Month: March 2021

Deuteronomy 16:1–17:20; Luke 9:7-27; Psalm 72:1-20; Proverbs 12:8-9

He Only Doeth Wondrous Things
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. – Psalm 72:18-19

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. – Psalm 72:20

When I read this last verse, I thought how David seems to be declaring the place he began as David, the son of Jesse, and the place where he will end, as David, the son of Jesse. All of the things in his life are because of and for the glory of the Lord God. It was God who took a young boy and set him where He set him and used him for His purposes and His glory. What more could David say than of his life than he said in these verses?

What more can I say of my life. Where God brought me from, where He has brought me to, where He will bring me in the future?  May my prayer and my heart song, today and every day, be as David’s.

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed by His glorious Name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen!

Write the Law, Read the Law, Keep the Law
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:  and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. – Deuteronomy 17:18-20

The kings were instructed to write the law in a book, keep it, and read it every day. Why? So that they can learn the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord will help kings to keep the law and not deviate from it. What excellent instruction for us as well. Write the Word down, read the Word, and keep the Word that we too may learn to fear God and keep and do all God instructs!

Who Do You Say that I Am?
And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. – Luke 9:18-20

Who do you say that I am? This is a question we each will have to answer. Because we have grown up knowing the correct answer, there is only one way we can answer honestly, which is how we live our lives. Are we sitting at the feet of Jesus to hear, learn, and follow His commands because we know Him and love Him? Or are we listening from a distance, and at test time looking at someone else’s life to copy for the correct answer or pulling from what we have merely memorized. We sound like we know Him, but then we go off into our day doing as we please. We know the correct answer, but we don’t live it day-by-day?

Honor?
He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread. – Proverbs 12:9

To honor oneself is not honor at all. It is the direct opposite. Give honor where honor is due and there is only one that truly deserves our honor and praise.

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious Name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen!

Deuteronomy 13:1–15:23; Luke 8:40–9:6; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 12:5-7

Go in the Strength of the Lord God
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. – Psalm 71:14-16

The Lord Your God Proveth You
If there arise among you [Israel] a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. – Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Prove – to establish the existence, truth, or validity of; to demonstrate as having a particular quality or worth; to show oneself to be worthy or capable; to test the truth or genuineness of

She Shall Be Made Whole
While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. – Luke 8:49-50

Whole – free of wound or injury or defect or impairment; being healed; physically, mentally, emotionally sound

I Want a House that Will Stand
The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand. – Proverbs 12:5-7

Deuteronomy 11:1–12:32; Luke 8:22-39; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 12:4

My Help and My Deliverer
But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying. – Psalm 70:5

Be Not Snared By Following Them
When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. – Deuteronomy 12:29-32

Show How Great Things God Hath Done
Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. – Luke 8:37-39

A Virtuous Woman
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. – Proverbs 12:4

Deuteronomy 9:1–10:22; Luke 8:4-21; Psalm 69:19-36; Proverbs 12:2-3

What Doth the Lord Require?
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? – Deuteronomy 9:12-13

What does the Lord thy God require: To fear Him; to walk in His ways; to love Him; to serve Him with all thy heart and soul.

Of course, that brings to mind another familiar verse.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? – Micah 6:8

What Pleases God?
I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. – Psalm 69:30-32

A song of thanksgiving to our God will please Him more than anything you can sacrifice before Him.

Root of the Righteous
A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.  – Proverbs 12:3

The root of righteousness is firm! It is a sure foundation that holds you steady in the place God has placed you. This foundation is made strong by God’s Word, prayer, and praise, and worship.

Secrets will be Exposed
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. – Luke 8:17-18

Eventually, every secret will be made known.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for this beautiful day and another day to honor, worship and praise You. Please help me to keep my focus on You and You alone as I move through this day, that You may be pleased and my roots may grow stronger in You! I ask this in Jesus’ precious and holy Name. Amen!

Deuteronomy 7:1–8:20; Luke 7:36–8:3; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 12:1

HE is God, the Faithful God
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations – Deuteronomy 7:9

Man Doth Not Live But By Every WORD
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. – Deuteronomy 8:2-3

I need Your Word today, Father! Your Word is my Bread, and I am so thankful for all that has proceedeth out of Your mouth. Help me, to love Your Word more, to understand what You provide today, and to meditate on it day and night that I might walk it out for YOUR GLORY!

He Spake Within Himself
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. – Luke 7:39-40

We don’t have to utter a word because, either good or bad, Jesus knows every word in our heart before it comes out. Help me, Lord, to not think thoughts of wickedness but help me to think on your word and thoughts of faith, hope, and love – thoughts of You, JESUS!

My Reproach
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. – Psalm 69:8-10

Reproach – to bring into discredit; to express disappointment in or displeasure with

Learn to Love Reproof
Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. – Proverbs 12:1

Reproof – Critique or correction, especially gentle; disapproval

Brutish – carnal; showing little intelligence or sensibility

My Prayer Today
Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. – Psalm 69:16

Deuteronomy 5:1–6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 11:29-31

A Tree of Life
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. – Proverbs 11:30

We must die to self to bear fruit that we might then plant a seed that would win a soul. The Bible uses the image of seeds and fruit for a reason. The seed is the Word, and it is planted and grows in our lives. If it is nurtured and watered, and pruned when necessary, it grows until it bears fruit. Fruit is ripe in its season, but it has to die for the seeds it bears to be planted again and bear more fruit. We must die to our desires and yield to death that we may have seeds gathered and planted that they might be harvested in the coming days. The harvest is coming from a tree of life. He that winneth souls is wise but before there is a tree of life there is a death.

Hear, Oh Israel
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. – Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The Hebrew word for hear is “Shema.” This word doesn’t stop at meaning “hear,” though. The meaning goes further to not only hear but to act because of the hearing. 

Many of the Psalms begin with the word Shema. And the prayer in this passage is so important that it is not only called by the name Shema, but these verses are taught, recited often, and many even put them into a mezuzah and attach it to their front door. 

Israel was not commanded to hear the Words of God only but to act on the Words as well. We are too!

No Greater Prophet
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. – Luke 7:28

John was great. Jesus said here that there was not a prophet greater than John. But as great as John was, this verse tells us that it is better to be the lowliest worker in the Kingdom than even the greatest of those that announce it. 

We can take that as a lesson for today. As far as modern-day prophets, it is greater to take what that prophet speaks to you and walk it out for Kingdom purposes, even if it seems to be the most menial of tasks than to be the one that only speaks it.

He Loadeth Us With Benefits (Every Single Day)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. – Psalm 68:19

This verse says that not only does the Lord give us benefits daily, but that He gives them in loads – he loadeth us with them daily.

Loadeth – to supply in abundance or excess

God, thank You for Your salvation and thank You for Your many daily benefits. Amid this day that will surely be busy, please help me to remain aware of Your presence in my life. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39–7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28

If You Keep the Commandments of the Lord
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I [Moses] teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. – Deuteronomy 4:1-2

Why did God say don’t add or take away from the Word? He said it so that the Word would not be diminished. If you obey a diminished command, you are not in obedience to the Lord’s actual command. 

IF you follow His commands, IF you keep the statutes and judgments taught to you, you will live. Not only will you live, but you will go in and possess the land which the Lord has promised you. That was for Moses day, but it still applies today. There is a land, a place, and a call that He has promised you. It is your Promised Land. 

Diminish – to make less or cause to appear less; to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; to become gradually less
Aught – anything

If You Seek Him, You Will Find Him
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (for the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. – Deuteronomy 4:29-31

IF we seek Him, we will find Him! IF you turn to the Lord and obey His voice, He will not forsake you or destroy you or forget the covenant He made to you.

If You Keep His Statutes and Commandments
Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever. – Deuteronomy 49:39-40

IF you keep His commandments, things will go well with you, and He will prolong your days on this earth and the days of your children!!! 

If You Hear Him and Obey Him
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. – Luke 6:46-49

Here is another promise. If you come to Him, hear Him, and obey Him, you will be like the one who built his house on a good foundation. When the storm comes, your house will stand. If you come to Him, hear Him, and don’t obey, you will be like the one who built his house with no foundation, and when the storm comes, it breaks up immediately.

Let God Arise, Let His Enemies Be Scattered
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. – Psalm 68:1-3

If we keep close to God and live full of the Holy Ghost, our enemies will scatter when He arises in our lives. If they hate Him, they will flee, even from us, who have Him living within. The enemy must leave because nothing of the enemy can stand and stay in the presence of almighty God. On that day, we will be glad and rejoice. But we won’t just rejoice. We will exceedingly rejoice!!!

The Righteous Shall Flourish
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. – Proverbs 11:28

Another promise is in this Proverb. If you live righteously, you will flourish.

Righteous – to act in accord with divine or moral law; free from guilt or sin
Flourish – to achieve success, prosper; grow luxuriantly, thrive

He said IF…
What great promises are given to us today in these passages!!! IF you keep His commands – you will live and possess the land, you will find Him, He will not forsake you or destroy you or forget the covenant He made to you, things will go well with you, and He will prolong your days on earth, and your children’s days. You will be one with a good foundation, and you will flourish

If you look at what He asks of you next to what He promises, that should make obedience a joy. 

He said IF…

Thank You, God. Please help me to be obedient to Your Word and Your Will today. In Jesus Name. Amen

Deuteronomy 2:1–3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; Proverbs 11:27

Let It Suffice
And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. – Deuteronomy 3:23-28

As we have made our way through the Old Testament this year, I have wondered if Moses accepted that God wasn’t going to let him enter the Promised Land. Did he ask God at any time to allow him to go in despite that He had sinned in striking the rock instead of leading the people to glorify God by bringing forth water according to God’s direction? Here was my answer, and I have never seen this passage before.

This passage says God would not hear his plea, and then He added – Enough! Be satisfied with seeing it from the top of Mt. Pisgah, and don’t mention it again!!!

I have also wondered if God ever gets tired of our asking the same thing over and over. Well, here we have the answer to that question too.

I guess there is a fine line between persistence and satisfaction with God’s will when it doesn’t seem to go our way. That fine line is what God has spoken. If God has said it, it is so. He is not a man that He should lie.

Help me, Lord, to accept your will in all areas of my life. Please help me to be satisfied. To let it suffice, to wait quietly and prayerfully for Your leading and Your direction.

Suffice – to be enough or adequate for; satisfy

The Way
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. – Luke 6:20-38

When I don’t know what to do, these passages known as the Sermon on the Mount are right here to tell me how to act and how to react. Thank You, Lord, for Your clear direction. What was “The Way?” This Sermon was the message of Jesus. When we say we want to look and act like Jesus, we are to look like this.

We have heard these verses many times, but sometimes we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us fresh revelation regarding what we have always heard. Today what struck me was this from verse 35 – Lend, hoping for nothing again. How often do I do good deeds, and deep down I hope for something from it? We lend our resources, our joy, our hope, our abilities. We hope that someone notices. Surely God promises us blessings as we are a blessing, but once we start focusing on what we hope for – we lose the blessing because we have made it about us instead of about Jesus.

Help me, Lord, to truly walk this out. To truly walk in THE WAY – Your Way!!! Please help me, that Thy Way may be known in all the earth. In Jesus Name. Amen!!!

That Thy Way May Be Known
God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. – Psalm 67:1-2

Seek Good
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. – Proverbs 11:27

Numbers 36:1—Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29–6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26

The Lord Will Not Hear
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. – Psalm 66:18-20

Regard – to have or show respect or concern for; to think highly of; esteem
Iniquity – Gross injustice; a wicked act or thing; sin

One version says, “if you cherished iniquity in my heart.” Another says, “If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it]”

If I like my sin and refuse to turn away from it, God will not hear my prayers! What a huge, huge price to pay. To not have your Father in heaven hear your prayers. To not know that He is listening to your crys and your requests. To not know that you can commune with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. How sad that would be. Yet, that that isn’t even the highest price. The sins that we regard only lead to an eternity in hell. Turn from sin and turn to Jesus before it is too late. Even one day without a relationship with Jesus is way too high a price to pay!!! Help us all Lord. 

The Lord Will Not Hear (An Example from Today’s Reading)
And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah. And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you. – Deuteronomy 1:42-45

Oh Lord, to not have You hear when I call would be way too high a price. Please show me any wicked thing in my life, any thing that I have tolerated, any bit of rebellion to Your commands that keep my prayers from Your ear. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen! Amen!

Jesus Heals – the Scribes and Pharisees are Filled with Madness
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. – Luke 6:6–11

Jesus went against the beliefs of the religious leaders regarding the Sabbath laws. The rule was no work could be done on the Sabbath, and there was a constant battle over what constitutes work. They believed Jesus would sin by healing someone on the Sabbath, but Jesus wasn’t playing that game. He asked them a question. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath or evil deeds? Is this a day to save or destroy life? He looked around at each of them and then said to the man to stretch forth his hand. Jesus healed the man, right there on the Sabbath. The religious leaders were enraged and began discussing what to do with Jesus.

The Generous
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. – Proverbs 11:25

The generous are not the people who have an abundance and decide to give. The generous are the people who provide regardless of what they have. A generous person will share their last bite or the coat off of their back, even if they don’t have an extra…and they will not make you feel bad about it. A generous person will not just share their wealth, but they will share their joy, their piece, their kindness.

Lord, help me, please, to be a generous person with all of Your blessings. In Jesus Name. Amen!!!

Numbers 33:40–35:34; Luke 5:12-28; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 11:23

Chosen
Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.- Psalm 65:4

What a blessed place to be allowed into the Presence of the One True and Living God; to be allowed to approach the King of kings and Lord of lords on behalf of ourselves and others. To have the Father’s ear. What a privilege to be chosen for a time such as this.

Obey With No Compromise
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them. – Numbers 33:55-56

God instructed the Israelites to claim the land of Canaan and drive out all the people living there, destroy all their pagan shrines, take possession of the land and settle in. The inhabitants were wicked, and God warned His children that they would become a source of irritation or discomfort if they did not get rid of every last one of them.

Just as the Israelites were hesitant to clear out all the wicked people, we are reluctant to clear out all the sins in our lives. Maybe that is because we are afraid of the changes and potential danger in what lies ahead (just as the Israelites feared the giants), or maybe we are hesitant because the sin seems harmless or we enjoy it. Whatever the reason, we all have idols we don’t want to let go of  (an addiction, an unhealthy relationship, a particular lifestyle). If we allow any “idol” to dominate us, it will cause great grief and it will harass. Sin left to it’s own will eventually lead to death.

Confess your sin (your idols) and ask God for help. He alone can strip off these weights that trip you and slow you down. Obey Him. Follow His instructions without seeking compromise. Love others as He loves you and He will change you, on the inside and outside. In the end there really is no choice. If you don’t do it God’s way, He says in this verse the punishment of those He opposes, will be brought upon you.

We Have Seen Strange Things
But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today. – Luke 5:22-26

They saw the healings and were amazed, glorified God but having seen these “strange” things; they were full of fear. They were not used to seeing miracles. Today, we have heard about many miracles of the past, but I find it still an extraordinary thing upon seeing an actual miracle. I will be thrilled when we enter a season that miracles and healing will be ordinary because we are that full of the Spirit.

Strange – unusual, extraordinary, curious

Desiring Only Good
The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. – Proverbs 11:23

People that are full of wrath are not right with the Lord. Those that are right with the Lord desire good and only good.

Wrath – Strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply resentful

Please Father!!! Help me, Lord to forsake all resentment. I can’t seem to do it on my own but I know when I give it to You that You can take my heart and make it brand new. I ask in Jesus Holy Name. Amen!