The Truth Will Set You Free

³¹So Jesus said to those who believed in him, "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; ³²you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
³³"We are the descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, 'You will be free'?"
³⁴Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ³⁵A slave does not belong to a family permanently, but a son belongs there forever. ³⁶If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free. ³⁷I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching. ³⁸I talk about what my Father has shown me, but you do what your father has told you."
³⁹They answered him, "Our father is Abraham."
"If you really were Abraham's children," Jesus replied, "you would do the same things that he did. ⁴⁰All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this! ⁴¹You are doing what your father did."
"God himself is the only Father we have," they answered, "and we are his true children."
⁴²Jesus said to them, "If God really were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own authority, but he sent me. ⁴³Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message. ⁴⁴You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. ⁴⁵But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me. ⁴⁶Which one of you can prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, then why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷He who comes from God listens to God's words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen."

Today's reading: John 8.21-47, 2 Chronicles 2.17-5.1 and Malachi 1.1-2.9
Today's reading: Defining Moments

The Book of

MALACHI

Malachi 1 This is the message that the LORD gave Malachi to tell the people of Israel.

The LORD's Love for Israel

²The LORD says to his people, "I have always loved you."
But they reply, "How have you shown your love for us?"
The LORD answers, "Esau and Jacob were brothers, but I have loved Jacob and his descendants, ³and have hated Esau and his descendants. I have devastated Esau's hill country and abandoned the land to jackals."
⁴If Esau's descendants, the Edomites, say, "Our towns have been destroyed, but we will rebuild them," then the LORD will reply, "Let them rebuild--I will tear them down again. People will call them 'The evil country' and 'The nation with whom the LORD is angry forever.'"
⁵The people of Israel are going to see this with their own eyes, and they will say, "The LORD is mighty even outside the land of Israel!"

The LORD Reprimands the Priests

⁶The LORD Almighty says to the priests, "Children honor their parents, and servants honor their masters. I am your father--why don't you honor me? I am your master--why don't you respect me? You despise me, and yet you ask, 'How have we despised you?' ⁷This is how--by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, 'How have we failed to respect you?' I will tell you--by showing contempt for my altar. ⁸When you bring a blind or sick or lame animal to sacrifice to me, do you think there's nothing wrong with that? Try giving an animal like that to the governor! Would he be pleased with you or grant you any favors?"
⁹Now, you priests, try asking God to be good to us. He will not answer your prayer, and it will be your fault. ¹⁰The LORD Almighty says, "I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so as to prevent you from lighting useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you; I will not accept the offerings you bring me. ¹¹People from one end of the world to the other honor me. Everywhere they burn incense to me and offer acceptable sacrifices. All of them honor me! ¹²But you dishonor me when you say that my altar is worthless and when you offer on it food that you despise. ¹³You say, 'How tired we are of all this!' and you turn up your nose at me. As your offering to me you bring a stolen animal or one that is lame or sick. Do you think I will accept that from you? ¹⁴A curse on the cheater who sacrifices a worthless animal to me, when he has in his flock a good animal that he promised to give me! For I am a great king, and people of all nations fear me."
Malachi 2 The LORD Almighty says to the priests, "This command is for you: ²You must honor me by what you do. If you will not listen to what I say, then I will bring a curse on you. I will put a curse on the things you receive for your support. In fact, I have already put a curse on them, because you do not take my command seriously. ³I will punish your children and rub your faces in the dung of the animals you sacrifice--and you will be taken out to the dung heap. ⁴Then you will know that I have given you this command, so that my covenant with the priests, the descendants of Levi, will not be broken.
⁵"In my covenant I promised them life and well-being, and this is what I gave them, so that they might respect me. In those days they did respect and fear me. ⁶They taught what was right, not what was wrong. They lived in harmony with me; they not only did what was right themselves, but they also helped many others to stop doing evil. ⁷It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.
⁸"But now you priests have turned away from the right path. Your teaching has led many to do wrong. You have broken the covenant I made with you. ⁹So I, in turn, will make the people of Israel despise you because you do not obey my will, and when you teach my people, you do not treat everyone alike."

Today's Reading: John 8.1-20, 2 Chronicles 1.1-2.16 and Zechariah 14

I may not know the full picture, but I will persevere to ensure that I accomplish all that You have planned for me. I am clay in Your hands Lord and will press in to see what You will continue to build me to be for Your glory.

Jesus didn't come to condemn the world, but to save it. Consider how Jesus handled the situation in John 8:

¹⁰He straightened up and said to her, "Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?" ¹¹"No one, sir," she answered. "Well, then," Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again."]

If God said to you: "What would you like me to give you?" - 2 Chronicles 1:7, what would you say? You know God can give you anything, so what would your answer be? Where is your focus? Where are your needs? Let's see what Solomon says and God's response.

⁷That night God appeared to Solomon and asked, "What would you like me to give you?"

⁸Solomon answered, "You always showed great love for my father David, and now you have let me succeed him as king. ⁹O LORD God, fulfill the promise you made to my father. You have made me king over a people who are so many that they cannot be counted, ¹⁰so give me the wisdom and knowledge I need to rule over them. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?"

¹¹God replied to Solomon, "You have made the right choice. Instead of asking for wealth or treasure or fame or the death of your enemies or even for long life for yourself, you have asked for wisdom and knowledge so that you can rule my people, over whom I have made you king. ¹²I will give you wisdom and knowledge. And in addition, I will give you more wealth, treasure, and fame than any king has ever had before or will ever have again."

What is your first priority?

I learned about 4 years ago that unless I have my priorities in the right order, not only will my efforts struggle, but my health and relationships too. We need to ensure we put God first. If you are married, then your wife is second. If you have children, then your family is third. You can look at the other elements of your life and prioritize where they go, but as in most prioritization classes, we need to make sure we put in the big important stuff first (boulders) and then the rocks and then the sand and then we could even put water - that way the smaller items can fill in the gaps between the larger and we get the important things done.

Going Against the Flow

Os Hillman

But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. - Numbers 14:10a

Have you ever had to stand up against the majority for a cause that wasn't popular? God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and promised He would lead them into a land of milk and honey. The process of moving out of Egypt was difficult. They could no longer do things the old way, for the old ways didn't work in the desert. God provided for them during this journey. But there came a point in which the people forgot what God had said. Their discomfort changed their belief about God.

Whenever God is slow to answer our prayers, what we believe about God is revealed. Do we change our plans and move in a different direction when pressure mounts? Or do we continue on the path God has directed for us? Four men believed what God said and were willing to stand; however, the crowd wanted to stone them.

Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites (Numbers 14:5-10).

Notice Joshua and Caleb's response to the situation. They had spied the land. They believed God. They challenged the crowd. They seemed to know that if the Lord was not pleased with them they would not enter into the Promised Land. Those who grumbled did not enter the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb and a new generation saw the fulfillment of God's promise.

Has God called you to stand for a cause bigger than yourself? You will have opposition to His call; sometimes it even comes from those in your own camp. But if God has called you, then you can be sure He will make a way. He has already opened the way before you. But you must walk in faith, joined with Him to take the land.

...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

Today's Reading: John 7.1-31, 1 Chronicles 27-28 and Zechariah 12

Today's Devotional: Grace by Os Hillman

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for a new day. I pray Lord that You will help me to focus and grant me wisdom on key decisions and commitments that I need to make. Help me Lord to only commit to what You have planned for me. Lord, I thank You for my family, my friends, my church, and my job, but most of all for all that You have done to move me closer to You, calling me in University, calling me even up until the day You provided a big move which opened the door for my true salvation. I thank You for the leadership experiences that when I look back I see you have provided as far back as while I was in school. You are awesome and without You and Your Word, there are so many miracles and testimonies that I wouldn't have realized from my past that could have only occurred by the grace and mercy that You poured out and provided in order to prepare me for the things You have for me. I know it was less about me and more about You because it wasn't my goal or plan, but You brought it to fruition. Lord, I put all my hope and trust in You for as this new fiscal year begins, I know that You are about to make another change in my professional career and I pray that You will help me to keep first things first. God --> Wife --> Family --> Work/Church. Help me to keep it in proper alignment and to be able to be there for those who matter and need me most. I thank You again and will praise and honor and worship You today in everything I do and everything I say, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Serve God with an undivided heart and a willing mind - 1 Chronicles 28:9

Write out the plan - even if you don't execute on it, allow the plans of God to be available and know to the people you serve

Be confident and determined. Start the work and don't let anything stop you. The Lord will be with you. He will not abandon you, but he will stay with you until you finish the work to be done... Workers with every kind of skill are eager to help you, and all the people and their leaders are at your command - 1 Chronicles 28:20-21

The Future Deliverance of Jerusalem

Zechariah 12 This is a message about Israel from the LORD, the LORD who spread out the skies, created the earth, and gave life to man. He says, ²"I will make Jerusalem like a cup of wine; the nations around her will drink and stagger like drunks. And when they besiege Jerusalem, the cities of the rest of Judah will also be besieged. ³But when that time comes, I will make Jerusalem like a heavy stone--any nation that tries to lift it will be hurt. All the nations of the world will join forces to attack her. ⁴At that time I will terrify all their horses and make all their riders go crazy. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will make the horses of their enemies blind. ⁵Then the clans of Judah will say to themselves, 'The LORD God Almighty gives strength to his people who live in Jerusalem.'
⁶"At that time I will make the clans of Judah like a fire in a forest or in a field of ripe grain--they will destroy all the surrounding nations. The people of Jerusalem will remain safe in the city.
⁷"I, the LORD, will give victory to the armies of Judah first, so that the honor which the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem will receive will be no greater than that of the rest of Judah. ⁸At that time the LORD will protect those who live in Jerusalem, and even the weakest among them will become as strong as David was. The descendants of David will lead them like the angel of the LORD, like God himself. ⁹At that time I will destroy every nation that tries to attack Jerusalem.
¹⁰"I will fill the descendants of David and the other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and the spirit of prayer. They will look at the one whom they stabbed to death, and they will mourn for him like those who mourn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first-born son. ¹¹At that time the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. ^12-14Each family in the land will mourn by itself: the family descended from David, the family descended from Nathan, the family descended from Levi, the family descended from Shimei, and all the other families. Each family will mourn by itself, and the men of each family will mourn separately from the women.

Grace

by Os Hillman

..."Peace be with you!" - John 20:19
How would you respond to a group of fellow workers if you were their leader and you poured your life into them, teaching them all you know for three years, only to have them disband and go their own way when troubles came? What would you say to them after you were reunited for the first time? Perhaps you might scold them. Perhaps you might cite each one's offense. At the least, you might shame them for their lack of faithfulness and courage.
After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, He appeared to the disciples. His first words to them were, "Peace be with you!" The word grace means "unmerited favor." When someone loves you unconditionally, without regard to your behavior in return, it becomes a powerful force in your life. Such was the case for the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. They could have expected reprimand. Instead, they received unconditional love and acceptance. He was overjoyed to see them. They were equally overjoyed to see Him.
Jesus understood that the disciples needed to fail Him as part of their training. It would be this failure that became their greatest motivation for service. Failure allowed them to experience incredible grace for the very first time. Grace would transform them as human beings.
Have you experienced this grace in your life? Have you extended grace to those who have hurt you? Can you let go of any wrongs that have come through friends or associates? The grace you extend may change their lives—and yours.

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Today's Reading: John 6.60-71, 1 Chronicles 25-26 and Zechariah 11
Today's Devotional: Our Plans and God's Plans by Os Hillman

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and for the incredible testimonies You have put into my life. I lift up this day to You and pray that You will be honored and glorified through all I say and do. May my work be worship to You - for I will work as unto the Lord. May my words be glorifying to You - may they be words that build up and not tear down, may I be one who encourages and corrects. Lord, this is the day that You made and have prepared in advance, help me to be and do all that You have need of me - I know that plans You have for me, plans to give me a hope and a future, and I will hold onto that as I press on today giving You all the praise and all the glory, all the honor and worship, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. - Proverbs 19:21

Samuel Morse later commented, "The only gleam of hope, and I cannot underrate it, is from confidence in God. When I look upward it calms any apprehension for the future, and I seem to hear a voice saying: 'If I clothe the lilies of the field, shall I not also clothe you?' Here is my strong confidence, and I will wait patiently for the direction of Providence." Morse went on to create several other inventions and can be recognized today as the father of faxes, modems, e-mail, the internet and other electronic communication. ["Glimpses," Issue #99 (Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute, 1998).]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5-6)

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and new week in which to honor and server You. Lord, I thank You for the reminder that life is but a vapor in comparison to eternity and that it is our responsibility to be purposeful in how we live and act to ensure that we leave a mark and a legacy that will bring glory to You and Your name. Help us today to consider that in every encounter and every moment we get to spend with others. I thank You and praise You, I will honor You and glorify You in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Reading: John 6.22-59, 1 Chronicles 24 and Zechariah 10

by Os Hillman

When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. - 2 Chronicles 34:19

Josiah was a godly king in Israel. However, before he came to power, the nation had fallen into all kinds of evil. One man, Manasseh, had brought the nation to a condition of inexorable evil. God finally had enough.

Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down (2 Kings 21:12-13).

Josiah came into power just before this judgment. He began to clean up the evil by burning all the idolatrous temples, ridding prostitution and homosexuality from the streets, and destroying occult shrines. He did this without the benefit of even reading God's Word, but through the Holy Spirit working in his heart. Then one day the ancient Scriptures were discovered in the temple that had lain dormant for years. They had a profound impact on King Josiah.
When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: "Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book" (2 Chronicles 34:19-21).

Josiah was broken. He tore his robes in repentance. He fell to his knees and repented for the wickedness of his nation. He stood in the gap, and God honored Josiah; however, it wasn't enough. God still had to judge the nation for its previous wickedness under the reign of Manasseh.

"Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what He spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before Me and tore your robes and wept in My presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here." ... (2 Chronicles 34:27-28).

God spared Josiah during his reign, but after he died judgment came upon the nation.

No nation is immune from God's judgment. Pray for your nation today. Pray that your nation will have a repentant heart among the leaders and the people.

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Today's Reading: John 4.27-42, 1 Chronicles 16.8-43 and Zechariah 5

Today's Devotional: New Things by Os Hillman

John 4 ²⁷At that moment Jesus' disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, "What do you want?" or asked him, "Why are you talking with her?"
²⁸Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there, ²⁹"Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?" ³⁰So they left the town and went to Jesus.
³¹In the meantime the disciples were begging Jesus, "Teacher, have something to eat!"
³²But he answered, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
³³So the disciples started asking among themselves, "Could somebody have brought him food?"
³⁴"My food," Jesus said to them, "is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do. ³⁵You have a saying, 'Four more months and then the harvest.' But I tell you, take a good look at the fields; the crops are now ripe and ready to be harvested! ³⁶The one who reaps the harvest is being paid and gathers the crops for eternal life; so the one who plants and the one who reaps will be glad together. ³⁷For the saying is true, 'Someone plants, someone else reaps.' ³⁸I have sent you to reap a harvest in a field where you did not work; others worked there, and you profit from their work."
³⁹Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I have ever done." ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days.
⁴¹Many more believed because of his message, ⁴²and they told the woman, "We believe now, not because of what you said, but because we ourselves have heard him, and we know that he really is the Savior of the world."

A Song of Praise
(Psalms 105.1-15; 96.1-13; 106.1, 47, 48)

1 Chronicles 16 ⁸Give thanks to the LORD, proclaim his greatness;
tell the nations what he has done.
⁹Sing praise to the LORD;
tell the wonderful things he has done.
¹⁰Be glad that we belong to him;
let all who worship him rejoice!
¹¹Go to the LORD for help,
and worship him continually.
^12-13You descendants of Jacob, God's servant,
descendants of Israel, whom God chose,
remember the miracles that God performed
and the judgments that he gave.
¹⁴The LORD is our God;
his commands are for all the world.
¹⁵Never forget God's covenant,
which he made to last forever,
¹⁶ the covenant he made with Abraham,
the promise he made to Isaac.
¹⁷The LORD made a covenant with Jacob,
one that will last forever.
¹⁸"I will give you the land of Canaan," he said.
"It will be your own possession."

¹⁹God's people were few in number,
strangers in the land of Canaan.
²⁰They wandered from country to country,
from one kingdom to another.
²¹But God let no one oppress them;
to protect them, he warned the kings:
²²"Don't harm my chosen servants;
do not touch my prophets."

²³Sing to the LORD, all the world!
Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.
²⁴Proclaim his glory to the nations,
his mighty deeds to all peoples.

²⁵The LORD is great and is to be highly praised;
he is to be honored more than all the gods.
²⁶The gods of all other nations are only idols,
but the LORD created the heavens.
²⁷Glory and majesty surround him,
power and joy fill his Temple.

²⁸Praise the LORD, all people on earth,
praise his glory and might.
²⁹Praise the LORD's glorious name;
bring an offering and come into his Temple.
Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;
³⁰ tremble before him, all the earth!
The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved.
³¹Be glad, earth and sky!
Tell the nations that the LORD is king.
³²Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
be glad, fields, and everything in you!
³³The trees in the woods will shout for joy
when the LORD comes to rule the earth.

³⁴Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good;
his love is eternal.
³⁵Say to him, "Save us, O God our Savior;
gather us together; rescue us from the nations,
so that we may be thankful
and praise your holy name."
³⁶Praise the LORD, the God of Israel!
Praise him now and forever!

Then all the people said, "Amen," and praised the LORD.

Worship at Jerusalem and Gibeon

³⁷King David put Asaph and the other Levites in permanent charge of the worship that was held at the place where the Covenant Box was kept. They were to perform their duties there day by day. ³⁸Obed Edom son of Jeduthun and sixty-eight men of his clan were to assist them. Hosah and Obed Edom were in charge of guarding the gates.
³⁹Zadok the priest and his fellow priests, however, were in charge of the worship of the LORD at the place of worship in Gibeon. ⁴⁰Every morning and evening they were to burn sacrifices whole on the altar in accordance with what was written in the Law which the LORD gave to Israel. ⁴¹There with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the others who were specifically chosen to sing praises to the LORD for his eternal love. ⁴²Heman and Jeduthun also had charge of the trumpets and cymbals and the other instruments which were played when the songs of praise were sung. The members of Jeduthun's clan were in charge of guarding the gates.
⁴³Then everyone went home, and David went home to spend some time with his family.

The Vision of the Flying Scroll

Zechariah 5 I looked again, and this time I saw a scroll flying through the air. ²The angel asked me what I saw. I answered, "A scroll flying through the air; it is thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide."
³Then he said to me, "On it is written the curse that is to go out over the whole land. On one side of the scroll it says that every thief will be removed from the land; and on the other side it says that everyone who tells lies under oath will also be taken away. ⁴The LORD Almighty says that he will send this curse out, and it will enter the house of every thief and the house of everyone who tells lies under oath. It will remain in their houses and leave them in ruins."

The Vision of the Woman in the Basket

⁵The angel appeared again and said, "Look! Something else is coming!"
⁶"What is it?" I asked.
He replied, "It is a basket, and it stands for the sin of the whole land."
⁷The basket had a lid made of lead. As I watched, the lid was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman!
⁸The angel said, "This represents wickedness." Then he pushed her down into the basket and put the lid back down. ⁹I looked up and saw two women flying toward me with powerful wings like those of a stork. They picked up the basket and flew off with it.
¹⁰I asked the angel, "Where are they taking it?"
¹¹He answered, "To Babylonia, where they will build a temple for it. When the temple is finished, the basket will be placed there to be worshiped."

New Things

by Os Hillman

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13b-14

Our past can be a hindrance or a help in moving toward God's purposes for each of us. For some, the past has meant pain and heartache, and grace is required so that we do not let our past dictate our responses to the future. If we allow our past to make us a victim, then we have not entered into the grace that God has for us. If we live on memories of past successes and fail to raise our vision for new things, we again are victims of our past.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Is. 43:19). Our past should only be viewed for what we can learn from it. We must move forward and avoid viewing the negative or the positive for more than what we can learn. Many have allowed their past to dictate their future. God is always about doing new things in our lives. He gives fresh revelation of His purposes in our lives. Do not live in the past. Do not hold onto bitterness that may hinder God from doing new and exciting things in your life. He turns our wastelands into streams of water to give life, not death.

How have you viewed your past? Has it hindered you in some areas of your life? Have you relied on past successes to dictate what you will do in the future? Put aside such thoughts and allow God to do a new thing in your life. Ask Him to help you see the new things He wants to do in and through you today.

"When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the grave" [Author unknown].

Today's Reading: John 3.22-36, 1 Chronicles 13-14 and Zechariah 3

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 Life Lessons #1

Today's Reading: John 1.35-51, 1 Chronicles 9 and Haggai 1-2
Today's Devotional: Blameless by Os Hillman

The First Disciples of Jesus

John 1 ³⁵The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, ³⁶when he saw Jesus walking by. "There is the Lamb of God!" he said.
³⁷The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. ³⁸Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked, "What are you looking for?"
They answered, "Where do you live, Rabbi?" (This word means "Teacher.")
³⁹"Come and see," he answered. (It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him.
⁴⁰One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹At once he found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah." (This word means "Christ.") ⁴²Then he took Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "Your name is Simon son of John, but you will be called Cephas." (This is the same as Peter and means "a rock.")

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come with me!" ( ⁴⁴Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived.) ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
⁴⁶"Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," answered Philip.
⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, "Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!"
⁴⁸Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered, "I saw you when you were under the fig tree before Philip called you."
⁴⁹"Teacher," answered Nathanael, "you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
⁵⁰Jesus said, "Do you believe just because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than this!" ⁵¹And he said to them, "I am telling you the truth: you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man."

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The People Who Returned from Captivity

1 Chronicles 9 All the people of Israel were listed according to their families, and this information was recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel.
The people of Judah had been deported to Babylon as punishment for their sins. ²The first to return to their property in the cities included Israelite citizens, priests, Levites, and Temple workers. ³People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh went to live in Jerusalem.
^4-6There were 690 families of the tribe of Judah who lived in Jerusalem.
The descendants of Judah's son Perez had as their leader Uthai, the son of Ammihud and grandson of Omri. His other ancestors included Imri and Bani.
The descendants of Judah's son Shelah had as their leader Asaiah, who was the head of his family.
The descendants of Judah's son Zerah had Jeuel as their leader.
^7-8The following members of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem:
Sallu son of Meshullam, who was the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah
Ibneiah son of Jeroham
Elah, the son of Uzzi and grandson of Michri
Meshullam son of Shephatiah, who was the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah
⁹There were 956 families of this tribe living there. All the men named above were heads of families.

The Priests Who Lived in Jerusalem

^10-12The following priests lived in Jerusalem:
Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin
Azariah son of Hilkiah (the chief official in the Temple), whose ancestors included Meshullam, Zadok, Meraioth, and Ahitub
Adaiah son of Jeroham, whose ancestors included Pashhur and Malchijah
Maasai son of Adiel, whose ancestors included Jahzerah, Meshullam, Meshillemith, and Immer
¹³The priests who were heads of families totaled 1,760. They were experts in all the work carried on in the Temple.

The Levites Who Lived in Jerusalem

^14-16The following Levites lived in Jerusalem:
Shemaiah son of Hasshub, whose ancestors included Azrikam and Hashabiah, of the clan of Merari
Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal
Mattaniah son of Mica, whose ancestors included Zichri and Asaph
Obadiah son of Shemaiah, whose ancestors included Galal and Jeduthun
Berechiah, the son of Asa and grandson of Elkanah, who lived in the territory that belonged to the town of Netophah

The Temple Guards Who Lived in Jerusalem

¹⁷The following Temple guards lived in Jerusalem: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman. Shallum was their leader. ¹⁸Down to that time members of their clans had been stationed at the eastern entrance to the King's Gate. Formerly they had stood guard at the gates to the camps of the Levites.
¹⁹Shallum, the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, together with his fellow members of the clan of Korah, was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tent of the LORD's presence, just as their ancestors had been when they were in charge of the LORD's camp. ²⁰Phinehas son of Eleazar--may the LORD be with him!--had supervised them at one time.
²¹Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the LORD's presence.
²²In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions. ²³They and their descendants continued to guard the gates to the Temple. ²⁴There was a gate facing in each direction, north, south, east, and west, and each had a chief guard. ²⁵These guards were assisted by their relatives, who lived in the villages and who had to take turns at guard duty for seven days at a time. ²⁶The four chief guards were Levites and had the final responsibility. They were also responsible for the rooms in the Temple and for the supplies kept there. ²⁷They lived near the Temple, because it was their duty to guard it and to open the gates every morning.

The Other Levites

²⁸Other Levites were responsible for the utensils used in worship. They checked them out and checked them back in every time they were used. ²⁹Others were in charge of the other sacred equipment, and of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices. ³⁰But the responsibility for mixing the spices belonged to the priests.
³¹A Levite named Mattithiah, oldest son of Shallum, of the clan of Korah, was responsible for preparing the baked offerings. ³²Members of the clan of Kohath were responsible for preparing the sacred bread for the Temple every Sabbath.
³³Some Levite families were responsible for the Temple music. The heads of these families lived in some of the Temple buildings and were free from other duties, because they were on call day and night.
³⁴The men named above were heads of Levite families, according to their ancestral lines. They were the leaders who lived in Jerusalem.

The Ancestors and Descendants of King Saul
(1 Chronicles 8.29 -38)

³⁵Jeiel founded the city of Gibeon and settled there. His wife was named Maacah. ³⁶His oldest son was Abdon, and his other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth, ³⁸the father of Shimeah. Their descendants lived in Jerusalem near other families of their clan.
³⁹Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish was the father of Saul. Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. ⁴⁰Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal, who was the father of Micah. ⁴¹Micah had four sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. ⁴²Ahaz was the father of Jarah, who was the father of three sons: Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza, ⁴³Moza the father of Binea, Binea of Rephaiah, Rephaiah of Eleasah, and Eleasah of Azel.
⁴⁴Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan.

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The Book of
HAGGAI

The LORD's Command to Rebuild the Temple

Haggai 1 During the second year that Darius was emperor of Persia, on the first day of the sixth month, the LORD spoke through the prophet Haggai. The message was for the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and for the High Priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.
²The LORD Almighty said to Haggai, "These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple." ³The LORD then gave this message to the people through the prophet Haggai: ⁴"My people, why should you be living in well-built houses while my Temple lies in ruins? ⁵Don't you see what is happening to you? ⁶You have planted much grain, but have harvested very little. You have food to eat, but not enough to make you full. You have wine to drink, but not enough to get drunk on! You have clothing, but not enough to keep you warm. And workers cannot earn enough to live on. ⁷Can't you see why this has happened? ⁸Now go up into the hills, get lumber, and rebuild the Temple; then I will be pleased and will be worshiped as I should be.
⁹"You hoped for large harvests, but they turned out to be small. And when you brought the harvest home, I blew it away. Why did I do that? Because my Temple lies in ruins while every one of you is busy working on your own house. ¹⁰That is why there is no rain and nothing can grow. ¹¹I have brought drought on the land--on its hills, grainfields, vineyards, and olive orchards--on every crop the ground produces, on people and animals, on everything you try to grow."

The People Obey the LORD's Command

¹²Then Zerubbabel and Joshua and all the people who had returned from the exile in Babylonia, did what the LORD their God told them to do. They were afraid and obeyed the prophet Haggai, the LORD's messenger. ¹³Then Haggai gave the LORD's message to the people: "I will be with you--that is my promise." ¹⁴The LORD inspired everyone to work on the Temple: Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; Joshua, the High Priest, and all the people who had returned from the exile. They began working on the Temple of the LORD Almighty, their God, ¹⁵on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was emperor.

The Splendor of the New Temple

Haggai 2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of that same year, the LORD spoke again through the prophet Haggai. ²He told Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, to Joshua, the High Priest, and to the people, and to say to them, ³"Is there anyone among you who can still remember how splendid the Temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all. ⁴But now don't be discouraged, any of you. Do the work, for I am with you. ⁵When you came out of Egypt, I promised that I would always be with you. I am still with you, so do not be afraid.
⁶"Before long I will shake heaven and earth, land and sea. ⁷I will overthrow all the nations, and their treasures will be brought here, and the Temple will be filled with wealth. ⁸All the silver and gold of the world is mine. ⁹The new Temple will be more splendid than the old one, and there I will give my people prosperity and peace." The LORD Almighty has spoken.

The Prophet Consults the Priests

¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was emperor, the LORD Almighty spoke again to the prophet Haggai. ¹¹He said, "Ask the priests for a ruling on this question: ¹²Suppose someone takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. If he then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all, will it make that food consecrated also?"
When the question was asked, the priests answered, "No."
¹³Then Haggai asked, "Suppose someone is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?"
The priests answered, "Yes."
¹⁴Then Haggai said, "The LORD says that the same thing applies to the people of this nation and to everything they produce; and so everything they offer on the altar is defiled."

The LORD Promises His Blessing

¹⁵The LORD says, "Can't you see what has happened to you? Before you started to rebuild the Temple, ¹⁶you would go to a pile of grain expecting to find twenty bushels, but there would be only ten. You would go to draw fifty gallons of wine from a vat, but find only twenty. ¹⁷I sent scorching winds and hail to ruin everything you tried to grow, but still you did not repent. ¹⁸Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple has been completed. See what is going to happen from now on. ¹⁹Although there is no grain left, and the grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced, yet from now on I will bless you."

The LORD's Promise to Zerubbabel

²⁰On that same day, the twenty-fourth of the month, the LORD gave Haggai a second message ²¹for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: "I am about to shake heaven and earth ²²and overthrow kingdoms and end their power. I will overturn chariots and their drivers; the horses will die, and their riders will kill one another. ²³On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, and I will appoint you to rule in my name. You are the one I have chosen." The LORD Almighty has spoken.

Today's Reading: John 1.1-18, 1 Chronicles 5-6 and Zephaniah 2
Today's Devotional: The Faithfulness of God by Os Hillman

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day. I thank You for the passion and joy, the confidence and humility that You have provided me as my Lord and Savior. Lord, help me to keep my focus on You and to not allow myself to become distracted and lose sight of all that You are doing in my life daily. I thank You and praise You, worship, honor, and glorify You in Jesus' name. Amen.

The Gospel according to

JOHN

The Word of Life

John 1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²From the very beginning the Word was with God. ³Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. ⁴The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.
⁶God sent his messenger, a man named John, ⁷who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. ⁹This was the real light--the light that comes into the world and shines on all people.
¹⁰The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. ¹²Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. ¹³They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.
¹⁴The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.
¹⁵John spoke about him. He cried out, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.'"
¹⁶Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. ¹⁷God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

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A Plea for Repentance

Zephaniah 2 Shameless nation, come to your senses ²before you are driven away like chaff blown by the wind, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day when he shows his fury. ³Turn to the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who obey his commands. Do what is right, and humble yourselves before the LORD. Perhaps you will escape punishment on the day when the LORD shows his anger.

The Doom of the Nations around Israel

⁴No one will be left in the city of Gaza. Ashkelon will be deserted. The people of Ashdod will be driven out in half a day, and the people of Ekron will be driven from their city. ⁵You Philistines are doomed, you people who live along the coast. The LORD has passed sentence on you. He will destroy you, and not one of you will be left. ⁶Your land by the sea will become open fields with shepherd's huts and sheep pens. ⁷The people of Judah who survive will occupy your land. They will pasture their flocks there and sleep in the houses of Ashkelon. The LORD their God will be with them and make them prosper again.
⁸The LORD Almighty says, "I have heard the people of Moab and Ammon insulting and taunting my people, and boasting that they would seize their land. ⁹As surely as I am the living LORD, the God of Israel, I swear that Moab and Ammon are going to be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. They will become a place of salt pits and everlasting ruin, overgrown with weeds. Those of my people who survive will plunder them and take their land."
¹⁰That is how the people of Moab and Ammon will be punished for their pride and arrogance and for insulting the people of the LORD Almighty. ¹¹The LORD will terrify them. He will reduce the gods of the earth to nothing, and then every nation will worship him, each in its own land.
¹²The LORD will also put the people of Ethiopia to death.
¹³The LORD will use his power to destroy Assyria. He will make the city of Nineveh a deserted ruin, a waterless desert. ¹⁴It will be a place where flocks, herds, and animals of every kind will lie down. Owls will live among its ruins and hoot from the windows. Crows will caw on the doorsteps. The cedar wood of her buildings will be stripped away. ¹⁵That is what will happen to the city that is so proud of its own power and thinks it is safe. Its people think that their city is the greatest in the world. What a desolate place it will become, a place where wild animals will rest! Everyone who passes by will shrink back in horror.

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 13, 1 Chronicles 3-4 and Zephaniah 1
Today's Devotional: Business as Ministry by Os Hillman

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

⁹There was a man named Jabez, who was the most respected member of his family. His mother had given him the name Jabez, because his birth had been very painful. ¹⁰But Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, "Bless me, God, and give me much land. Be with me and keep me from anything evil that might cause me pain." And God gave him what he prayed for.

Do you stand out in the crowd? Did you get dealt a tough hand in your start to life? How will you respond when times get tough? Who will you turn to?

Jabez always encourages and jumps out at me when I am reading the lineage shown in the book of Chronicles. He stands out for a few reasons: first it gives a bit more detail about Jabez than others and second because it shows his heart when it explains how he was the most respected member of his family. It also gives us a snippet of what his desires were and how God blessed him.

Jabez had a hard start in his life, from birth as his mother named him Jabez (meaning pain; sorrow) because his birth had been very painful. Jabez doesn't let that hold him back, but puts his hope and trust in God. He prays to God a simple prayer, one that now people have started to pray and there are devotional books you can buy that are specifically on this. Jabez prays a simple prayer "‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’" It is an incredible prayer for first it asks for blessings which God is the source of power and grace, second an expansion of territory - victory and prosperity in all his endeavors and that his life would be marked by increase, third that God would give his hand to guide and be with him, and finally protection from harm, looking to God in confidence as his defender.

Will you turn to God today? Will you allow His grace and His power to lead your every step, to protect you and deliver you from the snares and lies of the devil?

It is your for the asking...

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this day and I ask that You speak into the hearts of all those who read this. Help them to take a moment and ask You for forgiveness (repenting of their sins), turn to You (who will bless them and cover them with grace and power) ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior (granting them eternal life with You). For Lord, we don't know how much time we will all have on this earth, but knowing that we will get to spend eternity with You instead of apart from You means that we can live everyday here on earth with hope and joy and passion because we know where we are going. I thank You and praise You, honor You and glorify You in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 12, 1 Chronicles 1-2 and Habakkuk 3
Today's Devotional: Reflecting His Glory by Os Hillman

A Prayer of Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3 This is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk:
²O LORD, I have heard of what you have done,
and I am filled with awe.
Now do again in our times
the great deeds you used to do.
Be merciful, even when you are angry.
³God is coming again from Edom;
the holy God is coming from the hills of Paran.
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of his praise.
⁴He comes with the brightness of lightning;
light flashes from his hand,
there where his power is hidden.
⁵He sends disease before him
and commands death to follow him.
⁶When he stops, the earth shakes;
at his glance the nations tremble.
The eternal mountains are shattered;
the everlasting hills sink down,
the hills where he walked in ancient times.
⁷I saw the people of Cushan afraid
and the people of Midian tremble.
⁸Was it the rivers that made you angry, LORD?
Was it the sea that made you furious?
You rode upon the clouds;
the storm cloud was your chariot,
as you brought victory to your people.
⁹You got ready to use your bow,
ready to shoot your arrows.
Your lightning split open the earth.
¹⁰When the mountains saw you, they trembled;
water poured down from the skies.
The waters under the earth roared,
and their waves rose high.
¹¹At the flash of your speeding arrows
and the gleam of your shining spear,
the sun and the moon stood still.
¹²You marched across the earth in anger;
in fury you trampled the nations.
¹³You went out to save your people,
to save your chosen king.
You struck down the leader of the wicked
and completely destroyed his followers.
¹⁴Your arrows pierced the commander of his army
when it came like a storm to scatter us,
gloating like those who secretly oppress the poor.
¹⁵You trampled the sea with your horses,
and the mighty waters foamed.
¹⁶I hear all this, and I tremble;
my lips quiver with fear.
My body goes limp,
and my feet stumble beneath me.
I will quietly wait for the time to come
when God will punish those who attack us.
¹⁷Even though the fig trees have no fruit
and no grapes grow on the vines,
even though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no grain,
even though the sheep all die
and the cattle stalls are empty,
¹⁸I will still be joyful and glad,
because the LORD God is my savior.
¹⁹The Sovereign LORD gives me strength.
He makes me sure-footed as a deer
and keeps me safe on the mountains.

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WILL YOU REFLECT GOD'S GLORY TODAY AND AFFECT THE WORLD?

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day. I thank You for having written Your Work as a tablet in my heart. When times seem down or troubling, I remember Your Words from John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Which relates to John 15:18-21

18. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21. They will treat you this way because of my name,for they do not know the One who sent me.

as well as to Ro 8:37; 1Jn 4:4; 5:4; Rev 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; 21:7.

I also think during these time of 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Lord, today I pray for wisdom, that Lord, I may know what to do as my next step. The joy of the Lord is with me and helps me through each day. Help me to see beyond each circumstance. Help me to speak hope and life into those who are around me. Help me to shine for You and be an example for each one that You have brought into my path to be a planter or a waterer and help me to see how You make them grow. And Lord as I start today I thank You and praise You and worship You and honor You and want to glorify and honor You in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Devotional by Os Hillman - Embracing the Mess

Embracing the Mess

Os Hillman

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. - Proverbs 14:4

My wife and I run together through a new home subdivision. Often we see the street filled with red clay from the land as bulldozers clear it to lay a foundation. The job site is littered with lumber, all sorts of trash from workers, and is generally a mess. The house looks ugly; it has all its insides exposed as it is being pieced together, yet this process is necessary to get to the finished product. When completed, the home is beautiful. The landscaping looks like it came out of a home-design magazine. Everything is clean and perfect in order for the new homeowner to move in.

Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God builds a new structure. He might remove some structural timbers in our lives and replace them with new ones. He might even add on another room. And unless this process takes place, we will never see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process.

It would be impossible to keep oxen in a barn without having to clean up the mess from time to time. It just comes with the territory, but the result of the oxen is an abundant harvest. God may be allowing a mess in order to ensure a fruitful harvest in your life. Learn from Him so that you might experience the fulfillment of His purposes for you in these times.

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 8, 2 Kings 20-21 and Nahum 2

Christian Giving

2 Corinthians 8 Our friends, we want you to know what God's grace has accomplished in the churches in Macedonia. ²They have been severely tested by the troubles they went through; but their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving, even though they are very poor. ³I can assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they could. Of their own free will ⁴they begged us and pleaded for the privilege of having a part in helping God's people in Judea. ⁵It was more than we could have hoped for! First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God's will they gave themselves to us as well. ⁶So we urged Titus, who began this work, to continue it and help you complete this special service of love. ⁷You are so rich in all you have: in faith, speech, and knowledge, in your eagerness to help and in your love for us. And so we want you to be generous also in this service of love.
⁸I am not laying down any rules. But by showing how eager others are to help, I am trying to find out how real your own love is. ⁹You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty.
¹⁰My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act. ¹¹On with it, then, and finish the job! Be as eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with what you now have. ¹²If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don't have.
^13-14I am not trying to relieve others by putting a burden on you; but since you have plenty at this time, it is only fair that you should help those who are in need. Then, when you are in need and they have plenty, they will help you. In this way both are treated equally. ¹⁵As the scripture says, "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

Titus and His Companions

¹⁶How we thank God for making Titus as eager as we are to help you! ¹⁷Not only did he welcome our request; he was so eager to help that of his own free will he decided to go to you. ¹⁸With him we are sending the brother who is highly respected in all the churches for his work in preaching the gospel. ¹⁹And besides that, he has been chosen and appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this service of love for the sake of the Lord's glory and in order to show that we want to help.
²⁰We are being careful not to stir up any complaints about the way we handle this generous gift. ²¹Our purpose is to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of others.
²²So we are sending our brother with them; we have tested him many times and found him always very eager to help. And now that he has so much confidence in you, he is all the more eager to help. ²³As for Titus, he is my partner and works with me to help you; as for the other brothers who are going with him, they represent the churches and bring glory to Christ. ²⁴Show your love to them, so that all the churches will be sure of it and know that we are right in boasting about you.

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King Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery
(Isaiah 38.1-8, 21, 22; 2 Chronicles 32.24 -26)

2 Kings 20 About this time King Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and said to him, "The LORD tells you that you are to put everything in order, because you will not recover. Get ready to die."
²Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed: ³"Remember, LORD, that I have served you faithfully and loyally and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to." And he began to cry bitterly.
⁴Isaiah left the king, but before he had passed through the central courtyard of the palace the LORD told him ⁵to go back to Hezekiah, ruler of the LORD's people, and say to him, "I, the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and in three days you will go to the Temple. ⁶I will let you live fifteen years longer. I will rescue you and this city Jerusalem from the emperor of Assyria. I will defend this city, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David."
⁷Then Isaiah told the king's attendants to put on his boil a paste made of figs, and he would get well. ⁸King Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign to prove that the LORD will heal me and that three days later I will be able to go to the Temple?"
⁹Isaiah replied, "The LORD will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise. Now, would you prefer to have the shadow on the stairway go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?"
¹⁰Hezekiah answered, "It's easy to have the shadow go forward ten steps! Have it go back ten steps."
¹¹Isaiah prayed to the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway set up by King Ahaz.

Messengers from Babylonia
(Isaiah 39.1-8)

¹²About that same time the king of Babylonia, Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan, heard that King Hezekiah had been sick, so he sent him a letter and a present. ¹³Hezekiah welcomed the messengers and showed them his wealth--his silver and gold, his spices and perfumes, and all his military equipment. There was nothing in his storerooms or anywhere in his kingdom that he did not show them. ¹⁴Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, "Where did these men come from and what did they say to you?"
Hezekiah answered, "They came from a very distant country, from Babylonia."
¹⁵"What did they see in the palace?"
"They saw everything. There is nothing in the storerooms that I didn't show them."
¹⁶Isaiah then told the king, "The LORD Almighty says that ¹⁷a time is coming when everything in your palace, everything that your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be carried off to Babylonia. Nothing will be left. ¹⁸Some of your own direct descendants will be taken away and made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the king of Babylonia."
¹⁹King Hezekiah understood this to mean that there would be peace and security during his lifetime, so he replied, "The message you have given me from the LORD is good."

The End of Hezekiah's Reign
(2 Chronicles 32.32, 33)

²⁰Everything else that King Hezekiah did, his brave deeds, and an account of how he built a reservoir and dug a tunnel to bring water into the city, are all recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²¹Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh succeeded him as king.

King Manasseh of Judah
(2 Chronicles 33.1-20)

2 Kings 21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. ²Following the disgusting practices of the nations whom the LORD had driven out of the land as his people advanced, Manasseh sinned against the LORD. ³He rebuilt the pagan places of worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he built altars for the worship of Baal and made an image of the goddess Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done. Manasseh also worshiped the stars. ⁴He built pagan altars in the Temple, the place that the LORD had said was where he should be worshiped. ⁵In the two courtyards of the Temple he built altars for the worship of the stars. ⁶He sacrificed his son as a burnt offering. He practiced divination and magic and consulted fortunetellers and mediums. He sinned greatly against the LORD and stirred up his anger. ⁷He placed the symbol of the goddess Asherah in the Temple, the place about which the LORD had said to David and his son Solomon: "Here in Jerusalem, in this Temple, is the place that I have chosen out of all the territory of the twelve tribes of Israel as the place where I am to be worshiped. ⁸And if the people of Israel will obey all my commands and keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them, then I will not allow them to be driven out of the land that I gave to their ancestors." ⁹But the people of Judah did not obey the LORD, and Manasseh led them to commit even greater sins than those committed by the nations whom the LORD had driven out of the land as his people advanced.
¹⁰Through his servants the prophets the LORD said, ¹¹"King Manasseh has done these disgusting things, things far worse than what the Canaanites did; and with his idols he has led the people of Judah into sin. ¹²So I, the LORD God of Israel, will bring such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that everyone who hears about it will be stunned. ¹³I will punish Jerusalem as I did Samaria, as I did King Ahab of Israel and his descendants. I will wipe Jerusalem clean of its people, as clean as a plate that has been wiped and turned upside down. ¹⁴I will abandon the people who survive, and will hand them over to their enemies, who will conquer them and plunder their land. ¹⁵I will do this to my people because they have sinned against me and have stirred up my anger from the time their ancestors came out of Egypt to this day."
¹⁶Manasseh killed so many innocent people that the streets of Jerusalem were flowing with blood; he did this in addition to leading the people of Judah into idolatry, causing them to sin against the LORD.
¹⁷Everything else that Manasseh did, including the sins he committed, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. ¹⁸Manasseh died and was buried in the palace garden, the garden of Uzza, and his son Amon succeeded him as king.

King Amon of Judah
(2 Chronicles 33.21-25)

¹⁹Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for two years. His mother was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz from the town of Jotbah. ²⁰Like his father Manasseh, he sinned against the LORD; ²¹he imitated his father's actions, and he worshiped the idols that his father had worshiped. ²²He rejected the LORD, the God of his ancestors, and disobeyed the LORD's commands.
²³Amon's officials plotted against him and assassinated him in the palace. ²⁴The people of Judah killed Amon's assassins and made his son Josiah king.
²⁵Everything else that Amon did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. ²⁶Amon was buried in the tomb in the garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah succeeded him as king.

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The Fall of Nineveh

Nahum 2 Nineveh, you are under attack!
The power that will shatter you has come.
Prepare the defenses!
Guard the road!
Prepare for battle!
( ²The LORD is about to restore the glory of Israel, as it was before her enemies plundered her.)
³The enemy soldiers carry red shields
and wear uniforms of red.
They are preparing to attack!
Their chariots flash like fire!
Their horses prance!
⁴Chariots dash wildly through the streets,
rushing back and forth in the city squares.
They flash like torches
and dart about like lightning.
⁵The officers are summoned;
they stumble as they press forward.
The attackers rush to the wall
and set up the shield for the battering ram.
⁶The gates by the river burst open;
the palace is filled with terror.
⁷The queen is taken captive;
her servants moan like doves
and beat their breasts in sorrow.
⁸Like water from a broken dam
the people rush from Nineveh!
"Stop! Stop!" the cry rings out--
but no one turns back.
⁹Plunder the silver!
Plunder the gold!
The city is full of treasure!
¹⁰Nineveh is destroyed, deserted, desolate!
Hearts melt with fear;
knees tremble, strength is gone;
faces grow pale.
¹¹Where now is the city
that was like a den of lions,
the place where young lions were fed,
where the lion and the lioness would go
and their cubs would be safe?
¹²The lion killed his prey
and tore it to pieces for his mate and her cubs;
he filled his den with torn flesh.
¹³"I am your enemy!" says the LORD Almighty. "I will burn up your chariots. Your soldiers will be killed in war, and I will take away everything that you took from others. The demands of your envoys will no longer be heard."

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day. I thank You for Your Word that speaks truth and hope and draws me closer to You. I thank You for the wisdom that it is important to take the time to speak with and be with You. I know Lord we are to pray with or talk to You without ceasing which definitely helps me get through each day no matter what the circumstances Your joy will shine through me. This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. I know Lord that You know what I am going through. I know that You see what is being done and being said that even I am unaware of. God help me to focus on Your priorities and not lose focus or get distracted from completing the work I have to do each day. Help me Lord to manage the time You give me wisely and to speak/shine to others that they may see You Lord through me, Your ambassador.

Lord, freely I received so that I should freely give.

Lord, You give and take away - Blessed be Your name.

Lord, please provide wisdom to help me manage all that You have given me. Help me to be a joyful giver to Your causes.

Lord, every good thing I have came from You. Lord, every bad or unnecessary thing You take away in order to refine and perfect me, helping me to become more like You.

Thank You Lord for today and all that You have in store, I praise and worship You, I honor and glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 6.14-7.16, 2 Kings 19 and Nahum 1

Warning against Pagan Influences

2 Corinthians 6 ¹⁴Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? ¹⁵How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said,
"I will make my home with my people
and live among them;
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people."
¹⁷And so the Lord says,
"You must leave them
and separate yourselves from them.
Have nothing to do with what is unclean,
and I will accept you.
¹⁸I will be your father,
and you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty."
2 Corinthians 7 All these promises are made to us, my dear friends. So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy by living in awe of God.

Paul's Joy

²Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one; we have ruined no one, nor tried to take advantage of anyone. ³I do not say this to condemn you; for, as I have said before, you are so dear to us that we are always together, whether we live or die. ⁴I am so sure of you; I take such pride in you! In all our troubles I am still full of courage; I am running over with joy.
⁵Even after we arrived in Macedonia, we did not have any rest. There were troubles everywhere, quarrels with others, fears in our hearts. ⁶But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us with the coming of Titus. ⁷It was not only his coming that cheered us, but also his report of how you encouraged him. He told us how much you want to see me, how sorry you are, how ready you are to defend me; and so I am even happier now.
⁸For even if that letter of mine made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. I could have been sorry when I saw that it made you sad for a while. ⁹But now I am happy--not because I made you sad, but because your sadness made you change your ways. That sadness was used by God, and so we caused you no harm. ¹⁰For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation--and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death. ¹¹See what God did with this sadness of yours: how earnest it has made you, how eager to prove your innocence! Such indignation, such alarm, such feelings, such devotion, such readiness to punish wrongdoing! You have shown yourselves to be without fault in the whole matter.
¹²So, even though I wrote that letter, it was not because of the one who did wrong or the one who was wronged. Instead, I wrote it to make plain to you, in God's sight, how deep your devotion to us really is. ¹³That is why we were encouraged.
Not only were we encouraged; how happy Titus made us with his happiness over the way in which all of you helped to cheer him up! ¹⁴I did boast of you to him, and you have not disappointed me. We have always spoken the truth to you, and in the same way the boast we made to Titus has proved true. ¹⁵And so his love for you grows stronger, as he remembers how all of you were ready to obey his instructions, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶How happy I am that I can depend on you completely!

The King Asks Isaiah's Advice
(Isaiah 37.1-7)

2 Kings 19 As soon as King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes in grief, put on sackcloth, and went to the Temple of the LORD. ²He sent Eliakim, the official in charge of the palace, Shebna, the court secretary, and the senior priests to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They also were wearing sackcloth. ³This is the message which he told them to give Isaiah: "Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it. ⁴The Assyrian emperor has sent his chief official to insult the living God. May the LORD your God hear these insults and punish those who spoke them. So pray to God for those of our people who survive."
⁵When Isaiah received King Hezekiah's message, ⁶he sent back this answer: "The LORD tells you not to let the Assyrians frighten you with their claims that he cannot save you. ⁷The LORD will cause the emperor to hear a rumor that will make him go back to his own country, and the LORD will have him killed there."

The Assyrians Send Another Threat
(Isaiah 37.8-20)

⁸The Assyrian official learned that the emperor had left Lachish and was fighting against the nearby city of Libnah; so he went there to consult him. ⁹Word reached the Assyrians that the Egyptian army, led by King Tirhakah of Ethiopia, was coming to attack them. When the emperor heard this, he sent a letter to King Hezekiah of Judah ¹⁰to tell him, "The god you are trusting in has told you that you will not fall into my hands, but don't let that deceive you. ¹¹You have heard what an Assyrian emperor does to any country he decides to destroy. Do you think that you can escape? ¹²My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them. ¹³Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"
¹⁴King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went to the Temple, placed the letter there in the presence of the LORD, ¹⁵and prayed, "O LORD, the God of Israel, seated on your throne above the winged creatures, you alone are God, ruling all the kingdoms of the world. You created the earth and the sky. ¹⁶Now, LORD, look at what is happening to us. Listen to all the things that Sennacherib is saying to insult you, the living God. ¹⁷We all know, LORD, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate, ¹⁸and burned up their gods--which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands. ¹⁹Now, LORD our God, rescue us from the Assyrians, so that all the nations of the world will know that only you, O LORD, are God."

Isaiah's Message to the King
(Isaiah 37.21-38)

²⁰Then Isaiah sent a message telling King Hezekiah that in answer to the king's prayer ²¹the LORD had said, "The city of Jerusalem laughs at you, Sennacherib, and makes fun of you. ²²Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing? You have been disrespectful to me, the holy God of Israel. ²³You sent your messengers to boast to me that with all your chariots you had conquered the highest mountains of Lebanon. You boasted that there you cut down the tallest cedars and the finest cypress trees and that you reached the deepest parts of the forests. ²⁴You boasted that you dug wells and drank water in foreign lands and that the feet of your soldiers tramped the Nile River dry.
²⁵"Have you never heard that I planned all this long ago? And now I have carried it out. I gave you the power to turn fortified cities into piles of rubble. ²⁶The people who lived there were powerless; they were frightened and stunned. They were like grass in a field or weeds growing on a roof when the hot east wind blasts them.
²⁷"But I know everything about you, what you do and where you go. I know how you rage against me. ²⁸I have received the report of that rage and that pride of yours, and now I will put a hook through your nose and a bit in your mouth, and take you back by the same road you came."
²⁹Then Isaiah said to King Hezekiah, "Here is a sign of what will happen. This year and next you will have only wild grain to eat, but the following year you will be able to plant your grain and harvest it, and plant vines and eat grapes. ³⁰Those in Judah who survive will flourish like plants that send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit. ³¹There will be people in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion who will survive, because the LORD is determined to make this happen.
³²"And this is what the LORD has said about the Assyrian emperor: 'He will not enter this city or shoot a single arrow against it. No soldiers with shields will come near the city, and no siege mounds will be built around it. ³³He will go back by the same road he came, without entering this city. I, the LORD, have spoken. ³⁴I will defend this city and protect it, for the sake of my own honor and because of the promise I made to my servant David.'"
³⁵That night an angel of the LORD went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. At dawn the next day there they lay, all dead! ³⁶Then the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Nineveh. ³⁷One day, when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, two of his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords and then escaped to the land of Ararat. Another of his sons, Esarhaddon, succeeded him as emperor.

The Book of
NAHUM

Nahum 1 This is a message about Nineveh, the account of a vision seen by Nahum, who was from Elkosh.

The LORD's Anger against Nineveh

²The LORD God tolerates no rivals;
he punishes those who oppose him.
In his anger he pays them back.
³The LORD does not easily become angry,
but he is powerful
and never lets the guilty go unpunished.
Where the LORD walks, storms arise;
the clouds are the dust raised by his feet!
⁴He commands the sea, and it dries up!
He makes the rivers go dry.
The fields of Bashan wither,
Mount Carmel turns brown,
and the flowers of Lebanon fade.
⁵Mountains quake in the presence of the LORD;
hills melt before him.
The earth shakes when the LORD appears;
the world and all its people tremble.
⁶When he is angry, who can survive?
Who can survive his terrible fury?
He pours out his flaming anger;
rocks crumble to dust before him.
⁷The LORD is good;
he protects his people in times of trouble;
he takes care of those who turn to him.
⁸Like a great rushing flood he completely destroys his enemies;
he sends to their death those who oppose him.
⁹What are you plotting against the LORD?
He will destroy you.
No one opposes him more than once.
¹⁰Like tangled thorns and dry straw
you drunkards will be burned up!
¹¹From you, Nineveh, there came someone full of wicked schemes, who plotted against the LORD. ¹²This is what the LORD says to his people Israel: "Even though the Assyrians are strong and numerous, they will be destroyed and disappear. My people, I made you suffer, but I will not do it again. ¹³I will now end Assyria's power over you and break the chains that bind you."
¹⁴This is what the LORD has decreed about the Assyrians: "They will have no descendants to carry on their name. I will destroy the idols that are in the temples of their gods. I am preparing a grave for the Assyrians--they don't deserve to live!"
¹⁵Look, a messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is on his way to announce the victory! People of Judah, celebrate your festivals and give God what you solemnly promised him. The wicked will never invade your land again. They have been totally destroyed!

Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 5.11-6.13, 2 Kings 18 and Micah 7

Friendship with God through Christ

2 Corinthians 5 ¹¹We know what it means to fear the Lord, and so we try to persuade others. God knows us completely, and I hope that in your hearts you know me as well. ¹²We are not trying again to recommend ourselves to you; rather, we are trying to give you a good reason to be proud of us, so that you will be able to answer those who boast about people's appearance and not about their character. ¹³Are we really insane? It is for God's sake. Or are we sane? Then it is for your sake. ¹⁴We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognize that one man died for everyone, which means that they all share in his death. ¹⁵He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake.
¹⁶No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. ¹⁷Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. ¹⁹Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends.
²⁰Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! ²¹Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 6 In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted. ²Hear what God says:
"When the time came for me to show you favor,
I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you,
I helped you."
Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!
³We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in anyone's way. ⁴Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties. ⁵We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have gone without sleep or food. ⁶By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants--by the Holy Spirit, by our true love, ⁷by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. ⁸We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated as liars, yet we speak the truth; ⁹as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed; ¹⁰although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.
¹¹Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you; we have opened our hearts wide. ¹²It is not we who have closed our hearts to you; it is you who have closed your hearts to us. ¹³I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!

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Two by Two

by Os Hillman

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. - Ecclesiastes 4:9

Have you discovered yet that you are incomplete by yourself? During my "warrior" stage of life you would have been hard-pressed to convince me that I needed you or anyone else. I know few people willing to admit their need for others, but many who live according to this principle. However, sooner or later we discover God's truth regarding our need for others.

God made us to need others. We may not discover this until we fail -- fail in a business, a marriage, a close friendship, or in a client relationship. We are incomplete without the ongoing input from others into our lives. An independent spirit is one of the most detestable sins from God's viewpoint. It is the highest form of pride. "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice" (Prov. 13:10).

God has made each of us so that we have only so many gifts. He did not give any of us all the available gifts. Hence, we learn to depend on others and to humbly trust others to complete us where we are deficient.

David had Jonathan. Paul had Silas. John Wesley had George Whitefield. Martin Luther had Philip Melanchthon, who was 14 years younger. Martin Luther learned that he needed someone in his life to complete the work God called him to do. Luther had the greatest respect for this friend who helped him reform the Church of their day, and the Church as we know it at present. Luther learned a great deal from Melanchthon, who was a great scholar at a young age. He could speak several languages, and he became Professor of Greek at the new University of Wittenberg at 21 years of age. This was ten months after Luther posted his famous theses on the church door in Wittenberg. Melanchthon helped shape the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century through his research, writings, moral purpose, and religious conscience. Luther and Melanchthon became inseparable, and when they died, they were buried next to each other.

Who has God placed in your life to complete you? Perhaps it is a mate. Perhaps it is a close friend. Perhaps it is a business partner. If you lack this in your life, I encourage you to seek someone out who can speak into your life. If you have someone like this, tell him or her how much you appreciate the role he or she plays in your life.

Micah 6

What the LORD Requires

⁶What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? ⁷Will the LORD be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? ⁸No, the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.
⁹It is wise to fear the LORD. He calls to the city, "Listen, you people who assemble in the city! ¹⁰In the houses of evil people are treasures which they got dishonestly. They use false measures, a thing that I hate. ¹¹How can I forgive those who use false scales and weights? ¹²Your rich people exploit the poor, and all of you are liars. ¹³So I have already begun your ruin and destruction because of your sins. ¹⁴You will eat, but not be satisfied--in fact you will still be hungry. You will carry things off, but you will not be able to save them; anything you do save I will destroy in war. ¹⁵You will sow grain, but not harvest the crop. You will press oil from olives, but never get to use it. You will make wine, but never drink it. ¹⁶This will happen because you have followed the evil practices of King Omri and of his son, King Ahab. You have continued their policies, and so I will bring you to ruin, and everyone will despise you. People everywhere will treat you with contempt."

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for this new day and for the great news You speak to us through Your Word. You speak hope and faith, truth and righteousness - so that we may receive the good news into our hearts and be able to be encouraged for the rest of our lives on earth with the hope and joy of spending eternity in Heaven with You. On earth we see that You are with us as in 2 Corinthians 4 we read:

⁷Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. ⁸We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; ⁹there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. ¹⁰At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. ¹¹Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. ¹²This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

We also read in 2 Corinthians 5 to live by faith and not by sight since the things of this world will pass, but the thing in heaven will never pass away.

2 Corinthians 5 For we know that when this tent we live in--our body here on earth--is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever. ²And now we sigh, so great is our desire that our home which comes from heaven should be put on over us; ³by being clothed with it we shall not be without a body. ⁴While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life. ⁵God is the one who has prepared us for this change, and he gave us his Spirit as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.
⁶So we are always full of courage. We know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord's home. ⁷For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight. ⁸We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord. ⁹More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there. ¹⁰For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad, in our bodily life.

So Lord, I ask that You speak to us an use us this week for Your goodness and that You receive all the praise and the glory, honor and the praise, in Jesus' name. Amen.