Category Archives: Christian

Not just an underdog analogy (1 Samuel 17:32-51), Apr 15, 2015

Today’s Podcast

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Samuel 17:32-51
Set – 1 Samuel 17; Psalms 9
Go! – 1 Samuel 17; Psalms 9; Matthew 2

1 Samuel 17:32-51
David (to Saul): ³² Don’t let anyone be frightened because of that man. I am your servant, and I will go and fight with him.

Saul: ³³ Don’t be ridiculous—you can’t fight the Philistine. You’re only a youth, and he has been a warrior since his childhood. You lack age and experience.

David: ³⁴ I work as a shepherd for my father. Whenever a lion or a bear has come and attacked one of my lambs, ³⁵ I have gone after it and struck it down to rescue the lamb from the predator’s mouth; if it turned to attack me, I would take it by the chin, beat it, and kill it. ³⁶ I have killed both a lion and a bear; and as your servant I will kill this uncircumcised Philistine, too, since he has dared to taunt the armies of the living God.

³⁷ The Eternal One, who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.

Saul: Go then, and may the Eternal One be with you!

³⁸ So Saul outfitted David in the king’s own armor: a bronze helmet to protect his head and a coat of mail to protect his chest. ³⁹ David strapped on Saul’s sword outside the armor and then discovered he could not move because he was not used to the restrictions of the weighty armor.

David: I’m not used to these things. How can I attack an enemy when I can’t even walk? So he removed every bit of Saul’s armor. He would fight the Philistine as he had fought those lions and bears.

⁴⁰ He took his staff in his hand and went to the stream to choose five smooth stones, which he kept in a pouch in his shepherd’s bag. He had his sling ready as he approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ The Philistine, with his shield-bearer in front of him, came closer to David. ⁴² When he saw that David was only a healthy and handsome boy, Goliath’s eyes filled with contempt.

Goliath: ⁴³ Am I a dog that you come to beat me with a stick?

And he cursed David, invoking the names of his Philistine gods.

Goliath: ⁴⁴ Come here, and I will feed your flesh to the birds of the air and the wild animals of the fields.

David: ⁴⁵ You come to me carrying a sword and spear and javelin as your weapons, but I come armed with the name of the Eternal One, the Commander of heavenly armies, the True God of the armies of Israel, the One you have insulted. ⁴⁶ This very day, the Eternal One will give you into my hands. I will strike you down and cut off your head, and I will feed the birds of the air and the wild animals of the fields with the flesh of your Philistine warriors. Then all the land will know the True God is with Israel, ⁴⁷ and all of those gathered here will know that the Eternal One does not save by sword and spear. The battle is the Eternal One’s, and He will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸ When the Philistine stood up and approached, David ran toward the line of battle to meet him. ⁴⁹ As quick as a flash, he reached into his bag, put a stone in his sling, and launched it at the Philistine, hitting him in the head. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and the Philistine fell face-first onto the ground.

⁵⁰ That was how David defeated the Philistine with only a sling and a single stone, striking him down, ending his life without a sword in his hand.

⁵¹ Then David ran to the Philistine and stood over his lifeless body. He pulled the man’s sword from its scabbard and finished him by cutting off his head.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they knew they would be next, so they ran away.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Most people know the story of David and Goliath. It has become an analogy for many underdogs in competition against a foe expected to easily win against them whether in sports, industry, or life. And it’s a great analogy. There are a few things to remember about the story, though.

Did David win the contest by his intimidation? Not a chance. David was a youth. He stood less than six feet tall and Goliath stood over nine feet tall. It’s hard for someone two-thirds your height to intimidate you by physical prowess.

Did David win by his skill? Partly, but I put him in the tribe that is noted for being able to hit a hair with a slingshot from a hundred yards. I gave him the skill. I also put the right stones in the creek and the right windage on the field of battle to assist that stone hit its mark that day.

Did David win by his trash talk and “psych” Goliath? I don’t think so. He just stated facts as he knew them and Goliath as he knew them. It’s just that David knew Me and Goliath thought he knew his gods of wood and stone. There’s not much to a god made of wood or stone. Not much they can do for you. David knew Me, so his trash talk wasn’t trash talk. David just told it like it was.

Well, the results speak for themselves. David won the battle against not just Goliath, but against the Philistine army in the field that day. With My help, his enemies saw their champion humiliated and killed within minutes and discovered they had no chance against the power wielded by those who carry out My will. The same holds true throughout the ages. It isn’t an underdog analogy. It’s the reality of a living God intervening in the lives of His children. I won’t let you suffer defeat when you 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.

The blame game continues (1 Samuel 15:10-23), Apr 14, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Samuel 15:10-23
Set – 1 Samuel 15; Matthew 1
Go! – 1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1

1 Samuel 15:10-23
¹⁰ Then Samuel heard the voice of the Eternal.

Eternal One: ¹¹ I regret that I made Saul king over Israel because he has turned away from Me and from executing My commands.

Samuel was distressed when he heard this, and he cried out to the Eternal One all night long.

¹² Then he rose early in the morning to go and find Saul, only to hear that Saul had gone on to Carmel, where he had erected a monument to himself, and returned to Gilgal. ¹³ At last Samuel caught up with Saul. When Saul saw him, he greeted him as if nothing was wrong.

Saul (to Samuel): May you be blessed by the Eternal One. I have carried out His commands.

Samuel: ¹⁴ Then why do I hear the sounds of sheep and cattle?

Saul: ¹⁵ They brought the best of the Amalekites’ sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Eternal One your God. But we destroyed all the rest as we were told.

Samuel: ¹⁶ That’s enough. Stop talking, and let me tell you what the Eternal told me last night.

Saul: Go ahead, I’m listening.

Samuel: ¹⁷ Don’t you remember when you didn’t amount to much in your own sight, but you were made the leader of the tribes of Israel? Wasn’t it the Eternal One who anointed you king over them? ¹⁸ The Eternal One sent you on a mission, commanding you, “Go and destroy the Amalekites, who are sinners. Fight them until they are completely destroyed.”

¹⁹ Why didn’t you obey the voice of the Eternal One? Why did you grab the spoils of battle, doing what the Eternal considers evil?

Saul (defending himself): ²⁰ I did what the Eternal One instructed. As He commanded, I went on the mission and decimated all the Amalekites, and I have brought back Agag, their king. ²¹ It was the people who took the sheep and cattle from the spoil that would have been devoted to destruction and brought them back to sacrifice to the Eternal One, your True God, in Gilgal.

²² Samuel: Does the Eternal One delight in sacrifices and burnt offerings
as much as in perfect obedience to His voice?
Be certain of this: that obedience is better than sacrifice;
to heed His voice is better than offering the fat of rams.
²³ Rebellion is as much a sin as fortune-telling,
and willfulness is as wicked as worshiping strange gods.
Because you have rejected His commands,
He has rejected you as king.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Watch how easily Saul tries to deflect his guilt. From the time of Adam men, women, and children have attempted to push the blame for their sin on someone else. But it never works. Samuel addressed Saul with the question of obedience to My command and Saul assured him he did everything he was supposed to do. I obeyed, they did the evil action. I decimated the Amelekites, they brought back the spoils.

Of course, if Saul had really carried out My command, Agag would not have been brought back. The spoils would have been destroyed. Nothing would remain of the Amelekites. No trace of their existence would remain. But Saul didn’t do what I asked. He thought he would appease his men for their efforts by sharing the spoils of war with them, rather than obeying My command to him. I imagine he was thinking more about gold than he was about Me in those days.

Maybe he thought he needed to reward his men with the spoils of the battle in order to keep their loyalty. But it’s not their loyalty he needed to worry about it. It was Mine. I needed a leader who would obey Me as this new nation grew. I needed someone who understood the riches of the land would come from Me, not from the bounty taken from the previous occupants or from their conquests of war. I wanted peace across the land, though sometimes peace required violent means to achieve it.

It’s not easy to accept the blame for the wrongs you do, but it is the first and necessary step toward your redemption. If Saul had accepted his role and responsibility in the actions of the soldiers that day, he might have saved his kingdom and his life. But he didn’t. He refused to budge an inch. Consequently, his throne fell in a monumental chapter of history to a shepherd king named David, a man after My heart.

Are there things in your life you need to own up to? Have you failed to accept responsibility for some of the wrongs that put yourself or others in jeopardy because of actions or decisions you’ve made? Maybe it’s time to step up to the plate and do what you know you must do to rid yourself of the guilt that comes from the wrongdoing in your life. Just open yourself to Me with a repentant and contrite heart. I can do the rest.

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.

Why did the earth tremble? (1 Samuel 14:1-15), Apr 13, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Samuel 14:1-15
Set – 1 Samuel 14; 2 Corinthians 13
Go! – 1 Samuel 14; 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13

1 Samuel 14:1-15
¹One day Saul’s son, Jonathan, came up with a plan. He turned to his armor-bearer.

Jonathan: Come on. Let’s go down to the Philistines over there.

But he didn’t tell his father what he had decided.

² Saul remained outside Gibeah under the pomegranate tree at Migron with about 600 of his soldiers. ³ Ahijah, the son of Ahitub and nephew of Ichabod (who was a son of Phinehas, who was born to Eli, who had been the priest of the Eternal One in Shiloh), was also there with Saul, bearing the priestly vest. None of the people knew that Jonathan had gone.

^4-5 The mountain pass that Jonathan took to reach the Philistines was bordered on either end by rocky crags. The one on the north in front of Michmash was called Bozez, and the other on the south near Geba was called Seneh.

Jonathan (to his armor-bearer): ⁶ Come on! Let’s cross over to this force of Philistines, these uncircumcised, these idol-worshipers. Maybe the Eternal One will fight for us. If He wants to save us, then no force is too big or too small.

Armor-bearer: ⁷ Do whatever you think is right, and I will follow you. My decision will be your decision.

Jonathan: ⁸ Now we will approach the Philistines and let them see us. ⁹ If they say, “Wait there. We are coming to you,” then we will stay where we are, and we will not advance. ¹⁰ But if they say, “Come here,” then we will go to them, and that will be the sign that the Eternal has given us power over them.

¹¹ So they let the Philistines see them, and the Philistine soldiers ridiculed them.

Soldiers: Look! There are some Hebrews climbing out of the holes where they’ve been hiding!

¹² They signaled to Jonathan and his armor-bearer.

Soldiers: Come here, you two! Come here, and we’ll show you something!

Jonathan (to the armor-bearer): Follow me! The Eternal One has assured victory for Israel.

¹³ Jonathan scrambled up the steep incline on his hands and feet to the Philistine soldiers, his armor-bearer right behind. When he appeared before the Philistines, they fell before him, and he and his armor-bearer killed them right and left. ¹⁴ In that first assault, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about 20 men within an area of about a half-acre. ¹⁵ When the news of this slaughter spread, it caused trembling in the Philistine camp, among the soldiers in the field, even among the whole nation. The garrison of troops was confused and afraid, and the raiding parties who had terrorized Israel trembled. Soon the earth itself quaked, and an awesome trembling abounded.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Most of the time I work in the little things behind the scenes in ways you don’t even notice. But sometimes I do things so there is no mistaking My involvement in the affairs of My children. Jonathan’s exploits at this moment was one of those big moments. I had a hand in the answer the Philistines gave him that day as they saw him and his armor-bearer climbing the rocks near them.

Jonathan and his armor-bearer faced battle before, both were skilled in battle, but ten against one in a medium sized house lot are not good odds even for an expert against ten novices. Jonathan and his armor-bearer faced seasoned warriors in that small space. They needed My help to kill the twenty Philistine soldiers in the field. They lost count of the number of wounded and those who fled.

The fun part was what happened next, though. Word spread. The soldiers in the camp began to tremble with fear. The whole garrison began to tremble with fear. All of Philistia began to tremble with fear. The raiding parties began to tremble with fear. So I helped them reserve their strength. I made the ground tremble so they didn’t have to use their own muscles. I started a few earthquakes for them just to add to their excitement.

When I touch the earth, it recognizes Me and trembles. When I send My messengers, the earth recognizes them and trembles. Sometimes when I intervene on behalf of the people I use for My work, the earth trembles. The rocks and hills recognize My handiwork and applauds with its low rubble from deep within the earth. Isn’t it amazing how people who are supposed to have the highest intelligence of all My creation fail to recognize My hand at work?

Maybe the next time you feel the earth tremble, you should look around for what else I have done to demonstrate My power among humankind!

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’s grace is enough (2 Corinthians 12:1-10), Apr 12, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Set – 1 Samuel 13; 2 Corinthians 12
Go! – 1 Samuel 13; 1 Chronicles 2-3; 2 Corinthians 12

2 Corinthians 12:1-10
¹Boasting like this is necessary, but it’s unbecoming and probably unavailing. Since you won’t hear me any other way, let me tell you about visions and revelations I received of the Lord.

² Fourteen years ago, there was this man I knew—a believer in the Anointed who was caught up to the third heaven. (Whether this was an in- or out-of-body experience I don’t know; only God knows.) ^3-4 This man was caught up into paradise (let me say it again, whether this was an in- or out-of-body experience I don’t know; only God knows), and he heard inexpressible words—words a mortal man is forbidden to utter. ⁵ I could brag about such a man; but as for me, I have nothing to brag about outside my own shortcomings. ⁶ So if I want to boast, I won’t do so as a fool because I will be speaking the truth. But I will stop there, since I don’t want to be credited with anything except exactly what people see and hear from me. ⁷ To keep me grounded and stop me from becoming too high and mighty due to the extraordinary character of these revelations, I was given a thorn in the flesh—a nagging nuisance of Satan, a messenger to plague me! ⁸ I begged the Lord three times to liberate me from its anguish; ⁹ and finally He said to me, “My grace is enough to cover and sustain you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” So ask me about my thorn, inquire about my weaknesses, and I will gladly go on and on—I would rather stake my claim in these and have the power of the Anointed One at home within me. ¹⁰ I am at peace and even take pleasure in any weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and afflictions for the sake of the Anointed because when I am at my weakest, He makes me strong.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Never ask to be like someone else unless you ask to be like Christ. You never know the shoes someone else must wear or the burdens they must bear despite the face you might see from day to day in public. Paul is a good example.

I hear many of My disciple say, “If only I could be like Paul, then I could overcome the obstacles in my path and become what God wants.” It’s not true. If you can’t become what I want of you as you are, you could never carry Paul’s burdens and become what I want of you. I allowed Paul to get a glimpse of heaven for a reason. I knew what lay ahead of him. I knew the road he would take to spread My word to distant lands and become the spokesman for developing the theology on which My church stands.

But with that vision of heaven came unbelievable burdens that few can carry. He endured more hardship than the twelve disciples. Yes, some were martyred for their faith in cruel ways. So was he. He was also beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and carried what he called a thorn in the flesh for many years. I’ll let you ask him about it when you see him in heaven some day.

It’s true of everyone you see. The perfect life is never so perfect as it might seem. There are always things not told. Burdens My followers carry silently upheld by the knowledge I am with them through their deepest problems. The pain is real. The suffering is often intense. The longing for relief is there, too. But, like Paul, they know that My grace is enough. They will make it through and can count their burdens as part of their weakness and recognize that I am there. They can boast that I am the reason for their strength and success in their weakness.

So, never wish you could be like someone else. My grace is sufficient for you, just as it is sufficient for them. But I can guarantee that you do not want to trade lives with anyone. It won’t be what you think…ever. Just know that I’m enough…always.

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.

Don’t sin by failing to pray for your leaders (1 Samuel 12:13-25), Apr 11, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – 1 Samuel 12:13-25
Set – 1 Samuel 12; 2 Corinthians 11
Go! – 1 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 1; 2 Corinthians 11

1 Samuel 12:13-25
¹³ So now, look: here is the king you chose, the king for whom you asked. The Eternal has indeed set a king to rule over you.

¹⁴ If you will revere and serve the Eternal, if you listen to His voice and do not disobey His commands, then you and this king who rules over you will follow the Eternal One, your True God, and all will go well with you.

¹⁵ But if you ignore His voice, if you disobey the commands of the Eternal, then His mighty hand of judgment will be raised against you and against your ancestors.

¹⁶ Stand ready, for the Eternal One is going to show you a great sight. ¹⁷ It is the wheat harvest now, and is this not the time after the early rains? But I will call upon the Eternal to send thunder and rain so you will realize the depths of your sin before God because you demanded a king to rule over you.

¹⁸ Samuel prayed to the Eternal. He sent thunder and rain to pelt the fields that day, and the people were afraid of Him and of Samuel.

People (to Samuel): ¹⁹ Pray to the Eternal One your God on behalf of your servants so we will not die for adding to all the weight of our sin the evil of demanding our own king.

Samuel: ²⁰ Don’t be frightened. It is true that you have done evil, but never stop following the Eternal One. Serve Him completely, ²¹ and do not follow empty things that do not have the power to benefit or save you. They are worthless. ²² For the sake of His reputation, He will not cast away His chosen people. Before you ever chose Him, the Eternal One chose you as His own because it pleased Him.

²³ As for me, the last thing I would ever do is to stop praying for you. That would be a sin against the Eternal One on my part. I will always try to teach you to live and act in a way that is good and proper in His eyes. ²⁴ Make this your one purpose: to revere Him and serve Him faithfully with complete devotion because He has done great things for you. ²⁵ But if you continue in your evil ways against Him, you and your king will be swept off the face of the earth.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Politics in Samuel’s day was not so different from politics today. One group wanted the judges I chose to stay in power and for the country to remain as a theocracy. Another group wanted left alone and the tribe leaders to manage the activities within the borders of the property inherited within the promised land I gave them. Yet another side cried for a king to unite the tribes as protection against the strength of the neighboring nations.

The voices for those clambering for a king won out. I still chose the first king, but one thing I want you to notice about Samuel and the group of prophets he led. He counted it a sin against Me if he ever failed to pray for the king of his nation. Saul needed his prayers. The people needed him to pray for the king.

Today in your country it’s party politics. You think things are different with your democratic government, but they’re not, really. One group wants their party in power and spends inordinate amounts of money to do so that could be used to really help people. Another group does the same, and yet another group does the same. When all the dust settles after your elections, nothing changes. Solomon said it well in the treatise you call Ecclesiastes. “It’s all vanity.”

One thing is certain, though. Whoever holds the political power in any nation needs the prayers of his or her people. Prayer works. Solomon said it. The chroniclers reiterated it. “When My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face, I will hear from heaven, and heal their land.”

I look at what goes on around you and see the corruption in your politics just as I saw the corruption among the kings who ruled in ancient Israel. I sent My people into exile because of their failure to obey Me. Their leaders led them down paths I never intended them to go – worshiping pagan gods. Making treaties with neighboring nations and adopting their worship rituals and idols. Substituting material riches and opulence for justice and care for the poor, the widows, orphans, and foreigners barely surviving in their cities.

When your leaders begin to care more about keeping their political positions or their party in power than meeting the needs of the people they serve, it’s past time for you to fall on your knees in prayer. Select your leaders carefully. Then pray for whoever holds the authority in the nations of the world. Whether they follow Me or reign as despots, the people they serve are influenced and impacted by their decisions. Samuel and his group of prophets should not be the only ones with the deep cry from their hearts that it would be a sin against Me to fail to pray for his king.

Pray for your leaders, they could use it…every day!

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.

Confrontation isn’t easy, but sometimes necessary (2 Corinthians 10), Apr 10, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Corinthians 10
Set – 1 Samuel 8; 2 Corinthians 10
Go! – 1 Samuel 8-10; 2 Corinthians 10

2 Corinthians 10
¹ I, Paul, appeal to you in the same gentle and loving spirit of the Anointed—yes, I who am humble when I’m face-to-face with you but audacious to you in these letters when I’m away (I know what they say). ² If it were up to me, I’d rather not have to be so bold when I’m with you, especially with the kind of forceful confidence I can work up when I confront those who have accused us of walking in a worldly way. ³ For though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. ⁴ The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth. ⁵ We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One. ⁶ As soon as you choose obedience, we stand ready to punish every act of disobedience.

⁷ Look at what is going on right in front of you. If anyone is convinced that he belongs to the Anointed, then he should think again; even if he belongs to Him, so do we. ⁸ I’m not embarrassed, even if it seems to others I have gone overboard in speaking about the power the Lord has given us to edify and encourage you and not to destroy anyone who strays. ⁹ I don’t want it to seem as if I’m simply trying to scare you with my letters; they are not hollow. ¹⁰ For some people are saying, “Paul’s letters sound authoritative and strong, but in person he just doesn’t measure up—even his speeches don’t deliver.” ¹¹ They need to understand this: whatever we say through our letters when we are away, that is exactly what we will do when we are looking you in the eye.

¹² For we would never dare to compare ourselves with people who have based their worth on self-commendation. They check themselves against and compare themselves with one another. It just shows that they don’t have any sense! ¹³ So we will carefully limit our boasting to the extent only of what God has done in and through us, a reach that extends as far as you. ¹⁴ For it wasn’t as if we were overreaching into someone else’s territory by reaching out to you. Weren’t we the first ones to bring you the good news of the Anointed One? ¹⁵ We carefully put limits on our boasting and avoid taking credit for what others do. But we do hope to see your faith grow so that we can watch our mission really expand all the way to the limits God has set for us. ¹⁶ The plan includes taking the good news to people and lands beyond you. We’ve no interest in or intention of staking claim to other people’s accomplishments in their arenas. As the Scripture says, ¹⁷ ”The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ Now let’s be clear: it’s not the one who commends himself who is approved; it’s the one whom the Lord commends.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I know it’s difficult to confront people for doing wrong, especially within the church. People remember the things for which I have forgiven them and ask themselves, “How can I say something when I know how I’ve behaved in the past?” But like Paul, I expect My community to of believers to help each other keep My church moving upward not wayward. I want you to address the evil among you. I want you to help each other correct the behavior the world accepts as okay and point out the standards I want for My people.

It’s hard to confront those who are wrong. It doesn’t feel good to tell others about behavior that contradicts My word when everyone else stands by and condones or at least ignores the behavior. It isn’t easy to be a lone voice decrying the wrongs within the boundaries of My community, but it is necessary to maintain the purity of My sanctuary.

What is most difficult about the confrontation I expect, though, is I expect it to be with the same love I expressed from the cross. Love that reaches through the behavior to the heart of the individual. Love that seeks redemption and restoration rather than revenge or punishment. Genuine love that looks beyond the behavior to see My image deep within the individual and longs to restore that image within the one being confronted.

Paul understood the confrontation I expected. It was always something that must happen to keep My name pure and spotless among the believers within My community, but it was also a difficult task because it meant being personally vulnerable and loving others with a deep, godly love that reaches to the very depths of your own soul. You may help turn them from road to an eternity apart from Me. So, what happens if you don’t confront them and turn them away from that road? Don’t you think it’s worth it?

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.

Pay it forward when you can (2 Corinthians 9), Apr 9, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Corinthians 9
Set – Psalms 72; 2 Corinthians 9
Go! – 1 Samuel 6-7; Psalms 72; 2 Corinthians 9

2 Corinthians 9
¹ There’s nothing further I could add about your efforts for God’s people in Judea. ² I know you are ready. I bragged on you throughout Macedonia, telling them how the people in Achaia have been prepared since last year; and your passion has been contagious. ³ Still I thought it would be best to send these brothers and sisters ahead to help you finish the final details so all my bragging wouldn’t be for nothing. ⁴ If some of the Macedonians decide to travel with me, all of us would be more than embarrassed if we arrived and you weren’t ready to give after the way we’ve been going on about you. ⁵ So to help you get your previously promised gift ready, it made sense to me to ask the brothers and sisters to go on ahead so you will have all the time you need to put it together as planned and so it doesn’t look thrown together or coerced.

⁶ But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. ⁷ Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.” ⁸ God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share. ⁹ Remember what is written about the One who trusts in the Lord:

He scattered abroad; He gave freely to the poor;
His righteousness endures throughout the ages.
¹⁰ The same One who has put seed into the hands of the sower and brought bread to fill our stomachs will provide and multiply the resources you invest and produce an abundant harvest from your righteous actions. ¹¹ You will be made rich in everything so that your generosity will spill over in every direction. Through us your generosity is at work inspiring praise and thanksgiving to God. ¹² For this mission will do more than bring food and water to fellow believers in need—it will overflow in a cascade of praises and thanksgivings for our God. ¹³ When this mission reaches Jerusalem and meets with the approval of God’s people there, they will give glory to God because your confession of the gospel of the Anointed One led to obedient action and your generous sharing with them and with all exhibited your sincere concern. ¹⁴ Because of the extraordinary grace of God at work in you, they will pray for you and long for you. ¹⁵ Praise God for this incredible, unbelievable, indescribable gift!

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The people in Jerusalem didn’t know about Paul’s mission to bring funds and needed supplies back to them. Paul sent emissaries ahead of him on his journey to tell of the offering he would take back to those struggling against the powers of Rome and the leaders of Judaism trying to destroy the fledgling congregation in the city. They needed help and needed it badly.

Paul intended to enlist the help of those who had extra and could still gain funds and needed supplies to help the Christians in Jerusalem survive. Persecution from Rome had not yet spread across the entire empire, but was very heated in this constantly rebellious area called Israel. The people refused to bow to Caesar. They refused to recognize the gods of the Roman people. They failed to make necessary sacrifices to the pagan gods of the nations that defeated and occupied their tiny nation. The Jews were a stubborn people who believed only I could help them.

Now the rebellion spread further with the preaching about Jesus rising from the dead. The Jews had someone to blame the rebellion on and didn’t hesitate to name the band of Christians as the culprits leading the revolt against Rome. They knew it to be false, but it was a way to get rid of this band of believers… Or so they thought.

Paul persecuted these same men and women earlier. He was part of that pack of leaders standing around Stephen approving of his stoning. His transformation at My hand on the road to Damascus was genuine, though. He saw the errors of his past. He wanted to make restitution for the wrongs he committed and so used his influence to raise funds on his mission trips to help those persecuted in Jerusalem.

Do you have wrongs you can make right? Do you need to make restitution for things in your past? Can you reach out with your influence to come to the aid of others and pay forward for the grace I’ve extended to you? That’s what Paul did with his collections for the Christians in Jerusalem. Many have followed his example through the centuries. How about 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.

God notices your generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-15), Apr 8, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Set – 1 Samuel 3; 2 Corinthians 8
Go! – 1 Samuel 3-5; Psalms 77; 2 Corinthians 8

2 Corinthians 8:1-15
¹ Now, brothers and sisters, let me tell you about the amazing gift of God’s grace that’s happening throughout the churches in Macedonia. ² Even in the face of severe anguish and hard times, their elation and poverty have overflowed into a wealth of generosity. ³ I watched as they willingly gave what they could afford and then went beyond to give even more. ⁴ They came to us on their own, begging to take part in this work of grace to support the poor saints in Judea. ⁵ We were so overwhelmed—none of us expected their reaction—that they truly turned their lives over to the Lord and then gave themselves to support us in our work as we answer the call of God. ⁶ That’s why we asked Titus to finish what he started among you regarding this gracious work of charity. ⁷ Just as you are rich in everything—in faith and speech, in knowledge and all sincerity, and in the love we have shown among you[a]—now I ask you to invest richly in this gracious work too. ⁸ I am not going to command you, but I am going to offer you the chance to prove your love genuine in the same way others have done. ⁹ You know the grace that has come to us through our Lord Jesus the Anointed. He set aside His infinite riches and was born into the lowest circumstance so that you may gain great riches through His humble poverty. ^10-11 Listen, it’s been a year since we called your attention to this opportunity to demonstrate God’s grace, so here’s my advice: pull together your resources and finish what you started.

Remember how excited you were at first; it’s time to complete this task in the same spirit. ¹² Now if there is a willingness to help, give within your means. That’s perfectly acceptable. No one expects you to go without or borrow to give. ^13-14 The objective is not to go under so others will have some relief; the objective is to use this opportunity today to supply their needs out of your abundance. One day it may be the other way around, and they will need to supply your needs from what they have. That’s equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “The one who gathered plenty didn’t have more than he needed; the one who gathered little didn’t have less.”

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Let’s talk about giving. Paul encourages the Corinthians to give an offering to the Christians in other parts of the world in need. He assumes the Corinthians will give their tithes to the place where they worship and that congregation will take care of each other within their means. The church in Jerusalem, the incubator of the church, found itself in deep trouble, however.

By this time, Rome’s leaders had begun applying intense pressure on all the religions that did not adhere to the beliefs of Rome. The rebellious Jews, Christians, and mystics that sprang up around their empire created immense pressure on the throne and Caesar’s procurators, governors, and military leaders did everything they could to stop the growing uprising around the empire.

Christians in Israel’s capital city found themselves blamed for everything going wrong in the country regardless of the source of the problem. I let those things happen to allow the dispersion of Christians throughout the world, but it was no less painful for those who suffered through the pain inflicted upon them by the citizenry and soldiers in Jerusalem.

Consequently, the Christians in Jerusalem needed help from their brothers and sisters elsewhere. They could get no jobs in Jerusalem. They lost all their funds, their homes and property. They gave up everything to follow Me. They did it gladly, but like all people, they wanted to survive and living in Jerusalem made survival difficult. But even escaping the city required resources they didn’t have. The offerings of their brothers and sisters in Christ were important to them.

So, Paul raised offerings for them wherever he went on his mission journeys. His approach is one you should remember. I don’t ask you to take out loans to fund My work. I don’t ask you to become a pauper. I ask you to give from your abundance. What does that mean? Give up some of the things that are just wants, not needs. Give up your toys, your extras, the things you can do without for the good of the kingdom, for the aid of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

One day you may need help, but when you give generously to others, it multiplies and returns to you as a harvest. You will find rewards in many ways when you give from your heart to the benefit of My children. Show them My love through your generosity.

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.

Don’t jump to conclusions (I Samuel 1:1-18), Apr 7, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Samuel 1:1-18
Set – 1 Samuel 1; Psalms 66
Go! – 1 Samuel 1-2; Psalms 66; 2 Corinthians 7

1 Samuel 1:1-18
¹ When the judges ruled over Israel, there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim. He was Elkanah, who descended from Jeroham, Elihu, Tohu, and Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives: Peninnah, who bore him sons and daughters, and Hannah, who remained childless.

³ Elkanah used to go up every year from his city to worship and offer sacrifices at the altar of the Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies, at Shiloh, where the priests of the Eternal were Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. ⁴ On the days he made a sacrifice, Elkanah would share a portion of his offering with his wife Peninnah and all her children, ⁵ but he offered a double portion of sacrificial meat for Hannah because he loved her even though the Eternal One had not given her children. ⁶ Peninnah used to infuriate Hannah until Hannah trembled with irritation because the Eternal had not given Hannah children. ⁷ This went on year after year; and every time Hannah went up to the house of the Eternal, Peninnah would infuriate her. So, as she often did, Hannah wept and refused to eat.

Elkanah (seeing Hannah’s despair): ⁸ Why are you crying and not eating? Why are you so sad, Hannah? Don’t I love you more than any 10 sons could?

^9-10 One day after they ate and drank at Shiloh, Hannah got up and presented herself before the Lord. It so happened that the priest Eli was sitting in a place of honor beside the doorpost of the Eternal’s congregation tent as Hannah entered. She was heartbroken, and she began to pray to the Eternal One, weeping uncontrollably as she did.

Hannah: ¹¹ Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies, if only You will look down at the misery of Your servant and remember me—oh, don’t forget me!—and give Your servant a son, then I promise I will devote the boy to Your service as a Nazirite all the days of his life. [He will never touch wine or other strong drink,][a] and no razor will ever cut his hair.

¹² As she prayed silently before the Eternal One, the priest Eli watched her mouth: ¹³ Hannah’s lips were moving, but since she was praying silently, he could not hear her words. So Eli thought she was drunk.

Eli: ¹⁴ How long are you going to continue drinking, making a spectacle of yourself? Stop drinking wine, and sober up!

Hannah: ¹⁵ My lord, I am not drunk on wine or any strong drink; I am just a woman with a wounded spirit. I have been pouring out the pain in my soul before the Eternal One. ¹⁶ Please don’t consider your servant some worthless woman just because I have been speaking for so long out of worry and exasperation.

Eli: ¹⁷ Go, don’t worry about this anymore, and may the True God of Israel fulfill the petition you have made to Him.

Hannah: ¹⁸ May your servant be favored in your sight.

Then Hannah rose and went back to where she was staying. The sadness lifted from her, so she was able to eat.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The story of Hannah and her prayer in the congregation tent at Shiloh provides an example of the ease with which people jump to conclusions about the behavior of others. Eli assumed Hannah came the altar drunk because of her behavior in front of Me. He couldn’t distinguish between the external signs of deep despair and a woman who approached a with a little too much wine as she kneeled at the altar.

Both stagger under the load the carry, one with a heavy emotional burden, the other with the extra ethanol. He thought one a sad drunk when really she was crying with the burden of her childlessness. Eli though Hannah mumbled to herself unable to articulate words in her drunken state when if he could know her heart, he would know she was crying out to Me in her soundless state.

Humankind often misreads the behavior of others around them. Discernment is a gift I give to very few of My children. You cannot know the heart of those you see. And sometimes the behavior is not what you think. Sometimes it is, but only I really know the truth about a person’s heart. Just like Eli, it’s easy to make snap decisions about people and come out with wrong opinions.

Stop to find out the real story. Wait to hear the whole truth before taking actions you might regret later. Understand that unless I have given you the gift of discernment, and few have it, you cannot know the reason behind the behavior of others until they tell you. Even with the gift of discernment, you may be wrong. Only I really know the hearts of My children.

Think about Eli and Hannah the next time you are about to jump to conclusions about someone’s behavior – what they said or what they did you thought out of bounds. Perhaps, like Hannah, they are silently pleading in their way for My help or to bring glory to 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.

Do you work for Me? (Ruth 2), Apr 5, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Ruth 2
Set – Ruth 2; Psalms 61; 2 Corinthians 5
Go! – Ruth 1-2; Psalms 53, 61; 2 Corinthians 5

Ruth 2
¹Now Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech, had a relative in Bethlehem, an honorable, wealthy man named Boaz. ² One day Ruth (the foreign woman who returned with Naomi from Moab) approached Naomi with a request.

Ruth: Let me go out into the field and pick up whatever grain is left behind the harvesters. Maybe someone will be merciful to me.

Naomi: Go ahead, my daughter.

³ Ruth left and went into the fields to pick up the gleanings, the grain that had been left behind by the harvesters. And so it was that the portion of the field she was working in belonged to Boaz, who was a part of Elimelech’s family.

⁴ As she was working in his field, Boaz happened to arrive from Bethlehem, and he greeted the harvesters.

Boaz: The Eternal One be with you.

Harvesters: May the Eternal bless you!

⁵ Then seeing Ruth, Boaz spoke to the young man in charge of the harvesters.

Boaz: Whom does this young woman belong to?

Overseer: ⁶ She is the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from Moab. ⁷ She came and asked my permission to pick up the grain our harvesters leave behind and gather it all into sheaves for herself. Except for one small break she has been here all day, working in the field from the morning until now.

Boaz (to Ruth): ⁸ Listen to me, my daughter. Do not go and glean in any other field. In fact, do not go outside my property at all but stay with the young women who work for me following the harvesters and bundling the grain into sheaves. ⁹ Watch the harvesters, and see which field they are working in. Follow along behind these servants of mine. I have warned the young men not to touch you. If you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars my young men have filled for the harvesters.

¹⁰ Overwhelmed, Ruth bowed down before Boaz, putting her face to the ground in front of him.

Ruth: I am just a foreigner. Why have you noticed me and treated me as if I’m one of your favorites?

Boaz: ¹¹ I have heard your story. I know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your own husband died. I know you left your own mother and father, your home and your country, and you have come to live in a culture that must seem strange to you. ¹² May the Eternal repay you for your sacrifices and reward you richly for what you have done. It is under the wings of Israel’s God, the Eternal One, that you have sought shelter.

Ruth: ¹³ I pray you will continue to look upon me with such favor, my lord. I am comforted by your kind words, even though I am not as worthy of them as even one of your servant girls.

¹⁴ Later during the meal, Boaz spoke to Ruth again.

Boaz: Come over here and have some of my food. Dip your piece of bread in the vinegar wine.

So Ruth sat down among the harvesters. Boaz also offered her some roasted grain. She ate as much as she wanted and even had some left over. ¹⁵ When her meal was finished, she got back up and returned to work. Then Boaz pulled some of the young harvesters aside and gave them instructions about her.

Boaz: Let her pick up grain from among the sheaves. Do not reprimand or humiliate her for gleaning where it is usually forbidden. ¹⁶ Instead, periodically pick out a stalk or two from the sheaves that have already been bound, and leave them for her to gather for herself. Make sure that no one gives her a hard time.

¹⁷ So Ruth worked in the field all day until the sun had nearly set. When she finished picking up the leftover ears, she beat her gathered barley grains from the stalks with a stick. All that work resulted in over 20 quarts of grain. ¹⁸ Then she carried it back to the city where her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Ruth took out the leftover food from what she could not eat of her midday meal and gave it to Naomi.

Naomi (to Ruth): ¹⁹ Where did you go to work today? Where did you glean all this from? May God bless the person who gave you this kind of attention.

So Ruth told Naomi the story of all that had happened to her that day and on whose land she had worked.

Ruth: The man I worked with today is named Boaz.

Naomi: ²⁰ May the Eternal bless this man. He has not given up showing His covenant love toward the living and the dead.

This man is closely related to us—he is a kinsman-redeemer of our family.

Ruth: ²¹ That is not all he did. Boaz also instructed me to stay with his young workers for the remainder of his grain harvesting season.

Naomi: ²² It is best that you do as he says. Stay with his young women who bind the sheaves. They will keep you safe from the hostility and danger of working in another’s field.

²³ So that is what Ruth did. She kept close to Boaz’s young female servants and picked up everything they dropped. She worked hard throughout the seven weeks of the wheat and barley seasons until the harvest was complete in early summer. And this whole time she lived at her mother-in-law’s home.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Two things I want you to take away from today’s scripture lesson – Ruth’s work ethic and Boaz’ kindness and generosity. Ruth could have used other means to gain income instead of breaking her back in the grain fields. Picking up left over stalks of grain and bundling them into sheaves in the heat of the day to thresh them later is dirty work. The left over grain is usually small, with few grains on the stalk. It’s left behind for a reason. Those left behind stalks are not worth the effort for the harvesters trouble. But for the hungry, the effort may provide the only food they get for the coming days.

So Ruth labored diligently for her mother-in-law and herself. She endured the back-breaking work. She endured the scorching sun. She endured the ridicule as one of the poorest of the poor to even be there. She endured it all and worked with all the energy she could muster to gather the scraps so she could feed the mother-in-law she pledged her life to.

I admire her work ethic in the dire circumstances in which she found herself.

I also admire Boaz’ kindness and generosity to her. My word reminds you that Boaz told his workers to protect Ruth. He instructed them to leave some extra stalks of grain for her and let her gather wherever she wanted in his field. If she happened to gather some of the grain that his harvesters cut but had not yet bundled, leave her alone and let her have the grain. Don’t take it from her even though they had a right to do so. Let her feed herself and her mother-in-law.

Boaz will later pay the price of making Ruth his wife, purchasing the land that belonged to her father-in-law and pledging to care for Ruth’s extended family in doing so. By taking Ruth as his wife, Boaz takes on the responsibility of Naomi’s welfare as well. The kindness and generosity he expresses is no less than the kind of love I show My children. Unconditional giving expecting nothing in return. Remember at this point Boaz didn’t know Ruth was kin to him.

Express My love to others in tangible ways. Let kindness and generosity be your guide. Work well and diligently as if working for Me. You’ll not regret it.

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.