Day 24: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
2 Sam. 22:19-1 Kings 7:37
A thought or two:
I love reading the list of David’s mighty men in chapter 23. These were some incredible men! They did some awesome stuff in corporate battles as well as on their own. They loved David and were extremely faithful to him. They were the kind of men that would risk life and limb to get David a drink of water out of a specific well. No wonder David was so successful!
I have to ask myself how did David develop such a team? Why were these men in David’s court and not Saul’s or another leader? Maybe it was because David was that kind of man himself. Maybe it was because no matter how Saul treated David, David still honored him and served him faithfully. David was willing to risk his neck for Saul and now David has a team of men that serve him faithfully.
You attract who you are. David was faithful and daring, so faithful and daring men were attracted to his leadership. If you look around you and your closest friends are dysfunctional and unfaithful people, ask yourself, “Am I dysfunctional and unfaithful?” If you want to up the quality of people you attract, become the kind of person that you want around you and soon you will have faithful and daring partners that will stand by your side through thick and thin!
Tomorrow’s reading:
1 King 7:38-16:20
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Day 23: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
2 Sam. 12:11-22:18
A thought or two:
In Chapter 22 we read an awesome praise song by King David. He goes on and on about how God has saved him and rescued him and really how good God is. The interesting thing about this passage is that it is in the context of Chapter 21. In that chapter there is a story where four of David’s men fought for David and one of them even rescued David’s life.
Did God save David or did David’s men save David? Chapter 21 says it was David’s men, but in chapter 22 David gave God all of the credit. So which one was it? Both, but it was primarily God. God placed faithful men in David’s life that saw the value of saving David’s life. Where did that value come from? God placed that value on David’s life and discerning men saw that value. Not everyone saw that value. Sometimes David didn’t even see that value in himself. Many times people tried to kill David, they obviously didn’t see what God had placed in him (or they did see it and they didn’t like it).
God places discerning people in our lives to see the value of what God is doing in you. Those people are there to encourage and sometimes even guide and protect you. There will be many people in your life that don’t see the value God has placed on your life. You might not even see your own value. You may currently have no one in your life that sees God’s value in your life, you need to find one! If you have someone who does see that value in your life, realize that is God aiding you through that person! Appreciate those people, but give God the praise and glory for His hand that is mighty in your life to save and rescue you!
Tomorrow’s reading:
2 Sam. 22:19-1 Kings 7:37
2 Sam. 12:11-22:18
A thought or two:
In Chapter 22 we read an awesome praise song by King David. He goes on and on about how God has saved him and rescued him and really how good God is. The interesting thing about this passage is that it is in the context of Chapter 21. In that chapter there is a story where four of David’s men fought for David and one of them even rescued David’s life.
Did God save David or did David’s men save David? Chapter 21 says it was David’s men, but in chapter 22 David gave God all of the credit. So which one was it? Both, but it was primarily God. God placed faithful men in David’s life that saw the value of saving David’s life. Where did that value come from? God placed that value on David’s life and discerning men saw that value. Not everyone saw that value. Sometimes David didn’t even see that value in himself. Many times people tried to kill David, they obviously didn’t see what God had placed in him (or they did see it and they didn’t like it).
God places discerning people in our lives to see the value of what God is doing in you. Those people are there to encourage and sometimes even guide and protect you. There will be many people in your life that don’t see the value God has placed on your life. You might not even see your own value. You may currently have no one in your life that sees God’s value in your life, you need to find one! If you have someone who does see that value in your life, realize that is God aiding you through that person! Appreciate those people, but give God the praise and glory for His hand that is mighty in your life to save and rescue you!
Tomorrow’s reading:
2 Sam. 22:19-1 Kings 7:37
Monday, March 22, 2010
Day 21: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Day 21: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
1 Sam. 16:1-28:19
A thought or two:
I have always been very intrigued by story of David in the cave of Adullam. In this story we see David fleeing for his life, hiding in a cave and out of nowhere these people are gathering around him saying, “Be our leaders”. These people were described as being, “distressed or in debt or discontented”. These weren’t Israel’s best and brightest and not your spiritually mature. They were the losers of their society, most were emotionally and financially immature. They were discontent with Saul’s government and wanted something different. They came to David saying “take care of me,,, it is time someone else thinks for me”
They sound like the kind of people that collapse when things are not going their way, the kind of people that have a hard time holding on to God when things go wrong. The good news is that under the leadership of David they became known as his mighty men and changed to course of the destiny of a nation and ultimately the world.
I believe that with proper direction people that are discontented with the status quo can become world changers. My prayer is that you either become an authentic leader or attach yourself to an authentic leader who has a vision for challenging the status quo. By no means am I suggesting a rebellious attitude. If you look at the life of David he still held Saul in great respect and honored him as the anointed of the Lord. All I am suggesting is allow God to impart a holy discontentment into your heart!
Tomorrow’s reading:
1 Sam. 28:20- 2 Sam. 12:10
Today’s reading:
1 Sam. 16:1-28:19
A thought or two:
I have always been very intrigued by story of David in the cave of Adullam. In this story we see David fleeing for his life, hiding in a cave and out of nowhere these people are gathering around him saying, “Be our leaders”. These people were described as being, “distressed or in debt or discontented”. These weren’t Israel’s best and brightest and not your spiritually mature. They were the losers of their society, most were emotionally and financially immature. They were discontent with Saul’s government and wanted something different. They came to David saying “take care of me,,, it is time someone else thinks for me”
They sound like the kind of people that collapse when things are not going their way, the kind of people that have a hard time holding on to God when things go wrong. The good news is that under the leadership of David they became known as his mighty men and changed to course of the destiny of a nation and ultimately the world.
I believe that with proper direction people that are discontented with the status quo can become world changers. My prayer is that you either become an authentic leader or attach yourself to an authentic leader who has a vision for challenging the status quo. By no means am I suggesting a rebellious attitude. If you look at the life of David he still held Saul in great respect and honored him as the anointed of the Lord. All I am suggesting is allow God to impart a holy discontentment into your heart!
Tomorrow’s reading:
1 Sam. 28:20- 2 Sam. 12:10
Friday, March 19, 2010
Day 18: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
Judges 3:28-15:12
A thought or two:
In the book of Judges there is a repetitive theme that goes something like this: God’s people live in peace and prosperity, then they become apathetic and apathy leads to idol worship, idol worship leads to God judging Israel by use of the other nations suppressing them, Israel would cry out and repent to God, God sends a judge to deliver His people, the people move into a time of peace and prosperity and the cycle begins over again.
This cycle teaches me a lot about God’s faithfulness and mercy. God continually forgave Israel and would bless them again once they would admit their wrongs. Even when God was allowing invading forces to judge Israel this was a sign that God faithfully loved them by correcting their bad behavior.
God loves you just the way you are, but entirely too much to leave you that same! Be open to God’s conviction as well as His grace as He interrupts the sin cycles in your life, because ultimately the purpose of Him convicting you of your sins is so that He can forgive you and change you to become more and more like Him.
Tomorrow’s reading:
Judges 15:13-1 Sam. 2:29
Judges 3:28-15:12
A thought or two:
In the book of Judges there is a repetitive theme that goes something like this: God’s people live in peace and prosperity, then they become apathetic and apathy leads to idol worship, idol worship leads to God judging Israel by use of the other nations suppressing them, Israel would cry out and repent to God, God sends a judge to deliver His people, the people move into a time of peace and prosperity and the cycle begins over again.
This cycle teaches me a lot about God’s faithfulness and mercy. God continually forgave Israel and would bless them again once they would admit their wrongs. Even when God was allowing invading forces to judge Israel this was a sign that God faithfully loved them by correcting their bad behavior.
God loves you just the way you are, but entirely too much to leave you that same! Be open to God’s conviction as well as His grace as He interrupts the sin cycles in your life, because ultimately the purpose of Him convicting you of your sins is so that He can forgive you and change you to become more and more like Him.
Tomorrow’s reading:
Judges 15:13-1 Sam. 2:29
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Day 17: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Day 17: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
Joshua 15:1-Judges 3:27
A thought or two:
In Chapter 14 we see Caleb remind everyone that God made him a promise of some land and he intended to receive what God promised. 45 years previous to this passage God promised Caleb that, while he was exploring the land of Canaan, wherever he put his feet that property would become his. The land he put his feet on was an area known as Hebron. Caleb knew that there were still Anakite (giants) villages in the land he wanted to posses, but that did not sway his determination because he knew God would help him drive them out. Caleb stood on that promise, drives out the Anakites, and lives in Hebron the rest of his days in the center of what God promised.
Maybe God has promised something to you and you haven’t seen the promise come to fruition. Believe for it, fight for it and wait for it! It might be a timing issue or it might be a “how bad do you want it” issue, but whatever it is, be faithful to the vision and God will bring it about.
Tomorrow’s reading:
Judges 3:28-15:12
Today’s reading:
Joshua 15:1-Judges 3:27
A thought or two:
In Chapter 14 we see Caleb remind everyone that God made him a promise of some land and he intended to receive what God promised. 45 years previous to this passage God promised Caleb that, while he was exploring the land of Canaan, wherever he put his feet that property would become his. The land he put his feet on was an area known as Hebron. Caleb knew that there were still Anakite (giants) villages in the land he wanted to posses, but that did not sway his determination because he knew God would help him drive them out. Caleb stood on that promise, drives out the Anakites, and lives in Hebron the rest of his days in the center of what God promised.
Maybe God has promised something to you and you haven’t seen the promise come to fruition. Believe for it, fight for it and wait for it! It might be a timing issue or it might be a “how bad do you want it” issue, but whatever it is, be faithful to the vision and God will bring it about.
Tomorrow’s reading:
Judges 3:28-15:12
Day 16: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Day 16: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
Joshua 1:1- 14:15
A thought or two:
I chapter 9 we see Israel fall for a trick that put them in a situation where they made a treaty with someone they were not supposed to. In essence they made an alliance with the Gibeonites and that alliance was a sin against the command God gave them not to make alliances with people from the land, but because Israel believed they were not of the land Canaan they believed they were okay to make the alliance.
In verse 14 it says, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord”. The fact that this passage is included tells me that if they had inquired of the Lord, He would have offered them guidance. They may have had good intentions of making peace with someone they thought they did not have to fight, but it was all a deception.
How many times to we take decisions into our own hands without seeking the Lord. Even when our decisions are made with good intentions, sometimes they can be faulty decisions because we don’t see as far down the road as God does! Seek his will in all matters.
Tomorrow’s reading:
Joshua 15:1-Judges 3:27
Today’s reading:
Joshua 1:1- 14:15
A thought or two:
I chapter 9 we see Israel fall for a trick that put them in a situation where they made a treaty with someone they were not supposed to. In essence they made an alliance with the Gibeonites and that alliance was a sin against the command God gave them not to make alliances with people from the land, but because Israel believed they were not of the land Canaan they believed they were okay to make the alliance.
In verse 14 it says, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord”. The fact that this passage is included tells me that if they had inquired of the Lord, He would have offered them guidance. They may have had good intentions of making peace with someone they thought they did not have to fight, but it was all a deception.
How many times to we take decisions into our own hands without seeking the Lord. Even when our decisions are made with good intentions, sometimes they can be faulty decisions because we don’t see as far down the road as God does! Seek his will in all matters.
Tomorrow’s reading:
Joshua 15:1-Judges 3:27
Monday, March 15, 2010
Day 14: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Day 14: 90-Day Bible Challenge
Today’s reading:
Duet. 8:1-23:11
A thought or two:
In chapter 8 God tells Israel to be careful to follow His commands so that they might live in His blessing. From there He continues to remind Israel where they came from and all that He has done for them. How he led them, fed them, provided for them, disciplined them, and brought them into a great land.
You know, sometimes it is good just to sit back and think about all that God has done in your life. How He saved you from a life of sin. How he has healed you. How He has spoken to you. How He has provided for you. Remembering where you came from can be a very healthy thing if you can look back at your past and say, “Wow, God has brought me a long way”. Don’t beat yourself up over your past, but rejoice that your past is your past and you have created together with God a rich history of knowing His grace in your life.
It is a whole lot easier to follow God out of a proper understanding of who He is and how He relates to your life. A proper attitude towards God is an attitude of thankfulness.
Titus 1:1 “…the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”
Tomorrow’s reading:
Duet. 23:12-34:12
Today’s reading:
Duet. 8:1-23:11
A thought or two:
In chapter 8 God tells Israel to be careful to follow His commands so that they might live in His blessing. From there He continues to remind Israel where they came from and all that He has done for them. How he led them, fed them, provided for them, disciplined them, and brought them into a great land.
You know, sometimes it is good just to sit back and think about all that God has done in your life. How He saved you from a life of sin. How he has healed you. How He has spoken to you. How He has provided for you. Remembering where you came from can be a very healthy thing if you can look back at your past and say, “Wow, God has brought me a long way”. Don’t beat yourself up over your past, but rejoice that your past is your past and you have created together with God a rich history of knowing His grace in your life.
It is a whole lot easier to follow God out of a proper understanding of who He is and how He relates to your life. A proper attitude towards God is an attitude of thankfulness.
Titus 1:1 “…the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”
Tomorrow’s reading:
Duet. 23:12-34:12
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