Category: Bible

FEAR NOT – Joshua 1 – 2025 Day 217

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 5; Joshua 1

Growing up, I fought a persistent battle with fear, especially fear of death. As an atheist, my life was the mere result of random chance. I thought I was the master of my own fate, and I knew I was not a very good master. I was just one of five billion people in the world, weak in both the physical and moral sense of the word.

Fear is the natural by-product of a lack of faith
in a good, all-powerful God.

As God prepares Joshua for his new job as leader of the Israelite nation, God is so kind to remind Joshua that He is going with him and that He is a promise-keeping God.

Friends, if you are a child of God, God is with you, too. He will not leave you or forsake you. He is with you WHEREVER you go. But you need to be strong and courageous to do the things He has called you to do.

If he wants to reach the Promised Land, Joshua will have to step into the rushing Jordan River. Likewise, if you want to follow God, you will have to take that first step of obedience.

That first step is often the scariest. Speaking up when it’s easier to be silent. Knocking on a new neighbor’s door. Saying goodbye to a boyfriend who’s no good for you. These are hard things, but if we never take that first step we will never see where the road leads. And taking that first scary step is oh so much less frightening when you know that the Lord has called you to it, and that He is with you.

I’m praying for you.

Heavenly Father, please help us to take that first step of obedience, to strike out into the unknown. Help us to be strong and courageous, believing without a doubt that You will never leave us or forsake us, that You are with us wherever we go. Please guide us by Your Holy Spirit. Convict us of our sin, our sins of unbelief, cowardice, and complacency. Help us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. For the glory of Your Name, and in the power of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

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Joshua 1:9 scripture memory verse song

Find it on YouTube

“Fear Not” – Hannah Kerr

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Reading and Writing the Word – Deuteronomy 17 – 2025 Day 206

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 25; Deuteronomy 17

The Lord knows man’s heart, and the Lord knows the future. He knows that we are prone to be partial and selfish and unjust. He knows how easy it is for us to go astray, whether we are a common laborer or housewife or the highest leader in the land. So, in His mercy, He gave us the Law, His Word to memorize and to meditate on. Though the Israelites had never had a king, God knew that someday they would, so He made provision especially for him, saying, “Don’t get a bunch of horses and wives and stuff because then your heart will turn away from Me.” But He didn’t stop there. God didn’t only have a ‘don’t do’ list. He went on to say,

“And when [a Hebrew king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ESV

This is a good word for us, too. There is great value in not only reading the Word, but also in writing it. Take the time to write down the actual words of the Bible, along with your own personal thoughts.

Read the Word daily. Meditate on what it says. And obey its commands. Remember that the Lord your God is in your midst and fear Him, that you will be humble and it will go well with you.

This spring I wrote out all six chapters of Ephesians by hand. It was truly hand-breaking, heart-blessing work. Have you ever written out a whole chapter, or book, of scripture? Have you ever kept a journal or taken notes on what you read? How did it impact you?

Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us Your Word. We want to know it, that we may know You. We want to walk in Your ways. We want to be more like You. Help us to read, write, and meditate on Your Word that we might be merciful, humble, and just as You are. We lift our nation’s leaders before Your throne of grace. Guide and direct their steps. Open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in You. (Acts 26:18) Bless us, Lord, that we might be a blessing to other. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

God, the Uncreated One (King Forevermore) – Keith and Kristyn Getty

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He Humbled Me and Made Me Hunger – Deuteronomy 8-9 – 2025 Day 201

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 20; Deuteronomy 8-9

“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers.

And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.

Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’

You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Thank You, Lord, for Your abundant blessings on my nation and on my family and on me. You, Father, are the giver of every good gift. You have caused me to hunger and thirst, and you have fed me with the Bread of Life and quenched my thirst with Living Water. Thank you for every single circumstance and situation that You have brought me through, the joyful and the painful. You have used them each for my good. Amen.

Think About What You’re Thinking About – Philippians 4 – 2025 Day 195

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 14; Philippians 4

Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.

Philippians 4:8 ESV
  • What do you fall asleep thinking about?
  • What is the first thing on your mind when you wake up?
  • Where does your mind dwell, abide, rest, live?
  • When you have a few quiet moments, where do your thoughts naturally run to?
  • Is it to things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy … Or is it to things that are anxious, rude, mean, cruel, crude, immoral, or irritable?

Dear sisters, we are caught in a battle, a battle between light and dark, good and evil, God and the devil. So much of that battle is fought in our minds and, sadly, that is where the battle is so often lost. Think about Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

If we want to win this battle, we have to think about what we’re thinking about, and forcibly take those rogue thoughts captive to obey Christ.

Ask yourself, “Is this true?” No? Get rid of it! “Is this pure and honorable?” No? Put it away! “Would I want to tell Jesus about these thoughts that I’m dwelling on?” No? Then, cast them away! They don’t belong in your head.

Heavenly Father, help me to think about what I’m thinking about. Help me to recognize the power that the thoughts in my head have over what I say and do and feel. Help me to remember that I am in a battle, and that You are victorious, that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Help me to take every thought captive to obey Christ. Help me not to be anxious, but in everything to cast my cares upon You and know without a doubt that You care for me. Help me to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks, knowing that this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for me. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray. Amen.

So many song choices for today! Check ’em all out and pick your favorite!

Whatever Things (Philippians 4:4-8 Bible Song) – Royal Generation
Think about Such Things – Philippians 4:8 – Truth Songs
Philippians 4:8-9 (Lyric Video) – The Corner Room
Philippians 4:8 Lyric Video – Songs from the Loop
Philippians 4:4-8 Bible Verses to Memorize for Kids with Actions – In the Gap Kids

Philippians – in 20 minutes – 2025 Day 188

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 7; Philippians 1-4

This is the first short book of the Bible in my “Read through the Bible in 2 Years” plan. I suggest that you first read the entire book in one sitting as though you’d just received a letter from a friend you haven’t seen in years. Then, each day of this week, really meditate on just a little bit at a time.

Have you ever tried memorizing a whole book of the Bible? I haven’t. I’ve memorized several chapters, such as Psalm 139 and 1 Corinthians 13, but never a whole book. Philippians would be a great book to memorize from beginning to end. I’ve already memorized most of chapters 2 and 4 along with a smattering of other verses from this book. Maybe I should try memorizing the whole thing! Here are some great reasons why and tips to memorize an entire book of the bible.

One great way to work toward memorizing is to record yourself reading, then listen to it while you’re walking. So, I recorded the whole book myself. You’re welcome to listen to me – or try it yourself! By the way, I use the ESV translation if you’d like to read along.

Philippians 1-4 ESV

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Solid Food is for the Mature – Hebrews 5-6 – 2025 Day 159

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 126; Hebrews 5-6

But solid food is for the mature ​— ​for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

Hebrews 5:14 CSB

I sure enjoy a freshly grilled steak, but there’s no way I would feed it to my one-year-old granddaughter. I remember when that precious little girl was first learning to suck rice cereal off a spoon. Then, she graduated to yogurt and oatmeal. Now she can eat just about anything, but steak? She’s still not ready for it, but it won’t be long if her Pop has anything to say about it.

It takes more than simply time to develop maturity. I’ve met plenty of 50-year-old men that don’t have the maturity of my 26-year-old son. My youngest son is 17 years old. He’s 6’1″ and almost 170 lbs. Fully grown? Maybe. Fully mature? Nope, definitely not. Though he may be ten giant leaps in front of many of his peers, he still has so much to learn. Maturity takes wisdom and learning. Maturity takes testing and trial and error.

Like this passage says, the mature have trained their powers of discernment by constant practice, distinguishing good from evil. How are we doing, sisters? Are we training our children (and ourselves) to be discerning, knowing the Lord and hiding His Word in our hearts? Are we listening to the wisdom of the world or the Word? Are we following our hearts or our Master?

Heavenly Father, we want to be mature. We want to be discerning. We want to love what you love and hate what you hate. We pray for our children to know and love your Word, that they would hide it faithfully in their hearts, and we pray that we would be diligent in teaching and training them. Help us to be godly examples for the next generation, being sober-minded and making the most of every day that we are given. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

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Hallelujah, What a Savior! – Hymns of Grace

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The Sharp Scalpel of the Word – Hebrews 4 – 2025 Day 157

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 124; Hebrews 4

For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, 
of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, 
but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews 4:12-13 NASB95

I remember when I had my “jubilee year” physical, and my doctor told me that it was time for my first colonoscopy. Friends, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to be on a liquid diet and tethered to the toilet for 24 hours. I didn’t want to be put under anesthesia, and I most certainly didn’t want to have my bottom examined by strangers. But, it was the right thing to do, because those unseen things inside me needed to be exposed and inspected, so that whatever impurities needed to be removed could be clearly seen.

So, I did it, even though I didn’t want to. And now, looking back, I’m glad I did. Even though it was painful, it was for my good, not for my harm

Friends, do you believe that the Bible you are holding in your hands is the very Word of God, that the God who spoke the world into existence, the One who holds your life and eternity in His Almighty hands, is the very God who breathed out the words of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus, as well as Matthew, John, and Hebrews? Do you believe that God’s written Word is as powerful as His spoken Word?

If you do indeed believe that, then take a moment to ponder how that should affect your life.

If God’s spoken word can cause lands and seas to appear, and birds to fly across the sky, then surely His written word can cause the dead to be born again. If God’s spoken word can cause soldiers to fall to the ground (John 18:6), then we ought to trust that God’s written word can convict even the hardest heart and bring them to repentance. If God’s spoken word can change the world, then we should trust that God’s written word can change your heart and life.

Sometimes we’re afraid to go to the doctor because we don’t want to hear the bad news.

Sometimes we refuse to be put under the knife, because we don’t want to go through the inevitable pain that will follow.

Oh, but friends, just like I’d tell you to go to the dermatologist for that suspicious spot on your nose, I’m telling you to get your nose into the Word. You need it. I need it. We need the double-edged sword of the Word.

Like a scalpel in the hands of an expert surgeon, God’s Word can root out the cancerous diseases of pride and selfishness and sin. God’s Word has pierced my heart time after time. Each time it hurts, but each time it’s good.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us Your Word. It is indeed living and active. It is life-giving and powerful. It reveals truth to me and it pierces my soul. I pray for my sisters who are afraid, who don’t want to read it, who know that they need heart surgery, but are running away in fear. Please remind them of Your goodness and mercy, that You are the perfect physician and judge who wants for their good and not for their harm. Help us to hunger for You and to find You in Your written Word. May we not perish for lack of knowledge while Your Word sits unopened on the shelf. In the name of Jesus, the Living Word we pray, Amen.

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Your Words are Wonderful (Psalm 119) – Sovereign Grace Music

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Encouragement and Exhortation – Hebrews 3 – 2025 Day 156

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 123, Hebrews 3

Depending on what translation you’re using, Hebrews 3:13 might say that we need to encourage or exhort one another every day, that none of us would be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. This English word for “encourage” or “exhort” is the Greek word “parakaleo,” a verb that literally means to call near or to call to one’s side.

http://www.BlueLetterBible.com

I love this idea of encouragement or exhortation literally meaning to call near or to call to one’s side. It’s not standing behind you, pushing you forward, commanding you to get going. It’s calling you up to walk with me.

Come on, friend. Come with me.
Walk this journey with me.
Hold my hand. Let’s walk together.
God is with us. He will give us the strength that we need. Jesus has walked this road before and given us an example. We can persevere by His grace and His Spirit at work in us.

This is your call to persevere. It’s easy to drift downstream, but it takes effort to fight against the current. If we want to go upstream, we have to put our paddles in the water and do the work.

But we are not called to row alone. Let’s get in the boat together. When we both put our hands to the oars and pull together side by side, we can go farther and accomplish more than we ever could on our own.

  • Who in your life needs some encouragement?
  • Who can you parakaleo – call to your side – today?
  • In what area of your life is God calling you to persevere?

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of encouragement we have in Your Holy Spirit. He is our paraclete, our helper and advocate. We are not alone. You are always with us. I pray for each of my sisters and brothers who are feeling lonely, who feel like they are rowing all by themselves in the middle of a vast ocean. Lord, help them to remember that You are with them, and that there is a vast army of believers surrounding them, rowing alongside them. Please place your lonesome children into a body of believers who can parakaleo them, rowing with them and encouraging them to keep going until the final finish line, until the moment they hear Your voice saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In the name of Jesus Christ, our advocate, we pray. Amen.

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When Christ our Life Appears – Sovereign Grace Music

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With Unveiled Face: Exodus 34 – 2025 Day 135

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 105; Exodus 34

“When Moses came down
from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain,
Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.”

Exodus 34:29 ESV

His face was shining, not because he had just married the woman of his dreams, or because he was holding his newborn son, or because he’d successfully led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, but because he had literally been in God’s presence.

I know that my face will not physically radiate light from my time with the Lord … but how I wish for my countenance to radiate the joy, peace, and hope that comes from having communed with Him that day. It reminds me of 1 Peter 3:3-4, “Do not let your adorning be external–the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear– but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

And 2 Corinthians 3:7-18,

“Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:7-18 ESV

Heavenly Father, May my face radiate Your glory. May my countenance reflect the joy that fills my heart. Let Your glory flow into me and out of me, that people would see YOU when they look at me. May they see my good deeds and give glory to You, my Father in Heaven. To the glory of Your Name we pray. Amen.

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery – Keith and Kristyn Getty

Making Disciples of All Nations – Matthew 28 – 2025 Day 112

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 81, Matthew 28

The ending of Matthew’s very thorough account of Jesus’s life and ministry feels so sudden. After reading twenty-seven lengthy chapters, Matthew 28 contains only twenty verses, summarizing the resurrection of Christ, Jesus’s appearance to the Mary’s, the bribing of the Roman guards by the Jewish leaders, and some of Jesus’s final words to His disciples,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

So, as we wrap up four weeks spent studying the words of Matthew, let these be my concluding words to you.

Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. He can do it. Nothing is impossible for Him. You can trust Him. Therefore, you can go with confidence, under His authority, by the power of His Holy Spirit, and make disciples of all nations. He wants to use you. You don’t need to be a ordained minister to share the good news. You don’t need a seminary degree to tell people how to trust in Christ. His Spirit and His Word are all you need. He wants you to share the good news with those who have never heard. But don’t stop there – teach them to observe all that He has commanded in His word. Being a disciple is so much more than just being a fan.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. If you’d like to join me in international ministry, leave a comment or send me a message. I’d love to help you get plugged in! Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, What a blessing it is to be a laborer in the harvest! I am so thankful for Your Holy Spirit who lives in me and gives me wisdom. I pray that Your Spirit would guide me to those who are hungering to hear the good news and those who need to be discipled to obey Your commands. In the powerful Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord we pray, Amen.

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