Tag Archives: success

How hard do you try? (Luke 19:1-5)

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
How hard do you try when problems seem insurmountable? (Luke 19:1-5)
Scripture
1. Luke 19:1-5
2. Jesus enters Jericho and seems only to be passing through. Living in Jericho is a man named Zaccheus. He’s the head tax collector and is very rich. He is also very short. He wants to see Jesus as He passes through the center of town, but he can’t get a glimpse because the crowd blocks his view. So he runs ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree so he can see Jesus when He passes beneath him.

Jesus comes along and looks up into the tree, and there He sees Zaccheus.

Jesus: Zaccheus, hurry down from that tree because I need to stay at your house tonight.

Devotional
1. For the last week, I’ve been assisting in the training of Army medical brigade headquarters. These units provide direction for the medical formations on the battlefield to provide treatment for the sick, injured, and wounded within the area the Army operates. They tell those medical units, like hospitals, evacuation units with helicopters and ambulances, dental units, behavioral health units, preventive medicine teams, and a host of other medical capability where and when to move within the battlespace to ensure our service men and women are afforded the best care possible in sometimes pretty horrible conditions.
2. Armies move pretty quickly on the battlefield. Hospitals can’t move so fast. It takes lots of people and trucks to tear down, move, and set up one of those 250 bed hospitals on the battlefield and their may be two or three or five of those that must be within range of the front line of troops to ensure trauma care is available in a timely manner.
3. I mention those simple parameters to address the problem these medical brigades must address in the training scenarios we give them. We ask them to support an army that will fight across six or seven hundred miles in two or three weeks. The helicopters can only fly 2 ½ hours, so that’s less than one hour each way to pick up and return casualties from the front. That’s about 100 miles. These commanders face what seems to be an insurmountable problem. How do you treat patients across a six hundred mile battlefield following a combat force when it takes days to move and set up a hospital?
4. So now we turn to the story of Zaccheus. He faced what seemed to be an insurmountable problem. Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus. He had heard about this man from Nazareth who did no wrong. A man who challenged the authority of the temple leaders. A man who feared nothing and no one. A man who worked miracles. A man who was said to even control nature, calming storms with His words. Zaccheus wanted to see this man.
5. But Zaccheus was short in stature. He couldn’t see above the crowd. It was like a ten year old standing behind adults trying to see the parade. He wanted to see what was happening, but the crowd was too thick. Hundreds of others also wanted to get a view of this miracle worker and Zaccheus found himself pushed aside by the crowd. He was a tax collector. No one cared about giving him room. Everyone hated him. He worked for the Romans. He deserved to stand in the back.
6. But Zaccheus would not be stopped. He would not let the people’s dislike for him keep him from seeing Jesus. Zaccheus would not give up this opportunity to catch a glimpse of this man everyone was talking about. He would find a way to see the one who changed the life of everyone who met Him. Zaccheus would find a way.
7. So he ran ahead, climbed a tree, and waited anxiously for the Master to walk by.
8. Jesus did an amazing thing. He invited Himself to Zaccheus house for dinner. The onlookers were astounded. First, that Jesus was bold enough to break the rules of protocol and invite Himself for dinner. And second, and most egregious, He invited Himself to a tax collector’s house.
9. Zaccheus was creative, persistent, and would not accept defeat in doing something important for a future that would help others. Remember after meeting Jesus he promised to restore anything he took wrongly fourfold and to give half his wealth to the poor.
10. Back to my training sessions this week. The medical commands would find it easy to give up on this insurmountable problem. It’s hard to find solutions to this almost impossible scenario. But lives are at stake. They must find a solution or American soldiers will die because of their failure to find a solution.
11. They will be creative. They will be persistent. They will not accept defeat in doing something so important to the future of others.
12. How about you? What problem are you facing that seems insurmountable but makes a difference in the lives of those around you? What mountain looms before you that you need to climb, go around, tunnel through, or something to better the lives of someone? Zaccheus didn’t quit. These medical brigade will not quit. How about you? God can give you a creative mind to help you find solutions if you stick with it and keep at the task ensuring a better future for others.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
Bible Reading Plan – http://www.Bible-Reading.com

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 gets the glory? (John 17:1-10), April 15, 2017

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you ever get confused about who should get the praise or reward for the work you do? We probably all feel that little twinge of jealousy sometimes when someone else gets the glory for our work, but should we?
Scripture
1. John 17:1-10
2. Jesus (lifting His face to the heavens): Father, My time has come. Glorify Your Son, and I will bring You great glory because You have given Me total authority over humanity. I have come bearing the plentiful gifts of God; and all who receive Me will experience everlasting life, a new intimate relationship with You (the one True God) and Jesus the Anointed (the One You have sent). I have glorified You on earth and fulfilled the mission You set before Me.

In this moment, Father, fuse Our collective glory and bring Us together as We were before creation existed. You have entrusted Me with these men who have come out of this corrupt world order. I have told them about Your nature and declared Your name to them, and they have held on to Your words and understood that these words, like everything else You have given Me, come from You. It is true that these men You gave Me have received the words that come from You and not only understood them but also believed that You sent Me. I am now making an appeal to You on their behalf. This request is not for the entire world; it is for those whom You have given to Me because they are Yours. Yours and Mine, Mine and Yours, for all that are Mine are Yours. Through them I have been glorified.

Devotional
1. As a new officer in the Army, it bothered me when my commander would praise me for the work my platoon did. I had some really good soldiers in my platoon and they provided really great support for the unit in which we served.
  1. Medical support for a battalion
  2. Dining facility officer with soldiers that won Army competitions for their excellence in foodservice and culinary excellence
  3. High scores on inspections and competitions
  4. Soldiers did the work, but I got the praise from the commander
2. I always tried to share the praise with my soldiers
  1. Shared what the commander said
  2. Tried to give them awards and decorations for the work they did
  3. Recognized their individual efforts whenever possible
  4. But I still often got credit for the team effort
3. Learned over time to accept the praise because I was the leader responsible for whatever success or failure happened
  1. I also took the blame for the failure of any soldier in my charge
    1. Answered to the commander for DWI, AWOL, other disciplinary problems
    2. Described in detail why any particular soldier didn’t mean the training standard and what I was doing to correct it
    3. I took and accepted responsibility for good and bad within my unit
  2. My leaders taught me to accept both, success and failure, for the actions within my unit because I was their leader, just as my actions and performance reflected on my commander
4. In some small way, I learned a little of what Jesus let His disciples hear as He prayed
  1. Their actions would give glory to Him, not them
  2. His actions would give glory to the Father
  3. We don’t need to seek glory for ourselves, we just need to do the work He gives us to the best of our abilities and let Him receive all the glory
  4. We are His soldiers and He is our leader, He deserves all the credit, all the recognition, all the glory we can give Him
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Act like Abraham (John 8:39-41), February 26, 2017

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you ever flatter anyone? Do you know the highest form of flattery? Let’s talk about it.
Scripture
1. John 8:39-41
2. Jesus: If you are truly Abraham’s children, then act like Abraham! From what I see you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that comes from the Father. This is not something Abraham would do, but you are doing what you have learned from your father.
Devotional
1. In 1820, Charles Caleb Colton wrote “imitation is the sincerest of flattery.” Although something similar appeared in the biography of Emperor Marcus Antoninus by Jeremy Collier in 1708 when the quoted the Emperor as saying, “you should consider that imitation is the most acceptable part of worship and that the gods had much rather mankind should resemble, than flatter them.”
2. Often told imitate habits of successful people
  1. Rise early
  2. Plan well ahead
  3. Pay attention to detail
  4. Anticipate problems and develop contingencies to deal with them
  5. Share success but own failure
  6. Read broadly
  7. Learn something every day
3. Wouldn’t expect to be successful if you did just the opposite
  1. Lazy
  2. Just let things happen
  3. Never thought through ways to recover from failure
  4. Push everyone away
  5. Blame everyone else for your own mistakes
4. We become very much like the people we imitate, whether we want to believe that or not
  1. Business
  2. Parenting
  3. husband/wife act like father/mother
  4. Friendships
  5. Spiritual life
5. Who are you watching to pattern your life?
  1. Jews said they patterned after Abraham, but just progeny; long dead
  2. Watched someone else
    1. Greed
    2. Pride
    3. Selfishness
6. Who do you watch? Who is your example?
  1. Accountability to peer
  2. Need human mentors
  3. Do they try their best to mimic Christ
    1. Accept failure
    2. Repent
    3. Own frailty
    4. Lean heavily on God
    5. Know what real success means
    6. Know priorities in life
7. Song titled “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
  1. Watch Him
  2. Anyone between you and Him is closer to Him than you are
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Learn to be a servant (Matthew 20:25-28) May 10, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 21-24

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus: Do you want the Kingdom run like the Romans run their kingdom? Their rulers have great power over the people, but God the Father doesn’t play by the Romans’ rules. This is the Kingdom’s logic: whoever wants to become great must first make himself a servant; whoever wants to be first must bind himself as a slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as the ransom for many.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Here’s another one of those speeches that got Jesus in so much trouble. “God the Father doesn’t play be the Romans’ rules.” Once again Jesus turned the world’s thought process upside down. Aren’t you supposed to work your way to the top? Aren’t you supposed to take your knowledge and wealth and power and find a position worthy of your experience as you get older? Aren’t you supposed to try to gain those seats of power in your workplace, in your home, at church, in your social circles?

That’s what the world tells us. There’s this caste system that’s alive and well around the globe. We make it easier to move between castes in this country. You might be born in poverty in the United States, but there are opportunities to break free from it through education and hard work. Your family caste in this country doesn’t lock you into generational bondage. Although sometimes we make it so by following in our parents footsteps.

In a lot of other countries, castes do determine your future. If you are lucky enough to be born into wealth and a higher caste, then you enjoy the privileges of the wealthy. If you are born into poverty, you are subject to remain there with no chance to break free from its strangle hold as long as you remain in that country. Most of the world, unfortunately, still operates under those ancient caste rules. But even in those rigid caste systems, there still remain glimmers of hope. One person in 50 or 100 might break through the bonds by the kindness of someone in the next caste above and be lifted up from the lower caste into the higher one. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens and so there is hope.

But now Jesus is saying it’s the servant, the slave, the people at the bottom of the caste system that will be held in highest esteem in God’s kingdom. How can that be? These people are the beggars on the streets. You don’t even see them. They are there, but if you keep your eyes up as you should, then they are the invisible vermin that populate the roads and ditches and sewers of the city. Why would Jesus insinuate that these people will be first in God’s kingdom?

The priests thought they should be first. They were the ones who entered into the Court of the Priests at the Temple and one of them each year, the high priest, actually went into the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the whole nation. Shouldn’t they be given the seats of honor in God’s kingdom? Weren’t they closer to God that all the scum that littered the roadways?

Well, the world just doesn’t get it. Outward appearance has nothing to do with God’s kingdom. Our position and prestige don’t move God one iota. He is not impressed by the things that impress men. He made the world, so what can we do that impresses Him? We get impressed by the trappings people wear. Have you looked at the pictures from the Hubble telescope? You want to get impressed, take a look at those. God did that. Do you think anything you wear impresses Him?

But that’s not really it either. There are a lot of criminals, thugs, evil people sometimes found in every level of the castes. The poor have their share of evil just as much as the upper crust. The top tiers can often hide their evil a little better by doing so in the name of corporate investment, saving for future retirement, creating jobs by satisfying personal indulgences, and other such disguises.

But God sees our heart. Jesus talks about a servant heart. Do we serve self or do we serve others and in so doing serve God? That’s what real life is about. God created us to live in community and gave each of us different skill sets so we would be interdependent. We can get along with just a handful of people around us. But we thrive when we give our talents to others and let them give their talents in service to us. When we are interdependent, amazing things can happen. It’s like Proverbs says, a rope of three cords is not easily broken. We really do need each other.

So Jesus tells us it’s the servant’s heart in us that takes us to the top of God’s list. The problem with the wealthy, the power hungry, those seeking position more than anything else, they loose sight of what it means to have a servant’s heart and want to be served instead. Jesus turned it around and the leaders didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense to them because they bought into the world’s rhetoric.

Don’t let the world trap you into it’s idea of success. It doesn’t work. It won’t get you a seat on the bus to heaven. If you want to make it into God’s kingdom, learn to be a servant and practice every day. Practice makes perfect.

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 is your soul worth? (Matthew 16:23-28) April 16, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 17-21

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 16:23-28
Jesus (turning to Peter): Get away from Me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block before Me! You are not thinking about God’s story; you are thinking about some distorted story of fallen, broken people. (to His disciples) If you want to follow Me, you must deny yourself the things you think you want. You must pick up your cross and follow Me. The person who wants to save his life must lose it, and she who loses her life for Me will find it. Look, does it make sense to truly become successful, but then to hand over your very soul? What is your soul really worth? The Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory, with His heavenly messengers, and then He will reward each person for what has been done. I tell you this: some of you standing here, you will see the Son of Man come into His kingdom before you taste death.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Sometimes I like reading about Peter. I want to be so much like him when he does things like step out of the boat or be part of the group that serves the 5,000 those baskets of bread and fish or declares that Jesus is the Son of the living God. At other times, like today, I really don’t want to be much like Peter, but I’m afraid I’m more like him than I want to admit. Peter declares his loyalty to Jesus and says I won’t let anyone or anything harm you. I’ll die before I let them take you!

Boy, I’d like to say those words, just like Peter. And I think I would die for my faith. I would die for Jesus. I haven’t been put in that place yet. I haven’t faced the knives in the hands of ISIS terrorists or the torture of government sponsored atheists in China or the killing squads hunting down Christians in the Sudan. I can’t guarantee that I would die for my faith, but I think I would. I’m pretty sure I would lose my life for Him.

But then, look what happens. Jesus turns to Peter and says, “Get away from Me, Satan!” Ouch! Peter, unbeknownst to him was being used by the prince of darkness. I do not want to be like Peter in that circumstance, but if I were a betting man, I would bet my words have been a stumbling block to someone at one time or another. Something I have said led someone down a path I did not want them to go or God did not want them to go.

It’s so easy isn’t it? Peter thought he was doing the right thing. He was standing up for his Lord. He was doing what any good soldier in this world would do for his leader. But Jesus isn’t from this world. He has a different set of rules. He comes from a different realm and wants to raise us to that same plane on which He lives and loves. He wants to teach us what life is really about. The life the Father intended for us. Jesus saw this physical world’s goals creeping into Peter’s mindset. Jesus wanted to get it out. Jesus saw Satan’s clutches grabbing hold and replacing the Father’s goal with worldly goals, replacing temporary biological life with real, true eternal life.

So Jesus lashes out. He uses the same words He used in the wilderness temptation. Get away from Me, Satan! You’re a stumbling block. You’re not focused on the right story. You’re focused on temporary things. You’re focused on the world’s idea of success, not mine or the Father’s. I know where I’m headed and I can’t take any shortcuts. Don’t try to entice Me with your false trophies. The things you are thinking about come from the distorted view of fallen, broken man. Centuries of disobedience to the Father and the lies of Satan have shaped your story! Get away from Me.

No, as often as I would like to be like Peter, I wouldn’t want to be Peter at that moment.

Then, Jesus takes Peter and the others under His wing and explains what His path is like. Follow the Father’s will. It’s not always an easy path. In fact, in the world’s view it looks a lot like a cross and suffering and pain. In the world’s view, it looks like defeat and agony and death. But when you take up your cross and follow Jesus, it means life, joy, peace, sharing in His glory, joining the family of the Father. It means an eternity with Him, never bothered again by the evil in this world because Satan has already been defeated.

When we lose our life in Him, we find our life in Him. When we try to keep our life, we lose it. He goes on to ask an important question if we try to weigh the difference between our physical life with our spiritual one. The answer is an incomprehensible amount. What can you give in exchange for your soul? What temporary thing is your eternal soul worth? There is no worldly thing that compares, yet we trade it for such fleeting pleasure. Jesus tells us in His words, focus on the important. Get your eyes off the world. Set your sights on God and His kingdom. Think on eternal values. Those will get you through.

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.

Give some praise (Matthew 13:57) April 2, 2016

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 13:57
Jesus: Prophets are respected—except in their hometowns and in their own households. There the prophet is dishonored.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What do you think about your siblings? Do you honor the members of your family? I remember growing up as the second child, I always felt I had to be as good as my older brother. I knew in my head my parents didn’t expect that. I think they recognized, like all parents that every kid is different. We all have our unique personalities, talents, and skills, but there was always that one upsmanship between us when growing up.

And it was really hard for me following my older brother in school. You see, my brother is really smart. I mean bordering on genius smart, well not really. I mean genius smart. He never opened a book in school, but made A’s in every class. He could look at a page of material and in about a minute he could tell you everything on the page. If you called him right now, he could probably tell you the license plate number of the first car he ever owned and maybe the VIN number of that car.

I mean the guy is brilliant with numbers and science and facts. So I had to follow two grades behind him and got a lot of his former teachers. Not fun! I had to work a lot harder than he did to make those A’s. I had to study a lot more, spend a lot more time in the book, figure out ways to keep the information in my brain and organized so I could retrieve it.

The funny thing was, he didn’t care about any of that stuff. He ended up as salutatorian of his high school class because he goofed off all the time and ended up about two point below the valedictorian. I worked hard to beat him in school and was valedictorian. But now, I don’t care. So what. What does it get me. Nothing really. But my genius brother? Wow! Dropped out of college because he was bored. He finished later, but out of high school his professors couldn’t challenge him and he just quit.

So I could tell all kinds of stories about my siblings. I picked on my brother, because he is probably the one most off the scale on all the intelligence tests. But we all picked at each other, called each other names, knew none of us would amount to anything. Told tales on each other. But let me tell you where they are today.

My older brother, retired from the navy and is an independent consultant after spending several years in quality assurance in the manufacture of medications for infants with respiratory problems. He’s called on by companies all over the US and Europe to problem solve issues in pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially for medical gases.

My oldest sister owns her own business with her husband providing care to individuals in the midwest. Their appointment books are full enough that they have a six month waiting list to get in. My youngest sister is vice president in one of the large banks near the town where she grew up. I say she grew up, because we’re eleven years apart and since my dad was a pastor, I moved a lot growing up, but when I went into the Army he took a church where he stayed for 26 years. So my youngest brother and sister spent most of their growing up years in the same place, unlike the rest of us.

My youngest brother? He spent time in the Navy and has done several things after that, working to finish a degree in psychology to help veterans with PTSD. I’d say they all did pretty well for themselves.

But when we all get together, we’re just brothers and sisters again. Nothing special about any of us. We have a hard time seeing past our family relationships to see the successes each have accomplished to be able to listen to what each says in their own field of expertise. It’s funny that way isn’t it. But with every family I’ve counseled through the years, it seems to be the same. We have a hard time seeing past family to see the accomplishments of the person buried inside that mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter.

Maybe today is a good time to just stop and think about what your siblings have accomplished in life. Maybe it’s time to give some praise to those who love you best even when things are tough. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of good that comes from your family and share it with the people outside your family circle and give some praise for the family that surrounds you. Maybe it’s also time to let your family know how much you admire them and the accomplishment, the successes they have.

Jesus couldn’t do much in his home town because his relatives, those who grew up around Him, couldn’t see past their family relationships to see what He had done. What a difference He could have made in their lives if they had just given Him a little credit for what He had done! How about giving some credit and some praise in your family?

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.

Prostitution, not the highest goal to achieve (Ezekiel 16:1-34), September 1, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Ezekiel 16:1-34

Set – Ezekiel 16; Psalms 70; Revelation 6

Go! – Ezekiel 15-16; Psalms 70; Revelation 6

Ezekiel 16:1-34
¹ The word of the Eternal came to me with a message for Jerusalem.
² My Lord commanded me, the son of man, to confront Jerusalem, condemn her shocking actions, ³ and tell her what He says to Jerusalem.
Eternal One: You won’t be able to shake your pagan heritage. Your ancestors were Canaanites, and you were born among the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. ⁴ When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord. No one took care of you: you were not washed with water and purified, nor were you rubbed with salt and wrapped for warmth. ⁵ No one felt sorry for you or had compassion on you or did anything to help you. Instead, your parents abandoned you, tossed you out into an open field. For on the day you were born, people looked upon you with deep contempt.
⁶ Then I passed by and saw you squirming around in your blood. As you lay there in your own blood, I said to you, “Live!” Again, I insisted, “Live!” ⁷ And that’s exactly what you did. I helped you flourish like plants in the field. In time you grew, became a tall, beautiful young woman: your breasts developed and your hair grew thick and long. But you were still naked and bare. ⁸ I passed by you again and saw you were old enough to love and to be loved, so I offered Myself to you in marriage. I wrapped my garment over you to cover your nakedness. Then I gave you My divine promise to always be your Beloved, and I entered the sacred covenant of marriage with you. I wed you, and you became Mine. ⁹ I bathed you with pure water and washed away the old blood from your skin, and then I anointed you with fragrant oils. ¹⁰ I dressed you in an embroidered gown and put the finest leather sandals on your feet. I gave you the most luxurious linens and exquisite garments. ¹¹ I decorated you with the most expensive jewelry: bracelets for your wrists and a necklace for your neck, ¹² a nose ring, costly earrings, and a stunning crown for your head. ¹³ I adorned you with everything a woman could wish for: gold and silver, the finest clothes of linen, silk, and embroidery. You dined on elegant meals made with fine flour, honey, and olive oil. You became a beautiful woman and carried yourself as a queen! ¹⁴ You became famous among the nations for your extraordinary beauty—beauty that flourished only because I lavished My splendor on you.
So said the Eternal Lord.
Eternal One: ¹⁵ But you trusted in your own beauty and used your fame to become a whore. You slept with every man who was simply passing by.¹⁶ You made shrines for your idols out of the luxurious linens I gave to you and gave yourself to play the harlot there. Such things should never have happened and must not ever again. ¹⁷ Then you took all of the expensive gold and silver jewelry and precious stones I gave to you, and you created male images so that you could play the harlot with them! ^18-19 You took the embroidered gown I gave you to clothe your male images. Then you took other gifts I had given to you—oil, incense, bread, fine flour, and honey—and you offered them all as a pleasing aroma to your idols. This is what happened, I, the Eternal Lord proclaim. ²⁰ Then you took your sons and daughters—the ones you bore to Me—and slaughtered them, sacrificing your precious children to your idols to be consumed! Wasn’t your prostitution enough? ²¹ You killed My children and sacrificed them to breathless idols as burnt offerings! ²² Not once during all this prostitution and other shocking deeds did you remember your youth when I found you naked and bare, squirming in your own blood!
²³ To top off all your wickedness—how bad it will be for you, I, the Eternal Lord, promise you— ²⁴ you built yourselves sacred sites and put lofty shrines in every public square. ²⁵ You put them on every street corner and degraded your priceless beauty, opening yourself up wide to every man who passed by to add yet another lover. ²⁶ Then you started whoring with your well-endowed Egyptian neighbors, and I became more and more angry with your escalating promiscuity. ²⁷ Finally, I reached out and struck you, decreasing your territory. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, to do with you as they pleased. Even they were embarrassed by your lascivious behavior! ²⁸ You even started whoring it up with the Assyrians because your lust could not be satisfied. But even after you prostituted yourself, you still weren’t satisfied! ²⁹ So you prostituted yourself to Chaldea, the land of merchants, but that still wasn’t enough to satisfy you.
³⁰ How sick is your heart as you instigate all these vile perversions, the deeds of a brazen harlot? ³¹ When you built your shrines in every public square and constructed lofty shrines on every street corner, you were different from most prostitutes because you wouldn’t take money for your favors. ³² Adulterous wife! You would rather sleep with a stranger than your own husband! ³³ Whores are glad to accept fees from their customers, but you are the one paying fees and giving gifts to bribe strangers to come to you. ³⁴ So you are the perverse opposite of all other whores. No one solicits your services, and you pay instead of taking their money! This is why you are so different.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I gave strong words to Ezekiel to describe the abhorrent behavior of My people in Judah. Their chasing after idols, their lust for money, their constant desire for personal pleasure and power is not unlike your world today. You seem to chase after everything but Me. When will you realize that what’s really important are the things that last into eternity. And those things are relationships with Me and fellow believers. Nothing else can survive the crucible of the refiners fire as you pass from this life to the next.

Grasping for what this world thinks important only results in frustration, disappointment and ultimate destruction. Remember Ezekiel’s description of those who tried to gain worldly success. Then remember what I told you, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.” Keep your heart centered on Me, the only treasure worth finding.

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.

Meditate on God’s word (Joshua 1), Mar 18, 2015

Leave a reply

Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 1
Set – Joshua 1; 1 Corinthians 3
Go! – Joshua 1-2; Psalms 37; 1 Corinthians 3

Joshua 1
¹Moses served the Eternal One faithfully until the end of his days. After his death, the Eternal singled out Joshua, the son of Nun, who had walked at the right hand of Moses during the wilderness wanderings.

Eternal One (to Joshua): ² Since My servant Moses is now dead, you and the Israelites must prepare to cross over the Jordan River to enter the land I have given you. ³ I will give you every place you walk, wherever your feet touch, just as I promised Moses. ⁴ From the southern deserts to the northern mountains in Lebanon, from the great Euphrates River in the east—including all the land of the Hittites—to the great Mediterranean Sea in the west, all of it is yours. ⁵ No one will be able to oppose you for as long as you live. I will be with you just as I was with Moses, and I will never fail or abandon you.

⁶ So be strong and courageous, for you will lead this people as they acquire and then divide the land I promised to their ancestors. ⁷ Always be strong and courageous, and always live by all of the law I gave to my servant Moses, never turning from it—even ever so slightly—so that you may succeed wherever you go. ⁸ Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.

⁹ This is My command: be strong and courageous. Never be afraid or discouraged because I am your God, the Eternal One, and I will remain with you wherever you go.

¹⁰ When Joshua had heard God’s commands, he gathered the leaders of the people of Israel and gave them their instructions.

Joshua (to all the leaders): ¹¹ Go through the camp and tell your people, “Gather whatever you need because in three days you will pass over the Jordan into the land the Eternal One, your God, has given you to possess. Soon it will be ours.”

¹² Then Joshua spoke to the leaders of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua: ¹³ Remember what Moses, the servant of the Eternal, told you: “The Eternal One, your God, is making a place for you to settle and will give you this land as your own.”

¹⁴ Your wives, your children, and your livestock will stay on this side of the Jordan in this land that Moses awarded you. But all of you who can fight must lead your brothers in battle formation over the Jordan and help them ¹⁵ until the Eternal gives them rest from their enemies, as He has given rest to you. Fight with them until they, too, occupy the land your God, the Eternal One, is setting aside for them. Then you may cross the Jordan again and return to this land that Moses, His servant, has given you east of the Jordan and live here.

Leaders (agreeing): ¹⁶ We will do all you have commanded, and we will go wherever you send us. ¹⁷ We will follow your orders just as we obeyed Moses in all he told us. May the Eternal One, your God, be with you as He was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anybody who rebels against or disobeys your words—all you command—will be put to death. Always be strong and courageous!

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

After Moses died, I put Joshua in charge of leading the Israelites into the promised land. One of the most important things I told him was recorded in this first chapter of the book that bears his name. “Always be strong and courageous, and always live by all of the law I gave to my servant Moses, never turning from it—even ever so slightly—so that you may succeed wherever you go. Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.”

Those are the words Moses gave the Israelites about any king they chose. Never be afraid, but meditate on My word to make them a part of you. When you consume My word until it consumes you, you will prosper and always find success. But you’ll also find that your prosperity will happen for Me, not for you. You’ll become generous in your care of the less fortunate. You’ll learn success isn’t measured in dollars and cents, but peace, comfort, souls you introduce to Me.

David talked about meditating on My word in his songs. Moses encouraged the Israelites to do so. Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness by the use of scripture. Paul complimented the Berean’s for their searching the scriptures. He reminded Timothy to preach the word. My word must become a constant source of information for you. It is My guidebook for your life. I want you to read it and know it. The more you engage in My word, the more you will learn of Me and My plan for you.

I’m always surprised people think they can follow Me without reading My word. How do they know what I want if they don’t read about Me or what I’ve said to them? How can they know My commands if they’ve never read them? People will read the instructions to their TV but not the instructions for their life. It’s really amazing the priority people put on things. Don’t you think My word should become one of those top priorities? After all, it tells you how to live. How to be successful and proper. How to find eternal life. I’d think that rates better than a sitting on a shelf and only opened on Sunday. Don’t 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.