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Sure Thing

Daily Reading

Joshua 19-21

Daily Thought

Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. ~Joshua 21:45

I looked up some streaks. Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight baseball games. He was a good bet for a hit, but not in game 57. UCLA won every basketball game from January 30, 1971, to January 17, 1974. Eighty-eight straight. But on January 19, 1974, they lost. Ted St. Martin sunk 5,221 consecutive free throws. You could bet he’d make the next one. But then he missed.

We have some good streaks, but even the best eventually fall. God keeps all of his promises. Every single one  …and counting. “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:12-13).

It’s a sure thing, and you can bet your life on a sure thing.

Daily Prayer

Our Father, God, Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for telling us what You are going to do, then doing it. Thank You that we can fully trust in You. May I walk forward in faith, always trusting, always true.

God, you are the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In You there is no change, no uncertainty. You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things. We read Your Word and we know what eternity holds in front of us. What a great God You are!

Amen

Daily Question

Which of God’s promises do you count on the most?

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Dragging Feet

Daily Reading

Joshua 16-18

Daily Thought

As the tribes of Israel divide the land and draw boundaries (Joshua 16-18), their disobedience continues. Israel permitted the ungodly to live among them and share the land, “they did not drive out the Canaanites” (Joshua 16:10; 17:13). This was partly to their advantage; the Canaanites provided an additional labor force that served the Jewish nation. But that’s how sin works, it always comes packaged with benefits. 

Israel’s problem would be the Canaanite’s number one god, Baal, the rain god. The Jordan River was their source for irrigation, but half of the year, the Jordan slowed to a trickle and Israel needed water. Their life depends on it and they would be confronted with a choice. Depend on Yahweh, the one true God, or follow Baal, the false, but enticingly named, rain god. Too often, Baal prevailed. Thumb through the remainder of the Old Testament and the name of Baal never goes away, and eventually Baal leads Israel back into slavery. Yahweh delivered Israel out of Egypt, out of slavery. Baal put them back.

Joshua would repeatedly challenge the people of Israel, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Joshua 18:3). It was time to move, but they delayed. Isn’t that how it is? As God is at work shaping us into his likeness, he is frustrated not so much by our great sins, but by our dragging feet.

Daily Prayer

God Almighty, as I watch the world around me, my faith is strengthened daily. There are signs of You everywhere. The joys of spring as the world blossoms and new life emerges everywhere reminds me that You are the Author of all life, and I can trust fully in You.

My God, I pray that my life, as well, is a continual reminder of You. That I reflect You in my actions, my thoughts, my faith. That I trust my life to You and walk forward at once in courage and faith, knowing that You go before me.

Amen

Daily Question

What are your best excuses to delay what you know God wants you to do?

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War and Peace

Daily Reading

Joshua 12-15

Daily Thought

God made it clear, the land is filled with evil. Drive out all of the evil from the land, “yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day” (Joshua 13:13). They drove out a lot, but not all. Not everybody. Sometimes some cities didn’t appear worth the battle and they allowed them to remain. They allowed some people to live among them.

God’s church, like the nation of Israel, is called to be holy, yet sins linger. Gossip, gluttony, lust, greed, compromise, hypocrisy, pride. They seem tolerable, not worth the battle it would require to remove them, so we allow them to linger. Scripture warns us to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13), but we fear the war when we should fear the peace.

Eighty-five years young, Caleb remains ready for battle. Those of old age speak more often of past victories, but Caleb is ready to fight yet again. His confidence was not in himself, but in his God. The years had not dimmed his trust in the Almighty, nor his resolve to drive out evil, no matter how formidable. “So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said” (Joshua 14:12).

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ~Colossians 3:5

Daily Prayer

Holy God, You called me to be perfect just like You. Which I cannot do… on my own. Help me keep my repentance true. I’ve chosen to turn away from my sin, and God, I need Your Spirit to give me guidance and strength not to turn back. Thank You that even when I fall and fail, I can return and confess, and the once-for-all death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, covers all my sins.

I am so glad You are perfect and that Your standard is holiness. What other kind of eternity would be good? Thank You, Father, for doing the work that makes my holiness possible. It is only in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Daily Question

What sins do you allow to linger more than others?

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Follow the Science

Daily Reading

Joshua 9-11

Daily Thought

Joshua 10 describes the fantastic defeat of five armies from five cities. Israel battled and God threw hailstones from heaven and the armies ran. To annihilate them, Joshua requested of God, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon,” and the “sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day” (Joshua 10:12-13). 

Did it really? Did the sun actually stay in the sky, giving Joshua and his army a longer day so they could bring the war to completion? First of all, the sun didn’t stop, because the sun doesn’t rise either. This is phenomenal language, the language of appearance. The sun does not orbit, rather the earth rotates, so, if anything, the earth stopped. One Old Testament scholar suggests that the word for “stand still” may be translated “stand silent.” Joshua, in this case, was praying for extended darkness rather than light, which was provided by the clouds. Clouds would be consistent with the large hailstones God threw down from heaven at the enemy (Joshua 10:11). Another argues that the words are merely symbolic. It has also been suggested that the earth’s rotation slowed for a time, resulting in a longer day.

You may have been told a tale about NASA mapping out the movement of the sun, moon, and planets, and running into an error of exactly 24 hours for which they could not account. So the story goes, one scientist recalled two lessons from Sunday School. The first was Isaiah asking God to back the sun up 40 minutes as a sign to King Hezekiah. The other, our passage, which they calculated at 23 hours, 20 minutes. Added together, one complete day, and the computers reconciled the discrepancy. Voila! 

Except this never happened. A Mr. Harold Hill fabricated the story when giving lectures on Science and the Bible, and it was published in a newspaper, printed in a book, and passed from pulpit to pulpit. Science argued the miracle was not possible (what miracle is?), yet this is God’s Word, so Mr. Hill thought to bring Science and Scripture together.  (Was not the con man in the musical Music Man also named Harold Hill?) 

Where does the idea God needs rescuing come from? We pit Scripture against Science, as if God and Science are at war. When Science and Scripture conflict, the issue is as likely to be my interpretation of Scripture as the scientist’s interpretation of nature. God is not anti-science and good science is not anti-God. Rather, God’s eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20). “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

My answer regarding the sun standing still in Joshua 10? Frankly, I don’t know the answer. I favor some explanations over others, but when all is said and done, I don’t know, and that’s okay for now. I know God and that’s who I need to know.

Daily Prayer

Mighty God, the heavens declare Your glory, and the sky above proclaims Your handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

I rise to a new day, made by You, and I shall delight in it. I shall stop often and listen to Your voice in the world around me, worship You as I ponder Your creation, stand in wonder at the wisdom of beauty in Your handiwork. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Amen

Daily Question

How should you resolve issues when the Bible seems to conflict with science?

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One Piece Missing

Daily Reading

Joshua 5-8

Daily Thought

God says to his people, “For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). Israel is to be holy, and God is teaching them what holiness looks like. 

As Israel defeated the strong and fortified city of Jericho, God instructed them to destroy everything except the silver and gold and bronze and iron, which were to go to the treasury of the Lord. The next town in line was little Ai, but Ai prevailed against Israel. Joshua was dismayed, tore his clothes, and fell on his face before the Lord, but God said, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings” (Joshua 7:10-11).

What was their sin? “But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel” (Joshua 7:1). One person disobeyed, attracted to the glitter of gold rather than the glory of God.. One person stole, and the entire nation was brought to account. Think of a jigsaw puzzle. 7,500 pieces, and 7,499 in place. One piece missing harms all others. 7,499 pieces get tossed. When God said “they,” he was referring to all of Israel, but he was pointing at one man, Achan.

Achan’s sin stood out but it is little different than our own. All sin is personal, but no sin is private. My sin is a piece missing and so is yours. Our sin taints the community and we are neither whole nor holy and we need a Savior. This is what sin teaches us.

Daily Prayer

Father, thank You for life, for creation, for this world, for my family, for work to do and a purpose to live. Thank You for all the blessings You pour on me. Thank You for my church family, for worship, for Your Word, for the wonderful time in prayer, for communion, for service, for love.

Sin corrupts every good thing. I’m sorry that I find it so attractive. God, forgive me and cleanse me for the sin I do. I so desire life and life abundantly. How dim gold glitters beside Your glory. I pray that I will be so filled with Your love and Your goodness that sin will no longer look desirable. God, please put Your desires in my heart.

Amen

Daily Question

When you sin, who else gets hurt?

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Chivalry

Daily Reading

Joshua 1-4

Daily Thought

From the day I met Debbie, I began opening the car door for her. When we are leaving…

“We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt. As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”  ~Joshua 2:10-11

And when we arrive…

As soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water, the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.  ~Joshua 3:15-16

It is more than a gesture, it is an announcement. I want the world to know she is my girl, my one-and-only, and I’d do anything for her.

And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’” ~Joshua 4;21-22

I learned this from the Lord my God..

“For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” ~Joshua 4:23-24

Daily Prayer

Lord God, not only do You go before me, but You set the path in front of me, and light the path for me with Your Word. Father, You came to bring me life and life abundantly. Almighty God, you hold the door open for me. And I hesitate? You announced that Your Kingdom is here, right in front of me. God, I choose to follow You, the King of heaven and earth.

King of kings, I pray for your guidance and protection. I pray that I would reflect Your way of life. That I would embrace goodness and godliness. Thank You for not only instructing me as to what is good, but showing me the good by sending Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Daily Question

How do you know you belong to God?

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Letting Go

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 32-34

Daily Thought

Moses, at 120 years old, eyes undimmed and vigor unabated (Deuteronomy 34:7), climbs Mount Nebo to view the Promised Land. He led the people to the threshold, but he will not go in. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there” (Deuteronomy 34:4). Turning the page back to Numbers 20 reminds us why. Moses struck the rock at Maribah instead of speaking to the rock as God instructed him. Because of this, “because you did not believe in me,” God said, “you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them” (Numbers 20:12). After leading the children of Israel for 40 years toward the Promised Land, it is time for someone else to take over. 

Joe Gibbs, three-time Super Bowl champion coach of the Washington Redskins, describes a vital part of his job “as head coach is to be the guy who tells the veterans that their days are over.” Moses’s mission was the quest, not the conquest, and that is another reason God kept Moses from entering Canaan. The people needed a shepherd to guide them to the Land. That was Moses. Now they need a warrior to take the Land. At 120 years old, even with all his vigor, it was not Moses. There are times when letting go is better than leading on. A younger Joshua would take the Land. Moses needed to disappear so all eyes would look to Joshua.

Daily Thought

Wonderful God, Savior, King, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for salvation. Thank You for life everlasting, joy overflowing, grace overwhelming, peace beyond understanding. Thank you for all you have gifted to me. 

May I find my delight always in your desire, my passion in your purpose. May I be ready to lead, to follow, or to pass along to others, the privilege and responsibility of ministry. Your call, God. Anything.

Amen

Daily Question

When is it better to let someone else do a job you want to do?

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Benched

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 30-31

Daily Thought

When words are repeated, they are often significant. In Deuteronomy 30, “heart” (vv 2, 6, 10, 14, 17), “soul” (vv 2, 6, 10), “command” or “commandment” (vv 2, 8, 10, 11, 16), “turn” or “return” (vv 2, 10, 17), and “life” (vv 15, 19, 20). The message is clear: When God’s people turn from their sins and return with all their heart and soul to God, obeying his commandments, they will enjoy life as only God can give. When they don’t, they won’t. The choice is theirs.

My junior high P.E, coach would watch the class playing dodgeball. At the end of each game, he’d call out several names, and those boys would step forward. “You boys are removed from the rest of the games,” he’d inform them. “You cheated. Go sit on the bench.”

The boys would often object, “You’re kicking me out of dodgeball?!”

“No, I’m not kicking you out. You’ve removed yourself.” countered Coach. “You made it clear you no longer desire to play when you broke the rules. I’m simply granting your wish.”

Daily Prayer

Lord God, Your ways are good. I have choices and I am baffled at how often I choose something other than You. It never works out. God, thank You for Your Word. May I keep it treasured in my heart, ready in my memory on any occasion, to guide me toward righteousness

Thank You for life, for making me alive again when I was born again by Your Son. May I listen, obey, and follow You, as Your Spirit speaks to me. May I always choose life in You.

Amen

Daily Question

Do you find that breaking the rules makes you more successful or less successful?

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Shades of Gray

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 28-29

Daily Thought

Davy Jones died leap year day, February 29, 2012. When I heard the news, I did what many my age did–listened again to my favorite songs from The Monkees. One of them, “Shades of Gray”:

When the world and I were young, just yesterday,
Life was such a simple game a child could play.
It was easy then to tell right from wrong,
Easy then to tell weak from strong,
When a man should stand and fight, or just go along.

Things were simple and clear when we were young. In Deuteronomy 28, Israel is young, a new nation, pre-teen. The first fourteen verses list the blessings “if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God.” The remaining verses, the curses “if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Black and white, right and wrong, good and evil. 

But today there is no day or night, today there is no dark or light,
Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray. 

50 shades, apparently. As we get older, we begin asking “what if” and “why not.” We begin to color gray, but to God, it is still black and white, because he is forever young. 

I remember when the answers seemed so clear.
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.
It was easy then to tell truth from lies,
Selling out or compromise.

“Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16), said Jesus to a gray church.

Daily Prayer

God, thank You for life itself, and for this instruction book, Your Word, which shows me how to live. Thank You, as well, that I may pray to You for wisdom and You promise to give it to me. Help me never to doubt You. I am so glad Your Holy Spirit lives in me and guides me toward Your truth. I live in a world upside down, and I need You to show me what is what.

Father, I know as I trust You more I will trust You more. I know I repeated myself, but that’s how faith works. The more often I have faith, the stronger my faith gets, and the more willing I will be to walk in faith the next time. Strengthen me, God, as I train my mind by putting Your Word into practice. 

Amen

Daily Question

When have you had trouble determining if something was right or wrong, and what did you do about it?

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A Wandering Aramean

Daily Reading

Deuteronomy 24-27

Daily Thought

The Israelites presented their first fruit offerings with these words, “A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:5-10). This is the story of the Israelites, the story of God’s leading, of their faith and following. The first fruits are a celebration of God’s blessing, and the hardships, toil, and wandering are part of the story and must be remembered.

This is our story as well. Each of us are wanderers, lost until we are found by Christ. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1Corinthians 6:9, 11).

“My father was a wandering Aramean” is our story. It is our first-fruit offering, the celebration of salvation, the reminder that we were wanderers, born of wanderers, “and the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus loved me first.

Daily Prayer

Loving Father, You are my Savior and my Deliverer, my Rock and my Fortress, my Rescuer and my Redeemer. You made a covenant, a promise, a vow with me. You are my God. I, with all who believe in You and place our lives in Yours, all of us, we are Your people. The bride of Christ.

I am created in Your image, fearfully and wonderfully made. The image is clouded by sin, but You are restoring it. God, fill me with Your Spirit so Your glory is evident, so that I resemble Your Son, so that all who see me see a reflection of You.

Amen

Daily Question

What was it like when you first met Jesus?