Let not your heart faint!!!

Reading: Deuteronomy 18-20 and 2 Corinthians 12

Scripture: Deuteronomy 20:2-3, And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them,

Thoughts: We are in a battle, we fight every day against the influence of the evil one. He does not come at us head on but through decent and manipulation. He prowls around like a lion seeking those whom he can destroy. When we listen to those encouraging and blessing us instead of listening to those of the world who are only here to steal kill and destroy. We need to remember that it is not our strength or might that over come anything. With Christ’s power and authority we can overcome all things so, therefore let not your heart faint, do not fear or panic. 

Prayer: Father God, you have all strength and all power, you overcome all things, and you call us to walk in that power and authority. I ask that you help recognize you authority and your power that I may walk in it and shine your light into the darkness of this fallen world. 

Wise and warned

Reading: Deuteronomy 16-17, Psalm 2, and 2 Corinthians 11

Scripture: Psalm 2:10-11, Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Thoughts: We are living in a time where the are more and more leaders in this world who are more influenced by the evil one than lead by the Heavenly Father. Are we praying for our leaders, praying they know the father, praying that they have Godly people around them to give them insight into the situation. Just like the kings and leaders we need to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Let us be wise and walk in the light of his glory and strength. 

Prayer: Father God, you are the worthy of all honor, you are worthy of all praise. You are the one true King, you provide all we need and lead and guide us. I thank you that you are molding me and refining me. I thank you for your provisions and blessing that you give me to steward. 

Who's Doorpost?

Reading: Deuteronomy 14-15, Psalm 88, and 2 Corinthians 10

Scripture: Deuteronomy 15:16-17, But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same.

Thoughts: This passage is interesting; it speaks to that if someone was poor enough to become a slave that they could be release and return to their old life. Yet if they chose to remain in the master’s service because they love him and are well off this him, they can. We are in debt to God so much that nothing we could do could pay it back. When Jesus died and rose again, he bought us and paid the price. Are we given the opportunity to go with the new master who is offering a life of great abundance or the life we knew full of lies and destruction? When we choose, we are placing our ear on the doorpost that our master can pierce it to show our devotion to the one we serve. Who’s doorpost are we going to?

Prayer: Father God, you are the one I serve, you are the one who is worthy of all praise and worship. You are my strength and you are the light to my path. I thank you for the provisions and blessings that you have poured out me and I thank you for the opportunity and ability to steward what you have given me. I ask for your guidance and direction with where we are going and how to move forward? 

Words in our heart.

Reading: Deuteronomy 11-13 and 2 Corinthians 9

Scripture: Deuteronomy 11:18, You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

Thoughts: The Israelite people were being reminded about that they need to keep God’s word in the forefront of their hearts and minds and not to chase after those things that those people whom they are to be removing from the land chase after. We have to do the same we may not be removing people groups from a promised land but we are in a battle for our lives and the lives of our families. The idols of this world are constantly creeping into our lives and seeking to take the place of honor in our hearts. How are we keeping our focus on the one true King instead of allowing ourselves to chase after the next new and shiny thing? 

Prayer: Lord God, you are the creator of all things, you own the cattle on a thousand hills, and your love overwhelms me. You are so wonderful, I thank you that you are working in me, that you have a place in your plan that I can work. I thank you for the breakthrough that you are doing and have done, the continued molding and refining in my life. I ask that you continue to remove the dross of my life so that I can better reflect you. 

What Refuge

Reading: Deuteronomy 9-10, Psalm 143, and 2 Corinthians 8

Scripture: Psalm 143:9-10, Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

Thoughts: It is way to easy to run to a refuge that we see or we know when we are experiencing adversity, yet the easy way and many time those refuge that we know so often leads to further pain and strife. When we seek refuge in Christ we open ourself to the teaching of Holy Spirit, that teaching and leading that will lead us on a level ground and walking in His will. Let us seek to walk in his will all the days of our lives and seek to be taught by Him daily. 

Prayer: Father God, you are my refuge and my strength, you lead me beside clear waters, I shall fear no evil. I thank you that’s you are leading me, that you have blessings and not cursing for me. I thank you that you are molding and refining me. Help me to walk in your ways and seek your refuge and not my own. 

Complaints???

Reading: Deuteronomy 5-6, Psalm 64, and 2 Corinthians 6

Scripture: Psalm 64:1-3, Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,

Thoughts: At different times in my life I know that I have had wrong views of God. We have a God that loves us enough that he sent his Son, a portion of himself, to come to earth to overcome sin so that we could have the opportunity to accept that gift and be in relationship with him. There were times where I felt that the only way to talk to God was praise and worship and the occasional help request. Here in this Psalm it is David crying out to God in a complaint. God is a big God and he tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” We can complain to God, but we also need to praise him in the middle of the storm as well. 

Prayer: Hear me O God, I am tired and weary, and feel lost. You are the creator of all things and your love endures forever. I thank you that you are molding me and refining me. I thank you that you are leading and guiding me. I ask that you give me the strength to overcome the trials that I’m going through, help me to be the father and husband you call me to be. 

Our Earthen Vessels

Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4 and 2 Corinthians 5

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:6-7, So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Thoughts: Paul writhing to the Corinthian Church reminding them that our bodies are only our earthen vessels and that our home is in Heaven awaiting the time that we are loosed from our bodies and taken to our true home. We are reminded that we are sojourners here on this world that we are to be God’s ambassadors and sharing the love of God every were. When we are home in this body there are going to be trials, pain, and attacks, yet we are to have the courage to walk out that faith, knowing that this is not our home. Let us live life in a way that honors our true home and that others can’t help but wonder what it means. In a world full of hate we need a beacon of light that is Love.  

Prayer: Father God, you are love and you pour that love onto and into each of us. I thank you that you are pour that love into me that I can pour it our onto others. Help me to be more free with that love that I may more accurately point people to you. 

Go and take it!!!

Reading: Deuteronomy 1-2 and 1 Corinthians 4

Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:29-30, Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

Thoughts: We have been give a promised land, a calling, a direction in our lives, yet we have fear and doubt when it comes to where we are going. Sure many times we are only given a step or two in a direction but unless we have the entire picture we don’t step out. Here Moses was reminding everyone what got them into the situation there are currently in, getting ready to go into the promised land 40 years after he first was going to take them in. They were told not to be afraid to go in and take the land but they were stirred up into a bundle of fear and had to wait those 40 years. What are we waiting on or rebelling against that God wants to bless us with? Strive to walk the path He has placed before you, no matter if the blessings are in this world or the next there will be great blessings when we walk His path and not our own.

Prayer: Father God, you known me better than I know myself, you know the darkest parts of my heart and the things that are worthy of praise. I thank you that you have chosen me and are leading me. I thank you that you are the potter and the smith who refines us. I ask that you help me to see the things in my life that need changing or removing and overcome those changes in your name and in your power. 

Who am i

Reading: Numbers 34-36 and 2 Corinthians 3

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:1,Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?

Thoughts: How often do we loose perspective on who God called us to be and who he sees. It is just as easy to get puffed up as it is to think we are no good. We need to keep our perspective and listen to the voice of God speaking through Holy Spirit and His word. Who are we listening to, those who speak hurt pain and condemnation into our lives or those who speak love, joy, and encouragement? On the other hand who are we being the one who speaks life or death?

Prayer: Father God you are the one who knows us better than we know ourselves and yet you sent your son to die for us anyway, I thank you for all you have done and all you are doing. I ask that you help me to keep your perspective on who I am and not who I think I am or who the world tells me I am. 

That lot shall be his!!

Reading: Numbers 33, Psalm 65, and 2 Corinthians 2

Scripture: Numbers 33:54, You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 

Thoughts: I was drawn to the second to last sentence of this passage in Numbers, it is easy to look at the abundance of others, or our perception of abundance. In the USA we typically view abundance as more than we have, many nations view the poor here as rich. We each have a different perspective on where that abundance line is, but we each have a lot that was granted to us large or small. God has given it to us and he can adjust what he gave us. 

Prayer: Lord God, you own it all, you lead us and guide us, you pour out you peace and joy on us. I thank you for that which you gave me to steward. I thank you that you are molding me and growing me, I ask that you continue to refine me help me of remove the dross in my life and be purified. 

Reading: Numbers 11-12, Psalm 148, and 1 Corinthians 4

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:8, I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.

Thoughts:Not knowing all the questions and issues that caused the writing of this letter from Paul to the church at Corinth, all we get is the rebukes and corrections from someone that describes himself as a loving father in the faith. Earlier he was telling them not to argue over who taught them or who baptized them but to focus on what is written and not to go beyond the scripture. I have seen and heard of traditions in a church that got to the point of the tradition being just as important as the gospel. We start having issues when we speak where the word of God is silent and remaining silent where the word calls us to speak. May Holy Spirit fill us with discernment, cover us with wisdom and help us to overcome these things that even Paul placed the burden upon himself, Apollos, and all the believers. 

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for your word, the inspiration that you give to those who have written scripture and the revelations and discernment that you give us today. I thank you that you are leading us that you have a plan that we can be apart of. I thank you that you that you are leading and guiding us. I thank you that you are molding and refining me. Help me to remove the parts of my foundation that cause issues and replace them with things that reflect you and help me to be that father and husband you call me to be. 

Reading: numbers 7 and 1 Corinthians 2

Scripture: 1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:14-16, The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 

Thoughts: When I read this passage I was reminder of a sermon talking about carrage and how we need to be bold even our families and friends. What hit me was the courage and how much courage it takes to not just believe the world and the walk in our faith. It's easy to just listen to the worlds explanations of what we are experiencing. The world wants us to see things only with our eyes end only hear with the ears that hear what they think we should hear. May the spirit fill us with the joy and discernment that we can better listen and hear the voice of God.

Prayer: Father God, you are so wonderful,you are the good shepherd, you lead us and guide us. I thank you that you have overcome and you offer us redemption. I thank you that you are molding me and refining me, , I ask that you fill me with you strength and corragel that I may overcome all things in your name.