Tag Archives: trust

To be a kid again (Matthew 18:3-6) April 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 13-14

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:3-6
Jesus: This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In that kingdom, the most humble who are most like this child are the greatest. And whoever welcomes a child, welcomes her in My name, welcomes Me. And do not lead astray one of the weak and friendless who believes in Me. If you do, it would be better for you to be dragged down with a millstone and drowned in the bottom of the sea.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I used to watch my kids to understand what Jesus meant by His words, become like little children. They grew up, though. I had to start watching other people’s kids. Then my grandkids came along and I get to watch in house kids every once in a while again up close and personal. I think it always best to observe their behavior up close to really find out what Jesus meant as He talked to His disciples, those that wanted to become like Him.

So what can we learn from watching kids? First, they are happy. Watch a bunch of kids. They usually play well together until adults get involved. Then they learn how to bully and want to be first and how to trip up the other guy so they win. But until they are spoiled by the world’s definitions of success, kids just play and as they play, they are happy with themselves and with each other.

Second, they are trusting. Tell them almost anything and they will believe it. Why? Because they trust people. They believe you. They think no one would every lead them down the wrong path, so they trust people. They don’t think anyone would every do them anything but good. They believe in the good in everyone. That’s what trust is about. They give you the benefit of the doubt and trust that you have their best in mind with every action you take towards them.

I remember my kids jumping off the porch expecting me to catch them. They just knew I would. They trusted me. Of course, I did… every time. I wasn’t about to let them fall or lose their faith in me.

Third, they are inquisitive. Kids want to soak up information and knowledge and wisdom like a sponge. We cut them off because it’s inconvenient for us to answer all their questions sometimes. But it seems they never tire of asking those questions. I remember when my daughter was just putting sentences together she was sitting in her car seat in the back and must have asked a hundred “Why” questions non-stop. My wife was having a pretty stressful day as it was one of my Army absentee days and finally had enough. She blurted out, “If you ask me ”why“ one more time…” I don’t remember the punishment, but I’m sure it would not have been something my daughter looked forward to.

Without missing a beat she said, “Mommy, how come…” Children are inquisitive and God wants us to ask questions so He can answer them for us. He wants us to talk to Him and learn from Him. If we don’t ask questions, we can’t grow in wisdom and knowledge and understanding. He likes our curious nature.

Finally, children know where to go when they are hurt and broken hearted. They run to their parents. They want to be wrapped in their mother or father’s arms for consolation and comfort. They need the safety of knowing Mommy or Daddy will be there for them and love them no matter what is going on around them. If its an injury or illness or bullies or whatever the situation, they want the unconditional love only a parent can give. Jesus point us to our heavenly Father and says be like little children. Run to Daddy when we feel broken and alone with no one else to turn to.

Jesus looked around at the children playing in the village and in the fields around Him. He saw their behavior and their character. He saw their openness and joy. Jesus saw in them the trust and curiosity that comes with being a child and longs for us to scrap off the façade the world tries to get us to paint on our faces to make us think we’re all grown-up, self-sufficient, in need of nothing. But we’re not. We need Him. We need to humble ourselves. Become like little children with their joy, their trust, their curiosity, and their wisdom to know Who to turn to.

We can learn a lot from children if we will just stop and watch them carefully. Jesus had a lot to say about them. He said such as these will inherit the kingdom of heaven. I guess I really want to be like a kid again. 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.

Learn from Job and his trust in God (Acts 19), October 28, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Job 19

Set – Job 19; Mark 1

Go! – Job 19; Mark 1-2

Job 19
1 Job answered his friends in frustration.
2 Job: O how long! How long will you torture me and pound me with your chatter?
3 What is it now? Eight times? Nine times?
No, surely it’s ten times you have insulted me.
Ten times you’ve shamelessly acted to harm me.
4 Even if I have erred, my faults lie with me alone.
5 However, if you must exalt yourselves at my expense,
if you must proffer my own disgrace as evidence against me,
6 Then you ought at least to know that I have been wronged by God.
Yes, His net is closed about me.
7 Look! I cry out, “Violence!” but no response comes.
I shout for help, but justice eludes me.
8 He is a roadblock. He will not let me pass;
He has covered my roads in darkness.
9 He has stripped me of my honor,
torn the crown off my head.
10 He comes at me from all sides, but I attempt to leave;
He rips out my hope as if it were a tree in dry ground.
11 His anger burns white-hot against me,
and He considers me His enemy.
12 His militia arrives to raise a siege ramp against me
and to surround my dwelling.
13 He has driven my relatives far from me;
I am cut off from my friends.
14 My entire family has failed me;
my best friends have forgotten me.
15 Everyone in my house, including my maidservants,
treats me like an outsider;
I am a stranger to them now.
16 When I send for my servant, he does not come.
I even plead with him with my own voice.
17 My breath is strange; even my wife avoids me;
I’m loathsome to my relatives; they can’t stand to be around me.
18 Even young children taunt me,
and when I seek to rise, they mock me.
19 My closest friends can no longer bear me,
and anyone I have ever loved has turned against me.
20 I am reduced to skin and bones;
I have barely escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Show me your pity, my friends, show me your pity!
For truly, I have been struck by the hand of God.
22 Why do you pursue me as God has done?
Is my emaciated body not satisfying enough for you?
23 What I would give to have my words taken down,
to have them inscribed for posterity on a scroll.
24 No! More than that!
To have them chiseled with iron filled with lead—
carved in stone for all eternity.
25 Besides, I know my Redeemer lives,
and in the end He will rise and take His stand on the earth.
26 And though my skin has been stripped off,
still, in my flesh, I will see God.
27 I, myself, will see Him:
not some stranger, but actually me, with these eyes.
Toward this end, my deepest longings pine away within my chest.
28 If you ask, “How will we pursue him
since the root cause of his suffering lies in him?”
29 You ought to fear the sword yourselves;
for the sword bears fury’s punishment
in order that you might realize there is, in fact, a judgment.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Job laments his condition. No wonder! His friends mock him, the children run away from him or make fun of his condition. He is covered in boils and is reduced to skin and bones. His wife and family will have nothing to do with him. He’s lost everything and those who used to serve him won’t even talk to him. Job is alone on an ash heap surrounded by three men who only ask him to tell them about his unrepentant sins…of which he has none to confess.

What I like about his lament, though, is his confidence that he will have a unique revelation at the end of it. Did you hear what he said? “And though my skin has been stripped off, still, in my flesh, I will see God. I, myself will see Him: not some stranger, but actually me, with these eyes. Toward this end, my deepest longings pine away within my chest.”

Job is starting to tire, as anyone would, but he still looks toward Me as his redeemer. He still hopes to see Me with his own eyes. He still expects rescue from the suffering he faces. And Job looks to Me as his Savior. That’s where Job’s confidence lay. I could see into Job’s heart when I told Satan Job was a righteous man. He was proving Me an accurate judge. Despite all Job was going through, he still put his confidence and faith in Me as he goes through the trials I allowed Satan to press upon him.

Learn some lessons from Job. Never give up. Understand you may never know why you go through the trials you face, but I will never let you face more than you can handle. And you don’t know who else is looking at your life to watch how you weather the storms you are facing. Just keep trusting in Me. I’ll get you through 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.

God made Mary special (Luke 1:26-56), September 18, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Luke 1:26-56

Set – Ezekiel 45; Luke 1

Go! – Ezekiel 45-46; Luke 1

Luke 1:26-56
26 Six months later in Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God 27 to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. 28 The messenger entered her home.
Messenger: Greetings! You are favored, and the Lord is with you! Among all women on the earth, you have been blessed.
29 The heavenly messenger’s words baffled Mary, and she wondered what type of greeting this was.
Messenger: 30 Mary, don’t be afraid. You have found favor with God. 31 Listen, you are going to become pregnant. You will have a son, and you must name Him “Savior,” or Jesus. 32 Jesus will become the greatest among men. He will be known as the Son of the Highest God. God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David, 33 and He will reign over the covenant family of Jacob forever.
Mary: 34 But I have never been with a man. How can this be possible?
Messenger: 35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Most High will overshadow you. That’s why this holy child will be known, as not just your son, but also as the Son of God. 36 It sounds impossible, but listen—you know your relative Elizabeth has been unable to bear children and is now far too old to be a mother. Yet she has become pregnant, as God willed it. Yes, in three months, she will have a son. 37 So the impossible is possible with God.
Mary (deciding in her heart): 38 Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant. As you have said, let it be done to me.
And the heavenly messenger was gone. 39 Mary immediately got up and hurried to the hill country, in the province of Judah, 40-41 where her cousins Zacharias and Elizabeth lived. When Mary entered their home and greeted Elizabeth, who felt her baby leap in her womb, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth (shouting): 42 You are blessed, Mary, blessed among all women, and the child you bear is blessed! 43 And blessed I am as well, that the mother of my Lord has come to me! 44 As soon as I heard your voice greet me, my baby leaped for joy within me. 45 How fortunate you are, Mary, for you believed that what the Lord told you would be fulfilled.
46 Mary: My soul lifts up the Lord!
47 My spirit celebrates God, my Liberator!
48 For though I’m God’s humble servant,
God has noticed me.
Now and forever,
I will be considered blessed by all generations.
49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
holy is God’s name!
50 From generation to generation,
God’s lovingkindness endures
for those who revere Him.
51 God’s arm has accomplished mighty deeds.
The proud in mind and heart,
God has sent away in disarray.
52 The rulers from their high positions of power,
God has brought down low.
And those who were humble and lowly,
God has elevated with dignity.
53 The hungry—God has filled with fine food.
The rich—God has dismissed with nothing in their hands.
54 To Israel, God’s servant,
God has given help,
55 As promised to our ancestors,
remembering Abraham and his descendants in mercy forever.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth in Judea for the next three months and then returned to her home in Galilee.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Have you ever wondered why I chose Mary to carry Jesus, the human side of the triune Godhead? What was so special about her that I would come to her to act as the earthly mother of My one and only Son? The answer comes from what doesn’t appear in these verses. Mary never asked, “Why me?” Despite the trouble that would come her way as an unwed mother in a society that would rather stone her than forgive her, she chose to trust Me and bear the Son of God.

What was special about Mary? She believed Me. She watched for the coming of the Messiah and knew that My promises were true. She lived the best she knew how to follow the path I had given for My people. She trusted Me with all her heart. Mary didn’t have special powers or abilities. She didn’t have some secret that others didn’t. You probably wouldn’t have recognized her or been able to point her out in a crowd. She was pretty ordinary… Except for her faith in Me.

Mary knew I could not and would not fail in My promises and when I sent My messenger to announce My intentions to her, she humbly accepted the task without question, only trust. That’s what was special about Mary. But can you trust Me? Yes. Can you accept the tasks I give you? Can you praise Me and give thanks for the situations you face? Yes. Trust Me. Believe in Me. Follow Me. I am the one that will make you special, just like I did with Mary.

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.

John still tells us to love (2 John), August 25, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 John

Set – Psalms 79; 2 John

Go! – Jeremiah 37-39; Psalms 79; 2 John

2 John
1 I, the elder, to you, a lady chosen by God along with her children. I truly love all of you and am confident that all who know the truth share in my love for you. 2 The truth, which lives faithfully within all of us and will be with us for all eternity, is the basis for our abounding love. 3 May grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Jesus the Anointed, the Father’s own Son, surround you and be with you always in truth and love.
4 I was so filled with joy to hear stories about your children walking in truth, in the very way the Father called us to live. 5 So now, dear lady, I am asking you to live by the command that we love one another. I’m not writing to you some new commandment; it’s one we received in the beginning from our Lord. 6 Love is defined by our obedience to His commands. This is the same command you have known about from the very beginning; you must live by it. 7 The corrupt world is filled with liars and frauds who deny the reality that Jesus the Anointed has come into the world as a man of flesh and blood. These people are deceivers and antiChrists. 8 Ensure that you do not lose what we have worked for so that you will be fully rewarded.
9 Any person who drifts away and fails to live in the teachings of the Anointed One, our Liberating King, does not have God. But the person who lives in this teaching will have both the Father and the Son. 10 If any person comes to you with a teaching that does not align with the true message of Jesus, do not welcome that person into your house or greet him as you would a true brother. 11 Anyone who welcomes this person has become a partner in advancing his wicked agenda.
12 I have so much more to tell you, but I would rather meet with you personally than try to capture these sentiments by ink on paper. I hope to come and see you so that our joy will be complete.
13 The children of your chosen sister send you warm greetings.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

This isn’t the only personal letter John wrote to prominent people in the early churches, but it is typical. John wants to make sure individuals, including you, understand My commands. John got it. He learned well from Me as he walked with Me for those three years as one of My faithful disciples. He figured out that God is love, something taught to every child in Sunday School class.

Throughout all My teachings to all the crowds across all those towns we visited, the message was the same. Love. Sometimes it came with different words and with different expressions. Sometimes it came through healing. Sometimes it came through feeding thousands with the gift of a boy’s lunch. Sometimes it was showing pity at the funeral of a widow’s only son and raising him to life again. I expressed My love for others in a lot of different ways, but always I showed My love to those around Me. Even as I addressed the Pharisees with harsh words about their wrong teaching, it was because of My love for them and wanting to show them the falacy of their teaching and My desire to bring them back to a right relationship with the Father.

John understood My command to love Me and to love others. So in all his letters he emphasizes the need to live in a constant state of love. He admonishes his readers to be wary of anyone who doesn’t recognize Me as coming from the Father because My message and My life personifies the Father and shows that He and I are One. The false teachers alive in John’s day have not gone silent, either. Still their voices cry out.

Today false prophet declare that I am not one with the Father. Some will say I am God but not man. They will tell you I never walked in the flesh and that all flesh is corrupt and cannot possibly live in this world without sin. They cannot believe I could have lived a sinless life in this world for thirty-three years, so I must not have been a real man, only spirit. Others will say I was a real man, but only a prophet, a good man, a good teacher, but not God.

John clears the air in his letter to the chosen lady and makes clear hear and in his other writings that I am both fully God and fully Man. You cannot understand how it works because you are not God. It is beyond your understand how I managed to make it happen. But you can trust that I did. My word is true. Everything I have said would happen has or will happen. All the archeologists are uncovering all those facts that naysayers said never happened. Believe Me. I am who I say. Just trust Me. Listen to My commands and love. 

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.

Follow God only – you won’t be sorry (Isaiah 8:11-22), July 11, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Isaiah 8:11-22

Set – Isaiah 8; Hebrews 8

Go! – Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8

Isaiah 8:11-22
11 See, this is what the Eternal told me. God leaned in close—His strong hand on me—to keep me from following these people.
12 Eternal One: Don’t call for an alliance, like all the rest of this people do.
Don’t fear what they fear, or dread what they dread.
13 After all, only the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, should terrify you.
Only God is holy. Only God should leave you trembling.
14 Look what I’m going to do in Zion:
The Eternal will be for you a sacred place,
But for both houses of Israel I’ll also be a stone that blocks their way
and a rock that trips them up;
For those who live in Jerusalem, I’ll be a trap and a snare.
15 Many will stumble over them. They will trip and be broken;
they’ll succumb to capture and be grabbed up.
16 Now take care to keep this message as it is.
Seal up this teaching
and hand it over to my disciples.
17 As for me, I will wait for the Eternal, even though He feels absent, even though He has hidden His face from the family of Jacob. I will put all hope in Him. 18 You see, I and my children whom the Eternal One gave to me, we personify the promise. We are signs of what God intends and will do in Israel, what amazing things the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies has in mind, the One who is indeed present in Zion, this heaven on earth.
19 People might tell you to ask the fortune-tellers, consult the babbling astrologers, conjure the dead to tell the living what’s to come, but shouldn’t they ask their God? 20 Go to God’s teaching and His testimony to guide your thoughts and behavior! If any response disagrees with the word of God, then it’s muddling and wrong and not the least bit illuminating. 21 It leaves the people bedraggled and desperate, drifting here and there. In their hunger, the people are bound to be infuriated and curse their king and God. They’ll look up to the heavens 22 and down to the earth, yet see nothing but trouble, gloom, anguish, and darkness. They will be driven out into the darkness.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Be careful in who and what you listen to all the time. Some today will tell you the Old Testament is irrelevant. I will tell you it isn’t. You learn a great deal about Me and about yourself from reading and understanding it. Isaiah talks about his determination and about the path of those who don’t follow Me. I consistently see people running to the wrong sources today for information that will lead them the wrong way.

Isaiah described today pretty well. “People might tell you to ask the fortune-tellers, consult the babbling astrologers, conjure the dead to tell the living what’s to come, but shouldn’t they ask their God? Go to God’s teaching and His testimony to guide your thoughts and behavior! If any response disagrees with the word of God, then it’s muddling and wrong and not the least bit illuminating.”

If you will stick to My word life will turn out well for you. If you don’t you will suffer through consequences that you won’t like. You can trust My word. As creator of all things, you know My word is true. You know I will guide you correctly through life with it. I will not lead you down a path that takes you away from Me, but will draw you closer to Me each day if you let Me.

What the fortune-tellers, astrologers, and others tell you might sound appealing. They might tell you things you want to hear, but they won’t be the things you need to hear. They won’t tell you the things that will lead you to a life of righteousness. You might like what you hear, but it doesn’t help you. Just like going to the doctor, sometimes the treatment is painful, but necessary for the cure. That’s how My teaching and discipline can be. Sometimes the things you need bring some pain but it’s necessary to bring you the growth you need.

Just because you experience pain in your spiritual growth doesn’t mean I don’t love you, though. I do. If I left you to your own devices, you would wallow in your sin and never enter My eternal rest. You would find yourself left out of heaven because of your evil. My remedy sometimes hurts, but will eventually bring you to the realization that I am God and you are not. I know what is best for you each step along the way. I can free you from the chains that bind you. I alone can give you the keys to the joy you long for.

Listen to Me, trust Me, follow Me, you won’t be sorry.

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.

Turn your fear into trust (2 Chronicles 20:1-30), June 21, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
Set – 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3
Go! – 2 Kings 6-7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3

2 Chronicles 20:1-30
1 After Jehoshaphat had solidified his throne by fortifying the nation and appointing regional judges, the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites decided to attack him. 2 Jehoshaphat heard about their plans.

Messengers: A huge army is quickly approaching Jerusalem. They are coming from Edom beyond the Dead Sea, but they have already reached Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi on the shore of the Dead Sea, about two days southwest of Jerusalem).

3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he sought the Eternal and required all Judah’s citizens to fast. 4-5 Everyone gathered together in Jerusalem from cities all over Judah to seek help from the Eternal. Jehoshaphat joined the assembly in the newly restored court at the Eternal’s house and 6 prayed before the people.

Jehoshaphat: O Eternal One, the True God of our ancestors, You are the True God in the heavens and the ruler over all the kingdoms and nations! You are so strong that none can survive when they oppose You. 7 O our True God, You demonstrated that power when You exiled inhabitants of this land for Your people, Israel, and gave it to Your friend Abraham’s children forever. Please demonstrate it again, now, as we are attacked. 8 We have lived here and built a sacred house honoring Your reputation. Now we will remind You of Solomon’s words: 9 “If we encounter disaster or disease from wars, judgment, pestilence, or famine, then we will come to this house where You are and where your reputation is honored and beg for Your help. You will hear our cries and rescue us.”

10 Now is the time to ask for Your help. Men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir (the region in Edom which You stopped Israel from destroying when they left Egypt) 11 are rewarding our ancestors’ mercy by coming to steal our inheritance, which is Your land and which You gave to us. 12 Our True God, won’t You judge them? We can do nothing to stop this huge army from attacking us; we don’t know what to do, so we are asking for Your help.

13 All Judah (men and women, children, and infants) were waiting in front of the Eternal’s temple when Jehoshaphat asked this. 14 There, the Spirit of the Eternal descended on a Levitical singer, Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite son of Asaph).

Jahaziel: 15 Listen to me, all Judah, citizens of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. The Eternal has responded to your pleading: “Do not fear or worry about this army. The battle is not yours to fight; it is the True God’s. 16 Tomorrow, they will travel through the ascent of Ziz. Meet them at the end of valley before the wilderness of Jeruel. There, I will be watching. 17 Stand and watch, but do not fight the battle. There, you will watch the Eternal save you, Judah and Jerusalem.”

Do not fear or worry. Tomorrow, face the army and trust that the Eternal is with you.

18 Jehoshaphat bowed his head low, and all the assembly fell prostrate before the Eternal and worshiped Him with reverence. They trusted the Lord completely. 19 Meanwhile, the Levite families of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the Eternal One, True God of Israel, with very loud voices.

20 Early the next morning they went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. There Jehoshaphat’s message to Judah was not about courage in battle.

Jehoshaphat: Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Trust in the Eternal One, your True God, not in your own abilities, and you will be supported. Put your trust in His words that you heard through the prophets, and we will succeed.

21 Having addressed his people, Jehoshaphat asked those who sang to the Eternal to lead the army and praise His magnificence and holiness.

Chorus (singing): Give thanks to the Eternal because His loyal love is forever!

22 As they sang and praised, the Eternal was ready to cause great confusion in battle for the men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir (in Edom) who had come to attack Judah. They were utterly defeated, turning on one another. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir, destroying them completely. Then, the Ammonites and Moabites turned on each other. 24 When all was quiet, Judah looked out of the watchtower in the wilderness and saw a great army of corpses fallen on the battlefield. No one had escaped. 25 Then Jehoshaphat and his people took various goods, clothing, and valuables off the dead bodies and seized the abundant livestock. There was so much that it took three days to recover it all. 26 On the fourth day, they assembled in the valley of Beracah, where they had blessed the Eternal and where He had blessed them with a victory, and named the place, “The Valley of Beracah,” as it is still known today.

27 Every man of Judah and citizen of Jerusalem followed Jehoshaphat back to Jerusalem, joyous because the Eternal defeated their enemies. 28 They paraded into Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets and up to the Eternal’s house.

29-30 For the rest of his reign, Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was peaceful because the Eternal had fought the Southern Kingdom’s enemies, making all the surrounding kingdoms fear the True God.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

It’s okay to be afraid. The question is what do you do with that fear? Do you trust in Me or do you try to handle those fearful situations in your own power?

Jehoshaphat and the people of Jerusalem were just two days from facing a huge army made up of the combined forces of three of their most feared enemies. The warriors from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir wanted to avenge the defeats they suffered at the hands of Jehoshaphat’s predecessors. This was their opportunity.

Rather than fold under the fear, though, Jehoshaphat took the right action. He went to the Temple and prayed. He asked his people to join him in fasting and praying that I would protect them and defeat their enemy. He trusted Me despite what he could see in front of him. That’s what faith is all about.

The next time you face an impossible situation, think about Jehoshaphat. His trust in Me paid off. He gave Me his fear and I showed him what I can do. All his enemies destroyed themselves. Jehoshaphat and the citizens of Jerusalem just looked over the valley and watched Me take care of the forces against him. There was nothing for his people to do except pick up the spoils from those who died in their attempt to thwart My people.

I take care of My children. You don’t need to fear those around you.

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

Trust God to carry you through (Proverbs 16), May 31, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Proverbs 16
Set – Proverbs 16; Romans 12
Go! – Proverbs 16-18; Romans 12

Proverbs 16
1 People go about making their plans,
but the Eternal has the final word.
2 Even when you think you have good intentions,
He knows your real motives.
3 Whatever you do, do it as service to Him,
and He will guarantee your success.
4 The Eternal made everything for a reason.
Even wrongdoers fit in His plans; troubled times await them.
5 He abhors arrogant people.
Make no mistake about it! They will be punished!
6 The penalty of sin is removed by love and loyalty;
and by devotion to the Eternal, evil is avoided.
7 When people make good choices, He is pleased;
He even causes their enemies to live peacefully near them.
8 Better to have little and stand for what is right
than to become rich by doing what is wrong.
9 People do their best making plans for their lives,
but the Eternal guides each step.
10 The king makes a decision under divine inspiration,
but he must never render an unfair judgment.
11 The Eternal requires that business be conducted honestly;
He wants fairness in all your dealings.
12 When kings commit evil, it is despicable,
because their thrones should be built on justice.
13 Kings admire those who tell the truth;
they adore those who set the record straight.
14 A king’s rage signals that people will die,
but whoever is wise will pacify him.
15 If a king is smiling brightly, life will be granted;
his favor is like a cloud swelled with the first spring rain.
16 How much better it is to receive wisdom than the riches of gold
and to gain understanding over some silver prize!
17 The highway of the just bypasses evil;
those who watch where they’re going protect their lives from sin.
18 Pride precedes destruction;
an arrogant spirit gives way to a nasty fall.
19 It is better to be humble and live among the poor,
than to divide up stolen property with the proud.
20 Those devoted to instruction will prosper in goodness;
those who trust in the Eternal will experience His favor.
21 The wise at heart have a reputation for understanding;
pleasant words make the lips more persuasive.
22 Understanding for those who have it is a spring of life,
but it is pointless to try and instruct a fool.
23 From a wise heart flow careful words;
wise words make the lips more persuasive.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb:
they drip sweet food for life and bring health to the body.
25 Before every person lies a road that seems to be right,
but at the end of that road death and destruction wait.
26 People work to stay alive,
pressed daily by their need to eat.
27 Good-for-nothings conjure up evil ideas;
their conversations fuel destructive fires.
28 Perverse people stir up contention;
gossip makes best friends into enemies.
29 Violent people try to recruit their neighbors,
wanting to lead them down the vile path of evil they have chosen.
30 Body language can expose a person’s intentions:
whoever winks the eye is planning perversity;
whoever purses his lips is intent on evil.
31 Gray hair is a crown of honor,
earned by living the right kind of life.
32 It is better to be a patient man than a mighty warrior,
better to be someone who controls his temper than someone who conquers a city.
33 We may try to control the roll of the dice,
but actually, the Eternal decides what they will determine.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You just heard a lot of good pieces of advice from if you’ll take them to heart. Things like young people should listen to people who have life experience. They know a little bit about what you’re going through. Times really haven’t changed as much as you think.

Violence is contagious. You’ve seen it recently in America as mobs took to the streets in some of your major cities in response to violence. You see how mobs react and how peaceful protests turn violent with just the spark of one blow thrown.

Look at the aftermath of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, and other natural disasters and you see the truth in “people work to stay alive; pressed daily by their need to eat.” When hunger strikes people will do almost anything for a crust of bread.

But in the proverbs you heard, probably the most important is the first one in this chapter. “People go about making their plans, but I have the final word.” You have no promise of the future. You have this moment. That’s all. I want you to plan for the future. I want you to stay diligent in caring for those in your responsibility. Don’t cry the sky is falling and quit all your activities in planning for the tomorrow. But remember life is really just a breath and is gone.

Make right choices knowing that I have the final word in everything you plan. Also know that I will do what is best for you and what brings glory to Me. You may not think it best at the moment, but trust Me. I might let you go through pain and suffering for a moment in time, but I know the end results. I know what you’re going through and I’m with you to the end. I know your future and you can trust that I know what you need in your life for each moment.

The final word is mine. Trust Me as your God and Savior to carry you through this life into the next well.

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.

Can you be a Gideon? (Judges 6:1-21), Mar 29, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Judges 6:1-21
Set – Judges 6; Psalms 52; 1 Corinthians 14
Go! – Judges 6-7; Psalms 52; 1 Corinthians 14

Judges 6:1-21
1 When the people of Israel again did what the Eternal One considered evil, He made them serve the Midianites for seven years. 2 The power of Midian prevailed over Israel so that the Israelites built for themselves hiding places in the mountains, in caves, and in safe strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted seed, the soldiers of Midian, Amalek, and others from the east would rise up against them 4 and destroy their farms and fields as far as Gaza in the west, leaving them nothing to eat and no livestock. 5 They would come up with their tents and their livestock, as thick as a cloud of locusts. They and their camels were so numerous they could not be counted, and they left the land desolate behind them.

6 So the people of Israel were impoverished because of the Midianites, and they cried out to the Eternal One for help. 7 When the people of Israel cried to the Eternal for relief from the Midianites, 8 He sent a prophet to them.

Prophet: Here are the words of the Eternal God of Israel: “I brought you out from slavery in Egypt. 9 I delivered you from the Egyptians, from all who would have oppressed you. I drove the Canaanites out before you and delivered their land into your care. 10 But I said to you, ‘I am the Eternal One, your True God, and you must not worship the gods of the Amorites, those people in whose land you settle.’ And you have not listened to Me.”

11 Now in Ophrah, the Eternal’s messenger sat under an oak tree that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. Gideon, the son of Joash, was beating out wheat in the winepress so that the Midianites could not see what he was doing. 12 The Eternal’s messenger appeared to Gideon.

Messenger of the Eternal One: The Eternal One is with you, mighty warrior.

Gideon: 13 Sir, if He is with us, then why has all this misfortune come on us? Where are all the miracles that our ancestors told us about? They said, “Didn’t the Eternal deliver us out of Egypt?” But now He has left us. He has made us servants of the Midianites.

14 The Eternal turned to Gideon and addressed him.

Eternal One (speaking through His messenger): Go out with your strength and rescue Israel from the oppression of Midian. Do you understand that I am the one sending you?

Gideon: 15 But, Lord, how am I supposed to deliver Israel? My family is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least of my family.

Eternal One: 16 Go. I will be with you, and you will totally destroy the forces of Midian as one man.

Gideon: 17 If You do look on me with favor, then give me a sign that I’m really hearing from You. 18 Wait here until I return and bring out my offering and place it in front of You.

Eternal One: I will stay here until you return.

19 So Gideon went into his house, cooked a young goat, and made cakes of unleavened bread from half a bushel of flour. He then put the meat into a basket, poured the broth into a pot, and brought the food out to present it to Him under the oak.

Eternal One: 20 Put the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour out the broth.

Gideon did as he was told. 21 Then the Eternal’s messenger touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff he carried. Fire raged out of the rock and consumed the food, and the Eternal’s messenger vanished from sight.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Gideon was anything but a mighty warrior until I met him and made him one. Notice what he did before I came to him. Gideon hid in the wine press to thresh his grain because he feared the retribution of the Midianites who invaded the land like locusts. But I chose Gideon to act as the judge, the military leader for Israel to rescue them from the hands of these invaders.

If you look back through history, you’ll find I do that a lot. I choose the most unlikely characters to do spectacular things for Me. Gideon rightly noted he came from the weakest clan of the weakest tribe in the nation. How could lead such a defenseless, unorganized band to defeat such a formidable foe? The answer is he couldn’t, but I can…through him.

Was Gideon afraid? Absolutely, until he understood I would fight his battles. Did he understand how I would use him to defeat his enemies? Not at this point, but he willingly volunteered to act as an instrument in My hands. Would Gideon volunteer if he knew I would ask him to defeat the Midianites with just 300 men? Probably not at this point. But Gideon trusted Me and that’s all I really asked of him.

You might think you’re not good enough, strong enough, smart enough to do something I’ve asked you to do. That’s not unusual when I call people to important things. I know your capabilities. I gave them to you. But in your weakness, I am your strength. In your foolishness, I am your wisdom. I know My plans for you. And I don’t make mistakes.

The job I want you to do for Me is suited best for you and you alone. Otherwise I wouldn’t ask you to do it. Just trust Me. Like with Gideon, I’ll be there for the whole journey. I won’t leave you to face the job alone. I’ll make you successful when I give you a task. Just say yes to Me and trust Me to carry 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.

God does the impossible (Joshua 14:6-15), Mar 22, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Joshua 14:6-15
Set – Joshua 14; 1 Corinthians 7
Go! – Joshua 12-14; 1 Corinthians 7

Joshua 14:6-15
6 Some members of the tribe of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, including Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite.

Caleb (to Joshua): Remember what the Eternal said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me in Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was 40 years old when Moses, the Eternal’s servant, sent me out from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land of Canaan. I brought back an honest report. 8 The others who were sent as spies only discouraged the people and melted their hearts, but I obeyed the Eternal One, my God, completely. 9 At that time, Moses swore an oath to me: “Someday the land on which you have walked will be given to you and your children as an inheritance forever because you have been completely faithful to the Eternal One, my God.”

10 So here I am. The Eternal has spared my life these 45 years since He spoke this to Moses while Israel was in the wilderness. Here I am today, 85 years old, 11 still as strong today as I was when Moses sent me into this country, able to fight and able to work.

12 So now I ask that you give me this hill country the Eternal spoke about on that day. You heard then how the Anakim were there with great fortified cities, and so they are still. Because the Eternal goes with me, I will drive them out, just as He has said.

13 So Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and gave him Hebron as an inheritance. 14 Hebron belongs to the descendants of Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, even now because he obeyed the Eternal God of Israel completely. 15 (In ancient times, Hebron was called Kiriath-arba after Arba, who was the greatest of the Anakim.) So that land was peaceful.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Caleb had a special place in the promised land because he had a special place in My kingdom. Of all the spies who went into Canaan to report on the land I would give the Israelites, only
Caleb told Moses My people should go in immediately and take it because I would be with them. All the other spies cowed to their fear of failure in the face of people bigger and better equipped for war than they. They forgot that God plus one is always a majority.

All but Caleb and Joshua forgot a few months earlier I delivered them from Pharaoh and the great Egyptian army. The Israelites didn’t lose a single person when I defeated Pharaoh’s army. I kept them safe, fed them, gave them water. I did miraculous things they saw with their own eyes, yet when they saw the size of the people in the land, they forgot Me and what I could do for them. Only Caleb and Joshua believed I could lead the Israelites to victory despite the odds against them in men’s eyes.

So Caleb, the Kenizzite, received his reward. He received all the land he spied out for the nation when he entered it forty years earlier. He also has a place in My kingdom. A place reserved for him in heaven. My servant did what I asked of him and will have a great reward because of his faithfulness among the unbelievers with whom he worked. He tried his best to convince others of who I am and what I can do. It wasn’t his fault they failed in their own faithfulness. Caleb did his part and will find his reward because of it.

The point is, trust Me. I can do all things. Something that looks impossible to you, if I’ve told you to do it, I’ll be with you and together we will make it happen. I just want you to allow yourself to be an instrument in My hands. I know what you are capable of much better than you. Remember I made you. I also know how best to use you to complete My plan on earth. So make yourself available to Me. That’s all you need to do. I’ll do the rest through you. Just believe in Me and let me take care of everything else. 

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.

Watch the children (Mark 10:13-31), Mar 3, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Mark 10:13-31
Set – Exodus 32; Mark 10
Go! – Numbers 32-33; Mark 10

Mark 10:13-31
13 When the crowd gathered again, the people brought their children to see Jesus, hoping that He might grant them His blessing through His touch.

His disciples turned them all away; 14 but when Jesus saw this, He was incensed.

Jesus (to the disciples): Let the children come to Me, and don’t ever stand in their way, for this is what the kingdom of God is all about. 15 Truly anyone who doesn’t accept the kingdom of God as a little child does can never enter it.

16 Jesus gathered the children in His arms, and He laid His hands on them to bless them.

17 When He had traveled on, a young man came and knelt in the dust of the road in front of Jesus.

Young Man: Good Teacher! What must I do to gain life in the world to come?

Jesus: 18 You are calling Me good? Don’t you know that God and God alone is good? 19 Anyway, why ask Me that question? You know the Commandments of Moses: “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not slander, do not defraud, and honor your father and mother.”[a]

Young Man: 20 Yes, Teacher, I have done all these since I was a child.

21 Then Jesus, looking at the young man, saw that he was sincere and responded out of His love for him.

Jesus: Son, there is still one thing you have not done. Go now. Sell everything you have and give the proceeds to the poor so that you will have treasure in heaven. After that, come, follow Me.

22 The young man went away sick at heart at these words because he was very wealthy, 23 and Jesus looked around to see if His disciples were understanding His teaching.

Jesus (to His disciples): Oh, it is hard for people with wealth to find their way into God’s kingdom!

Disciples (amazed): 24 What?

Jesus: You heard Me. How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God [for those who trust in their wealth]![b] 25 I think you’ll see camels squeezing through the eye of a needle before you’ll see the rich celebrating and dancing as they enter into the joy of God’s kingdom!

26 The disciples looked around at each other, whispering.

Disciples (aloud to Jesus): Then who can be liberated?

Jesus (smiling and shaking His head): 27 For human beings it is impossible, but not for God: God makes everything possible.

Peter: 28 Master, we have left behind everything we had to follow You.

Jesus: 29 That is true. And those who have left their houses, their lands, their parents, or their families for My sake, and for the sake of this good news 30 will receive all of this 100 times greater than they have in this time—houses and farms and brothers, sisters, mothers, and children, along with persecutions—and in the world to come, they will receive eternal life. 31 But many of those who are first in this world shall be last in the world to come, and the last, first.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

What a difference between the children who came to Jesus and the wealthy young man who came to Him. The children were dependent on others for food, clothing, shelter, knowledge, wisdom, health, everything. They needed others to meet their daily needs. The young man was wealthy and thought he needed nothing but his wealth to supply his needs. He thought he could buy his way through life. He could go to the market and buy the best food. He could buy the best clothes. He could buy the best housing. He could pay for the best doctors. He thought all he needed was his money.

When he saw Jesus, the young man discovered his money wasn’t enough. There was something missing. A hole existed in his life that money couldn’t fill. He tried various pleasures to fill the void, but nothing worked. When he asked Jesus how to gain the eternal life He spoke of, perhaps he thought he could purchase that, too. But eternity doesn’t work that way. Jesus hit home with the one demand the young man couldn’t fulfill. “Sell all you have and give it to the poor.”

Jesus knew the young man treasured his material goods more than he treasured God. He needed to abandon his false love for things and replace it with love for what was true, the Only True God. He needed to discover for himself that he must learn to trust in Me for what he needed, not on the fickle state of any given economy. Children don’t worry about such things. They just trust their parents to feed and clothe them and live from day to day without a care. That’s the kind of trust I want you to have in Me.

When you think you can depend on yourself, like the wealthy young man, you will find it very difficult to believe in Me. When you know you need Me for your next breath and learn to trust Me for the needs of each new day, you will begin to understand the trust I require from you. It isn’t hard. Just watch the children around you. Learn to think like them when it comes to trust, think the best in others, and believe in the impossible. You can learn a lot from watching children and their faith. 

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.