1 Kings 9; Ephesians 6; Ezekiel 39; Ps. 90

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT

My new favorite song is the Battle Belongs, by Phil Wickham. “When I fight, I fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to you.” It reminds me to hand over my trials to the Lord. So much of the time, I try to carry them myself. I get weighted down by burdens. Why is it so hard for me to stop and pray? It sounds simple, but so often I worry instead. When I pray about it and give God praise in the middle of it, I feel lighter and more free. I am reminded that God already has the victory. Satan is always feeding me lies. Sometimes I am too tired to engage in battle. I am thankful for other believers who are intercede on my behalf.

“So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealousy guard my holy reputation! When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” Ezekiel 39:25-29 NLT

I am so encouraged by these verses. Especially that none of God’s people will be left behind. If I am feeling left out or discouraged, I am reminded that God never forgets me. I am on His mind. And His Spirit is inside of me.

“Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! ” Psalms 90 NLT

Dear Father, I can so easily get bogged down by the worries of this world. Help me to have an eternal perspective. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness. Thank you that you fight for me. Amen.

Amy(amyctanner)

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Exodus 30; John 9; Proverbs 6; Galatians 5

I read of the ransom in Exodus. Every man was required at census to pay a ransom to purify his life and to make himself right with the Lord. It didn’t matter if he was a rich man or a poor man. There was a cost each one paid.

¹⁴ All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the Lord. ¹⁵ When this offering is given to the Lord to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less. ¹⁶ Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the Lord’s attention, and it will purify your lives.” (Exodus 30:14-16, NLT)

Because of Christ, my ransom has been paid. The penalty of sin is death, and he suffered that death for my sins. Oh, he has brought me to the Father’s attention, and the indwelling Holy Spirit will purify my life. This is Christ’s love.

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. (Galatians 5:24-26, NLT)

The blind man from birth did not know that his whole life would change when he met Jesus, that the years leading to that point served a purpose, and that in one moment, he would be the subject of change that would glorify God (to this very day).

³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:3-5, NLT)

People who had known him as a blind beggar weren’t even sure he was the same person. (⁸ His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” John 9:8-9, NLT.) And others still, whose hearts were hard and unteachable, refused to acknowledge the truth.

³⁹ Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

⁴¹ “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.” (John 9:39-41, NLT)

Every morning when I run, I keep my eyes on the road in front of me to watch for rocks and branches that could trip me up. So much more, now, Lord, I watch the path.

⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. ⁶ For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

⁷ You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? ⁸ It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. ⁹ This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! ¹⁰ I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. (Galatians 5:5-10, NLT)

Lord, help me to take inventory of my heart. Help me to live by the power of your Spirit. When troubles come, they reveal where I’ve put my faith, what I’ve prioritized. You have called me to freedom. Let me walk in it.

Courtney (66books365)

Exodus 16; Luke 19; Job 34; 2 Corinthians 4

It’s a very old saying: Enough is as good as a feast. I think on God’s provision for the Israelites as they wandered with Moses in the desert. They longed for what they held as abundance in slavery, but God had something else to show them–who He is.

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³ That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. ¹⁴ When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. ¹⁵ The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.

And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”

¹⁷ So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. ¹⁸ But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed. (Exodus 16:11-18, NLT, emphasis added.)

And in the very next paragraph, Moses tells them not to keep any manna overnight. But some don’t listen, and they wake to find their spoils spoiled, rancid and maggot infested. What good is abundance gone to waste? This spoiling is a physical manifestation of a hidden heart issue–and there are many. A lack of trust. Fear. Greed. Insecurity. Pride. Unbelief. Control.

Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector and notorious sinner, was a very rich man. When Jesus comes to his house and Zacchaeus is face to face with him, he is a changed man.

⁸ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” (Luke 19:8, NLT, emphasis added)

Next in the reading is the parable of the ten servants, each given something to steward in the master’s absence. Jesus tells this story to the masses who had gathered to hear him speak, to correct their impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. I think of this parable often as I consider what the Lord has given me to steward. I wrestle.

¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NLT)

For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Dear God, thank you that you provide for me, and it is always enough. Thank you that in your word, it’s mentioned that the manna tasted like honey wafers, and it tells me that you delight in pleasure and share that delight with your people. Thank you for reminders to steward what you have given me well, and that abundance unused is waste–not only food in the fridge that goes bad, but clothes folded but rarely warn, books owned but unread, pots in a shed unused season after season. Thank you for the reminder that what is here doesn’t come with me to heaven and will one day be gone. But mostly, thank you for keeping your Kingdom focus in front of me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Courtney (66books365)

Daniel 10-12; John 3; Psalm 123

This is for times of mourning or when the Lord feels far.

² When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. ³ All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. (Daniel 10:2-3, NLT)

This is for when I am waiting for His help and direction.

¹¹ And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

¹² Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. ¹³ But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” (Daniel 10:11-14, NLT)

This is for when I can’t breathe, can’t move. Remember, you are very precious.

“I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. ¹⁷ How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸ Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. ¹⁹ “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” (Daniel 10:16b-19, NLT)

He later says, “Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth.” And there is war, deception, tragedy, loss, suffering and hardship. There are big political movements like crashing waves.

But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

³³ “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. ³⁴ During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. ³⁵ And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come. (Daniel 11:32b-35, NLT)

Be strong. The Lord has heard your prayers. He moves in ways that may seem silent. There are losses and lies and insincerity and corruption and persecution. But the people who know their God will be strong. (A whole history of people who’ve known their God, my God, have stood and fallen–and were refined and cleansed and made pure.)

⁸ I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, “How will all this finally end, my lord?”

⁹ But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means … ¹³ “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.” (Daniel 12:8-10, 13, NLT)

The wicked will continue in their wickedness. But as for you, go your own way until the end.

Lord, I move in closer to you, thankful for your Word and the history of people who knew you and followed you, whose lives and sacrifices made your Word available to my hands and heart, whose testimony proclaims your sovereignty and glory. Thank you for hearing prayers and answering them. Thank you for seeing me as loved and precious.

Courtney (66books365)

Leviticus 8-11; Acts 7

“So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.” Leviticus 8:36 NLT

Moses and Aaron were obedient to God’s call on their life. They might not have always understood it, but they kept showing up.

“After that, Aaron raised his hands to the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. Fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.” Leviticus 9:22-24 NLT

They saw the fruits of their labor. Glory was revealed to them.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.” Leviticus 10:3 NLT

How many times have I been tempted to give up before God’s plan is revealed? Or I spend too much time questioning his calling on my life, instead of walking faithfully where I am?

God found Moses where he was. He sent him back to people who once rejected him. His willingness to walk into hurt and pain, lead him and others to victory that they wouldn’t have otherwise known.

“Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord called out to him, ‘I am God of your ancestors- the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’ So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.” Acts 7:30-36 NLT

Dear Father, I pray that I would take time to listen to your voice and guidance. Give me faith to move forward when I don’t understand your plan. Thank you for your faithfulness. Amen.

Amy(amyctanner)