March 2023

 

  Picking A Trail

 March 31, 2023
 Daily Reading – Deuteronomy 29-31 / Luke 5:1-26

 GOD’S WORD:

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Once on a family vacation to Kentucky, while staying at my grandma and grandpa’s house, I went exploring the mountain behind their house. My folks said; “do not wander off too far!” I said; ”OK,” and off I went. I climbed and climbed until I finally reached the top of the mountain. At that age it seemed to me that I could see the world from that peak. I wandered around up there for a while, and then decided to go back down the mountain. The problem was, I couldn’t remember which way I came up. I saw a path that looked traveled and thought this must be the way. After a while I found I had walked into a thicket filled with pricker bushes. When I came out to a road, I was scratched up and on the opposite side of that mountain. Fortunately, my dad, who knew the area well, was looking for me and when he found me, took me back to the house. You can imagine our conversation on the way back was not about how did I like my adventure.

    In today’s verse God sets out two very distinct paths for Israel. One is good and leads to life. The other is evil and leads to death. The problem is the old Devil loves making the wrong path look so appealing. It begins with satisfying enticements which appeal to the flesh. However, if you follow it, you will always end up in “the pricker bushes.” The best way to travel an area you are not familiar with is to follow someone who knows the way, and NEVER wander off too far! 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    In Sunday School we sang a song that said; “My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, All I have to do is follow.” Prov. 3:5-6 says if we will Trust in the Lord, He will direct our paths. If we are wise we let him pick our trail in life.

Do you follow or lead the Lord with your life?

Prophecies Came True

 March 30, 2023
 Daily Reading – Deuteronomy 28 / Luke 4:14-44

 GOD’S WORD:

Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    People say they want to know the future. What is going to happen down the road. Daniel and Revelation are two of the most studied books in the Bible because of the truths they hold about our future. However, does knowing the future cause you to live better, or worse. Knowing something is going to happen, but not knowing just when, should cause people some concern.

    In Deut. 28 God tells the Children of Israel about the blessing He will pour out on them if they live according to His directions. He also says in verse 15, if you do not, there is a price to pay. God prophesies the carrying away of Israel and Judah into Assyria and Babylon in verse 36. In verse 49 He foretells of the Roman Empire’s conquering and ruling over Israel. The emblem of the Roman Empire was the eagle and their language, which the Jews did not understand, was Latin. Then again in verse 64 God tells of the eventual scattering of the Jewish people in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed. The nation of Israel may be back today, but the people are still scattered globally. God forewarned them hundreds of years in advance of these things happening. Yet as time has passed, they never believed it would be today, so let’s live it up. Each one of these prophecies came to pass exactly as God said they would. Yet, each one seemed to catch them by surprise. Why? It was not that they did not know. It was because they believed it would not happen to them now.. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Throughout the New Testament we read of Christ’s return. For Christians, a time of rejoicing. For unbelievers, a time of reckoning. Sadly, I see both groups living as if it just could not happen today. Yet someday it will. What then?

Do we really believe Jesus could come back today?

 

 

Prayers For A Touch

 March 29, 2023
 Daily Reading – Deuteronomy 25-27 / Luke 3:23-4:13

 GOD’S WORD:

Deuteronomy 26:15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

      Most children while growing up, look to their parents as their greatest encouragers in life. Whenever any accomplishment was achieved, it was the praise of mom or dad that added the perfect touch of completion and satisfaction. In your young mind, they were the ones who knew the most about everything. When they said, “Good Job,” or “Child, I am proud of you,” any toil and time you had put into mastering this victory in life felt worth it. The people you loved most in all the world, have just put their stamp of approval on your life. The touch of love and approval has reached deep within to your very soul. (P.S. I never grew out of the desire for my folks to say well done. No matter who else praised what I did, their approval always touched me more. I sometimes miss that today.)

      Deut. 26:13-15 is a prayer to God. They have fulfilled all that was expected of them. They have taken care of those in need around them, offered the tithe due to God with joy in being able to do so, and they have remembered the words of God and done them to the best of their ability. Now, as a child looking to a parent for that approval, they look to God and say, “Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel.” In essence they are saying, “God, did we do ok? Was what we have done pleasing in your sight?” They were praying for that touch only a Heavenly Father could give. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    We all need a touch from God. We need to know we are doing ok, and we are pleasing in His sight. In Rom. 8:16 it says; “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” He is God’s touch to your soul.

Have you thanked God for His touch?

 

Performing The Task

 March 28, 2023
 Daily Reading – Deuteronomy 22-24 / Luke 3:1-22

 GOD’S WORD:

Deuteronomy 23:21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

      People love a deal, a bargain, a real find. If it is a good deal, both parties come away feeling great. My wife and I like to garage sale in the summer. This is where someone has found something they no longer need, and they have set a price on it. Often you can find a real bargain on things that are in great shape, or on occasion never even used. If I can use it, I buy it. I leave with something I can use at a very low price, and the other party is glad to recoup some of what they had originally invested. We both come away from this feeling like we have made a great deal.

      Sometimes people will find themselves in situations they are not sure how to get out of. When they do, they may call on God to fix it and start making deals with God. “God if you will heal me I will go to church every Sunday the rest of my life.” “God if you help me find a job I promise to tithe on that income every week.” Making a deal with God is serious business. God will take you at your word. In today’s verse, Deut. 23:21 it says; “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.” God always keeps His promises and as His children He expects us to do the same. When calling on God’s name in this deal, it brings God into a contract with that person. Not fulfilling it, is sort of like using God’s name in vain. We know what He thinks about that

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

 
     Deut. 23:22 says; “But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.” In other words, it is better not to make a promise to God, than to make one you will not keep. We can ask for God’s help without playing “Let’s make a Deal.”

Why make deals we might not keep?

 

Passing The Test

March 27 2023
 Daily Reading – Deuteronomy 18-21 / Luke 2:25-52

 GOD’S WORD:

Deuteronomy 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    How do you know if something is genuine or not? In the Art World there are experts who have studied original paintings and know them. If presented with a fake, they can often spot it simply by careful inspection of the brush strokes and density of the paint used. They can do so because they have studied the originals and know the difference. Bank tellers use to have to count real money over, and over, and over again before stepping behind a teller booth. The purpose was for them to get the feel of real money so when a fake bill touched their fingers, it immediately set off something in their mind to look closer at that bill. They have that ability because they had handled the real thing so much, a phony immediately does not feel right.

    God tells the people of Israel to be aware of false prophets coming their way. The penalty for lying and saying God said something He had not was severe. They were to be put to death. There was no Bible for people to reference at the time. Instead, there was a test given to find out if someone was genuinely sent from God or a phony. If what they said did not happen, God did not say it. God never lies. The apostles who began the New Testament Church were given signs and wonders for the same purpose. Proving they were sent from God. Today we have the Bible. Our test of authenticity. If what someone says is not verified by God’s Word, well, they flunk. Do not follow them. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    There are still many false prophets today. The problem is not that we have no authenticity test. We have the Bible. The problem is, we have not handled God’s Word enough to recognize a phony when they speak.

Do read your bible enough to know if someone is a phony?