Day 98: Miracles Happen

Acts 9:26-43; Joshua 5:2-27; Job 23

A few months ago, if you would have told me that people are being healed like they were in Acts, I would have thought you were trying to pull my leg. However, my brother has recently become a part of a ministry that does just that. People who are sick, like Aeneas, are being healed in these modern times! I think that sometimes people, myself included, believe that the stuff in the Bible is a whole different world; that miracles don't happen anymore; that God is distant and silent. But, I'm learning and seeing that God isn't silent and miracles do happen. People really are being healed and those who were dead in their sins are being raised to life in Christ. Miracles are still happening.

I'm sure that when Joshua told the people what they were going to do to capture Jericho, there were some unbelievers. They would have been like, "you want us to do what? You think this is going to work?" God expected them to do something out of the ordinary, to be obedient, and they would see a miracle. I think the same thing happens today. God expects us to do something out of the ordinary from time to time, to both test our obedience and work a miracle. But, instead of arguing with Joshua, the people obeyed; instead of fighting back with God, we too need to simply be obedient and watch the miracles happen. Job is experiencing the darkest moment of his life. He can't feel God's presence and feels betrayed. However, he believes that God is still at work in this dark and lonely time. That is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian walk: believing God is still there even when we can't feel his presence. If you are going through a difficult time and don't know if God cares or if he is paying attention to your prayers, remember Job. He felt betrayed, empty, lonely, but he believed that God was still present in his life, and he is in yours also. Trust in God and seek him even more in this dark time.

Day 97: Jesus Can Transofrm Anyone

Acts 9:1-25; Joshua 3:1-5:1; Job 22

The Saul to Paul transformation demonstrates the incredible power of Jesus.  Anyone can be changed because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  Then once we are changed, we must tell the world who Jesus is and what God has done.  Was everyone excited because of Saul’s conversion?  No, the Jewish leaders were confused (as I’m sure a lot of other people were too).  When the Lord changes a life that the world believes is unchangeable, it does make people stop and wonder.  Will that person face persecution because of their new faith?  You better believe it.  Saul went from wanting to kill the followers of Christ to being one of them—he knew the risks and because of the truth of Jesus, he was willing to take that risk.

The Israelites, after crossing the Jordan, pick up stones and make a monument in order to remember that day.  As Christians, I think we need to do the same.  No, you won’t need scuba gear, but we should collect things that remind us of important moments in our spiritual walk.  Perhaps it is a journal with thoughts and prayers.  Maybe a necklace or t-shirt that tells of a powerful event.  Why would the Israelites or ourselves need such things?  Because the moments when God seems so close and is doing powerful miracles will not last.  There will be times when we forget about God, what he has done for us, and how much he loves us.  He will seem far away and uncaring.  It is in those moments when we can look at those reminders of his incredible goodness and power and have hope that he is there and will be there for us.

Day 96: Phillip Takes the Opportunity

Acts 8:26-40; Joshua 1-2; Job 21

The story about the Ethiopian and Phillip is interesting because it demonstrates how people are searching for spiritual things, and how, as believers, we should address those who are searching.  The Ethiopian was a man of rank, but still needed to be spiritually fed.  He didn’t understand what he was reading, but he was seeking anyway.  Phillip didn’t assume anything about him, but listened to God speaking in his heart, and took the opportunity given to him.  Instead of bypassing him because of his status or because he looked like he knew what he was doing, Phillip engaged him in conversation.  People may learn about Jesus by picking up their Bible and reading the New Testament, but many will never pick up a Bible unless someone first tells them about Jesus.  It is essential that we believers live out and talk about our faith.  Talking about it with people, starting up spiritual conversations, is something I need to work on.  Sometimes I go about my day thinking I’m being a good example, until I realize that there are a lot of “nice people” who aren’t Christians.  How am I being any different unless I share the love story of Christ?

The words that Job says the unbelievers said then sound eerily familiar to what unbelievers say now:  “Leave us alone!  Don’t bother us with your teachings.  What do we gain from praying and worshiping you?  We succeeded all on our own.”  What is sometimes frustrating to Christians is that people who don’t follow Christ still seem blessed.  They may have wealth, good health, seemingly care-free lives, lots of friends, etc.  However, what of that will last into eternity?  What of that feeds their soul?  As followers of the Lord, we need to have an eternal perspective.  The stuff we can see will not last.  Just look around:  after a few years, things begin to fall apart, decay, break.  What are the things that get stronger over time?  Faith, love, joy.

Day 95: Going to Samaria

Acts 8:2-25; Deuteronomy 33-34; Job 20

I’m pretty sure that Samaria was not a place that the Jews liked to visit.  However, I love that scripture records what happens there.  First, that the apostles go to undesirable place, speak to undesirable people, and see the life change happen.  God sometimes asks us to go places we don’t want to go.  Perhaps it is a direction in our lives that he points us and it is something that we don’t see as being fun or beneficial.  Sometimes God asks us to interact with people that we don’t like, or that don’t like us.  We are called to love everyone by sharing the message of Jesus and pouring out acts of love no matter who the person is.  And because the apostles went to this undesirable place, many people were saved.

God wants to give the “best the land can produce.” God doesn’t want to limit his blessings.  He doesn’t want to present us with junk.  God, the Lord of the universe, wants to give us the most beautiful blessings imaginable.  God loves us and wants us to show it too.  But, how does that happen?  By being obedient.  Sometimes, that is really hard, especially if he is calling us to do something hard or scary or talk to someone “undesirable.”  However, I have heard it said before that obedience is the greatest form of worship, and in return for that worship, the Lord will bless us.  Maybe not with material goods (they don’t matter anyway), but with the riches of the fruits of the spirit:  patience, kindness, goodness, self-control.

God showed Moses the promised land:  the one thing that Moses had been searching for all his life.  I imagine him on the top of that mountain, God speaking to him about the different beauties of the land.  Moses is standing there tall and strong, staff in hand, with tears of joy streaming down his face.  He knew that God had and would keep his promise.  Was he sad that he didn’t get to experience the thing he had worked so hard for?  Of course!  Who wouldn’t be!  But, he had done all that God had called him to do and he was able to see the beauty that awaited his friends and family, and so he could be joyful.

Day 94: God Knows But Gives Anyway

Act 8:1; Deuteronomy 31-32; Job 19

God constantly tells the people to be brave and not to be afraid of their enemies because he will help them to defeat them.  God is bigger than any obstacle, barrier, or enemy we face in this life.  So who or what are our obstacles and enemies?  Why have we not approached them?  Are we afraid of being defeated?  God is with us, we have no reason to fear anything in this world.  If we are being obedient, God will help us through, maybe not in the way we expect, but he will keep his promise of salvation and that is the thing we place our hope in.

Instead of God telling the Israelites “don’t be afraid” over and over, I would be telling them, “don’t be stupid.”  God knew that they were going to enter this beautiful land, defeat it, and then reject the God that gave it to them.  God knew their sin would happen!  And he gave them the blessing anyway!  How does that make sense?  But, he also loved them more than he wanted to condemn them, so he taught them a song that would help them to escape their sin and follow God again.  In the song it talks about the Lord, rescuing the people from the desert; how God was like an eagle, teaching them how to fly; how the people have turned away from the God who is their life; how they ran to other idols and how worthless those idols were to help them; and finally, how God will forgive them and rescue them once again.  If we think about these things, we recognize how much they relate to our experience.

God saves us from our deserted lives and welcomes us into a relationship with him.  Then he shows us how to live through his son, Jesus.  We sin, and try to fix our lives with other things:  money, relationships, food, substances, popularity.  Those things do nothing but continue to pull us down until we realize how worthless they are.  If we give them up, God is there to save us again.

Day 93: God is Not Our Fortune Teller

Deuteronomy 29-30; Job 18

The Israelites had a lot to learn, but as Moses pointed out, they needed a change of heart before they would truly understand.  I think that is true for anyone wanting to understand faith, the Lord, Jesus’ message.  How does a person truly explain faith?  Hope?  Grace? The God Almighty?  Sometimes, until a person has accepted Christ, and their heart has been transformed, it may seem impossible to help them understand.

On that same note, following Jesus isn’t just an emotional decision, a one-time deal, a ticket out of Hell.  It is about a changed heart that creates a changed life.  As Christ followers, we have to feel differently, want differently, live differently.  We cannot accept the things of this world as meaningful or good.  We cannot do what the world does.  We cannot live our lives in our own way.  When Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives, he is just that, our Lord, and our life should reflect the worship and service that he deserves and commands.

Moses also tells the Israelites that God hasn’t explained the present or future, but he has commanded us to obey the laws he gave us.  Do we know how our lives are going to work out?  We wish.  Would it be nice to know if our decisions will lead us to financial prosperity?  Of course.  Would it be cool to know who you are going to marry?  Absolutely.  But if the Lord was just our fortune teller, what reason would we have to trust or love or have faith?  God is not here to just tell us what we want to know, he is here (as he already revealed above) to change our hearts.  It is about a relationship and a life.

His commands are nearby and we know them by heart.  Do we really?  I mean, what about all the people who don’t have a Bible—they don’t know his commands.  Then how come many people who live lives of sin, eventually leave it, and try to live better?  Isn’t there something deep in people’s hearts that whisper to them that what they are doing is wrong?  People call it a conscience, but I think it is God and his Holy Spirit trying to get our attention in life.  We know what we should do—we just have to do it.

So we are now 30 chapters in to Deuteronomy, and they STILL haven’t entered the promised land.  Wouldn’t the Israelites by now be grumbling, “we know already, let us go in”?  This entire book has been a preparation for the promised land, the same way our lives are preparation for the promised land of heaven.  Is there a lot of instruction in this life?  Yes.  Do we often have to wait longer than we want?  For sure.  Is it going to be worth it?  Oh yeah.

Day 92: Stephen

Acts 6-7; Deuteronomy 28; Job 17

Wow, Stephen’s story is a powerful one.  He was the first name that comes to everyone’s mind when they need someone “respected and wise and filled with God’s spirit” to take care of giving supplies to the widows.  He must have been a man of great faith and compassion in order to be the first selected to carry out this duty.  Then, God gave Stephen great powers to work miracles; he was clearly ordained by God to carry a large responsibility for the kingdom of God.  But did that mean that his life would be easy since God was with him?  Apparently, being chosen by God to do wondrous things does not make a person immune to problems.  The unhappy people turned many others against Stephen, to the point that they wanted to publically ridicule and eventual kill him.  I think sometimes, as believers, we expect to have this Holy Spirit bubble around us that protects us from critical opinions, hurtful words, biting criticism.  But the truth is, those who call Jesus their Savior, will have to suffer for that belief, scripture is very clear about that and Stephen’s story is evidence.  But, instead of running away, hiding his amazing gift, and not making an impact in the world, Stephen, in the midst of his persecution, presents God’s story.  I can imagine him standing in the middle of a room, surrounded by angry priests and teachers, and speaking God’s message to them with power and conviction.  He demonstrated that he was not against God, but that he was a messenger of him.  The use of “our ancestors” throughout his story probably angered the priest even more, because Stephen was pointing that they were of the same family.  He tells those men to their faces that they have refused to follow what God has said and instead followed their own stubborn ways.

And how does Stephen’s story end?  With everyone repenting and coming to faith in Jesus?  Unfortunately, no.  The priests and teachers do not repent, instead they get so angry that they drag him out into the street like a criminal or an animal, and stone him to death.  It would seem that Stephen’s life and ministry was wasted—and yet, Stephen’s story lives on, thousands of years later, and it touches my heart.  His life was not wasted!  I’m moved by his story as I’m sure many others are.  So, because I’m a follower of Jesus, do I have a call to do something for the kingdom of heaven?  Yes.  Is it going to be easy?  Probably not.  Am I going to face persecution and judgment?  Probably so.  Will it be worth it?  Absolutely.  The reason it is worth it, is that the message of Jesus, the beauty of salvation, is so much bigger than me.  I’m just a small piece in a million piece puzzle, but without me doing my job, something is missing.  God gave us certain gifts, and we must use those gifts or they are lost.

The curses of Deuteronomy are terrifying.  What it describes is a land that doesn’t follow the Lord—a lot like the world today.  Sin is that enemy that comes and tears down walls, causes poverty, hunger, brutality, fear.  All we have to do is look around and we will see just how true these passages are today.  Mothers will eat their children?  Isn’t that what child abuse, molestation, and abortion are?  It is disgusting and horrifying that we are living in a world so torn and broken by sin.  What is the answer?  Jesus Christ.  There is nothing else that can fix the problems of this world.

Day 91: Of The Lord

Acts 5:17-42; Deuteronomy 25-27; Job 16

 
This man named Gamaliel got it right:  if what Christ’s followers do is of themselves, then it won’t last.  However, if what God’s children do is actually from God, then it will be unstoppable.  First, the power of the Lord to do something cannot be overcome.  He is God and his will is accomplished.  God blesses people who listen to what he says and obeys him.  But, sometimes believers can decide to do something that they think is good, that they think is for the Lord, but really isn’t.  Those things easily fail because God is not in them.  It could even include ministries and churches—people could decide they need to start one, but if they are not doing it for the right reasons, or not doing it for the Lord, then there is a good chance it will not last.  That is what Gamaliel warned the priests about.  He at least understood that the will of the Lord is definite.

So the priests beat the apostles and sent them away—and they were happy?  Why would a person be happy for being beaten?  When I am criticized or hurt by others, am I excited about it?  Of course not!  The perspective that the disciples had was based on the life and death of Jesus.  They believed that to live like Christ, to love him, also meat to suffer like him.  To suffer for the Lord, was to them, a demonstration that they were being obedient to God and making an impact on the world.  See, the world doesn’t always want to hear about Jesus.  Knowing about Jesus requires a choice, and that choice could include surrender, suffering, temperance, and love—hard stuff to do.  So my goal is that I will see that criticism, those hardships, as a sign that what I am doing is worthy of Jesus.

For a while now, I’ve been looking for scriptures that talk about the ways of worship.  Several passages speak of bringing something to the altar, and here in Deuteronomy 25 it talks about placing something on the altar and then bowing down.  Is this one verse the foundation for the “altar call”?  I’m going to look more in the New Testament, specifically Acts, to see what I can find. I just find it interesting comparing today's churches with the times of scripture.

The curses in chapter 27 reveal a lot about what God cares about.  First, that the people need to worship only him. God leads to life, everything else leads to death.  Secondly, most of them have to do with how to treat others:  respecting parents and family, misleading people, murder.  And finally, there are others that deal with the heart and body of the individual:  greed and lust.  The ones that sort of stand out this morning are the verses about someone telling a blind person the wrong way and keeping justice from the poor.   People might literally tell a blind person wrong directions to laugh at them or be malicious.  I think this verse speaks to those with handicaps, either mental or physical.  God cares for those who struggle with those illnesses and so should we.  Of course that verse could also be a bit more metaphorical:  the blind are those that do not know God’s way and if someone tells them a way that does not lead to the Lord, they will receive a curse.  We are to lead people down the right path to the Lord Jesus, not any other “churchy” thing or doctrine.

My Testimony

My testimony is about God starting a good work in me. It is about him getting the glory, honor, worship, and praise that he truly deserves from me.
I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian church my entire life, and was raised very strongly on Christian principles. I was involved in Sunday school, VBS, and youth groups, and any time there was an event, I was there. In my high school youth group, I was even deemed "the responsible one" and thus became in charge of my friends on trips, lead the bible study, and organized fundraisers and events. In college I was in the praise and worship bad for Crusade and our church and then my senior year, lead that praise band. I was actively involved in the college ministry and most of my friends were in that group as well.
Other than my parent's divorce when I was in high school, I can truly say that my chilldhood was perfect. My parents loved me, I had an ornrey little brother that looked up to me and let me boss him around, I had nice friends, and even had fancy horses to ride whenever I wanted. I had everything I needed and wanted and while I don't think I realized just how blessed I was, I knew that I had a very good life.
But my testimony does not take a tragic turn at this point. While I did make some mistakes, I didn't really struggle with drugs, alcohol, sex. Even with my parent's divorce, I didn't sink into depression, didn't start cutting, had no suicidal thoughts. I didn't feel alone, wasn't rebellious, and I've never doubted God or lost my faith.
However, what I was doing, or should I say wasn't doing, I believe, could be just as dangerous,  just as detrimental as any of those things I listed before.
In high school and college I met some amazing Christians, people who were "on fire," who were "living their life" for The Lord. I was always so honored by their presence. I couldn't wait to become one of those people!
My "little" brother was growing up and as always was my best bud. He was growing in his faith and we would talk about how he was overcoming his struggles and "becoming more like Jesus." He kept telling me that I was an inspiration, but I didn't feel like an inspiration. I felt one-dimensional, and I was being inspired by him. He started using phrases like "the Lord is pouring into my heart" or "the Lord is teaching me" or "the Holy Spirit just led me" and I couldn't help but ask where is that in my heart?
See, growing up, I knew about Jesus, loved him so much, and knew he was my Savior. I had commited myself to The Lord when I was in high school and as I said, I wasn't perfect, but I knew I was a Christian.
Then why was I not "on fire"?
Why was that language, that inspiriation from the Holy Spirit not happening to me, just these "super-Christians" like my brother, around me?
God tells us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Was I doing that?
Did the people I work with even know I was a Christian?
Why was I still struggling with worry, anger, and self-confidence, stuff I struggled with my whole life and had prayed about?
My little brother suggested I read this book called Radical, that he said was a really good read. I'm an English teacher and I'm always looking for good reads. So I downloaded it on my nook and started reading. A few chapters in, I realized something very dangerous. I should stop reading this book that instant if I was satisfied with my life. But if I was not, I needed to keep reading. What this book was about was what scripture ACTUALLY says about following Jesus. I realized that I had been living a very "Americanized Christianity" that consisted of church on Sundays, prayer at meals, and very comfortable, middle class living. What Jesus wanted me to do was to actually follow him, his example.
Why had I not been "on fire"? Because I had not been fanning the flame with reading scipture.
Why was the language and inspiriation from the Holy Spirit not happening to me like those "super Christians"? Because I wasn't filling my mind with God's Word.
Was I loving God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength? Definitely not.
Did the people I work with know I was a Christian? Sure, a "Christian" who believes that church on Sunday is it. But not a follower of The Lord Jesus.
Why was I still struggling with worry, anger, and self-confidence? Because I was not seeking Jesus in a way to rid myself of my human problems and filling myself with him.
See, my problem was I wasn't filling myself with Jesus through God's word. I realized that if I was fine with a ineffective, mediocre Christian life, then I could continue on the path I was going. But if I was going to surrender my heart and life to Jesus, REALLY surrender my heart to Jesus, then I need to do something radical.
I needed to start reading my Bible. Since that realization almost 2 years ago, I have read through the Bible once, and will finish it a second time late August, something I had always wanted to do but never had the determination or faithfulness to accomplish. I am pouring over God's word on a daily basis. My life is completely different. Now I really do live for The Lord and I'm not just some "Christian" who doesn't do anything for God's kingdom. I don't struggle as much with worry, anger, and self-confidence because I've allow Jesus to do surgery on my heart and soul. I'm not relying on my pastor to fill me up on Sundays, but getting really filled from the very words of God during my own time.
Hezekiah in 2 Kings 22 is a wonderful example of this. The Israelites had been living their own way for a long time. Hezekiah decides that the temple needs to be cleaned out and while organizing it, the Priest finds the Book of God's Law, God's word. As soon as Hezekiah hears what is written in it, he is shocked, amazed, a filled with sorrow because what the people had been doing was so far from what God's word actually said. That very day he called everyone together and they made their lives right before The Lord.
Psalm 19:7-8 "The Law of The Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. The Lord's instruction is right; and it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light."

Day 90: Promise to The Lord

Acts 5:1-16; Deuteronomy 23-24; Job 15

The sick were healed, those with evil spirits were relieved, and many people believed.  The power of the apostles at this time was incredible. Such things are still happening today, but I wonder why I never believed it until my brother, Bryan, talked about it?  I guess the Bible, even the New Testament, seems so long ago, so distance and different.  What is even more amazing is that from 12 men, the whole world is learning about Jesus.  I’m sitting here today because of their witness—that is so cool.

One of the things that these passages talk about is promises to God.  Just like Ananias and Sapphira promised to give what they had to the Lord and in the Deuteronomy passages it talks about making promises, be careful!  If you promise God something, he will hold you to it.  The reality is, as humans, we fail a lot.  We can be so wishy-washy, oscillating between zealous devotion and apathy.  Following Christ will be hard and we need to work at it daily, but making promises to the Lord is a sure-fire way to set ourselves up for failure.  Does that mean that we should never make promises to God?  Of course not.  If God is calling a person to commit to something and promise that they will be or do or carry out something, then they need to fulfill that, but realize that keeping that promise will be one of the hardest things they do.

As a believer, it is so important to care for the poor.  It is amazing just how much scripture talks about the poor.  God doesn’t want us to cheat one another, to hold back generosity because someone can’t pay us back, to be so greedy that we refuse to leave some for those less fortunate.  If everything we have is on loan from God anyway, how can I say that it is “mine” to keep?  I might as well bless others the way that God has blessed me.  Sometimes I complain about not having enough money, but here I am sitting at my nice computer, with a warm cup of Starbucks coffee beside me, and cozy slippers on my feet.  I have so much.  I pray that the Lord would give us opportunities to serve the poor, the orphans, the widows, and that we would be brave enough to take those opportunities.

I think one of the things that Eliphaz gets right in this passage is what it is like for those who live a life of sin against God.  They probably live with fear, deep down in their souls; darkness and despair are in their minds and hearts; their lives are in ruins.  The truth is, a life apart from the Lord is meaningless and destructive.  Anything that is not of God is sin, and sin destroys.  Whatever sins are in our lives, we need to flee from them and leave them behind.  Even the “small” stuff allows Satan and crack through which he can creep in.

Day 89: Disobedient Kiddos

Acts 4:23-37; Deuteronomy 21-22; Job 14

The disciples were a powerful and obedient group of followers.  They trusted in the Lord completely to do miracles and simply provide everyday needs.  I always thought that these incredible healing powers, the unity of believers, the generosity of this group was gone.  That is, until my brother came along.  The faith that Bryan, his coworkers, and his friends have is incredible; they have witnessed miracles of healing; they hear God's voice and obey; they give what they have to each other.  That is who the church is, and that is what God wants from all his people.  Mega-churches may be ok, but if there is no community, no giving, no faith in God’s miracles, then they are not like the church is supposed to be.

God has no tolerance for disobedience, including against parents.  Stone a rebellious son to death?  That seems really harsh!  I think a lot of these laws are not so much about the physical acts, but the condition of the heart.  If the son is rebellious, wasting his life away, disrespecting his parents, then he is not obeying the Lord.  Such an attitude and life choices could influence others and destroy a generation.  So today, instead of stoning to death, parents ought to get help—teachers, counselors— to turn their rebellious children around.

In chapter 22 there are these little commands about lost cows, stumbling ox, not taking a mother bird, weaving clothing—they seem so insignificant.  I think some of the lessons to be learned here are not that hard to understand. The first is, care for people’s stuff.  Even if it isn’t yours, we should treat it with respect.  If a person has a project, a job, a goal, and they are struggling with it, help them.  Sometimes people need assistance to get things back on their feet (metaphorically now, literally then).  The bird one:  care for God’s creation and don’t be greedy.  The thread thing, probably has to do with creating good quality stuff—not trying to hide the bad in with the good.  I’m not sure on that, but that is my guess.  These two sources provide additional thoughts:  http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/meaning.html and http://www.gloriouschurch.com/Questions-Answers-Details.asp?QuestID=634 .

Something to learn from Job:  life on earth is short.  I am only on this planet for a short time, and most of it is spent working, struggling, fighting, withering, dying.  There is no reason to get attached to this life.  Does life sometimes stink?  Yes, of course!  Because this life is only temporary.  True life begins with the Lord in heaven!

Day 88: War

Acts 4:1-22; Deuteronomy 19-20; Job 13

I love this story of Peter!  Peter, who denied he knew Jesus is now preaching the gospel in front of people who hate him! The officials were amazed because Peter and John were “ordinary” and not educated in the way the high priests were.  Ordinary people with an extraordinary message.  These men were so sure of their faith that they risked their lives to follow him.  That is awesome.

So scripture says that we are not to show mercy to a murderer:  does that mean the death penalty is ok?  Of course someone who kills someone is guilty of the worst crime, but in our culture that does not serve God, is it their job to take a person’s life into their own hands (as God commanded) when they do not serve the Lord in other ways?  Maybe it is.  This is one of those issues that I don’t know how to feel.  Do I want murderers let out because God is merciful?  No.  But do I want to be for something that kills a person when God no longer holds us under the Old Law?  No.  I just wish people wouldn’t kill other people.  That’s my prayer.

There are several interesting components to the war situation.  First, it does not say that they will never have to fight.  Battles are a part of life, but we are not to be afraid: God is with us.  Secondly, it does not say that people will never lose their lives.  People do die in this thing we call life, often times sooner than we expected and in terrible ways.  And yet, the officers send people home who have not fulfilled certain life situations.  God wants us to enjoy the things of this world.  He wants us to be blessed with a home, job, family, and faith—God is a loving God and wants to care for us.  We may not receive those blessings in the shape or time that we expect, but God does care for our needs.

Day 87: Take Each Opportunity

Acts 3; Deuteronomy 17-18; Job 12

Peter saw that a crowd had gather and so he spoke.  Peter recognized that what had happened to the lame man had caught some people’s attention; the work of the Holy Spirit often does.  And instead of shrugging it off or making an excuse that he wasn’t prepared, he stepped up and took the opportunity to share the gospel with the crowd.  Do I take every opportunity I’m given to share about Jesus, or do I cower away in fear of rejection or with excuses?  If I have the faith that I say I have, why do I not believe that God will give me the words no matter what the situation or response?  One of the things that I keep trying to remind myself is:  God has always helped me through, he has never left me, he will not leave me now.  I pray that we will take each opportunity presented to us to share the gospel and love of Jesus Christ.

Day 86: Bold Peter

Acts 2:14-47; Deuteronomy 15-16; Job 11

Peter boldly speaks to the crowd.  Peter, the same man who just days before, denied he knew Jesus three times, stood up and proclaimed loudly about Christ.  He wasn’t afraid.  In the face of ridicule, he approached the scoffers and spoke Truth.  What an awesome example of the transformative power of Jesus Christ.  And what did Peter say?  That Jesus was (and IS) alive, and the he wants to give the Holy Spirit to everyone.  He is as alive today as he was 2000 years ago, and His salvation is for everyone.

Then you have this awesome example of the CHURCH.  They were like family, they ate together, they prayed together, they did miracles, they shared everything they had with one another, and all of this in their own homes while praising God.  One of the things that seems so interesting in this verse is that they are in their homes, it is a small group.  If we look around America today, the “mega-church” is idolized.  The bigger, the better, right?  Not according to this scripture.  That is where the small group thing is so significant.
 
God has blessed us with so much.  We live in abundance.  Many of us, if we look around our house, we see comfortable furniture—it isn’t the fanciest and may have some stains—but it seats lots of people.  We see a refrigerator full of food, coffee pot with coffee, and a pantry with lots more—it may not be gourmet—but we never go hungry.  And even in the midst of my middle class life, we have some luxuries—pillows, candles, coffee creamer, books—we have SO MUCH.  Include the love of a family and friends, spoiled pet, and cars that work (most of the time).  Add to that salvation and love of our Lord and Savior!  May the Lord help us to see life THIS WAY:  the abundance that we truly have, both materially and spiritually, that we may not complain and will instead be generous.

Job’s friends, though not helpful to Job at that time (because they didn’t know or understand his circumstance) do have some wisdom to present.  In this passage, Zophar presents two things that I think are significant.  First, who can understand the ways of the Lord?  I certainly can’t, that is, unless God directly reveals things to me.  God’s wisdom is beyond what I could imagine.  There is no way I could understand him completely—that is what makes him the Creator and me the created.  Secondly, Zophar tells Job that he should surrender his heart to God, with all his sins, obvious and hidden.  This is how we grow confident in our spiritual walk and with God.  Surrender is the posture of worship.  Worship isn’t just singing—it is surrendering to God in any moment of any day.  When we recognize just how awesome and powerful God is, and we trust in him and give up all our personal desires and plans, that is worship.  Then when we do that, we can be “confident and fearless.”

Day 85: "Inclusive" Religion

Acts 2:1-13; Deuteronomy 13-14; Job 10

Even when God does amazing things, there will be people that won’t see the beauty of the Lord or the power of his hand. There will be people who, even with the evidence right in front of them, they will deny the existence and involvement of the Lord.  In the story of Pentecost in Acts, there were people that thought the disciples were drunk.  They went from all speaking one language to speaking probably hundreds, a feat not mastered in a mere moment, and people blamed it on something completely stupid.  Peter addresses the crowd, but we will read that tomorrow to see what he says.

There is a movement today of “inclusive religion” or “tolerance” that is completely against the Bible.  Here in Deuteronomy, Moses tells Israel, to love God with all of their hearts, be completely faithful to him, and worship him with fear and trembling.  This is not an invitation to add to the Christian faith, to share religious beliefs with other religions, or be complacent with our own faith or the mixing of good and evil.  Some Christians think they are being loving by accepting other religions and worship practices that are not Biblically based and actually supporting those things.  They are right, everyone has a choice, and people will see the Lord differently.  However, to not believe in Jesus Christ’s as God’s only son, born of the virgin Mary, who died on a cross and was raised in three days for the salvation of all, is not to be a believer, a follower, or to be saved.  That is the truth of God’s word and there is no other way.  Yes, God is a loving God, more than anything else, but he is also just and holy and deserving of the most pure and humble worship.  The God of the scriptures does not say, “do it whatever way you want and I’ll love you anyway.”  He is extremely specific.  Anyone who spends any time reading the Bible would see this.  We were made for him, he he is the Creator, not the other way around.

Day 84: From the 12

Acts 1; Deuteronomy 11-12; Job 9

I cannot imagine the emotional roller coaster that the disciples would have experienced in the span of about 43 days.  They went from losing their closest friend and teacher, feeling hopeless, to fear of the future, to boldness because of Christ’s return.  Jesus tells them that they don’t need to know when all the events of the future will happen, but instead he focuses them on the task at hand.  Sometimes I get so caught up in what the future will bring that I forget about my purpose right now.  My goal is to spread the love and story of Jesus Christ, the Risen Savior.  This is the same purpose that those disciples had long ago.  I think it is awesome that from 12 men, grew the entire body of Christ.  When the Holy Spirit is with a person, it is incredible what they can accomplish for the Lord.

So if I love the Lord with all my heart and soul, he will send…rain?  What good is that for me?  In the story of the Israelites, rain would have been necessary to make their lives simpler, more productive, healthy.  Rain was life to them, their property, and their animals.  So if I apply that concept to my life, that means that if I obey God with all my heart and soul, he will provide me with the very thing I need to help me be spiritually blessed.  I think part of this could be that the exact thing is a relationship with Christ.  That is what God has given me that is more amazing than anything else.  But I think it also could mean that he give me hope in times of distress, peace in times of discomfort, love in times of loneliness, and courage in times of fear.  God is a giving God; it takes just a quick glance at the scriptures to see that.  And if I obey him, he will provide.

But, in the very next verses in Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people that they will be tempted NOT to obey, and if I sin, God will not provide the good things he has in store for me.  I think sin has a way of blocking God’s provision and work in a person’s life.  Maybe it isn’t that God stops blessing, but that sin makes it so that he can’t because when I live a life of sin, I don’t want to accept the love, grace, peace, and joy of the Lord.

Job’s friends are trying to be helpful, and much of what they say is true.  However, Job’s case is different.  He didn’t do anything to deserve the consequences that have been heaped upon him.  The reality is, bad stuff in life can happen to good people.  Being “good” does not mean that a person can avoid problems.  A person may be walking with the Lord and obeying him in every way possible, and still calamity strikes.  The thing to learn from Job is to have faith in the power of God no matter what the circumstances.

Day 83: A Prayer for Students

Matthew 28; Deuteronomy 9-10; Job 8

Jesus did it all.  He promised to save the world and he did.  He suffered for me and for you so that we might be able to be close to God.  Thank you Jesus!

It is so easy to fall into sin and to be overcome by it.  The Israelites had seen the most amazing things in all the world, and yet it took them only a few days to forget and worship something else.  How much easier must it be for generations today who have not seen the same miracles, who have not witnessed the powerful hand of God, to forget and doubt, and fall into sin?  And once in the sin, it is hard to get out.  The threat of death was the only thing that saved the Israelites; that and Moses’ prayer.  It is so hard sometimes to be a teacher, not because of classroom management or the daily work load, but because I have to hear about and witness the destructive behaviors of students and there is often nothing I can do about it.  I want to badly for them to realize just how dangerous and stupid their actions are and to leave it all behind in an instant.  But even if I told them, even if someone they trusted told them, they don't always listen.  These young people, just as generations before, continue to make poor choices, dangerous choices.  I am afraid for them.  Some of them even claim to be believers, but they refuse to leave their worldly lives.  What is it going to take to get them to quit?  Please, Lord, watch over them.  May your mighty hand be on their lives and their hearts.  Help them to see, before it is too late, the dangers of their current life and the beauty and life that awaits them following Christ.  

Day 82: Overwhelmed by the Bigger Stuff

Matthew 27:32-66; Deuteronomy 7-8; Job 7

No matter who you are, a person who associates themselves with Jesus will have to face the burden of being a follower of Christ at some time in their lives.  Even Jesus faced ridicule, Simon had to carry the cross, and as Christ’s disciples we will have to also.  When it happens, don’t get discouraged; recognize that Jesus is with you and believe in the promises and hope of the Lord.

God commanded the Israelites to face people and situations that were bigger and more powerful than themselves.  However, God promised that he would be the one to overcome them, the Israelites would not be on their own.  I think God does the same thing today:  he calls us to face things that seem too much to handle, but somehow (by the grace and power of God), we are able to make it through or overcome.  Right now I’m feeling so overwhelmed with things I have to do; they are not important in the grand scheme of life, but they are a bit deal in terms of right now.  There are times when I get so upset and burdened, but I just need to have faith and hope that God will lead me through.

The other thing that is interesting about this situation that the Israelites find themselves in, is that God commands them to completely destroy the towns that they encounter.  There can be no compromise with sin.  Sinful things must be completely removed from our lives or God will be upset.  This really is a very loving thing:  sin has consequences, and God is simply trying to keep his people from consequences.   I pray that whatever sin we are compromising with in our lives, God would reveal to us, so that we can destroy it, rather than live with it.  The Lord promises good things if we obey him—healthy families, abundant resources, long life--because we aren't allowing sin to destroy them.

If a person has followed the Lord for very long, they realize that God does not always work at the pace we expect.  Sometimes it takes time.  God wouldn’t allow the Israelites to immediately wipe out their enemies, though that seems like the best and easiest thing.  Instead, God was thinking about their long term benefits, which required time.

Over and over Moses reminds the people of how blessed they will be for following God’s commands.  The reality is, often that doesn’t apply to this earthly circumstances.  Sometimes life stinks, but if it doesn’t, and things are good, Moses reminds the people not to be proud or forget what God has done for each of us.

Day 81: Trading Jesus

Matthew 27:1-31; Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Job 6

Judas is an incredibly sad character.  Part of me pities him—the pain he must have felt knowing that he killed his teacher and friend.  But at the same time, I wonder, what did he expect?  The priests hated Jesus:  did he think they would just say some mean things and then let him go?  And all of that for 30 pieces of silver—practically nothing.  A little monetary wealth can motivate people do to almost anything, including betraying their Messiah and friend.

There seems to be a theme in these few verses:  trade.  Judas traded Jesus for money, the priest traded the money for a graveyard of sorts, and Jesus was traded for Barabbas.  In today’s culture, there is so much to trade Jesus for, yet none of it is worthwhile.  People have traded beautiful families for lust; they have traded comfortable living for doomed risks hoping for more; people have traded their faith for worthless idols.  The trade is never beneficial.  I noticed as I was running the other day just how much things (buildings, fences, bridges) are decaying, falling apart, aging.  The one thing that is getting more healthy, stronger, richer, is my soul in a relationship with Jesus.  The physical things of this world will not last—my body, my house, my bank account.  The thing that is truly valuable can’t be seen—it is my relationship with Christ Jesus.

The difference between God’s justice and God’s love is staggering.  It says in Deuteronomy that if people reject him he will punish their families for three for four generations.  I thought, “wow, that’s a long time.”  Then I continued reading.  God says that if we obey his teachings and worship only him, he will bless our families...for THOUSANDS of generations.  The incredibly dynamic between God’s justice, as stated here, and his love, demonstrates that while he is a God of justice, he is so much more a God of love.  He WANTS to do good things in our lives.  That is so beautiful!

It is interesting that when God was so close in Deuteronomy, the people wanted him further away.  Today, people think God is distant and want him closer, but if we consider the Israelites response, God is a lot to handle.

God calls us to memorize his laws, tell them to our children, think about them and talk about them all the time in order that we might obey them.  One thing I have noticed is that the more I think about scripture, read it, talk about it, the closer I feel to God.  This last year and a half of me getting up early to read and write my thoughts and questions and to listen to God, have been the best part of my spiritual life.  If you, dear reader and friend, want to grow closer to God, stop reading my blog and start reading scripture! I would rather no one reads my blog because they are all spending daily time in the word. That's really the point of all of this. Just getting closer to God by discovering his word.

Often times people call out to God when they are in dire need, hoping that he will hear and answer and take away their pain.  It is less often that people remember God in their times of blessing.  These verses in Deuteronomy are explaining to the Israelites that they are going to receive abundant blessings, and while they are enjoying those, they need to remember who gave those to them.

There is an important message in Job; in particular, he says “I am not strong as stone or bronze.” People don’t have to be tough or stoic or unbendable in times of trouble.  It is ok to be upset, broken, hurting, desperate.  But, what Job shows us is that in those times of brokenness and pain, we can still respect God.

Day 80: Different Kinds of Followers

Matthew 26:47-75; Deuteronomy 3-4; Job 5

The story of Jesus’ betrayal and trial are an interesting visual of humanity.  You have the character of Judas, who claims to be a follower, yet trades him for earthly wealth.  You have the disciples who, once Jesus was arrested, when the world had “ruined” who they believed he was, they left and would not stand by his side.  Then you have the priests, the so called “religious” group, who claim to be connected with God but in reality their hearts are elsewhere.  They are prideful and pious and do not follow the true Lord.  Then there is Peter, a passionate follower who follows Jesus at a distance.  He doesn’t want to be seen as being Jesus’ disciple and in fact will passionately claim otherwise.  Yet, he is still there, still searching, still attempting to discover Jesus.  Each of these personas are present in the world today. They all claim to be filled with Christ but they do not follow him wherever he leads. We need to evaluate what kind of follower we are and seek to be the kind that would follow him to the cross.

Moses was not allowed to go into the promised land.  God showed it to him, but his purpose was not to make it, he was to disciple Joshua to complete the journey.  Because of Moses’ previous choices, God determined what he would and would not do.  There are consequences of our actions.  Even if believers want to think that God will completely forgive our sins, which he does, life is not just a series of mini-stories, what we do in our past does touch our present and future.  However, the disciple Joshua was a very important role and Moses needed to do that with all the passion and determination that he wanted to put into making it to the promised land.  He still had a defined role, it was just different from what he expected or wanted.

Wow, what a cool statement:  “No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are.  In fact, everyone that hears about your laws will say, ‘that great nation certainly is wise!’  And what makes us greater than other nations?  We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.” (Deut. 4:5-8)

For some reason it is easy to forget the promises and acts of God.  A little time passes and it is as if we have to relearn to trust the Lord.  The Israelites kept forgetting, and modern day believers can often find themselves in similar situations.

Moses took a lot of time to remind the people of Israel that God is the only god to be worshipped.  If I look at society, it is easy to see that people have created other idols:  money, sex, status, substances, people, ideas, organizations…the list continues.

All the things that Eliphaz says to Job are true at times.   God does protect and will rescue his people, he will strike down the wicked and rescue the needy.  His thought was that perhaps Job was in the wrong and needed to ask God for forgiveness or help.  It is great to give advice to people, but it is important that, before a person gives advice, that they know the full situation so that they do not unjustly consider something more or less than it is.

Day 79: Take God to Work

Matthew 26:26-46; Deuteronomy 1-2; Job 4

Was Peter’s experience intended to humble him?  To show that a person should not be too confident in them self?  To demonstrate that humans aren’t perfect?  Whatever the reason, Peter had high hopes for himself, he had bold statements to present to Jesus.  But the truth is, Jesus knew his heart, knew what trials lay ahead, and understood that Peter was not perfect.  I know that I feel good about myself for never having doubted my faith.  However, I’m still young.  There is a lot of life ahead of me with significant trials and despite my ability to believe, I may face times where it is hard to have faith. Maybe you've been through, or are going through, difficult times in your life and faith. Peter, the rock on which the church was built, denied knowing Jesus. He was weak in that moment, too bold in his professions, and yet, God used him mightily. Trust in God's power to work in your life through your trials.

God gave the Israelites the promised land, but in the scripture he says “Now you must go and take the land.”  It wasn’t an easy walk into it, they had to have faith as they moved forward. The same is true today.  God may provide blessings, but we cannot sit on our couches and wait for him to hand them to us.  We have to live life, move forward, make mistakes, trust.  The Israelites lacked faith in God and his plans because they sent out people ahead to investigate.  Those explorers told them that it was difficult, perhaps impossible, to do what they had planned on doing, and so they gave up.  Instead of trusting in the Lord, who had done some incredible miracles in their lifetime, they sat back and grumbled in despair.  What is interesting about this particular story is that they eventually “obeyed.”  They went into the hill country in an attempt to take it over, but delayed obedience is perhaps actually disobedience.  I’ll try to make sure my heart and soul understands that one!

The verse that says “no matter who shows up in your court…” reminds me of my teaching job.  The truth is, I have a lot of diverse students that show up.  Some are well mannered, focused, and motivated, while others are obnoxious, disrespectful, and apathetic.  It is sometimes a challenge to manage the kids.  But, God has always been there with me, helping me to make good decisions, even though I often have no idea what I’m doing.  When I have made mistakes, he has helped me to move on and learn, and for that I am thankful.  I pray that you, too, invite God into your work place, trusting in him to help you make decisions. God wants to go to work with us!

Job’s friend believes in a faulty doctrine:  that my circumstances are a direct result of sin and are a punishment from God.  The reality is, that is not true.  Life is going to be hard, even for the good people.  The Psalmists say this several times:  why do the wicked prosper and I face darkness?  Just because bad stuff happens to people does not mean they are getting punished.  Life is just sometimes difficult.  Now that isn’t to say that the consequences of action do not follow a person, because they certainly do.  If a person sins, let’s say they treat their parents terribly and are hateful, sometime down the road their parents may refuse to help them in a situation and then life becomes tough for them.  The point that Job’s friend Eliphaz is making is that God is causing you to suffer, but in reality we cannot blame God for our circumstances.

Day 78: Safe Towns

Matthew 26:1-25; Numbers 35-36; Job 3

Judas traded the glory of heaven and the love of his Savior for a little bit of material wealth.  The temptation to obtain and have lots of stuff is always there.  The American culture demands that we keep collecting stuff.  Even if we use stuff to help the poor, it is not as good as worshiping the Lord and serving him.  Are we putting anything above God?  I pray that the Lord will reveal it to us so that we can give it away or use it to worship him.

God is a God of justice but also of protection.  He believes that those who do wrong will receive what they are due.  Murder is a big deal and must be punished.  However, humans often want to take revenge for wrongs done against us, but God wants to offer protection.  That was the purpose of the Safe Towns.  If someone dies accidentally—which does happen—The Lord want to provide a level of justice and protection.  That could be really hard for the victim’s family, as the scripture indicates.  They may still want revenge even though it was an accident.  The point if the rule against murder is because God values life.  It seems a little contradictory because in scripture God also says that we are here only for a little while and gone before we know it, so why would the time here on earth really matter.  But sinning against a person, doing something terrible to one of our fellow humans, hurts them and God.  Murder is very serious, but we can be guilty of other sins that are just as serious:  gossip, slander, anger, hatred.  Those things also are dangerous.  May the Lord help to keep us pure in body and spirit.

I cannot imagine being in Job’s shoes.  How incredibly painful his life had become.  I am so thankful that God has given me a blessed life.  I have not shared with Job’s pain.  But, there is still a lot of life left for me (I assume), and there will be struggles.  I pray that in those times I remember that Job hurt and survived.

Day 77: Helping our Famlies

Matthew 25:31-46; Numbers 32-34; Job 2

How do I please God?  By helping everyone, even those who do not seem important.  It is not that service that earns salvation, but the acts of service are an outpouring of a surrendered and changed heart.

The tribes of Rueben and Gad didn’t want to enter the promised land.  I don’t know if that was a good move or not, but whatever it was, they decided not to complete the journey as promised.  However, God would hold them to their promise anyway.  They were needed to give support to the rest of Israel, and so they had to postpone their personal plans in order to help their family for a bit longer.  Is that what God wants?  For someone to choose economic prosperity over the promised land?  I’m fairly certain the answer would be ‘no.’ But The Lord does want us to help our family and friends, often times before we help ourselves.

Sin is not to be messed with or compromised with.  Sin is sin and it is evil.  Those that choose sinful lifestyles and make no attempt to serve the Lord, will always cause trouble for the believers who choose to live in close proximity to them.  It is not easy to resist temptation all the time, and it is frustrating to watch people destroy themselves through sin.  God wants us to rid ourselves and our lives of the sin that separates us from him.  Completely, no compromise.

What is interesting is that God takes responsibility for Job’s problems, even though it was probably Satan’s hand at work.  God gives permission to for anything to happen, nothing is outside of his control.  And in the midst of disaster, Job didn’t once blame God or sin against him—he realized that life and God will give both blessings and hardships.  God never promises that life will be easy.  While the “yoke may be easy and the burden light,” his expectations of his people are simple.  The Lord wants us to follow him with all my heart and love others, and that is it.  It is going to be difficult, however, because not only are we fighting against our nature of sin, but also against Satan’s hand and plans to destroy.  I pray that we would have faith in the hard times and for such a faith as Job’s who trusted in God's divine power no matter what.

Day 76: Job's Response

Matthew 25:1-30; Numbers 30-31; Job 1

A lot of these stories from the Bible come down to wisdom.  The young girls and their lamps—those that were wise went with the bridegroom.  The servants who were given money—those that were wise were given more.  The daughter and wife in the Old Testament—if it is unwise, they are not to keep it and the husband’s wisdom assists in knowing what to do.

There are a lot of scriptures that talk about the evil of the women.  However, I think that was definitely a cultural thing in some ways, but it also is not just about the women.  The human condition is sinful and often the people involved in the stories are women since they make up half of the population.  I think it is less about the women and more about the human condition they represent.  In the story of Numbers, Moses gets angry not because they didn’t kill the women, but because they compromised in their mission and didn’t follow God’s commands.  What had caused them to sin they didn’t destroy and so the temptation would be there to sin again.  God wanted them to remove the temptation so that the Israelites would be focused on him.

There is a lot to learn from Job.  First, he cared for his children’s spiritual condition.  He prayed for them and offered sacrifices for them.  Then, the truth of Job’s situation is that God allows bad things to happen, not because he doesn’t love us, but maybe because he believes that trials or testing will make us stronger, show us our own true character, believes in our ability to love and persevere.  What is SO amazing, even in this first chapter, are the messages from the servants and Job’s response.  Satan often works through other people:  Sabeans and Chaldeans attacked.  The reality is, people often become his tool to wreak havoc upon God’s people.  Another thing that is interesting is that one of the servants attributed the destruction to God, when it was really not his hand at work.  The fire from the sky was probably lightning, which is a natural occurrence.  Perhaps Satan pointed a particular lightning bolt Job’s way, but the storms just happen.  Satan is a destroyer—is it him that we can blame for the destruction of tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis?  I don’t know if God has given him that power in this day.  I think in Job’s case he might have.  And finally, there is Job.  Some of the most terrible things in life have happened to him—and yet, he WORSHIPS God.  I doesn’t say that he is happy about the circumstances, or forgets they happen, or passes them off as God ordained and isn’t allow to show sorrow.  He does!  He is a broken man because of it, but in the midst of his pain, he cries out to God, acknowledging just how powerful and mighty the Lord truly is.  He recognizes that the things of this earth, even people, are under the Lord’s awesome power.

Day 75: His Presence

Matthew 24:32-51; Numbers 28-29; Songs 8:5-15

It is in these passages that the concept of being taken and left behind are presented.  But as Austin has pointed out before, it is unclear when this will happen—before the earthquakes and rise of the Antichrist, or perhaps believers will have to experience end times.  Either way, the reality is, everything on this earth is temporary.  The only thing that will last is Jesus Christ and the word of God.

With all the sacrifices required, the priests would be doing nothing all day long but killing animals, sprinkling their blood, and burning things on the altar.  Is that really the case?  That it was an all day every day sort of thing?  It seems like the people would be offering bulls and rams and goats and grain and wine all the time.  By giving so much, they would definitely be breaking their materialism.  They (and we) would hopefully realize that everything they have belongs to God anyway.  Perhaps part of the point was to constantly remind people who God was.  By continuously sacrificing and surrendering to God what I have, I am doing the same things—offering myself and my things to God as worship.

If I think about Songs as the church and the Lord, then it is really cool at the end where the woman (the church) says that Solomon can keep his silver and the others can keep their profits, because all she wants is the presence of Solomon, or in my thinking, the Lord.  What God has to offer me shouldn’t matter—the only thing that I should desire is his presence.  A good life, financial prosperity, fame, blessings of other kinds, those are just things that will pass away when the world ends.  But, God’s presence, our relationship, should be my true passion.  

Day 74: Understanding the Consequences

Matthew 24:1-31; Numbers 25-27; Songs 6:4-8:4

The end of times will be a terrifying event.  It will be a time when the worst things that could happen do, when death is more common than life, and persecution and hate are rampant.  People of each generation have been saying the end of days are upon us, and whether they are or not, I pray for the generation that suffers during those days.  I pray that the believers would be faithful, to The Lord and to one another.

God  has no patience with people who worship idols.  There is not room for compromise when it comes to who we serve.  The Lord determined that death was the only punishment for those who worshipped another god—wipe out those who thought it was ok and eliminate such a threat to the heart of Israel.  We should feel the same about false gods.  Anything that we worship or focus on or serve is a god and that is absolutely wrong according to the Lord.  I pray that we would put to death, in no uncertain or compromising terms, anything that gets in the way of our worship of God:  stuff, money, technology, approval, pride, etc.

The women who approached Moses in Numbers were brave and bold to ask for land in a man’s world.  And, instead of saying “No, you are women,” God cared for them.

Even though Moses’ disobedience and lack of faith happened years beforehand, the consequences were still present.  Just because time passes doesn’t mean that things don’t hurt or aren’t affected anymore.  I can’ expect God to just ignore my past mistakes.  He created the world to be connected and my mistakes as well as successes follow me, just like everyone else.  Even though it would have been nice for Moses to enter the promised land, he understood that his mistake had cost his.  He didn’t argue with God at that point, which means he had learned his lesson.  The point was not the success of Moses, but the glory of God.  And so instead, Moses shows concern for his people.  God has him place his hands on Joshua to show that he is being anointed and to charge him with leading Israel.  So, placing of hands on a person is scriptural which is cool.

In Songs, these two people are so caught up in one another.  They want only each other, not numerous others.  Even normal tasks seem amazing because they are so in love with each other. We need to pursue our God with the same fervor as this. We also need to pursue our spouses with this same passion. God deserves all our energy. And second to that is our spouse.

Day 73: Simple Prayer for Obedience

Matthew 23:37-39; Numbers 23:27-24:25; Songs 5:2-6:3

 I pray today for obedience.  It is so easy to go our own way, do our own thing, but I know that if we want to get closer to God, we need to be obedient to his calling.  Even in the small things, obedience matters.  If we can’t be obedient when the stakes are little, then how can we expect to be obedient when it really matters?  May God help us to surrender to him; may we trust in his power to work the perfect plan for our lives.  We have seen it in the past, in scripture, and may we believe it for the future.