1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 26-28; 2 Corinthians 10; Psalm 91

I am reminded that life does not just happen. There is spiritual warfare in my world.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ – 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB

My new reality today comes from a prayer meeting where Haiti was the focus of prayer. Here, Christians have resorted to picking up stones and machetes to fight against gangs moving into their community. They were killing them – kill or be killed. Taking the life of another became the solution to the problem. I get it – the problem was real, affecting their lives in the immediate. How do they take the thought of killing another captive to the obedience of Christ?

What did I offer to the people of Haiti when it came to my turn to pray? I offered Psalm 91. I am so glad my wife loves Psalm 91 as much, maybe even more, than I do, and it has been the go to Psalm for our family today.

One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”. – Psalm 91:1-2 NASB

I prayed they would find a place and time to be alone with God. God whispers truth there. Rest, peace and calm rise up strong, right in the struggling mess of life, and I am assured, He is in control. The hard times will be there, and He will be there with me – it might be in rescuing, it might be in protection or it might be in Him taking me home to be with Him.

For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
The Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent. – Psalm 91:9-10 NASB

I cannot tell of all the stories where I have walked without fear because God is my refuge and dwelling place. I have seen plagues not come near my home or touched the lives of my family. Not because I am special in any way, but because I have bought into spiritual warfare and have made my point clear to the enemy that I will be in a place with God that the enemy will need His permission to mess with me.

Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. – Psalm 91:14 NASB

What a promise when I love Him. I make the decision to love God by choice. I spend time with Him.

Father, Your promises are true. Keep my heart and mind on You and may these thoughts keep me walking in truth to myself, my family and my world. Thank You!

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

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Joshua 5-8; Mark 5; Psalm 69

When Joshua was near Jericho, he saw a Man with sword drawn, and Joshua went to Him and worshiped the Commander of the Lord’s army. (Joshua 5:13) The Lord was with Joshua in that famous victory, the walls that fell at Jericho. But right after this, the sin of Achan caused Israel’s defeat at Ai. Unaware of the reason for the loss of his men, Joshua cried out to God as though God’s reputation was at stake. The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?” The Lord instructed Joshua to find the “accursed thing” taken and hidden by Achan. Once Israel was purged of this sin, Joshua was again given victory over his enemies.

Then Joshua worshiped, wrote a copy of the law on stones, and read aloud to all the assembly, including the women and children and the strangers living among them, the entire body of the Law given by Moses.

In Mark, we read that a demon-possessed man who would cry out and cut himself saw Jesus from afar. The man “ran and worshiped Him.” (Mark 5:6) Jesus gave the demons permission to enter two thousand swine, and “the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea.” What a picture of another deliverance! This same man was next described as “sitting and clothed, and in his right mind.”

The healed man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus instructed him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

I, too, have run to God, crying out, “Save me, O God!” I relate with the Psalmist who says, “I am weary with my crying, my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:3) Where is my victory? When I run toward my Lord, Jesus Christ, do I immediately worship Him? Or as in Mark’s account of the mourners of the little girl who was thought to be dead and gone forever, do I fear that all is lost? Sometimes, I hear my own doubts saying, “Why bother the Teacher any further?”

Yet, as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the little girl’s parents, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And to the mourners, He said, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” Then Jesus called to the girl, who arose and walked to her parents. (Mark 5:41)

We who love the Lord will experience times when deliverance is necessary. I need to be reminded especially then that our Lord will heal me and deliver me from my fears. For God’s character never changes. His love is loyal, His kindness and tender mercies compassionate.

And like the Psalmist I can say, “Though I am poor and sorrowful; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Whatever the battle – physical, emotional, internal, external – my God will never fail to hear me, go before me, and rescue me. And thankfully so!

Dear Lord, Your words are a lifeline to me in times of trouble. Your Holy Spirit brings understanding, perseverance, and patience. The victory is Yours and so should be all the glory. “Whom have I in heaven but You? There is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail, But God [You are] the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25, 26)

Janet

John 2:12-4:38

“God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3:19–21 NLT

Jesus brought the Samaritan women’s sins into the light. Not to expose her and make her feel shame, but to restore her and break her free from her bondage…

“Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:7-10 NLT

Jesus initiated the conversation with the Samaritan woman. He was more concerned with her healing than how she would respond. He saw into her heart and spoke identity and love over her. She was so moved by his compassion towards her that she wanted to tell everyone.

“The woman left her water jar beside the well, and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” John 4:28&29 NLT

Dear Father, Thank you that you see me. That you pursue me. Thank you for your mercy and for calling me your Beloved. Forgive me for the times that I’ve let fear hold me back from telling others about you. I praise you for who you are. Amen.

“He must become greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:30 NLT

Amy(amyctanner)

Deuteronomy 23:15-27:10

Today’s verses speak of respect, kindness, mercy, generosity, justice, integrity. They may seem like a long list of rules, but I want to remember, they served a purpose in shaping the character of God’s people. Instead of just listing do’s and don’ts, there’s a why and a how to drive home the point, so they know what it (respect, kindness, mercy, generosity, etc.) looks like in action.

¹⁰ When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into their house to get what is offered to you as a pledge. ¹¹ Stay outside and let the neighbor to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. ¹² If the neighbor is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge in your possession. ¹³ Return their cloak by sunset so that your neighbor may sleep in it. Then they will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 24:10-13, NIV)

The rules were sometimes followed by this reminder, to remember who they were and where they came from before the Lord redeemed them.

¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. (Deuteronomy 24:18, NIV)

It would be so easy to skim the reading as a bunch of rules, but there is a deeper meaning here, about humility, dignity, and character. About remembering what God has done and celebrating his goodness. About extending his kindness and mercy to others. It is about living set apart.

¹⁶ The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. ¹⁷ You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. ¹⁸ And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. ¹⁹ He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised. (Deuteronomy 26:16-19, NIV)

Father God, this reminds me: I need you every day. I need the transforming power of Your Spirit and Your Word. I don’t want to live unchanged by your grace and mercy.

Courtney (66books365)

2 Samuel 21-23; Psalm 18; Romans 3

I keep asking myself what love looks like, the more excellent way Paul alluded to. I remember this story well and even though it had to be done that did not stop love from being on display.

Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest^[g] until the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night. – 2 Samuel 21:10 HCSB

There is something about a mother’s love that cannot be described, but here it is on full display. I know that a mother’s love is tried and tested and on occasion there is much sorrow. It seems that love also brings with it grief. The more deep and tender the love, so much the more poignant the grief. And, as a mother loves most, she is most susceptible of sorrow.

I look at my wife, the mother of my children, and I see someone who is utterly unselfish. She loves because it is her nature. She does not love in hope that one day they will love her back, but rather because even with those who might likely die, they will never bereave her of her love.

When David uses that same intensity of love, I take notice and compare my own love for God next to his and next to my wife.

I love You, Lord, my strength. – Psalm 18:1 HCSB

He used an unusual word here, an uncommon one, used more with being impulsive and emotional. I am cut off guard because it expresses a compassionate love that is used more from the stronger one to the weaker.

“Hebrew – I will love thee dearly and entirely…from the very heart-root.” – Trapp

It is the only occasion in Scripture where the word “love” is used with such special depth and tenderness. I am challenged to say “I love You” to my God who had delivered me, rescued me, and who walks with me, with such an intensity of love that has been put on display by Rizpah and David.

Father, teach me to know what it means to love in a more excellent way. How many times I get into Your Word, start studying, start praying and yet all I need to do for a moment is give some time to express our love for each other. I pray for more quiet moments like these to be able to express my love for You. While I am out and about, if my love for You needs to be passionate, may I not be embarrassed. May I give my all so that everyone watching can see the intensity of my love for You. May I find the strength to give it away with no regrets.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)