February 2024 – Page 2

Will Graham – Devotion

Exodus 4:10–12

Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

Picture this with me: You’re visiting with a friend that you’ve known for years. During the conversation, he tells you that he was lucky to survive a recent car accident.

God is opening a door for you to share the hope of Jesus with your friend, but you don’t know what to say. Rather than boldly sharing the Gospel, you shrink away and change the subject.

Many of us have had missed opportunities similar to this over the years. One of my greatest regrets is that I didn’t share the love of Christ with a couple in front of me, even though I clearly felt the Holy Spirit calling me to do so. I still feel the burden of that inaction today.

If you ask most people why they didn’t share their faith in a situation such as this, the answer would be “I didn’t know what to say,” or “I was afraid I wouldn’t know the answer to their questions or objections.”

If this is you, take heart! It’s interesting that one of the great heroes of the faith had the same fears and feelings of inadequacy.

In Exodus 4, Moses—the man who would lead the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, who would cross the Red Sea—was not a leader who inspired a lot of confidence. In fact, he was downright scared, and he knew his limitations.

Moses confessed to God in verse 10 that he was not a good communicator and could not lead people with his words. “O my Lord, I am not eloquent … I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” We may say it differently here in the 21st century, but how many times have we expressed basically the same thing to God?

Of course, his excuses made it about as far as yours or mine. God basically responded, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this!”

God told Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say” (Exodus 4:11-12).

What an incredible promise! God realized Moses’ human failings, that Moses might not know how or what to say. But it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the words of a broken and scared man, but the words of almighty God that came from the mouth of Moses.

If God did this for Moses, then God will do it for you and me as well. We must be obedient to God’s calling and prayerfully dependent upon Him in those moments as we boldly step out and trust that God will speak through us.

50.w. Wilderness – 15.b. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse”

Deu 11:16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you. “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you. “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

God had to warn Israel against the deceptions of prosperity. The person who turns from God in prosperity is simply deceived. They believe they are somehow responsible for the blessings received and become proud and self-reliant. It is good for us to have things that keep us in constant dependence on the LORD. We should never despise those things and long for the day when we will no longer need to depend on God as much.

God called Israel to not only read the Word of God and to know the Word of God, but to treasure it. In the same way, we should love God’s word and miss it when we are separated from the Word of God. We should call it to mind with longing, having laid it up in our heart and soul. God’s Word was to be the topic of their conversation. We can fairly measure our love for God’s word by how much we will talk about it with others. God doesn’t want us to have a secret love relationship with His word. To love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him: All the commandments are summarized in these three phrases. Each of these speaks of more than a bare and compelled obedience; they speak of a real relationship of love between God and His people, with obedience flowing naturally from that relationship.

Many desire God to fight their battles but have little interest in obeying Him – or cultivating the deep relationship of love which obedience grows from. When Israel walked in love with the LORD and was obedient to Him, they were unbeatable. No man could defeat them. Greater was God who was with them than he who was in the world!

The three great elements to the Old Covenant were the law, the sacrifice, and the choice. Israel had a choice – to obey and be blessed, or to disobey and be cursed. It was a cause and effect relationship with God. It is important to recognize that we, in Jesus Christ, do not have an Old Covenant relationship with God. We expect to be blessed, not because of our obedience, but because of our position in Jesus. The curse we deserved was laid upon Him (Galatians 3:10-14). Though there may be an inherent curse of consequences in our disobedience or even in the correcting hand of God, under the New Covenant, He does not punish us or curse us – because all that we deserved, past, present, and future, was poured out upon Jesus.

It was up to Israel. If they wanted to be blessed, then they should walk in obedience (as they were in the days of David and Solomon), but if they disobeyed, they would be cursed (as they were in most of the days of the later kings). A choice was required. There was no neutral ground. God wouldn’t just “leave them alone.” It would either be blessing or cursing. A choice was required. There was no neutral ground. God wouldn’t just “leave them alone.” It would either be blessing or cursing. (Guzik)

Turning Point – Devotion

Grow Into Philippians 4:6!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6

Philippians 4:6 is a popular Bible verse in the world. That’s based on a study of Internet searches of the most sought-after biblical references. The world’s single most popular verse—can you guess it?—is John 3:16, followed by Jeremiah 29:11. Not far behind is Philippians 4:6. No wonder! The whole world is in the grip of a giant panic attack, a mental pandemic that affects the human race like a virus.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4 to be “anxious for nothing.” We are not to worry about anything—not one thing!—but to be prayerful and thankful in everything. Is that possible? Not in our own resources, but as we grow in the grace of Jesus Christ, we increasingly learn to cast our cares on Him. We bring everything to Him in prayer, and that keeps us from being anxious about anything.

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The world is lost. Its governments, officials, and people are affected by many big questions; “What’s going on?”, “What is happening to our society?”, “What’s going to happen?”, “Why is this happening?”, “What can I do?”, “Who will do something about it?”, “When will it end?”, “How will I be affected?”, “Who should I listen to?”, “Why is there so much fear, hate, confusion, greed, boasting, jealousy, and anger?”, “Who can I trust?”, “Will people ever learn to get along?”, “Who can give me peace over my concerns?”

None of these questions can be answered apart from scripture. In the last days, you will see signs that lead up to the end of this world and the return of Jesus Christ. People will be lovers of self. Wars, rumors of wars, famine, sickness, earthquakes, and disregard for God’s Word and things of God all point to the Return of Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of lords, Redeemer, Savior, Everlasting Son of God. Finding answers to a lost world outside of and apart from God is unwise, foolish, and ignorant.

A wise person will discern the signs of the times through God’s Word. A wise person will spend time in God’s Word, pray, and seek the Holy Spirit’s discernment. A wise person will trust in God’s Sovereignty. A wise person will keep their eyes to their heart and mind focused on Jesus Christ. A wise person will offer Hope to others. A wise person will shine the light of Jesus Christ to give hope to others.

Turning Point – Devotion

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

Jesus commended little children to His disciples, saying they should be like them (Matthew 18:3). In what way? Perhaps in their shamelessness—their willingness to ask for what they want or need without feeling guilty or embarrassed.

When Jesus taught His disciples about prayer, He used the example of a child who asked his father for bread, fish, or an egg (Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13). He said that no child would expect to receive a stone, serpent, or scorpion instead! What father would treat a child that way? Jesus’ point: If imperfect human fathers will grant their children’s requests, how much more will a perfect Heavenly Father do the same for His children? The problem, Jesus said, is that we fail to ask, seek, and knock on heaven’s door; we give up too soon. He wanted the disciples to learn not to give up when it came to prayer (Luke 18:1). The original language says we are to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking (Luke 11:9-10).

Go boldly today to God’s throne of grace. He is ready to meet your needs.

Believing prayer takes its stand upon the faithfulness of God.

Pathway to Victory – Devotion

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
–Proverbs 12:15

Imagine your son or daughter asks, “Would you please help me with my math homework?” Translation: “Would you please give me the answers?” It would be easy just to give your child the answers so you can get back to whatever you’re doing. But to do so would be to short-circuit their academic development. More important than your child receiving the right answers is your child developing the skills to discover the right answers for themselves.

That analogy often helps me when I’m frustrated with God. Many times, I’ll ask, “God, please show me what to do,” and He doesn’t seem to answer my request for direction. God could tell me the right answer to whatever dilemma I’m facing. He could write it in the sky or thunder it down from heaven. So why doesn’t God always immediately answer my desire for direction?

Because God knows that even more important than our receiving the right answers is our developing the spiritual maturity that comes from discovering the right answers for ourselves. You see, the process of reading the Bible, praying, and evaluating signs in order to discover God’s will for our lives develops spiritual maturity in us. And that’s certainly true of another way that God reveals His will: through the people He places in our lives.

Admittedly, it’s a risky proposition for God to trust other people to deliver His message to us. Do you remember the game called gossip or telephone? You’d sit in a circle, and somebody would whisper a message to the person next to them. Then that person would repeat the message to the next person, and so on. By the time that message came back to the person who first whispered it, any resemblance to the original message was purely coincidental. It would get totally mangled in transmission.

In the same way, it seems like God’s depending on other people to speak to us would risk us getting the wrong message. Nevertheless, the Bible says a wise person listens to the counsel of others. For example, Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” And Proverbs 13:10 says, “Through insolence comes nothing but strife, but wisdom is with those who receive counsel.”

50.v. Wilderness – 15.a. ” Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside”

Deu 11:16-21  Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you. “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

Luke 21:8    And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.

Luke 21:36   But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Hebrews 2:1    Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Hebrews 3:12    Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Hebrews 4:1    Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

Hebrews 12:15     See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Deuteronomy 30:17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,

God had to warn Israel against the deceptions of prosperity. The person who turns from God in prosperity is simply deceived. They believe they are somehow responsible for the blessings received and become proud and self-reliant. The constant need for rain kept Israel in constant dependence on the LORD. It is good for us to have things that keep us in constant dependence on the LORD. We should never despise those things and long for the day when we will no longer need to depend on God as much.

But if, on the other hand, their heart was foolish to turn away from the Lord and serve other gods, the wrath of the Lord would burn against them, and God would shut up the heaven, that no rain should fall and the earth should yield no produce, and they would speedily perish. Let them therefore impress the words now set before them very deeply upon themselves and their children. “The promise to give the land to Israel for ever was not made unconditionally.” (Keil)

There are many things that can draw us away from God, doing things for God, studying God’s Word, trusting and relying upon God, and seeking and following after God. Nothing more so than that which pulled Sodom away. (Ezekiel 16:49) “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” In prosperity and ease of life, they abandoned God and followed after the lusts of the flesh. They no longer saw the need for God or a reason to worship Him. They had a good life. Their land prospered, they had plenty of food, and they had money. In this they became arrogant, greedy, and lovers of the lusts of the flesh.

We live in such a time as this and must study God’s Word, examine our hearts and minds, and seek wisdom from God to discern right from wrong and good from bad to ensure that we are not pulled into it. Pornography is called and defended as “Adult entertainment” and this world calls it the right of an individual to gaze upon it. Abortion is called and defended as “Women’s Right to Choose” and this world calls it an inherent right of all women. LGBQT is called and defended as an “Alternative lifestyle” and proclaims it “hate speech” to address it as sin. Divorce is deemed a fact of life for at least 25% of marriages. Sex outside of marriage is deemed a natural occurrence and accepted. What Celebrities from sports and movies say and do are given more credence than the Word of God. The “Rich” are deemed a “self-made” man/woman. They are sought after to find their secrets to success. Elected officials are followed after and every word is trusted or rejected depending on the party affiliation. Social and News Media outlets are followed and trusted as truth on any given subject. YouTube influencers make a living off of trying to influence you to do or buy something or think some way. Sports are supported and followed more than the Word of God and things of God. People know team and player stats, and what politicians say and promise more than they know the Word of God. Physicians treat symptoms rather than finding the source of the problem. Obesity is rampant. Drug use is a problem. Assault crimes are common. Confusion, anxiousness, fear, anger, pride, arrogance, boastfulness, greed, etc…… are common.

We are to live in this world and all it has to offer without being influenced by it or joining in it. How long will God’s wrath against such depravity be withheld? Far too many Christians, I fear, have already chosen to live as close to this world as they can. They talk sports, news, politics, and weather more than they speak the Word of God. What would happen to their thinking if they shut off the TV, Sports, and Social Media in their homes?

Think about it. What life change or decision today is made from spending time in these areas of worldly influence? Where do you think confusion, anxiousness, fear, anger, pride, arrogance, boastfulness, greed, etc…… come from? Can you even discern they’re the source of these in your lives? Do you care? Is your heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading? Can you even discern the Holy Spirit’s conviction, encouragement, or teaching? It is never too late to repent and turn away from the influences of this world in your lives.

The hymn “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conqu’rors we are!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

“In the last days difficult times will come”

In Luke 21:10–11 “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

2 Timothy 3:1–5 “In the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power”.

What more can take place before the return of our Lord and Savior? Not much. The world is in turmoil and giving God no thought or reverence. And yet, while He has not yet returned we live under His grace and mercy. It is not for us to decide who is worthy or not of salvation. Until His return, there is still hope for those lost and without hope.

May God open their eyes and their ears to see and hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pathway to Victory – Devotion

Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.
–Romans 8:29

The Bible reveals God’s purpose for our lives. Did you know God’s will for your life has already been written in Scripture? It’s found in Romans 8:29: “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

If you’re a Christian, then God saved you not just so you could escape hell but also so He could mold you to become like Jesus. God wants you to love the things Jesus loved, to think about the things Jesus thought about, and to behave like Jesus behaved. That is God’s will for your life: that you become a perfect image of Jesus Christ in your attitudes, affections, and actions. And right now, God is chiseling away those habits and priorities in your life that are unlike Jesus. Sometimes it’s a painful operation. God’s will isn’t for everything in your life to be easy, but He uses everything in your life–even the hard things–to make you more like His Son. That is God’s general purpose for you.

I think this is more than a general purpose, it is the only purpose so that we will in all of our thinking, speaking, and doing, we will honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

50.u. Wilderness – 15. “If you will indeed obey”

Deu 11:8-15 “You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.

Remembering what God did in history should lead Israel to greater obedience and enable them to take the Promised Land. The sacrifices in obedience were well worth it for Israel. They had the promise of a land which was far superior to Egypt, which did not need to be artificially irrigated, but was watered by rains which God would send upon the obedient nation. God simply promised to provide for Israel if they chose to obey Him and put Him first. As Jesus said: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. The promise of the blessing of rain was important, because one of the attractive Canaanite gods was Baal – the god who was said to control the weather and rain. Perhaps the Israelites would be tempted to think, “well, we are in Canaan, and if we want rain, we should worship the Canaanite god of rain.” But the LORD makes it clear that if they would worship and obey Him, He would supply abundant rain. God declared His special care for the land of Israel, both then and now. (Guzik)

Moses sets before them, for the future, life and death, the blessing and the curse, according as they did or did not keep God’s commandment. Sin tends to shorten the days of all men, and to shorten the days of a people’s prosperity. God will bless them with an abundance of all good things, if they would love him and serve him. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is; but the favour of God shall put gladness into the heart, more than the increase of corn, and wine, and oil. Revolt from God to idols would certainly be their ruin. Take heed that your hearts be not deceived. All who forsake God to set their affection upon any creature, will find themselves wretchedly deceived, to their own destruction; and this will make it worse, that it was for want of taking heed. (Henry)

“You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong”.

What is it that nourishes the mind and strengthens the soul? Paul and Peter both have said in their letters to Christian churches that many of them in these churches were like infants and only eating baby food. They were not growing. They were just surviving – barely, and they were satisfied being babies in both their understanding of scripture and its application in their lives. Let this not be said of you. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

50.t. Wilderness – 14.z. ” For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did.”

Deu 11:1-7 “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land, and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day, and what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place, and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel. For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did.

God commanded Israel to love Him. Love is not a matter left entirely up to our impulse or our feelings. We choose to love the LORD or not. Additionally, this reminds us of what the LORD really wants from us – our love. We could give Him a hundred other things, but none of it really matters unless we give Him our love. As Jesus said to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:4: Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. If we lose love, we lose all. Love for God never goes against His word. Some people think their so-called love for Jesus allows them to disregard His commands, but this isn’t real love at all. Real love for Jesus always translates into obedience. Moses addressed the generation which saw the works of God among Israel, both in blessing and chastening. He spoke to the generation that should know and remember. Moses called Israel to remember what God did in their history. Most of history – both official and personal – is simply concerned with what man has done. But God wants us to look at history and see what He did. We learn far more, and are far more benefited, by looking at what God has done, rather than looking at what man has done. (Guzik)

Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge—The reason for the frequent repetition of the same or similar counsels is to be traced to the infantine character and state of the church, which required line upon line and precept upon precept. Besides, the Israelites were a headstrong and perverse people, impatient of control, prone to rebellion, and, from their long stay in Egypt, so violently addicted to idolatry, that they ran imminent risk of being seduced by the religion of the country to which they were going, which, in its characteristic features, bore a strong resemblance to that of the country they had left.Moses exhorts them to obedience by rehearsing God’s works, Deu 11:1-9, and by the excellency of the land they were to possess, Deu 11:10-12. A promise of blessings to their obedience. (Brown)

What is it that allows us to forget? How do we go from sincere obedience, trust, and reliance to floundering like a fish out of water? How does this happen without our ability to recognize it? The answer can be hundreds of reasons but it boils down to our want and desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Not wanting to forget the greatness of God. Wanting to please God. Intentionally choosing to always be close to God. Not living a single moment without praise and worship of God in your heart and mind being filled with the Holy Spirit and spending time in His Word so that you can discern right from wrong, good from bad, and holiness from sinfulness. It is an intentional life set apart from this world and sins of the flesh in reverent service to God.

There are many things that draw us away from this. Basing our life style on that which we see in other christians. Normally we pick out the weakest and shallowest example. Would anyone be drawn to the God you proclaim to serve by the life you life and what you say? Think about this and ask God to reveal your heart and mind to you so that you can honor and glorify Him in all you think, say, and do.