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The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 5:21 (NLT)
²¹ For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 22:22-26 (NLT)
²² I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.
²³ Praise the LORD, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.
²⁵ I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.

Matthew 28:6 (NLT)
⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.

The Word of God for encouragement:

2 Timothy 1:7 (HCSB)
⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

My observation:

David, in his prophetic Psalm, sings of the triumphant victory of Jesus over death and the grave. He is no longer on the cross, but he is present among the assembly of God’s people. The day of resurrection is a day of victory, and it is a day of celebration that God’s people should give praise for everyday, but especially when we gather in the Lord’s house for worship.

I am so thankful for the presence of the Lord among his people. Having the presence of Christ in your life should drive out any spirit of fearfulness that may arise in your life. I am so thankful for the words of encouragement that Paul gave to Timothy in our focal verse for today.

Paul says that God has given each of His children a very special gift package. However, gifts will be of no value if we don’t unwrap them, and use them. Are you using the gifts of power, love, and sound judgment? They are God’s special gifts packaged especially for you, but you have to unwrap them to receive your blessing.

My prayer:

Father God, I thank you for demonstrating in a small way this morning how you are always present with your people. When I attempted to open my Daily Bible Reading Plan this morning I got this message, “Uh-Oh, an error has occurred. Please try again later”.

 Father, I thank you for showing me another plan that didn’t have to wait until later. Father, I thank you for reinforcing the lesson that with You in my life, there is always a way out, even when there seems to be no way.

My song:

God Will Make a Way (Click on link below to watch this video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o&noredirect=1

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 5:12-14 (NLT)
¹² You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
¹³ Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
¹⁴ I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 22:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me.
¹⁵ My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.

John 19:28 (NLT)
²⁸ Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 17:14-21 (HCSB)
¹⁴ When they reached the crowd, a man approached and knelt down before Him.
¹⁵ “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers severely. He often falls into the fire and often into the water.
¹⁶ I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”
¹⁸ Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and from that moment the boy was healed.
¹⁹ Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
²⁰ “Because of your little faith,” He told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. [21 However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]”

My observation:

In our focal passage from Matthew the scene is of Jesus and the disciples coming down from the mountain. This reminds us that we cannot stay on the mountain; life is lived in the valley. It takes faith, prayer and fasting to engage with people and the problems they have in living in this fallen world.

We can’t stay on the mountain and bask in the glory and majesty of those mountaintop experiences. We must come down to where the people are because there are needy people who require the help of the Lord, and His people.

We need a motto similar to one that a cement company I heard about. Their motto was, “Find a hole and fill it”. Our motto should be, “Find a need and meet it”. We can’t but God can, and He will, if we trust in Him.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that you will give to me the measure of faith that I need to meet the problems in the valley of the hurting that are disguised as mission impossible. Father, with that faith, I will look up to You, and with You nothing is impossible when we fully trust in the Lord with our whole heart. Father, help me to see problems, when placed in your hands, as raw materials for a miracle.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 5:1-2 (MSG)
¹ Dear friend, pay close attention to this, my wisdom; listen very closely to the way I see it.
² Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 21:7 (NLT)
⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.

Psalm 21:13 (NLT)
¹³ Rise up, O LORD, in all your power. With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 16:13-16 (HCSB)
¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
¹⁵ “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

My observation:

In our focal passage for today Jesus asked his disciples two very profound questions; one about the people, and one about them. The people had some nice things to say about Jesus, but he was more than what they said. It fell to Peter, speaking for the group, to get it right.

Jesus is more than a human being, He is God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah of the Old Testament.

Micah 5:2 (HCSB)
² Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.

Isaiah 9:6 (HCSB)
⁶ For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ “The days are coming”—[this is] the LORD’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.
⁶ In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is what He will be named: Yahweh Our Righteousness.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful that the baby born in Bethlehem, whose mother called him Jesus, is more than a human being. I am so grateful that He was God in human flesh; He is the creator, and became the Savior for all who will believe and receive Him into their heart.

John 1:1 (HCSB)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 (HCSB)
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:12 (HCSB)
¹² But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
²³ Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 20:1-2 (NLT)
¹ In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
² May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

Psalm 20:4 (NLT)
⁴ May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 16:24-26 (HCSB)
²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.
²⁶ What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

My observation:

Jim Elliot and his wife Elisabeth were missionaries to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Our focal passage from the Gospel of Matthew had a profound and prophetic impact on his life. One day when he read and meditate on this passage he was moved to write the following in his journal:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.

When Jesus spoke these words recorded by Matthew in our focal passage, he was telling them that there is a cost to following him. We learn from the lips of Jesus that real discipleship requires real commitment. However, when you have it you will find your real purpose, and you will receive real rewards.

Jim Elliot embraced this teaching of Jesus. He paid the ultimate price by giving his life for the sake of the gospel of Christ. His killing by the Auca Indians led to these people coming to faith in Christ. His wife, with a young daughter, remained in Ecuador serving the people that killed her husband. I had the privilege of hearing Elisabeth Elliot share this story several years ago at a gathering in Anchorage, Alaska, and later reading two of her books.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful for this profound teaching of Jesus concerning the cost of discipleship. Father, I pray that when you look into my heart you will find a disciple who has real commitment, and who has a real purpose for living.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 19:12-14 (NLT)
¹² How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 15:7-9 (HCSB)
⁷ Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:
⁸ These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
⁹ They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.”

My observation:

Jesus is looking for true worshippers. Did he find some when he attended your church yesterday? It might appear to the casual reader of the bible that the words of Jesus are harsh. A closer reading will show that Jesus, if he was harsh, reserved that tone for the religious leaders who did not measure up to what the prophets of God wrote. Our focal passage from Matthew is an example.

Jesus wanted people of faith to know that true worship is more than what you say on Sunday with your lips. God is not pleased with those who honor Him with their lips on Sunday, but dishonor God with their lives the rest of the time.

Jesus was calling people then and he is calling us today to be people of genuine faith, and to be people who are true worshippers.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I recognize that you are a God who sees everything and who knows everything. Father, with this in view, I can only cry out like your servant David:

Psalm 139:23-24 (HCSB)
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:11-13 (NLT)
¹¹ I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.
¹² When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.
¹³ Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 18:46 (NLT)
⁴⁶ The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!

Psalm 18:49 (NLT)
⁴⁹ For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 14:12 (ESV)
¹² And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

Matthew 14:22-23 (ESV)
²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

My observation:

Life will have its seasons of disappointment and discouragement, but we don’t have to despair, and bear our troubles and grief alone. When the disciples of John the Baptist heard about his death they were in despair. However, they went and told Jesus.

No doubt they learned how to handle the burdens of life and ministry from Jesus. In the middle of his compassionate ministry to people he found it necessary to send the crowds away, and go and have a “big talk” with His Father.

Sometimes we need a “big talk” and sometimes we need a “little talk”, but the main thing is that when we need help, we have a helper. We can do like the disciples, and tell it to Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that we have a helper who is willing and able to help us when we ask him. Father, I pray that I will learn to do like Jesus, and take everything to my heavenly Father in prayer.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:5-6 (NLT)
⁵ Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶ Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 18:1-2 (NLT)
¹ I love you, LORD; you are my strength.
² The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 13:1-3 (ESV)
¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
² And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
³ And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.

My observation:

Today in my Daily Bible Reading Plan the New Testament reading was Matthew 13. This passage reminded me of the lesson that Jesus taught his disciples about the rewards of sowing the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

I also recalled another passage that spoke the same message into my heart many years ago when I was teaching a unit in our church about prayer.

Psalm 126:5-6 (ESV)
⁵ Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
⁶ He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for the privilege I have to handle the word of God. Father, I am so thankful to be a worker that you have called to go into the harvest fields. Father, wherever you lead, I will go. Father, I will rejoice in the going, weeping, sowing, and reaping. Father God, I just want to do your will and do your work; I seek only the approval and favor of my Lord. I just want to hear my Master say to me:

Matthew 25:23 (ESV)
²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 3:35 (NLT)
³⁵ The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 17:1 (NLT)
¹ O LORD, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

Psalm 66:18 (NLT)
¹⁸ If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Matthew 12:43-45 (HCSB)
⁴³ “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any.
⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning, it finds [the house] vacant, swept, and put in order.
⁴⁵ Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

My observation:

The word of God today speaks to the deepest needs of our hearts. All of us need the wisdom of God, and the power of God in our life.

It is not enough to just empty our lives of sin; reformation is not enough, we need transformation. We cannot be neutral when it comes to God in our life. We need God’s presence, His Word, and the Holy Spirit of God to fill our lives.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that I will never forget how much I need God’s love, God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit of God in my life. It is not enough for me to empty my life of sin; I must also seek to fill my life with the love, presence, the Word and the power of God.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 3:27 (MSG)
²⁷ Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 16:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.
² I said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.”

The Word of God for encouragement:

Isaiah 55:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
² Why do you spend money on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.

Isaiah 55:6 (HCSB)
⁶ Seek the LORD while He may be found; call to Him while He is near.

My observation:

There is a physical hunger in the world, and to satisfy that hunger food is necessary to prevent starvation. Food cost money, and it only last for a short period of time, and then more is required. However, man has more than a body that needs nourishment, he or she has a soul that needs nourishment.

Our focal passage for today from Isaiah reminds us that this nourishment that feeds the soul is free. The writer tells us how to receive this life giving nourishment. He tells us to come, listen, and to seek the Lord.

Jesus is the bread of life, and Jesus is the water of life. It cost Jesus His life to provide you with the source of eternal life. He offers it to you without money. Will you receive this unspeakable gift?

John 4:13-14 (HCSB)
¹³ Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again.
¹⁴ But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.”

John 6:35 (HCSB)
³⁵ “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that you have provided the nourishment that our souls need to have eternal life. Father, I thank you that no one has to die for lack of food and water for the soul. Lord Jesus, I ask you  to fill my cup with the water of life, and to feed my soul with the bread of life.

The Word of God for wisdom:

Proverbs 3:21-24 (NLT)
²¹ My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them,
²² for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.
²³ They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble.
²⁴ You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.

The Word of God for inspiration:

Psalm 15:1-4 (NLT)
¹ Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
² Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
³ Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.
⁴ Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts.

The Word of God for encouragement:

Hebrews 12:28 (HCSB)
²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,

Hebrews 13:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
⁶ Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

My observation:

The writer of Hebrews reminds God’s people of the importance of growing in their walk with the Lord. He reminds them to hold on to grace. The hymn writer John Newton said it like this:

“Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home”. Yes, God’s grace is truly amazing. You can never go wrong if you hold on to the grace of God.

The focal passage from Hebrews gives us two reasons why we can make it home if we hold on to the grace of God that saved us. Hold on to these two promises, “For He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you”, and “The Lord is my helper”.

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for the precious promises that we find in the word of God. Father, they comfort my troubled heart when I think about the dangers that lurk within and without. In the face of the troubles of this world, I can take refuge in the promises that the Lord will never leave me or forsake me, and that the Lord is my helper.