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Steadfast Love – Joshua 22 – 2025 Day 234

Published on August 20, 2025August 20, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 22, Joshua 22

Wow, this is a rich chapter full of practical application for my own life! It reminded me to be steadfast and faithful and to keep my promises, even when I’d rather not. It reminded me of the greatest commandment to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It reminded me that love is more than just an emotion. Love is an action, and love results in humble submission to the will of the one we love. If we love God, we will obey His commands, like John 14:15 says.

Only be very careful to observe the commandment
and the law
that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you,
to love the LORD your God,
and to walk in all his ways
and to keep his commandments
and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart
and with all your soul.”
Joshua 22:5 ESV

It reminded me that I need to not be so quick to judge other people’s motives, but instead give them the benefit of the doubt until I have time to hear from them. If I’m having a problem with someone, I should bring it to their attention and talk to them about it. And then I need to really listen to what they have to say, rather than assuming the worst.

It reminded me that God cares about why these Israelite tribes were building that altar – but also that just having the right motives doesn’t make something ok. There are still right and wrong decisions even if your heart is in the right place.

That was a lot from one chapter out of the Old Testament! 🎉

Heavenly Father, please help me to be faithful to keep my promises, even when it would be easier to just move on. You are a promise keeping God, and I want to be more like You. Cleanse my heart and renew my mind. Help me to love You with my all in all. Help me not turn aside to idols, remembering that I cannot serve both You and my own passions. Give me the patience and courage I need to talk to people that I’m having problems with and to sincerely listen, rather than hastily prejudging their motives. Make me more like You, Lord. I want to be more like You. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and Perfect Example for everything, I pray. Amen.

Today’s Podcast on YouTube — the video didn’t sync properly with the audio, so please just listen and don’t watch it. 🙂

Here’s the audio file for the podcast – take a listen for yourself.

Here’s a link to the podcast if you prefer to watch/listen on YouTube. Click here.

Heart Full of Praise – Phil Wickham

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God is Sovereign: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands – Joshua 21 – 2025 Day 233

Published on August 19, 2025August 19, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 21, Joshua 21

Two year ago, when I originally wrote these posts, I was in the middle of working on a talk about God’s sovereignty. So, imagine how I felt when I noticed that Joshua 21 ends with these beautiful words.

Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:45 ESV

Joshua 21:45 reminds me of a quote from the book Does God Control Everything? by R.C. Sproul which I shared in my talk on sovereignty

“If God is not sovereign, then God is not God. If there is even one maverick molecule in the universe … we cannot have the slightest confidence that any promise God has ever made about the future will come to pass.”
R.C. Sproul.

Heavenly Father, You are indeed good, and You are indeed sovereign. You are sovereign over us. Your plans are for good and not for evil. Your plans are to prosper us and not to harm us. Your plans are for our good and for Your glory. We believe that every word of God proves true; You are a shield to those who take refuge in You. We are so, so thankful for Your power and might. Help us to trust You in the fire and in the flood, to walk by faith and not by fear. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our sovereign Lord, the Almighty King over all kings, we pray. Amen.

Sovereign Over Us – Shane and Shane

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The Lord is My Refuge – Joshua 20 – 2025 Day 232

Published on August 18, 2025August 17, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 20, Joshua 20

In Joshua 20, the Lord told Joshua and the people of Israel to designate cities of refuge where those who had unintentionally killed someone could flee. I’ve never killed anyone (intentionally or not), but sinful anger has festered in my heart more times than I care to admit.

Let’s not forget the words of Jesus, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthrew 5:21-22 ESV)

We all deserve the death penalty, but Jesus paid the price that by our faith in Him we can be set free, as Romans 6:23 reminds us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I’m so thankful that the Almighty Lord God is my ever-present refuge, and that His Son is my city of refuge.

Here’s a smattering of verses from Psalms which point to the Lord as our refuge. Meditate on them. Write them out. Memorize them. Let this truth wash over your soul.

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.” Psalm 5:11 ESV
“O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,” Psalm 7:1 ESV
“Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.” Psalm 17:7 ESV
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 ESV
“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30 ESV
“Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.” Psalm 25:20 ESV
“The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” Psalm 28:8 ESV
“Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!” Psalm 31:2 ESV
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8 ESV
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” Psalm 57:1B
“Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” Psalm 61:4 ESV
“On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:7-8 ESV
“Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:3 ESV
“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Psalm 73:28 ESV
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” Psalm 118:8-9 ESV
“I cry to you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’” Psalm 142:5 ESV
“He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.” Psalm 144:2 ESV

Heavenly Father, You are my refuge, my strength, my rock, and my fortress. I have no reason to fear for You are by my side. I am hidden under the shelter of Your wings. Strengthen me to trust in You and You alone. Let me not be shaken. Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but I trust in the almighty name of Jesus Christ, my Faithful Refuge, I pray. Amen

Psalm 34 – Taste and See – Shane and Shane

Want to download a free PDF of these verses? Here it is!

The Lord is my Refuge – Psalms ESV Download

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Delayed Obedience is Disobedience – Joshua 18-19 – 2025 Day 231

Published on August 17, 2025August 16, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 19; Joshua 18-19

So Joshua said to the people of Israel,
“How long will you put off going in
to take possession of the land,
which the LORD, the God of your
fathers, has given you?”
Joshua 18:3 ESV

Heavenly Father, You, are my chosen portion and cup; You hold the lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance, because You are the sovereign Lord over the drawing of my lot.

Let me not delay in whatever task You have called me to do. If you’re calling me to faith in Christ, I pray that TODAY would be the day of my salvation, that I would not put it off any more. If you’re calling me to share the good news of the gospel with a friend or neighbor or family member, I pray that TODAY would be the day that I open my mouth and speak the words of eternal life. If you’re calling me to cook and clean and wipe bottoms and noses, I pray that TODAY and EVERYDAY I would work heartily at the high and holy calling of motherhood, serving You, Lord, and not men. Whatever it is that you’re calling me to, I pray that the journey would start TODAY and that I would continue FAITHFULLY by Your strength and direction.

Help me, Father, to remember that You are the God of small beginnings, and that You are the God who leads and guides and calls. In the Name of Jesus Christ my Lord, I pray. Amen.

Softly and Tenderly – Fountainview Academy

DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE podcast

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I Will Call Upon the Lord – PODCAST for Joshua 16-17

Published on August 16, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

I Will Call Upon the Lord – Teach What is Good Podcast Episode 27

“I will Call Upon the Lord” – Michael O’Shields version

“I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” – Psalm 18:3 ESV

12 Tribes of Israel – Joshua 16-17 – 2025 Day 230

Published on August 16, 2025August 16, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 18; Joshua 16-17

Reading today and praying about what the Lord wants me to take away from this passage today, I have three main thoughts:

(1) The people of Joseph (the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim) were numerous and received a large portion of land, yet they did not drive out the Canaanites. They could have done it. They should have done it. But they didn’t do it. Whatever the Lord is telling me to do, I can do in His strength … but sometimes I just don’t want to. Father, help me to obey you even in the things that seem too hard or too trivial. Help me to trust Your plan.

(2) God has good plans for women, too. My dad was the only son in his family and he only had daughters. Additionally, his dad was the only son who survived to bear children. I’m thankful for God’s provisions for women, even listing these 5 daughters by name. Father, help me to be thankful to be a woman. Help me to believe that it is a precious gift to be a nurturer and a helper. Thank You for Your unending faithfulness and care for me and for my daughters. I pray for my extended family, my aunts and uncles and cousins. Lord, please draw them into Your kingdom and bless them with an eternal inheritance with You by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(3) And, finally, I’m reminded again that God had a purpose for His chosen people, Israel, and He still does. Will you join me in praying for them?

Heavenly Father, we lift up the descendants of Israel. We pray that You will draw them back to Your side, open their eyes to see their Messiah, Jesus. Thank You for the firm roots that they have provided for us. Let us not become arrogant and haughty. Rather, we pray that they would be provoked to jealousy by this wild olive branch, so that they would be grafted back in to Your kingdom through the precious gift of faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord we pray.

Behold our God – Sovereign Grace Music

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A Prayer for my Children to have the Faith of Caleb – Joshua 14-15 – 2025 Day 229

Published on August 15, 2025August 9, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 17; Joshua 14-15

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the example of Caleb who followed You wholeheartedly. I pray that You would give my children faith like his. Give them strength to stand alone, trusting in Your promises and in the truth of Your Word. Help them to be steadfast in the light of ridicule and persecution. Give them the courage to swim against the current, to stand out from the crowd – not in pride but in humble submission to Your holy, revealed will.

Please, Father, give each of my children a faithful friend like Joshua to walk the lonely path of righteousness with them and to lift them up when they stumble.

Lord, You hold my children’s lives in Your hands. You alone know the number of their days. Please bless them with long life, sustain them physically and spiritually, that they may testify to Your Great Goodness for many, many years, and someday, Lord, many years from now, bring them into the Promised Land of Heaven to live in Your presence for all eternity.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, the true Savior and Sustainer of Life, I pray. Amen.

This Little Light of Mine – J.J. Heller

Dare to be a Daniel – Cedarmont Kids

The Rollercoaster Ride of Life – Psalm 16, Acts 17, Joshua 13 – Today’s PODCAST – Embedded

Published on August 14, 2025August 14, 2025 by kendraskeLeave a comment

The Rollercoaster Ride of Life – Psalm 16, Joshua 13 Podcast

A Pro-life Atheist shares her story of becoming a Pro-life Christian

The Rollercoaster Ride of Life – Joshua 13 – 2025 Day 228

Published on August 14, 2025August 14, 2025 by kendraske1 Comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 16, Joshua 13

See this rollercoaster? It’s called “Runaway Mine Train.” If you ever find yourself in St Louis, you can go to Six Flags and ride it yourself. The Mine Train is about the only rollercoaster ride that I’ll go on.

I don’t like rollercoasters that shoot you out going 100 mph. I don’t like rollercoasters that make you travel backwards or through endless dark tunnels. I don’t like rollercoasters that make you spin around in circles and leave you dizzy. I prefer a more sedate, predictable ride with just a few bumps and turns.

Over 25 years ago, we found out that the much-planned-for baby that I was carrying had passed away in my womb. Less than a month earlier I’d walked into my doctor’s office for what I thought would be a routine 12-week checkup, absolutely unaware that the entire course of my life was about to change. That day I had the first of a series ultrasounds which revealed that my unborn son had a fully obstructed bladder, followed by an amniocentesis to check for generic anomalies, and ultimately in-utero surgery. The rollercoaster ride I hadn’t signed up for came to an abrupt halt with the words, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Endraske. We can’t find a heartbeat.”

But, God.

God had different plans for me and my family. God had a different little boy in mind to grow up in my family. God was at work behind the scenes for who He wanted to be my oldest son. This journey, too, would feel like a runaway rollercoaster ride, but this time the ride included the prize of a beautiful little boy in my arms.

There have been plenty of situations in my fifty-plus years of life that I never would’ve chosen for myself. Twists and turns, highs and lows, that I wish I’d never taken.

But, God.

El Roi, the God who sees, is the One who has expertly laid out the tracks that my life has run on. Though my life has all too often felt completely out-of-control, the truth is that God has been guiding and directing my course.

My heart had planned my way, but the Lord is who established my steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
Many have been the plans of my mind, but it has been the purpose of the Lord that has stood. (Proverbs 19:21)
The Lord’s plans have been for my welfare and hope, not for my harm (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

The roller coaster ride of my life has compelled me to seek God, rather than merely coasting down the paths I would have chosen for myself. He used this valley to equip me to start the “A Child of Promise” online ministry and write a book for parents continuing their pregnancy following a poor or fatal prenatal prognosis.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:5-11 ESV

How about you? Are you on a ride of life right now that you’re thinking, “I didn’t sign up for this?” Are you looking frantically for the escape hatch? What do you think the Lord is teaching you in the process?

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, Your ways are higher and better than ours. You hold my life, my future, in Your Almighty hand. You are on Your sovereign throne. Help me trust You. Even when I’m walking through dark valleys, help me remember that You are with me, holding my hand and guiding me in the paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake. Give me strength to trust You to rightly order and direct my steps. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Good Shepherd and the Captain of my soul, I pray. Amen.