Category: Devo

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Exodus 2:11-3:22 God Hears our Cries

“Moses named his first son Gershom,” for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” Ex.2:22b NLT

Adopted by the Egyptian daughter of Pharoah, Moses had grown up as a foreigner in a foreign land. Whether it was his skin color or something else about his appearance, it was obvious to Moses all his life that he was different from the Egyptian family and others around him. At the same time, he saw Israelites, people who looked like him, serving his surrogate grandfather, Pharoah, the King of Egypt, as slaves.

What must that have been like? To grow up identifying as an Egyptian, when he was in fact, a Hebrew?

Apparently, it got the better of him after he grew up, because as 2:11-12 relate, when Moses “saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews,” … “Moses killed the Egyptian…”

When Pharoah learned what Moses had done, he wanted to kill him, which is what led Moses to Midian. 2:15

If Moses felt like a foreigner all his life, how much more did he feel like a foreigner in yet another culture? He apparently looked different from the Midianites, as the daughters of the priest of Midian recognized Moses as “an Egyptian.” 2:19

How striking that Moses never really had a home. That he was always a foreigner.

It reminds me of Hebrews 13:14, where the writer says, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” NLT

And Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there the Lord Jesus Christ.” NIV ‘84

In a very real sense, like Moses, we believers are aliens in this world.

It makes the beginning of the one Psalm Moses wrote all the more poignant: “Lord, through all the generations, You have been our home.” Ps. 90:1

Throughout the book of Exodus, Pharoah and Egypt, are portrayed as oppressors and enemies of God’s people. But this reality is not just a historical reality. Slavery in Egypt is also a powerful metaphor for our natural slavery to sin.

In fact, the entire book of Exodus can be read as illuminating the Christian life.

The way the exodus of God’s people from slavery begins in Ex. 2:23-25 is striking. Verse 23 says the Israelites groaned “under their burden of slavery. They cried for help…” Interesting that the text doesn’t say that they cried to God. Just that they groaned and cried.

The beauty and kindness it reveals about God that it didn’t matter whether they were crying to Him or not. The fact they weren’t crying to Him didn’t keep Him from hearing or acting.

How many times do people share testimonies of their misery and how God turned to them and moved them to turn to Him? I’ve heard countless stories like that. And that is my own story too.

As an eighteen-year-old freshman in college, I was convinced something was wrong with me that made me incapable of being loved. Being a child from a broken home left me feeling like I never really had a home. And like so many, I sought to fill the emptiness with so many of the world’s enticements, as if eating those fruits would give me the joy I so longed for. But they only left me starving for more. My desperation grew to the point that I decided to end my life. But God heard my groaning. He heard my cries. And He moved me to turn to Him instead. He gave me hope that He loved me. He became my Home.

How that moves me to pray for my prodigal and so many wandering ones who are seeking to find wholeness in this world. The nature of what they’re doing to find satisfaction doesn’t really matter. It will never satisfy. It will never be enough.

How I pray that God will hear the groaning and cries of my prodigal and all the wandering ones my Father has led me to pray for. That He will hear their groaning. And remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That He will look down on these wandering ones, dearly loved covenant children, and know it is time to act.

Exodus 3:9 begins with the word, “Look!” Since the writers of Scripture didn’t use boldface font or italics or underlining, when they wanted readers to really pay attention to what they were about to say, they would begin with the word, “Look!” or in some translations, “Behold!” In other words, “Pay close attention to what I’m about to say.” Gaze at these words. Think about them. Ponder.

And what is it that God wants Moses to pay attention to? To know? To meditate on?

“The cry of the people of Israel has reached Me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them.” V. 9

Likewise, we can plead that the cries of we and our covenant children have reached God’s ears. That He sees how harshly this world abuses them.

That knowledge moves me to persevere in prayer for my prodigal and others. How thankful I am for the many people who tell me they are praying for him. The Holy Spirit is so kind to move us to pray and to intercede on our behalf.

And so, as the Bible reading plan I’m using also has me in Luke 6:27-36, I gain new insight in what it means to love our enemies. Especially when those enemies—those who hate us—are our own family. God tells us to love them—to do good to them. Because then we “will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.”

As the story of God’s people in Exodus goes forward, we will see just how wicked they were. And in seeing their love of sin, we see our own wickedness. I see my own love of this world. My godly nature hates this world, but my sinful nature loves it.

But God has been kind to me—one who is so often unthankful and wicked. And that moves me to want to show His kindness and mercy to those who are like me.

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Life from Leviticus: Repetition Points to Jesus

Life in Leviticus: Jesus

Life from Leviticus? Can you really see the grandeur of Christ in the third book of the Bible? Repetition in Leviticus points to Jesus by magnifying our sin and the holiness of God.

Starting Leviticus

Today’s One Year Bible reading was Leviticus 1:1-3:17. Before reading, I watched The Bible Project’s overview, which got me SO EXCITED about reading Leviticus!!! As opposed to how I’ve felt in the past…

The first few times I tried to read the Bible–Leviticus totally tripped me up.

With the background from that video in mind and my journal in hand, the Lord showed me Jesus in so many beautiful ways I thought I’d share…

Leviticus starts with the point of ALL the sacrifices and offerings:
v. 3 “So you may be accepted by the Lord.”
v. 4 “the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with Him.”

v. 4 “the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with Him.”

Leviticus 1:4

Wow. Substitutionary atonement. Right there. I remember as a young Christian asking how God saved people before Jesus came. And there you see it.

All the sacrifices in the OT point to Jesus.

Repeated Words and Phrases

So many repeated words and phrases emphasize the magnitude of our sin and the magnitude–the depth of the holiness of God–the grandeur of Christ’s sacrifice. Repetition in Leviticus points to Jesus.

No defects v. 3, 10

Slaughter…in the Lord’s presence vv. 5, 11, 3:2, 7, 13

Splatter the blood on all sides of the altar vv. 5, 11, 3:2, 8, 13

Wash internal organs first vv. 9, 13

Special gift, pleasing aroma to the Lord vv. 9, 13, 17, 2:2, 9, 3:5, 16

Drain its blood v.15

Tear bird open without tearing it apart v. 17

Most holy part of gifts to Aaron & sons (priests) presented to Lord vv. 2:3, 10

No yeast 2v4, 5, 11

Season with salt 2v. 13

Special gift presented to the Lord 2:16, 3:3, 9, 14

Peace offering vv.3:1, 3, 9

Internal organs removed vv.3:4, 10, 14

Male or female 3:1, 6

Special gift of food presented to the Lord 3 v. 16

Thank You, Holy Spirit, for leading me to pay attention and write down repeated words and phrases and how You use that to help me see Jesus.

Seeing Jesus in the Repetition

To think, Jesus, of how You had NO DEFECT.

How You were slaughtered in the Lord’s presence.

You had NO need for Your internal organs to be washed, for You are HOLY, without blemish.

You, and You alone, are TRULY a SPECIAL GIFT–Your SACRIFICE–above any other, was a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Your blood drained.

First, with the 39 lashes–as Your internal organs from Your back were ripped out. Just as the animals kidneys and organs were ripped out.

Your blood drained. Just as the priests drained the animals’ blood.

There was NO sin–as yeast points to sin.

And I think of the Passover and also of the Lord’s Supper.

Yet, You did not allow yeast, which spreads so rapidly, like sin.

How much better bread tastes with yeast. And yet I look at the ill-effects of eating too much. And all the issues today so many have with gluten.

I’m reminded that sin is fun–pleasurable for a season. And yet it leads to death.

You had NO sin.

When You presented the Lord’s Supper, You said, “Take and eat. This is My Body.”

Does the grain offering somehow point to Your Body?

You required salt.

What does salt do?

It’s a preservative and it flavors.

You have called us the salt of the earth–to preserve and flavor–for You–as ambassadors.

The priests could offer birds and tear them open–but not tear them apart.

Just as Your Body was torn, but not torn apart. No bone was broken.

Lord God, blessed Trinity, thank You for this beautiful way You have pointed to Jesus in these verses in Leviticus.

 

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SOAP Yourself In the Bible

“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11

When the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, grocery shelves became bare and even staples like milk, bread, and toilet tissue were sometimes hard to find. Most of us in the United States understood for the first time the experiential fear of the word famine.

But can you imagine a famine of the Word of God? 

It’s hard to envision not being able to access God’s Word when I look around at the hard copies of several translations at my fingertips. And that doesn’t include the access I have to online versions and Bible apps. 

God has blessed our church with faithful preaching of His Word Sunday after Sunday, not to mention Sunday school classes and Bible studies. Plus, in the United States, we have a plethora of Bible resources available online. But as the economy has taken its toll this year, forcing many churches and ministries to shut their doors, it’s not as hard to imagine that we could experience in our own land the famine of the Word that is experienced around the world. 

Additionally, as a speaker reminded me years ago commenting on this verse, sometimes people don’t starve because of lack of food, but lack of appetite. Loss of appetite is a symptom that a person is not well. When I’m not hungry for God’s Word, I need His help. His grace enables us echo Jeremiah’s words:

When I discovered Your Words, I devoured them. They became to me my joy and my heart’s delight for I bear Your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Jeremiah 15:16 NLT

2020 has been a year not just of a global pandemic, but of national unrest as we have seen our country more and more divided. If you’ve seen either of the American Gospel documentaries, you know that our country is filled with people who call themselves Christians while denying the Gospel of salvation through Christ alone and Christ crucified.

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3 ESV

So often we are faced with questions, wishing we knew what to do. If only we had God’s wisdom for a given situation. If we could just hear His voice and know for sure it was Him.

As pastor Alistair Begg said, “The Bible is so helpful if we just read it.”

When we read God’s Word, God Himself is speaking to us.

Listen to what God says about His Word and wisdom.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man (or woman!) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

“For no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach. But he must ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sewn in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18 

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sewer and bread for the eater, so is My Word that proceeds from my mouth. It will not return to me empty bit will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

“Does not My Word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29

“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11

“The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God lasts forever.” Isaiah 40:8

And that is just a sampling of what God says about His Word and wisdom. 

God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 “Man’s heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” 

Hal Farnsworth often asks, “If you were deceived, would you know it?” Isn’t it the very nature of deception that we don’t realize it? We are so convinced we know what’s true.

In a day where so many truth claims conflict, how desperately we need a plumb line—a reference point to test things we hear.

How we need to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5.

What better time than now to read His Word and meditate on it daily?

SOAP Yourself in the One Year Bible for Women

“The Bible is so helpful if we just read it, you know.” Alistair Begg

SOAP is an acronym that stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.

Scripture.

If you’ve always wanted to read through the Bible, maybe this is the year to do that. If that feels like too much, you can choose to just read the Psalms and Proverbs, or just the New Testament, just the Old Testament. What you choose to read is entirely up to you! 

Each day as you read, begin by asking God to speak to you. The Bible is filled with prayers you can use like, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your Word,” from Psalm 119:18.

As you read, ask Him to lead you to the Scripture He wants you to meditate on more deeply, then write it down. Writing the verse or passage down will engage your mind and help you to process it at a deeper level.

Observation

Write down some of your observations. What does this Scripture teach you about God or yourself? How does it point you to Christ? Where is the grace in the passage? Think about the author, the audience, the kind of literature, the context. Look for repeated words and themes. Can you think of other places in the Bible where the same ideas are repeated? A good rule of thumb is to use Scripture to interpret Scripture.

Application

How can you personally apply what you’ve learned? How does the Gospel help you apply it and not be defeated?

Prayer

Turn these thoughts into prayer. Ask the Lord to show you how you can apply what you’re seeing.

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OYB Reflections, 5-5-20, Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22

NOTE: I began journaling as a little girl, so when I became a Christian, it was a natural step to journal my prayers and reflections from reading God’s Word. I don’t know if anyone else spends time in God’s Word like this? But it’s been so helpful to me. Years ago a friend suggested I could blog, and I’ve never stuck with it for long, but as I spent this time this morning, I wondered if what God was showing me might be helpful for others?

Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22

In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him.

Ruth 1:1, NLT

Thank You, Lord, as I am reading the OT this AM, that I have such greater understanding than ever before. We are NOT in a famine. But this is the closest I’ve ever experienced.

A famine of toilet paper. Not knowing if we’ll be able to get more. And many times I have not been able to purchase foods that before this pandemic hit, I would have taken for granted as always being there. Lord, forgive my lack of gratitude. And thank You, for ALL Your provision.

So, now, when I read that this was a time the judges ruled, as I just read in Judges 21:25 “when everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” that there was this famine. And what lengths would I go to provide for my family if I were afraid they would starve?

There had been another time in Your Word when Your people left the Promised Land because of famine. When Jacob brought ALL his family to Egypt–when You providentially called his son Joseph to be prime minister. But this was not like that. This was NOT Your telling them to go. This was not them asking You if they should go. This was them being desperate and doing what was right in their own eyes.

But, this man was from Bethlehem in Judah!

Had there been prophecies about Judah and the Messiah coming from Judah? Seems like maybe Jacob, when he blessed his sons, may have said something that hinted at that?

Genesis 49:8-12

I confess that I don’t understand fully what this blessing means. But certainly, v. 10, when it says, “the scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,” it sounds like a RULER will come for Israel from Judah, and then it says “until the coming of the One to whom it belongs.” What belongs? The ruler’s staff.

So, yes, this definitely sounds like this blessing is a prophecy that THE RULER of Israel will come from Judah. And then it says, “The ONE whom ALL nations will honor.” And the next verses drip with symbolism: “He washes his clothes in wine, His robes in the blood of grapes.” So, huge clues to pay attention to as we read Ruth 1:1.

How fascinating and beautiful and mysterious are Your ways, O Lord! If we were writing the story, would we have ever imagined writing it like this? And the really amazing this is that You had told Your people NOT to intermarry with the surrounding nations. And yet, as Elimelech makes his free choice, we see how You use our choices to bring about Your plans.

The Moabites weren’t exactly foreigners. But they weren’t part of the nation of Israel either. They descended from Abraham’s nephew, Lot and his incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter. Makes me want to vomit to even think about it. You had forbidden this.

And yet.

You show how You are able to take something immoral, something sexually reprehensible and use it for good and bring something beautiful out of it. Even the Messiah. WOW. Among these people, Elimelech finds a wife for his sons. Ruth. The grandmother of King David.

Apart from this action, there would be no Jesus!

And the precious LIGHT in v. 6!!! First, that Naomi heard this news in Moab. How did she hear the news? The text doesn’t say, but I would imagine a traveler. And then, the way You put it–not just “things are better or have turned around,” but rather “the Lord has blessed His people in Judah by giving them good crops again.”

The irony is so thick in v. 13 as Naomi says “Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord has raised His fist against me.”

How often, Lord, have we felt just that–that You have raised Your fist against us?

How many people today feel that You have raised Your fist against them? Yet all the while, You are doing a deeper magic. You are working in a way that she would not have believed if You had told her. And You are doing that now. Oh would You give grace to Your people to see Your hand in their lives –that they would turn to You? And see Your hand in their provision.

Oh Lord, thank You, that in Your Providence, for the way the OYB is laid out, that I’m reading John 4 the same day at the same time as I start reading Ruth. Because here, Jesus, You–God in human flesh–do the EXACT SAME THING we see in Ruth.

In Ruth, You use means to work it out so that this “foreign” woman–not of the people of Israel–would be brought in.

And here, Lord Jesus, You, God incarnate, DO the SAME thing with the Samaritan woman.

I remember a preacher commenting that the Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans in those days AND that the reason she would have been there at noon, in the heat of the day–was to avoid people–because of her tarnished reputation–having had five husbands and now living with a man who was not her husband.

Again, more sexual immorality.

And what is happening between them is thick with symbolism as You, the Water of Life, ask her for a drink of water.

And the sweetness of Your words to her…”If you only knew the gift God has for you, you would ask Me and I would give you living water.”

If she only knew the gift God had for her…she would ask.

Oh Lord, that is my prayer for friends and family who thirst–that You would show them that You are the Gift–that they can come to You and thirst no more.

I love how You tell her that the water You offer “becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them.” And it is at this point, the scales fall from her eyes. At this point, realization sweeps over her–now she sees and knows the GIFT–that You are the GIFT.

And she says, “Please give me this water.”

But unlike so many evangelists today in a rush for numbers, you make sure she understands what it means to come to You have her thirst quenched.

Does she really WANT this water? Does she really want to satisfy her thirst in You, Lord Jesus? Or does she want to just taste it and keep also trying to drink from the water that is likely gravel in her mouth? From the fleeting-momentary sweetness of sin?

You tell her to go get her husband–exposing her immorality. But more than that, exposing how she has sought to satisfy her thirst for You with water that leaves her thirsting for more–with one man after another.

But they are never enough.

And how often is that same story repeated today, Lord? For so many? Not just women. And not just relationships. All around people dying of thirst, trying to quench it with ANYTHING but Living Water. Oh Lord, would You use even this pandemic to open their eyes to see? To come to You and thirst no more?

Lord, like this woman, we live in a day where there are worshipers all around. Very few people would say they don’t believe in some sort of deity. And like this woman, they have questions about worship. Some follow this religion, others that, and increasingly what was said in the time of the Judges could be said of people today: “Everyone does what is right in his own eyes.” “There is no king.” They are governed by self.

But as You said to this woman, so You still say, “The time is coming and now is when true true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth.”

Thank You, Father, that You are looking for those who will worship You that way. That You are Spirit. And we must worship You in spirit and truth. Please give us grace to do just that.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You always worshiped in Spirit and Truth and that Your righteousness not only covers us, but that You indwell us through Your Holy Spirit, enabling us to worship You in Spirit and Truth too. What joy! What sweetness!

You plainly told this woman, “I am the Messiah.”

Oh Lord, would You just as clearly reveal Yourself to people today? That they would turn to You like this woman? And move us, as Your people to respond as this woman, to tell others.

Thank You so much for v. 39–that many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because of this woman’s testimony. And how they told her in v. 42, “we now believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves.”

O Lord, would You help us as Your people to be like this woman so that more and more people would want to hear You for themselves?

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TAWG: Time Alone With God

Can you imagine being married and never seeing or talking to your husband? Would you wonder if he thinks about you? If he loves you? If your friend never talks to you, what kind of a friend is she?

Just as your relationship with your spouse or close friend will grow more intimate as you spend time talking and listening to each other, so will your relationship with God. And just as your relationship with your spouse or close friend will suffer from neglect, so will your relationship with God.

The most important thing you can do is plan a set time you will spend time with Him each day. Be realistic. Don’t start with too much and set yourself up for failure.

Don’t beat yourself up when you miss.

Satan is the accuser. That voice telling you if you were really a Christian or really loved God, spending time with God wouldn’t be such a chore, or reading the Bible wouldn’t be so hard or dry or dull, or prayer wouldn’t be such a burden is the voice of your and the Lover of your soul’s greatest enemy.

If you have trusted in what Christ has done for you, God already sees you as perfect, so spending time with Him doesn’t make you look any better to Him. And when you miss, He doesn’t see you as damaged goods. Confess your sins and Jesus righteousness as part of your time with Him.

Some people find that getting up fifteen minutes or a half hour earlier works best. Others have their TAWG time while they eat lunch. Some like to spend time with Him before they go to bed. Some have said they treat their TAWG like medicine they have to take and commit each day that they will not go to sleep without spending at least some time both in His Word and in Prayer.

Whatever works for you, the important thing is having a plan.

Prayer

You can pray any time, anywhere. No one around you even has to know. God knows your thoughts before you think them, and the Holy Spirit knows your heart and intercedes with groans too deep for words. (Check out Psalm 139 and Romans 8:24)

People debate prayer in public school. It can’t be stopped. It happens all the time without anyone knowing. As someone has said, as long as there are tests, there will be prayer. I think as long as there are friends and guys and girls, there will be prayer, too.

When Jesus walked on the earth, He often slipped away to spend time in private prayer. If He, though God in the flesh, needed to pray, and understood that God uses prayer to accomplish His purposes, certainly He has set the example for us.

“It is sometimes forgotten that if the devil can tempt us to do evil, he can also tempt us not to do good. He can glamorize sin, but he can also paint an ugly picture in our minds of any work which is the will of God, including prayer.

“Quietly and undetectably, he can embitter the image of prayer in our minds until we unconsciously go out of our way to avoid it.

“The reason for this persistence on his part is obvious…:’Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.’

“As Paul says, ‘The weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.’ 2 Cor 10:4

“The enemy of our souls is painfully aware of the destructive force of even our dullest and weakest prayers and will go to any length to block them.” Richard Lovelace

Regardless of your political views or who happens to be President of the United States at the time you’re reading this post, if you got a call from the president offering to do something for you— that he just wanted you to know that he was available for you, number one, if you’re like most people, you’d probably be very shocked and dumbfounded that THE PRESIDENT would stoop down to allow you that kind of privilege. You certainly wouldn’t put him off or make excuses or tell him I was sleepy…

The president is but dust. To dust he will return. God made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. He made the president and gives to all men and women life and breath and all things.

And while in the OT only the great high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, God has now granted access to all who will come through Christ, our Great High Priest. He has made those of us who have trusted in Christ His priests, and our prayers are as incense before Him.

We have a privilege and a duty to pray—

Oh Holy Spirit, help us to pray. Help all of Your people to pray. Pour out a spirit of prayer among us, that we would look to You and not to ourselves as the One who works in the hearts and minds of people, who can change things, including us. Revive our hearts, please.

His Word

Wouldn’t it be great if you could hear God speak to you, and you knew for sure that it was Him?

Psalm 19:1 says The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands. The next five verses of the psalm describe how creation tells us how great God is.

Beginning with verse 7 of Psalm 19, the psalmist switches gears, and begins talking about God’s Word, using various synonyms like law of the Lord, statutes of the Lord, precepts of the Lord, commands of the Lord, and ordinancesof the Lord.

The psalmist says that God’s Word revives the soul, makes the simple wise, gives joy to the heart, light to the eyes, and endures forever.

2 Timothy 3:16 says All Scripture is God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness.

When we read God’s Word, God Himself is speaking to us. 

The problem is that left to ourselves, we can’t understand. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

So, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand. As Psalm 119:18 says, Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.

Private worship and devotion is not necessarily the same as Bible study. It is possible to study the Bible as information, as literature, as history.  Prayerful reading engages not only our minds, but our hearts and souls as well.

Recognizing the Bible is a Book like no other, ask the Holy Spirit to open our [my] eyes that we  [I] might receive wonderful things from His Word. Psalm 119:37

Pray as you read, thanking God for what you are learning about Him, asking Him questions about things you don’t understand, confessing your sin and weaknesses as His Word shines a light on His holiness and your sinfulness, because it is a two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of both joints and marrow, of soul and spirit, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

And thank Him for Christ and how you see Him fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. Luke 24:27

Bible Reading Plans

Some people read through the entire Bible in a year, others read slowly through one book at a time.

The critical thing is THAT you have a plan, not WHICH plan you pick.

The Bible is made up of 66 books that are contained in the Old and New Testaments. One of the most fascinating aspects about this remarkable book is that it was written over a period of 1500 years by about forty different men; yet it is completely consistent and tells one main story: the story of God rescuing a people for Himself.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. Because God’s Word’s is inerrant (without error or fault) in the original languages, some denominations require all its pastors to have studied both Greek and Hebrew as part of their ministry preparation. Does yours?

One of the best things you can do to grow in your relationship with God is to give Him the opportunity to speak to you through His Word. It’s important to have a plan to help you follow through.

Even if you are not sure what you believe about Him, exposing yourself to His Word will give you the opportunity to see the ring of truth for yourself.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. One of the things that gives the Bible such a feel for truth is the real struggles and doubts of the people that we read page after page after page.

What about different interpretations? 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Spirit spoke from God.

A basic rule of thumb is use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Therefore, if you are reading a verse and think it means something that seems to contradict the rest of Scripture, you can be sure that somehow you’re missing something, and there is need for more study. It may have to do with the context of the verse or the original language or something else. That’s why Bible tools are so helpful.

Wrapping UP

Bottom line, Time Alone With God, the One who made you, is too important to skip. Enjoy Him. Enjoy your time with Him. Remember KISS–Keep it Simple, Sweetie!

  1. Talk to Him through prayer.
  2. Hear Him talk to you through His Word.

TAWG doesn’t make Him love you more. But it does help you remember how great His love is for you.

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A New Addiction: You Oughtta’ Try This!

ScriptureTyper

 by renidbumpas@gmail.com

A New Addiction…You Oughta Try This!

DISCLAIMER: I do not stand to profit materially or financially from your becoming hooked on the addiction I’m pushin’. You and I and many others may gain significantly in other ways, however.

I have a problem with addiction. Spider Solitaire. Sudoku. 2048. Mrs. PacMan. Free Cell. Space Invaders. Centipede. I could name a few more…

I hope that acknowledgement doesn’t sound like I’m making light of people who struggle with substance abuse and other destructive addictions.

Confessions of a Shopaholic got so many things right about addiction. When the main character said she shopped and it made her feel better, I got it. Not because I’m a shopaholic. But because I tend to look for diversions—ways to get my mind off all the things that so easily bog me down.

So, my tendency as long as I can remember is to start playing a game, only to find myself really struggling with self-control. It all starts with feeling a little stressed. Or maybe a lot. When I was younger, I would do word search puzzles. Now I almost always have a screen in front of me.

When I won my first Free Cell game, I got so excited, I had to play again. When I then realized they were always winnable, I loved the challenge of seeing how long of a winning streak I could gain. But then if I lost, it was such a bummer, I had to play again until I won. And I would write down the number of the game so that I could beat that game. Minutes could easily turn into hours as I literally KILLED time.

As I began having more grey hair and realizing my time on earth was limited, I began thinking of what it meant to kill time. And I realized the time I was killing was mine—the precious limited minutes of my life.

If I knew I only had one day left to live, would I really want to spend it playing a computer game?

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with playing games. And they are a great diversion. A way to unlax. (My husband coined that term because relax implies you’ve done it before.) If you can enjoy them in moderation. So I tried to moderate myself. Time limits. Game limits. Goals.

Eventually, I would just have to go cold turkey and press delete or drag the game to the Recycle Bin. It is a liberty I cannot allow myself. I have to flee temptation.

But, I wanted a way to pass the time when riding in the car or when I needed a diversion. As I prayed and gave up Sudoku, Spider solitaire, and 2048, God provided me with a productive—even transformative addiction. An addiction that has proven a blessing personally and that God has used to help me encourage others.

Way back when I first became a Christian, I would come across a verse as I read the Bible or heard someone preach that God would use to speak to me, and I would write it down in my journal or on a notecard to help me remember it.

I discovered early on that memorizing wasn’t so much the challenge. Keeping verses memorized was.

And over the years, an ongoing conversation frustration has been to be able to recall the idea or part of a verse, but not the whole thing or the reference. Especially when I know that God’s Word is authoritative.

I cringe at sounding like a commercial. Instead, think of me as a pusher. A ScriptureTyper app pusher.

If you get addicted to The Scripture Typer app, you won’t need to play any other computer games. You can get the Pro version for about 10 bucks, which allows you to import whichever version of the Bible you want. Or, if you’re like me, and you’ve memorized verses over the years in KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, NLT, and NIV84, you can import a combination of texts.

If you’ve memorized a psalm or a whole group of verses, you can import them individually or as a group for review, or both.

If you want to memorize new verses, you can record yourself saying them and then listen at your convenience. Great for riding in a car or long walks or even while shopping.

When you’re ready to start typing, you can begin by typing on top of the words, and then progress to filling in blanks for missing words, and then type the whole verse. Plus, it only makes you type the first letter of each word, so that makes it fun and saves time.

To review the verses, you can use flash cards or earn points by typing the first letter of each word.

If you have a competitive nature, the ScriptureTyper ranking and points system can motivate you to review your verses often. The more you memorize and review, the more points you earn, and you get to see yourself moving up the ranks.

It can easily become a pride thing, though, so if you’re like me, you’ll want to come up with a fun way to disguise yourself.

The best part is not the “game,” aspect, as fun and motivational as that is. The greatest and most rewarding part part is how when I’m talking to the Lord or anyone else, my mind is so saturated with His Word, that it’s just there. By exposing myself to it as regularly as I would a game, I find that my thinking is constantly being transformed. And I feel good, not guilty about how I’ve used my time.

I pray that the Spirit would help me to be a doer of His Word, and not a hearer, or memorizer only, deluding myself.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, for the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Ephesians 5:15-17

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Family Worship

Perhaps the most critical thing a family can do together is worship God together. In family worship, we direct our thoughts and praises to God, remembering that He not only created each member of our family, but made us a family, and He wants us to make our home a foretaste of heaven, where we will spend eternity with Him.

Making family worship a daily habit is also a great way to teach small children how to worship when they gather with a church on the Lord’s Day. Teach and expect children to sit still and participate just as you would in church.

Remember, God delights in our worship and enjoyment of Him. Good family worship is simple, joyful, brief and God-centered. Include the following:

Praise

Sing a hymn or two (preferably one that is sung with your church so your children will become familiar with them even before they can read, and you can take time to help them understand the words)

The Bible

Read a passage of Scripture and ask what it teaches about God, not a lot of comment other than to get the gist of what we are to remember about God and our salvation

Prayer

Prayer (ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication/Intercession) — alternate between who prays or having one or more pray depending on the time–be flexible

The 5 B’s

One of the most important things to remember with small children is the 5 Bs: Be Brief, Baby, Be Brief!

Timing

A good time is right before bedtime–helps everyone get settled down and fun to snuggle together as you worship.

Resources

You and your family might also find these tools helpful: