Please forgive my lack of a post on Friday/Saturday. It’s written, but hasn’t been edited yet. I had to basically jump up and leave it (and you) hanging. Our grandma died somewhat suddenly on Thursday and I’m still trying to recover from it all.
As I tap this out on my phone, my stomach is reeling from what I can only assume is food poisoning from eating the only leftovers we had in the fridge for lunch. I’m not exactly sure how old they were…I didn’t think they were THAT old. I was mistaken. But I might be ok because I think I might just have some penicillin growing in my sink on the dirty dishes. Oh wait, I don’t think penicillin helps with food poisoning. Never mind.
Every time I go into my bathroom it’s like going into a walk-in dirty clothes hamper. Sadly, I’m not exaggerating. Our dryer has been broken for months now and I’m so behind that the clothes are crawling out of the hamper and across the floor! We’re to the point that there’s more laundry than floor! I would say that tells me we have too many clothes… except right now we NEED them because none of them are CLEAN!
I’m sitting here with my head propped up with my arm on the table so I can assist my daughter with her homework while I tell you all what’s been going on and at the same time try and figure out a way to fix dinner telepathically. Not that I’ll be eating any of it anyway.
I said all that to say this, I LOVE you.
I have not forgotten about you. And honestly would appreciate some prayers at the moment if you wouldn’t mind offering then up on my behalf. The last few months have been HARD. But I know that God is with us and for us and that with His help we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. He loves us and has not forsaken us. Of that I have no doubt!
As for this week’s post I will get it to you as soon as humanly possible. I love you my friends! Hang in there like every single Christmas decoration that I put up and haven’t touched yet! Hey! It’s only halfway through January, I’m not that late for taking them down yet. Right…?
Writing Through the Bible in a Year
This week’s post
God’s Not Mad at You
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Because of the LORD’S faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. Lamentations 3:22-24
It’s not too late, you know. The ball may have already dropped, but that doesn’t mean you’ve dropped the ball. You see, God’s not mad at you. And if He’s not mad at you, should you be mad at you? Resolutions get dropped all the time, but that doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to bend down and pick them back up again!
Once upon a time, I resolved to read through the Bible in a year alphabetically (starting in Acts and reading through to Zephaniah.) After a year and a half I was only halfway through the Bible! I was tired and frustrated and ready to give up on the whole endeavor until I re-watched an old video of my husband trying to run up a huge quarter-pipe
at the end of a 13 mile long Tough Mudder Race (think ½ marathon with obstacles along the way). He ran at that impossible curve (aptly named “Everest“) with all his might and barely even reached the middle before sliding back down to the muddy bottom. But he didn’t stay there. He got back up, got back in line and gathered his strength to try again. His second attempt at the obstacle brought him closer to the top; but it still wasn’t close enough. Some might have considered that a failure and simply walked around the obstacle altogether; giving up. Not my husband. He had been preparing his mind and body for this very obstacle for months and he wasn’t about to let it beat him. It was the end of a VERY long and difficult race. He was exhausted. But he had something at this point that he hadn’t had for any of the rest of the race, his family watching and cheering him on. He stood there facing his foe, this obstacle that had sent him sliding into the mud twice now, and he gathered his strength and his courage to try again, and this time when he ran he made it high enough that with outstretched hands he grasped the hands of someone, a stranger, who had reached out their hand from the top to help him get over this nearly impossible obstacle.
Life is filled with challenges my friend. We can sit and moan about them having beaten us, or we can gather our strength and our courage and decide that we’re not going to allow a nearly-impossible obstacle to become an impossible one in our heads. Humanly speaking it’s impossible for a virgin girl to become pregnant and have a baby. Yet when Mary the mother of Jesus was faced with this very proclamation and she asked the angel, “how can this be?” The angel Gabriel said with a shake of his haloed head, “Nothing is impossible with GOD.” (Luke 1:37) The moment God enters into the equation the impossible becomes nearly-impossible. In Mark 10:27 Jesus says, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”
My friend, I don’t care what you’re facing today, a dropped resolution to lose weight or an impossible marriage – don’t give up!
(Click on photo for a printable version.)
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Emphasis mine) You CAN do all things through Christ who gives you strength. (Philippians 4:13) You may feel exhausted and worn out from this rat race through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but always keep in mind the truth of life. It’s all a test. BUT no one ever said it had to be a closed book test, or that you have to take it alone! God’s not mad at you for failing; He’s pleased with you for trying! He KNOWS what you’re going through. He understands and He’s here to help you! Let Him! The addition of Jesus into the equation turns the impossible, possible! Get up and try again my friend! You CAN do all things through Jesus who gives you strength!
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Fear May Grip the City, but Jesus Brings Peace
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Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, “The LORD will rescue us!” Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?” 2 Kings 18:32-35
After King Hezekiah’s officials delivered the king’s message to Isaiah, the prophet replied, “Say to your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will moved against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.” 2 Kings 19:5-7
Fear grips the city. The Assyrian officials are shouting about the LORD and that He’s unable to protect them from the army that has successfully taken down every other god out there. And who is “the LORD” to them? We see the people gathering in huddled groups whispering with each other in hushed conversation debating the truth of the official’s statement. They HAD conquered every other land they’d gone up against. Would the LORD be able to hold them back? Would the LORD be able to help them in this time of desperate need?
The Assyrian officials knew exactly what they were doing didn’t they? Not only did they put Fear into the hearts of the people, they put it in there along with Doubt. Doubt and Fear often seem to go hand in hand together. One never seems to be too far away from the other. But while there may have been some along that wall that heard those words and were afraid, King Hezekiah was moved to prayer. He went to the only One who could actually help them. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the God of Hezekiah. And in answer to their prayer, “the LORD sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and offers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword. THAT is how the LORD rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the others who threatened them. So there was peace throughout the land.” (2 Chronicles 32:21-22)
As much as the Assyrians taunted and shouted, it didn’t matter because they were shouting lies. It doesn’t matter how loud you are, what matters is the amount of Truth you’re telling. Yaweh is the LORD of lords and the King of kings and no amount of lie-shouting is going to EVER change that. He is the beginning and the end. He is the creator and the Father – your Father. He is the One who loves you with a love that surpasses all knowledge and experience. He is your biggest fan and your highest honor. He is the one who cheers the loudest for you. When all you hear is stillness, He’s there. Satan shouts in your ears while Jesus whispers to your heart. Listen to the sweet whispers of your heart today. What are they saying?
He loves you my dear one. More than you could EVER hope, think or imagine – and then some more on top of that!
As 2014 winds down and 2015 gears up, be seriously thinking about making consistent Bible reading part of your New Year’s Resolution. Even five minutes a day makes a difference! However, if your interested in getting disciplined with your Bible reading, I suggest our 365 Life Reading Program. It takes you through the entire Bible in just under 365 days by reading about 30 minutes a day six days a week – now that’s not too bad. If you’re interested click here and check out our 365 Life Devotionals and Journals!!! They’re a great way to get started and will help you keep going so that you can reach your goal with success! 😀 And if you have any questions, feel free to email us at tamarknochel at gmail dot com (no spaces, fill in the “at” with an @ and the “dot” with a .)
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Nobody’s Perfect
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The Old Testament is filled with examples of humanity’s complete and utter inability to keep the Law. The Law is perfectly perfect in every way… and WE are not. And because of Jesus, that’s OK. You see, God loves this world so much that He sent a tiny little baby to save it. Isn’t that just about the strangest way imaginable to save humanity? A baby? Really LORD? What can a baby do to help me, to save me?
Ahhhh, but this was no ordinary baby. This baby, conceived with a divinely royal bloodline on all three sides, was born in a manger right beside all the other sacrifices. This baby didn’t come to live, He came so that He could die the most spectacularly amazing death anyone could ever imagine.
In this time of Christmas we celebrate a baby born to die for us… for YOU. The perfect Law was given to show us our sin. The babe from the manger and perfect fulfillment of the Law was given to show us the Love that erases our sin. His loving act of sacrifice erases our sins so completely that according to the promise of Isaiah 54:9, not only is God finished punishing our vast ocean of iniquity and sin, He’s not even angry about them anymore. In the beginning God gave Abraham His word and He fulfilled it and then some. God has done the very same thing for us. He promised us salvation from our sins, and it came in the most perfect Christmas package of a bouncing baby boy wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger – Jesus. This Christmas, I pray that the first present you open is YOUR gift of salvation from a God who’s not angry with you at all. You can unwrap this gift by simply opening up your heart to receive His love for you. To do that, simply say, “yes” to Him.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard; yet God with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26
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My God Will
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I’m sitting here in the bedroom attempting to read by Bible and figure out something to write for this week when I get a text from my hubby… from the next room. “Whatcha’ doin?” Several texts later and I’m smiling thinking about our son sitting at the computer positioned between us and the “whistling” text alerts that are flying past his head as he plays his game. And that’s when my eyes came to it, God’s word for us this week: “I have received your message, and I will supply all you need.” 1 Kings 5:8
Christmas is a time of, well, it’s a time of a lot of things. It’s set up to be a time of joy, and hope and giving… but for many, it’s a time to remember someone they don’t have any more. For some it’s a devastating reminder of the small amounts that linger in the dredges of their bank accounts while they attempt to give their children “a good Christmas” (which I feel I MUST point out is not possible to provide with money – but with LOVE ALONE!)
While Christmas is intended to be a time of joy it is often, for many, a time for pain. And yet, like a text message from a loving husband from the next room Our Father send you one of His own, “I have received your message, and I will supply all you need.” It’s a common thread through scripture, perhaps because it’s the message we need to hear often. Paul receives such a message in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
“So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
What’s even more beautiful is how Paul blesses his followers in Philippi with the very same statement God had first blessed him with: “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). He had taken those words that God had spoken over him and absorbed them to the point that he understood them to be true. And they are True words. Not only is God able to meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus, He is willing to as well. It says so right there, it’s the third word into the verse, “My God WILL”.
Yes. My God WILL.
My God WILL ease this pain of loss in my life.
Yes, My God WILL supply my needs according to His riches.
My dear friend, don’t be afraid, your God WILL!
He is able, He is loving, and He is willing too. Fear not Dear One, you are loved.
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Week 27: Girl Power
Please note that there is a PDF version of this post here that you can print it out and use it to write all your answers. 😀 You know, for those who like to do that sort of thing. 😉
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If you look up Judges 1:19, 21, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33 what’s the reoccurring theme of these verses?
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“They failed”. Can you relate? What are some ways you feel like you’ve failed lately?
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Look up Judges 3:9 & 15 to find God’s answer to their failure (and ours). ______________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
Jesus!!!
There are two repeating themes that flow through today’s Word of the Day. “They failed”, but “the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them.” Isn’t our God great!?! No matter how many times we fail, He is still willing and able to raise up a rescuer to save us from ourselves!
Later in Judges we meet Gideon. In chapter six verse twelve Gideon says something that I think we’ve all at least thought at some point in our Christian walk: “The angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, ‘Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!’ ‘Sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”
If God is with me, why am I living in such constant turmoil? If God is my rescuer, why do I feel so abandoned? If God is my helper, why do I feel like such a failure?
God didn’t answer Gideon’s question He simply said, “Go.” God doesn’t have to answer our questions, but He does anyway. He often answers them with the same answer He gave Gideon.
“Go. Even in your doubt and frustration. Go in your weakness and fear. Go, and trust in My goodness and wisdom even when you can’t see it or fell it. Go, step out in FAITH – the belief in things unseen. Go, and trust that the advise I’ve given you is sound and the best for you. Go, because I told you to go. Do that thing I told you to do, even if you don’t think it’ll work or that it’s the best idea.”
In spite of all the fear and all the doubt – trust in the Lord your God. Trust.
Just simply, trust.
Re-read Judges chapter seven.
What does verse 22 say happened – due in part to Gideon’s obedience to God’s command to trust Him? ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________
Gideon’s “army” of a measly 300 men stood around the enemy ARMY and literally watched the LORD fight for them. God had commanded Gideon to “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you.” (Judges 6:14) Gideon, lacking faith in his own ability to accomplish this monumental task before him was being asked by God Almighty to shift his thinking. While Gideon had no faith in himself or his clan, God had absolute faith in Himself to use Gideon and his clan according to His plan. And by golly, wouldn’t you know it, it worked! Gideon followed God’s direction in his life and he saw the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
I got about halfway through the week’s readings when I discovered yet another theme, GIRL POWER!!! We don’t even get past the first chapter of Judges before coming across our first girl power moment and one of my personal favorites – Acsah.
Acsah’s is NOT a well-known piece of scripture. In fact, in my Women of Faith Bible where they list all the women of each book in the Bible, Acsah’s not even listed! Her verses are often overlooked, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful! Read them in Judges 1:11-15.
Who is Acsah’s father? Is he someone of importance in the Bible? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
While the idea of giving his daughter away as a prize can seem a bit cold, as a father, what is Caleb securing for his beloved daughter by giving her to the one who attacks (survives), and captures Kiriath-sepher? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
Acsah’s father was no small name in Israel’s history books. And by offering her hand in marriage to the one who conquered Kiriath-sepher he was ensuring that his daughter would always be protected and cared for and hopefully treated as the true prize we women all are. We each have such opportunity to bless our husbands as victor’s each and every day, I pray that we take them.
Acsah’s story doesn’t end with a simple “Happily Ever After,” there’s more. It also shares a bit of a peek into her relationship with her father as well. In verse 14 what is it that Caleb notices about Acsah and calls attention to it the moment she pulls into his driveway from the honeymoon and slams the door on her pinto? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
Caleb asks, “What’s the matter?”
I’m going to guess that these two have spent some serious time together and he knows her pretty well. Caleb notices and questions her well-being which leads us to believe that he cares for her. Just like your Heavenly Father, He cares for YOU – His daughter. He cares about your well-being and often asks, “What’s the matter?” Take a moment to tell Him here: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
In verse 15 Acsah explains her problem. According to verse 15 what was Caleb’s original wedding gift to the newlyweds? ___________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
Considering that the Negev is a desert does Acsah’s request of her father make sense?
So much sense that what is Caleb’s reaction to her request? _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
Just like our heavenly Father Caleb didn’t just give her a spring and call it done, he gave her the upper and lower springs, making sure that his baby girl had a good strong husband that would protect and value her, a nice big plot of land to live on AND PLENTY of water to PROSPER in that land. Her father, just like Our Father loves her in a way where there was no fear of reprisal in her request. She knew when she asked him that he would say, “yes”. She knew that her father loved her and before we move on to more examples of GIRL POWER we HAVE to fully establish where our power truly comes from. It’s NOT our looks, it’s not our demeanor, or through persuasion or manipulation. It’s not from sex or our bank accounts. Our power isn’t even from our brains. TRUE Girl Power comes from being Daddy’s Girl.
In my opinion Acsah was Daddy’s Girl. To him she wasn’t just another one of his many possessions – she was a cherished possession. To him, she was special, she was loved, she was his baby girl. And she knew it. That is where her power in this story comes in – she knew her Father’s love for her and it made her powerful. To be a girl with power you must first know the powerful love of Our Father for YOU. It was for YOU that He sent Jesus. It was for YOU that Jesus died. It was for YOU that He couldn’t stay behind the stone, but burst forth in glorious victory to come and claim YOU as His beautiful bride-prize. You are fiercely loved by a God who is more than willing to go to extremes to show you His love for you. And once you take a firm hold of that truth, you will be a girl with REAL power!
What kind of “Girl Power” can we find represented in Judges 4:4-5? ________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
Deborah, a married woman, had flocks of men and women coming to her for godly wisdom. That’s Girl Power!
How about Judges 4:17-22, what kind of strength does Jael possess that we too can claim? ____________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
Take a quick peek at Genesis 3:15, what is it that the seed of Eve is said to do to the seed of the snake? Crush his ___________!
Is that not what Jael did? Can we therefore, also do as much to our eternal enemy? _______________
What kind of moxy did the woman in Judges 9:52-53 possess that we can learn from? ______________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________
What kind of mark did she leave on history? Check out 2 Samuel11:18-21!!!!! ______________________ _________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________
That nameless woman was simply defending herself and loved ones the only way she knew how, with a hundred-pound rock. But the ripples that stone created will last for all of eternity! She and all the other women of Judges taught the men a thing or two when it comes to the true strength of a woman. We know how to get-er-done!
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Life is a Battlefield & We CAN Win!
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“They rested in the camp until they were healed.” Joshua 5:8
Life is full of battles. There are some that we choose or bring upon ourselves, while others are thrust upon us unexpectedly. None-the-less, all must be fought. The book of Joshua contains a great many battles that HAD to be fought in order for the Children of Israel to claim the land that had been promised to them. War is never EASY, however, with God on your side all things are possible for those who believe. Since the Word of God has a marvelous way of bringing rest to a battle-weary soul in need of healing, let’s take a walk through the pages of scripture to get some inspiration for our own battlefields, shall we?
Joshua 8:1 & 10:8 speak words of encouragement: “Do not be afraid or discouraged.” “Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
A mere three verses later, the author describes how God gave Joshua the victory over that particular enemy. “The LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.” (Joshua 10:11) “Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day!” (Joshua 10:14)
The LORD our God is eternal. The God that promised them victory on that day is the same God that promises you victory over your enemies on this day. However, it is important to remember that the enemy looks a bit different today than it did back then. For we battle, not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and authorities of this world. It isn’t people that we fight; it’s the demonic forces that hold this world in chains. And yet, just as Joshua 10:19 says, “The LORD your God has given you victory over them.”
If we look at John’s account of the Last Supper in chapter 14 verse 30, we find Jesus saying, “I don’t have much more time to talk to you because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over Me.” Satan is the ruler of this world and yet with all the power he possesses, he still has NO power over Jesus! He didn’t then and he doesn’t now!
In John 16:33 Jesus reminds us of the one most critical Truths in the entire Bible, HE has overcome the world! Yes, this world is full of trouble and tribulation and fear and doubt and frustration and struggle. BUT, we can take heart and have peace and healing when we rest in the overwhelming Truth that Jesus, our Savior, has overcome all those things. And it is through Him that we too can overcome them as well!
Fear, Doubt, Uncertainty, Pride, none of them stand a chance against the LORD our God! And He WILL help us defeat them! You know how I know? In the second to last verse in the book of Jude, he writes: “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault.” God is able to keep you from falling away from Him. Isn’t that a glorious Truth for us today!?! We can rest assured in the palm of His firm hand that no one can snatch us away from His grip of True Love. Not even Fear, Doubt, Uncertainty, Pride or Satan.
Hallelujah!
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Seeds & Gates
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Click here to download this week’s message about Seeds & Gates. It is in a Power Point presentation so to best view it I recommend opening it in Power Point so that you can read my presentation notes as well. However if that’s not possible, you can click here for the PDF version of the slides. 😀 Enjoy!!!
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Nov 29 |
Abundance, Destruction, Resurrection
OK, so through this week of blissful preparation for this post I’ve come to realize that this new weekly format is to be more of a Bible Study format than a devotional format. This was news that I was VERY excited about!!! 😀 so I hope you like the new format too, because I’m LOVING IT! Also, I will be posting last week’s sermon notes as the Bible study for next week, mostly because I just could NOT pass this lesson by without telling you about it!!! 😀 I pray that it encourages you, wherever you are in the pattern today. 😉 There is ALWAYS hope in Christ! Be blessed this week my friends! I cherish you! -Tamar
Last week’s readings:
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Day #: |
Week #: |
Bible Reading: |
Date: |
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162 |
24 |
Nov 9 |
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163 |
Nov 10 |
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164 |
Nov 11 |
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165 |
Nov 12 |
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166 |
Nov 13 |
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167 |
Nov 14 |
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168 |
Sabbath |
Nov 15 |
“For I know the plans I have for you”, says the LORD, “they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you.” Says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” Jeremiah 29:11-14
This week’s readings were… sigh… encouraging! We started in Job where we meet a man who has been as faithful and obedient to the LORD as anyone can be. He was wealthy beyond the normal means, and comfortable in every way possible. And then disaster struck his entire household. In one day he had servant after servant presenting themselves to him in order to report that they had been the lone survivor of the attack that had just occurred on his family.
Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever felt like Disaster was chasing your house and leaving you the sole survivor in order that you would retell the tale to someone else? And maybe, perhaps, that’s why you survived. To tell the tale of your SURVIVAL.
What have you been through? What have you survived that needs retelling? What’s your story my friend?
Job’s story started out in abundance and surplus but quickly turned to disaster and the loss of everything including his own health. BUT that wasn’t the end of his story, it was only the middle! My Dearest One, no matter where you are in your story, you’re not to the end yet! If you were, well, then you wouldn’t be reading this then would you?
Take a few seconds right now and review the end of Job’s story in: Job 42:10-17.
Words like, “the LORD restored his fortunes, in fact He gave him twice as much as before” and “So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning”, are kinda hard to argue with. While Job HAD endured a very difficult season in his life, it hadn’t ruined him. In fact, quite the opposite had occurred. It had shaped him. I’m guessing that while God did physically bless him with double portions of all his physical assets, I doubt that that is why Job went to the grave a happy man. I’m guessing that he was happy because he had achieved a newfound appreciation for all the things that he might have been taking for granted before the destruction came.
The story of Job establishes for us a pattern that the rest of our reading’s this week end up following as well. Which I see as no small coincidence! Job begins his story with obedience and abundance. Then he moves to complete destruction. And finishes with a renewal that is better and more abundant than before the story began.
This theme is taken up next in the prophecy of Joel, with but a small variation. While Job was amazingly dedicated to God in his obedience, the people in Joel’s story were not. Their story is one of disobedience and abundance that moves to a destruction of discipline. While Job’s troubles moved from a place of proving his obedience to God, the troubles of the people in the book of Joel were from a place of proving their disobedience to God in order to move them back into a place of obedience once more.
When destruction hits, it doesn’t matter if you’re obeying God or disobeying God, it will still hit. And when it hits it will show YOU your standing with God. Right now you are either looking to God, or away from Him. If you’re looking to Him, then this shaking will prove that. If you’re looking away from Him, then this shaking will prove that and cause you to look to Him again. That’s how this works. And the really amazing part is, that when the shaking is finished there is still a common thread – blessing!!!
Look at these verses in Joel for your confirmation of blessings after the destruction:
Joel 2:3 – How does the LORD describe the land that lies ahead?
Joel 2:25 – What are those first two words that God says in this promise? WHO is responsible for carrying out the results of this promise? You or God?
Joel 3:1 – In this verse, does the LORD say “if”? How would that little two letter word change the meaning of this verse? Isn’t it great that “if” isn’t the word He uses? What word does He use instead?
And here’s one from Isaiah just for good measure, don’t leave it out!
God is NOT ignoring you!!! He sees your troubles. He see’s what you’ve been going through – ALL of it! He knows your pain and frustration. He knows and He CARES about it. Read Joel 3:21 to see what He has to say about it. Or perhaps John 3:16-18 might be a more familiar way to explain.
You see, the theme that started in our readings of Job and continued into Joel concludes in John!!! While there is destruction, it’s not the end! The end of Joel presents us with a prophecy, a promise, of THE coming pardon, the fulfillment of the FULL pardoning of all our sins past, present and future. John 1:1-5 helps us to understand how Jesus – the fulfillment of the promise – is our answer to the destruction around us.
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Who is “the Word”? Jesus! And what does this verse say about Jesus that is the key to our renewal from destruction? His life brought LIGHT to EVERYONE.
Why is that a big deal? BECAUSE! The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can NEVER extinguish it!!!
Boy, if that’s not good news today then I don’t know what is! That darkness that’s trying to destroy you from the inside out can NEVER destroy the light that shines from a heart that believes!
Read John 10:10, what is Satan’s purpose? And what is Jesus’?
To wrap up a week of stories of renewal after destruction God put this great bow on the package that I simply can not leave out! Take a moment to re-read John 11 here.
Take a special look at the wording of verse 4, “This sickness will not END in death.” Yes, Lazarus died and lay in a cold DEAD grave for FOUR days and that STILL wasn’t the END! So don’t you dare tell me that you’re at the end of your story and that there’s no hope left for your dream to find its way to fruition! Look at verse 4 and 14, what was the purpose of Lazarus’ sickness?
Could your “sickness” have the same purpose?
Have you been lying cold and dead for four days in a rock hard tomb waiting for the Savior of the World to come and roll away your stone and say, “Lazarus, come out!” Is it time for your resurrection? How about today you appeal to, as Paul calls Him in Ephesians 3:20, the One who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ask or imagine. Let’s follow Martha and Mary’s eloquent lead and send HIM a message, “LORD, the one You love is sick.”
There may have been some destruction in your life as of late, but take heart my friend! For you time of resurrection is just around the corner!!!
Next Week’s Readings:
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Day #: |
Week #: |
Bible Reading: |
Date: |
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169 |
25 |
Nov 16 |
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170 |
Nov 17 |
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171 |
Nov 18 |
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172 |
Nov 19 |
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173 |
Nov 20 |
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174 |
Nov 21 |
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175 |
Sabbath |
Nov 22 |
Shockwave Speech
Next week’s
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162 |
24 |
Nov 9 |
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163 |
Nov 10 |
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164 |
Nov 11 |
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165 |
Nov 12 |
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166 |
Nov 13 |
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167 |
Nov 14 |
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168 |
Sabbath |
Nov 15 |
This week’s Devotional:
“Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?” Job 38:33
I was immediately taken with this verse. We’ve finally reached my favorite part of Job, the part where God speaks of all the things that He has done. I love reading about the majesty and power of our Father!
Something clicked in my brain today when I read God’s words to Job asking if he knows the laws of the universe. Hey! There are laws of the universe! Which, OK, that isn’t that big of a shocker. But the part that came next was. Can you use them to regulate the earth? Wait, what!?! CAN we use them? It was a thought that wouldn’t leave me alone. It chased me down and tackled me with possibility. So I asked Him, “LORD, can we use the laws of the universe to regulate the earth?”
His answer blew me away. “Sure you can!”
“Ummmm…. What?! How? Will you teach me? Should you teach me?”
He showed me a picture of me simply speaking. Not all fancy-like on a stage to a crowd, but in my home, or on the street simply speaking His words. His example was our upcoming trip to Disney. Earlier that morning I had a friend remind me to take my anointing oil because hotels are a Petri-dish of collected spirits. God showed me a picture of me walking into the Lobby of the Resort and speaking the very words Jesus instructed His disciples to speak when they entered a hospitable home in a new city:
“God’s Peace to this home” (Luke 10:5).
And the moment I spoke them a shockwave burst from me into all directions out through the ENTIRE resort bringing the Peace of God to the entire place.
I was amazed. But then what was more amazing was later that afternoon I was hanging laundry out on the line marveling at the FLOCK of very noisy birds in my neighbor’s trees. They were chattering like crazy. While I was enjoying their gleeful chattering I was very curious about them. There had to have been 100 of them. What were they doing there? Why were they only in my neighbor’s trees and no one else’s? It was perplexing to me. So naturally I asked God. This time I got no direct answer, which was fine.
My mind switched to thinking about other things as the birds chattered on and I continued snapping clips onto my husband’s shirts. Slowly a phrase I never would’ve come up with on my own started forming in the back of my head. It kept building like waters behind a dam pushing to emerge forth as speech. When I could bear it no longer I spoke the words. IMMEDIATELY every bird was silent. And a moment later they flew from their perches in the tree and landed silently in another tree farther from me.
Here, I hadn’t meant to try out this new concept of shockwave speech, but I’m pretty sure I had done it all the same. Through this, God pointed three things out to me, 1) speak HIS words, no matter how strange they may feel to your tongue. 2) The words you speak DO have power… serious power. And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. 3) The laws of the universe are hidden in God’s Word and all we need to do to seek them out is to seek Him out.
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