Category: Gospels
Recovering all!
Scripture reading for April 13th: 1 Samuel 27-29, John 7
Key Scriptures: 1st Samuel 30:18-19 “David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought it all back.”
While living in Philistine territory in Ziklag, David and his men were out preparing to fight with the Philistines. When they were sent home, the Amalekites had come and stolen all their wives and children as well as their goods. David inquired of the Lord and got direction to go after the Amalekites. God granted him victory and he recovered all the captive family and goods.
John 7:37-38 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'”
Prayer: Holy Father, thank You for sending Your Son to recover all Your lost sons and daughters from enemy captivity. May all come to Him and drink His life-giving Water! Amen.
Reward of Faithfulness!
Scripture reading for April 12th: 1st Samuel 24-26, John 6
Key Scriptures: 1 Samuel 26:23-25 “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and succeed in them.””
David was being hunted by Saul, because Saul was jealous of David and had an evil spirit. David spared Saul’s life because he refused to touch the Lord’s anointed. He knew that only God could take vengeance of an anointed servant. Saul blessed David and prophesied his success. Jesus, a son of David and The Son of God, spared us!
John 6:56-57 “Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on Me, he also will live because of Me.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your faithful obedience and honoring of mankind by offering Your own body and blood to give us life. Help me to honor and obey You today. Amen.
God my “Stronghold”
Scripture reading for April 11: 1st Samuel 20-23, John 5
Key Scriptures: John 6:28-29 “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Jesus told His disciples that He would be the source of resurrection and eternal life. His voice would bring people out of their graves. But not everyone would enjoy eternal life, some who had done evil would suffer judgment and eternal punishment. God knows how to protect His people and punish those who do evil!
1st Samuel 23:14 “And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for the promise of resurrection life and reward and Your protection in this life. Help me to live in faith and make You my “Stronghold”. Amen.
Our true food!
Scripture reading for April 10th: 1st Samuel 17-19, John 4
Key Scriptures: John 4:31-35 “Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
Jesus had food to eat that His disciples did not yet understand. That food was doing God’s will. God’s will was that none would be lost from the people of earth. Each soul had unique worth and was loved by God. They each needed a revelation of Jesus Christ to deliver them from the giant of sin.
1st Samuel 17:37 “And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
Prayer: Lord, let me see Your white harvest fields today and send laborers to bring in that harvest. Let that be my food as well! Amen.
God sees the heart!
Scripture reading for April 9th: 1st Samuel 13-16, John 3
Key Scriptures: John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Jesus shared the good news of His Father’s love for the whole world. Simply believing in the Son of God would bring grace for eternal life to all who would do so. Failure to place faith in the Son, Jesus Christ, would result in condemnation. God wanted all to be saved, not condemned. God sees the heart and knows those who believe!
1st Samuel 16:6-7 “When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving the whole world and making salvation as simple as believing on Your Son, Jesus Christ! Examine my heart today that I may fully believe. Amen.
One King, all Knowing!
Scripture reading for April 6th: 1st Samuel 10-12, John 2
Key Scriptures: John 2:23-25 “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His Name when they saw the signs that He was doing. But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”
Jesus was with crowds of people and many came to Him because of the miraculous signs He was doing. But Jesus was cautious about revealing Himself to men. He knew what was in the heart of each person and the plans God had laid out. Jesus had no fear of man!
1st Samuel 12:17-18 “Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.”
Prayer: Lord, may I fear and reverence only You and Your Word! Amen.
Revealed through the Word!
Scripture reading for April 4th: 1st Samuel 3-5, Luke 24
Key Scriptures: Luke 24:22-27 “Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find His body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
Jesus revealed His identity to His followers through His Holy Word! It was difficult to have faith with just sight, revelation through the Word brings faith and love!
1st Samuel 3:19,21 “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. . . And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the Word of the Lord.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the faith and revelation that comes through Your holy Word. Reveal Yourself to me today. Amen.
Grace for the humble!
Scripture reading for April 3rd: Ruth 3-4, 1st Sam. 1-2, Luke 23
Key Scriptures: Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.””
Luke records a conversation between those crucified on Calvary that day. One thief mocked Jesus and His claim to be the Christ. The other pleaded with Jesus for mercy. One got no reply, but Jesus promised the second a trip to Paradise. Ruth, appealed to Boaz, and received her eternal reward!
Ruth 3:8-9 “At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”
Faith’s reward!
Scripture reading for April 2nd: Judges 21, Ruth 1-2, Luke 22
Key Scriptures: Luke 22:26-30 “”But not so with you. Rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. “You are those who have stayed with Me in my trials, and I assign to you, as My Father assigned to Me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.””
Jesus encouraged His followers to lead by serving others, as He had done for them. Their reward for servitude would be a kingdom! They would recline at His table and sit on thrones! Ruth, a Gentile, clung to Naomi, a Jew, and served her. Her reward was the eternal kingdom!
Ruth 1:16-17 “But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your encouragement and promise of the kingdom! I cling to You today and always! Amen.
Standing before Jesus!
Scripture reading for March 30th: Judges 17-20, Luke 21
Key Scriptures: Luke 21:33-36 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Jesus told His disciples that prayer and watchfulness were necessities to survive the testing that would come upon the earth before His coming again. God’s people must live by faith in every Word He has said!
Judges 17:5-6 “And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for doing my own thing. Help me to live in faith by Your Word. Amen.