Tag Archives: daily walk

September 18

5 Replies

Nehemiah 1-4

I love the book of Nehemiah. I love it that the names of the Jews and the section of the wall they repaired are recorded. I love it that Shallum’s daughters helped him rebuild his appointed section. I love that the Jews worked hard to complete the task at the same time they were aware of the enemy and were ready to defend the city. One hand pounded nails while the other held a sword. They were workmen by day and watchmen by night.

No one person was responsible for repairing the entire wall. Everyone did his part. I can’t imagine what that wall looked like. Different people with different levels of ability worked on different sections, often right in front of their own homes. 

Did they each put their personal touch on their section? Did Shallum’s daughters decorate their portion with flowers and rainbows? Uzziel was a goldsmith. Did he put a little sparkle in his section? And did the perfume-maker Hananiah douse his stones in fragrance? Were there little handprints pressed into the mortar or initials dug into the stone?

I love reading Nehemiah because it reminds me of what the Church should look like today. Each of us doing our part, planting seed as we take soup to a sick neighbor, teach Sunday School or sing in the choir, putting our personal touches on God’s work as part of a worshiping fellowship. All of us working individually toward one common goal.

It reminds me that there is an enemy we need to be aware of and we need to be ready to go to battle at any time. It also reminds me that, when God is in our efforts, when he is on our side because we are obedient, our enemy doesn’t stand a chance against us.

I hope you are involved in a Bible believing fellowship of believers. And I hope you are putting your own personal touch in the work there. May God be pleased with our efforts as we work together to further his kingdom, the winning of lost souls. One brick, one soul at a time.

September 16

Leave a reply

Psalm 106; Ezra 7:1-8:14

Just when it seemed the rebuilding of Jerusalem would never happen, that Satan had won, King Artaxerxes wrote Ezra a letter and sent him and the other Jews on their way to continue the work. In fact, he sent them away with silver and gold, livestock for sacrifices, and gave them permission to gather more if they needed. Do what the God of heaven tells you, he said.

The theme of obedience is such an important one in Scripture. Our holy God demands holiness of his people. He has lovingly put to pen and paper the rules he demands we live by so there would be no mistake. He even went to the cross himself to provide forgiveness, knowing we humans are incapable of holiness on our own. 

He demands obedience. The Bible says we should fear him, we should be very afraid to disobey him because the consequences for sin are severe.

Ezra was faithful to God and God used Ezra to complete his work. God is looking for faithful followers today because there is work to be done on a spiritual Jerusalem built in souls redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Satan has no power over God. Let’s determine to be obedient servants to the One who is all powerful. Let’s stay in his Word, praying and working to expand his kingdom by the winning of lost souls. 

Dear God of heaven, may you find us faithful today. May we obey you, may we share you with someone, may we do our part to continue your work. And may you get the glory!

September 15

2 Replies

Esther 9:18-10:3; Ezra 4:6-23; Psalm 105

Those little troublemakers finally got their way. The Jews working to rebuild Jerusalem were forced to stop because a few foreigners got to the king. They had tried before with Xerxes but that king liked the Jews. So they waited for Artaxerxes and he listened to their complaints and stopped the work.

Has that been your experience with Satan? We win one victory over temptation only to be faced with another. We get through one difficult situation only to be hit with another, more difficult one. If we are God’s children there is a target on our backs and Satan is taking aim to prevent us from serving the Lord.

Take heart, dear one. Hold on. Keep trusting God no matter what circumstance you face.

The psalm we read today reminds us of how God worked through the nation of Israel. They faced hard times. They were slaves in Egypt but God brought them out with rejoicing and shouts of joy, laden with silver and gold. Why did God deliver them and settle them in Canaan? Verse 45 says:

that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.

Obey God in good times and in bad. Face our enemy with God at your side. Our Lord can bring you out of whatever it is Satan is throwing at you with rejoicing and shouts of joy.

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your word to us again today. Some of us are feeling the stings of Satan’s arrows. Our lives are difficult and we hurt. So thank you for reminding us that you are here and you are able to defeat our enemy, to bring good out of our trouble. May we be obedient children regardless of our situations. Keep us strong. Keep us focused. And may others see your hand in our lives. We want to keep your work going, Lord, so that lost souls can find you.

September 10

Leave a reply

Zechariah 7:1-8:23; Ezra 5:1-6:18

Here’s a question.

God asked the Jews, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?”

Ouch.

That verse has prompted me to question myself. Church attendance, praying, reading Scripture, this blog, volunteering, tithing. What are my motives behind everything I do in Jesus’ name?

Am I looking for recognition? Do I like how I feel when I’ve been to church? 

I had a friend who had the flu on a Sunday morning and wasn’t able to participate in the Communion service. I spoke to her on that Monday and she said she hated missing Communion because then it seemed bad luck followed her all week. Really? Do we take Communion for good luck?

If I go to a worship service looking for some “feeling” of worship – my focus is on me not God. If I sing in the choir or teach Sunday School hoping to get an “attaboy” I’m in it for me.

Why am I really serving the Lord? Is it because I want him to bless me? Or have I honestly caught his zeal for lost souls?

I need to take inventory today and I’m pretty sure I have some things to confess to my Savior. I want to be able to look him in the eye and know my life was all about him. Period.

Heavenly Father, you created us with egos. You created us with feelings. And we all want to be accepted. So, God, I pray that you will help your children to set aside those things that we think we need and turn our focus on you. What is it you want us to do today? May we do it because we love you, because we want to give back to you, because we want to see souls won for eternity. And may we do it regardless of the personal outcome. Thank you for reminding us that this life is all about you. Forgive us when we try to make it about us.

August 29

4 Replies

Ezekiel 32:1-33:20, 40:1-27

Our responsibility as Christians is to warn unbelievers about the danger ahead. God calls us “watchmen”. 

A watchman stands guard, alert and prepared. When he sees the enemy approaching he shouts his warning, blows his trumpet. Danger! Danger!

What the townspeople do with that warning is up to them. But the watchman will not be held accountable as long as he is faithful to warn, even if they don’t listen.

There is danger ahead for those who don’t now Jesus as their Savior. Hell is real. We might, on occasion, think someone deserves to go to hell. Maybe they have wronged us. Or committed a horrible crime. Or live blatant ungodly lives. There are evil people in this world.

But you know what God thinks about those people? 33:11 says “…As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from  your evil ways!…”

Whether it’s a government official who favors legislation against Bible standards, a cult leader, an abusive parent or a neighborhood drug pusher – God want them all to come to him through Jesus. Christ died for every one of them. And, in reality, no one deserves hell more than me. I am a sinner myself, saved by grace.

I am thanking God for grace. And I want to be a faithful watchman who does her job and warns unsaved people about the danger ahead. It’s serious business. If I don’t warn them the Bible says I will be held accountable for their blood. 

Dear God, who is it that needs to hear a warning today? Let me be sensitive to your leading and may I be faithful. Help us Christians to not be ashamed of the Gospel because it really does have the power to save. May we allow you to speak through us and may lost souls recognize the danger ahead and accept your grace. May your watchmen do our jobs today.

August 28

1 Reply

Ezekiel 37-39

Trying to fit prophesy in material boxes can be exhausting and confusing. Do prophesies such as what we read today concern the piece of dirt we know as Israel? Is God speaking about the flesh and blood descendants of Jacob when he refers to Israel and Judah? Will King David, long dead when Ezekiel penned these words, come back to life and physically rule on a throne forever? 

I’m one who is cautious about dividing verses and placing them in either the material or the spiritual columns as I read. So, because I don’t believe old David is going to show up in the flesh, and I don’t see God establishing his eternal residence in the Middle East, I look for the spiritual truths these and other prophesies reveal.

The repeated theme is the bottom line here. The events of life (which no doubt include wars, famine, times of blessing and times of drought) all happen for one reason only.

Check out the following verses: Ezekiel 37:6,13,28; 38:16,23; 39:6,7,13,21,22,23,27,28. They all tell us these things happen to reveal our Holy God to the world. We spend so much time trying to figure out the events we just might be missing the message.

God wants us to know that nothing happens in this life by accident. Everything that occurs in your life and mine today happens for one reason – to reveal Christ to and through us.

If the prophesy is talking about war it might be talking about that struggle you are having with sin. If it’s talking about famine it might be referring to the hunger you have in your heart to know God. Drought? How is your fellowship going with your Savior? Harvest? Are you leading people to Jesus?

We live in a material world. We have flesh and blood aches and pains, challenges, blessings. But we also live in a very spiritual world. And that’s the world that will last for eternity. Everything else will pass away.

Lord, may we remember that everything that happens to us in this short life time is about you. It’s about you revealing yourself to each of us as a Holy God and a personal Savior. It’s about you revealing yourself to others through us when we allow you to shine through the circumstances of life. I pray that we would not lose focus, that we would keep our eyes on Jesus, and trust you to do your perfect work in and through us. Once again, Lord, I pray that you would find us faithful so that you can be glorified.

August 27

4 Replies

Ezekiel 34-36

When Jesus talked about the sheep in Matthew 18, the people no doubt recalled what Ezekiel had written so many years before. They knew sheep referred to them and assured them that God would take care of them.

I’ve heard it said sheep are dumb animals that don’t have the sense enough to stay in safety. Once they recognize their shepherd’s voice, they follow it even if it leads them over a cliff. A former pastor once said we were to follow Christ like that, and I guess I see where he was going. We need to trust God completely, even if we don’t understand where he’s leading us.

Anyway – today as I read I was reminded that sheep were very important to the people in Bible times. They were a source of income, they provided food and clothing, and the choicest of them became sacrifices for sin.

It’s not that God chose the dumbest animal on the farm to use for an example of his people. He chose the most important animal to show where we stand in creation. 

Ezekiel and Jesus show us that God considers each one of the sheep (you and me) precious. He will go to any length to protect and nurture the weakest, to keep the strongest in the fold, and he’ll hunt us down if we stray.

I like being a sheep. I like knowing my Shepherd has my back. I don’t want to follow him blindly, but I want to follow him trusting him because he can be trusted. I want to know my Shepherd’s voice so that when the wolf comes calling I’ll know the difference and stay close to my Protector. 

My Dear Shepherd, thank you for loving your sheep. Thank you for caring for us, for protecting us, feeding us, leading us. May we listen when you call, obey when you command, and may we not stray. Hold on to your people, Lord, so the nations will recognize you are God and there is no better place to be than by your side.

August 26

4 Replies

Ezekiel 27:1-28:26, 33:21-33

Some people think being a Christian ought to guarantee health, wealth, and happiness. And in a sense, they are right. God created Adam and Eve who enjoyed all that and more in the Garden of Eden. But when sin entered the picture, things changed. Forever.

Jerusalem was in ruins. And Ezekiel tells us the Jews were questioning God. Shouldn’t they, as descendants of Abraham, “possess the land”? 

God, through Ezekiel in chapter 33 reminds them that as long as sin exists, as long as they disobey God’s commands, they will not possess the land. 

He goes on to say God is not impressed with their worship. They listen to the Word but don’t put it into practice. They express devotion but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 

Ezekiel says you might as well go to a concert and enjoy the music, admire the talented musicians, and be thrilled by the performance for all the good it does to hear God’s Word and not be moved to action. The result is the same. You leave the venue unchanged.

God would remind us today that we cannot enjoy the things God created us to have – joy, fellowship with our holy God, peace, strength, hope – as long as sin exists in our lives. 

The question is: what are you going to do about it? Did you go to church yesterday and hear the Truth proclaimed from the pulpit? Did you allow God to speak to you today when you read his Word? Have you felt him nudge you toward talking to your neighbor or co-worker about the Lord? Have you felt conviction over a sin you’ve committed?

Hearing is the first step. But it’s not the only step. We need to get out there and obey, allowing God’s Word to change us from the inside so we can live for him in the day to day.

Remember, you can’t possess the land, you can’t have that sweet fellowship with the Lord if you have sin in your heart.

Material health and wealth aren’t the focus here. What is important is your heart’s condition in light of Scripture. I pray that you will allow God to defeat sin in your life as you confess and repent. Then you will possess the “land” he has in store for you.

And there is a great view from there!

August 24

3 Replies

Jeremiah 43:1-44:30; Psalms 71, 116

Psalm 116 is a psalm of hope and filled with praise. The writer reminds us that “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion” (vs 5). It goes on to say God protects and gives rest, that he answers prayers and gets us through tough times. 

And how can we repay God for all he does for us? Verses 12-14 tell us God wants us to obey him, to live lives that honor him.

But then in verse 15 the psalmist throws in a verse that seems kind of random to me. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” It’s really the only verse in this psalm that talks about death.

I know this verse has been used at funerals and is a comfort to those of us who grieve over the home-going of a believer. But because it seems so out of place here I wonder if the psalmist isn’t talking about another kind of death.

Jesus used the example of a seed that dies before it can grow. Paul said he was crucified with Christ, yet he lives. Dying to self is a theme repeated often in the New Testament. And I wonder if this isn’t what the psalmist is talking about, too.

He goes on to say, “O Lord, truly I am your servant”. 

Just a thought. And a reminder that this life isn’t about me. It’s about God. May I give up control, die to self,  and allow God to have his way in my life. Then I can say with the psalmist:

“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” (vs 7)

August 23

5 Replies

Lamentations 5:1-22; 2 Kings 25:22-26; Jeremiah 40:1-42:22

As I read this morning I found myself wondering what it was about the poor people that even the King of Babylon wasn’t interested in. He had captured Jerusalem and took prisoners. But according to Jeremiah 40:7 he left the men, women, and children who were the poorest in the land.

These people were advised to serve the King of Babylon and things would go well with them. But the King obviously didn’t consider them a threat.

So I find myself asking – does my enemy consider me a threat? Or does Satan leave me be because he’s not concerned about my testimony?

I may call myself a Christian but do I go days or weeks without reading God’s Word and am rarely convicted when I do? Do I attend church most Sundays, but have learned the art of dozing with my eyes open? Is Satan worried about my prayer life? Does he tremble at the thought of me reaching out to my neighbor who doesn’t know Christ?

This might sound strange – but I don’t want to be left out. I want Satan to fear me and throw me his best shot. Because if he does, he’ll be defeated by God himself who lives in me.

Didn’t Paul count it all joy to represent God in the midst of trials? Didn’t Jesus ask us to take up our cross and follow him? Hasn’t God proven over and over that we are more than conquerors through him?

God, forgive me when I drift so far away from you that even Satan ignores me. I’m not asking for heartache or problems in my life. But I am asking that my relationship will be so strong, so vital, that Satan will be threatened by it. Then, when heartaches or problems come my way, you and I will be able to handle them so you can be glorified. Go with me into battle today, Lord. May your purpose be accomplished in me.