Daily Devo 2/2/13

“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat?’” (Numbers 11:4)

The children of Israel had begun their journey from Mount Sinai and were headed to the Promised Land. God had provided them with food to eat by giving them manna from heaven each day (Exodus 16:4-36). They could visibly see that God was leading them by the cloud that led them by day (Numbers 10:34).

However, when they left Egypt not only did the children of Israel depart but a “mixed multitude” (which probably included some God-fearing Egyptians) went with them (Exodus 12:38). Now that “mixed multitude” was no longer content with the manna God had provided for them to eat. They give in to an “intense desire” to have meat. As a result the children of Israel also become discontent with the manna God has provided and also ask for meat to eat (Numbers 11:4).

As I read this I can’t help but ask myself, “How often do I fail to be content with what God has provided for me?” Like the “mixed multitude” it is so easy for me to take my eye off rejoicing in the things which God has given to me (e.g. my family, my relationship with Him, my job, my health, my daily food, etc.) and begin to become discontent by moaning over the things which He has not chosen to give me (e.g. excessive wealth, perfect health, the “perfect” family). Like Israel, I often times listen to those around me (e.g. TV commercials, my peers, etc.) instead of listening to God and this breeds discontentment in my heart and I make myself miserable.

As Christians it is vitally important that we “learn” contentment. We all have desires that we struggle with that can lead to sin (James 1:14-15). The key is to not let these desires become “intense desires” by dwelling on these desires instead of on God and submitting ourselves to His Will. God has provided us with so many blessings! I will take time today to rejoice in what God has given me and work on not letting Satan lead my heart astray through discontentment.

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11)

Daily Devo 2/1/13

"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

These were the words God instructed the priests of Israel to say when they blessed the children of Israel. The surrounding chapters of this chapter of the book of Numbers are filled with commands that God expected His people to follow. However, while keeping God’s laws are very important, following God is not just about keeping commandments. Following God also involves be recipients of His blessings. By blessing the people with the above words, God said, “"So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27).

As one who preaches to God’s people, I know I often instruct my brethren in God’s laws and challenge their commitment to Christ. I want them to grow and mature as followers of Christ. This is necessary. Preachers are to convince, rebuke and exhort (2 Timothy 4:2). Part of exhorting is to bless and encourage my brethren in Christ. It is a challenge to live the Christian life and sometimes Christians need to be reminded that God is eager to bless them!

As Christians, sometimes we focus too much on each other’s shortcomings and weaknesses. Instead of encouraging each other we discourage each other. Instead of blessing each other, we curse each other (James 3:10). It is interesting that the apostle Paul could strongly rebuke a church like the church at Corinth which struggled with many sins and still called on God to bless them. Remember that your brethren in Christ are a blessing and put God’s name on them to bless them.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Daily Devo 1/31/13

“According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service and according to his task; thus were they numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 4:49)

This verse comes at the conclusion of a chapter in which God has given specific instructions to the sons of Levi and what their service was to be in the tabernacle. Those of the sons of Levi who were of the family of the Gershon were responsible for carrying the coverings of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:25-26). Those of the sons of Levi who were of the family of Kohath were responsible for the holy things of the tabernacle such as the ark, the table, and the lampstand (Numbers 3:30-31). Those of the sons of Levi who were of the family of Merari were in charge of the framework of the tabernacle such as the boards, bars, and pillars (Numbers 3:36-37). Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was to oversee all of this (Numbers 3:32). Everyone had a particular way in which he was to serve for the overall good of the nation of Israel.

Today, the church is described as the “body of Christ” in which each Christian is described as a member of that body with a particular function regarding how they are to serve for the overall benefit of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-26). However, God does not tell each of us as Christians exactly how He wants us to serve in His church. He has given us the liberty of discover our own ability and use that ability for the building up of His body, the church, to His glory.

As Christians, we are so blessed when we use the unique abilities that God has given us and minister to others. Christ said such an attitude is necessary for us to achieve all that God wants us to be in Christ. Today, use your unique abilities to build up the body of Christ, the church, to God’s glory!

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28).

Daily Devo 1/30/13

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright” (Leviticus 26:13)

Leviticus 26 is a chapter that describes God’s blessings upon Israel if they walk within the confines of His commandments (Leviticus 26:3-13) and God’s chastening of them if they choose to not follow His laws (Leviticus 26:14-39). As you can see from the amount of verses warning of God’s chastening versus the amount of verses speaking of God’s blessing, God wanted Israel to fear God and keep His commandments. Yet, if Israel disobeyed God, God would forgive them once they confessed their sins, repented, and sought to return to Him (Leviticus 26:40-45).

God did not want His people to return to the bondage of sin. He would do all that was in His power including chastening His people to prevent this from happening. When we read a chapter like Leviticus 26, we can choose to think how harsh God is to His people because He chastens them for their sins.

I would encourage us not to do this. It is because of God’s great love for His people that He chastens them. “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

As a Christian, I am not perfect. I sometimes take my eye off God. Sometimes, I am able to recognize the error of my ways and repent of it. At other times, God needs to chasten me so I will “come to my senses” and recognize the error of my ways and repent. Part of my maturing as a Christian is to embrace the fact that God loves me enough to chasten me so that I will continue to “walk uprightly” and not fall back under the bondage of sin. Praise God that He loves me enough to chasten me!

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19)

Daily Devo 1/29/13

“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family” (Leviticus 25:10).

The year of Jubiliee was observed in Israel every 50 years. It was a time for the people who had been sold into servitude to be made free. It was a time for those who had sold their land in order to pay off debts to be able to reclaim it back. They were not to sow nor reap during this year (Leviticus 25:11). In fact, they would not have sown nor reaped the year prior to this (Leviticus 25:3-4, 8-9).

Yet God made sure the Israelites were provided for. “And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?’ Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.” (Leviticus 25:20-21).

The year of Jubiliee was a to be a time of the freeing of the captives. It was a time of reflection for how God had blessed them. It was a time to remember that their trust needed to be in God. It was a time of celebration over God’s care for them.

As Christians, we need to take time to reflect on God’s blessings on us. We need to remember that our trust is in Him. We need to celebrate that He has freed us from the bondage of sin. Take time today to reflect on God’s care for you!

“I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6)

Daily Devo 1/28/13

“And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them” (Leviticus 20:23)

In the context of this passage, God had described a long list of sexual sins that the nations that were currently in the Promised Land, which Israel was about to inherit, had committed. These sexual sins included adultery (Leviticus 20:10), incest (Leviticus 20:11), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), and  bestiality (Leviticus 20:15-16) among others. Because these nations had committed these sexual sins, among other sins, God was casting them out of the land and was going to let Israel inherit it. The iniquity of the Amorites was complete (Genesis 15:16).

We live in an age where sexual immorality is rampant. We are bombarded with commercials that exploit people’s weaknesses to give into sexual lusts. Society has taken what God has said he abhors (e.g. adultery and homosexuality) and not only tolerates it, but promotes it!

It is a challenge to strive to live a Christian life in such an environment and not allow this to weigh you down. Sometimes the tendency as a Christian is just to focus on condemning the world for practicing these things. The result is we come across as being judgmental and this doesn’t exactly attract people to want to follow Christ.

The truth of the matter is these sins are just among many sins with which mankind struggles. While these sexual sins are sins which God abhors, God abhors the sins against which we all struggle. All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).

I thank God that He has provided a way through His Son to know His truth, have the opportunity to repent, and be forgiven of my sin (John 14:6). I am also thankful for my brethren who strive to live godly lives in a world where we are constantly bombarded by ungodliness. As long as we are in the world, we will live in the midst of ungodliness. Don’t let the ungodliness around you to diminish your ability to be a light for God to show others who struggle with sin the blessings Christ has brought into your life. May God bless you as you strive to live for him today!

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15).

Daily Devo 1/27/13

“Whatever man of the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, the guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people” (Leviticus 17:3-4).

This verse is not speaking about the killing of an animal for food purposes, but the killing of an animal as a sacrifice to God. God did not want such animal sacrifices to be made just anywhere, but insisted that such animal sacrifices be brought to the tabernacle of meeting (Leviticus 17:5). Notice what God would impute to the person who failed to obey this command of God: God would impute to them the “guilt of bloodshed” (Leviticus 17:4).

God considered the death of an animal as a sacrifice to Him as a serious and solemn matter: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). God said that He had given the animal’s blood to make atonement for the soul of the Israelite.

As Christians, we do not offer animal sacrifices today. This is because the blood of God’s Son Jesus Christ was shed for our sins to make atonement for our souls (1 Peter 1:18-19; Romans 5:11). However, today is the Lord’s Day. We should gather today with our fellow Christians to remember the death of His Son whose blood was shed for our sins. Worship is a serious and solemn matter. This does not mean we should be sullen. We celebrate the love, mercy and grace God has shown to us as we worship Him together in the place where He has chosen for us to gather together to worship Him, His church.

“Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1)

Daily Devo 1/26/13

“Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:8-10)

In ancient Israel, the sins of the Israelites were daily transferred as they made their sin offerings. However, once a year, on the 10th day of the 7th month, the Day of Atonement, the High Priest sacrificed a bull as a sin offering for his own sins. After this, he took 2 goats and presented them at the door of the tabernacle with a view of dealing with the sins of God’s people as a whole. One goat would be slain as a sin offering for the people and its blood be brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the sins of Israel (Leviticus 16:15-19). This was necessary so that God’s tabernacle, which represented God’s presence among the Israelites, could remain among God’s people.

The other goat, the scapegoat, was then presented before God at the tabernacle of meeting. The High Priest would confess over this goat the sins of the children of Israel. It would then be sent far away and released in the wilderness, thus to bear the sins of Israel far from the presence of God (Leviticus 16:20-22). Thus God’s presence could continue to be among the Israelites because their sins had been atoned for and their sins had been removed far away from the tabernacle of meeting.

As I read this, I marvel at the mercy, grace, and justice of God. He made these provisions for Israel looking forward to the time when Christ would come and be sacrificed for the sins of all mankind to satisfy the justice of God. He bore our iniquities upon Himself. May all of us rejoice that God has provided a way for each of us to have our sins atoned for by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. He has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all!

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Daily Devo 1/25/13

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.”

Immediately preceding these events Aaron and his sons (including Nadab and Abihu) had been consecrated to the Lord’s service as priests and HAD WITNESSED THE GLORY OF GOD as fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering they had made upon the altar (Leviticus 9:24). In fact, so near were these events that there were still portions of the sacrifices that had been offered during the consecration ceremony that were to have been eaten by Aaron and his sons which had not been eaten as of yet (Leviticus 10:12-20). Now, another fire came out from before the Lord and devoured Nadab and Abihu because they offered profane fire before the Lord. Moses then tells Aaron, “"This is what the Lord spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' " (Leviticus 10:3).

As I read these events, I am amazed at how quickly as humans we can witness the great glory of God and IMMEDIATELY FORGET IT! Nadab and Abihu had witnessed the glory of God as God consumed the sacrifices on the altar, but then immediately went and offered profane fire before God and did not regard God as holy! It is hard to believe how they could have done such a thing.

But before I get on my “high horse” all I have to do is consider myself and how often I can see the glory of God as I behold a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a precious baby taking his or her first steps, or the majesty of a horse in the pasture and seconds later grumble or curse because someone has cut in front of me as I am driving or I see some politician on TV that says something that upsets me. I need to work on not forgetting to remember that God is holy and He must be continually glorified by me!

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm 147:11)

Daily Devo 1/24/13

“A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” (Leviticus 6:13).

Fires can go out for a number of reasons such as lack of oxygen or lack of fuel. God had commanded Moses to make sure the priests kept wood burning on the altar of burnt offering every morning to make sure the fire on it did not go out (Leviticus 6:12). On this altar was to be sacrificed the various offerings of the children of Israel.

As Christians, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord (Romans 12:1-2). As a Christian do you ever struggle with your fire going out so that you are unable to be an effective living sacrifice for God? I do. The trials of life, the struggles with temptations, discouragements from my own weaknesses and the weaknesses of others, and failure to receive encouragement from my brethren can, at times, quench the fire that should be burning in me to serve the Lord.

This is nothing new. Christians have always had to face the challenge of not letting their fires go out. The Hebrew writer speaks about the need for endurance (Hebrews 10:36). Paul told the Christians at Galatia not to grow weary while doing good (Galatians 6:9). Although I have not said it enough, I appreciate my brethren in Christ for their faithful endurance in serving the Lord. It is a great encouragement to me to see my fellow soldiers of the cross continuing to maintain their fires in serving the Lord.

Taking time each day to study God’s Word and pray is a great way to make sure your fire does not go out in serving the Lord. It is literally like adding fuel to your fire. Also, taking time to encourage others for their faithful service to God is another way to help add additional oxygen to other Christian’s fires. May God bless all of you as you strive to keep your fires burning for Him!

“My soul melts from heaviness; strengthen me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:28)

Daily Devo 1/23/13

"If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 5:17).

Israel’s ignorance of God’s law did excuse them when they were guilty of violating God’s law. They were still GUILTY of trespassing God’s law and must BEAR THEIR INIQUITY. But, what is very interesting is GOD HAD MADE PROVISIONS for how an Israelite might be FORGIVEN of different types of sins he or she had committed in ignorance. God had provided a way for them to be forgiven when they had become unclean by touching a carcass (Leviticus 5:2), touching human uncleanness (Leviticus 5:3), speaking thoughtlessly with their lips (Leviticus 5:4), in regard to the holy things of the Lord (Leviticus 5:15) or by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord (Leviticus 4:27). Once the person became aware they had sinned they were to confess they had sinned and bring their offering to the Lord (Leviticus 4:28; 5:4-5).God had even considered a person’s economic condition and what that person could afford to offer as a sacrifice for his sin.

David said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11). One of the reasons we should study God’s Word diligently is that we might not be ignorant of God’s law and unintentionally sin again Him.

However, for a new Christian who is fairly ignorant of God’s laws this can feel overwhelming. In fact, some have discouraged themselves from obeying the gospel of Christ because they feel they do not “know” enough.

God does not want this to happen. After we have become Christians, God has provided a way for us to be forgiven of sins we commit in ignorance. The apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). God is FAITHFUL and JUST to forgive us when we have confessed such sins we have committed in ignorance and repented of them.

God’s ability to provide for our spiritual needs is greater than our weaknesses in learning His commandments. God’s grace is greater than our sin!

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5)

Daily Devo 1/22/13

“'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting” (Leviticus 1:3-5)

Sometimes, as Christian, we read quickly through some of these Old Testament passages which speak about animal sacrifices without thinking too much about them. If you take careful note of this passage you will see that the individual Israelite who was bringing this burnt offering had to LAY HIS HAND on the bull and kill it himself (Leviticus 1:4). He would feel the animal breathing and looking around before he killed the animal. Furthermore, after killing the bull, the person had to skin and cut up the animal (Leviticus 1:6). After this, the individual Israelite had to wash the animal’s entrails and legs himself before the rest of the animal was offered on the altar (Leviticus 1:9).

Why would God require a person to do this? I am not sure of all the reasons, but I do know that it certainly would make the person aware of the consequences of their own sin. They would see that their own sin against God caused the death of another. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). All of these animal sacrifices could not take away the sins of man (Hebrews 10:4). These sacrifices were offered in faith looking forward to the time when God would send His own Son Jesus to pay the price for the sins of the world (John 3:16).

How do I view my sin? Do I take it seriously or do I treat it as “no big deal” since everyone else is doing it? May such Old Testament passages as this cause us to see the serious nature of our own sin. This does not mean that as a Christian I should walk around with a sad face because of my sin. We rejoice as Christians because we have been forgiven of our sin through the sacrifice of Christ. Because of GOD’S GREAT LOVE FOR ME he provided Christ as the sacrifice for my sin.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Daily Devo 1/21/13

“According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.” (Exodus 39:42-43)

The children of Israel had just finished making all the materials for the erection of the tabernacle. They had gone through some ups and downs in their walk thus far with God. They had walked through the Red Sea by faith as they escaped the Egyptians (Exodus 14:21-27), but then had complained about where they would get their food to eat and water to drink (Exodus 16:2-3; 17:1-3). They had heard the voice of God as He gave the 10 commandments at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17), but then had failed God by worshipping a golden calf when Moses delayed coming down from Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:1-6). After God had forgiven them, they brought forth fruits of repentance by giving such an abundance of items for the construction of the tabernacle that they had to be restrained from giving more (Exodus 36:6).

The later chapters of the book of Exodus go into great detail about how Israel did exactly what God had told them to do with regard to the construction of the items of the tabernacle. Why? Because these things were written for our learning (Romans 15:4). We demonstrate our love for God by obeying His precise commandments (John 14:15). When we obey God in such a manner we are not trying to earn our salvation. We are showing our love and appreciation for God.

Like Israel, neither I nor my brethren in Christ are always perfect in our walk with God. However, I do appreciate my brethren who seek diligently to show their love to God by obeying His commands. Have a blessed day walking in God’s commandments for you!

“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:8-11)

Daily Devo 1/20/13

“Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze…” (Exodus 35:5).

Following a very low point in Israel’s service to God (i.e. worshipping the golden calf which Aaron had made, Exodus 32:4-6), Israel is going to reach a high point in their service to God by giving generously when asked to give materials for the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 35:5-29). In fact they give so much that they had to be “restrained from bringing” any more gifts for the construction of the tabernacle of God. (Exodus 36:6). They go from the valley to the mountain top in their service to God.

Earlier, Moses had pled with God to forgive his people for worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:31-32). God listens to Moses’ plea and forgives the people of their iniquity (Exodus 34:9-10). It appears out of great gratitude for having been pardoned of their sin, the people of Israel give so generously to the Lord because they had “willing hearts” (Exodus 35:5).

God has no desire to lay a guilt trip on me to get me to serve Him. He wants me to serve Him out of a “willing heart” because I am grateful for His pardoning me of my sin through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. On this Lord’s day, although I also am flawed as I struggle with sin, I will worship and serve the Lord out of a willing heart focusing my mind on praising Him for all He has done for me! I want to live on the mountain top in my service to God!

“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)

Daily Devo 1/19/13

“And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’" (Exodus 33:18)

Moses makes this statement following the events of the children of Israel making and worshipping a golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving instructions from God (Exodus 32). When Moses finds out what they had done, in his anger he breaks the tablets of stone which God had given to him containing the commandments. He grinds the golden calf into powder and makes the people of Israel drink it (Exodus 32:20). Moses also has the Levites kill those guilty of promoting this great sin of idol worship (Exodus 32:27-28). Then Moses pleads with God to forgive the people of this great sin (Exodus 32:31-32).

To say the least, Moses had a rough day as a leader of God’s people. He must have felt at the end of his rope. Moses asks God to “show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18). God will pass before Moses and cover Moses with His hand and allow Moses to see His back (Exodus 33:22-23). God knew Moses needed some encouragement. Seeing God’s glory would encourage Moses to keep on leading God’s people.

Often, as we serve God we get discouraged. We get discouraged by the world around us which often doesn’t care about God. We get discouraged with different trials we face. We even get discouraged by our own brethren in Christ at times when they indifferent about serving God.

We all need to stop and behold the glory of God. His glory is all around us as is seen in the marvelous creation all around us. Take time today to look up and see the glory of God and be encouraged and uplifted by Him!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3)

Daily Devo 1/18/13

"You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” (Exodus 23:1).

I came across this verse in my daily Bible reading yesterday. I thought this was especially relevant in light of the Lance Armstrong admission on Oprah last evening and of the Manti Te’o controversy about the dead girlfriend who never existed. I am not trying to pass judgment on either of them, but it does remind me that we live in a world in which people deceive and are deceived.

As a Christian, I do not have to get all worked up over the deceptions that take place in our world. I don’t have to dwell on whether or not Lance Armstrong or those involved in the Manti Te’o controversy will receive the justice due to them. I know that I live in a world full of deception and that justice does not always take place in this world, but I know God will one day administer the justice due to all men including me (Romans 12:19; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

I can rejoice that God guides me in the truth that really matters. He tells me the truth about my sin and how I can be delivered from my sin through Jesus Christ. God has not left me to wonder what the truth is concerning how I can be saved. God has left no doubt. All I have to do is believe and follow the truth. Today, rejoice that God has given us the truth that really matters!

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32)

Daily Devo 1/17/13

“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.” (Exodus 25:21-22)

God had been giving instructions to Moses on building the Tabernacle. In one area of this Tabernacle, the Most Holy Place, God instructed Moses to build an ark above which was a mercy seat. God said, “And there I will meet with you…” (Exodus 25:21). In the Old Testament, only the High Priest was allowed in this Most Holy Place to be able to “meet with God”.

Today, as Christians we no longer have to go through a High Priest to “meet with God”. Christ has made it possible for us to enter into the Most Holy Place through His blood. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:19-23).

As a Christian, I have the privilege of meeting with God everyday by letting Him speak to me through His Word and for me to speak with Him through prayer. May God bless you as you take time to meet with Him today!

“I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” (Psalm 119:15-16).

Daily devo 1/16/13

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’" (Exodus 20:18-19).

The people of Israel had just witnessed God speaking to them His 10 commandments from Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17). It must have been an awesome sight. The people were afraid to hear God speak to them anymore, so they ask Moses to let God speak to them through him. Then Moses comforts the people by saying, “"Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."

Having a fear of God is healthy. God did not want the Israelites to be fearful of the lightning and the mountain smoking, but He did want them to fear Him. Having the proper fear of God helps us to have a proper perspective of our lives here on this earth.

When I was growing up I had a fear of my dad. I did not want to get in trouble because my mom would simply say, “If you don’t do as I tell you, I will tell your dad when he gets home”. I knew this meant a spanking for me. So I obeyed what she told me to do. My fear of my dad led me not to sin.

On the other hand, when I grew up I did not fear where my next meal was coming from. I did not fear someone coming into my house to take me away at night because I trusted that my dad would protect our home and provide for our family.

As I have grown older the temptation is for me to begin looking to myself to provide for my family, protect my home, etc. When I do this I begin to fear not being able to provide for my family, protect my home, etc. On the other hand, when I work on keeping a proper perspective of life by fearing God and focus on pleasing Him, I don’t worry about providing for my family and protecting my home. I trust that He will do this! When I fear God as I ought, I don’t fear a lot of the things I should not.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” (Psalm 111:10)

Daily Devo 1/15/13

“And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” (Exodus 17:11-12)

The Amalekites had attacked the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt. Joshua had led the Israelites on the battlefield against them. However, the key to the victory was for Moses to hold up the rod of God in his hands. When he did this, Israel prevailed in the battle. When he was unable to hold up the rod of God, the Amalekites prevailed. By his own strength Moses could not continue to hold up the rod of God. Aaron and Hur did a great work to support Moses’ hands so Moses could hold up the rod of God and Israel could be victorious.

Those who are striving to serve God need our support and encouragement. Whether they be elders, preachers, teachers or other types of servants of God, like Aaron and Hur we should be there beside them to hold up their hands. So often we allow ourselves to become tools of Satan by being critical of a preacher for preaching to long, or a teacher for not being “dynamic” enough, or elders for not making the decisions we think they ought to. Satan is doing his best to discourage them in their efforts to serve God. Don’t allow him to use you as his tool to discourage these fellow servants of God. Today, think of someone who is striving to serve God and pray for them and speak a word of encouragement to them.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works..” (Hebrews 10:24)

Daily devo 1/14/13

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.’” (Exodus 14:13)

The Egyptians had chased the Israelites to the banks of the Red Sea. Israel saw no way of escape. They could not understand why God had delivered them from Egyptian bondage only to lead them to the banks of the Red Sea to be slaughtered by Pharaoh’s army. They complained to Moses that it would have been better for them to have stayed in Egypt as slaves (Exodus 14:12).

How often do I react like the Israelites of Moses’ day? Instead of thinking about God and His power to deliver me, so often I take my eye off of God and choose to focus on the challenging circumstances I face at my job, with my family, with my health, with my finances, etc. When I do so, like the ancient Israelites, I make myself miserable.

Today, I will strive to stand still and look for God and how He will deliver me from whatever challenges I face!

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them” (Psalm 34:7)