Monthly Archives: April 2015

God keeps His promises (2 Samuel 6:1-15), Apr 30, 2015

Today’s Podcast

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Samuel 6:1-15
Set – 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalms 139
Go! – 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13; Psalms 68; Matthew 17

2 Samuel 6:1-15
¹ Once again David gathered the elite soldiers of Israel, some 30,000, ² and they went down to Baale-judah to bring back the covenant chest of the True God, called by the Name: the Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies, who sits enthroned above the winged creatures who protect the chest.

^3-4 They carried the covenant chest of the True God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab on the hill where it had rested, and Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio directed the new cart, with Ahio walking in front of the chest. ⁵ David and all the Israelites were joyous before the Eternal; and they were accompanied by wooden lyres and harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

⁶ When they came alongside the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the covenant chest. ⁷ The Eternal burned with anger against Uzzah, and the True God struck Uzzah dead on the spot for daring to touch the covenant chest.

⁸ David was angry that the Eternal One had broken through to strike Uzzah, so the place was named Perez-uzzah, meaning “Breech against Uzzah,” to remember that act. ⁹ David was also frightened of the Eternal that day.

David: How can I be responsible for the covenant chest of the Eternal One?

¹⁰ So he decided he did not want to take the chest of the Eternal into the city of David, and he left it there in the care of Obed-edom, a man from the Philistine city Gath. ¹¹ The covenant chest of the Eternal One remained there for three months; and in that time, the Eternal One blessed the household and farms of Obed-edom the Gittite.

¹² When news was taken to King David that the Eternal had blessed Obed-edom and all his household because of the covenant chest of God, the king went down and brought the chest from Obed-edom’s house up to the city of David, again accompanying it with rejoicing and ceremony. ¹³ When the people carrying the chest of the Eternal had gone six steps, David sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf; ¹⁴ and he danced before the Eternal One with all his might, clad in a priestly vest.

^15-16 So David and the house of Israel carried the covenant chest of the Eternal One up to the city of David with shouts and the sounding of the trumpet. When Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked out the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Eternal without thought for how he looked, she hated him.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

David was angry with Me for his failure to read the instructions. I didn’t mind that he wanted to move the covenant chest to Jerusalem. I wanted the ark near the king as a reminder that it was My power, not his that made Israel strong. I put the idea into his mind to bring the sacred chest into Jerusalem. The problem was David forgot that I also have very strict requirements about handling the sacred implements of My worship.

The ark of the covenant holds the most sacred of the treasures of the Israelite people. It holds the tables of stone on which I wrote the commands I gave Moses. It holds a jar of manna to remind the people I provide their needs. It represents My presence with them. And no one is to touch the chest. It is fitted with rings through which poles can slide to lift the lid and through which the chest can be lifted and carried. No one is to touch the chest, the seat of My presence. It is holy.

Many thought Uzzah did a good thing putting out his hand to steady the chest. The problem was, the chest should never have ridden on a cart in the first place. If David had read My word, he would know only My priests could carry the covenant chests. It didn’t belong on a cart carried by oxen. The symbol of My presence is too precious to entrust to a wooden cart on rugged roads.

But David didn’t take the time to confer with My priests. He didn’t read My words concerning the care of My tabernacle and My sacred implements of worship. He didn’t think about the dangers of mishandling the sacred symbol of My presence. Consequently, it cost one of his men his life. David could be angry with Me, but David could only find that I am just in My actions if he had only read My instructions.

Sometimes people pour their anger out on Me like David did. That’s okay. I can take it. But when you do, stop and read the instruction manual. Take a look at My word and see if the instruction manual explains things before you stay angry too long. You might find, like David did, I’m acting exactly like I said I would. I always keep My promises.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God specializes in the impossible (2 Samuel 5:1-16), Apr 29, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Samuel 5:1-16
Set – 2 Samuel 5; Psalms 139
Go! – 2 Samuel 4-5; Psalms 139; Matthew 16

2 Samuel 5:1-16
¹Then all the tribes that made up the people of Israel came to David at Hebron.

Leaders of Israel: We are all related: we are flesh of your flesh, bone of your bones. ² When Saul was king, you always led the army of Israel out and then brought it back safely. The Eternal said to you, “You will be the shepherd of My people Israel, the ruler over all of them.”

³ All the leaders of Israel came before the king there at Hebron. So King David made a covenant with the leaders there before the Eternal, and they anointed David king over all Israel. ⁴ David was 30 years old when he first became king, and he was king for 40 years; ⁵ he reigned in Hebron over Judah alone for 7½ years, and then he reigned over the united kingdom of Judah and Israel for 33 years.

⁶ At one point, David and his army marched to Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites felt secure behind their walls and were sure David could not enter into the city. They jeered, “Even the blind and the lame could defend this city against you.” ⁷ Despite the taunts, David and his army managed to capture the fortress of Zion, which became the city of David.

David (to his army): ⁸ If you want to strike down the Jebusites—these blind and lame defenders whom I hate—then go through the water tunnel.

(From this exchange came the saying, “The blind and the lame cannot enter the house.”)

⁹ Once David captured the fortress, he stayed there and named it the city of David. He built it up all around, carefully terracing the hillside from the Millo inward. ¹⁰ And David continued to grow in power and reputation because the Eternal God, Commander of heavenly armies, was with him.

¹¹ King Hiram of Tyre sent diplomats to David with cedars and carpenters and masons to build David a palace.

¹² David realized then that the Eternal One had established him as king over Israel and that He was increasing David’s kingdom in power and majesty for the sake of His people Israel.

^13-14 After the move from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more women from Jerusalem, took more concubines, and fathered more sons and daughters: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The Jebusites became comfortable in their fortress atop the mountain. Armies had tried for decades to take the city, but no one could penetrate the city. The sides of the mountain were too steep. The passages to the city were too narrow to launch any kind of massive siege against it. The Jebusite leaders maintained confidence in their ability to hold off any enemy as they had done for many years.

However, the Jebusites didn’t know David had Me on his side. Nothing is impossible for Me. I created that mountain. I knew how the Jebusites got their water. I knew about the springs that tunneled through the mountain and I knew they were big enough for a warrior to slip through them. The Jebusites didn’t know the tunnels were that large. They didn’t know enough of an army could slip through to open the gates for David’s mighty men.

They also let themselves get soft in their false security. Because they were sure no one could get through their defenses, the Jebusites didn’t prepare to fight. They thought even their lame and blind could defend their gates, so why spend time training to fight another army? But again, they forgot I was with David and his men.

They forgot David killed Goliath. They forgot David’s famous mighty men killed tens of thousands of Philistines before the nation crowned him king in Hebron. The Jebusites didn’t consider that if just a few of those men made it into their fortress, they would wreak havoc on the city and hundreds or thousands could die before those few could be silenced by their best warriors.

Mostly, the Jebusites failed to consider I fought for David and I never lose. I’m in the business of doing the impossible and if those opposed to Me think I can’t do something, I sometimes do it just to show them I can. I had a purpose in mind for that mountain top, though. I not too many years, I would let David’s son build a Temple there. David recognized the importance of the location as a political center and military stronghold. I saw it as a center for worship. I would show David many things from the top of that mountain.

So what fortress seems impossible for you to burst through? What enemy seems impossible to defeat? What mountain seems impossible to climb? Remember, I made the universe out of nothing. I make oak trees out of acorns. I made you. I’m in the business of doing the impossible. Your mountain fortress of problems is nothing to Me. Let Me help.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Who and how do you love? (Matthew 15:21-39), Apr 28, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 15:21-39
Set – 1 Chronicles 12; Matthew 15
Go! – 2 Samuel 3; 1 Chronicles 12; Matthew 15

Matthew 15:21-39
²¹ Jesus left that place and withdrew to Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman—a non-Jew—came to Him.

Canaanite Woman (wailing): Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is possessed by a demon. Have mercy, Lord!

²³ Jesus said nothing. And the woman continued to wail. His disciples came to Him.

Disciples: Do something—she keeps crying after us!

Jesus: ²⁴ I was sent here only to gather up the lost sheep of Israel.

²⁵ The woman came up to Jesus and knelt before Him.

Canaanite Woman: Lord, help me!

Jesus: ²⁶ It is not right to waste the children’s bread by feeding dogs.

Canaanite Woman: ²⁷ But, Lord, even dogs eat the crumbs that fall by the table as their master is eating.

²⁸ Jesus—whose ancestors included Ruth and Rahab—spoke with kindness and insight.

Jesus: Woman, you have great faith. And your request is done.

And her daughter was healed, right then and from then on.

²⁹ Jesus left and went to the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountaintop and sat down. ³⁰ Crowds thronged to Him there, bringing the lame, the maimed, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many other sick and broken people. They laid them at His feet, and He healed them. ³¹ The people saw the mute speaking, the lame walking, the maimed made whole, the crippled dancing, and the blind seeing; and the people were amazed, and they praised the God of Israel.

Jesus (to His disciples): ³² We must take pity on these people for they have touched My heart; they have been with Me for three days, and they don’t have any food. I don’t want to send them home this hungry—they might collapse on the way!

Disciples: ³³ We’ll never find enough food for all these people, out here in the middle of nowhere!

Jesus: ³⁴ How much bread do you have?

Disciples: Seven rounds of flatbread and a few small fish.

³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down. ³⁶ He took the bread and the fish, He gave thanks, and then He broke the bread and divided the fish. He gave the bread and fish to the disciples, the disciples distributed them to the people, ³⁷ and everyone ate and was satisfied. When everyone had eaten, the disciples picked up seven baskets of crusts and broken pieces and crumbs.

³⁸ There were 4,000 men there, not to mention all the women and children. ³⁹ Then Jesus sent the crowd away. He got into the boat and went to Magadan.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Some thought Me cruel and lacking compassion when I didn’t answer the Canaanite woman’s plea to free her daughter from the demon that possessed her. Others thought I was doing the right thing since I was a Jew and showed proper priority of the nations refusing to acknowledge anyone but Jews. Of course, they forgot I had healed Samaritans, and Roman servants, and countless others from the surrounding countries, all considered enemies of God’s “chosen people”.

But like the man born blind from birth, I wanted to use the woman’s nationality and her pleas as a teaching point to those around Me and to My future disciples. The Jews forgot their place in the world. That’s why I came in the flesh in the first place. I told Abraham he would become the father of a great nation so that all nations would be blessed through him.

That doesn’t mean Israel would be the greatest nation or the most important nation among all others. It doesn’t mean I love them more or less than any other. It means I have a special mission for them. I chose them to carry the message of salvation to the rest of the world. I chose Israel to teach the rest of the world about Me. Unfortunately, they let themselves be carried away by the rituals and practices of the nations they were supposed to teach instead of remaining holy.

I used the coming of the Canaanite woman to show the Israelites just how callous they had become. Everyone around Me recognized the faith the woman exercised. She knew I could heal her daughter’s pitiful condition. They saw Me drive out demons with just a single word. It would take Me almost no effort to grant this mother’s desperate request.

My actions that day showed the Israelites how they had failed to reach out to the foreigners among them. My first refusals demonstrated the Jews actions in shutting out their neighbors and failing to embrace them in their faith and teaching them about Me. Their mission from the beginning was to teach others about Me. Instead, they shunned anyone not of their race.

I’m afraid many who call themselves by My name today do the same thing. If others don’t look like them, dress like them, worship like them, speak the same language, travel in the same neighborhoods, they just don’t belong. Nothing could be further from the truth. I created all people. All races. All nations. They exist only because I allow it. Everything belongs to Me. Evil scarred My perfect world, but those who really know Me have an opportunity to introduce others to Me and bring hope to the hopeless. Peace into the middle of turmoil. Calm from chaos.

The world can still be blessed by those who are of My kingdom. The new covenant gives those who follow Me the opportunity to bless each individual in the world in the same way Abraham had opportunity to bless the nations of the world. And like with Abraham and the Israelites, I do not expect you to think yourself better or superior to others, but like when I walked with you, be a servant to others. Show them My love. Love God and love others with all your whole being.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Faith – just do it! (Matthew 14:22-36), Apr 27, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 14:22-36
Set – 2 Samuel 2; Matthew 14
Go! – 2 Samuel 2; 1 Chronicles 11; Psalms 142; Matthew 14

Matthew 14:22-36
²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on to the other side of the sea while He dismissed the crowd. ²³ Then, after the crowd had gone, Jesus went up to a mountaintop alone (as He had intended from the start). As evening descended, He stood alone on the mountain, praying.

²⁴ The boat was in the water, some distance from land, buffeted and pushed around by waves and wind. ²⁵ Deep in the night, when He had concluded His prayers, Jesus walked out on the water to His disciples in their boat. ²⁶ The disciples saw a figure moving toward them and were terrified.

Disciple: It’s a ghost!

Another Disciple: A ghost? What will we do?

Jesus: ²⁷ Be still. It is I. You have nothing to fear.

Peter: ²⁸ Lord, if it is really You, then command me to meet You on the water.

Jesus: ²⁹ Indeed, come.

Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water and began walking toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he remembered how strong the wind was, his courage caught in his throat and he began to sink.

Peter: Master, save me!

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached for Peter and caught him.

Jesus: O you of little faith. Why did you doubt and dance back and forth between following Me and heeding fear?

³² Then Jesus and Peter climbed in the boat together, and the wind became still. ³³ And the disciples worshiped Him.

Disciples: Truly You are the Son of God.

³⁴ All together, Jesus and the disciples crossed to the other side of the sea. They landed at Gennesaret, an area famous for its princely gardens. ³⁵ The people of Gennesaret recognized Jesus, and they spread word of His arrival all over the countryside. People brought the sick and wounded to Him ³⁶ and begged Him for permission to touch the fringes of His robe. Everyone who touched Him was healed.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Peter started what Nike made famous. I want you to pay attention to these two stories and see the similarities in what faith does. Faith just steps out and does things. For Peter he was just as afraid as the other disciples in the boat, but when he thought he recognized Me, he made one simple request. “If it’s really You, ask me to come to You.” I did and Peter stepped out of the boat. That’s what faith does.

The same was true of those in Gennesaret. They knew if they could just touch even the fringe on My robe, they could find healing from their infirmities. So many of them stretched out their arms to touch My robe and found healing. Their faith launched them into action. James talks about faith in his short letter to the early churches. Faith requires action. Without action, faith is dead. Without action, faith is only words. There is nothing to it. It’s lifeless and meaningless until you put feet to your faith.

Peter and the people of Gennesaret understood faith. They understood it takes putting yourself in motion and doing something before real faith is exercised. Do you have faith in Me? Show it with your actions. Just do something for Me. Stop talking and do something. That’s what Peter did. That’s what the people of Gennesaret did. That’s what you’ll need to do to demonstrate your faith to those around you.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What kind of seed are you? (Matthew 13:1-23), Apr 26, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 13:1-23
Set – 2 Samuel 1; Matthew 13
Go! – 2 Samuel 1; Psalms 140; Matthew 13

Matthew 13:1-23
¹ That same day, Jesus left the house and went to sit by the sea. ² Large crowds gathered around Him, and He got into a boat on the sea and sat there. The crowd stood on the shore waiting for His teaching.

³ And so Jesus began to teach. On this day, He spoke in parables. Here is His first parable:

Jesus: Once there was a sower who scattered seeds. ⁴ One day he walked in a field scattering seeds as he went. Some seeds fell beside a road, and a flock of birds came and ate all those seeds. ⁵ So the sower scattered seeds in a field, one with shallow soil and strewn with rocks. But the seeds grew quickly amid all the rocks, ⁶ without rooting themselves in the shallow soil. Their roots got tangled up in all the stones. The sun scorched these seeds, and they died. ⁷ And so the sower scattered seeds near a path, this one covered with thorny vines. The seeds fared no better there—the thorns choked them, and they died. ⁸ And so finally the sower scattered his seeds in a patch of good earth. At home in the good earth, the seeds grew and grew. Eventually the seeds bore fruit, and the fruit grew ripe and was harvested. The harvest was immense—30, 60, 100 times what was sown.

⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Disciples: ¹⁰ Why do You speak to the people in parables?

Jesus: ¹¹ The knowledge of the secrets of heaven has been given to you, but it has not been given to them. ¹² Those who have something will be given more—and they will have abundance. Those who have nothing will lose what they have—they will be destitute. ¹³ I teach in parables so the people may look but not see, listen but not hear or understand. ¹⁴ They are fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:

You will listen, but you will not understand;
you will look, but you will not see.
¹⁵ The people’s hearts have turned to flab;
their ears are clogged;
their eyes are shut.
They will try to see, but they will not see;
they will try to hear, but they will not hear;
they will try to understand, but they will not comprehend.
If they, with their blindness and deafness, so choose, then I will heal them.
^16-17 Many holy prophets and righteous men and women and people of prayer and doers of good have wanted to see but did not see, and have wanted to hear but did not hear. Your eyes and ears are blessed.

¹⁸ This is what the parable of the sower means. ¹⁹ It is about the kingdom of heaven. When someone hears the story of the Kingdom and cannot understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away whatever goodness and holiness had been sown in the heart. This is like the seeds sown beside the road. ^20-21 You know people who hear the word of God and receive it joyfully—but then, somehow, the word fails to take root in their hearts. It is temporary. As soon as there is trouble for those people, they trip: those people are the seeds strewn on the rocky soil. ²² And you know people who hear the word, but it is choked inside them because they constantly worry and prefer the wealth and pleasures of the world: they prefer drunken dinner parties to prayer, power to piety, and riches to righteousness. Those people are like the seeds sown among thorns. ²³ The people who hear the word and receive it and grow in it—those are like the seeds sown on good soil. They produce a bumper crop, 30 or 60 or 100 times what was sown.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I’m sure you’ve met each of the types of people described in the parable. The question is which one are you? And the deeper question is can you change if you don’t like the answer to the first question. If you’re one of those who let the evil one snatch away any goodness that has been sown in your heart, there is still hope for you. I can change you if you let Me.

If you are one of those up and down Christians that fail to let My word take root in your heart and you trip and fall as soon as trouble comes, I can help you. If you take pleasure in the world’s riches instead of the riches I can give you through prayer, piety, and righteousness, I can help you. I won’t do all the work, but I can help you.

I want your commitment to follow Me. I want you to love Me more than you love the world. I want you to trust Me with yourself. I want you to follow the path that I lay out in front of you. I promise I will go with you on that journey and I promise you will not be disappointed. The harvest you reap will astound you.

How do you start on that journey? Recognize that you need My help. Ask Me to forgive your past and live in you. Then listen to My voice and do what I ask of you. Don’t worry about tomorrow, just obey My commands for the next few minutes. You can do that. Then when you’ve done that, pledge to commit the next few minutes. Then the next and the next. Live one moment at a time and you’ll make it through the journey with Me. I will never leave you or forsake you. Just follow Me and see what happens.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Saul lacked only one thing (1 Samuel 31), Apr 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Samuel 31
Set – 1 Samuel 31; Matthew 12
Go! – 1 Samuel 30-31; 1 Chronicles 10; Matthew 12

1 Samuel 31
¹Meanwhile the Philistine and Israelite armies had clashed. The men of Israel ran away, but many of them were killed on the heights of Gilboa. ² The Philistines even followed Saul and his sons and closed in on them; there they killed his sons, Jonathan (the beloved friend of David), Abinadab, and Malchi-shua.

³ The battle closed in around Saul, and he was shot with arrows and badly wounded.

Saul (to his armor-bearer): ⁴ Please take out your sword and thrust it through me. Don’t let these uncircumcised dogs come and put their swords and spears into me for their sport.

But his armor-bearer was afraid and would not do it. Saul drew his own sword and fell upon it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw this, he also drew his sword and fell upon it and died. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together on the same day.

⁷ When the people of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and even those beyond the Jordan River, learned that the Israelite army had been defeated and heard that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ The next day, as the Philistine army was looting the bodies of the fallen Israelites, they found Saul and his three sons dead on the heights of Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off Saul’s head, stripped his body of his weapons, and sent messengers with the good news to the temples and to the people throughout Philistia. ¹⁰ They put Saul’s armor in the temple of Astarte and nailed his body to the wall at Beth-shan.

¹¹ But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard about this indignity done to Saul by the Philistines, ¹² the brave men among them rose up and traveled through the night. When they arrived, they took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall at Beth-shan. They returned to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ Then they took their bones and buried them in Jabesh beneath the tamarisk tree, like the one where Saul had held court in Gibeah, and for seven days they fasted and mourned.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Saul did a lot of things wrong and caused Me to reject him as king over Israel. But he also did a lot of things right. He remembered the rules I gave Moses about kings and what they should and should not do as leaders over My people. Saul didn’t want to be king, but I chose him over all the other Israelites to be the first king. I chose him for a reason.

If you look back through Saul’s reign, you’ll find he never taxed the people he served. All the other kings did. He never conscripted soldier to fill his army, he only asked for volunteers to fight with him to defeat the Philistines who invaded the country. All others except David conscripted young men to fill the ranks of a standing army. Saul came from a poor family and took care of the poor in many circumstances and with the way he targeted rewards for various activities.

Saul exercised his leadership well throughout his reign in almost every area only failing in the most important one. He failed to obey My commands. When I told him to destroy all evidence of the Ammonite inhabitants, leaving nothing behind to attract his soldiers or the rest of the Israelite people to any of their belongings or idols, he failed to do so. The idols and possessions his soldiers brought back with them began a downhill process from them in which they switched their loyalties to pagan gods instead of Me.

Had Saul kept his eyes focused on Me and kept the commands I gave him. There is little doubt he would have been regarded as one of Israel’s greatest kings. As the first king, he established many precedents in how the kingdom would run. How kings would operate on a daily basis. How they should be viewed by the populace and by other nations. Saul did many things right.

The intervention by the men of Jabesh-Gilead at his death provide an indication of how good a king Saul was. Those men risked their lives and the lives of their wives and children to retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons after the Philistines hung their bodies on the wall of the city fortress of Beth-shan. They risked their lives, brought back their bodies and gave them heroes burials to honor them after the battle despite their defeat at the hands of the Philistines.

I rejected Saul because of his unfaithfulness to Me, but his faithfulness to his tasks as king should not go unnoticed. He served well, he lacked one thing to live well. He just needed to honor and obey Me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

People are fickle (Matthew 11:1-19), Apr 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 11:1-19
Set – Psalms 109; Matthew 11
Go! – 1 Samuel 28-29; Psalms 109; Matthew 11

Matthew 11:1-19
¹ With that, Jesus finished instructing His disciples, and He went on to preach and teach in the towns of Galilee. ² John, meanwhile, was still in prison. But stories about the Anointed One’s teachings and healing reached him.

So John sent his followers ³ to question Jesus.

John’s Followers: Are You the One we have been expecting as Savior for so long? Are You the One Scripture promised would come? Or should we expect someone else?

Jesus: ⁴ Go back and tell John the things you have heard and the things you have seen. ⁵ Tell him you have seen the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers cured, the deaf hear, the dead raised, and the good news preached to the poor. ⁶ Blessed are those who understand what is afoot and stay on My narrow path.

⁷ John’s disciples left, and Jesus began to speak to a crowd about John.

Jesus: What did you go into the desert to see? Did you expect to see a reed blowing around in the wind? ⁸ No? Were you expecting to see a man dressed in the finest silks? No, of course not—you find silk in the sitting rooms of palaces and mansions, not in the middle of the wilderness. ⁹ So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes. Yes, a prophet and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ When you saw John, you saw the one whom the prophet Malachi envisioned when he said,

I will send My messenger ahead of You,
and he will prepare the way for You.
¹¹ This is the truth: no one who has ever been born to a woman is greater than John the Baptist. And yet the most insignificant person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ^12-13 All of the prophets of old, all of the law—that was all prophecy leading up to the coming of John. Now, that sort of prepares us for this very point, right here and now. When John the Baptist came, the kingdom of heaven began to break in upon us, and those in power are trying to clamp down on it—why do you think John is in jail? ¹⁴ If only you could see it—John is the Elijah, the prophet we were promised would come and prepare the way. ¹⁵ He who has ears for the truth, let him hear.

¹⁶ What is this generation like? You are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out, ¹⁷ “When we played the flute, you did not dance; and when we sang a dirge, you did not mourn.” ¹⁸ What I mean is this: When John came, he dressed in the clothes of a prophet, and he did not eat and drink like others but lived on honey and wild locusts. And people wondered if he was crazy, if he had been possessed by a demon. ¹⁹ Then the Son of Man appeared—He didn’t fast, as John had, but ate with sinners and drank wine. And the people said, “This man is a glutton! He’s a drunk! And He hangs around with tax collectors and sinners, to boot.” Well, Wisdom will be vindicated by her actions—not by your opinions.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I took the opportunity of John’s doubts and sending his disciples to question Me to point out how fickle people can be. I had no doubt John would understand the message I sent him and he would know I was the Messiah as he expected. Although he hoped I would rescue the Israelites from the political bondage of Rome and create a new independent nation again, that was not My mission. He wanted a military leader, as did most of the country. He wanted a new order of righteousness, as did most of the country. I didn’t come to do those things.

I came to establish My kingdom, but it would reside in the hearts of men and women who followed Me. Those who dared die to self and let Me reign in their lives regardless of the politics or religions around them. I wanted them to commit themselves to Me and nothing else. That was the price of entrance into My kingdom and that price hasn’t changed.

John shared the message. I shared the message. My disciples shared the message. Prophets in the past and even today share the message. But those then and today do the same thing the crowd around Me when John’s disciples asked about Me do. They show the fickle nature of people everywhere.

John was a prophet and wore clothes made of rough camel hair and ate honey and locust. He had just enough to survive and lived as all those in the wilderness. He looked the part of a desert nomad, rough, wild, able to live under the most rugged circumstances and enjoy it. The people who came to him complained his message was too strong. No one could live like him. He demanded too much.

I came and lived among the people in the cities. I spoke with prostitutes, tax collectors, the business people of the towns, even the Roman soldiers. The same people said I was a glutton and partied with the wrong people. They called Me a sinner because of the people I hung around with even though I kept all the law I gave to Moses on Mount Sinai hundreds of years earlier.

Why do people look for ways to find fault with the messenger? Because the truth of the message forces them to look inside themselves and they don’t like what they see. Truth will set them free from the bondage they feel, but they must first face that truth and it is often very ugly. It’s not easy to face the truth, but until you do, you can not find real repentance and so real forgiveness.

Do you find yourself falling into the trap of those in the crowd I spoke to that day John’s disciples questioned Me? It’s time to face the truth and find forgiveness. The message won’t change because I don’t change. My forgiveness doesn’t change either. Just come to Me in repentance and I will forgive. You’ll be glad you did. But it all starts with facing the real you, facing the truth.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

You have your mission (Matthew 10:5-42), Apr 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 10:5-42
Set – Psalms 141; Matthew 10
Go! – 1 Samuel 27; Psalms 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10

Matthew 10:5-42
⁵Jesus sent out these twelve with clear instructions.

Jesus: Don’t go to the outsiders or to the towns inhabited by Samaritans, a people whose Jewish ancestors married Gentiles. ⁶ Go instead to find and heal the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons from the possessed. You received these gifts freely, so you should give them to others freely. ⁹ Do not take money with you: don’t take gold, silver, or even small, worthless change. ¹⁰ Do not pack a bag with clothes. Do not take sandals or a walking stick. Be fed and sheltered by those who show you hospitality. ¹¹ When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is trustworthy and stay at his house as long as you are visiting that town. ¹² When you enter this home, greet the household kindly. ¹³ And if the home is indeed trustworthy, let your blessing of peace rest upon it; if not, keep your blessing to yourself. ¹⁴ If someone is inhospitable to you or refuses to listen to your testimony, leave that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ This is the truth: Sodom and Gomorrah, those ancient pits of inhospitality, will fare better on judgment day than towns who ignore you tomorrow or next week.

¹⁶ Listen: I am sending you out to be sheep among wolves. You must be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ You must be careful. You must be discerning. You must be on your guard. There will be men who try to hand you over to their town councils and have you flogged in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of Me, naysayers and doubters will try to make an example out of you by trying you before rulers and kings. ¹⁹ When this happens—when you are arrested, dragged to court—don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. The words you should speak will be given to you. For at that moment, ²⁰ it will not be you speaking; it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ Your task will be fraught with betrayal: brother will betray brother, even to the point of death; fathers will betray their children, and children will rebel against their fathers, even to the point of death. ^22-23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next town. This is the truth: you will not be able to witness to every town in Israel before the Son of Man comes. Everyone will hate you because of Me. But remember: the one who stays on the narrow path until the end will be saved.

²⁴ A student is no greater than his teacher, and a servant is never greater than his master. ²⁵ It is sufficient if the student is like his teacher and the servant like his master. If people call the head of a house “Beelzebul,” which means “devil,” just imagine what they’re calling the members of his household.

²⁶ Do not be afraid of those who may taunt or persecute you. Everything they do—even if they think they are hiding behind closed doors—will come to light. All their secrets will eventually be made known. ²⁷ And you should proclaim in the bright light of day everything that I have whispered to you in the dark. Whatever whispers you hear—shout them from the rooftops of houses.

²⁸ Don’t fear those who aim to kill just the body but are unable to touch the soul. The One to fear is He who can destroy you, soul and body, in the fires of hell. ²⁹ Look, if you sold a few sparrows, how much money would you get? A copper coin apiece, perhaps? And yet your Father in heaven knows when those small sparrows fall to the ground. ^30-31 You, beloved, are worth so much more than a whole flock of sparrows. God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. So do not fear.

³² Whoever knows Me here on earth, I will know him in heaven. And whoever proclaims faith in Me here on earth, I will proclaim faith in him before My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns Me here, I will disown before My Father in heaven.

³⁴ Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ I have come to turn men against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. ³⁶ You will find you have enemies even in your own household. ³⁷ If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. If you love your son or daughter more than you love Me, then you are not worthy of Me. ³⁸ If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me on the narrow road, then you are not worthy of Me. ³⁹ To find your life, you must lose your life—and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Jesus: ⁴⁰ Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. ⁴¹ Anyone who welcomes a prophet and surrenders to his prophecy will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who welcomes a righteous person and conforms to the righteousness that surrounds him and proceeds from him will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And anyone who has given so much as a cup of cold water to one of the little ones, because he is My disciple, I tell you, that person will be well rewarded.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

There’s a lot packed into those thirty-eight verses of instructions. Jesus knew what His disciples would face as they went out into the world to share My message, though. He knew the kind of people they would run into and the encouragement they needed now at the beginning of their journey. Jesus knew they would have successes along the way and many would come to know Him because of the message they shared, the many they healed, the miracles performed.

Others would hate Jesus’ messengers for the same reason. Because they proclaimed the message I gave them, those twelve would find others hated them as much as they hated Me. They would learn it doesn’t take long to be run out of town, beaten, stoned, arrested or held in prison for their message being given to others.

But their instructions were clear and they carried them out faithfully. Your instructions are clear, too. Jesus gave them to you before He came back to Me. “Go into all the world and make disciples. Teach them My commands and baptize them in My name and His name, and the name of the Holy Spirit.” If you’ll do that, you’ll do some incredible things for the kingdom and I’ll be with your each step of the way.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

His name fit, Nabal was a fool (1 Samuel 25:23-44), Apr 22, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Samuel 25:23-44
Set – 1 Samuel 24; Matthew 8
Go! – 1 Samuel 25-26; Psalms 63; Matthew 9

1 Samuel 25:23-44
²³ When Abigail saw David, she dropped quickly from her donkey and fell to the ground in front of him, bowing.

Abigail (at David’s feet): ²⁴ My lord, any guilt here falls on me. Please let me, your servant, speak, and may you hear the words I speak. ²⁵ My lord, you must not take seriously the words of this worthless man, Nabal. His actions have proven that his name and his nature are the same: Nabal is a fool. Unfortunately I, your servant, did not see the young men you sent.

²⁶ Now, my lord, as the Eternal One lives and as you live, since the Eternal has kept you from senseless killing and from seizing vengeance yourself, may your enemies and all who seek to harm you, my lord, be like Nabal.

²⁷ Now, please, accept my gift and distribute it among the young men who are with you. ²⁸ Please forgive your servant’s shortcomings. The Eternal will certainly make my lord’s house into a lasting dynasty because you fight on behalf of Him, and no evil will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ If anyone dares to rise up against you and seek your life, then you will be protected by the Eternal One, your True God, who will launch the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.

³⁰ When the Eternal has done for my lord all the good things He has promised and has installed you as ruler over all Israel, ³¹ you will never have to be grieved or conscience-stricken for having shed blood needlessly or for taking vengeance into your own hands. When He has dealt generously with my lord, I pray you will remember me, your servant.

David (to Abigail): ³² Blessed is the Eternal God of Israel, who sent you here today to intercept me. ³³ And blessed is your wisdom—blessed are you—for keeping me from shedding blood needlessly and from taking vengeance into my own hands. ³⁴ For as surely as the Eternal God of Israel lives and sent you to me, if you had not hurried out to meet me, tomorrow there would not have been a single male left alive in Nabal’s household.

³⁵ Then David accepted her gifts.

David: Arise, and return home in peace. I have listened to your words, and I have granted your request.

³⁶ Abigail returned to Nabal, who was holding a kingly feast in his house. Nabal’s heart was light because he was very drunk, so Abigail chose not to tell him anything until the next morning. ³⁷ The next morning, when he was sober, Abigail told him about her meeting with David and he went cold inside. ³⁸ About 10 days later, the Eternal One struck down Nabal, and he died.

³⁹ When David heard this news, he blessed God.

David: Blessed is the Eternal One, who protected my honor from Nabal’s insults and who kept me, His servant, from executing evil. Instead, the Eternal One turned Nabal’s evil back on him.

⁴⁰ Then David sent servants to Carmel asking Abigail to be his wife.

Servants: David has sent us to bring you to him so that you can be his wife.

⁴¹ She stood, and then bowed to the ground before David’s servants.

Abigail: I am your servant, willing to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.

⁴² Then Abigail quickly got up, mounted her donkey, and went with the messengers of David attended by her five handmaidens. Not long after, she married him.

⁴³ David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel; she and Abigail were both wives of David. ⁴⁴ By this time, Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s former wife, to Palti (the son of Laish) from Gallim.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Nabal was a fool. He lived up to his name. Parents should be careful what they name their children because that happens too many times. You know his story. David’s men camped on his property and so protected his land from thieves and bandits. No one who might do him harm dared come close to his property as long as David’s men were around. They knew David’s reputation and would never risk taking on the warriors under David’s control for the price of a few sheep. So Nabal, for all those months, had free security from David’s mighty men.

David in return asked for a few loaves of bread and a little meat to feed his troops one day. But Nabal, the fool, refused. In fact, Nabal humiliated the men David sent with the request. Not a smart move. Nadal once more proved himself the fool. David set out to kill every man in Nabal’s household and destroy everything he owned.

Fortunately for those in Nabal’s household, he had a much smarter wife than he. She raced to David when she heard about his plans and begged for forgiveness for her husband. She used his name’s meaning as the excuse for his stupidity and saved David from his vengeance and saved the lives of all under Nabal’s roof.

My warning to all from this story is simple. Treat your neighbors well. Understand that they might be doing things for you that you really aren’t aware. Turning them away in their time of need is not conducive to your continued good health. Second, forgiveness and kindness always works better than rude and crass behavior. Third, remember I work behind the scenes with My servants. Take care of them. You don’t know how I might intervene in your life to use you to help them. Be ready to do so, though. It’s always to your advantage also.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Some things are urgent (Matthew 8:5-22), Apr 21, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 8:5-22
Set – 1 Samuel 24; Matthew 8
Go! – 1 Samuel 24; Psalms 57-58; 1 Chronicles 8; Matthew 8

Matthew 8:5-22
⁵ Eventually Jesus came to the little town of Capernaum. In Capernaum a military officer came to Him and asked Him for help.

Officer: ⁶ Lord, I have a servant who is lying at home in agony, paralyzed.

Jesus: ⁷ I will come to your house, and I will heal him.

Officer: ⁸ Lord, I don’t deserve to have You in my house. And, in truth, I know You don’t need to be with my servant to heal him. Just say the word, and he will be healed. ⁹ That, after all, is how authority works. My troops obey me whether I am next to them or not—similarly, this sickness will obey You.

¹⁰ Jesus was stunned by the depth of the officer’s faith.

Jesus (to His followers): This is the plain truth: I have not met a single person in Israel with as much faith as this officer. ¹¹ It will not be just the children of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob who celebrate at their heavenly banquet at the end of time. No, people will come from the East and the West—and those who recognize Me, regardless of their lineage, will sit with Me at that feast. ¹² But those who have feigned their faith will be cast out into outer darkness where people weep and grind their teeth.

¹³ Then Jesus turned to the Centurion.

Jesus: You may go home. For it is as you say it is; it is as you believe.

And the officer’s servant was healed, right then.

¹⁴ Jesus went to Peter’s house, and there He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed, sick and burning up with a fever. ¹⁵ Jesus touched her hand, and then she was healed—the fever vanished. She got up from bed and began to wait on Him.

¹⁶ Toward nighttime many people who were possessed by demons were brought to Jesus, and He said one word of command and drove the demons out, healing everyone who was sick. ⁷ These miraculous healings fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah had predicted:

He took our infirmities upon Himself,
and He bore our diseases.
¹⁸ Jesus saw that a crowd had gathered around Him, and He gave orders to go to the other side of the sea. ¹⁹ A scribe came up to Him.

Scribe: Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.

Jesus: ²⁰ Foxes have dens in which to sleep, and the birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.

Disciple: ²¹ Jesus, before I do the things You’ve asked me to do, I must first bury my father.

Jesus: ²² Follow Me! And let the dead bury their own dead.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You heard the verses just read. You know the stories of the centurion’s faith and Peter’s mother-in-law. You know about the crowds coming for healing and exorcism and to hear My teaching. But I want you to learn something else from what you just heard. It comes from the interaction with the scribe that came to follow Me. I gave him a task to do, but he wanted to bury his father first.

My answer to the scribe probably sounds hard to many of you. But the message I gave the scribe is the same message that carries through this whole passage. The message is very clear to Me and I hope it becomes clear to you if you haven’t gotten it already. Here it is: There is urgency in My work.

It’s not earth-shattering news, I know. But it’s important for you to understand and I want you to feel that same urgency. I had a very short time to live with you in the flesh and show you what abundant living looks like. I had a very short time to carry out the task I came to earth to do. Everything I accomplished had an urgency about it.

All the people that came to Me for healing came with an urgency for relief. They didn’t want to wait another minute for healing and as a compassionate God who created those who came to Me for help, I didn’t want to wait a minute longer either. You know when you’ve suffered any illness, you want to get well, now, not later. There is an urgency to your prayers. There is an urgency to your actions for healing. You want to be well again.

So it is with My tasks for you. They bring healing to someone’s heart. You might not understand how, but the skills, talents, and gifts I’ve given you, I’ve given for a reason. That reason always helps others and grows My kingdom. It edifies Me and My church. And there is an urgency to the spiritual healing of others. You can introduce Me to people no one else around you can.

You see the urgency with the healing. It’s clear in My message to the scribe. Time is precious. You might have today or you might have another 100 years. But you don’t know. Life is too fleeting not to prepare for being with Me now and forever. And how about your co-worker or your spouse? Your children and your neighbor? They need Me, too. Who will introduce them to Me if you don’t? Their time is short, also. You could be their last chance. Don’t let them lose that opportunity because you think you have something “more important” to do. What can be more important that helping someone make it to heaven?

The message I hope you carry with you today and every day is the urgency of sharing the good news of My forgiveness for the asking. Live for Me and experience real freedom and life everlasting. The time is now.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.