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:
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:
Jeremiah 3; Jeremiah 4; John 11
Scripture that spoke to me:
Jeremiah 3:23
Our worship of idols on the hills
and our religious orgies on the mountains
are a delusion.
Only in the Lord our God
will Israel ever find salvation.
Observation:
The people have looked for salvation everywhere but where it can be found. True salvation can only come from the Lord- the One who created life.
Application:
I know people who are searching for happiness. They look in all the wrong places- in the bottom of a bottle- in another person- in possessions- in travel- in hobbies. These things can bring pleasure, but only the joy of knowing Jesus can bring true happiness. It amazes me that people will try everything else (and some is strange stuff!) but they won’t try Jesus. Why is He such a turn-off to people, when He really is the ultimate high?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me a taste of joy through Your Son, Jesus. Open the hearts and minds of others to receive that same joy. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Zephaniah 1; Zephaniah 2; Zephaniah 3; John 9
Scripture that spoke to me:
Zephaniah 2:3
Seek the Lord, all who are humble,
and follow his commands.
Seek to do what is right
and to live humbly.
Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you—
protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.
Observation:
Zephaniah was warning the people of Judah that the entire nation would be lost if they refused to return to the Lord. This is during the reign of Josiah, who was trying to “clean up” the temple and return the people to the Lord.
Application:
It is never too late to turn back to God. In fact, that is all God wants from His people. For them to seek Him. Some people think being a Christian means giving up something, when in fact, it means getting more! I know people who think that living a Christian life will be boring- no parties, no fun. But nothing could be further from the truth! I smile all the way through life, and it isn’t because I have had it easy. It is because I know who my Savior is, and He fills my soul. There isn’t much room for the darkness to creep in!
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for always taking us back- no matter how many times we turn away. Keep our focus on You and don’t let us be of this earth, for things of this earth perish and we want the eternal life that You have promised Your people. Help us know what it means to be Your people- what we’re supposed to do, and say, and go. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 4; 2 Kings 5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy 2
Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Kings 5:10-12
Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
Observation:
Naaman has been sent to Elisha to find a cure for his leprosy. But the remedy that Elisha has for him is not what he expected. He wanted fireworks- a big show- instead of being sent to the nastiest river around to wash. Luckily for Naaman, he ends up listening to Elisha and is cured.
Application:
Oh boy, can I be like Naaman sometimes! I want some big, showy thing from God. I expect him to tell me to go to Zimbabwe and be a speaker at a large gathering when instead, he wants me to talk to one overlooked person right here. Or I expect him to bless me with a huge miracle when in fact, he has already blessed me with several hundred small ones. We all have an easier time seeing God in the big things- when He is most often found in the smaller, less desirable things.
Prayer:
Lord, help me remember that this life isn’t what it is all about- that Your kingdom cannot be judged by the ways of man. Help me to see you in the everyday, ordinary things in life. Amen.
***it occurred to me later that Naaman’s other issue was that he was called to be active in his own healing. We often want to do nothing and receive God’s gift- when in fact we are called to be an active participant in our own blessings.
Scripture to read today:
1 Chronicles 22; 1 Chronicles 23; 1 Chronicles 24; 1 Thessalonians 3
Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Chronicles 22:12
May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God.
Observation:
This is King David talking to Solomon. David is getting old, and is preparing to make Solomon king. Moreover, he is preparing things so Solomon can build God’s house- a fine temple for the Lord. This is part of David’s blessing of Solomon, asking for discretion and understanding. We know that Solomon ended up with an abundance of both.
Application:
So what do we ask God for? Solomon was very smart, and it appears so was David, in that they both asked at some point for wisdom. I ask for peace, for protection, for love… for lots of things! I don’t know that I’ve asked for overall wisdom (only in particular circumstances.) My prayer today is going to be for wisdom, for if I was wise, I would make good choices in a lot of situations, not just in one particular one. I would handle things better than I do. So today I ask for wisdom, not that I have a certain situation in mind, but so that I will be wise the next time a situation arises.
Prayer:
Lord, grant me wisdom, that I know how to conduct myself and my business so that You are uplifted in all I do. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalm 68; Matthew 17
Scripture that spoke to me:
Matthew 17:10-12
The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Observation:
Jesus is trying to educate the disciples about what is going to happen to him and his following. This verse has always interested me, because it seems to point to reincarnation. John the Baptist, according to this, was Elijah reincarnated. And the people didn’t recognize him.
Application:
How many times have we looked for a sign and missed it? Or saw it and still wondered if that was our sign? Sometimes my prayer to the Lord includes ‘make it obvious to me’ because I know I miss details. When my brother and his family had their wreck in West Virginia (and my mother, stepfather and I drove up in a rush) I realized they were staying there a couple of weeks and I had to get home. My prayers went something like “Lord, when it is time for me to leave, tell me- and make it obvious!” I knew that I was torn between doing what needed doing there and coming back to my own children. So, He did- He sent me a preacher who offered me a ride home!
Prayer:
God, You are so good! We often look for signs from You when there are already signs around us. Thanks for being patient with us and making things obvious every now and then! Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Deuteronomy 5; Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 43; Mark 14
Scripture that spoke to me:
Mark 14:36
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Observation:
Jesus is praying in the garden moments before his arrest. He would love it if he didn’t have to go through what he is facing, but he realizes that it is his Father’s will- and his Father’s will is more important than his own.
Application:
I struggle with this- with wanting something with all my heart that may not be part of God’s plan. It usually isn’t anything that is wrong, but I don’t see the overall picture and therefore do not know that it is not the right thing. We all do this, and then think that God doesn’t answer us or that God doesn’t care about us. If he grants our requests based on love, then wouldn’t Jesus have been saved from the agony facing him? I’m so glad that God knows better than me- that He can see the entire puzzle and know where the pieces fit. All I know about it my one little piece.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to find where my piece fits. Thank You for blessing me with all that You have, and I ask that you help me see how Your will fits into my life (or my life fits into Your will.) Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Leviticus 13; Leviticus 14; Acts 17
Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 17:11
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Observation:
Paul has taken the Good News to Greece, where he is teaching in the synagogues about Jesus Christ. The people of Berea turn to their scriptures to see if Paul is right.
Application:
We should turn to the scriptures to learn who God is. All the truth is contained in the Bible, and it is there for anyone who questions. Unfortunately, a lot of times reading the Bible causes more questions than it answers. That is where a good study helps. Many things are really simple, but need perspective in order to make sense. Look for God in the Bible- you will come to know exactly who He is that way.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for leaving us a guide so that we can understand more about You. Amen.
Scripture to read today:
Exodus 23; Exodus 24; Psalm 14; Acts 5
Scripture that spoke to me:
Acts 5:38-29
“So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
Observation:
The apostles are once again defying authority and preaching about Jesus. The church leaders have had them thrown in jail and are considering having them killed. One man, Gamaliel, is wise- he points out that if this is just another following of a man, it will soon die. If they’re right, and Jesus is who he says he is, no one can stop the movement.
Application:
This to me is one of the strongest arguments to those who don’t believe in Christ- so how did the movement continue for 2000 years? Because when something is of God, you can’t stop it! In our own lives, we need to find the things that are of God- what does He want us to do? What are His plans for us? Find those, and our lives are blessed and our goals easy to meet. Because you’re not going to stop what God has planned.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to know what Your plans are, so that I may be a part of the great things that You are doing. Amen.
