Daily Devotion – Moments That Matter

  July 20, 2023
  Daily Reading – Esther 5-10 / Acts 17

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Esther 6:6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        There are a lot of things in this old world today that are dangerous. Rock climbing without some sort of tether to me sounds extremely dangerous. Yet people do it all the time. Working on a blasting crew that sets dynamite and then ignites it seems like one of those somewhat dangerous jobs. In some cities today it is even dangerous just to cross the road. These may all seem obvious as being dangerous. However, what Haman did in today’s passage is extremely dangerous. That is making an assumption about a situation without all the facts.

 

        Haman seemed to be someone who often built scenarios in his mind without knowing all the facts. He assumed that since Ester planned a banquet, and only called he and the King to this banquet, he must be considered someone very special in the eyes of the king and queen. He assumed if he built gallows, the king would grant him permission to hang Mordecai the Jew, whom he hated, on them, since there was a coming death decree out against the Jews. He also assumed that when the king wanted to honor someone in the public eye, it must be him. However, his ego and pride cost him his life. The king wanted to honor Mordecai, and made Haman carry out this honor. The banquet was put together to ask for the decree on the Jews to be lifted and to point our Haman as the one who caused the problem. The gallows he built were used to hang himself. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Making assumptions is dangerous unless you know all the facts. Actually, once you know the facts, you are not assuming, but simply stating the facts. Pride and Ego can often make us assume things we hope are true, but truly do not know. 

 

Has pride ever misdirected your thoughts?

 

 

  July 19, 2023
  Daily Reading – Esther 1-4 / Acts 16:25-40

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Esther 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        What is your destiny? That might be considered a tough one for us to answer. Some might even say that it would depend a little bit on how old we are at the time we are asked that question. If you are getting up in years, you might say my destiny is to retire and enjoy what years of life I have left here on this earth. While, if you are a younger person, you might say you are not sure what your destiny in life is. You have not settled yet on a career. I do understand those answers, however it does not really answer the question. What is your density. Esther faced this dilemma and had to face her real destiny. 

 

        All the Jewish people had been condemned to die at Haman’s decree, by permission of the King. This left the King’s wife in a tough spot. She was a Jew, but the King did not know it. Now her cousin Mordecai who raised her, is asking her to go before the king and ask for this decree to be lifted. The first problem is, no one, not even the Queen is allowed to just go talk to the king without an invitation. If the King does not approve of your visit, you may be put to death. The second problem is, she will have to tell the King that she is also a Jew. Again, because of the decree, she could be put to death. Her cousin says this might be the reason God has you here at this time as queen. This might be your destiny. Still, Esther deals with the true destiny of us all. She said, “If I perish, I perish.” You see, we will all face this final destiny of death. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What you do here on earth is not truly your destiny. It is a calling. Your destiny is the same as everyone else. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” That is the destiny we all face.

 

Are you prepared for that destiny?

 

 

  July 18, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 13 / Acts 16:1-24

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Nehemiah was a man of his word. Back in Nehemiah 2:6, when he asked the king for permission to go a build the walls around Jerusalem, King Artaxerxes asked, “…For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.” We are not told then exactly how long the time set would be. However, in the last chapter of Nehemiah we find that he had kept his word. In Nehemiah 13:6 it says, “But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:” It was a declaration of honesty on his part, and a testimony of the God he served to the world around him.

        When he returned to Jerusalem, things were already in a mess. People were not worshiping in the temple they had built. Instead, they were buying and selling on the Sabbath. The priest who was to conduct the worship had gown back to work in the fields because no one was bringing in the offerings they had promised that was used to support the work. Some people had married outside their faith again, not heeding the laws of God. When Nehemiah returned, he took firm action to rectify all these situations. It was a declaration of integrity on his part before God, and a testimony of the God he served to Israel. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What kind of declaration are we making with our lives? Does the world around us see our trust in the God we claim to serve. Do people in general see us as honest and people of integrity? Our lives all declare something to someone, whether we mean to or not.

What does your life declare?

  July 17, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 11-12 / Acts 15:28-41

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 12:27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        WOW! Does that not sound like an exciting and joyful time? Read today’s verse again. This dedication was going to be the event everyone would want to be at. They got some really good Spiritual leaders to lead in worship, to offer up prayers, to sing and play instruments. It sounds like this dedication stuff is exciting. They are celebrating the walls being built again that protects the city and the place of worship to their God. These are not just any old walls. These walls are being dedicated to serve the Lord, His people, and His cause. There were walls all over the world. However, these walls were different. They were there for the express purpose of serving God and his people. What a time of rejoicing this dedication would be.

 

        How wonderful would it be if Christians became that excited about dedicating their lives to the Lord? There would be this joyful worship of the God they are called to serve. Exuberant prayers of praise and joy would be offered to Him, as He joins them daily in ministry. Christian music would be played daily over and over again. Singing would fill each heart and flow from them like the air they breathe. Sure, there are people everywhere, but Christian people are different. Their lives and purpose are to serve the Lord with joy and gladness. These are not just people. These are people dedicated to lifting up the name of Jesus in all they do. What a time of rejoicing this dedication should be. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        As Dedicated Christians we should live out Ps. 100:1-2 which says, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Dedication should be a daily cause for rejoicing.

 

Are you joyfully dedicated?

 

 

 July 15 & 16, 2023
 July 15 – Daily Reading – Neh. 9-10 / Acts 15:1-27
 July 16 – NO READING

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 9:6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        When thinking about God’s authority over our lives, where do we begin? We might begin on the day that we realized our sinfulness and cried out to this Holy, merciful God to save us, and He did. On that day, we turned all our future over to Him, and gave Him authority over the paths of our lives. Yet, God’s authority over us goes back further than that. We might even go back to the day of our birth. When God gave us physical life, He also gave with that life the option of eternal life through His Son Jesus. Job realized this as it says in Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” However, God’s authority stretches further back than that. 

 

        When the children of Israel were finally back in Jerusalem, things became pretty clear to them. God brought them from Egypt to a land He had promised to Abraham many hundreds of years before. God had fought for them, sustained them, blessed them, and been merciful toward them. It was their sin that caused God to remove them from this promised land. Still, in this chapter they begin their prayer where they see God’s authority begin. He is, “Lord alone.” All of everything is His. Creation is foundational to His authority over everything and everyone. It was then, it is today, and will be throughout eternity. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        I like how Paul said it in Eph. 2:10 where he says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” If we walk according to His design, life is just better.

 

How is your walk with Him?

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

      Life is just so much better when we remain Clearly Focused on God. The people of Israel saw this in:

  ● Counterfeit Friends
  ● Confused Faithfulness
  ● Contagious Following
  ● Conscious Free
  ● Considered Fortunate
  ● Creation’s Foundational

      With all that is happening in the world around us, it is good to know there is peace of heart and mind still available if we will remain Clearly Focused on God.

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 

 SUNDAYS:

       Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

July 17, 2023	Neh. 11-12	Acts 15:28-41
July 18, 2023	Neh. 13	Acts 16:1-24
July 19, 2023	Esther 1-4	Acts 16:25-40
July 20, 2023	Esther 5-10	Acts 17
July 21, 2023	Job 1-4	Acts 18
July 22, 2023	Job 5-8	Acts 19:1-20
July 23, 2023	No Passages Assigned

Clearly Focused