Tag: Love

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study
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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d4

Read: Mark 15:16-39/SOAP: verse 39

A purple cloak…a crown of thorns…mocked with the salute…”Hail, king of the Jews!”…struck on the head with a staff…spit on…bowed down to (mockery of course)…and led away to a cross of shame, where more mockery followed as He hung on the cross …there was mocking accusations hurled against Him, some taunting: “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!” Even the chief priests jabbed at Him with insults, saying: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” The scene is painfully familiar and always difficult to read, especially when we recall that not long before He breathed His last breath, He had prayed in the garden, that this “cup might pass from Him.” Yet, seemingly in the same breath of time, He relinquished His desire for the will of the Father and died on a cross meant for sinners like you and me. He took our place so that we might live – and I find myself standing transfixed alongside the centurion at the foot of the cross, saying: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” And moved at His sacrifice, I hear myself cry out ~ Come, let us bow down and worship this One who left the splendor of Heaven for us. Let us praise the God who sent Him and raised Him up from the grave! Let us give thanks to them both for the gift of eternal life and for the gift of the Spirit in us, who empowers us to live until our work on earth is done.

…I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

JOHN 10:10

Friends, this is not a fable or a what-if imagination I have put to words. Nor is it a mistake. Jesus, the Christ, wasn’t in the wrong place at the wrong time. Neither was He forgotten by God, but rather, He carried out the mission of God, laying down His life for ours. There is no greater love than this.

No one has greater love than this–that one lays down his life for his friends.

John 15:13
The More We Know

For further reading, take a moment to read: Mark 14:32-50;15:-6-15 and 40-47

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Faith Is The Victory

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d3

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 NET or NKJV

Today’s journey is best understood with a little bit of backstory for the context of Jesus’ statement. He didn’t just walk up to her and declare that He was the resurrection and the life; rather, He replied to her statement in the conversation they were having.

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. 18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.) 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”

23 Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.” 24 Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:17-24

Friends, even though Lazarus was physically dead and buried for four days, Jesus was able to call Him out of the grave. When I read this, I can not help but remember, similarly, we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, but God sent His Son to seek and save the lost, proclaiming the message: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” … and inviting the lost to believe in Him and be saved. Consider the sweetness of these truths. Whether our need is a physical one or a spiritual one, Jesus alone is ready and able to meet the need. As we see with Martha and Mary, faith is the key to victory. He calls us out of our sentence of death to a new life – not by works, or looks, or position in life – but by faith alone in Christ alone.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

– Galatians 2:20

As I read the words of Jesus to Martha and heard Him call Lazarus out of the grave, I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20. They are some of my favorite in all of Scripture, and through the years they have become my own declaration: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” There is powerful beauty in these words, and they bring me peace and strength. That same power and beauty echo in the words Jesus spoke to Martha, when He declared,” I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies” (Jn 11:25-26), and to Lazarus when He called him to come out of that grave. Friends, may we never forget that we were condemned sinners, we needed to be rescued, and God sent us a Savior, who not only rescued us from our deserved fate, but gave us new life and a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As today’s journal entry reminds us, whether it was a miracle of healing the sick, bringing sight to the blind, feeding thousands with food meant for one, or raising the dead to life – it is through these miracles that we are able to see that Jesus truly is the Son of God.1

You may be walking through a season where you feel forgotten or that God is not able to do the impossible. Whether it’s an illness, healing broken relationships, or providing means, never forget that God is more than able to help. Nothing is impossible for Him.2 ~Do you believe this?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Teachable Moments

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d2

Read: Luke 9:12-27/SOAP; Luke 9:23-24

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.

Luke 9:23-24 NET or NKJV

(For further reading: Matt. 5:1-20; Luke 9:10-11)

When my daughters went on mission trips with their youth group, their leader would gather the group together at the end of every day and ask them to share their highs and lows of the day. It was a good practice meant to teach them to look for and recount both the ways they had seen God in the day and the challenges that they had encountered. It became something we often emulated as a family, whether at school pick-up, the dinner table, or the end of the day. For me personally, it became something I tried to incorporate into my prayer time and/or journaling. I did it with my girls (and for myself) to try to capture the teachable moments of the day.

As I was reading today’s passage of our journey, From the Beginning to Forever, the notes I made in the columns of the journal became a fresh reminder of the high-low practice. On one side of the passage, I had listed out the challenges the disciples faced, such as:

  • They believed they couldn’t or didn’t have the means to care for the crowd that remained when the day of teaching began to draw to a close.
  • They based things on what they saw with their eyes and understood with their mind.

In contrast, on the other side of the passage, I had written the ways I saw Jesus respond/work, like:

  • In response to the disciples wanting to send the crowd away, even after hearing their reasoning, and undoubtedly being tired Himself, He said: “Feed them.”
  • I don’t know about you, but when I see Him at work, in the little things or the big, it is inspiration and hope and peace and strength to press on. So, it was also a high to see that He acted on what He knew was possible, for He knew the power of the Father and the power within Himself.
  • However, perhaps the biggest high of the passage for me was Jesus seizing this teachable moment, not turning away from the crowd’s need for food or from the disciples’ need to learn from Him. He knew that they would benefit from knowing and seeing His love and power in action, and obviously wanted them to understand/know that:
    • All things are possible with Him.
    • They should/could trust in the Father and ask Him for His help and provision.

Friends, the example Jesus set and the things He taught were “characterized by love, service, and humility.1” So even though the world we live in has made life about our own wants and preferences, Jesus presented a clear message to the crowd: if they truly wanted to follow Him, they would have to turn from the world’s way of living and their own desires. As true disciples and followers of Christ, our lives should not be a reflection of the world, but instead, a reflection of God and His ways. In other words, we should live and love like Jesus. In other words, we must live counter-culturally to the world. As today’s journal entry points out, this won’t be easy, but it will be worth it

As the author of Hebrews wrote, let’s encourage one another daily to this end, so that none of us may become hardened by sin and turn away from God~(Hebrews 3:13).

The More We Know

There were two big takeaways from this for me…

  1. Jesus didn’t desire “groupies.” He wanted those who were truly/fully sold out to the cause of His mission—to seek and save the lost by spreading the Gospel message in word and deed.
  2. Jesus had slipped away for quiet solitude, but the crowd found Him ~ and He welcomed them, and taught them about the kingdom of God and healed the sick. (Meaning, I need to be ready to serve and respond with a good attitude even when my “time” is interrupted by the needs of others.)
  1. From the Beginning to Forever,151 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

The Rescuer – in the Flesh

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d1

Read: Luke 1:1-21 and John 1:1-4, & 14/SOAP: John 1:14

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.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John 1:1-4, &14

In today’s journey, we see the long-awaited promise of God to send a Savior, a rescuer for His people, has come! The One who became flesh and made His home among us…The One who will crush the head of the serpent, as God proclaimed in the Garden…the One who will do for us what God did for Noah in the days of the flood…The One who God proclaimed would come from the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…The One who will be the sacrificial lamb, whose blood will cover our sins so that through faith we can be forgiven and have a new life…The One who will fulfill the law for us so we will know God’s mercy and grace and not His condemnation…The One who will endure our punishment on the cross…The One who will be our King…The One Who will sit on the throne of David forever and ever…The One who will give us hope and a right relationship with God…The One who will lead us out of captivity into His glorious light…

My mother always told me, “Be careful what you wish (ask) for, MaryEllen.” Today’s passage of our journey seems a wonderful reminder of why she said/repeated that to me through the years. Sometimes we think we know what is best or what would be better for us … yet, when and if we get “it”, we discover it was not what we thought it would be. Instead, we often find that “it” actually made things worse. As today’s journal entry points out, such was true with the people of God in the Old Testament: “After the exiles returned to the land of Israel, there was much hope that things would be different. Unfortunately, the people didn’t want to listen to God, so He gave them what they wanted. God didn’t speak to His people for 400 years, but He was still at work.” The truth that He was still at work throughout the 400 years is made evident in the opening words of the New Testament, where we learn that the “Rescuer,” the seed of Abraham, had come in the flesh. The promised Redeemer had come. Yet, He did not come as the people expected. He came not as a ruling, reigning King who would overthrow the world; instead, He came as an infant to an obscure town – to a virgin Mary, who wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger.

“This is a record1 of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham. …Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”

Matthew 1:1 and 17

While Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus and Luke gives the story of His birth, John captivates me with his description that “Jesus…the Word became flesh and took up residence among us-the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” The Word, who was with God in the beginning,2 the One who Scripture declares to be from the “line of David,”3 from the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had come in the flesh, from the Father4, just as God had promised.

The More We Know

For more insight into today’s journey, read today’s LGG blog post

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

A Rescuer

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w4d4

Read: 1 Kings 12:16-20 and Isaiah 53:1-9/ SOAP Isaiah 53:5

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

As we continue our journey from The Beginning to the End, this one statement bears repeating: from the beginning of time, God’s plans included a “Rescuer”. He is described in Genesis 3:15 as the One who will crush the head of Satan. Satan, of course, is the enemy (the serpent) who approached Eve in the garden, tempting her to disobey (sin) God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve knew the commandment, she repeated the commandment to the serpent, but she saw that the fruit was attractive and desirable for making one wise ~ and she ate it. From that time forward, ‘man’ has needed someone to rescue them…to save them from eternal separation from God. Because as Isaiah wrote, “Our sins have separated us from God.”1

“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strikeb your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15

If you are a human being, you needed rescuing. Jesus came to save you. He saves us from sin by forgiving our sins (Luke 19:10; Acts 10:42–43; 1 Timothy 1:15). He saves us from God’s righteous punishment by justifying us with His blood (Romans 5:9). He saves us from death by giving us eternal life. He saves us from the degradation of the world by separating, empowering, and sanctifying us (Titus 3:3–8). He saves us from the devil, who deceives the world (1 John 3:8). For all these reasons and more, Jesus is rightfully worshiped as the Savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14).

gotquestions.org/What does it mean that Jesus is the Savior?

Salvation is more than just a one-and-done ‘religious experience’ you check off a list and move on. Friends, true salvation is the beginning of a life-giving/eternity-long relationship with the one true, Triune God (Father, Spirit, and Son). The Father gave the Son, the Son gave His life to rescue/save us, and the Spirit fills us with life and power to participate in the Divine Nature.

In most superhero movies, the hero must intervene in a dangerous situation to rescue a powerless victim. At the end, the victim might exclaim, with all the force of a well-worn cliché, “You’re my hero!” In this moment, the grateful person is acknowledging that the hero has, potentially with great sacrifice, rescued him or her from mortal danger. Christians mean much the same thing when they refer to Jesus as the Savior, but on a much grander scale. In the Bible, the word Savior simply means “someone who saves someone else.” In the Old Testament, God is frequently referred to as the Savior, rescuing His people from all kinds of danger (Deuteronomy 32:15; 1 Chronicles 16:35; Psalm 18:46; 38:22). What does Jesus rescue us from? And what does He rescue us for?

To understand Jesus’ role as Savior, we must understand our own desperate situation. Humans have sinned against God, rebelling, and voluntarily separating themselves from the God of life (Romans 3:23; 5:12). Sin produces death, and so everything in our world is now dying (Romans 6:23; James 1:15). Because God is holy, He will punish sin, leading to eternal separation from Him (Matthew 10:28). Without Jesus, humans are helplessly enslaved by sin and cannot ever achieve holiness on their own (Romans 3:9–20). We were born on a one-way track to hell, rightly condemned for our sin (Ephesians 2:1–3).

Read the full answer here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-is-the-Savior.html

I love this analogy, Jesus is my ‘super-hero’! For He has saved me from my sins and the death they deserved! He has rescued me from so many pits, wrong turns, the power of hell, the deception of the enemy, the desires of the sinful nature… the list is long, but the evidence is sure and certain and liberating, for I have been set free from the chains of sin and death and from the condemnation that sin brings.

He’s My Rescuer is one of my favorite songs by Rend Collective, and I couldn’t help but think of it as I was writing out my thoughts on today’s journey.

[Verse 1]
There is good news for the captive, good news for the shamed
There is good news for the one who walked away
There is good news for the doubter, the one religion failed
For the Good Lord has come to seek and save

[Chorus]
He’s our rescuer (Hey!)
He’s our rescuer (Hey!)
We are free from sin forevermore
Oh how sweet the sound (Hey!)
Oh how grace abounds (Hey!)
We will praise the Lord our rescuer

[Verse 2]
He is beauty for the blind man, riches for the poor
He is friendship for the one the world ignores
He is pasture for the weary, rest for those who strive
For the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life
Yes the Good Lord is the way, the truth, the life

The More We Know

  1. Isaiah 59:2 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, LGG Study

So Much More Than A House

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever, w4d2

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 and SOAP verse 16; (For Further Reading: 2 Samuel 7:18-29)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

7 When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2 the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

3 Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

8 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me[b] for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

17 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

David’s Prayer of Thanks

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

2 Samuel 7:1-17

When we “first” read this passage, we may be surprised, wonder why, or even be appalled that God would refuse David this gesture of love and devotion. However, these words of explanation by Charles Spurgeon and others are helpful – even to those well acquainted with the Scriptures.

  • “Though the Lord refused to grant David the realization of his wish, he did it in a most gracious manner. He did not put the idea away from him in anger or disdain, as though David had cherished an unworthy desire; but he honored his servant even in the non-acceptance of his offer.” (Spurgeon)
  • God said “No” to David’s offer because David was a man of war, and God wanted a man of peace to build His temple. 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 explains this: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight…. a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest…. He shall build a house for My name.
    • The explanation to David recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:8 came years afterward. We can surmise that for many years, David did not know the exact reason why God didn’t want him to build the temple. “It would have wounded David needlessly to have been told this at the time…. Meanwhile, David possessed his soul in patience, and said to himself, ‘God has a reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’” (Meyer). https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-Samuel-7/

The bottom line is that while David’s desire and reasoning were beautiful proof of David’s heart for God, God declares that it will be the other way around; God would build a house for David, one that would ultimately be the throne of Jesus, the Eternal King. As one commentator points out, “This was a greater promise than David’s offer to God because David’s ‘house’ (dynasty) would last longer and be more glorious than the temple David wanted to build.” (David Guzik)

A Branch from David’s Line

 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:1-2

This promise from God to David is known as the “Davidic Covenant”, and it is so much bigger than God building David a ‘house’. It’s more than David’s son building God a house. Friends, this is about the promise of an eternal kingdom, one that would know no end! The ‘house’ God is promising David will include the Messiah, Jesus, God’s own Son. As we have seen thus far in our journey, from Genesis to Exodus to Samuel … and, as seen in the following passages, eventually to the New Testament God was sending a Rescuer. “The Rescuer would be a descendant of Abraham, an Israelite from the line of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and now from David’s family line. God’s rescue mission was still at work, and God was continuing to reveal more and more of who the Savior would be.”1

Jesse had at least eight sons (II Samuel 16:10-11), the youngest of which was David. God chose the line of this young shepherd boy to reign over Israel and ultimately to produce the King of kings: “‘Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth'” (Jeremiah 23:5; see Isaiah 9:6-7).

Both of Jesus‘ human parents were of the line of David (Matthew 1:1, 6; Luke 3:31), and it was well known during His ministry that Jesus was a “son of David” (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 21:9; etc.). Before His conception, Gabriel tells Mary, “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:32). Paul reminds Timothy of what this means to Christians: “Jesus, the seed of David, was raised from the dead. . . . This is a faithful saying: ‘For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him'” (II Timothy 2:8, 11-12).

“Though David was far from perfect (2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51), one would come who would be perfect in every way. He would be the King of Kings and lord of Lords, and He will one day rule forever as the eternal King.”2

The More We Know

David learned that God didn’t want him to build the temple, but David didn’t respond by doing nothing. According to 1 Chronicles 29:2-9, David gathered all the materials for building the temple so that Solomon could build a glorious house for God.

i. “If you cannot have what you hoped, do not sit down in despair and allow the energies of your life to run to waste; but arise, and gird yourself to help others to achieve. If you may not build, you may gather materials for him that shall. If you may not go down the mine, you can hold the ropes.” (Meyer)

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-Samuel-7/

What is the Davidic covenant?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p125 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p125 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

A Surrendered Heart

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w4d1

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and Soap verse 7; For Further Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-9

Do you have a “Saul” who or that you are mourning? What I mean is, is there a person, place, or thing – or perhaps a dream or hope that hasn’t happened or was taken away- holding you captive or back from moving on? Scripture reveals to us that Samuel did. Verse 35 of 1 Samuel 15 tells the story of Saul’s disobedience to God, and how, “Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.”

Until the day he died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 15:35

If you’ve never watched or prayed and waited with parents mourning their child’s decision to turn away from God, it is hard to understand the devastation and personal responsibility they feel and the sorrow it induces. It is an awful thing that either drives them to despair and/or to their knees. Much as a parent mourns their child wandering away from God’s path, Samuel mourned for Saul’s persistent disobedience and ultimately God’s rejection of him as king. On top of that, Samuel had devoted time and service to Saul and the calling on his life, so understandably, Saul’s failure and the Lord’s rejection of him were likely a personal disappointment and defeat for Samuel as well, possibly believing that he had failed Saul. Thus, the Lord’s question and command to Samuel that we find in our journey today:

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”

1 Samuel 16:1 NET (KJV Version)

Having had time to mourn, God was now calling Samuel to stop mourning and “go” to the one He had selected as king in Saul’s place. Fear was Samuel’s next obstacle, as he was concerned that if he did as the Lord asked, Saul would hear about it and kill him. The Lord answered his concern, and Samuel did as the Lord told him. God’s assurance moved Samuel past his mourning and fear to obedience to God’s calling. From that obedience, Samuel meets Jesse and his sons, including David, who would one day be the successor of Saul, and the ‘root’ from which Jesus, our Rescuer, would come. Samuel assessed the brothers, beginning with Eliab, the oldest, and continuing through to the youngest. Ultimately, he chose David, the shepherd boy, the one whom God had told him to anoint, rather than the oldest, who looked more like a king. Why? Because Samuel had listened to God, who looks at the heart rather than appearance

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

As today’s journal entry by LGG reminds us, Saul looked the part on the outside, but outward appearances don’t always match what’s on the inside. Saul was more concerned with what people thought of him than with pleasing God, so God chose a different king, a young shepherd boy named David. David was anything but kingly according to his outward appearance. But he had something that Saul did not, a heart that wanted to live for God. So God raised David to be the greatest earthly King of Israel, not because David was perfect, but because he was surrendered to God.1

Friends, if you are stuck in a place of mourning or regret, fear or disobedience, disappointment, or waiting… let me ask you – “How long do you continue to stay there?” Samuel was led to David, the true and future King of Israel when he left his mourning behind and followed where God led him. Let’s ask God to search our hearts, know our thoughts, and reveal anything holding us back from His mission/desire for us. Let’s humbly and faithfully surrender to Him daily, choosing His way over our own. 💜 🙌

The More We Know

Do you know the One who looks at the heart? If not, I invite you to check out the “Know These Truths” link below:

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
  1. From the Beginning to Forever, Love God Greatly Journal, p 121 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From Broken to Restored, From the Insideout, Joshua, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

The Secret to Success

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d5

Read: Joshua 1:1-9 (soap vs 7); 2:1-5 (For further reading: Josh 2:6-24 and Josh 6

After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:1-9

We are traveling through some sad but exciting territory today, but rest assured, God was not surprised by any of the events. He knew the day and the hour of Moses’ death, and He knew and had been preparing Joshua to lead His people. From the death of Moses to Joshua receiving God’s call to lead Israel across the Jordan River into the promised land. The call of Joshua came with a promise that just as He had been with Moses, God would now be with Joshua. No one would be able to stand against him as long as he lived, because God would not fail him or abandon him.

With this promise comes instructions that read like a secret to success.

  • Be strong and courageous.
  • Be careful to obey all of the instructions Moses gave you.
  • Do not turn away from them.
    • Then you will be successful in everything you do.
  • Study the Book of Instruction continually.
  • Meditate on the book, day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.
    • Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Following Moses’ death and Joshua’s call to lead, I encourage you to journey a little further in the story. It is here you will find the two men that Joshua sent in to spy out the land that they were to enter. This is also the story of Rahab the prostitute, one of the most beautiful stories in the BIble, a story of faith and salvation, a story of love and God’s faithful provision and miraculous victory for His people as we travel just a little further and watch as the walls of Jericho fall – giving Israel entrance into the city.

God may be calling you to something that seems impossible. Know that nothing is impossible with God. He is at work in all the details and will be with you through it all. You only need to trust Him.

From the Beginning to Forever/journal p111
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Listen and Obey

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d4

Read: Ex 20:1-21 and Deuteronomy 6:4-15; SOAP Deuteronomy 6:5

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed, and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Read More

Deuteronomy 6:4-15

“When the Israelites had crossed through the Red Sea, God gave them rules by which to live. This is known as the law. The law was meant to reveal the people’s sin and show their need for God’s grace. It was also meant to show them what a holy life looks like.”

From the Beginning to Forever/p107

These rules and this message are specifically to the people of God. A message that emphasized the importance of God’s people loving Him. It wouldn’t be an easy command to keep because it wasn’t simply a feel-good type of love. For Israel, God’s children, this love required every part of them ~all of their mind, all of their being, and all of their strength. They were not only to obey the commandment to love like God with their whole being, but they were also not to forget the commandment. Again, not as easy as it may sound because they weren’t just to obey the commandment(s), but they were to “keep them in mind, teach them to their children, speak of them (verse 6) all throughout the day and evening. They were to be written down and put in places where they would be seen and remembered easily.

God knew that the people could never fully uphold the law. This is why they needed a Rescuer.

From the Beginning to Forever/p107

So, why were these words of instruction so important? Why is there a mandate to remember them, talk about them, and teach them to the children? The answer is found, at least in part, in Deuteronomy 6:12-15 – where we read: be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. 14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, 15 for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. However, David also addresses the purpose/benefit of remembering the commandment(s) when he wrote: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

Obedience isn’t always easy. My grandson experienced that at preschool today when he ended up in time-out more than a time or two. For a three-year-old, he is typically a very well-behaved, kind, and respectful little boy (and, for the record, I would say that even if I weren’t his Oma ☺). You see, it wasn’t that he didn’t know how to obey; it was that he got caught up in what he saw or wanted to do, and he forgot the importance of remembering, listening, and obeying.

Friends, let’s ask God to help us keep His Word in mind, to teach His Word(s) to our children, speak of them (verse 6) all throughout the day and evening. Let’s write them down and put them in places where they will be seen and remembered easily. Let’s be ‘all-in’ in our relationship with God, making every effort to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength.

You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. ~ Hebrews 3:13

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Dry Ground

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w3d3

Read: Ex 14:19-31; SOAP: Ex 12:13 / (for further reading Ex 12:33-37; Ex 14:5-18)

Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted[a] their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”

26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

29 But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. 30 That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 14:19-31

As I read through this the first time, all I could think about was how the Israelites must have felt. The amazement at the dry ground…fear at the walls of water on their right and left…and undoubtedly at the army of Egyptians that pursued them. Then I read through it again and found myself jotting down phrases and verses that flooded my thoughts.

“If God is for us, who can stand against us?”

“Lean not on your own understandings.”

“Nothing is impossible for God!”

Trusting in God is essential to following Him wherever He leads. 🦋

We must always be ready to walk by faith and not by sight.

“Even the wind and seas obey Him.”

Listen and obey ~ right away, all the way, and in a cheerful way.

God is all-powerful! When we see this, we will fear (respect Him) and believe in His greatness and in those He places over us.

“My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do!”

Was it amazement or awe, fear or excitement, was adrenaline pushing them forward, or caution holding them back? Whatever they were feeling, Moses had stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the LORD had driven the sea apart by a strong east wind all that night, and He made the sea into dry land. The water was divided, and God’s people were delivered through the waters and saw that their pursuers were dead. Scripture records that they saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians; they feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

Friends, as today’s journal entry so beautifully puts it: “When we come to a crossroads in life, when it seems as if there’s no other option but defeat, lean on the power of God. Our job, like the Israelites’, is to be still, lay all our problems before the Almighty One, and wait for His deliverance. It will come, in His good time.”

From the Beginning to Forever/journal p103