Nehemiah:Nothing is Impossible with Godl

DAY 35
Nehemiah 1:1 - 13:14


If you haven't seen it yet, Facing the Giants is an excellent movie. You will notice something missing though: all the glitz, special effects, and big-name movie stars. We've been fooled by most movies we see these days, they have pretty packages and glamourous people - but they lack substance.

This movie has substance. It's whole focus is the glory of God. It deals with real world problems in a Christian way.

But, why do I bring it up?? Good question.

It's because it references Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall. The fact that rebuilding the wall was an enourmous task and seen by the Hebrews as impossible. In fact, many people tried to discourage the builders.

So, how did they accomplish this task? They relied on God and depended on His strength. They also divided the work in small pieces. So each family was assigned and worked on a section of the wall; many at the places right where they lived opposite their homes.

What appeared to be impossible, was made possible by God and finished in 52 days. Wow!

Spreading the gospel of Jesus to the entire world seems like an enourmous task. But it's not, because God has made it possible. The work has been divided up; you and I are responsible for helping rebuild the kingdom of God right where we live.
Across the street.
Next door.
At work.
At school.

Remember, with God, all things are possible.

Ezra: God's Provision of Grace

DAY 34
2 Chronicles 35:16 - Ezra 1O:44

Reading through Ezra we obtain a beautiful picture of Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide.

From the very beginning, the Lord moves King Cyrus's heart so that he allows the Hebrews to return to Judah to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. And God does leave them empty-handed. He provides "silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God" (1:4). Then all their neighbors provided even more silver, gold, livestock, and valuable gifts. (1:6). Not only that but King Cyrus gave back all the articles of the temple of the Lord that they had taken. (1:7-11). King Artaxerxes and King Darius were also later moved my God in the provision to the people of Israel.

As Ezra prays to the Lord about forgiveness for the sins of His people there is an amazing verse found in Ezra 9:8 that illustrates that the Lord provides our greatest need.

"But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the Lord our God to preserve a remnant for us and give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us new life and light in our eyes."

Jehovah-Jireh, the provider of grace.

Even in the midst of our slavery to sin, God shines a light into our lives. " I am the light of the world, Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

That light leads us to the new life that is found in Christ, it restores us to a relationship with God. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28)

And after we are delivered, God gives us a place in His eternal kingdom. He also preserves us as a remnant here on earth to spread the news of the light. "You are the light of the world." (Matt 5:14).

This moment of grace is brief, it does not go on forever. One day the Lord will return and The Lord that provides will grant us the gift of His presence in eternity.

External Links
Jewish Exile to Babylon
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/080.htm

Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/085.htm

A Lesson Learned from Hooks and Shackles

DAY 33
2 Chronicles 23:16 - 35:15

What events and experiences in life draw people to Jesus? What does it take for someone to come to God? Does everyone come to God in the same way?

In 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 we meet King Manasseh of Judah. To put it bluntly, he wasn't a very nice man. He didn't have any excuses because his father was King Hezekiah who was one of the few leaders of Judah that followed God. But here is what the Word of God has to say about him.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord
He followed detestable practices
He rebuilt the high places to Baal and Asherah
He bowed down to the stars
He built idol altars in the temple
He sacrificed his own son in the fire
He practice sorcery and consulted mediums
He shed much innocent blood
He placed a carved image in the temple

King Manasseh was a very evil man, so God handed him over to the King of Assyria. He was captured with hooks and bound with shackles and dragged back to Babylon.

At this point, many of us would say he got what he deserved. We might even say he needed harsher punishment, maybe even put to death. We would say that God dealt with him justly.

Manasseh was at the end of his rope, down and out, and no one to blame but himself. He was broken, but he humbled himself and prayed to God.

AND GOD WAS MOVED BY HIS PLEA AND DELIVERED HIM!

It doesn't fit our neat system of justice. But I am sure he has some friends like the woman at the well, Matthew the tax collector, Paul the persecutor, and the adulterous woman who escaped a stoning. And if we are totally honest, we would probably fit into that crowd too. A glance at the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount will show how we all have been enemies of God and have done evil in the sight of our Lord.

No matter who we are, what we have done, or where we come from; we all come to God the same way. We are all sinners, with no distinctions. And we must approach God the same way Manasseh did with a humble prayer admitting our plight, asking for help, and accepting God's deliverance.

When that happened, God changed Manasseh into a servant of God. And the Lord does the same for you and I.

Today, thank God for hearing your humble prayer. (even if He had to use hooks and shackles)

Advice from the Prophets!

DAY 32
2 Chronicles 7:11 - 23:15

Have you ever heard a famous quote or saying and wish you would have said it? Do you ever desire to have the wisdom of Solomon, the intelligence of Einstein, the timing of a comedian, or the profound moment of a politician.

"Ask not what your country can for you, but what you can do for your country" (John F. Kennedy)

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." (Abraham Lincoln)

"Make my day." (Clint Eastwood)

We could go on and on. Everyone has famous quotes they admire or remember because of an experience in their lives.

The Bible is full of prophets and seers that come on the scene out of nowhere, make a statement, and disappear back into God's story. Some give warnings, some pronounce judgements, some give blessings, and some just give us profound statements.

There are four in our readings today that I want to share with you: Shemaiah, Hanani, Micaiah, and Jahaziel.

Shemaiah

Rehoboam and Judah had abandoned the law of the Lord, the prophet Shemaiah said to the leaders of Judah that God would abandon them the Shishak the king of Egypt. When the Israelites humbled themselves unto the Lord, He spared their lives but subjected them to Shishak. 2 Chron 12:8 "They (Judah) will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me (God) and serving the kings of other lands."

Many parents have gone through something similar with their children. We want our children to learn, and we do that by allowing them to reap the consequences or rewards of their decisions. Most of the times we train our children in controlled environments. In this situation, God was controlling the environment Judah was in and allowing them to learn a lesson. God does that for us; He is in ultimate control of our lives, but allows us the learn that serving God is vastly superior to serving anything else.

Hanani

Asa was King of Judah and he did right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed the altars and high places. God blessed him and Judah. However, at the end of his reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah. Instead of relying on the Lord, Asa relied on Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, to deliver Judah. Hanani, the seer, announced to Asa in 2 Chron 168b-9: "Yet when you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."

We live like God doesn't see what we are doing. We do a lot of foolish things. We also forget who delivers us. But, God sees everything and everyone in His creation. He searches for those hearts that are committed to Him. And when He finds them, the Lord strengthens them.

Micaiah

Jehoshaphat and Ahab were planning to go to war against Ramoth Giliead. So they sent for Micaiah to inquire of the Lord. Ahab didn't like Micaiah because he always prophesied bad things about Ahab when all the other prophets were always saying good things for Ahab. When the messenger approached the prophet to bring him to Ahab, they wanted him to agree with the other prophets. Micaiah's response in 2 Chron 18:13 "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says."

As believers, we have a habit of taking away or adding to the message of God. We find a hard time balancing between legalism and license. And therefore, we place God in our human derived systems and theologies. But God's word speaks for itself and interprets itself. How I wish that I would only tell people what God says, and not what I think.

Jahaziel

A vast army of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites were preparing to make war against Jehoshaphat and Judah. The people of Judah gathered together to fast and seek the Lord. And the Spririt of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and this is what he said in 2 Chron 20:15b " Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's"

What a comforting statement! There are numerous armies that try to invade our lives, to steal the joy and peace God has granted. And I don't have to rely on my own strength or wisdom, but on God. God is the one that has done all the work for deliverance, that has won the battle. All I have to do is enlist.

What advice from the prophets!

The battle is not yours, but God's. (I wish I would have said that)

Seek and You Shall Find

DAY 31
1 Chronicles 24:1 - 2 Chronicles 7:10

It's interesting to watch young kids with a magnifying glass. They will look at just about anything, even each other. The funny thing about magnifying glasses, they actually work both ways. They can "bring into focus" things from both directions.

1 Chron 28:9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."

Did you catch it? If you seek Him, He will be found by you.

So, why don't more people find God?

The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive. God knows the hearts and motives of all of His creation. The magnifying glass work in both directions. God searches our heart, and we search for God. And God offers a promise.

Anyone with a willing mind towards God, will find Him!

Anyone with a heart of devotion for God, will find Him!

Anyone who wants to serve God, will find Him!

Anyone who truly seeks God, will find Him.

Anyone who truly wants to know God, will find Him.

Anyone who truly wants a relationship with God, will find Him.

That is an amazing promise!

David's Prayers and God's Promises

DAY 30
1 Chronicles 10:1-23:32


David's Song of Praise in 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm of Thanks in 1 Chronicles 16 are amazing prayers that give us an insight into his heart for God. They are also a taste of what we have in store in Psalms. Listen to a person's prayer and it will reveal to you their heart.

Because God remebers His covenants, (16:15)
Because God is great and worthy of praise, (16:25)
Because the Lord reigns, (16:31)
Because God's is good and His love last forever, (16:34)

We can "Cry out, Save us, O God our Savior." (16:35)

Before we realized our sickness, God had already provided the cure.
Before we loved Him, God already loved us.
Before we knew our need, God already had the solution.
Before we even knew we needed a Savior, A Savior had been provided.
The Lamb of God and King of Kings is ready.

1 Chron 17:11-14
"I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish His kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me; and I will establish His throne forever. I will be His father, and He will be my Son. I will never take my love away from Him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set Him over my house and my kingdom forever; His throne will be established forever."

And what is concealed in the Old Testament, is revealed in the New Testament!

Matt 1:1 "This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham."

Matt 3:17 "And a voice from heaven said "You are my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased"

Luke 3:35 "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands."

Heb 1:8 "But about the Son he says, Your throne , O God, will last for ever and ever"

Today,
Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name
Make known His salvation to those you meet
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him
Tell your neighbor of His wonderful acts
Give glory to His holy name
Let the hearts of seeking know of the Savior
Look to the Lord and His strength
So you can share His goodness and mercy
Remember the wonders He has done
Proclaim His love that endures forever
And let everyone know to cry out
"Save us, O God our Savior"

Gatekeepers

DAY 29
1 Chronicles 1:1 - 9:44


At the end of today's reading, we see a section about the gatekeepers of the house of the Lord. (1 Chron 9:17-34) We will see the gatekeepers again in 1 Chron 26:1-19. They were few in number, but their responsibilities included

Guarding the house of the Lord,
Safekeeping of the treasuries in the temple, and
Opening the gate for access to God.

Even today as believers we have the first two responsibilities. As we mature in our faith we are responsible for guarding the house of the Lord which is in our heart. We must guard against sin's attacks at the gate. We must protect the gate with the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, prayer, and the fellowship of believers. These enable us to cast a discerning eye on all things that want access to our lives and protect the treasure of our relationship with God.

Without them we allow entrance into our heart for things like pride, jealousy, hate, selfishness, dissension, fear, etc. As these sins enter into our tabernacle, they will steal and devour the treasures that God has placed there. They steal away the intimate relationship with God.

It is very important we realize that the passage includes a sharing of duties. There are times in our lives when we are weak and unable to protect the gate. It is these times that we need to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us protect the treasures that God has placed in our hearts.

The last responsibility of opening the gate and gaining access to God belongs to Jesus. He is the the gate and the only one with the key.
John 10:7 "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep."
John 10:9 "I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved."
The only one that can grant access to Almighty God is Jesus.

The gatekeepers to the house of the Lord held an extremely important job. We don't have the key to the gate. We don't decide who can enter the gate. But we can be a doorman and show people the gate and who holds the key.
Psalms 84:10b "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

Cleaning House!

DAY 28
2 Kings 15:27 - 25:30

In today's section of reading, Hilkiah finds the Book of the Law in the temple. (Now why it was lost is a whole other discussion). When Josiah the king heard the words of God he tore his robes and inquired of the Lord about what to do.

Notice in 22:19 what effect God's word had on Josiah, "your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord." When the written Word and the Living Word convict the heart, we have seen in the Bible that some hearts are hardened while others are turned to God. But both are changed.

Over and over again, we see that the Kings of Judah and Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord by allowing idols into their lives. This allowed the people of God to continue in their sin. Even those kings that did right in the sight of the Lord, allowed the high places to stay. As a result, sin returned to their lives.

Josiah, was an exception. He went through Judah and destroyed all the idols and high places. He reinstated the Passover. He cleaned house and Judah enjoyed a period of blessing from the Lord. " Neither before or after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses" (23:25)

It's a lesson we all need to remember. When God's Word or the Holy Spirit convicts us of something in our lives that needs to be removed, we need to get rid of it. Just like Josiah, we need to be responsive and humble. If we don't; we allow Satan and our sinful nature the opportunity to return to the high places.

Through prayer and the study of the Word, we have the ability to do some house cleaning in the rooms of our heart everyday. Cleaning house is never fun! But the alternative is even worse. Instead of sweeping our idols under the rug or throwing them in a closet, it's time to take them to the garbage. God will even provide the strength to carry it out the door.

I've got to go, I heard there was a sale on double-ply garbage bags. With Psalms and Proverbs coming up in more than a week, I think I'm going to need them.

Lessons from a Floating Axe Head!

DAY 27
2 Kings 4:38 - 15:26


There are numerous stories in the Old Testament that make you scratch your head and ask, "Why is that story in there?" What in the world can we learn from a floating axe head?

Well, apparently quite a bit. One pastor wrote a serman called "Losing the Cutting Edge" about regaining the power of the Holy Spirit", another about the "Miracles of Elisha." But what is most interesting is this story's capability of foreshadowing the gospel.

2 Kings 6:4b-7 "They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. 'Oh my lord' he cried out, "it was borrowed!" The man of God asked, 'Where did it fall?' When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 'Lift it out, ' he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it."

Losing the Axe head
The axehead fell in the water.
We were made in the image and likeness of God. We had the ability and capability to walk with God, to hear His voice, and speak to Him. But sin has marred both our ability and capability to have that privelege. Sin has devastating effects on our "spirit." It dulls our sense of truth and prohibits us from accessing God.

The Cry of the Lost
When the prophet lost the axe head, he cried out.
At some point, we realize that there is something missing. As we attempt to go about our lives, we find out that what we are doing isn't working and doesn't make sense. Through God's providence, we are convicted and called.

The Significance of Borrowed
Iron was extremely rare and expensive during this time. It would have been impossible for the prophet to pay back the debt he owed to the person who lended the axe.
We also have a debt that can never be paid, by any actions on our part. It is impossible for us to repair the damage that sin has done.

Cut a Stick
Elisha cut a stick and threw it in the water and the axe head floated.
In Old Testament pictures we see God's power and authority exhibited through staffs and rods. Moses used his on many occasions. Eventually, God's plan involved Jesus dying on a cross and providing a remedy for the sin that barred our access to God. He provided the atonement for our guilt. But just as important Jesus enabled believers to live in the image and likeness of God again through the Holy Spirit's power.

Reach Out Your Hand
The only thing left is to reach out and grab the axe head, now that it is floating on the water.
God has done all the work to make salvation possible, we just have to reach out and grab it.
God has provided the restoration and means to be whole again, we just have to reach out and grab it.

How amazing is a God that cares about lost axe heads. (Mine would be the blunt one)

P.S. If you want to know how the axe fits back on the handle, God provided for that too. It can be found in the example of Jesus.

Questions God Asks?

Day 26
1 Kings 16:21 - 2 Kings 4:37

We have a God that pursues! And He also asks questions, ones that are meant to probe the depth of our hearts. The type of questions that invite a response. We have already passed over some of them.

In Gen 3:9, Adam and Eve sin and hide in the garden. God calls out to them and asks "Where are you?"

In Gen 3:11, the Lord asks Adam "Who told you that you were naked?"

In Gen 3:13 God asks Eve ( and Cain in Gen 4:10) "What have you done?"

In Gen 4:9, Cain kills his brother Abel and God asks Cain "Where is your brother?"

In our text today, God asks Elijah after he had fled to Mt. Horeb. "What are you doing here?"

Our merciful God asks the same questions of you and me today.

When He first pursues you and later when we fail to spend time with Him,
He asks "Where are you?"

When we listen to the counsel of the ungodly and to the lies of Satan,
He asks "Who told you?"

When we fall into sin and disobey His commands,
He asks "What have you done?"

When we neglect to love others and forget to share the gospel to a dying world,
He asks "Where is you brother?"

When we have become discouraged or fearful, when we have lost our way and forgot our mission, when we have gone down the wrong path,
He asks "What are you doing here?"

The important questions God asks are for our benefit, they are to draw us closer in our relationship with Him. They are an invitation to talk to One and Only God.

When we get to Luke 9:20, we will find a question Jesus asks not only of Peter, but everyone. "Who do you say that I am." And the only response that saves is the same as Peter's. "The Christ of God."

There is one more question God asks. It is found in Exodus 14:11, the Lord asks Moses "How long will they refuse to believe in Me." It shows the longsuffering of God, that He still waits for some to believe. But one day God's patience will be done.

So listen for God's questions, and be prepared with some answers.

Solomon's Important Question?

DAY 25
1 Kings 7:38 - 16:20

1 Kings 8:27
"But will God really dwell on earth?"

It's one of the most important questions of all time. Now that Solomon has built the temple, will God dwell on earth with man? A yearning for a time back in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. It's asked in many different ways, but it usually comes down to:

Will God be a part of our lives?

The question is just as relevant today. There are millions of people searching for relevance and significance. Is there a God? Does He even care about me? The Tabernacle and Temple were the ways that were instituted for a holy God to make His presence known to man. It was the means by which sinful man could still approach his Creater and Sustainer. It was a foreshadow of when God would take on human flesh and dwell with man in person.

John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

And His life was lived as an example to all His creation. It showed man how to love God and to love others. At the end of His life, He became the substitutionary atonement for our sins. He became the means by which sinful man could gain the remission of sins and have access to God. At His death, burial, and resurrection, He promised never to leave us alone by providing the Holy Spirit to guide us in our relationship with God, the Father.

Matt. 28:20 "Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

Yes! God dwells on this earth! But instead of dwelling in a physical structure, He dwells in the heart of every believer. And God's restoration of man continues. For now, the Holy Spirit has fellowship with your spirit, and walks with you in the garden of earth. It too is a foreshadow of what will come; when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Then we will see Him face to face!

I am glad the answer to Solomon's question is Yes!

External Links: Plans of Solomon's Temple
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/study/temple.htm?study=on

3D Project of Solomon's Temple
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/models/models.htm

Timeline for the Kings and Prophets of Israel and Judah
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/xian/bible/timeline.html

A Charge to Keep

DAY 24 (THIS IS A NEW POST)
2 Samuel 22:19 - 1 Kings 7:37

This is one of the beautiful hymns that Charles Wesley wrote. It is based on Matthew Henry's commentary on a passage in Leviticus.

"We have ev­ery one of us a charge to keep, an eter­nal God to glor­i­fy, an im­mor­tal soul to pro­vide for, need­ful du­ty to be done, our gen­er­a­tion to serve; and it must be our dai­ly care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will short­ly call us ac­count about it, and it is our ut­most per­il if we ne­glect it. Keep it “that ye die not”; it is death, eternal death, to be­tray the trust that we are charged with; by the con­sid­er­a­tion of this we must be kept in awe."

People pass on many things from generation to generation: antique heirlooms, money, jewelry, secrets, etc. Some, like David, give their dying wishes to their children.

It was the last instruction David gives to the new king Solomon. The last words of a faithful man.

Kings 2: 2-3 "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go."

The world has its own definitions of success; its own definitions of what a man and woman are. But to be God's man or woman is to be faithful and obedient to what He has commanded. There is no measurements of wealth, fame, popularity, and material success in God's kingdom. The only measurement is faithfulness.

In verse 4 the promise was that if Solomon kept God's commands that there would be a descendant of David on the throne forever. As we know, Solomon didn't keep all of God's requirements.

But God kept His promise. How wonderful and compassionate God is since Jesus (the son of David) sits on the throne forever in God's kingdom of believers.

Each of us has a charge to keep....and to pass on!

External Link: The Kingdoms of Saul, David, and Solomon
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/053.htm

Warning: Spoiler Alert!

DAY 23
2 Samuel 12:11 - 22:18
Anytime a commentator is going to reveal something that might give away the plot to a movie, TV Show, or book they warn their listeners. It's called a spoiler alert. So, if you don't want to hear it, then you can change the channel.

But most would stay tuned just so they could have the inside information, to be "in the know."

God, however, has no spoiler alerts. He wants His people to know what His plan is. As we have seen over and over again in our reading, there are types and shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. God wants His creation to have the inside information.

Here is the spoiler to God's Story.

2 Samuel 14:14b
"But God does not take away life; instead, He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him."

If your having trouble searching for God's plan or will, there it is. It really is that simple.

God's will is to devise a way to bring those banished by sin and death back to Him. It's to save many lives.

Aren't you glad God included you in the story line, that He didn't wait until the end to reveal His plan. That Jesus is the Way that God devised to bring those estranged back to Him. And that He asked you to be a major character in the plot, to actually share the insider information that you have.

Be a spoiler, don't keep God's story to yourself!

Inquire of the Lord

DAY 22
1 Samuel 28:20 - 2 Samuel 12:10

In the same manner as yesterday, David and Saul provide a stark contrast of how our relationship with God should be.

Over and over again in 1 and 2 Samuel we see that David inquired of the Lord. (1 Sam 23:2, 23:4, 30:8, 2 Sam 2:1, 5:19, 5:23, 21:1). The Hebrew word for inquire is sha'al which means to ask, consult, or seek. He continually sought God's guidance, direction, and approval for the actions in his life.

It is also the reason God's anointing left Saul and was placed on David because Saul did not inquire of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 "Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."

God continually advises us to seek Him and His kingdom first and the rest He takes care of. Seeking, Asking, Consulting, Inquiring. All these actions place us in the presence of God.

The more we are in His presence, the more our will bends to God's will.

The more we are in His presence, our ability to show mercy to others grows.

The more we are in His presence, our faithfulness and obedience to Him increases.

The more we are in His presence, the more we will want to worship Him.

"The object of your worship and the intensity of your worship will define your life."

The intensity of David's worship was so intense he danced before the Lord with all his might. In response to Michal despising his dancing, David explained his act of worship in 2 Sam 6:21b-22. "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, I will be humiliated in my own eyes."

When we spend more time inquiring and seeking the Lord, the intensity of our worship will increase and the less we will care that our devotion to God appears undignified to the world.

Let's Celebrate!

External Link: David's Wars of Conqeust
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/052.htm

Caution: Low Mercy Meter

DAY 21
1 Samuel 16:1 – 28:19

As we read about the rise of David, we also see the fall of Saul. It’s an interesting contrast. A contrast between jealousy and mercy.

God changed Saul’s heart, but Saul habitually disobeyed God’s command. The end result being that Saul lost God’s favor. Instead of being humbled before the Lord because of his sin, Saul was continually unfaithful and became fearful and jealous of David.

David was humble before the Lord and considered his anointing in the proper perspective. He was gracious and showed respect to Saul, David consistently gave God the glory for everything that happened.

The first time David spared Saul’s life, Saul makes the following statement:

1 Sam 24:17 “You are more righteous than I, he said, you have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.”

In this exchange righteousness corresponds to how we treat other people. And the only righteousness we have is that which is given to us by Jesus.

If we live in disobedience to God, we become jealous and fearful of those around us. We become incapable of showing mercy because we are not in a perfect relationship with God. And when were not in fellowship with God, our sinful nature takes over. We become Saul, trying to protect what we think is ours.

If we live in obedience to God, we allow God to handle the situations in our life, even those that cause us great pain and distress. Our intimate fellowship with God constantly reminds us of His righteousness and mercy. The mercy shown to us through Jesus, and the righteousness given to those that believe because of His sacrifice. And when we our faithful in our relationship with God, mercy naturally flows from our spirit. We become David, showing mercy to those around us.

Caution: When our mercy meter gets low, something is wrong in our relationship with Jesus.
Solution: Have daily scheduled maintenance
Result: Mercy overflows!

Changed Hearts

DAY 20
1 Samuel 2:30-15:35


In 1 Samuel 10:9 there was a phrase in the middle of the verse that caught my attention.

"God changed Saul's heart"

I can't think of a better description of what God and the gospel of Jesus does. It changes hearts.

God changes a heart of stone into a heart of flesh!
God changes a heart of hate into a heart of love!
God changes a heart of selfishness into a heart of service!
God changes a heart of wickedness into a heart of holiness!
God changes a heart of despair into a heart of hope!
God changes a heart of loneliness into a heart of fellowship!
God changes hearts!

Once God changes a heart, it comes with instructions because it can be affected by sin.

"Be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He had done for you."

With a new heart, you and I should faithfully serve the Lord. One of the ways we do this is to remember what He has done for us. As we talked about previously, it helps to pick up stones from the rivers that God carries you through. It reminds us of how faithful He is.

In 1 Samuel 15 we see how Saul grieved God because he turned away from the Lord and disobeyed His commands. And God purposes to remove the kingdom from Saul's hands.

If we fail to serve God with all our heart and forget to remember How he cares for us; our hearts can be changed by sin. We can fall into disobedience and our fellowship with Him is affected. And the way to return to fellowhip is the confession of our sin.

"To obey is better than sacrifice."

Be careful to obey God.
And never forget that you can cry out to the Lord when you sin.
For a confessed heart is clean and changed again.
Because God changes hearts!

External Links:
The Loss of the Ark
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/047.htm

The Kingdom of Saul
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/049.htm

The Buffet of Life

DAY 19
Judges 15:13 - 1 Samuel 2:29

Judges 17:6 & 21:25

"Everyone did as he saw fit" (NIV)
"Everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (NASB)

An accurate, but sad commentary on the status of this world.

We treat life like a buffet line at a Chinese Restaurant or Golden Corral. I'll take a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Unfortunately, the reason there is so little difference in lifestyles between believers and unbelievers is that we make the same choices in the Buffet of Life. We have similar divorce rates. We max out our credit cards. We watch the same immoral TV shows and movies. We use the same language. No wonder people aren't knocking on the door to come in and join.

What is wrong with the world today can be summed up in the fact that everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

"I'll do what I please."

Scripture has a commentary on that, too.

Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Unfortunately, gourging at the Buffet of Life can make one sick. The ways that we have chosen lead to death and destruction. But God gives us Jesus as a Deliverer (Judges), a kinsman-redeemer (Ruth), and a High Priest (1 Samuel).

John 14:6
"I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"

Once we enter through the door, we enter into our rest with God. We have peace with God and access to His guidance. This should make our lives different because instead of "everything I please" it's "all for the glory of God." Instead of serving myself, I am serving God first and then others.

Deuteronomy 12:8-9 (NLT)
"Today you are doing whatever you please, but that is not how it will be when you arrive in the place of rest the Lord your God is giving you.

As believers there should be only one way: God's way. My prayer is for your endurance during these 90 days. Because by the end, What to choose at the Buffet of Life will become a lot simpler and clear. (notice I did not say easy)

As for me, I think I'll step away from the buffet.
I've heard of a place to eat down the street that serves the same meal every day. From what I hear, you will never be hungry again.

God Always Delivers

DAY 18
Judges 3:38 - 15:12

For some reason, reading Judges reminds me of a boomerang and a yo-yo. With each successive generation of Israelites the knowledge of God, His laws, and His deliverance of them out of Egypt becomes more distant. As this happens, the cycle of disobedience and deliverance that has been shown in the Bible from Genesis through Joshua becomes more prevalent.

Israel Serves The Lord
· “The people served the Lord (2:7)

Israel Falls into Sin and Idolatry
· “A generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done in Israel” (2:10)
· “They quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” (2:17, 2:19)
· “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God served the Baals and Asherahs.” (3:7.

Israel is Enslaved
· “The Lord sold them (gave them)” (3:8, 4:12, 4:2, 6:1, 10:7, 13:1)

Israel Cries to the Lord
· ”The cried out to the Lord” (3:9, 3:15, 4:3, 6:6, 10:10)

The Lord has Compassion and Raises a Judge (Deliverer) and Israel is Delivered
· “The Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. (2:18b)
· “Then the Lord raised up judges (deliverers) who save them out of the hands of these raiders.” (2:16,)
· Othniel (3:9)
· Ehud (3:15
· Shamgar (3:31)
· Deborah (4:4)
· Gideon (6:11)
· Abimelech (9:1)
· Tola (10:1)
· Jair (10:3)
· Jephthah (11:29)
· Ibzan (12:8)
· Elon (12:11)
· Abdon (12:13)
· Samson (14:19)


As God’s creation, we have sinned and fallen into the idol worship of other gods. However, the names of the gods have changed. Instead of Baal and Ashtoreth; we worship at the altars of pleasure, greed, materialism, astrology, TV, corporate ladders, or whatever diverts your attention and energy away from being obedient to God. Once we begin our devotion to these idols, we become enslaved to them. Our desires are no longer for the Creator, but for the things He has created. And then we have finally reached the bottom and are broken.

No one begins the process of deliverance until they are broken and poor in spirit.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3).

At that point, we cry out to God for deliverance
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matt 5:4)

We humble ourselves into the hands of God and He has provided the last deliverer.

Heb 1:1-3 “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Jesus, took on the form of humanity delivered all those who believe from the curse of spiritual death. He authored the way of salvation, He overcame Satan, He sanctifies those that believe, He sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest, and He promises aid in the midst of our temptation.
Now that is a Deliverer!

External Link: PDF paper on Judges
http://media.hhbc.com/pdfs/oneyearbible/judges.pdf#search=%22Judges%20of%20Israel%22

The Judges of Israel
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/041.htm

One Generation Away

DAY 17
Joshua 15:1 - Judges 3:27

The Lost Generation
The G.I. Generation
The Silent Generation
The Greatest Generation
The Baby Boomers
The Baby Busters
Generation X
Generation Y

The names used to describe the American Generations of the 20th Century give an indication of the events that ocurred and affected the people that lived during those times. "In my day", "Back in the good ole days", and "Your generation just doesn't understand my generation." Familiar Words. There are differences between generations.

The largest change from one generation to another can be seen in Joshua 24 and Judges 2.
We have the familiar passage in Joshua 24:15 where he states "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" ...."But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Then the Israelites make a choice.
"We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God." (18)
"We will serve the Lord" (21)
"We will serve the Lord our God and obey Him" (24)

Now flip a page over and look at Judges 2:10-11 and see what happens after Joshua's death. "After the whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals."

In one generation, the Israelites went from serving God to serving Baal. Now, I am sure you could blame both generations. How did the younger generation grow up not knowing what the Lord had done for their people?

Did the older generation not tell them?
Did the younger generation not listen?
What about the offerings and the feasts?
What about the stones from the river?
What about the Shema?
"Impress them upon children"
"Talk about them when you sit at home"
"Talk about them when you walk along the road"
"Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up"
"Tie them as symbols on your hands"
"Bind them on your foreheads"
"Write them on your doorframes and on your gates"

And when that generation forsook God, the consequences were that God gave them over to their evil ways and they were subjected to other nations.

Judges 3 continues the story of God's compassion that started at the garden of Eden. He raises up judges to deliver His people from their bondage.

The truth is that every generation turns away from the Lord because each generation fails to meditate day and night on the Word of God, to trust Him, and to walk in His ways. Every generation requires a deliverer.

John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Jesus is our deliverer! Amen!

External Link: The Allotment of Land to Israel, The Levite Cities, and the Cities of Refuge
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/040.htm

River Stones

DAY 16
Joshua 1:1-14:15

"What do these stones mean?"

"Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. ... He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God."

As believers we have the habit of picking up the wrong things. We carry guilt from past actions; pack in worry over future events; throw in fear of the unknown, and add some stress from things we can't control. It's time we start picking up some river stones.

Most evenings I talk a walk with my kids. The kids act like they are explorers on a new adventure. Every day we walk past this rock bed where the kids pick up a stone. They come running back to show mom and dad their "treasure." Our faith should be like those children who pick stones along their journey to keep as treasure.

Crossing the Jordan symbolizes Israel's final obstacle from obtaining the Promised Land. It also symbolizes God's power and provision over the Jordan and the inhabitants of the Canaan. God told Joshua to have twelve men pick up stones from the middle of the river for a memorial to the people as a reminder of God's power.

All of us have Jordan Rivers in our lives. Something we must pass through on the way to God's promises. We may have placed ourselves by the river, God may have placed us in the river, or the world may have placed you at the river. Regardless of how we got to the river, God walks us through. It's time we start picking up some river stones and keep them as treasure; as a reminder that God is powerful and provides the way through!

When a child is born pick up a stone.
When one of God's children goes home pick up a stone
When the cancer goes into remission pick up a stone.
When the addict is sober pick up a stone.
When a job appears out of nowhere pick up a stone.
When the sick get well pick up a stone.
When the storm subsides and joy returns in the morning pick up a stone.
When the captive is set free and goes from condemnation to life pick up a stone.

When your in the middle of the river pick up a stone. So when you are on the other side you might remember that the Lord your God is powerful and provides. And when the next river comes, the stone will remind you that your are not alone. That your Heavenly Father is there to walk you through the river to the other side.

Share your stone. Someone might be on a journey today, looking for some treasure.

External Link: Joshua's Central and Southern Canaan Campaign
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/036.htm

Joshua's Northern Canaan Campaign
http://www.anova.org/sev/atlas/htm/037.htm