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Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

Daily Reading

Numbers 16-17

Daily Thought

Korah and his company were rebellious. God had heard enough of their grumbling and complaining and punishment was near, so God warned Moses and Moses warned the nation of Israel, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins” (Numbers 16:26). No one can say God didn’t warn them.

Harry Truman (not the president) was in his cabin when Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. For two months the mountain rumbled. For two months they told Harry to move. “The danger is overexaggerated,” Harry determined. It wasn’t. He died. 

You may have heard it said that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades “And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods” (Numbers 16:31-32). It counts in wickedness, too. Get away! The danger is not overexaggerated. Close counts in volcanoes and it counts tragically in wickedness. 

Daily Prayer

Holy God, Your ways are perfect. Teach me to follow them. God may I have a heart that loves You, loves Your ways, and loves righteousness. May I have a heart that hates wickedness.

God, teach me not to flirt with sin. May I be convinced of its destruction and flee from it. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — may those things consume my thoughts and fill my desires.

Amen

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Back to Egypt

Daily Reading

Numbers 14-15

Daily Thought

Over and over the people complain. The common theme, “Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (Numbers 14:3). We read this and we ask incredulously, how can these people ignore the memory of slavery in Egypt? 

The same way you and I do.

Just as God had delivered Israel from their slavery of Egypt, he has delivered us from our slavery to sin. And yet, too often, we want to go back. We want to go back to our sin, our prison, our slavery. It doesn’t matter what God accomplished for us on Christmas and Good Friday and Easter. God in the flesh died on the cross, then rose the third day, delivering us from the misery of slavery to sin and Satan. In spite of all that, in those moments when our fleshly desires get the upper hand, we think we had it better in Egypt. We prefer our sin. 

The Israelites forsook the journey because they lost faith in the Promised Land. All sin is lost faith, faith in the Promised Land, faith in the promises of God. All sin is lost faith, the choice of something tangible, however trivial, over the eternal.

Daily Prayer

My God, may I remember Your justice and also Your grace. May I reflect on Your holiness and Your love. I choose sin too often, and deserve slavery. But You are patient. Thank You. Thank You for Your Son who took my sins and pleads my case. That in His Name and by His blood, I have His righteousness. 

Because of Jesus, may I be holy and righteous. May I love what is good and despise the rebellion that leads to slavery. May I live freely a life that displays Your goodness and glory.

Amen

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Measuring Up

Daily Reading

Numbers 11-13

Daily Thought

Twelve spies were sent by Moses to check out the land of Canaan, the Promised Land of God. They returned after forty days, with good news. The land was flowing with milk and honey. However, there was also bad news. The people were strong and their cities fortified. “There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them” (Numbers 13:33).

There would be, someday, another warrior of God thought too small for battle against a large opponent. First King Saul told David, “You cannot fight Goliath. You are only a boy.” Then David put on the armor, but it did not fit. If you are too small for the armor, you are too small for the battle. Finally, the big Philistine himself laughed at David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?”

The Israelites’ problem was someone thought they were too small for battle, but it wasn’t the Nephilim or the Amalekites or the Hittites or the Jebusites or the Amorites or the Canaanites. It was the Israelites themselves. “We seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers.” 

It never occurred to David to measure himself. He measured Goliath and he measured God. “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel” (1Samuel 17:45). 

“What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?”
~Romans 8:31 

So David killed Goliath with a slingshot. Then he cut off his head.

Daily Prayer

Awesome God, You reign from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love. You are the Almighty, the Everlasting, my Stronghold, my Shelter, my Fortress in time of trouble. You are my Savior.

My God is an awesome God. May I never rely on my own strength and may I never forget Your strength. I shall place my trust in it, in You, always. If my God is for me, who can be against me?

Amen

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God Knows Best

Daily Reading

Numbers 8-10

Daily Thought

My son approached me with what seemed to be a reasonable request. “May I go to the movies tonight with my friends?” Which movie? Which friends? I asked the right questions. “Son, it seems like everything is okay.”

He started to walk away triumphantly. “But son, you know there is no ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ until your mom says ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’” 

He knew. My wife knows better. She knows if there is homework due. She knows how he’s behaved during the day. She knows his friends. I’ve learned, I dare not say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ before checking with the one who knows best.

The Israelites were observing the Passover on the anniversary of their deliverance from Egypt. Some who were unclean (they had touched a dead body) still wanted to participate. They asked Moses if it was okay. It seemed a reasonable request.

And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you” (Numbers 9:8). 

Moses knew, check with the One who knows best.

Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my door.
~Proverbs 8:34

Daily Prayer

Father God, You are wise, You are loving, You are good. What a blessing it is to bring my requests to You. I know that You will work all things to the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. I want Your wisdom, God, and it is there for the asking. But I forget to ask. 

My love for You is shown by my obedience. My trust is displayed in my actions. May I be one who, all day long, seeks Your Word and Your ways, follows Your path, and walks in Your wisdom. May I be one who talks to You. And listens. 

Amen

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Carry That Weight

Daily Reading

Numbers 7

Daily Thought

The Tabernacle was portable, and was packed up, pieced out, and carted along whenever Israel moved camp. The Gershonites were responsible for the curtains, and Moses gave them two carts to carry them. The Merarites, tent poles, got four carts. The Kohathites carried the most holy things, like the ark of the Covenant. They received no carts. God said, “I want you to carry the holy things on your shoulders.”

The Hebrew word for “glory” literally means “weight.” Like the “weight of glory.” Several tons, in this case. That’s how much the ark and the holy things weighed. A cart and a couple oxen would have been nice, “but to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder” (Numbers 7:9). Wonder why?

The wonders of God surround us. The elegance of creation, the beauty of sunsets, the majesty of mountains. “The whole earth is full of his glory,” said more than one Hebrew poet. But that is not where the world will see the full glory of God. God’s intent was that now, “through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:10-11). The church. That’s you and me, followers of Jesus Christ. Carrying God’s glory to the world, his goodness, his grace, his gospel – it’s on us, on our shoulders. God says, “I want you to carry my glory.”

Daily Prayer

Wonderful God, Maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that are in them, the land and all it’s creatures, the skies and the birds that soar, stars and planets, painted with all the colors of the rainbow, which you made, as well.

In all of creation, You place Your image in people. People like me.  Through the work of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I am being transformed and Your image is becoming clear again. May I display Your glory, Your wonder, Your wisdom, You grace, Your love, to the world around me. May the glory of Your work in me brighten the world and bring You praise.

Amen

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What Difference Does It Make?

Daily Reading

Numbers 5-6

Daily Thought

We place our hand on the Bible and close with “so help me God,” but what does that mean? What difference does it make? Jesus said it shouldn’t, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37), so what does it add to add God’s name to an oath? In one sense, nothing. It is your character, not God’s, that will determine whether you are trustworthy or a liar.

Yet “a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord” (Numbers 6:2) adds several extra toppings like “he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink” and “no razor shall touch his head” and “he shall not go near a dead body” (Numbers 6:3, 5, 6). This is not a vow to be sober or grow a beard or stay clear of death, but to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and the rest is externals, symbols of separation, signs telling the world to watch me and see if my vow has made a difference. These are external signs inviting the world to watch and see the internal character of a man or woman of God.

When a Christian accused of being a hypocrite responds, “I’m no more than the next guy,” isn’t that the problem? When I place my hand on the Bible, the question is not do I take this oath seriously, but do I take my God seriously. When I take God’s name upon myself, it should make a difference. The world is watching.

Daily Prayer

My Holy God, You are good and just and holy and loving and full of grace. Your Son was pierced for my transgressions, He was crushed for my iniquities; the punishment that brought me peace was upon Him; by His wounds I am healed.  May I take sin as seriously as He did.

Thank You, Father, for salvation, for forgiveness, for the atonement for my sins offered by the death of Jesus Christ. Thank You Jesus for taking what I deserve so that I will share in what You deserve.  May my love You for You be seen in my desire for righteousness.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall he put his name upon his people and he will bless them.

Amen

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This Means War

Daily Reading

Numbers 3-4

Daily Thought

“From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting” (Numbers 4:23). In the Hebrew, “to do the duty” literally reads “to war the warfare.” It is repeated several times in Numbers, chapter 4, verses 3, 30, 35, 39, and 43; and again in chapter 8, verse 24–this to describe the people who prepare the tabernacle and set the table for the sacrifices. To war the warfare–now that has punch to it.

The work of God, no matter what, will never be rightly done until we understand that, whatever else it might be, it is also warfare. Whether it is serving orphans and the poor, or serving cookies and coffee, we must elevate the estimate of our duties and our service. It is warfare. We live in neither a Christian nation nor a godly world, rather we have aligned ourselves to serve another King of Kings. We are allies of the One who strives to remove the misery of sin, yet people cling to their passions. 

It is warfare, and the world will resist. It is a fight, and will always be so, if it is rightly done. The battle is waged, however, not by killing, but by dying, when we ourselves die to ourselves and our King becomes our life.

Daily Prayer

Our Father, You are our God and we are Your people. The family of God, brought together by the sacrifice of Your Son, receiving full inheritance of Your great and glorious treasures. Thank You, God.

By our love for one another, we show that we are Your disciples. May I be someone who looks out for the interests of others, who is quick to serve, who seeks out and fills needs. May I be someone who loves in action as well as word.  May I fight the good fight by serving others, giving my life fully to You. May I stand for Your grace and truth.

Amen

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One God

Daily Reading

Numbers 1-2

Daily Thought

We count people, as well as we can. “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head” (Numbers 1:2). There are 7,700,000,000 people on this planet, more or less. Best guess is 100 billion people have been born since the dawn of the human race. Approximately 255 babies are born every minute. Right around 18,600,000 birthdays are on February 11.

Fortunately, God doesn’t guess. God does not know more or less, best estimate, approximately, right around, or just about. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). God knows exactly, by name; God knows you.

P.S., There is exactly one God.

Daily Prayer

God, Your care for me is wonderful and amazing. David wrote in his psalm, “Who am I that You think about me?” And yet You do. The God of the heavens and the earth thinks of me more than I think of him. Forgive me for that. May I walk with you all day every day.

Father, the value that You have placed in me, may I see that value in others. That each person is fearfully and wonderfully made, a work of art by You, my Creator God. Truly, God I love You as I love others, because they are Your workmanship. You have given me faith to believe in You, a certainty of hope for eternity, and You give me love, the greatest of Your gifts. May I give Your love to others.

Amen

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Good Parenting

Daily Reading

Leviticus 26-27

Daily Thought

“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then…” (Leviticus 26:3-4). 

“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments…” (Leviticus 26:14).

As a good father with his children, God communicates his expectations and he is clear about them. He even writes them down. He has rules and the rules have consequences.  The consequences are both positive and negative, rewards for obedience and penalties for disobedience. God says “yes” as often as he says “no.” This doubles the motivation to do what is right and good.

With the rules and consequences, God starts small and builds. As the children of God obey, obedience will become a habit which will shape their character. God commands his children obey, not for his pleasure, but for theirs. 

The consequences are not threats, they are promises. Threats are intentions, promises are a sure thing. God let the Israelites know he will follow through. Now that the Israelites know what their actions will produce, both good and bad, they are responsible for the consequences, not God. 

And they will mess up, a lot, but this does not take God by surprise. He blends hope into his rules. Confession, repentance, and making amends are avenues of grace and even more important than the rules. 

That is good parenting.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are the Creator of all things. You are God. I am not, but You did create me in Your image. Within me is a knowledge of You. I have eternity in my heart. I know You, and I know what is right and wrong, what is good and evil.

Why I choose not to follow You, not to listen to You, when the consequences are terrible, I can’t explain. But I do. Thank You for sending Your Son to live on earth, to show us what it looks like to live rightly, to show us You and Your ways, to make restoration possible. May I follow You, may I be like You, may I listen to You my Father in heaven.

Amen

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Jubilee

Daily Reading

Leviticus 24-25

Daily Thought

I was driving home from the dealer having just purchased a brand new convertible. I had a CostCo stop to make and coming back to my car in the parking lot, there was a light crease on the bumper, the kind made by a runaway shopping cart. I had not even gotten the car home yet. I shed a tear, then checked myself and remembered who the car really belonged to. Would I care for something more because it belonged to God or because it belonged to me? Looking up to heaven, I shrugged, “Okay, if that’s how you want to treat your property.”

God made clear to the Israelites who it was that owned their new land: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Leviticus 25:23). A year of Jubilee would remind them of this. Every 50th year was a reset. The game started over, everyone returned to their original place, debts were covered, and slaves were freed. Mountains of wealth and valleys of poverty were leveled.

It was a reminder that the land wasn’t a personal possession, that the Israelites were guests of God, “strangers and sojourners with me.” It should remind us, as well, that our home isn’t truly here, but somewhere else. “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2Corinthians 5:1).

Finally, it should remind us that we needn’t fear. We do not have to fend for ourselves, but we are under the care of God. Two words are absolutely vital for Jubilee to work and be a good thing: “with me.” We are strangers and sojourners “with God.” That means the land is his, not some ruler who could arbitrarily use it for his needs and wants and desires. It belongs to the righteous and holy God who causes all things to work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes. “I am the LORD your God.”

Daily Prayer

Father in Heaven, the world is Yours, and all that is in it. You are the source of every good and every blessing. My greatest blessing is adoption into Your family because of the saving work of Your Son. You call it grace. I call it good news. Everything I have is yours.

Teach me to share.

Amen