Psalm 126:5-6
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” A woman named Lisa is lost without Christ. She is someone’s mom. She is someone’s grandmother. She is someone’s friend. She is someone’s co-worker. She is someone’s wife. What if she was your mom? What if she was your friend? Would you not want someone to share the Gospel with her? Pray that someone will help her see the Truth of the Gospel and how much God truly loves her. Just as someone told you. Imagine if that person had neglected to share the Gospel with you? Too often, we have lost our tears for the lost. If we do not sow in tears, there will be no reaping in joy. Bear the Precious Seed of the Word of God on your shoulders today and tell someone what He has done for you. Maybe a friend. Maybe a family member. Maybe a waitress. Maybe a cashier. Whoever it is…tell someone. Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” How much is a soul worth to you? Bible Reading: Exodus 29-30 | Matthew 19
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Romans 10:1
“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” The middle part of Romans 10 is frequently referred to in regards to salvation, and leading someone to the Lord. Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But what about the rest of the chapter? The first verse shows Paul’s heart and burden for Israel. Most of his people had a zeal for God, yet they did not know Him. What is our heart’s desire? If we agree with Paul that our heart’s desire is for people to be saved, what are we doing about it? Romans 10:11 “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” If we truly believe on Him, then why are we sometimes ashamed enough that we do not make sharing the Gospel with others a priority. Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Sharing the Gospel is not reserved for those who have the position of a preacher as we know it in this modern day. Paul was referring to someone who publishes or proclaims the Word of God openly. Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” There can be no salvation without belief and repentance. No belief without faith. No faith without hearing. No hearing without the Word of God. We must share the Word with others. Bible Reading: Exodus 27-28 | Matthew 18 Psalm 61:2
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Although this verse is typically referred to as a desperate and prayerful plea in the time of distress, is it possible for the Lord to show us something else out of this passage? It is easy to have glass half empty kind of day and run to the Truth of this verse that when we are overwhelmed in sadness or languishing in pain, the Lord is our Rock that we can run to for comfort and safety. But is it possible that this verse can still apply to us if we choose to look at this Truth from a glass half full perspective? If we are able to read this chapter with the blessings of the Lord in mind, we soon find that our glass is not just half full, but running over. Have you ever been overwhelmed by the Goodness of the Lord? Psalm 31:19 “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” Have you ever been overwhelmed by the blessings He has bestowed upon you? 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Have you ever just been overwhelmed by the thought of Him? Psalm 33:8 “Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” The Scriptures are full of Truth that should cause us to stand in awe of Him and His Word. Psalm 119:161 “Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.” Maybe it was an unexpected blessing… …or an unspoken need that was met, …or a solution to an infirmity, …or a surprise gesture from someone you care about, …or that thing that may seem so small to everyone else, but God knows means the world to you. Whatever it is, if you have ever had a clear glimpse of Him and His glory… you have been overwhelmed. Ask Him to do it again. Psalm 86:11 “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” Bible Reading: Exodus 25-26 | Matthew 17 Psalm 28:7
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Sometimes the Lord allows circumstances to come into our lives simply for the purpose of refocusing our fleshly tendencies. Remember when Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water until he saw the wind instead of Jesus? A miracle was performed because of his faith, but his fear quickly got in the way. Our weaknesses remind us of our need for Him. 2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Our vulnerabilities allow us to see that only He can truly protect us. Psalm 91:4 “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Because He is our strength and shield, we can trust Him. When we trust Him, we find help. Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” Look unto the hills of the Word of God today. The help we receive leads us to rejoice and praise Him. Psalm 63:7 “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” How has the Lord helped you recently? If it’s been awhile since you can say the Lord truly helped you through His Word, perhaps it is because you have not fully trusted in Him. Trust Him today, and rest in the comfort of knowing He is your help. Bible Reading: Exodus 23-24 | Matthew 16 Psalm 25:4-5
“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” There is no shame in waiting. Psalm 25:3 “Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.” We live in a world that does not want to wait on anything. Yet, in the context of his enemies battling against him, David is still lifting up his soul unto the Lord because he truly trusts Him. Psalm 25:1-2 “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.” David then shifts his prayer from exalting the LORD and pleading for divine protection to asking for direction. He was willing to wait on the LORD. We see that all throughout the Book of Psalms. David was constantly waiting for the LORD to work on his behalf. David understood the value of waiting on the LORD. When we wait on Him, we cannot lose. David desired to learn the Ways and Paths of the LORD, and be lead by Him in anything that he did. Do we desire the same? The Truth of Who is behind something, always comes out. Acts 5:38-39 “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it…” When we wait until we know it is the Lord that is leading us to do something, we can rest assured that it will not fail. Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” Wait to be led by Him. Bible Reading: Exodus 21-22 | Matthew 15 Jeremiah 33:3
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” We carry one around with us every day. Constantly checking the time. Hoping for another message. Looking for the latest news, or even what is about to happen. It is our communication line to others. It’s a sad reminder that we are more faithful to our phones than we are to the Word of God. We are more concerned about communicating with someone through our phone than we are through our Bible. Not fun to think about, but it is so true for each and every one of us, if we are honest. Communication is a such a needful thing. A call from our best friend can brighten our day. A text of encouragement from anyone can change our perspective. Communication is a two-way street. When we talk to someone, we expect an answer; because that is how communication works. As children of God, we can open our Bibles for the Lord to speak to us. In return, we have the privilege of talking to Him through prayer. In troubled times, we must return to prioritizing the basics. Prayer and Bible Study. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee” Call to Him in prayer today. He is waiting to hear from us, and the line is never busy. Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Open the pages of His Word today. He always has just the right thing we need to hear. Bible Reading: Exodus 19-20 | Matthew 14 Romans 8:31
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Can you imagine going into a battle knowing you cannot lose? That is exactly what happens when we allow the Lord to fight for us! With Him on our side, we need not even say a word. His Words are the only ones that truly matter. Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” He is our Refuge. He is our Strength. He is our Help. Psalm 46:1-2 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” When you feel that the earth is being removed from beneath you feet… He is there. When your mountain is moved into the midst of a stormy sea… He is there. When the waters roar, and the waves crash around you… He is there. He is a very present help in trouble. He is a very present help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Trust Him today. Call out to Him in prayer, and talk to Him like you do your very best friend…because He is. Bible Reading: Exodus 17-18 | Matthew 13 Exodus 14:14
“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” The children of Israel had no where to turn. Their enemies were close behind them, the Red Sea in front of them. They were sore afraid. Moses admonished them to stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord commanded that they go forward. Exodus 14:16 “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” Moses obeyed, and we know the rest of the story…they all walked across on dry ground. A miracle. A wall of water was beside each of their hands. Their feet were not even wet. Dry ground...on the sea floor. The Lord fought for them just as He had promised. How many times have we been at our own Red Sea? Unsure of where to turn, unsure of what lied ahead. Maybe our enemies were not physically chasing us to our death, but they were definitely in pursuit. It is in those times, when just as Moses commanded God’s chosen people, we must choose to stop, and stand still. The salvation of the Lord was just ahead, only dependent upon our allowing the Lord to fight for us. In the Book of Deuteronomy, we find this same principle reiterated to the children of Israel at least three times. Seems they needed a reminder just as we often do. He goes before us. Deuteronomy 1:30 “The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;” He fights so that we have no need to fear. Deuteronomy 3:22 “Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.” He goes with us. Deuteronomy 20:4 “For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” What comfort we too can find in these verses. The Lord goes before us to clear the way so that He can direct us according to His will. He reminds us not to be fearful, regardless of what surrounds us. Then He goes with us so that we are not alone. He speaks victory through His Word. Allow the Lord to fight for you today. Bible Reading: Exodus 15-16 | Matthew 12 1 Samuel 17:47
”And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.” Goliath was a champion. He was known for winning any battle in which he participated. He had quite a collection of armour and weapons. His pride caused him to seek out an opponent to fight. 1 Samuel 17:8-9 “…choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.” What a picture of our greatest enemy. The devil seeks to call us into battle seeking us to fear our defeat. 1 Samuel 17:24 “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.” Only David had the courage to fight the champion. Despite the fearful warnings of others, he chose to enter the battle in faith that Someone else was on his side. 1 Samuel 17:45 “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” David chose to participate in the battle for one purpose. 1 Samuel 17:46 “…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” He knew that the battle was the Lord’s. What if we approached our battles the way that David did? Face to face with the enemy trusting that the Lord would give the victory. No matter what the devil has thrown at you this week, it is not your battle to fight. David did not run; he chose to be a warrior of the faith. The Lord has purpose for the trial you are facing today. Remember Who’s battle your situation truly is, and yield the fight to Him. Bible Reading: Exodus 13-14 | Matthew 11 |
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