Month: April 2023

Day 120 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 11:1–12:15; John 1:1-28; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14

I Will Set No Wicked Thing Before Mine Eyes
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; It shall not cleave to me. – Psalm 101:3

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Didn’t You Hate Me?
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? And why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou majesty go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. – Judges 11:7-8

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The Word was God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. – John‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭

In Him Was Life
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. – John 1:4-5

A Man Sent from God Whose Name was John
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. – John‬ ‭1:6-14‬ ‭

He that Cometh After Me is Preferred Before Me for He was Before Me
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. – John‬ ‭1:15-18‬ ‭

I am the Voice of One Crying, Make Straight the Way of the Lord
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. – John‬ ‭1:19-23‬ ‭

There Standeth One Among You Whom Ye Know Not
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. – John‬ ‭1:24-28‬

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Even in Laughter the Heart is Sorrowful
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; And the end of that mirth is heaviness. – Proverbs‬ ‭14:13‬ ‭

Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief. – Proverbs‬ ‭14:13‬ ‭AMP‬‬

The Backslider
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: And a good man shall be satisfied from himself. – Proverbs 14:14

Day 119 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 9:22–10:18; Luke 24:13-53; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 14:11-12

Their Eyes were Holden that They Should Not Know Him
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. – Luke‬ ‭24:13-16‬ ‭

We Trusted that It Had Been He Which Should Redeem Israel
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. – Luke‬ ‭24:17-24‬ ‭

He Expounded Unto Them in All the Scriptures the Things Concerning Himself
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. – Luke‬ ‭24:25-29‬ ‭

Did Not Our Heart Burn Within Us?
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? – Luke‬ ‭24:30-32‬ ‭

They Told What Things Were Done in the Way
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. – Luke‬ ‭24:33-35‬ ‭

He Shewed Them His Hands and His Feet
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. – Luke‬ ‭24:36-40‬ ‭

Have Ye Here Any Meat?
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. – Luke‬ ‭24:41-43‬ ‭

Then He Opened Their Understanding
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. – Luke‬ ‭24:44-49‬ ‭

While He Blessed Them, He was Carried Up Into Heaven
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. – Luke‬ ‭24:50-53‬ ‭

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His Soul was Grieved for the Misery of Israel
And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. – Judges 10:11-16

Serve the Lord with Gladness
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. – Psalm 100:1-5

There is a Way Which Seemeth Right
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. – Proverbs 14:12

Day 118 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 8:18–9:21; Luke 23:44–24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 14:9-10

He Gave Up the Ghost
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. – Luke 23:46

And They Remembered His Words
Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, – Luke 24:5-8

Gideon Died and the Children of Israel Turned From God
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel. – Judges 8:33-35

Choose Your Leaders Wisely
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem. – Judges 9:1-6

Worship At His Footstool
Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy. – Psalm 99:5-9

The Heart Knoweth
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. – Proverbs 14:10

Day 117 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 7:1–8:17; Luke 23:13-43; Psalm 97:1–98:9; Proverbs 14:7-8

Go from the Presence of the Foolish
Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. – Proverbs 14:7

Foolish – having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion; absurd, ridiculous; loss of composure, ill-considered or unwise; lacking forethought or caution; trifling, insignificant

The Sword of the Lord
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. – Judges 7:20-23

Weep for Yourselves
And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? – Luke 23:27-31

The Lord Reigns
The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. – Psalm 97:1-5

Sing a New Song
O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. -Psalm 98:1-2

Day 116 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 6:1-40; Luke 22:54-23:12; Psalm 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 14:5-6

Harden Not Your Heart
Harden not your hear, As in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. – Psalm 95:8-9

If the Lord be With Us, Why Then Is All this Befallen Us?
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. – Judges 6:12-16

Doesn’t that sound just like us? God assures us He is with us and we say, IF He is with us….why???

Knowledge is Easy
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. – Proverbs 14:6

Scorn – to treat or regard with contempt; to reject, refuse, or ingore with contempt; to mock; jeer
Scorner – One who scorns; ridicules, derides

Speaking of Scorners
And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. – Luke 23:11-12

Speaking of scorners, how many times are friendships made over the plans for evil against someone else? Quite a few names come to mind when I think of these verses regarding our world today. But I think I should take this verse and look at my own heart. Have I made alliances and friendships and the thing we had in common wasn’t positive interaction but anger or jealousy or contempt of someone else? Something to think about and if you don’t see that you have ever been there, then take this as a warning. What a sad thing to have in common! What a sad thing to have written of yourself and your life by God Himself. Help us all, Lord. Help me!

We are His People of His Pasture
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: – Psalm 95:6-8

The Fields are Joyful, and the Trees Rejoice
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. – Psalms 96:11-13

Day 115 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 4:1–5:31; Luke 22:35-53; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 14:3-4

The Lord Will Not Cast Off His People
For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it. – Psalm 94:14-15

I’ll Go If You Go
And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. – Judges 4:8-10

Awake
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. – Judges 5:12

Rise and Pray
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. – Luke 22:41-46

Isn’t it amazing that while Jesus prayed and wrestled with the cup that He would bear, an angel appeared from heaven and strengthened Him? Jesus was fully God but also fully man and here in this place as a man He prayed and as a man He agonized and as a man an angel was sent to help Him. The same is true of any man or woman. Help has been sent from heaven to strengthen in our time of need. It may be an angel, but it need not be, because you and I have the Holy Ghost living inside of us. The Holy Ghost is fully God so in His fullness, God lives in you. Think about that. Doesn’t that strengthen you just to know that? 

Lips of the Wise
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. – Proverbs 14:3

Much Increase is by the Strength of the Ox
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: But much increase is by the strength of the ox. – Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭4‬

People that prosper have messes in their lives. People that prosper have to live their lives resolved that to have clean barns they must be willing to clean them rather than to rid themselves of everything or everyone that causes a mess.

Day 114 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 2:10–3:31; Luke 22:14-34; Psalm 92:1–93:5; Proverbs 14:1-2

It Is a Good Thing to Give Thanks
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: – Psalm 92:1

They Forsook the Lord
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. – Judges 2:11-12

The reading today tells us that the Children of Israel forsook the LORD! Moses and Joshua warned them, but they didn’t heed the warnings. The passage made me think of the word “forsook.” What does it mean to forsake or to have it said of you that you forsook something?

Forsake – to quit or leave entirely; abandon; desert; to give up or renounce (a habit, way of life, etc.)

Forsook – to have left in an abandoned condition; to have abandoned; to have rejected

When the disciples followed Jesus, the Bible says they forsook all and followed Him. They abandoned the world for Jesus. When the disciples left Jesus as He went to the cross, they forsook Him. They abandoned Jesus for the world. Two very different views on the word “forsook.” There have been times in my life when I forsook Jesus just as the disciples did. Oh, what a hard road that is to take. It seems easy at the time you do it, but the consequences are hard ones. Thank God for His mercy and grace and love that draws us back to Himself. I pray that for all the remaining days of my life, it can be said of me that I forsook the world to follow my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Other Bibles Verses Regarding the Word – Forsook
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. – Luke 5:10-11

But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. – Matthew 26:56

And they all forsook him, and fled. – Mark 14:50

They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts. – Psalm 119:87

But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. – 2 Chronicles 10:8

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. – Hebrews 11:27

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all [men] forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge. – 2 Timothy 4:16

Nevertheless the Lord Raised Up Judges
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. – Judges 2:16-17

He That is Greatest Among You – Doth Serve
And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. – Luke 22:24-27

Wise Women Build Their Houses
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.– Proverbs 14:1

Day 113 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Judges 1:1–2:9; Luke 21:29–22:13; Psalm 90:1–91:16; Proverbs 13:24-25

Teach Me to Number My Days
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

Judges
In our daily Bible reading today, we started reading the book of Judges. As we ended the book of Joshua, Joshua had died. The children of Israel, under his leadership, crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. They settled though they hadn’t taken all the lands promised to them. As we finished the book, Joshua had died. The book of Judges tells us what happened next.

No one man was their leader, and the tribes of the children of Israel began to rebel against God. They began to do whatever seemed right in their own eyes. The book of Judges is the recordings of the period following the death of Joshua and the rebellion and abandonment of God by the Israelites. We will see that they suffered the repercussions of their decisions, just as Moses and Joshua had warned. We will see how they cried out to God in their agony and desperation in repentance. We will see how God answered their prayers by sending leaders (judges) to rescue them. We will read about these judges and the changes the tribes went through. Many changes are recorded because this book covers centuries. It covers the time after Joshua’s death and when Israel was granted its first king.

The accounts in Judges are of some hard times and are relatable to our lives and the issues and decisions we face still today. The children of Israel made wrong decisions and created many problems because of their rebellion, just as we still do today. This book gives us a clear picture of where rebellion leads and its consequences.

The People Lifted Up Their Voice, and Wept
And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. – Judges 2:1-7

All Will Be Fulfilled
And he [Jesus] spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. – Luke 21:29-33

Watch Ye Therefore
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. – Luke 21:36

He That Spareth His Rod
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. – Proverbs 13:24

Day 112 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Joshua 24:1-33; Luke 21:1-28; Psalm 89:38-52; Proverbs 13:20-23

Land For Which Ye Did Not Labour
And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:13-15

Ye Are Witnesses Against Yourselves
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. – Joshua 24:22-24

Today we have not only reached the end of the book of Joshua, but in the last verses, we see that Joshua died at the age of 110. He lived his life as a good and faithful servant. Joshua, like Moses, reminded the children of Israel who they were, where God brought them from, and where they were going. Before he died, he commanded the leaders to serve the Lord and reject other gods. The people spoke and affirmed their allegiance to God. Joshua says to them,“Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you, the LORD, to serve Him.”

In other words, you are the witnesses to your decision. No one else needed to judge them. Their lives would tell the truth about whether they served the Lord or didn’t. They had agreed that their faithfulness’s verdict would be their own lives.

Isn’t this true of our own lives today? The way we walk through our lives shows what is in our hearts. He can make people think that we are one way or another, but what is in the heart comes out through our actions or words and becomes a witness either for or against us. A witness to what we believe and know of God. It is my prayer that I can say by my life, The Lord my God will I serve, and His voice will I obey.

Look Up
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. – Luke 21:28

We Live and We Die
Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. – Psalm 89:47-48

If You Want Wisdom
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. – Proverbs 13:20

If you want wisdom, walk with wise men!

Day 111 One-Year KJV Bible Reading – Joshua 22:21–23:16; Luke 20:27-47; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 13:17-19

The Blessings of the People that Know the Joyful Sound
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. – Psalm 89:15-18

The Risk of Making Assumptions
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: but that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. – Joshua 22:26-29

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. – Joshua 22:31

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. – Joshua 22:34

In March, we read in Numbers 32 that the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh asked Moses for the land on the eastern side of the Jordan River. That piece of land was not the Promised Land but the land right before the Promised Land. They saw that it suited their lifestyle, and Moses allowed them to have it, but with the condition that they go with the other tribes and fight alongside the other tribes, they also might have their land. The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh agreed.

In our reading in Joshua today, the men of these 2 ½ tribes had fulfilled the obligations as Moses commanded and went back across the Jordan to establish their own homes. The leaders of Israel heard that those tribes had built an altar on the Eastern side of the Jordan River. Only one altar was to be made by the Children of Israel to worship God. So that reporting assumed the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were breaking their covenant with God and with them, and assuming this breach, they gathered to destroy them for it. But before battle, they sent envoys to verify the reports. They found that the truth was those tribes hadn’t built an altar to God but had built an altar that future generations from both sides of the Jordan would remember that though they settled east of the Jordan, they were entitled to worship the same LORD as their brothers and sisters on the western side. So rather than an altar of worship built with a rebellious spirit, it was a memorial and reminder that both sides would never forget that the Jordan River was not a barrier between the Children of Israel but that they were all still one family.

Wouldn’t it have been sad if the Western tribes had not verified what was going on before they went into battle? How often do we jump to conclusions and assign motives? Assumptions and the rumors we spread when making them are dangerous and can destroy relationships. Had the Western tribes jumped into battle based on assumptions, it would have resulted in a civil war for no reason. When we act on rumors, the same things happen, whereas when we stop for a minute to find out the truth, we often find we have created an issue in our minds that wasn’t reality.

What a lesson for today!!! Seek the truth. Reject assumptions. Know the joyful sound.

A Little Glimpse of Heaven
Then came to him [Jesus] certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. – Luke 20:27-28

The Costs of Refusing Instruction
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. – Proverbs 13:18