Deuteronomy 11; Psalm 95,96; Isaiah 39; Revelation 9

I could spend hours in Deuteronomy 11.  The boundaries are set up, they are simple to follow, do not leave any room for doubt or questions, straightforward and to the point – this is what it looks like to follow Jesus.

 

No one will be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the fear and dread of you on all the land on which you set foot, as he promised you. I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – Deuteronomy 11:25-26

There are secrets to making this all happen.  If you are like me, worship plays an incredible part in my walk with Jesus.  Worship is an act of hope for the one day when Jesus returns – for all of us, creation included – will worship Him together

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it.  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. – Psalm 96:11-13 NRSV

Shame on me if I am only thinking of myself to be ready for such a day.  Can you imagine Hezekiah being so selfish.  Every king was given the same promise given to David and one by one they failed to be faithful – they chose curses instead of blessings.  Hezekiah was the last opportunity and all he could think was that he would not see the curse in his lifetime.

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.” – Isaiah 39:8  NRSV

Shame on me if when I find myself slipping away from my walk with God and I do not stop, turn around and run back into the arms of Jesus.  Even when judgement comes, so hard to believe that many of us will not turn back and repent.

 

The rest of humankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands or give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornication or their thefts. – Revelation 9:20-21 NRSV

Lord, may my heart be attentive to Your loving arms around me, may my faith and hope be strengthened by Your blessings and should I find myself leaving Your side for even a moment, my the curses that come my way jar me and make me awake to the fact that somehow we have disconnected.  May I find myself taking a moment each day to repent so that I will always be right with you.  Amen

evanlaar

 

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2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-40; Psalm 68; 1 Corinthians 11

29The Lord gives strength to those who are tired.

He gives more power to those who are weak…

31But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again.

They will be able to rise up as an eagle in the sky.

They will run without needing rest.

They will walk without becoming tired.

Isaiah 40:29-31

I. AM. EXHAUSTED.

My roles as solo mama to three under the age of six, house cleaner for my own home (well, I’m trying) and for three others, sole breadwinner, daughter, friend, leader, studier of the Word…and on top of that never sleeping for more than 3-4 hours straight due to kids having nightmares or the insomnia brought on by thinking about my ever-growing to do list, has made me truly understand what it means to be sleep deprived.

And yet, I can’t stop. I can barely slow down; though there are days that I force myself, because I can’t afford to get benched by illness, and the cleanliness of my house suffers or we have cereal for dinner for the third night in a row. As much as I’ve pared down and said “No” to as much as possible, just the basics of life completely take it out of me…and unfortunately, there are way too many things left that if I don’t do them, they don’t get done.

I am desperate for strength and power. I am desperate to walk and run and rise up like the eagle. I am desperate to thrive and not just (barely) survive. I am desperate to live. I am desperate for God.

2Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the Lord. He said, 3“Lord, please remember that I have always obeyed you. I have given myself completely to you. I have done what you said was right.” And Hezekiah cried loudly. 2 Kings 20:2-3

Hezekiah’s situation was different; he was literally on his death bed. He was desperate. And so, he cried out to Jesus, he cried loudly, unashamed. God heard his cry, honored his faithfulness, and restored his health.

To survive this season, all seasons of my life, it is so important to call on Jesus. Every day. Every moment. It is necessary to seek His presence, His, strength, His grace, His mercy. I can’t do it on my own.

3But those who do right should be glad.

They should rejoice before God.

They should be happy and glad.

4Sing to God. Sing praises to his name.

Prepare the way for him

who rides through the desert.

His name is the Lord.

Rejoice before him. Psalm 68: 3-4

When I take the focus off myself, my struggles and difficulties, my needs, and put the focus back on God’s goodness, I am immediately refreshed. When I praise Him through song, lifting His name to the heavens, I am strengthened, because I am reminded that He never leaver nor forsakes me. When I rejoice, I am encouraged in the ways He provides for my needs in the midst of my struggles, my fatigue, my overwhelm, and He meets me where ever I am.

Yesappa, Thank You for hearing me and being bigger that my circumstances. Thank You for meeting me where I am, despite my fatigue and my overstretched to do list. Thank You for Your strength and Your rest. Thank You for healing my body, my mind, my heart when I cry out to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Blessings – Julie

 

International Children’s Bible, Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

2 Chronicles 29, Revelation 15, Zechariah 11, John 14

Please read at –www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Chron.29;%20Rev.%2015;%20Zech.%2011;%20John%2014&version=NKJV

King Hezekiah was a foreshadow of Jesus the Christ Who obeyed His Father’s Will.  Hebrews 5:8, John 14:24, John 15:10, Mark 14:36, John 8:28 

I am encouraged that if King Hezekiah could live well for God without the fullness of God’s Word and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, then surely I, with these eternal tools, can actively live under closer obedience to the living God in every area of my life! Luke 12:48

Disobeying the One Who “lives forever and ever” brings God’s wrath down from heaven. Yet nothing ever diminishes the glory of God and His power. (Rev 15:7-8)   (Luke 12:5, Matthew 23:33, Revelation 21:6-8, Galatians 5:16-26, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

“Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock!” Zech 11:17, Matthew 23:1-29, Luke 11:37-52, Jeremiah 32:6-9   I am challenged to not be worthless. By God’s account, I am a shepherd, part of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9, Joel 2:28-29) because I was transformed by Jesus Christ’s Atonement. Jesus Christ, the only Good Shepherd (John 10:1-30), was priced at “thirty pieces of silver” (Zech 11:11-13, Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 27:3-10) for my redemption. Thereby I am given the ministry of reconciliation to be Christ’s ambassador.  2 Corinthians 5:17-21

                  I am accountable to the Lord God Almighty to not disobey Him: to take care of other Christians, to lead others to Christ Jesus, to give Light to the blind, Bread of Life to the hungry, and so much more!!

             Tomorrow my family and I will celebrate the birth of the man-God Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-56, Luke 2, Matthew 2). God put on flesh and dwelt among us to show me the One True God (John 1:1-3, 14, 29, Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Christ died by taking the wrath of God that I deserve for every disobedience to the living God I have committed.  Psalm 51, John 3:5-21.  

              Because I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I am in pain for all those I know who do not yet choose to come to the Father through Jesus. I earnestly pray for Jesus’ Words and Holy Spirit to transform their souls so His Work will be evident to and through them, for His Glory alone. I yearn for them to experience Jesus’ Peace, Hope and immeasurable Joy within their souls. << This is what I want for Christmas as a celebration of Your Birth, my Savior!!

               Thank You for coming into my world, Lord Jesus, that You would bring me up to Your world eternally and forever! I love You! ~Your beloved child, Crystal 

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)

Deuteronomy 10; Psalm 94; Isaiah 38; Revelation 8

“Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish.  In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction;  you have put all my sins behind your back.

For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.”  (Isaiah 38:17-19 NIV)

My life as I know it could come to an end on any day.  At any moment, perhaps even today, I could breathe my last and my physical existence would come to an end.

King Hezekiah wept bitterly when he received the news that he was going to die.  This was a man who had an enormous love for God and a great reputation before Him.  In 2 Kings 18:5, God’s Word says concerning Hezekiah:  “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.”

God had spared Hezekiah’s life and added fifteen additional years to his life, to which Hezekiah responded with praise.  He was granted the beautiful and gracious gift of investing his life into the the things of God for an additional fifteen years and his heart was singing praise to Him for he was alive!

King Hezekiah left behind a legacy.  History will remember this man as a man that loved, praised and worshiped God.  Hezekiah understood that the days of his life were precious and he understood the importance of living his life in such a way that brought honor and glory to God.  He invested his life into the things that outlasted his life and has left behind stories recorded in the Bible of his blessings and his victories that were given to him by God, and his beautiful prayer of gratitude and praise recorded in Isaiah 38.

From these words, I am reminded of how delicate life is.  They help me to remember just how extremely important each day is that I am allowed to live.  I think often about the day when I will be ushered into the presence of Jesus and I stand before Him, face to face.  It is the biggest yearning and desire of my heart and thoughts of this beautiful experience overwhelms my thinking at many times.  Being with Jesus in His Kingdom is definitely where my heart longs to be.  But through Hezekiah’s words, I am reminded of the importance of investing the days that God gives to me now.   Today!

I am faced with many questions I must ask myself regarding how I am spending the days that God is blessing me with.    How will I be remembered when I am no longer here?  What will my family and friends say about me at my funeral or in the days and years that follow my death?  Will God be the very first thought that comes into people’s minds when they remember me?  Will God still continue to use me to bring praise and glory to Himself when I am no longer physically around to make a difference?  Will I, like Hezekiah, be remembered as a man who was so in love with the Lord?

Moses instructs me how to gain favorable answers to my questions in the book of Deuteronomy:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”  (Deuteronomy 10:12)  (With emphasis on the word, “now”.)

O sovereign Lord, every single day, every second of life is a precious gift from you.  I am alive today!  My heart is beating and my lungs are breathing.  But God, I understand that the only reason I am alive today is because of your merciful love and your unfailing grace!  Apart from you I cease to exist!

Lord, it is my prayer that you help me to not waste one more second of the time that you give me.  Forgive me for complacency and pride in my life.  I want each moment of the time you give me to be loving praise ascribed only to you.  However you choose to take this existence and use it, it is my prayer that you have your will in me.

Create in me a clean heart, pure and devoted completely to you.  Eliminate distractions that keep me from being used by you.  Take my heart, my body, my energy, my entire existence and use me!  Create a legacy in my life that splashes out your love to everyone I come in contact with.  Give me a heart that is so crazy in love with you, that when I am no longer here, people will remember me by remembering and loving YOU!

I love you so much!

John (Johnd7264)