Jan 31: Job 7-8

Focus before you read. . .
In today’s reading, we find Job in conversation with his friends, continuing to speak from the “anguish of [his] spirit.” Not only has he lost his family and his possessions, but his body is “clothed with worms and scabs.” Full of despair and hopelessness, Job turns his complaints to God. “Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard?” he asks. “Leave me alone; my days have no meaning.” In response to such charges of God, Bildad, the second of Job’s friends, admonishes Job. “How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.” As you read today, focus on the questions both men raise about the nature of God. Does God pervert justice? Does He really have our best interests at heart? How do we earn His acceptance?

Questions to ask as you read. . .
1.What is Job’s attitude towards God? How does he describe the nature of God?
2.Are his views accurate?
3.What, according to Bildad, should Job do? Is this good advice? Is his theology sound?

Application to make after you read. . .
Although few of us may have undergone the level of tragedy that Job describes, many of us have shared his feelings of despair. In the midst of our trials, we may even question the essential goodness and justice of God. Are we right, though, to define God’s nature according to our experiences in this life? Are we to trust God and submit to His authority only when times are good? Believing that God truly has our best interests at heart—regardless of our external circumstances—requires both faith and a clear understanding of the nature of God. As Jesus, the Good Shepherd himself, explains, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The God of the universe, the same God who “knit us together in our mother’s womb,” created us with a purpose in mind. May we take comfort in this fact.

Prayer
Lord,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:9)

Jan 30: Psalms 9-11

Before Reading
The changing circumstances of our lives do not change how we relate to God; He maintains his role and we stay in ours. David certainly experienced extreme circumstances in his life—an outlaw fugitive, a victorious warrior and King, and a fugitive King deposed by his own son. In Psalms 9, 10, and 11 David experiences the exhilaration of victory over his enemies as well as the despair of being on the run and impatient for God’s deliverance. Though impatient for God to act at times, David did NOT assume God’s role.

During Reading
Notice carefully as you read how David outlines who is responsible for what.

I (believer) praise you, tell of your wonders, will be glad, rejoice, sing praise, take refuge, will trust in you, and declare your praises.

You (God) reign, judge, govern, are a refuge, have mercy, are a stronghold, avenge, never forsake, hear, are King forever and ever, defend the fatherless and oppressed, observe mankind, break the arm of the wicked, examine, rain down fiery coals and burning sulfur, are righteous.

After Reading Reflection
“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne…For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face”.

Jan 29: Joshua 16-20

Thrust:
Today’s reading concludes the division of the land between the tribes, and the establishment of the cities of refuge throughout the land. The cities of refuge were necessary because justice was still a very local almost clan-based matter.

Note that the provision did not provide permanent shelter if guilty.

Look in the back of your Bible to see if there is a map of the distribution of the twelve tribes. Be sure to locate Judah.

As you Read:
There are a number of literary devices that Old Testament narrative writers use to help us see where they want us to focus. One of the devices is the editorial comment. This is where the writer inserts a statement that seems almost moralistic at times, but need not be that. Here it is the idea that the tribes did not do all that God wanted them to do in clearing the land of other occupants. Another literary device is repetition. It is also used here.

Note: 13:2-6 15:63
16:10 17:12
18:3
as well as the indication that power was not the problem: 17:18
They chose to make them servants. Why?

Benjamin is a small tribe. They will join with Judah later on in forming the Southern Kingdom of Judah. We will meet people from Benjamin, but they almost function as a part of Judah.

There is now not a nation, but a rather loose confederation of tribes that can have conflict as well as cooperation.

Application:
Israel suffered from incomplete obedience. The people they left in the land would be a thorn in their side and a source of evil habits for centuries.

Are there areas of incomplete obedience in my life?
How honest am I about it, really? Do I make excuses?
Is God’s power sufficient for complete obedience?
What is lacking?

Jan 28: Genesis 12-15

Focus before you read. . .
This week we will meet another member of the “Faith Hall of Fame,” Abram, better known by his later name, Abraham. Our story opens with God’s call to the seventy-five-year-old shepherd–“Leave your country, your people. . . and go to the land I will show you”—and His promise—“I will make you into a great nation.” What follows are the opening episodes of the story of Abram’s faithful response, complete with the painful doubts that underscore the great patriarch’s need for God. As you read today, pay close attention to this tension between faith and doubt in the life of Abram, while noting God’s unfailing hand of protection.

Questions
1.What is God’s promise? What covenant does He establish with Abram?
2.How does Abram respond? When does he demonstrate great faith? When does he reveal his doubts?
3.Where is God’s hand of protection and patience evident?

Application to make after you read. . .
When God makes a promise to His people, he also requires faith. As the writer of Hebrews declares, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (11:1). God may not be calling you to uproot your family and go to an as of yet undetermined location, but He is calling each one of us to do something beyond what we can see. What is God calling you to do in the new year that requires faith? What is God calling you to do that you cannot do on your own?

Prayer
Lord, may you increase our faith and expand our vision of what you can do in us and through us. Open our eyes so that we might see what we might accomplish for your kingdom if we were not held back by our doubts.

Jan 27: Romans 7-8

Focus before you read. . .
If the believer in Jesus is declared righteous by God and stands in God’s grace, should he be concerned about the continued expressions of his old sinful lifestyle? Absolutely! The believer who has been identified with Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection is set free from his bondage to sin. He is free to serve a new Master, to appropriate the power of the life-giving Spirit, and to live a life characterized by hope, holiness, and victory over circumstances.

As you read. . .
Questions that deserve an answer. After you have completed today’s reading, you should be able to answer the following questions:
1.Are “these laws of God evil?’ (7:7)
2.“Who will free me from slavery to this deadly lower nature?” (7:24)
3.“If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?” (8:31)
4.“Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us?” (8:35)

Application to make after you read. . .
When you were a child, did you ever try to pick up a box that was much too heavy for you to lift? Try as you might, you could only raise one side an inch or two. But you were powerless to lift the entire burden, much less move it from one place to another. Then, just as you were about to abandon the project in frustration, along came an adult to help you. He reached down, picked up both you and the box, and together you “carried” the box with ease. Now think of the above example as a parable of Paul’s dilemma and yours (7:19-25). What is the box? What is the frustration? Who is the One who helps? What should your response be toward him today? Talk to Him about it right now.

Jan 26: Matthew 5-7

Focus before you read…
Jesus begins his preaching ministry. This week’s reading is traditionally called the Sermon on the Mount because Jesus preached it from a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee. In reality, rather than one sermon it is a number of smaller sermons that Jesus gives to his followers and crowds who gathered. Jesus deals with the issue of our intent in Chapter 5. In Chapter 6, Jesus warns against hypocrisy in helping the poor and in prayer and fasting. Finally, in Chapter 7 Jesus warns against false prophets, urges us to seek the narrow road that leads to eternal life, and challenges us to build our life on the solid ground of a real relationship with Jesus Christ.

Questions to ask as you read…
1.What are the areas where our intent or motives can be just as wrong as our actions?
2.What are the areas where we can be hypocritical?
3.What are the specific warnings that Jesus identifies for his followers?

Application to make after you read…
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day believed that they were spiritual and righteous because of their actions. They fasted twice a week, prayed in the synagogues, helped the poor, etc. Jesus clearly pointed out that although there actions may have been good, their motivation was wrong. God wants his children to have hearts that are motivated by His love and justice. This is the kind of heart that Jesus portrays in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11). As you read through Jesus’ teaching today, is there an area that you need to seek forgiveness because of a wrong attitude or motivation? If so, confess it to God, seek his forgiveness, and ask him to help you develop the right heart attitude in that area of your life.

Jan 25: Isaiah 12-17

Focus before you read. . .
The first twelve chapters focus on God’s judgment against the southern kingdom, Judah, and the northern kingdom, Israel. In our reading today, we learn of God’s judgment on other nations, such as Babylon. Keep in mind that Isaiah’s prophecy was made before this kingdom even became a world power. God would allow opposing nations to rule and oppose His people for a time, but their reign would be limited. Ultimately, God is in control and the “day of the Lord,” the Day of Judgment, will come. Wickedness will be punished; justice and righteousness will be restored. Isaiah’s prophecies are sometimes difficult to understand because they often have multiple meanings. For example, the destruction of the historical Babylon, located in what is now Iraq, took place in the sixth century B.C. The ancient city still lies in ruin, buried in mounds of sand and dirt. “Babylon” has also been used to represent evil and all those who oppose God. The ultimate destruction of the symbolic Babylon will not take place until the final restoration of God’s kingdom described in Revelation. As you read today, rejoice in God’s ultimate victory over the forces of evil.

Questions to ask as you read. . .
1.Why are we to praise God? (12:1-6)
2.Read 14:12-14 carefully. Some scholars believe the fallen one described here represents Satan. Whether this represents Satan or some human king, what sin is described here?
3.What were the people of Damascus putting their security in? (17:7-8)

Application to make after you read. . .
One need only look at the local paper to see the reality of evil in our midst. Many times it seems as though evil is winning the day. The pride, materialism, and idol worship of Babylon and Assyria are alive and well in our own community, yet we have reason to hope. “Surely God is my salvation,” Isaiah declares. “I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (12:2). No matter how much the forces of evil appear to be dominating the world, God promises that “the day of the LORD is coming.” And on that day, justice and righteousness will be restored. As James later writes, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. . . Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 5:7, 4: 7-8).

Prayer
Lord, thank you for your patience with me. Help me to resist the forces of evil around me and the evil desires of my own heart. You are my strength, my song, and my salvation.

Jan 24: Job 5-6

Focus before you read. . .
In our last reading, we found Job listening to the advice and accusations of his friend Eliphaz, who attributed Job’s calamities to his sin. “Those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it,” Eliphaz argues. Job’s friends, of course, and Job himself, are unaware of the larger cosmic test that is occurring. Their ignorance of the “big picture”; however, does not prevent them from trying to understand and interpret the situation. While Eliphaz does incorrectly attribute Job’s suffering to his sin, he does present Job with one theologically sound principle on suffering: discipline leads to spiritual growth. As you read today, focus on Job’s attitude towards his suffering and the ways God can discipline us to strengthen our faith.

Questions to ask as you read. . .
1.What does Eliphaz advise Job to do?
2.What does it mean to be “disciplined” by the Lord? How can discipline be a blessing?
3.What is Job’s response to Eliphaz?

Application to make after you read. . .
What role does suffering play in the life of a Christ follower? In Chapter 6, we see the depths of Job’s despair and his desire to give in and be freed from his suffering through death. God, of course, has a larger plan and purpose for Job—as He does for each one of us. He calls us to “stay under” so that we might receive the blessing of discipline. We are not to “despise the discipline of the Almighty” because His discipline is ultimately an act of LOVE designed to bring us closer to Him. “Do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves” (Proverbs 4:26; Hebrews 12:5-6). We must maintain this perspective on suffering to combat two lies from the devil: (1) God does not really have our best interest in mind and (2) God is unable to deliver us from our trial. From Genesis to Revelation, we see overwhelming evidence of God’s love and God’s power that expose these lies. Whether God chooses to deliver us from our suffering in this life or in Heaven, His love and His power are always at work in our lives!

Prayer
Lord, just as we discipline our children because we love them, you discipline us because of your perfect love for us. Help us to accept your hand of correction, even when we don’t understand our circumstances. Increase our faith so that we might not believe the lies of this world that fail to recognize your perfect love and your perfect power. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear, so that we might receive the blessings that can only come through suffering.

Jan 23: Psalms 6-8

Focus before you read. . .
The book of Psalms is valuable in learning how Man relates to and with God. As much of the Psalms are written by David, “a man after God’s own heart,” we receive a front row understanding of how it looks to communicate intimately with our loving father. David desperately depended on God for his forgiveness, mercy, provision, protection, deliverance, restoration, strength, wisdom—and the list goes on.

As you read. . .
Psalm 6 – a ‘penitential’ psalm – I am utterly without hope when I am at odds with my maker due to sin. It is only by His immeasurable mercy that I may be restored.
Psalm 7 – God is my righteous defender and avenger – “You look deep within the mind and heart” so that “he who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.”
Psalm 8 – God has appointed me Steward of His creation

Reflection
What a personal, intensely interrelated relationship God has committed himself to.

Jan 22: Joshua 11-15

THRUST:
Chapters 11 AND 12 conclude the account of the initial lengthy taking of the land.
Chapter 11 details the Northern campaign, and Chapter 12 is a summary of the complete operation. Note it coordinates the activity East of the Jordan River under Moses and the activity of Joshua, West of the Jordan River. It is seen as one piece. God’s work transcends changes in leadership. It is one piece.

AS YOU READ:
The time frame shifts in Chapter 13. The struggles of conquest took time. We have read them quickly, but about 45 years have passed. Note: Joshua 11:18 speaks of Joshua warring “against all these kings for a long time.” Joshua is “old and well advanced in years” in Joshua 13:1 Caleb provides the number. Joshua 14:10 tells us he had been 45 years “in the land.” He would have been about the same age as Joshua.

The work of conquest slows at this point—but the outlook is positive. The cities mentioned in the Gaza in 13:2-6 continued to be a problem to Israel as Philistine strongholds remained until the reign of David. We will hear a lot about them during the period of the judges.

Jebus was conquered by David, and became “the city of David”—Jerusalem. It was in the land assigned to Judah. (Josh 15:63) In spite of this, the unsubdued territories were to be divided among the tribes. This is an exercise in faith.

The division of the land is likewise seen as a whole, whether done by Moses or under the leadership of Joshua. The distribution under Joshua was done by lot. There was no favoritism.

Pay attention to Caleb. He is given Hebron by Moses for his faithfulness in believing God could give them the land when the first evaluation was made. He wants to “wear out” rather than “rust out.” Joshua “blesses” him and confirms Hebron as his. (15:13)

APPLICATION:
Has God given you a responsibility? Can you delineate it as specifically as Joshua described the land grants to the various tribes? Have you achieved it—or are there yet pockets of resistance? Have you taken “early spiritual retirement,” or are you still striving to do God’s will fully as Caleb did?

PRAYER:
Lord, What would you have me to do today?