to stand firm.
Pray today and each day that you study the Scripture that God will open your spiritual eyes wide
enough to really read deeply into His Word. Ask Him to help you make your spirit one with His Spirit and give you the
understanding of the Bible that you need.
Day 81--Before you read this verse, be sure that you keep your
Bible open after you read it. This verse is perfect for teaching us that we should not isolate one verse from its context.
So, when you read it, keep your Bible open for more reading a little later during this daily study.
Now read the
first part of 2 Corinthians 9:8.
Do you want to have God, as the old saying goes, "bless
your socks off"? Well, if you do want to get this blessing read verses 6 and 7.
Do you wonder
what you should do with all these blessings? Okay, then, read the rest of verse 8 through verse 11.
Here you see that we are not to soak up our blessings like a sponge, but we are to use our blessings to bless others.
Wow! Not only can we be blessed. We can be a blessing. This should be our goal.
Pray that God will see you as worthy to be a channel for His blessings to flow through.
Stay tuned.
There will be more on this subject tomorrow.
Day 82--Yesterday we looked at Scripture that shows us how we can be channels through which
God can bless us and others. Today we are going a little farther with this idea. Go ahead and read beyond where
we stopped yesterday. Read 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
As we realize our blessings and our opportunities
to use them to be blessings, we will naturally praise God for His gifts to us. Most of all, we will begin to praise
Him more and more for that very special gift He gave us in His Son Jesus Christ. As others receive blessings from us,
they will praise our Heavenly Father also. They should be able to see that we bless them because
we have already been blessed by God.
Our verse for today is 2 Corinthians 9:15. Who do you suppose is that
"Unspeakable Gift"? Of course, it is Jesus.
Today memorize this verse and use it as your prayer
back to God. Earnestly thank Him for the Gift.
Day 83--Read Romans 5:1. Think about some of the words used
here--"peace with God" and "justified"--and reread it.
"Peace" means much
more than the absence of war. It means a peace within, a peace in which we feel better simply because God is there.
But it is still more. It's about our relationship with Him. Let's go on to the other word, justified, to get a
clearer picture of what this means. Someone has said that "justified" means "just as if I had never sinned,"
That's a pretty good definitiion right there.
If you have accepted Jesus's death on the cross as payment
for your sins and have invited Him to come and live within you (in other words been "saved"), He is there.
Now you are justified; and, whether you know it or not, you can have this peace within your own spirit. If you have
been justified, God is your Heavenly Father and Jesus is your Brother. They are here for you. If you don't
have this peace, ask God today to help you realize it in your life.
If you have not yet been justified, pray to
God and ask Him to save you (justify you). Confess your sins to Him and tell Him that you know that you can only be
forgiven through the power of the blood Jesus shed. Tell Him that you realize that Jesus died for you personally.
In praying today, think about what is in the two paragraphs above. Pray as it is appropriate to your spiritual
condition right now. Don't try to fool God because He already knows exactly where you stand with Him. If you aren't
too sure yourself, ask Him to show you. Listen to what He says and pray accordingly.
Day 84--Did you ever wonder how to clean up your act when it has gotten out of hand?
Well, let me suggest reading Psalm 119:9.
By the way, young ladies, this isn't just for the guys.
It's for you also.
God's word remains the same and is always there for you to read and heed. So basically
the thing to do is to "take heed" according to God's word. In other words, live according to the Scripture.
Pray today that God will help you stay close to His word. Talk to Him about planning a scheduled time to spend
with Him each day. Then you will find that you have even more "extra times" you will want to talk to Him in
addition to that set time.
Day 85--Did you know that as a child of God, you are spiritually one with Christ?
Because you believe, you have an intimate spiritual relationship with your Lord Jesus Christ.
This is an
idea that Paul mentions over and over in his letter to the Colossians. He wants believers to see clearly that they really
belong to Jesus. It's an inseparable connection that the sharpest knife cannot cut.
Read Colossians
2:6. (This is the first of two verses we will be looking at today and tomorrow.) Since we are connected with our
Lord, we must live in Him daily.
Talk to God today about your need for a strong family connection with Him
and His Son. Thank Him for this relationship.
Day 86--Yesterday we ended our prayer time by thanking God for His allowing us to be an intimate
part of His family. Today begin your time in His word by reading Colossians 2:7. In fact, go back and begin with
verse 6 and read straight on through verse 7. The two verses together actually form one long sentence.
Think of yourself as a tree. In order to thrive, you must have strong roots. Your roots must be anchored
in Jesus. As your roots continue to grow deep, you will grow taller and taller spiritually in your relationship to the
Lord. You have been taught more and more faith, and you continue to learn more and more of faith each day. Finally,
if your faith is strong and your growth is not stunted, you will overflow with thankfulness to God for this great blessing.
Thank Him again for the privilege of being able to wear His name. Thank Him that you can call yourself a Christian
to identify yourself as a part of His family.
Day 87--I have a t-shirt that says, "A life that is planted in God cannot be uprooted"
or something like that. We need to examine daily just where our lives are planted. Are they planted firmly in
God, or are we living in unsteady soil. There are many references in the Scripture that speak of having a firm foundation.
One of them is Psalm 1. Read it today. Then pray that God will help you grow your roots deeper into the soil of
His Kingdom so that you can grow upward to bless Him and those around you.
Day 88--Today and tomorrow are going to be two of those days when we look at a couple of verses from
one story in the Bible. You probably should first go ahead and read Luke 19:1-10. It's the story of Zaccheus.
Today let's see how hard Zaccheus works to see Jesus. He was short, so he was willing to climb up into a tree so that
he would not miss the blessing. Read verses 4 and 5. Since Zaccheus went the "extra mile" to see Jesus,
Jesus spoke to him, called him by name, and even went to visit him. Wow! Just think. If we open our eyes
to Jesus, He comes right on in and visits (better, He lives) with us. As you pray today, invite Jesus to visit with
you and grant you the cleansing that you need.
Day 89--Let's
go back to the story of Zaccheus we began yesterday. Read Luke 19:1-10 again. Now look at verses 9 and 10.
Because Zaccheus climbed up that tree to see Jesus and because he was willing to receive Jesus into his home, Zaccheus
and his entire household were blessed. The question to us is: Are we willing to have Jesus within our hearts?
If we are, He will come in and bless us. In whatever way you need it most in your spiritual walk, invite Jesus to be
a part of your day today. If there is a need for salvation, now is a great time. If you need to restore your fellowship
with Him, talk to Him about that. If you just need to feel Him a little closer today, ask Him to be especially close
to you today.
Day 90--We're about to
spend a few days camping out in Romans. We have a few verses, some of which we've looked at before, that could use our
close attention again or for the first time. Today
read Romans 12:1. What does someone mean when he says, "That's only what is 'reasonable'?" Whenever
I hear or use that word in a phrase like that I mean that whatever I'm speaking of is "the least that should be done"
or just the bear minimum. Whenever we consider what Jesus has done for us, it is only "reasonable" that we
present ourselves as "livng sacrifice(s)" to God. Jesus died for us. It is the "least we can do"
to live for Him, isn't it? Today is a good day for each of us to recommit ourselves to the Lord to be used in His service.
Day 91--Going
on with Romans 12, let's take up where we left off yesterday. Read Romans 12:2 today. Have your parents ever accused
you of acting just like some friend you've recently been around? I know mine did that often, and it was usually not
a compliment to the friend. They meant that I was picking up some of less-than-desirable habits, and they were insisting
that I break them before I formed the same habits myself. In this verse, Paul is telling us not to let the world shape
and mold our character. We should only let God through the Holy Spirit living in our own spirits direct us. We
must physically live in this world, but our spirits are to live on a Heavenly plain. Ask God today to help you live
in His Kingdom while your physical body still inhabits this earth.
Day 92--Brandon McLendon once
shared Romans 12:18 as a verse that is especially meaningful to him. I know Brandon well, and he makes every effort
to live peaceably with everyone. However, he does not make the mistake of letting the ways of the world around him cause
him to compromise his principles. Notice that this verse used phrases like "if possible" and "as much
as lies in you". This means that we are not to do everything we can to get along with others if this will cause
us to do wrong things. Remember that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called on us to be "peace MAKERS" and
not just "peace KEEPERS". Ask God again (just as you did yesterday) to help you keep from being squeezed into
the world's mold.
Day 93--Today please read Romans 13:1. Everyone has a boss. Even if you
end up owning the business, you have the public you serve as your bosses. If you don't listen to your customers, you
won't sell your product or your service to anyone. The only real authority is God. Notice that this verse says
that He has allowed everyone who is in any position of authority to have power. Everyone in power is not a good person,
but everyone in power is there for right now with God's permission. Saddam Hussein did a lot of horrible things, and
God allowed people from our country to end his rule. But for a time and for whatever reason God allowed this man
to be in power in Iraq. If you study the Old Testament carefully, God allowed other nations to help Him punish the people
of Israel whenever they needed a good spanking. Who is in authority over you? There are your parents, your teachers, other
school officials, and leaders of various groups you find yourself in from time to time. All these people are there for
your good. They have already lived through your age and the experiences that come along with being young. Listen
to them and learn from them. Ask God to help you to learn to submit to authority? Then seek His guidance whenever
you have trouble following.
Day 94--I know we have read today's verse before because it is one of my favorites.
Today we are looking at Romans 1:16. Go ahead and read the next verse also because they are inseparable. How do
you act when you are around your nonchristian friends? Do they even know that you know the Lord? Or have you kept
it pretty much a secret from them? In other words, are you "ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"? Think
about these questions for several minutes. Don't just rush through them and say "yes" or "no"
where you think God wants you to. Really search your heart for the correct answers. If you have trouble
talking with anyone you know (even just one person) about your faith, you need to talk to God about it. I don't know
what His answer will be to you because I don't know your particular situation, but He can show you how to be bold for Him
if you only ask Him to help you.
Day 95--As I'm writing this it's my birthday, I cannot help thinking
of some words Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3. Nicodemus had gone to see Jesus one night with many questions about
just who Jesus might be. He and others had undoubtedly been discussing this Man who knew so much of the spiritual things
of God. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom
of God." Have you been born again? If not, read the rest of this chapter. In fact, even if you are already
a Christian, read it anyway. Depending on how you answered the question a couple of sentences ago, pray to God today.
He is the Father who sent the Son to die for us.
 THE KINGDOM KIDS.....GETTING KIDS
INTO THE WORD AND THE WORD INTO KIDS
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