Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy of Our Sincere Repentance (11/21/24)

A couple years ago we started daily adding in repentance in our evening family prayer time. It was uncomfortable for a while. Actually, it can still be uncomfortable to verbally acknowledge sin before God and my family, especially if one of my sins that day was against a family member! Repenting each night has helped us all realize that we sin every single day, and usually multiple times a day! We try to be specific and not just general. Jesus knows all about our sin already. It’s to our own benefit to acknowledge it, desire to turn from it and accept the Holy Spirit’s help to replace it with godly thoughts and actions.

Jesus saw all that the Thyatira church had done. He saw those that were faithful and those living in habitual and destructive sin.

Revelation 2:18-23   ¹⁸ “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ¹⁹ I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

²⁰ Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²² So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Jesus gives us opportunity to repent, just as He gave those in Thyatira time to repent. He lovingly warned them of the specific consequences if certain individuals refused to repent. His judgment is always perfect and timely.  

Jesus is Omniscient (all-knowing) as he searches our hearts and minds. What sin does He already know about that you and I need to repent and turn from? He desires our sincere repentance and offers His help to replace it with something far more satisfying and rewarding!

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – The Light of the World (12/7/23)

What does “Jesus is the Light of the World” really mean??? We throw around the fact that Jesus is the Light of the World, especially around Christmas time. It is often on many Christmas cards. I was even thinking about putting it on mine this year, since we just studied it in context of all of John 8 this week in Bible study.

John 8:12-18      ¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

¹³ The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. ¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Jesus had previously declared that He is the bread of life (John 6), which means He is the only one that can provide true sustenance, satisfaction, contentment and joy for this life and for all eternity! In John 8, Jesus reveals He’s the Light of the World. He’s the only one who offers absolute truth about God, life, sin and eternity. He’s the only one who is God, sent by God. Only He can judge sin perfectly and provide direction for life.

What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Light of the World? How are you and I using His light? Are you and I allowing His light to illuminate sin in our lives so we can walk less in darkness and more in abundance of life?

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God in Judgment (4/20/23)

What do you think happened to Gehazi after he deceived Naaman and stole from him? Did Elisha ever find out? How about Naaman?

II Kings 5:24-27  When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

²⁵ When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

²⁶ But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? ²⁷ Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.

Gehazi got caught quickly and received swift judgment! I often wish God would do that with other people who commit horrific crimes and wickedness. God is the Judge of all. His timing is perfect and His judgment is purposeful. He is also loving, compassionate and long-suffering. He gives people opportunities to change. I often don’t understand His timing of things in my finite brain. Yet, I can trust He is in control!

Gehazi witnessed so many astounding miracles and yet chose not to trust God and His ways and His time (like Judas with Jesus). He had numerous opportunities to join in God’s work but missed out on being part of the blessing and being blessed himself!

As we cringe at all the evil in the world, will you and I trust God’s timing and plan for His judgment of sin? We can be thankful He is patient with us when we sin. He has actually judged all sin on the cross, if we choose to accept Jesus taking our place for sin! For those who don’t accept Jesus’ sacrifice, there is eternal judgment coming. Are you and I going to be like Gehazi – try things our way and reject God’s ways and timing? Or, are you and I going to be like all the other servants in Naaman’s story that believed God, trusted His ways and did their part to point others to Him?

Happy Humbly Hustling for Him in 2023! (1/5/23)

I stumbled upon this familiar verse when I was studying the book of Micah this past week:

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

In context, it isn’t quite so glamorous!

Micah 6:6-9        With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

⁹ Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

God, through Micah, had painted a dark future for Israel because of their consistent wickedness and rebellion against God. If they thought they could “pay” for their wickedness with thousands of sacrifices, that wasn’t going to work. God had given them clear instructions about how to live a life pleasing to Him. I think this is saying that now, they were to accept the consequences (“rod”) and learn from them. God’s greatest desire is for them to walk humbly in relationship with Him!

As you and I set goals for 2023, instead of asking ourselves what we want to do or how we want to serve God, let’s ask God!

Even if we are dealing with consequences for past sins, He can help us accept and learn from those consequences. He knows how best to move forward. Five goals God has for us just from this passage are to:

1. Walk humbly with Him
2. Listen to Him
3. Heed His correction
4. Act justly
5. Love mercy

Instead of saying “Happy New Year!” maybe a better greeting, from one Christian to another, is “Happy Humbly Hustling for Him this Year!” 😉

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Tolerant Rehoboam 11/17/22

 Have you heard the phrase “sin of omission?” Sitting back and doing nothing can be a sin. When we know to do something and don’t do it, that’s a sin.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, became king of Judah and shortly after lost much of the kingdom to Jeroboam (as we saw a few weeks ago). That didn’t seem to wake him up and turn his heart fully back to God. 

I Kings 14:21-24 ²¹ Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.

²² Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. ²³ They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ²⁴ There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Rehoboam tolerated all the sins Judah committed. It never says he participated in idolatry, but he didn’t stop the idol worship. In the above verses it says “Judah” did evil and “they” setup high places. So, I don’t think he actively participated. When the Bible talks about the evil of other kings, it says “Solomon did evil,” “Jeroboam made two golden calves,” etc. However, Rehoboam sinned by tolerating all these detestable things the kingdom of Judah did.

What about you and me? Where are we being tolerant in our own lives, with our kids, in our churches or communities? Instead of being tolerant or permissive, where can you and I lovingly speak up for truth in our church, communities and families for the things that are right and godly?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Defiant Jeroboam 11/10/22

What do you think Jeroboam did after God shriveled up his hand (as we saw last week)? Do you think he finally repented and turned to God?

I Kings 13:33a Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways.

So, God gave him yet another opportunity to repent and turn back to him (through the illness of his son). However, Jeroboam still didn’t change or repent. God, through the prophet Ahijah, painted a bleak future.

I Kings 14:7, 9-12   ⁷ Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel…  ⁹ You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.

¹⁰ “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. ¹¹ Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

¹² “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die.

Even after all this, Jeroboam defiantly didn’t change. We see defiant evil today, too. God is faithful, though. He will judge evil in His time and for His purposes. He also generously and patiently gives opportunities for people to repent and turn to Him.

Who do you and I know that is defiantly ignoring God’s warnings? Let’s pray for them to respond to God, before it’s too late.  

Alice

Meeting Them Where They Are

 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.  Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.  1 Timothy 1:12-16

 We all have different strengths.  People have told me that I tend to be very good at reading people.  It’s not in the sense of reading someone playing poker as to whether they are bluffing or not.  Instead, I continually work at getting to know someone.  Before you know it, I would become very good at understanding what someone would and would not like.  I trust God to guide my instincts and literally feel what they feel. It explained why some people were willing to share their pains and anxieties to me after an hour what they would not share with their close friends in a couple of years.  I tried to understand that.  Someone said that people see me at their level.  They said if you want someone to trust you, don’t bring them to your level.  Understand them at theirs.  For example, I honestly cannot relate to someone having to worry about where they would sleep at night because that’s not be in my world.  That does not mean I don’t have empathy for them.  Furthermore if I just listen to understand, I can connect it to the last time I was afraid at night or fearful for my life.  Is it the same?  Of course not.  But by listening and just being honest with both them and yourself, you can achieve a level of trust.  That is how you meet them where they are.

The key to having God use you is realizing exactly how far you have travelled with Him.  I read these verses of 1 Timothy over and over again to understand what Paul was trying to convey.  He held Timothy in high regard as a young apprentice, but he also realized he was a spiritual mentor to Timothy.  How would he best guide him?  He took this moment to lower himself to Timothy’s level in today’s verses.  The goal was not for Paul to make himself seem worthless.  Instead, it was to help Timothy understand that anyone could be used by God if their heart was transformed.  Thus by sharing where his journey began, Paul met Timothy at his level.  “I am the worst of them all.  But God had mercy on me,” he said.  This was not only an invitation to Timothy but also all of us.  No matter how far we may have strayed and whether it was a moment, a day, months, or even years, God will patiently wait so eventually His will is done.  We could not possibly know when, and that is not our focus to begin with.  Ours is to prepare for when He will use us and be ready to allow Him to do so.

Understanding servitude to God takes time.  As I mentioned about reading others, it does not happen right away.  But over time, you become attune to what God is looking for.  It will at times require you to look back at where you once were like Paul.  But in seeing just how great God’s mercy is, you too will be able to share your story of transformation with others.  Do not forget the goal is for you to grow spiritually in addition to helping others find a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Not boast of your transformation.  Let us harken to our own journey to humble ourselves and allow others to see they too can serve Him as we now do.  How well do you know your story?  What listening skills are needed for you to understand another’s story.  My prayer is that we are able to trust God’s guidance to help us meet others where they are.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Driveway Encouragement

A couple week’s ago my sister, Mary, in CT wrote “Jesus loves you!” on her driveway for hundreds of neighbors to see as they walked, biked or jogged by her house. It inspired my son, James, to do something similar on our driveway. He decided to reference his memory verse from Bible study, I Corinthians 15:20, and summarized it with “He has risen!” Then, Sarah decided to write what she could spell – “LOVE GOD.” (see the pictures of both) Since then, we’ve all done different messages after the rain washed them away, including Palm Sunday!

My sister was trying to be a witness and offer encouragement to others by writing the messages. God gave her encouragement in return, though, by having someone leave 2 boxes of chalk on her rock wall out front! She doesn’t know who they were from! It was like God said, “keep doing what you’re doing!”

At times like this, people are more open to hear the truths about:

God (Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of all)

Sin (separates us from God and results in destruction and death)

Jesus Christ (God’s Son, who paid for our sin and offers eternal life)

And the need to surrender our lives to Him because He’s in control anyway!

I Corinthians 15:20-26  ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. ²⁴ Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Will you join me in praying about how else God wants to use us right now to encourage others and point them to Him?

Alice 

Thursday Devotional - Imperfect Picture

The Old Testament tabernacle, temple and sacrificial system were all put in place as a representation of Heaven and foreshadow of what Christ would do to give us access to Heaven. It was a picture of what was to come. It wasn’t a perfect picture, because the sacrifices didn’t really pay for our sins and the priests couldn’t forgive.

Hebrews 9:1-3, 7-9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ² A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place… But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹ This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.

God’s specific details, long-term plans, and creativity never ceases to amaze me!!! He had His plan of redemption planned out well before giving Moses the Law, before calling Abraham, and before flooding the world. He even gave hints of His plan to Adam and Eve after they sinned (Genesis 3). He knew we couldn’t do anything to pay for our own sins. He knew we couldn’t do anything to earn forgiveness and bring about restoration. He had to do it all, and do it all He did!  

Have you ever gone on a trip and been blown away by the beauty you saw? It was far better than the pictures you saw online ahead of time. The pictures didn’t do it justice. Similarly, let’s experience and appreciate the benefits of the new covenant with direct access to God and true forgiveness!     

Alice

Thursday Devotional (for 11/21/19) - Harsh or a Second Chance?

Acts 5:1-2      Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Ananias and Sapphira did more than lie and act stingy. They wanted glory for themselves (see this passage in light of the end of chapter 4). It was about them and not God. Peter confronted Ananias and he immediately died. Then…

Acts 5:7-11    ⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

⁹ Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

¹⁰ At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Does this seem harsh? When first reading it, it may. However, notice how Peter gives Sapphira a second chance. He gives her an opportunity to repent and tell the truth.    

Recently, I gave one of my kids an opportunity to tell their story a second time, with accurate facts. In “fixing” their story, the consequence was different than it would have been. We again talked about how lying and any sin is ultimately against God and nothing gets by Him!

What sin do you and I need to acknowledge, repent of, and turn from? Who is the sin really against? Who else is affected? How can God’s presence and power help so you and I can continue to grow? You and I can fearlessly ask God to reveal sin because He will forgive. He also offers a way out, help to turn from it, and help to replace it.

Alice

Celebrating Victory

“So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.  Then the land had rest from war.”  Joshua 11:23

Now hear is an interesting story.  I read the book of Joshua, and come across this verse.  After looking at it, I say to myself, “Good grief!  These guys go on for years (not to mention 11 chapters) fight after fight even after Moses delivered them out of bondage, and only NOW do they get to rest?”  You would think that God could have made it just a little easier, wouldn’t you?  I mean this is God that could take on the mighty army of Egypt and render them helpless!  Surely, He could have rid the smaller armies in Jordan in little time, couldn’t He have?  Certainly after the people of Israel had been forced to wander in the desert for years, they would have figured out that the Lord is God, and He will handle things, right?  Apparently not.

Now if we take a closer look into this story, there are a couple truths to be remembered.  The first is we know that God is always in control, and secondly, we should also know that God tests us on occasion just to see if we will remain faithful.  The book of Joshua was about one of God’s most faithful servants, and in every instance that God spoke to him, Joshua followed His instructions to the letter.  As a result, Joshua was allowed to lead the people to the promise land giving the people of Israel victory after victory over their enemies.  Thus, those who followed God’s law were entitled to Lord’s promise, and given land section by section and city by city.

It led me to think about celebrating our own victories.  If we as Christians are faithful to God and His word, do we fail to acknowledge the victories He gives us?  When we pray at night, does He not give us the victory of another day that we were allowed to serve him?  When we return from our job to our homes, did the Lord not give us the victory of safely reaching our destination?  When family, friends, and loved ones are in His care, does He not give us the victory of peace and tranquility?  I could go on and on about this, but hopefully you will have realized just how much God has given us.  Even at times where we feel our prayers are not answers, it is not about the prayers not being answered.  It is often that we are not patiently waiting for the right time.  If we truly trust in Him, we realize that what seems like ‘no’ really means ‘not yet.’

God is a good God.  When we commit our lives to the Lord saying that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and believe that Jesus was resurrected as proof of his overcoming death giving eternal life through him, it was the greatest victory of all.  I am thankful God’s truth allowed for me victory over the past, and as a result I have everlasting joy sharing with those truths with all of you each and every week.  The more we rely on the Lord and stay faithful to him, we, just as Joshua, will experience victory over our enemies, shortcomings and hard times, and despair and solitude.  If for nothing else, remember the words of Bear Grylls, who simply said, “Never forget how lucky you are to be alive.”  Let us remember that each day is a victory!  Could you imagine how much joy you would have in life knowing that every day you are a winner?  Don’t wait for it.  Claim it!  My prayer is that having God in our lives means we can celebrate victory every day.  Amen!

The Struggle Continues ...

Who can discern his errors?
       Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;
       may they not rule over me.
       Then will I be blameless,
       innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
       be pleasing in your sight,
       O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:12-14

Temptation is a tough thing to deal with.  We often say that the devil tempts us.  In hearing a sermon from my preacher this past weekend, I am not so certain.  There is a part of me that realizes that I am put in situations where I am tempted to sin.  However, that is neither God's nor the Devil's doing.  I believe that it is a test of faithfulness.  Not one that is created by God.  But instead one that is a constant battle.  It is a battle that never really goes away.  You get better at fighting it off and resisting, but you are never fully over it.  Furthermore, you must be concerned when you actually give in. It’s not the initial failure that gets you.  It’s the continual failure that you suddenly lose the will to fight.  I have been there before.  However once I got back in the fight and prayed, I again got to a place where I had won back my peace and felt connected with God.  But unlike before where I would once say I have overcome it, I substitute it with a phrase I learned from my mom as she fought through the civil rights era; the struggle continues.  This fit because the battle never ends.  You are consistently having to push against that which you struggle to reach.

Prayer and meditation on God are essential in your continual struggles.  We all have something that we struggle with.  Think of one thing that you indulge in or know is wrong but fail on multiple occasions.  You will know what it is when you find yourself in that ‘I promise not to do that again’ place only to find yourself in that ‘Oops, I did it again’ place.  There are a couple of things that are important to remember about your struggles.  One, we all have them.  Yes, some manage it better than others, but that does not mean they do not exist.  You are not alone in your struggle.  Second, we have a patient and amazing God who loves us unconditionally and will guide us IF we call on Him.  Sometimes, my utterance of His name is the added strength for me to overcome my situation.  Some say, “Jesus, take the wheel,” and others might say, “God?  If your listening, I need a little help here.”  Some might clutch a cross or some other item (wedding ring for example) to help remind them of their promises to God.  And before you ask, yes, He will deliver you.

God sees something in everyone.  He decided that there was a place for us in His kingdom, and most importantly, He gave His only Son so that we could fail and still have a chance at His glory.  I think back on the person I once was, and I’m humbled at the man I have become because of the power of God’s grace.  We should have a renewed joy in the people we have become in our renewed belief.  He revealed our faults, and freed us from barriers that once prevented the building of a closer relationship with Him.  So what is it that holds you?  How can you better manage your weakness?  My prayer is that we realize we can be closer to God by acknowledging that no matter how far we get, the struggle continues.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - God's Help Over Consequences

Last week we saw how Joshua upheld his oath, even though the Gibeonites deceived him into making a peace treaty. However, what do you think happens when the Gibeonites are attacked by the Amorites and ask Joshua for help?

Joshua 10:6-11        ⁶ The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”

⁷ So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. ⁸ The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”

⁹ After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. ¹⁰ The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

Not only does Joshua willingly help the Gibeonites, but God confirms Joshua is to help them and then God does most of the work!!! If I was Joshua, I might have told the Gibeonites that they were on their own. I might have thought God was bringing judgment on them for their deception. I would uphold my oath of a peace treaty, but nothing extra.

God clearly helped Joshua and the Israelites not only uphold their oath, but love their neighbor (without holding a grudge) by sacrificially helping them in crisis. Even though Joshua and the Israelites had made a big mistake in making a treaty with the Gibeonites, they obediently did the next right thing and the next right thing. God rewarded their steps of obedience despite their previous disobedience. 

God can do the same for us today. Even after making a big mistake, God wants to help us make the next right move. God is willing to help us in a mighty way, just like He did for Joshua! Where will you and I seek His help to make the next right step?   

Alice

Thursday Devotional - More Answers

After last week, did God help Joshua figure out who had sinned?

Joshua 7:16, 19-21, 24-26 ¹⁶ Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen…  ¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

²⁰ Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: ²¹ When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

²⁴ Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.²⁵ Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.”

Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. ²⁶ Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

This seems harsh, especially after Achan confessed to his sin. However, this is what God instructed Joshua to do (Joshua 7:15 – all destroyed by fire).

Sin is serious and it doesn’t just affect us. It affects those in our family, community, work place, nation, etc.   

Similar today, we can’t expect God to support us, defend us, help us, and go with us if we choose to live in sin, condone sin, or try to hide sin. It won’t go well for us as a country or as individuals. It must be removed.

As Jessica talked about last Monday (1/14/19) about mourning our sins, let’s examine ourselves. Where might you and I be living in, condoning or hiding a sin? It can be very painful to remove the sin, but the benefits and blessings to ourselves and others are well worth it in this life and the life to come. God wants to help us in those areas, if we will truly repent and ask for His help to remove it and move forward in obedience.

Alice

Grace Like Loretta

If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  2 Corinthians 12:6-9 NLT

Each Thanksgiving, I write about what I am truly thankful for.  This year is an obvious choice although it is not what she would expect.  I am so thankful for my wonderful wife, Loretta.  She is amazing in so many ways.  Things like … she is annoying.  She can be both picky and difficult, and pushes me to do things when I really do not want to do them.  She is so sweet and salty, my nickname for her is ‘Adorable Evilness.’  I often do not like her, and must work harder just to keep her happy.  Here’s the thing.  I have told her all of this!  Now having said all that, here is where you will understand why I am so thankful of all of that.  Plain and simple, she is tolerant of me, and to honest, I don’t think there is a more difficult role one could have than dealing with me.  She has seen my flaws and the times where I fell short of being a good husband to her.  Way short!  She has seen the pain when I fail even when it did not affect her, and she stood by me when the world thought very little of me.  In short, she is every bit the woman that Paul had in mind when he said, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” (Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT)  This alone could have been the title verses for my Devotional, but instead, I wanted to highlight one of her many attributes where she is a shining example to me of who God is in my life.  That attribute is ‘grace.’

God’s grace is what we should be thankful for each and every day.  Our love for God is what fuels our devotion to Him, and our obedience is a shining example of our following Him.  However, it is grace that makes those things limitless.  Imagine being locked up in a box that you are trapped in.  You can feel the boundaries of it each time you reach out, and when you run, you feel restricted by its form and rigid laws.  To try to break through it requires immense effort, but no matter how much strength, effort, logic, guile, or cunningness you possess, you cannot break through it.  Picture those walls being labeled.  Here are some of those labels: hate, inferiority, distrust, deception, gluttony, greed.  Each wall has different names, but they fall under one huge box called sin.  Furthermore, it’s wrapped with a bow called ‘temptation.’  If your troubles haunt you, the tape wrapping is called ‘shame’ or ‘guilt.’  Any one of them is wall enough to keep you boxed in.  Then, imagine this explosion punching a hole in the walls that had you boxed in, and you walk out into a sunshine filled field with every beautiful thing you can imagine.  The field seemingly lasts forever.  To you, this is Heaven.  That’s the power of God’s grace in a nutshell.  You can’t get there without it.  You may believe you can without Him, but eventually, you will hit one of those walls.  God wants us all to have this amazing gift of grace.  This is not to say you can’t build a wall between you and God (i.e. continually sinning without spiritual growth).  However, what God really wants is your heart.  Not your perfection.  He wants your walk.  Not your stagnation.  He wants your obedience.  Not your carelessness.  And He wants an active growing relationship.  Not a ritual checklist follower.

Grace is the overwhelming gift that frees us from our bondage.  I love hearing the song ‘Grace Like Rain,’ because it is so visual in its description.  It’s this torrential downpour where you can’t hide, and every part of your body feels it.  It overwhelms, and cleanses you all over!  I am so thankful for this grace God has given each and every one of us, and I am so thankful He gave me a wonderful woman who could truly show me what it is like to know what grace is.  So, I humbly thank my wife for teaching me how wonderful it is to both be her husband and know who is the ‘better half.’  Who has been your example of God’s grace?  How can you be a man or woman of grace?  My prayer is that we are thankful to God’s grace as I am thankful for His grace like Loretta. Amen, and Happy Thanksgiving!