Deuteronomy 2; Psalms 83,84; Isaiah 30; Jude 1

The great doxology!

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 1:24&25 [NIV]).

This is one of the most profound verses in all of Scripture. What a perfect picture  of our future state and what Jesus has done for us through his sacrifice on the cross for us. And this is an eternal doxology. It is before all time, now and forevermore.

Can you believe that because of that great sacrifice we will stand before the Father without fault or blemish. And Jesus will do it with great joy! It is hard for us to comprehend isn’t it.

Copy these verses down and read them throughout the day and remember how valuable you are to Him. At the end of today… see if your attitude about yourself has changed even a little bit.

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Deuteronomy 1; Psalms 81,82; Isaiah 29; 3 John 1

The setting–the wilderness.

⁶ “When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. ⁷ It is time to break camp and move on. Go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the neighboring regions—the Jordan Valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain. Go to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, and all the way to the great Euphrates River. ⁸ Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’” (Deuteronomy 1:6-8, NLT, emphasis added)

What was long enough? For the Israelites, it was forty years, Wilderness Time. What grew within them in The Wait? Who were they becoming in the The Wilderness? Oh, didn’t they even know He held them back for a time to prepare them?

Lord, when you tell me to wait, help me to wait with eyes wide open; help me to grow and be ready when you say go. And when you tell me to go, help me to walk confidently, trusting you. Sometimes (this stuff) is really scary. Help me to find my voice, to stand up for truth and what’s right. You are always with me.

¹ This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. ² Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. ³ Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. ⁴ I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth … ¹¹ Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. ¹² Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth. (3 John 1:1-4, 11-12, NLT, emphasis added)

Whether I’m in The Wilderness or The Wait, Lord, I want my focus locked on you. When you say go, I don’t want to step out in fear, complaint or distrust. I want to live in, walk in, and follow the truth.

Courtney (66books365)

Numbers 36; Isaiah 28; Psalm 80; 1 John 2

Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.” Num 36:8-9 NIV

In time of challenge, diving deep into prayer I s necessary to discern about helping others in need.  It is no coincidence when he presents us with those with such great tangible need.  In the spiritual realm, keeping my spiritual fitness will help me be more able to give to those who need.  If my own spiritual house is not in order, giving is not fruitful.   

 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.;….

 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.  1 John 2:4-8,12 NIV

There are few things that make me more happy than seeing children praising the Lord.  Unashamed, pure joy.  There need not be perfect rhythm or melody, only perfect intention. How does my praise sound to the Lord?  He makes it perfect.  How can I help to lay the foundation for my kids and those with whom I come in contact?  The early influences on my faith still have such a profound influence.  Thank you Jesus for those religious educators and family who planted the seed for my faith.  I intercede for each of them by name….

There is something about seeing a friend’s face.  Texting and social media just doesn’t do it.  I am able to see their true self and how they are doing. Help me not to hide behind these veils and bare true self  to those I trust…and to You Lord. 

In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. Is 28:5-6 NIV

The attack is powerless, Lord.  It can’t take the first step toward me when I stand in You.

Lord, help me to discern when to give and when it is better for me to come to the fountain of your everlasting refreshment.  Thank you for those that have blessed me along my spiritual journey in tangible ways.  I pray for them by name.  I love you.  Amen.

Numbers 35; Psalm 79; Isaiah 27; 1 John 5

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ^[a] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. ² We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. ³ Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. ⁵ And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:1-5) NLT

Being a Christ follower requires such faith! It is one thing to believe there is a God, it is totally an act of faith to believe that I am his child. Believing Jesus is his child, that I can believe! But me? Sinful, broken, imperfect me? It took a long time to grasp that.

My journey with God has been a process to deepen my faith. It seems like he patiently led me from one step to the next. I know some people have experiences where God changes them instantaneously. That was not what he chose for me. It was a very big step to believe I was his child. That was no easy feat! I knew what the bible said, I’d memorized the verses, heard sermons, and did multiple bible studies. I had accepted Christ; I had all the head knowledge. But I had so much shame and brokenness in me, it took many years for him to get under all the layers of walls I had built up around my heart. One by one they came down. Then he had to put all the shattered pieces of my heart back together. I had so many people pour into me over the years, but I liken it to pouring water into a cracked cistern. The water drains out and the pot is never full. He continued to pour love into me. He let me go at my speed until the time came I knew. I knew deep in my soul that he loved me and I was his. I knew because of his consistency. I learned to trust him. I learned to believe I am who he says I am because he is who he says he is. I knew I was his adopted child.

It is really hard to give to others what I do not have. I am only able to give love and serve his children because of his constant love for me. I am able to obey his commands because I trust his goodness. They aren’t burdensome commands—they are life saving. I realize I live in an evil world—that has not changed in all these years since John penned those words. I have an enemy who is out to destroy me. It truly is my faith in Jesus as my savior that enables me to have any victory over that enemy. I have had to learn to dig deep inside of me to find that faith. I have had to believe him and know his voice over the voice of the deceiver.

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.²¹ Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. (1 John 5:20-21) NLT

I still don’t always get it right. I can easily turn to the right or the left unless I am intentionally staying in daily relationship with God. There is so much in this world that seems like it might fulfill me. In those times of emptiness, it really takes calling on the Holy Spirit. I can never let my guard down for without the Spirit, my flesh is weak.

Lord, I thank you for the patience you have with me. You gave me enough light to take the next step in our journey together. There were times that was the only light I saw—I was surrounded by darkness. But as time passed and my trust grew, I was able to look back and see how far we’ve come together. You are my loving Father, and I am your dearly loved child. Help me love others as you have loved me. In Jesus name, Amen

Cindy (gardnlady)

Numbers 34; Psalm78:38-72; Isaiah 26; 1 John 4

God’s power has been on full display since the creation of the world.

Numerous times throughout history He provides glimpses into the depths of His sovereignty, His holiness, His love, His power. The plagues in Egypt showed all those bundled into one unforgettable, epic event.

Yet he, being compassionate,
    atoned for their iniquity
    and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
    and did not stir up all his wrath.
³⁹ He remembered that they were but flesh,
    a wind that passes and comes not again. (Psalm 78:38-39 ESV)

Israel should have walked away from Egypt in awe of God’s character and His love for them. God had remembered them, remembered that they were “but flesh.”

Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God
    and did not keep his testimonies, (Psalm 78:56 ESV)

And then, years later, years of cycling through rebellion and surrender, He chose David. A fresh start.

O Lord, in distress they sought you;
    they poured out a whispered prayer
    when your discipline was upon them (Isaiah 26:16 ESV)

And in their surrender, in our surrender, He chooses love.

⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (I john 4:9 ESV)

The hope we now have, in the fulfillment of His plan that became visible even in the Garden of Eden, should overflow through our fingertips in love for others.

He’s proven His power and righteousness and love. Now, it is for me to act. To step out boldly. To shout to the world that I have the hope they are looking for. To whisper to the hurting that I have the answer they ache to hear. To speak to my neighbors that I have found the stability that holds through every storm.

They don’t need to fear because He is the answer. To everything. Those Sunday School kids kinda got it right, the answer is always “Jesus.”

Lord God, may your love overflow so freely through every pore of my being that others may discover Your truth, love, and power through my life. May my self, on every level, be used to shine the light that others need to discover to light their way. Thank you for your patient forgiveness and leading. In Jesus Name, Amen.