March/April – Week Thirteen – Daily Devos

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March 26th – “Offended At God” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 11:29-31]

“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” – Luke 7:23

John the baptizer had sent his own followers to Jesus in order to ask him a very important question: “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Luke 7:20). This seems an odd question coming from John, who knew Jesus pretty well, considering they were cousins. Also considering that when Jesus came to John to be baptized, John said to Jesus, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). I was under the impression that John knew exactly Who Jesus was! However, when you understand where John was when he sent his disciples to question Jesus in this way, it sheds a bit of light on the reason why he sent them… and why Jesus responded the way He did. You see, John was in prison according to Luke 3:20. Perhaps, John is a lot like us? Perhaps, he at one time believed Jesus to be the “Coming One“, the “Messiah“, and now that he is rotting away in a prison cell, seemingly all but forgotten, he is having some doubts? Perhaps he thought, like many others at that time, that the Messiah would be the physical deliverer of God’s people from the tyranny of Rome? Perhaps John thought that Jesus should have ridden in on a white horse, stormed the prison, overpowered the guards, and rescued His cousin? I mean, after all, Jesus was the Deliverer, right?

There are times when I can also feel as though Jesus has forgotten all about me. I’ve been taught that Jesus is the Deliverer, and that He “rescues” those who are hurting and in trouble, and when He doesn’t come through like I want Him to, or imagined Him to… I can become offended. This is why Jesus’ answer to John’s disciples is so powerful. He says, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dear hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them…” (Luke 7:22) – These are all things that the coming “Messiah” was absolutely going to be doing, according to the prophet Isaiah! Jesus is saying, “Yes, I am doing all the things the Messiah is supposed to be doing… but I’m not coming in on a white horse and saving you, cousin. My mission is much bigger than overthrowing a Roman government. My mission is to overthrow Satan, and defeat sin and death once and for all! Tell John that he’ll be blessed if this fact doesn’t offend him. Sometimes I don’t perform your will… I must perform My Father’s will instead.”

John had performed exactly what God had wanted him to, he had prepared the way for the coming Messiah. Now he would die. John would never be the one in the spotlight. John would never be the one who would be what it was all about. He knew it in his head (John 3:30), but apparently being in a dark prison cell caused him to have his doubts. So too, when I am left in the dark… when I feel lonely and forgotten… is when my doubts start to surface. Jesus’ message to John is the same message He whispers to you and I in those times: “blessed is he who is not offended because of Me“.

“Father, I want to understand all that You are up to behind the scenes, but at times You ask me to simply trust You. Forgive me for my doubts. Forgive me for my whining and complaining in times of darkness. Strengthen me so that I can be a man that is completely submitted to Your will and Your plan for my life.  I love You.” – Michael

 

March 27th – “I Got This!” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20; Luke 7:36-8:3; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1]

“…, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end – then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.” – Deuteronomy 8:16-17

God had done so much for His people. He had fed them, quenched their thirst, protected them, delivered them, and provided for their needs again and again. He allowed them to go through trials too, but always in those trials did He keep His hand on them. We’re told here that one of God’s purposes for all this was to “humble” His people and “test” them in order to ultimately bring about their “good“.

Why would making His people humble through testing them be for their good? Because, God knows that man’s tendency is to take all the credit for ourselves. When we do this, we begin to rely solely upon ourselves, our might, and our power and ability. This can actually be a very dangerous thing, because some of the obstacles that we’ll face will be way too much for us. If we walk into a battle with a false sense of security, because we’ve only counted on what strength we can muster up in and of ourselves… we could die. God desperately wants us to understand that we NEED Him. As the Holy Spirit said through the prophet Zechariah, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6).

“Father, I need You. Forgive me for pridefully taking things into my own hands and trying so hard to do everything by myself. You’ve given me talents and skills, but I’m unable to do all that You’ve called me to do, without Your empowering me to do it. Today, help me to walk in a state of total dependency upon You. I don’t particularly enjoy the tests that I go through, but I do appreciate how they remind me of my own inadequacy and my desperate need of You. I love You so very much!” – Michael

 

March 28th – “God Has the Gall” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Luke 8:4-21; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3]

“They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” – Psalm 69:21

The word “gall” in Hebrew is “ros“, which means, “poison; bitterness, venom”. In the Old Testament the word is used of a plant characterized by bitterness, probably wormwood (Deut. 29:18; Hos. 10:4; Amos 6:12). Ancient people believed that the poison of serpents lay in the gall (Job 20:14). We see it used in the New Testament, but there the Greek word “chole” is used. Some regard this word as referring to myrrh, because that is what is used in Mark 15:23.  Myrrh was often used as an embalming liquid, and was highly deadly if ingested. This little verse in Psalm 69 would turn out to be one of many Messianic prophesies that Jesus uniquely fulfilled. Matthew tells us that as Jesus came to the place called Golgotha to be crucified they offered Him “sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when he had tasted it, He would not drink” (Matthew 27:34). Some have speculated that perhaps they were trying to poison Him and hasten His death. Others have said that perhaps they were trying to prolong His death and cause even more suffering for Him.

Regardless of why they offered Jesus ‘gall’, it is interesting to me that the words “gall” and “myrrh” seem to be interchangeable. We know a few things about ‘myrrh‘ from Scripture. It was very expensive. Exodus 30 describes how it was used to anoint prophets, priests, and kings. It is used as a perfume in Psalm 45, and in John 19 it was used for embalming. Of course, after Jesus’ birth, it was a gift that was given to Him from the wise men (Matthew 2:11). Why would that particular gift be given to Jesus? Because He is the ‘Anointed One’. He is a prophet. He is a priest. He is a King. His name is like a fragrant perfume that has been poured out (Song of Solomon 1:3). And Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)… He came to die.

Whenever I find Old Testament prophesies that point to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, I am encouraged. Nothing is coincidental. The Holy Spirit has been working for a very long time to bring about the Father’s will. The fact that this prophecy was written hundreds of years before Jesus would fulfill it exactingly. And the idea that one of the gifts that was given to Mary and Joseph for their Son would one day be the very thing that He would be offered to drink as He was dying, and that that very thing would symbolize exactly Who He was… Prophet, Priest, King, the Anointed One and the Ultimate Sacrifice for the world’s sins… is awesome!

“Father, why do I ever doubt? How can I fear anything when You so obviously are in control of EVERYTHING? You orchestrated so much in history to accomplish Your perfect will, and You are still the God Who is in charge of my little life. Help me walk in faith today and in a ruthless and radical trust in You. I’m so thankful that You have the gall to love someone like me. I love You back!” – Michael

 

March 29th – “Happy Wife, Happy Life“

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32; Luke 8:22-39; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 12:4]

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.” – Proverbs 12:4

Later, in Proverbs 31:10, we read, “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” This is a phrase that Boaz uses when speaking of Ruth, in Ruth 3:11, “…for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.” (Interesting note: In the Hebrew ordering of the Old Testament, the Book of Ruth comes immediately after the Book of Proverbs, which closes with a description of a”virtuous woman”). The word, “virtuous” literally means, “having or showing high moral standards, righteous, good, pure, saintly, angelic, ethical, upright, upstanding, exemplary, principled“. When a woman is this way, she is the very best thing about her husband (his “crown“). Conversely, when she is not this way, she can cause her husband shame. This shame is “like rottenness in his bones“, which is another way of saying, “she causes the loss of her husband’s joy and strength“. So, how a woman lives her life… how she walks with God… how she walks with integrity… actually affects her husband’s life as well.

I believe this goes both ways. I’ve seen the anguish on the faces of too many women who have found their husbands behaving sinfully. Whether they’ve caught their husbands viewing pornography or watched them lose their temper, the shame that a woman can feel can be draining to her. Likewise, when a woman has a husband who is chasing after Jesus and walking with integrity and holiness… it is a true blessing to his wife. When we make the choice to be married, we are making the choice to become ‘one’ with another human being. When we become ‘one’ with them, we must realize that how we behave from then on out will greatly affect our spouse, and others in our families (children, grandchildren). It is no longer just ‘our’ relationship with God that is on the line, it is our entire family’s relationships that could be on the line. This is one of the reasons why Scripture admonishes us to be “excellent at what is good and innocent of evil” (Romans 16:19). Our lives impact others, especially those closest to us.

“Father, thank You for my awesome wife! Other than Jesus, she is the greatest thing about my life. She is my pride and joy, my crown. Help me live my life in such a way as to make her proud of me too. Forgive me for the times I’ve caused shame to You, or to the ones closest to me. I truly do not deserve how much You’ve blessed me with a wife that is so awesome. I love You, Lord!” – Michael

 

March 30th – “12 Years A Slave” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23; Luke 8:40-9:6; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 12:5-7]

“And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”…“But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, ‘Little girl, arise.’ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately…” – Luke 8:48 & 54-55a

Two females experience restoration in these verses: one is a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years, the other is a 12 year old girl. This means that 12 years prior to this day, there were two very different stories beginning. The first story was of a husband and wife who had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl. She was their pride and joy, I’m sure. But at that same time, across town, there was a second story beginning… a woman who began to bleed. This would have been startling for her at first, and then become very concerning as days turned into weeks that turned into months. As years passed by, the baby girl grew older and brought her parents times of much joy, while the woman across town had become damaged and shamed and spent every last cent of her money on doctors who were no help whatsoever. One day, twelve years later, the young girl became sick herself and was “at death’s door”. Now she is desperate for help… like the other woman. Both women encounter Jesus. Both women are made well. Both women are revived… renewed… restored to their former health.

Everybody has a story. One person’s story may be beautiful and joyous, while the person living right next door to them is going through hell. However, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Jesus is our Hope, He is our Deliverer, and Jesus is a Master at restoration. He is awesome at taking someone who is broken, damaged, used up, hurting, thrown out, and seemingly useless – and transforming them into something beautiful and useable once again. Whatever sin or hurt we may feel like slaves to, Jesus can set us free. Whether life is joyous or painful, my hope is always Jesus. Only He can bring life… and restore.

“Father,  whether in good times or bad, teach me to look to You for hope and restoration. I know in my heart of hearts that in You alone is life, joy, peace, and healing. Set me free today, that I might be healed and whole and free to free others for Your glory. I love You!” – Michael

 

March 31st  – “No Abracadabra” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9]

“Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.” – Luke 9:16

Jesus, before doing the mighty miracle of feeding the five thousand, stopped first to pray. The way this is worded it can be a bit confusing. Did Jesus bless the “bread and fish” and then break them, or did He “bless God for the bread and fish” and then break them. In John’s account of the same story he makes it a bit more clear, “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” (John 6:11).

Have you ever prayed a prayer like this or heard someone pray this way before a meal; “Dear Lord, bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies” or “Our Father, bless this food and may it strengthen us to do your work, Amen”? While these are common and acceptable prayers, they perpetrate a widespread spiritual misunderstanding. According to the Bible, we should be blessing God and not the bread. Think about this for a second – if an outsider, not versed in our prayer rituals, would hear us ask God to “bless the food,” it may come across as superstitiously silly. It’s almost as if we invoke a magical incantation to envelop our macaroni and cheese.

To grasp the biblical foundation for blessing and thankfulness, it helps to understand Jesus’ Jewish world. The written Scriptures that Jesus grew up reading were the books from the Old Testament, and He would have had similar oral traditions as practiced by Jews living two thousand years ago. In the Bible, God blesses people’s fields, crops, livestock, and future offspring by making them fruitful and abundant (Deut. 7:13-15), and the people return the favor by thanking their Provider for His goodness and bounty. Jesus follows this practice in the New Testament, when He serves food to others, He offers prayers of thanksgiving and blessing to God (Luke 24:30, Luke 22:19, Mark 14:22, Matt. 26:26, I Cor. 11:24). The word “bless” in many of the Bible’s prayers means expressing thanks to God. An ancient Jewish blessing that is still pronounced today with the entrance of the Sabbath on Friday evenings, as participants sip wine from a cup is,; “Blessed are you, O Lord, Our God, King of the Universe who creates the fruit of the vine.” Another blessing, as members break bread is; “Blessed are you, O Lord, Our God, King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth.” These would probably have been very similar to the prayers that Jesus would have uttered during the famous “Last Supper”. Notice that in these “blessings”, God the Creator is being thanked for giving food (bread) and drink (wine), not the bread and wine. The next time we sit down to a big breakfast,  we should thank God for it and not abracadabraize the pancakes. Bless God, not the bread. A prayer we learn in pre-school summarizes this perfectly, “God is great, God is good, Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” Let us remember to thank God the Creator of our meal, instead of enchanting the grub we’re about to eath with “God bless the food!”

“Father, thank You for always providing everything I need. Help me to slow down and give thanks to You before chowing down on anything.  I love You!” – Michael

 

April 1st – “Cockroaches and Fakeness” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20; Luke 9:28-50; psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 12:10]

“A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” – Proverbs 12:10

A person that treats animals well is usually a person that has a high regard for “life”. What Scripture is really getting at here is the comparison between the righteous man and the wicked man. To make the point, he assumes that most of us know that there is nothing esteemed much lower than an animal. To this lowest of creatures a righteous person still has regard (the dictionary defines, “regard” as; “showing consideration, care, concern, thought, notice, taking heed, or giving special attention”). However, a wicked person who believes they are showing “tender mercies” to this lowly creature, is in fact, still cruel. Both individuals feel they are being kind, but the big difference is that the righteous person really is being kind, while the wicked person is only being cruel.

Dr Livingston, who is famous from the phrase, “Dr. Livingston I presume?“, was absolutely fanatical about “life”. There is a story that is told where he received a piano when he was on the mission field. Upon opening up the back of the piano, hundreds of cockroaches poured out. The man he was with began to fervently stomp on them to kill them all. Supposedly, Dr. Livingston stopped him immediately by yelling something like; “What are you doing!? Those creatures have done nothing, except for what they were created to do. God created them, you should not end them!” Now, it may seem odd that a person would have such high regard for a cockroach, but that story has always amazed me. Why? Because, apparently Dr. Livingston really cared about “life”, and according to this Scripture… he was righteous.

“Father, even a wicked person when trying to be nice, is actually cruel. I think that is because we can’t fake what we really are inside. I want to be authenticly following You and walking uprightly. Convict me whenever I’m simply faking it. I long to please You with the way that I’m living. I love You so much.” – Michael

March – Week Twelve – Daily Devos

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March 19th – “How Strong Is He?” 

[Bible reading: Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19]

“God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.” – Psalm 62:11

The wording “once” and “twice” is strange, but it is being used to emphasize that something has been repeated and therefore it is very significant. In this case it is the lesson to be learned that “power belongs to God“. The context is that the writer seems to be in a tough situation financially. He is being oppressed and taken from wrongfully. He has played with the idea of perhaps taking matters into his own hands and even turning into a thief himself (verse 10). However, his resolve is to simply wait and trust in the God who can provide for his needs and will ultimately be merciful to those who recognize that He alone is the One with all the real power.

How often I’ve considered taking things into my own hands when I don’t feel God is moving on my time-table. Like this writer, I have heard it said many times that “God is in control“, I know this in my brain, but often fail to truly recognize it in my heart. I’ve been taught that God is ‘omnipotent‘, which means “all-powerful“, but do I really believe it? Do I really believe that if I’ll wait and trust in Him, that I’ll be okay?

“Father, when I am stressed out and anxious about the things happening in my life, help me to remember all that I’ve been taught. Remind me that You are good, and that You are powerful. I am better off in Your care, than anywhere else. Thank You for loving and understanding me the way You do. I love You.” – Michael

 

March 20th – “Jesus’ Mission Statement” 

[Bible reading: Numbers 30:1-31:54; Luke 4:1-30; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 11:20-21]

“So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.” – Luke 4:28-29

This tension filled moment took place on the Sabbath, where the townsfolk had gathered in the synagogue, and Jesus was given an opportunity to participate in the service. As an act of courtesy, the ruler of the synagogue invited Jesus to read the Scripture. It was common in Jesus’ day for synagogue officials to invite qualified visitors to read Scripture and make comments. When handed the sacred scroll. Jesus unrolled it to the writings of Isaiah and began to read the text He selected, Isaiah 61:1-2. Everyone in the synagogue understood that the words Jesus read were a description of the Messiah, but as He read, did they know the reading referred to Jesus? Did they know Jesus was revealing the desires of His own heart? Jesus then rolled up the sacred scroll and gave it to an attendant to be returned to its honored place. Then He sat down, which was the custom of someone who was about to deliver a sermon. That’s why “the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him” (Luke 4:20). Jesus began with a message no one had heard before. He said the reading from Isaiah, which everyone associated with the promised Messiah, was about Him. It was like His personal ‘mission statement’.

Now, when you look at that passage in Isaiah, you can see that Jesus was making a pretty radical proclamation! He was saying that God’s Spirit was on Him. He was saying that He had been anointed to bring hope and healing and grace to all, especially to those who needed it most: the poor, the prisoners, the blind, the oppressed. At first, people were won over by a sense of God’s grace. It says they were speaking well of Him.  You can picture the townspeople nodding at each other, and you can almost hear them saying, “That’s our boy! Amazing, isn’t it?” But they were also a little skeptical. “Is this not Joseph the carpenter’s son?” Who knew He had it in Him?”

Everything sounded well and fine, until Jesus mentioned that He was supposed to bring this hope and healing to everyone… even the bad guys! Now… do the math: “This Guy was claiming to be Messiah! Messiah was the ‘Sent One’ from God Almighty! God Almighty wasn’t supposed to be loving & kind to the bad guys! The crowd is now completely ticked off!” Notice how they went from “marveling at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” to being “filled with wrath” as they heard these things?

What caused the change? The people couldn’t begin to imagine that God Almighty was like that! They all felt that God should be exclusive, just like they were! They had God all figured out, and when Jesus came on the scene claiming to be sent from God, yet His mission statement was to show love and grace to all people, they couldn’t make that fit into their box. People still have wrong perceptions of God today, and they still put Him in a box that is made up of their wrong perceptions of what He’s really like.

“Father, sometimes I think I’ve got You all figured out, and then You surprise me! I love that! I love that You don’t fit into my little mold. You blow apart the preconceived ideas that I and many others have about You. For example; Just when I think You’re going to be super mad at me, You shower me with kindness and mercy. Thank You for bringing hope and healing and grace to those of us who needed it the most. I love You so very much!” – Michael

 

March 21st – “Nose Ring or Tongue Ring?” 

[Bible reading: Numbers 32:1-33:39; Luke 4:31-5:11; Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 11:22]

“As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.” – Proverbs 11:22 

In Old Testament culture we must understand that a “swine” was an unclean animal. It didn’t matter how much you dressed it up, even if you were to put a solid gold nose-ring into it’s snout, it would still be unclean. Like the old saying, “You can’t put lipstick on a pig“, so too, you can’t make a swine beautiful with a nose-ring. This was a vivid picture the author was painting so that he could get his point across. The point is that a woman can be incredibly lovely on the outside, yet if she doesn’t have discretion, be ugly and flawed. The word “discretion” has two meanings: First, “the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information“. Second, “the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation“.

I don’t think this tidbit of wisdom only refers to “women”. Truthfully, any man or woman who can’t use their words wisely, should just be quiet. In the New Testament Book of James, chapter 3, we read much about the dangers of the ‘tongue’. James 3:6 declares, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell“. And James 1:6 states, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless“. I can consider myself a “religious” person, but if my words cause offense and hurt others, than I’m a joke.

“Father, guard my tongue today. Convict me of saying anything that might displease You. I want my words to reflect You to all I meet and talk with. I love You and I want to live like it and talk like it!” – Michael

 

March 22nd – “Touching“

[Bible reading: Numbers 33:40-35:34; Luke 5:12-28; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 11:23]

“Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him.” – Luke 5:13

Today we don’t hear much about this disease called, ‘leprosy’. Actually, it is a yucky, horrible sickness that is a great picture to you and I of ‘sin’. Like sin, leprosy begins below the surface and then begins to spread and totally wipe out a person. It attacks the nervous system and actually takes away the ability to feel anything. I read where there have been accounts of folks with leprosy who have fallen asleep and wakened to find that there toes… or even their nose… had been chewed off by mice! Leprosy causes a person to lose all sensitivity.

Notice that Jesus didn’t tell this guy to go to some leper-hospital, or some “overcoming leprosy seminar”. He said, “You need to get rid of this stuff. You want to get rid of this stuff. So, guess what… you will be rid of this stuff!” Maybe that is what some of us need too? Maybe… if you are feeling sick with sin today…polluted by something you’ve been doing… affected negatively by some sin that has a grasp on your life – you too need to find out where Jesus is… and go to Him? You see, it’s when we see that we NEED to get rid of the sin… and when we truly WANT to get rid of the sin… that the Lord will say, “I’m willing, be cleansed”. I love how Jesus didn’t just SAY this, but it says that He reached out and TOUCHED him! This is something that you just DIDN’T do… you don’t touch someone with leprosy because of how highly contagious it was! This dude had probably not been touched by another human being in years because of the leprosy that riddled his body. But Jesus… touched him!

So too, Jesus doesn’t hold His nose and look away from you and me with disgust because of the sin we’ve been carrying. Others might do that… perhaps others HAVE done that to us… but I’m telling you right now… JESUS doesn’t do that. He is not irritated with your flaws, or put off by your sin… He loves you. He embraces you.

“Father once again I’m reminded that my calling is to not only LIKE You, but my calling is to BE like You. I too, do not want to hold my noses and look away from those who have messed up – not only because Jesus didn’t do it, but because I have taken a good, long look into the mirror and found that I’m pretty messed up too! I’ve cried out, “I need to be clean! I want to be clean!” And when I did that… I found a God who didn’t hold His nose and look away, but rather, reached out and embraced me…forgave me…loved me… redeemed me…made me feel awesome… and then said, “You WILL BE clean!” I love You, Lord!” – Michael

 

March 23rd – “Hung Up By Sin” 

[Bible reading: Numbers 36:1-13; Deuteronomy 1:1-46; Luke 5:29-6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26]

“And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the Lord.'” – Deuteronomy 1:34-37

God was upset. He was upset that His people, whom He had taken such good care of and come-through for on so many occasions, did not trust Him. Earlier in this chapter, verse 32, God said, “Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God“. God had heard their words of distrust in Him and so He swore that a whole generation would die in the wilderness, including Moses (verse 37). Only Caleb and Joshua the son of Nun (verse 38) were able to enter. Why? Because they followed the Lord wholeheartedly!

Lack of faith and trust in what God has spoken is sin. When I fail to listen and obey God’s Word, it is sin. All of these millions of people were unable to go into the awesome promised land because they were hung up in their sin. They had put their trust in their own military strength and prowess and when they compared their ‘strength’ to the enemy’s strength, they grew fearful. They didn’t trust that God was their strength, and that no amount of giants in the land would ever keep them from it if He was on their side.

“Father, forgive me when I get hung up by sin. I desire to be a man that trusts You and Your Word at all times. Some may put their trust in chariots, horses, armies, money, soldiers, guns, and their own strength, but I choose to put my trust in You alone. Your kingdom come, Your will be done! I love You!” – Michael

 

March 24th – “How To Find Leaders” 

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27]

“Now it came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called His disciples to Himself; and from them he chose twelve whom He also named apostles:” – Luke 6:12-13″ 

I find it interesting that Jesus spent a full night in prayer before He chose His twelve disciples. These were not only men that were going to be following Him, living with Him, watching Him, learning from Him and experiencing three years of life with Him. They were also going to be the future leaders of the church!

1 Timothy 5:22 states that we should “...not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure“. Many people want to be in leadership, however, those making the decisions about placing them into positions of leadership should not rush to do so. Today’s leaders in the church should learn this important lesson from Jesus: Before choosing leaders, pray. Pray a lot. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to spend a complete night in prayer to His Father before making this incredibly important decision… perhaps we should do more than read a few resumes and call a couple of references?

“Father, choosing leaders is not easy. Finding those who will stand beside you in thick and in thin, and take ownership of the ministry You’ve called us to, is hard. Forgive me for when I’ve rushed into putting the wrong people into places of leadership. It’s always come back to bite me. I want to be a man that does not “lean on my own understanding”. Thank You for imparting wisdom to those who seek it. Please just remind me to seek it more often. I love You.” – Michael

 

March 25th –  “Hide and Seek“

[Bible reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39-7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28]

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” – Deuteronomy 4:29-31

This is a beautiful prophecy that will absolutely come true for the Jewish people, and not only for them, for you and me as well. You see, our history parallels the Jewish people’s history and so too does our future. The Jewish people turned away from the true and living God and became immersed in idolatry and materialism. Consequently, in 586 B.C., God allowed the Babylonians to invade and destroy Jerusalem, to burn the temple, and to carry God’s people to Babylon, where they were held captive for seventy years. After that time, the Spirit of God began to stir in the hearts of a small remnant of Jews who would rebuild the city of Jerusalem and, eventually, the temple. But as time passed, so radically did the nation again turn its back on God that they would actually cry out, concerning Jesus (God’s only Son), “Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar“(John 19:15). Therefore, within forty years, in the year A.D. 70, the Romans invaded the city, destroyed the temple and killed one million Jews. When Hadrian became emperor of Rome, the persecution of the Jews intensified further. And as we know all too well, in World War II, the Jewish population was nearly obliterated by Hitler when he murdered over 6 million.

So too, all mankind has immersed ourselves in idolatry and materialism. And like the Jews of old, we too have found ourselves in captivity again and again because of our sin. At times, we can feel scattered and unsure of what is going on in our culture. We can feel as though we are drowning in the darkness that is all around us. But this promise from God is still true today! If we seek Him with all our heart and with all our soul, we will find Him! If we will turn to the Lord and obey His voice, we’ll find that He is still merciful and that He’ll never forsake us! This is the Good News of the Gospel message. I John 1:9 is still true; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness“.

“Father, I thank You that “If we are faithless, You remain faithful; because You cannot deny Yourself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Help me not repeat, over and over, all the sins of those who’ve gone before me. Help me not to be consumed with materialism, like so many others in my culture. Remind me to not ‘idolize’ anyone or anything else, other than You.  I love You.” – Michael