-Seventy Seven- Daniel The Disciple

Daniel the Disciple

Today’s Reading: Daniel 2:1-30

Focal Verse: Daniel 2:24

Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon.  He went and said thus to him:  “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation”

You can put on a good front and fool a lot of people into thinking you are religious, but the love or lack of love you display towards others will show the true quality of your relationship with Jesus Christ.
God had given Daniel the extraordinary ability to have “understanding in visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17b).  Daniel could have become proud, but Daniel kept his focus on where this ability came from (Daniel 2:28) and that God had a reason for it.  This kept Daniel humble (Daniel 2:30).
To Daniel, religion wasn’t a “front”.  It was real and vital to him and was the basis for all of life’s decisions, and others were blessed because of it.  Because of the mercies he received from God, he gave mercy to others (Daniel 2:24).
That is what a disciple does.  He follows his Master by passing grace on.

Are you a good disciple, or are you just putting on a front?

Confess your weakness, and ask God to draw you into a more intimate relationship with Him

-Seventy Six- Difficult Circumstances

Difficult Circumstances

Today’s Reading: Daniel 1:3-21

Focal Verse: Daniel 3:17

As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

God is the God of grace and it matters to Him that all nations and people have a chance to know Him (Matthew 28:19).  At times we, as His people, are put into difficult circumstances as a part of making that happen.
Daniel was one of these people.  He was in a foreign country being pressed into service for a king.  He was expected to change his name, his culture, his language and food.  They also wanted him to exchange his God for their gods.
God doesn’t leave us alone in difficult circumstances and He didn’t leave Daniel alone either.  He brought Daniel into the favor of others (v.9).  He equipped Daniel with skills he would need to excel in the kingdom (v.17).
God wants the people that your life touches to know Him.  He wants to extend His grace to them.  He may put you in unusual or difficult circumstances to bring it about, but He won’t leave you there alone.  Like Daniel, He will give what you need and your life can be both blessed, and bless others.

If you are in difficult circumstances, be encouraged that God has not left you there alone.

If you know someone in difficult circumstances, give them a call today to let them know you are thinking of them.

-Seventy Five- Can I Ask A Question?

Can I Ask a Question?

Today’s Reading: Habbakuk

Focal Verses: Isaiah 55:8-9

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways”, says the LORD.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

You cannot understand all the workings of God.  No matter how brilliant you may be, your understanding doesn’t even begin to measure up to God’s.
We are human and sometimes this frustrates us.  Sometimes we question in our own minds and hearts the wisdom of what God is doing.
Habbakuk grew frustrated and he questioned God.  He was honestly seeking some answers and he stayed around to hear God’s answers.
Do you remember asking a parent or another authority “why?” at times and hearing the response “Because I told you so?”  God had the right to say to Habbakuk, “Because I told you so” and leave it at that.  Instead, in His grace, He patiently tried to reassure Habbakuk that He was in control.
Because of God’s gracious words, Habbakuk’s faith was increased to be able to look beyond circumstances, and this what he says:

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls-

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer’s feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habbakuk 3:17-19

**The Lord has an answer book for you – the Bible.  Let Him patiently guide you through it.

-Seventy Four- Manasseh

Manasseh

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 33:1-13

Focal Verse: 2 Chronicles 33:13b

…then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

Manasseh was bad.  I mean really, really bad.
He built altars to pagan gods that his father had broken down.  He made idols.  He murdered his children by sacrificing them to false gods.  He practiced witchcraft and consulted mediums.  He set up an idol in the temple of God.  He convinced his people to do more evil than even the pagan nations.
Sounds like a hopeless cause, doesn’t it?  The Bible tells us that God spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.
God didn’t see them as a hopeless cause.  He wanted to give them grace.  They refused it, so He allowed them the consequences of their evil.  Manasseh was carried off.
But God didn’t leave them there.  Manasseh finally realized his wickedness and repented.  God, in His grace, heard him and brought him back to his kingdom.
Manasseh saw His grace.  Then he knew “that the LORD was God”.

Have you stopped praying for someone, thinking they are a hopeless cause?  They aren’t a hopeless cause to God.  Continue praying and allow Him to work in their circumstances.

You aren’t a hopeless cause either.  You can repent right now and receive God’s grace. http://thegracechronicles-penny.blogspot.com/2011/11/behold-i-stand-at-door-and-knock.html

-Seventy Three- Christ: Our Salvation

Christ: Our Salvation


Today’s Reading: Isaiah 53
Focal Verse: Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, everyone, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus died on a cross because of your sins.

In return, we despised and rejected Him.  We hid our faces from Him (Isaiah 53:3).  Isaiah 53 is prophecy of what was yet to come.  He knew before He came how it would be.

Why?  Why would He come?  Would you move out of a place where you are loved and respected to a place where you would be hated, rejected, and die a torturous death to reconcile a few to God?

He did.

Grace.

Please take time to read Isaiah 53 and meditate on it.
Thank Him for doing this for you.

-Seventy Two- Cry Out!!

Cry Out!

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 20:1-11

Focal Verse: 2 Kings 20:3

“Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.”  And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

I have prayed and cried out for healing for myself and others, and my prayers were answered.  I rejoiced in the miraculous power of God.  I felt so close to Him.
I have also prayed and cried out for healing where God did not heal.  Still yet, I rejoiced in the miraculous power of God to sustain myself and others in our sorrow and suffering.  I felt so close to Him.
Sometimes God gives grace and heals (Matthew 8:16-17).  Sometimes He gives grace for us to continue when the healing doesn’t occur (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).  But whether in healing or not, He is there to give His grace.  Just cry out to Him.

Isaiah 30:19b

He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;

When He hears it, He will answer you.

**Praise God for the healing you have seen in your own life and the lives of others.

Sometimes, God doesn’t answer in the way we would have chosen.  Trust in His love for you.  Decide you will praise Him anyway for the grace He will give you to carry on.

-Seventy One- Who Is A God Like You?

Who is a God Like You?

Today’s Reading and Focal Verses: Micah 7:18-19

Who is a God like You,

Pardoning iniquity

And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in mercy.

He will again have compassion on us,

And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast off our sins

Into the depths of the sea.

There are some people who will never forgive you.  You may have apologized and may have changed whatever behavior hurt them in the first place, but the memory of that hurt is stronger for them than your efforts since.  It is a sad thing to see relationships destroyed.
God had the right to stay angry with His people.  They rejected Him and turned to other man-made gods so many times that no one could have blamed for walking away or even destroying them.
But “He delights in mercy”.  It is a joy to Him to forgive us when we return to Him, and we can count on open-armed love and acceptance because He casts our sins away from sight.  No one can sit on a boat out where the ocean is deep and see the bottom.  There are recesses of the ocean never seen by man, and that’s how our forgiven sins are to God.
Who is a God like You?

Praise be to God who is so full of grace that He removes your sin from His sight.  Stop brooding over what He has already forgiven and cast away.

-Seventy- Hezekiah

Hezekiah

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 30:1-20

Focal Verses: 2 Chronicles: 30:18b-20

Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, 

“May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.”

And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

Jesus loves even those who come to Him with messy lives.  Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know it from going in most churches today.  Many in the Christian community have it backwards.  They want someone to clean up their act before they come, instead of welcoming them with all their mess and letting God clean it up.
Hezekiah had it right.  They were preparing to eat the Passover and many were there to eat it without having done the ritual cleansing ceremonies.  Hezekiah did not want to keep from God those who were seeking Him.  Today’s focal verses are his prayer and God’s response.
It is time for the church, the body of Christ, to do what Hezekiah did.  He understood God’s grace.  He welcomed those with a seeking heart and interceded on their behalf.  And the Lord listened.

Let the Lord speak to you about your attitude towards those with messy lives.  Accept His grace and pass it on to others.

-Sixty Nine- Come, Let Us Return

Come, Let Us Return


Today’s Reading: Hosea 14:1-4
Focal Verse: Hosea 6:1
Come, and let us return to the LORD;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

Sometimes, life is miserable.  A devoted follower of Christ will have their share of trials and sorrow, but there is nothing like the misery of a life that has turned its back on God.

God called for Israel to turn back to Him and He calls for us to do the same today.  He knows, in your disobedience, you have encountered some wounds. In His grace, however, He is ready to heal them.

He promised Israel a time of restoration and He promises the same thing to us today – if we will only return to Him.

“Come, and let us return to the LORD.”

Praise God for being a Healer, Restorer, and Grace-giver in your life.

-Sixty Eight- God Of Hope

God of Hope

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7

Focal Verse: Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

God doesn’t want His people to despair. Even in the darkness of the captivity of Israel, He gave His people a hope:

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given”


His Son, Jesus Christ, has already come now. He still holds out hope for those who are in the darkness of the captivity of sin:

For unto you a Child was born.

Unto you a Son has been given.

　

Do you have that hope?

Are you sharing that hope with others?

-Sixty Seven- Unclean

Unclean

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 6:1-7

Focal Verse: Isaiah 6:5

So I said, “Woe is me, for I am undone!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

In our day, it’s all about how you look. If you don’t like your hair or don’t have any hair, it can be changed. If you don’t like your body, that can be changed, too (surgically if need be). In this world, our appearance is the first thing that is judged.

We can spend all our money on the best haircuts, manicures, tanning beds; all our time on getting the perfect “abs”. But while there is nothing wrong with having a great appearance, it is worth nothing if we are unclean inside.

Jesus tried to tell the religious leaders of His day this. They criticized Him when He went to the house of Zacchaeus, a “vertically challenged” tax collector (Luke 19:1-10). He called them “whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27), for although they put up a good appearance, there was nothing but decay and death inside.

Confronted by the presence of a Holy God, we see just how filthy we are, but praise God, He is willing to clean us up (Mark 1:40-41). Through the blood of His holy Son, we can be washed clean and He will say to us as He said to Isaiah: “Your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged” (Isaiah 6:7b).

Although you may already be a believer, sometimes a little “foot-washing” is in order (see John 13:10). Spend time in His presence today.

-Sixty Six- Grace For The Innocents

Grace for the Innocents

Today’s Reading: Jonah 4

Focal Verse: Jonah 4:11

“And should I not pity Ninevah, that great city, in which there are

more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot

discern between their right hand and their left – and much livestock.”

God has great compassion on those who cannot fend for themselves. Part of the reason He wanted to spare Ninevah was because of the 120,000 small children who were there. Jesus insisted that the little children be allowed to come to Him (Matthew 19:14). We see in Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1:5 that even in the womb, God is already caring for us. His word shows His care for widows (Proverbs 15:25) and orphans (James 1:27).

In a world where at times we feel so small, isn’t it a relief to know that we have a God who has compassion and doesn’t see anyone as too “small”.

Read James 1:27. Compare what this verse says about religion to your form of religion and see how it measures up.

-Sixty Five- Prejudice

Prejudice

Today’s Reading: Jonah 1-3

Focal Verse: Jonah 1:2

“Arise, go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry out against it;

for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

Most of us know the story of Jonah and how he tried to run from God’s assignment. We know the miracle of the fish swallowing him and Jonah living in that fish 3 days and 3 nights until he becomes obedient to God. We make jokes about not wanting for God to send a fish to swallow us.

But what if God sent you to a country that was your enemy and that you were raised with a prejudice against? Would you be willing, or would you run like Jonah did?

God wants us to lose our prejudices. He is graciously patient with us as He teaches us His truth and changes our hearts, but if we refuse to allow God to change our views of people into His views, we are in rebellion like Jonah.

God may choose to use you to bring a people to Him that you have been prejudiced against. He has been patient with you. He chose you even though you were His enemy (Romans 5:8-10). Begin allowing His grace to dissolve your prejudices today.

Prejudices can extend to things beyond race. Ask God to reveal to you any prejudices you may have. Thank Him for being patient with you. Let God speak to you through this verse:

Galatians 3:28

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

-Sixty Four- Gomer

Gomer

Today’s Reading: Hosea 2:14-23

Focal Verse: Hosea 2:16

“And it shall be, in that day,”

says the LORD,

“That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’

And no longer call Me ‘My Master’”.

Are you in love with your Savior? Do you crave to spend time with Him? Or is your relationship one of obligation, or even just a façade with no real relationship underneath.

Hosea and Gomer were married but she was a faithless, adulterous prostitute. God still told Hosea to go get Gomer and love her. This was a picture of God’s love for faithless Israel. He loves you and me with that kind of passion today.

In the book, The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy, there is a statement that I think sums up many of our attitudes towards God today. The main character goes to visit a man, who is known to dabble in the supernatural, to get some information he wants. The seer notices the man sneaking up to his house, trying to hide from the village that he was coming to this man. The seer reflects on this:

“He was sometimes astonished that men could profess so little

and believe so much at his house, when at church they professed

so much and believed so little.”

Does your life show that Jesus is the love of your life? Or are you like Gomer, being swayed and bought out by any other idea that may turn your head?

You have a God who passionately loves you even when you have been unfaithful to Him. Come back into His arms today.

Meditate on the love that Christ has given you. Spend time considering the quality of the love you return to Him.

-Sixty Three- Impending Judgement

Impending Judgment

Today’s Reading: Amos 3

Focal Verses: Amos 3:7

Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

Imagine you are driving on a mountain road and, all of a sudden, it suddenly drops off into a deep gulley. You would expect some kind of warning, wouldn’t you? It would be typical to have several warning signs, an available detour and maybe some flashing lights.

The children of Israel were on a road that headed into a drop-off. Miles and miles ahead, God began to warn them and even offer detours (see 2 Kings 3:3-6 for one example). He sent prophets who warned them for years. They just ignored all the warnings.

Sometimes we head down a road that ends in calamity. Even today, God graciously warns us again and again. Are we going to ignore His warnings, too?

Thank God for showing you the road hazards ahead.

If you are headed down a dangerous road, make the decision today to accept God’s warnings and get off!

-Sixty Two- Naaman

Naaman

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-15

Focal Verse: 2 Kings 5:15

And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

Sometimes God is there, grace held out in His hand, just waiting for us to take it. We have some sort of problem. We try to fix it by going to someone of earthly prestige or power. When that doesn’t work, we will go to God or a representative of His, but when the solution given us is just a simple act of faith, we rebel. We think surely our problem deserves some sort of showy solution, but to have to do something so humble? Our flesh recoils from the thought.

But there it is…still in His hand. And as we take it, finally, in our moment of humility, we see God ---just as Naaman did.

What act of grace does God have in His hand for you?

Humble yourself…and see God.

-Sixty One- Shunamite Woman

Shunamite Woman

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-37 and 2 Kings 8:1-6

Focal Verses: 2 Kings 4:9-10

And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”

As far as we know, the Shunamite woman didn’t perform great miracles. She didn’t live a perfect life. She didn’t lead an army into battle. She didn’t make a huge donation. She wasn’t one of God’s prophets. We don’t even know what her name was. Yet God showed her great favor.

She had wealth and social position, but no son. God gave her one. The son died. God restored his life. He warned of a famine and led her to another land so she would not go hungry, and when she returned seven years later, He restored not only all her lands, but all the proceeds from them in the time she was gone.

Why, then? Why the special favor?

She showed her love for God by showing hospitality to a servant of God.

1 Peter 4:9 tells us to, “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.”

Ask God to show you ways to be hospitable.

-Behold, I Stand At The Door And Knock-

Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock

Today’s Reading and Focal Verse: Revelation 3:20

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

I expect there is at least one person who is reading this who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. This one is for you…

Christ died for you. It doesn’t matter what you have done or not done. It doesn’t matter if you have been pretending to be something you are not. Christ died for you.

If you are sensing the call of Christ right now, it’s not coming from you. The Holy Spirit Himself is calling you to life and freedom from the burden of sin. He doesn’t want you to wait until you are “perfect”. He loves you as you come today.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

All that is left is for you to respond. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

If you are ready to do that, talk to Jesus right now. Confess your sins to Him. Acknowledge that He paid the price for them on the cross. Ask Him to come into your heart and be the Lord of your life.

Accept Grace.

If you accepted Jesus as your Savior, tell someone as soon as possible.

If you are already a believer, please stop and pray right now for those who may be reading this who don’t know Him.

-Sixty- Ahab

Ahab

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 20:1-29

Focal Verse: 1 Kings 20:13

Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: “Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD”.

Let’s look at Ahab’s track record up to this point. He worshipped Baal and built an altar for Baal (1 Kings 16:31-32). He allowed his wife to kill the prophets of God (1 Kings 18:13). In fact, 1 Kings 16:33b says, “Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him”.

So why didn’t God allow Ben-Hadad to defeat Ahab? As He says in verse 13 to Ahab, “Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord”.

God reveals Himself to each of us so that we may have the opportunity to accept or reject Him – even a nasty, mean fellow like Ahab.

Ahab rejected God’s grace. What will you do?

Thank God for revealing Himself to you.

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, click on Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock.

-Fifty Nine- Burned Out?

Burned Out?

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Focal Verse: 1 Kings 19:4b

And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Fear and fatigue are powerful enemies. Even God’s servants can fall prey to them.

Elijah faced both these enemies right after a wonderful display of the power of God and answered prayer. But Elijah was human. He faced constant danger. He felt like he was fighting God’s battle alone, and he was tired.

In His grace, God answered Elijah’s needs. First, He gave him food and water to sustain him for the journey. Elijah didn’t even have to cook it. Next, God showed Elijah He could sustain him for the 40 day and 40 night journey. I think the solitude must have been soothing to Elijah’s nerves.

There, Elijah waited for God. After a display of His power, the LORD met Elijah in a still, small voice. The Lord listened to Elijah’s concerns and then revealed the next step of His plan to him.

It is a great comfort to me that when I grow weary fighting the battle, the Lord is there. He is there to sustain me. He is there to give me periods of rest and a hope beyond the present circumstances. He listens to me… and then reveals a little more of Himself. What a merciful Father!

Are you weary or frightened? Make time to meet with God.

-Fifty Eight- Delivered From Destruction

Delivered From Destruction

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 12:1-12

Focal Verse: 2 Chronicles 12:12

When he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.

When we turn our backs on God, we deserve destruction; but when we humble ourselves, what He gives us is mercy.

It begins with us like in v.1: “Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel along with him.” Things are going pretty well in our lives and we begin taking our eyes off of Jesus and putting them on ourselves. Before long, God just really doesn’t matter to us all that much anymore. We’re feeling pretty strong on our own.

God allows us to turn our backs to Him, if that is our desire, but He makes sure we understand what we have done and the consequences (v. 5b). If we humble ourselves, He gives mercy, but sometimes He allows us to "taste” what it would mean to turn away from Him so that we can see the mercies we have in serving Him (v.8).

We must learn to trust in God instead of ourselves or the world, in the good times as well as the bad. Psalm 20:7 says: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Are you remembering His name?

Humble yourself before the God of mercy. Purpose in your heart to trust in His name alone.

-Fifty Seven- The World Notices

The World Notices

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 9:1-8

Focal Verses: 2 Chronicles 9:1,8

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

-and-

“Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

Blessings come in many ways. Sometimes it’s faith, sometimes wealth, sometimes wisdom, and the list goes on. One thing is certain, though; when God in His grace blesses a person or a nation, the world notices.

If God’s grace has blessed you in some way, you will be noticed and it will draw others to you. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus spoke these words: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” He was talking about you, as a believer. As the grace God has shown us draws people to us, we are to point them to the Grace-Giver. Then, as the queen of Sheba expressed, there is no question to the world where your blessings come from.

Are you pointing others to the Grace-Giver?

-Fifty Six- First In God's Eyes

First in God’s Eyes

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 26:10

Focal Verse: 1 Chronicles 26:10

Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons. Shimri the first (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first)…

What order were you born into in your family? Are you a middle child? The youngest? The oldest? It probably doesn’t make much difference in these times, but in Biblical times, it was of extreme importance.

The firstborn got a double portion of the father’s inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). The firstborn also got a special blessing from the father (Genesis 27:4,35). He became the chief, and priest until levitical times, of the family upon the father’s death (Exodus 24:5). The privileges of the firstborn were so great that Jacob tricked Esau and his father into making sure he had this birthright (Geneses 27:1-40).

So it is significant that this father named this particular son first, although he was not born first. Birthright was sometimes changed due to misconduct by the firstborn (1 Chronicles 5:1-2). The Bible is silent on why it was changed this time. It just says that it is so.

If you are a believer, God looks at you as a “firstborn”. His kingdom will be full of firstborns. The fact that you were a sinner doesn’t nullify that. As Romans 8:14-17a says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, the heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”.

**Praise God that although you were not “firstborn” of Him, He has made you first.

-Fifty Five- God's Hand

God’s Hand

Today’s Reading: Psalm 44:3

Focal Verse: Psalm 44:3

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,

Nor did their own arm save them;

But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,

Because You favored them.

Not only do we not recognize the role God plays in preserving our lives, but many times we do not give Him credit for our successes and victories. At times, we attribute our successes and our material possessions to our own hands. We do have a part to play, but we must also notice the hand of God in our lives. He clears the way. He enables us with abilities. Many times, He has enabled us to succeed where there was no reason we should succeed.

We have not “earned” the hand of God, but He gives it anyway…just because He has favored us.

So next time your paycheck comes, you step into your home, you greet your family – stop and look for the hand of God.

Think of ways you have clearly seen God’s hand in the past. Ask Him to show you where you may have missed it.

-Fifty Four- The Life Preserver

The Life Preserver

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 8:6b; 2 Samuel 8:14b; 1 Chronicles 18:66

Focal Verse: 2 Samuel 8:6b

So the LORD preserved David wherever he went.

There is one aspect of God’s grace that I think many times we overlook. That is God’s preservation of our life. He is, first of all, the Giver of Life (Acts 17:25). He then, in His grace, preserves our lives.

So many times we say that we have been “lucky” or had a “narrow escape”.  What the record could also say is “the LORD preserved (insert your name) wherever he/she went”. We thank “our lucky stars” when who we should thank is the God of all creation.

“Who have been upheld by Me from birth,

Who have been carried from the womb;

Even to your old age, I am He,

And even to gray hairs I will carry you!

I have made, and I will bear;

Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

Isaiah 46:3b and 4

Thank you, Lord, for preserving my life. Help me not take it for granted even a single day.

Consider this: How does realizing that God is your Life Preserver change how you feel about, and live, this life?

-Fifty Three- Solomon

Solomon

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 12:24-25

Focal Verse: 2 Samuel 12:24b

Now the LORD loved him.

I have known Christians who were haunted by guilt from a sin they had committed years earlier. They had repented, but they were still living in the past instead of the glorious present of God’s forgiveness.

From this story, I can say with confidence that God doesn’t dwell on our repented sin and neither should we. David and Bathshebas’

marriage began out of sin. Their first child even died as a consequence of that sin. But God took something that began out of sin and brought a blessing from it – Solomon, and the Bible tells us that God loved him.

As believers, we should not live in the past. When we sin, we should repent, and then we should trust that the God of grace can take even the circumstances of our sin and bring good out of it. As it says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Are you living in guilt from sin in your past? Ask God’s forgiveness, if you haven’t already, and accept His forgiveness if you have. Let the God of grace bring good out of the circumstances of your life.

-Fifty Two- Grace, Grace, Grace!

Grace, Grace, Grace!

Today’s Reading: Psalm 103

Focal Verse: Psalm 103:1

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

　

We make all kinds of lists in life: shopping lists, “to do” lists, Christmas lists, and on and on. Sometimes we forget the most important list of all --- the lists of ways God has shown you grace. Psalm 103 is that kind of list.

Spend time listing the ways God has shown you grace. Verse 2 urges us to not forget His benefits. As you make the list, worship Him for the God of grace He is.

-Fifty One- After Repentance

After Repentance

Today’s Reading: Psalm 51

Focal Verse: Psalm 51:12

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit

An amazing thing happens after true repentance and forgiveness

--God will restore your joy! Only in the light of God’s grace to us can our pain turn to gladness.

We have all experienced the difficulty of a relationship strained by sin. We do wrong, repent, and the other party says they accept our apology, but many times there is a wall that goes up between the two parties.

When we repent before God, God’s grace breaks down the wall – period. He lovingly gives us His presence, and then, once more, we experience joy!

Spend time thanking God that His grace breaks down walls.

-Fifty- At Least I'm Not As Bad As.......

At Least I’m Not as Bad As……

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:25

Focal Verse: 2 Samuel 12:13

So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

We have all played the game at some time or other. We might say, “Well, yes I lied, but at least I’m not a thief,” or “Oh, I gossip a little, but I don’t cheat on my spouse like ______does”. And worst of all, some of us think we have “arrived” and are virtually “sin-free”. It’s an ugly game that cheapens the blood of Christ.

I had always taken comfort in the fact that God forgave David of his adultery and murder. I thought I was pretty safe since I hadn’t sinned to this “degree”. But I don’t remember Jesus talking about different levels of sin. Whether it was an adulterer, a tax collector, a worldly young ruler, or the self-righteous Pharisee, it was simply sin. In fact, in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), it was the repentant and humble tax collector who went away receiving God’s grace. Christ died on a cross just as much for the snide remark I might make about someone else as He did for an imprisoned murderer. In John 8:1-11, the religious leaders wanted to stone an adulterous woman, but Jesus reminded them of their own sin.

What God requires is for us to come before Him when we sin, and say as David, “I have sinned before the LORD”. And, just as He did for David, and as He does for all repentant sinners, He gives grace.

Confess your sin before God. Praise Him for being the Grace-giver.

As David did (v.20), worship Him.

-Forty Nine- Follow The Leader

Follow the Leader

Today’s Reading: Psalm 33

Focal Verse: Psalm 33:b

The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD…

Do you love your neighbor? Do you care what happens to them? Do you even know their names?

So much of our lives today are centered on ourselves, or our families. We have very little concern for fellow believers, much less the lost. But is that the pattern God set for us?

Psalm 33 reminds us that the earth is full of His goodness (see also Psalm 104). It isn’t here just for His children, but for all the inhabitants of the earth.

Psalm 145:15-16 speaks of His provision for living creatures:

The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

Matthew 5:44-45 reminds us to do good even to our enemies: “…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”.

God cares enough about everyone He has created to give them some common grace. I think it is time we follow our Leader.

Read Luke 6:35. Ask God to show You those people in the world that He wants you to show grace to.

-Forty Eight- Not What We Deserve

Not What We Deserve

Today’s Reading: Psalm 78

Focal Verse: Psalm 78:38

But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,

And did not destroy them.

Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,

And did not stir up all His wrath.

It is the battle cry of every child: “That’s not fair!” As adults, we may not say it aloud, but we think it and even express it to God. But do we really want God to give us what we deserve?

The Israelites, God’s people, rejected Him and turned to sin again and again, yet He did not destroy them. Because of His compassion, He forgave their sins time and time again.

Thank You, Father, that You don’t give me what I deserve, but in Your grace You forgive me….time and time again.

Have you been whining to God, “It’s not fair!”?

Thank Him that He doesn’t give you what you deserve.

Thank Him that He did what wasn’t fair – dying on the cross for you.

-Forty Seven- It All Belongs To The Lord

It All Belongs to the Lord

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 30:1-31

Focal Verse: 1 Samuel 30:19-20

And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

It all belongs to the Lord. All your “stuff”, all your neighbor’s “stuff” – everything in the world belongs to the Lord.

David felt like he had lost so much. His enemy had taken from David’s people, not only worldly wealth, but also their families. Verse 4 says they “lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep”.

But God knew what was ahead. He was going to display His power and grace in a mighty way.

God gave back David and his people their “stuff”. He gave them back their families, and He gave them even more – He gave them their enemies “stuff”, too. What looked like a tragedy from the world became a blessing from God.

Grace….from the Creator and Master of all the “stuff”.

If tragedy has come into your life, talk to the Creator.

You may not get back all your “stuff”, or even a loved one,

But God, in His grace, still longs to bring a blessing into your life.

-Forty Six- Mercy In The Consequences Of Sin

Mercy in the Consequences of Sin

Today’s Reading and Focal Verses:

Psalm 31:9-10

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;

My eye wastes away with grief,

Yes, my soul and my body!

For my life is spent with grief,

And my years with sighing;

My strength fails because of my iniquity,

And my bones waste away.

Psalm 40:12

For innumerable evils have surrounded me;

My iniquities have overtaken me,

So that I am not able to look up;

They are more than the hairs of my head;

Therefore my heart fails me.

Grace doesn’t end when we sin.

We all know the horrible sense of guilt and failure when we really blow it. Even though repentance brings forgiveness, sin has consequences and sometimes those consequences can seem devastating to ourselves and to those we love. David has expressed perfectly how I have felt in these times.

Even in the times of discipline from the consequences of his sin, David knew to call on God’s mercy. It is God’s mercy that can bring us fruit, even from the consequences of sin if we are willing to be “trained by it”.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

　

**If you are in the midst of the consequences from your sin:

1. Repent of the sin if you haven’t already done so.

2. Cry out for mercy from God.

3. Trust that submission to His chastening will bring joy and peace in the end.**

-Forty Five- Abigail

Abigail

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 25:2-42

Focal Verse: Samuel 25:41

The she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

God knows what your circumstances are. You may feel at times as if He has forgotten you, but He has not.

I wonder how Abigail felt. It must have been disheartening for her to be married to such a harsh, foolish man. I wonder if she ever doubted God’s love.

God saw Abigail. He knew her circumstances. At the right time, He delivered her. He not only delivered her from a bad marriage, but He delivered her to marriage with a king.

Abigail knew she didn’t deserve His grace. She expresses her humility in her answer to David’s servants:

“Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

We don’t deserve God’s grace either, but He longs to give it anyway.

Psalm 18:19

He also brought me out into a broad place;

He delivered me because He delighted in me.

**Pour your heart out to Him about any bad circumstances you may be in. Trust Him to deliver you in His perfect timing and in His perfect way.**

-Forty Four- Grace In Place Of Hatred

Grace In Place of Hatred

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 24:1-22 and 1 Samuel 26:1-25

Focal Verse: 1 Samuel 26:23

“May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

In this day and time, many people live their lives based on emotions. Emotions are wonderful and God-given, but our life decisions are to be based on God’s truths.

In a society where jobs, homes, families and spouses are discarded because they “don’t make us happy anymore”, even believers try to twist circumstances into being God’s truth instead of clinging to His word. We could all take a lesson from David.

David had been anointed by Samuel to be king; but Saul, also anointed by God, was still alive. His jealousy of David led him to a murderous rage and David was constantly on the run from him.

Twice, David had an opportunity to end Saul’s life. He probably could have felt justified in doing so, and could have convinced himself that God gave him the opportunity. But his love for God, a respect for who God had put in authority, and a confidence in God’s sovereignty allowed David the grace to spare Saul’s life. David didn’t allow his anger to make him take things in his own hands, but instead he relied on God’s very capable hands and God’s timing.

Are you struggling with difficulties in your life or relationships? Look at what God’s word has to say about your circumstances. Then ask God to give you the grace to do what is right.

-Forty Three- The Rock Of Escape

The Rock of Escape

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 23:26-28

Focal Verse: 1 Samuel 23:28

Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.

Do you feel on the edge of defeat? Like you are encircled by the enemy? There is One who is greater than any enemy, and He is the One who provided an escape for David.

In 1588, the Spanish Armada entered the English Channel with 130 ships and 30,000 men. The Armada seemed undefeatable, but Sir Francis Drake did what he could to break up their formation. What really turned the tide of the battle, however, was a storm sent by God. As the Armada tried to escape by sailing around Ireland, the fierce storm destroyed much of the fleet. What had looked like an eminent defeat, God turned into a decisive victory.

God providentially made a way of escape for David from what appeared to be eminent defeat. He still does the same for His people today. He truly is the Rock of Escape.

Think of a time when He was your Rock of Escape. Thank Him for His incredible grace.

-Forty Two- Fleeing From The King

Fleeing From the King

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 21 and 1 Samuel 22:5

Focal Verse: Psalm 34:4-5

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

The anointed king, on the run from the reigning king. I wonder if David ever questioned whether Samuel got it right when he anointed him as king?  But God did not leave David to face this trial alone.

He met David’s needs. He gave him food (1 Samuel 21:3-6), a sword (1 Samuel 21:8-9), wisdom (1 Samuel 21:10-15), and an army (1 Samuel 22:2). In His grace, God showed David he was not alone in this battle and the Lord was still in command.

God still gives grace to His people. He gives us all we need to do His calling and to fight the battles that rage against us. We can rejoice, just as David did:

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

　

**Seek the Lord.**

-Forty One- David And Goliath

David and Goliath

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-58

Focal Verse: 1 Samuel 17:37

"Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum….I smell the blood of an Englishman.” We all thrilled, as in the fairytale, Jack defeated the giant. As children, so much of life seemed gigantic to us, and we loved seeing the “little guy” win.

We’re grown up now, and we still face giants…sickness, death, a hurting child, financial trials, rejection…the list could go on and on. We can have confidence in facing giants just as David did.

Goliath was “bigger than life” and a veteran in battle. David was little, young, and a shepherd. David had something that Goliath didn’t have, though—God. David had the confidence that the same God who delivered him from the lion and bear would once again give him grace…and He did!

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

**Let the God of all grace be your confidence against the “giants” you face now just as He has in the past.**

-Forty- Who Will Be King?

Who Will Be King?

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 8 and 1 Samuel 9:16

Focal Verse: 1 Samuel 9:16

“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

Sometimes we refuse God’s best for our lives. He calls us to have faith in Him, but we look at the worldly way of doing things and we say, “God, I know You can do anything, but….” And then we go on to tell Him the “practical”, worldly answer we have decided on instead.

Israel faced this moment. God wanted them to follow Him. He didn’t want them to have to pay tribute to an earthly king or have to give their sons, daughters and lands into the king’s service. But they wanted a king, like other nations, and they demanded a king. God said, “They have rejected Me” (1 Samuel 8:7). As always, though, God gives us a choice. He gives them a king.

He could have given them a harsh king to prove the warnings He had given them about taking a king. In His grace, however, even being rejected by His people, He chose someone to deliver them.

If God can give grace to us even when we chose our own way, how much more grace will He give us when we choose to let Him reign in our lives?

In what area of your life are you choosing human wisdom rather than obedience to God? Have you chosen to make Him the King of your life?

-Thirty Nine- Grace Out Of Failure

Grace Out of Failure

Today’s Reading: Judges 16:23-30

Focal Verse: Hebrews 11:32a

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon…

Have you ever blown it so big that you thought God would never be able to use you again? Or, perhaps you have seen a Christian fall in a big way, and felt their time of service was over?

Judges 16:1-22 records how Samson falls prey, once again, to his weakness for women as Delilah charms the secret of his strength from him. The Philistines put out his eyes and put him in prison.

In his humbled state, Samson prays to the God from who his strength comes from. God gracefully empowers him once more, and in the moment of Samson’s death, he destroys more of God’s enemies than he did in his life.

Samson was a man of many weaknesses: temper and a weakness for women being two of them. He is rewarded for his faith, however, by being listed in Hebrews Chapter 11, and is one of the heroes of faith we are to look to.

Samson, weak and sinful, but faithful in the end – looking to God for grace.

God can use you again, no matter how hard you have fallen. Humble yourself before Him. Lift up those you know who have stumbled to the God of grace.

-Thirty Eight- Hannah

Hannah

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-10,19-20

Focal Verse: 1 Samuel 1:19b

And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife and the LORD remembered her.

Many women are married to wonderful men, yet they still carry the pain of childlessness. Hannah carried this pain and carried the additional burden of being mistreated by her husband’s other wife who did have children. She had a heartbreak her husband could not ease.

Hannah knew where to turn with her pain, though. Hannah prayed once again for a son. She made a vow to give him to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:11). And God answered her beyond what she could imagine.

The Lord gave her a son and Hannah kept her commitment, taking him to be left at the temple when he was old enough to be weaned (1 Samuel 1:24). God’s grace toward Hannah continued as He gave her five more children (1 Samuel 2:21), and the one she gave up became a man of God.

God doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we ask, but one thing is certain……an earnest plea from one of His children will bring a response of grace. If we will just trust Him, we will be blessed in a way we could never imagine.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

-Thirty Seven- Ruth and Boaz

Ruth and Boaz

Today’s Reading: Ruth 3:9-11

Focal Verse: Ruth 3:10a

Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter!”

It is the holiday season as I am writing this and though there is joy and parties and celebrating all around, there is also sadness. Sadness for the widower spending his first Christmas without his wife of many years. Sadness for the parents of the child who no longer sees a reason to live. Sadness for the wife whose husband has left her. The holidays are a time of heightened joy for some and heightened despair for others.

Naomi was in a foreign land when both her husband and her two sons died. She felt bitter, alone, and without hope. But Ruth, her son’s young widow, follows Naomi to a land that is foreign to her. She could have sought a new husband in her country, from her own people, but accompanies Naomi home instead.

Once in her new land, again she could have sought a young husband, but instead works hard gathering food for Naomi and herself.

In enters Boaz….A godly, older man who is a relative of the family. Naomi sees a way to repay Ruth for her kindness and sends her to Boaz with the message you read in today’s reading.

What grace! Ruth, who lost her young husband, gains a godly husband to care for her. Boaz, who never knew the joy of marriage, gains a young, virtuous wife. And then, Naomi, who had not only lost her husband and her two sons, and her hope as well gained the following:



So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has born him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth 4:13-17

What seemed like loss of all hope became joy to all. Oh, the unmatchless grace of the God of Hope!

Is there something that has happened in your life to make you lose hope? Place it in God’s compassionate hands.

-Thirty Six- Samson

Samson

Today’s Reading: Judges 13:1-5

Focal Verse: Judges 13:5b

“….and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

Who was your super-hero when you were a child? Mine was Superman. We had a cuckoo clock and everyday, when it struck 4:00, we ran inside to watch. I especially was enthralled with his x-ray vision.

The Israelites, once again unfaithful, were going to need a “super-hero” to deliver them. God prepared this “super-hero” in advance. His name was Samson.

When you think of Samson, you probably think of his great strength, or possibly how Delilah outwitted him. But I think of an Israeli woman. She was barren and I’m sure her heart ached for a child. God answered the emptiness in her womb with a son, and not just any son, but Samson. He would be dedicated to God, and God would use him to deliver his people.

Whether one person, or many people, God is watching. God’s grace to one woman, and His grace to a nation – all in one birth – Samson.

Talk to God right now about what is on your heart.

-Thirty Five- Jephthah

Jephthah

Today’s Reading: Judges 11:1-5

Focal Verse: Judges 11:1a

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot…

God doesn’t reject the rejected of this world. You may have been born into circumstances to people that were less than accepting of you. Perhaps you have been rejected in marriage, or have been fired from a job. I know some of you feel like your whole life has just been one long rejection.

But just as God lifted Jephthah up to deliver His people, He desires to lift you up today. Jesus, Himself, was criticized by the religious leaders of the day for spending time with the outcasts of the world.

God longs to take the “rejects” of this world into His family. You have value in His kingdom that has nothing to do with your ancestry, birth order, marital status or career. Accept His grace today.

If you have been judged harshly by the world, spend time meditating on the God who values you. If you have been judging others by the world’s standards, ask His forgiveness, and begin today learning to love others as He does.

-Thirty Four- Weak Faith

Weak Faith

Today’s Reading: Judges 6:36-40 and Judges 7:9-15

Focal Verse: Judges 6:39a

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more…”

Many times, we feel like God can’t use us if we don’t have the faith of a “Paul”. His word shows us, however, that He uses ordinary people with all their weaknesses.

Gideon is a wonderful example of this. Riddled with doubts and fear, he just brought them honestly before the Lord. Patiently and graciously, God answered him and gave him the strength and faith to follow Him.

He will do it for you, too.

What are your fears and doubts holding you back from?

Take them to God.

-Thirty Three- The Judges

The Judges

Today’s Reading: Judges 2:11-16

Focal Verse: Judges 2:16

Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

This story saddens me, yet gives me hope. Time and time again Israel is unfaithful to God. Time and time again God withdraws His protection and allows other nations to oppress the Israelites so they would return to His care. They would cry out for help and He would send a “judge” to deliver them from the oppression.

What saddens me is their repeated rejection of God. What gives me hope is the grace He extends to them over and over again.

We all have some sin in our life that is harder to overcome than others. When we give in to sin, we turn our backs on God. He still gives grace.

No more, though, does He have to raise up a deliverer. He raised up the only Deliverer needed in Jesus Christ. For those who belong to Him, grace to overcome sin and mercy when we fail is given freely.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

**Go boldly before His throne and spend a time of confession and thanksgiving.**

-Thirty Two- Not Performance, But Grace

Not Performance, But Grace

Today’s Reading and Focal Verse: Joshua 24:13

“I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

I remember one Christmas when my husband surprised me by buying me an emerald ring. I hadn’t done anything special that year and I hadn’t even asked for it. He just wanted to show me that he loved me.

Sometimes God just wants to show us that He loves us. We didn’t make the earth. He did, and then handed it to us for our benefit. We cannot manufacture a child, yet He blesses many with children. I know those who don’t take any special care of themselves, yet they live long lives. The list could go on and on, but the fact is we didn’t earn these gifts from God. Sometimes He just reaches out in love and grace to give us a blessing.

Meditate on and praise God for the things He has graciously given you.

-Thirty One- Refusing God's Grace

Refusing God’s Grace

Today’s Reading and Focal Verse: Joshua 16:10

And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.

God gives us commands to follow for our lives that, when followed, bring peace to our lives. Many times we choose our own way, however, and chaos and destruction result. The Israelites were no different. In Deuteronomy 20:16-19, God gives instructions to destroy the nations living the lands He is giving them. These are wicked nations. Many even sacrificed their own children to false gods. God knew if these people remained in the land, they would influence His people toward wickedness and their peace would be gone. But they chose their own way…

The Canaanites who remained eventually turned the Israelites hearts away from God and away from the blessings and peace He so graciously wanted to give them.

Psalm 106:36-38 They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.

　

**What “Canaanites” have you allowed to stay in your life? Say this prayer:

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

For I believe Your commandments.

Before I was afflicted I went astray,

But now I keep Your word.

You are good, and do good;

Teach me Your statutes.

Psalm 119:66-68**

-Thirty- Who Is In Charge?

Who is In Charge?

Today’s Reading: Joshua 5:13-15

Focal Verse: Joshua 5:14b

“…as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”

I have faced many battles in my life and will face many more, but the hardest ones have been those involving my children. One in particular involved my son. For a year and a half, he hardly left home. I prayed continuously for healing. As I drew close to God, He showed me what I should be praying for – that my son would make things right with God. I had to release my son into God’s hands for God to fight the battle for my son’s heart in whatever way He chose.

It was a difficult time in many ways, but it was also a time of incredible peace. I didn’t have to fight the battle. The battle was the Lord’s. I just had to allow Him to be Commander.

Before Jesus Christ was born in human form, He came to Joshua to show him Who was in control of the victory the Israelites were about to enjoy. As Joshua realized who this visitor was, he obeyed Him in worship.

As believers, God never intended for us to battle life on our own. He graciously offers Himself to lead in our battles. We just have to move over and allow Him to take His rightful place as the Commander of the army of the LORD.

Are there any battles raging in your life that you need to give over to the Commander?

-Twenty Nine- Who is in Your Family Tree?

Who is in Your Family Tree?

Today’s Reading: Joshua 2 and Joshua 6

Focal Verses: Matthew 1:5-6

“Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.”

Have you, or someone in your family, ever researched your family tree? If you found someone of importance, maybe an author, politician or royalty, you were eager to tell others. What if you found a prostitute in the family tree? Would you be so eager to tell?

Rahab, listed above, was just that. She lived in a town called Jericho. The Israelites sent spies in to see best how to invade the city. Rahab sheltered them from the king because she recognized the God of the Israelites as the God. In Joshua 2:11b, she said, “The LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Rahab believed this so firmly that she staked her life on this belief, and the God of grace saved her.

Rahab wasn’t an important person in her community. In fact, her community probably looked at her in much the same way you would look at a prostitute in your community today. God looked past her immorality and her earthly insignificance into a heart that expressed her faith in Him. In His grace, He saved her, lifted her out of the sinful life she led, made her the great-great grandmother of a king, and put her in the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Thank you, God, for looking past my imperfections and insignificance, and making me into an important member of Your kingdom.

-Twenty Eight- The Wages Of Sin

The Wages of Sin

Today’s Reading: Numbers 21:4-9

Focal Verse: Numbers 21:8b

“….it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”

We, as humans, have a “grass is greener on the other side” mentality. We have a very difficult time being happy with what we have.

The Israelites were no different. They were provided daily with food they did not have to labor to make grow. They only had to gather what was provided. They were so anxious to have “something better” that they began to despise God’s provision. This lack of thankfulness led them to speak against God.

Don’t we do the same thing? When is the last time you got on your knees to thank Him for the most basic provisions? Most of us are so busy looking for the next thing we “have to get” that we begin to despise what God has already given us. That is sin.

Romans 6:23a reads: “For the wages of sin is death.” Sin has consequences. The consequences of sin bite into our lives like the bite of these serpents with the fiery sting. But God, in His grace, provided the Israelites a way out of death from the sting of sin. They had to believe in His power to overcome death by looking at the bronze serpent set on the pole. They couldn’t overcome the consequences of their sin in their own strength.

Jesus foretold of His own death on the cross by using this illustration recorded in John 3:14-15: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

There is one answer to the sting of sin and the resulting death it brings: Jesus Christ, lifted up on a cross – the payment for our sins. Once again, we have to acknowledge our powerlessness to overcome sin on our own, and then believe in the remedy God provided: Romans 6:23b “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Have you accepted the gift of Jesus Christ?

Spend time thanking God for His provision in your life.

-Twenty Seven- We Don't Wanna Go!

We Don’t Wanna Go!!

Today’s Reading: Numbers 13 and 14:1-20

Focal Verse: Numbers 14:20

Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word.”

The only time my son had a temper tantrum was when he was three years old and we went to the zoo. As the time came to leave, he didn’t want to go and screamed as we carried him away. Our son did not realize that life held many things for him that would be far greater than the zoo.

Sometimes in life, we become like this. We feel content in the place where we are and don’t want to leave, even if God is promising us so much more in another place or situation.

This was the state of mind of the Israelites. They had become comfortable with the nomadic life they led, but the time had come for God to fulfill a wonderful promise to them. They didn’t want it. They were frightened. After all the miracles God had performed during their lifetimes, suddenly they were too scared to go on with Him. They listened to the fears of the majority and would even have gone back to slavery rather than go forward with God (see Nehemiah 9:17).

God offered to disinherit the Israelites and make a new nation from Moses, but Moses reminded Him of His mercy, saying, “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” And God did give them mercy. He did not destroy them. He did not send them back into slavery. They (the adults) also did not receive the Promised Land, because of their repeated rejection of God, but their descendants did. Most importantly, God did not withdraw His favor and presence.

As a believer, you can trust that, even if you throw a “temper tantrum”, He will not forsake you either.

If you have refused to go with God, ask for His grace and forgiveness now.