Lamentations 3:21
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”
 
What do you make a habit of recalling to your mind? Memories, mistakes, misfortunes… or provision, protection, and peace?
 
Jeremiah purposefully dwelt on what God had done…and in the context of this chapter within the Book of Lamentations, he spent the previous 20 verses remembering his affliction and the wrath of God upon his life. 
 
Lamentations 3:19-20
“Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.”
 
His life was not a bed of roses, but Jeremiah realized that his weakness only allowed the Lord’s strength to shine through the darkness. 
 
That was reason enough for him to have hope.
Despite his circumstances, some of which he brought upon himself, he understood that God had a purpose. He knew that God could use what he endured for His glory.
 
This is similar to Paul’s perspective of his thorn in the flesh.
 
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 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.”
 
Recall to your mind today what the Lord has done in your life in the past that can give you hope today.
 
Psalm 119:81
“My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.”
 
Remind yourself through the Scriptures, for in Them we can find hope.
 
 
Bible Reading:
1 Kings 1-2   |    2 Corinthians 3

Matthew 15:27
“And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.”
 
Chocolate chip cookies. Brownies. Homemade banana bread. Hungry yet?
These and many other delicious foods often leave crumbs behind when they are eaten.
 
Crumbs are usually residue that is left from something consumed.
They are not even leftovers, for they would not supply an entire meal. 
 
In fact, crumbs are usually just discarded as serving no further purpose.
 
Yet…crumbs were enough for the Syrophenician Woman.
 
She cried unto Jesus to have mercy upon her and heal her daughter; but at first, Jesus answered her not a word. Apparently, she then cried unto His disciples, trying to get their attention, and they desired to send her away.
 
Then she persisted again with Jesus…yet this time, she approached Him differently.
 
Matthew 15:25
“Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.”
 
She worshipped Him first…then asked for His help.
The Book of Mark tells us that she fell at his feet. This got His attention.
 
The Syrophenician Woman believed that even crumbs from the table of Jesus could make a difference. 
 
Jesus called her a woman of great faith.
 
Matthew 15:28
“Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
 
Later in the New Testament, we find that Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life.
 
John 6:35
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
 
Think of that Truth in reference to the testimony of the Syrophenician Woman…in her great faith she was satisfied with just crumbs from Him.
 
Would you be satisfied with crumbs of Him today?
Yet the Truth is, He does not offer His children crumbs…He offers all of Himself.
 
Crumbs of Scripture can transform your life by faith today in His Word.
When we look for Crumbs, He gives us the Whole Loaf.
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 23-24   |    2 Corinthians 2

2 Timothy 3:10-11
“But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” 
 
Timothy fully understood what Paul had went through. 
 
This knowledge could have caused Timothy to desire to stray away from the faith because he had seen what cost was involved. 
 
“…what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.”
 
But for every persecution and affliction of Paul that Timothy witnessed, he also got to see the Lord’s provision and deliverance.
 
2 Timothy 3:12
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
 
We must expect to be hated and despised, because Jesus was.
Because He faced persecution and afflictions, so must His disciples.
 
But with the persecution and affliction, we can also expect Him to deliver us out of them all.
 
Psalm 34:1-4
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
 
Take comfort that He is Faithful to hear us when we call upon Him.
 
If you feel persecuted or afflicted today, seek the Lord. 
Deliverance from all your fears is found in Him.
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 21-22   |    2 Corinthians 1

2 Timothy 2:21
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”
 
Have you ever considered what it means to use something?
 
Use: to take, hold or deploy as a means of accomplishing a purpose or achieving a result; to employ.
 
When a pencil or pen is used, pressure must be applied.
When a toaster is used, heat is generated.
Think of other objects…what is required for them to work?
 
We often hear the phrase of someone desiring to be “used by the Lord”, perhaps never considering what it truly entails. 
 
Many desire for the Lord to use them, yet how many are willing to endure what it takes to be used?
 
If our faith is to be trusted, it must first be tested.
 
Oftentimes, the Lord allows pressure to be applied to His servants.
Sometimes, our faith must be tried with fire.
 
1 Peter 1:7
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
 
Many wear the symbol of a cross to express their faith, yet how many are willing to die for the cause of Christ?
 
The cross implies death. Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary for our sins, and we must be willing to take up our cross and follow Him by dying to ourselves.
 
Luke 9:23
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
 
If we are to be “meet for the master’s use”, we must be willing to purge out anything that dishonors Him, while sanctifying ourselves unto Him. It is only then that we can be used by Him and “prepared unto every good work.”
 
Do you desired to be used by Him?
Prepare today.
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 19-20   |    1 Corinthians 16

1 John 1:5
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
 
The media today seems to have their own news cycle, whether there is truth to it or not. They need ratings to survive, so whatever will get the most attention is the story of the hour. Nearly every story is filled with negativity in an effort to incite fear in the hearts of their viewers. 
 
Fear is a powerful tool. 
It brings darkness all around us and within us.
 
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
 
God has not given us a spirit of fear, so if we are fearful and afraid it did not come from Him.
 
Darkness creates more opportunities for the Light to shine brighter.
 
The message we have heard of Him can bring Light to the darkness, because He is the Light. There is no darkness at all in Him.
 
1 John 1:6-7
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
 
Does our message bring Light or darkness to those around us?
Are we shining the Light of the glorious Gospel by sharing it with others?
Or do we choose to hide it? 
 
Declare the message of Hope in the darkness today.
There is hope in Jesus.
 
Tell someone about Him so that they can see their need for Him. 
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 17-18   |    1 Corinthians 15

1 John 1:1
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”
 
He was and is from the beginning.
 
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
 
We have heard Him through ears of faith as we hear the Words of God.
 
Romans 10:17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
 
We have seen Him through eyes of faith as the Light shines through the pages of the Word of God.
 
2 Corinthians 4:6
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
 
He is the Word of Life which we are privileged and blessed to be able to hold in our hands.
 
Philippians 2:16
“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
 
Because we have heard and seen Him, we desire to declare Him unto others so that they too can know Him.
 
1 John 1:3
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
 
What joy there is in knowing Him!
Real joy can radiate from us simply because He lives in us.
 
1 John 1:4
“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 15-16   |    1 Corinthians 14

Hebrews 10:25
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
 
If God says something once, it makes it True.
The times when He repeats Himself should cause us to look for even more Truth for us to learn.
 
When a phrase is repeated in the Scripture, there is likely a Truth connecting the corresponding verses.
 
“so much the more”
 
In Hebrews, the Scriptures tell us to assemble together even more frequently as we see the day approaching. What day is that? His coming…and that day is coming soon.
 
Two other times the phrase is mentioned in a similar way, both referring to the Good News being spread that Jesus was healing the infirmities of the people.
 
Mark 7:36
“And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;”
 
Luke 5:15
“But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.”
 
What a picture of how we can share the Good News with others that Jesus still saves! He is the free Gift of eternal life to all who come to Him by faith.
 
The only other time we see the phrase is found when Jesus heals a blind man near Jericho. This time it is not mentioned in reference to His fame spreading abroad, but rather to the man being healed of his blindness.
 
Luke 18:39
“And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”
 
This man pleaded and begged Jesus to heal him, and was rebuked by those around him for his faith. But that did not stop or quiet the man. He cried even louder…”so much the more”.
 
Luke 18:42
“And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”
 
The blind man immediately received his healing, and chose to follow Jesus, glorifying God. 
 
We too were once blinded in our sin, in need of receiving the sight that only salvation brings. 
 
“so much the more”
Every time the phrase is found within the pages of Scriptures it points to Jesus.
 
There is so much more when it comes to Him.
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 13-14   |    1 Corinthians 13

Nehemiah 10:39
“For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.”
 
When the people of Israel renewed their covenant after the walls were rebuilt, they summarized their renewed dedication with nine strong words.
“…we will not forsake the house of our God.”
 
This phrase is directly linked to a familiar verse found in the New Testament.
 
Hebrews 10:25
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
 
In the day the writer of Hebrews pinned these Words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there were some whose manner, or habit, it was to forsake the assembly of the church. 
 
If it was happening then, how much more is it happening today? 
 
The Truth of the verse is just as true today as it was then.
Instead of forsaking, we are admonished to exhort one another while assembling. 
 
The church of the living God is ultimately the people; yet, we are still told to assemble together. 
 
Maybe because He knows that sometimes we forget how important it is to do so.
 
In the times of our lives when we do forsake the house of our God, is there not a noticeable difference in our day to day lives? 
 
Something is missing when we do not assemble together.
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 11-12   |    1 Corinthians 12

Nehemiah 9:38
“And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.”
 
Because…a prelude of an explanation of the reason for something.
Sometimes we have to explain why we choose to do or not to do a particular thing.
Sometimes we are asked to give a reason.
 
1 Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
 
In Nehemiah 9, we find the children of Israel assembled and fasting. They had separated themselves for specific purposes…to confess their sins, to read from the Book of the Law of the LORD, and ultimately to worship Him.
 
The Levites stood upon the stairs and began to cry out to the LORD their God with a loud voice. 
 
Nehemiah 9:6
“Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”
 
Throughout the rest of the chapter, we find them dwelling on what they have known that the Lord had done amongst them. 
 
He created the heaven and the earth. – 9:6
He chose Abram and gave him the name of Abraham. – 9:7
He made a covenant with Abraham to give him the land. – 9:8
He saw the affliction and cry of the people in Egypt. – 9:9
He brought signs and wonders upon Pharaoh. – 9:10
He divided the Red Sea and delivered the people from their enemies. – 9:11
He led them by both a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. – 9:12
He came down upon Mount Sinai to give the Ten Commandments. – 9:13-14
He gave bread from Heaven and brought water out of the rock. – 9:15
He showed the people mercy and did not forsake them in their pride and rebellion. – 9:16-19
He instructed them and gave them manna. – 9:20
He sustained them for 40 years in the wilderness. – 9:21
He allowed them to possess the land and multiply. – 9:22-25
He once again showed mercy when they were disobedient. – 9:26-31
He had shown Himself faithful. – 9:32-37
 
“And because of all this…”
 
Have you ever looked back upon your life and purposefully remembered all that the Lord has done for you? 
 
No doubt He has been just as faithful, merciful, and patient with you has He was with the children of Israel. 
Perhaps today you too can choose to thank Him for all that He has done. 
 
“And because of all this…”
 
The people made a covenant that day, the princes, Levites, and priests sealed it.
 
They purposed both individually within themselves, and as a whole people…
Nehemiah 10:29
”…to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;”
 
When you think about all the Lord has done for you, does it not make you want to also renew your covenant to walk with Him?
“And because of all this…”
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 9-10   |    1 Corinthians 11

Nehemiah 8:3
“And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.”
 
The street was flooded with people as far at the eye could see.
They all came with one purpose, all with the same request.
 
The people requested that the Book of the Law of Moses be brought by Ezra so he could read to them.
 
Nehemiah 8:5-6
“And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”
 
What attention and reverence they had for the Book! 
 
Though the Words of the Law made them mourn and weep, Ezra encouraged them to not allow their sorrow to overcome their joy.
 
Nehemiah 8:10
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
 
Our joy and strength are dependent upon our attention to the Word of the Lord.
 
Consider today those people all across the world that do not have a copy of the Scriptures. While most of us have multiple full copies sitting on the shelves within our homes, there are people who would give anything they had to even have a partial. 
 
The children of Israel flooded the street that day thirsty to hear the Word, and yet sometimes we regulate the Bible to just another app on our smart phones.
 
May we renew our attentiveness to the Book each and every day.
 
Romans 12:2
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Samuel 7-8   |    1 Corinthians 10