Scripture to read today:
Matthew 14; Matthew 15; Matthew 16
Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Observation:
Jesus gets the good job- handing out rewards for those who have done well. This verse says that our actions do count- what we do matters. It isn’t just enough to believe, but we have to do well.
Application:
I know you can’t “earn” your way into heaven. But I believe you can earn your way out of heaven! There is something about trying, worshiping, giving, and leading that does gain favor with God. This is one of the biggest contradictions I see in faith- you don’t have to earn it- you can’t earn grace and forgiveness- but you do have to try to do the best you can. And you see that throughout Paul’s writings as he cautions the people not to go do what they want and then ask for forgiveness- over and over again!
Prayer:
Lord, show me the way to go. Let me live for you in all that I say and all that I do. And when I fail to do that, please forgive me. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Job 3; Job 4; Acts 8; Acts 9
Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 9: 21
All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
Observation:
Saul has just had a visit from Jesus, been blinded, and is healed by a believer named Ananias. Saul is now preaching the Good News about Jesus. Of course, people are paying attention, because just a week or so ago he was persecuting anyone who spoke the name of Jesus. What irony that God would use the biggest Christian persecutor to be one of its biggest proponents!
Application:
I have several friends who have spent time as athiests and now believe in the Lord. I think their message is more powerful than mine. Don’t get me wrong, I think I have a message, but to be able to look at a sinner and say “I was once where you were- I understand” is meaningful. There are things I can only imagine about how you feel and what you think when you don’t believe in God. These people lived it. They also understand what made them turn around and make a different decision.
Prayer:
Lord, today my prayer is that You would open the hearts of more athiests to You. Give them a powerful message to take Your name to the nations. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Nehemiah 9; Nehemiah 10; Acts 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
Nehemiah 9:16-17
“But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands. They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them.
Observation:
I’m reading this thinking that “our ancestors” could be us now! The Jews messed up so often, turning to other gods, letting their daily lives distract them from worship, and forgetting all the good things that God had done for them. But God was always forgiving- slow to anger and rich in love. He was giving grace then and He still offers us grace now.
Application:
I get so caught up in what has to be done today that I don’t look toward heaven. I’m sure I miss many blessings along the way. Thank goodness God is slow to anger- I’m sure He has been mad at me more than once! And He is forgiving. More than that, He knows me and understands me. He can help me become the Christian He had in mind for me to be!
Prayer:
Dear Lord, keep shaping me into the person You want me to be. Help me see that things in this life are secondary to loving and worshiping You. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Zechariah 4; Zechariah 5; Zechariah 6; Luke 12
Scripture that spoke to me:
Luke 12:51-52
Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.
Observation:
This is so different from most of the teachings of Jesus- acceptance, love, brotherhood…. but what he is saying is that some will believe in Him and others won’t. That’s just the way it is. He came to separate the “wheat from the chaff” and that’s not dividing by family, race, economic status, popularity, but dividing by those who believe and those who don’t. This was a very different method of division for the Jews and it is still for us today.
Application:
We’re taught to bind our families together- the only way to do that is to have a family where everyone believes in Jesus. I still believe that is the basis for the failure of my marriage- I grew in my love for the Lord and he didn’t. Maybe it isn’t as simple as that, but as my walk got closer to God, he got more resentful of the time I put into it, and pulled back even further. My brother, the athiest, doesn’t join us on some family events. We invite him but don’t push him to- by not accepting the Lord he has alienated himself from certain parts of our lives. It is a shame, but that’s where the division comes.
Prayer:
Lord, teach me how to either accept division or correct it. I want to show people Your way and how to get to You. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Zechariah 1; Zechariah 2; Zechariah 3; Luke 11
Scripture that spoke to me:
Luke 11:9-10
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Observation:
This is one of the great promises in the Bible- ask and receive. Keep on asking- be persistent. Jesus says that persistence will be rewarded.
Application:
I know people who think they need to “get right” before they give themselves to God. They feel unworthy, unclean, or unable to go before the Lord looking like they do. But God wants our persistent calling out to Him- now, not later. Over and over again. Go to Him in your dirtiness… take your filth with you… and He will make you clean. It is going to be hard to wait until you’re “right” before you go.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for taking us just as we are- warts and all- and making us into something clean and pure for Your work. Thank You also for doing it over and over again! Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Daniel 7; Daniel 8; Psalm 137; Luke 4
Scripture that spoke to me:
Luke 4:41
Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.
Observation:
Earlier in this chapter, Satan is tempting Jesus by using scripture. Here, the demons are shouting “You are the Son of God!” Even the evil spirits know that Jesus is the Messiah. They obey his command.
Application:
If the devil and the demons know who Jesus is, why do so many on earth not know Him? And for those of us that do, what makes us better than the demons? To know Him isn’t enough- to be able to quote scripture isn’t enough- we have to invite him into our hearts, to be with us every day.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Make me ever mindful that You are with me in everything. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Ezekiel 40; Ezekiel 41; Psalm 128; Revelation 21
Scripture that spoke to me:
Revelation 21:5
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Observation:
Jesus came to make all things new. He brought a new covenant, so that if we accept Him as our Savior and ask for His forgiveness, we can have eternal life in heaven.
Application:
No one likes to follow a bunch of rules. We don’t appreciate the government intrusion into our lives- no talking on the phone while driving, wear your seat belt, etc. We just don’t like to be told what to do. But rules exist for our benefit- they are helpful to us. God gave the Israelites many rules that were helpful to them- ways to eat, worship, treat each other… but like many rules that have to be followed, the people looked for loopholes. They got so caught up in following the rules (or not) that they forgot why the rules were there to begin with. That’s where Jesus comes in. He came to remind us that the most important thing was to love God and love each other. It’s all about love.
Prayer:
Lord, I love You. Help me to love others as I love myself. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Ezekiel 15; Ezekiel 16; Psalm 70; Revelation 6
Scripture that spoke to me:
Psalm 70:4
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
“Let God be exalted!”
Observation:
All who seek God will find Him- let them rejoice and be glad! He is like the father of the prodigal- waiting, with open arms and not criticism, for the day his child returns.
Application:
I know people who think they’ve done so wrong that God would never welcome them back. the Bible is filled with verses that talk about seeking and finding- the love of God for His children- the celebration at the return of the prodigal. All God requires is that you turn to Him in love and acceptance, asking forgiveness. He wipes the slate clean. Turn to Him and ask Him to make you pure and whole again.
Prayer:
Lord, I don’t know who this was for today- someone out there needs You and needs to feel Your love and forgiveness. Shower them with Your blessings and Your healing. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Ezekiel 12; Ezekiel 13; Ezekiel 14; Revelation 5
Scripture that spoke to me:
Ezekiel 14:13-14
“Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Observation:
We are responsible for our own salvation. We can’t get it from our parents, our church, our friends- we have to do it for ourselves. We can’t save someone else, no matter how hard we try. But we can give them the tools, the lessons, the knowledge to help themselves.
Application:
I’m going through this right now with my daughter. We’re talking about why SHE believes, why SHE goes to church- if it means anything or if it is just something she does- and how she can take ownership of her own beliefs. She is almost 13 years old, and it is my responsibility to help her see these things. But I can’t do it for her. She won’t be saved because I am saved, but because she develops a relationship with her Savior.
Prayer:
Lord, help my daughter, and help those I love, to come to know You better. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Jeremiah 52; Revelation 1; Psalm 143; Psalm 144
Scripture that spoke to me:
Revelation 1:17-18
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right and on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Observation:
Jesus conquered death! God is more powerful than any other force on earth, and He will get us through anything that might face us. He is mightier than our problems; stronger than our enemies.
Application:
I’d love to know how many times in the Bible the words “fear not” (or “do not be afraid”) appear. It seems to be a recurring theme. But in every situation I can remember, I don’t know that I would be able to be unafraid. I imagine my heart pounding as angels sing in the fields. I imagine my heart pounding in a boat with waves crashing all around. I don’t think we’re told to not be afraid of the situation, but we’re told not to be afraid because we’re not alone. God is always with us, and if He can conquer death, He can give us the courage to see us through whatever problem is making our heart pound.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for always being with us; for being bigger than our problems; and for holding our hand through the scariest times of our life. Amen.
