Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 91, 1 Samuel 13-14
Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6 ESV
Sometimes we stand in our own way. We set up our own road blocks. We refuse to step out in faith simply because the bridge before us seems too difficult to cross.
We need to remember that “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. God can do anything He pleases.
He has absolute authority over everything and everyone on earth. He can take down an army of thousands with two faithful men. He can slay a giant with one little stone. He can part the sea, and He can bring water out of a rock. He can bring manna out of the heavens, and He can make the fleece dry while the ground around it is wet.
Nothing is impossible with God.
He can save by angels. He can save by dreams. He can use ravens. He can use donkeys. He can send floods and earthquakes and hurricanes. He can work through the youngest of babies and the oldest of women.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Heavenly Father, give me the faith that I need to trust in You. Help me to get out of the boat and follow Your lead. Let me not put up road blocks by my unbelief. Make me like Abraham who was counted righteous because of his faith. May nothing cause me to doubt, for I know that You are able to save by many or by few. Indeed, nothing is impossible with You. In the Name of Jesus Christ who triumphed over sin, the devil, and the grave. Amen.
Nothing is Impossible with God – Luke 1:37 memory verse song
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 90, 1 Samuel 12
A.W. Tozer’s book, “The Knowledge of the Holy,” published in 1961, is the only book I’ve read again and again, well, besides the Bible and C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series.
I’d love to just quote the whole first chapter entitled, “Why We Must Think Rightly About God” for you, but instead I’ll share a few sentences and urge you to get the book for yourself.
“We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.”
“Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence.”
“All the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us together and at once, would be nothing compared with the overwhelming problem of God: That He is; what He is like; and what we as mortal beings must do about Him.”
I was thinking about these ideas while reading 1 Samuel 12, especially this verse:
For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.
1 Samuel 12:22 ESV
We must ask ourselves questions like,
Is there a God and what is He like?
Does He exist for my pleasure or do I exist for His?
Does He see me, know me, and care about me?
Is He in charge or am I?
The answers to these questions are found, and must be found, in God’s Word rather than in our emotions, logical conclusions, or Google searches.
Heavenly Father, I believe that You are all-powerful and all-knowing and holy and righteous and good because Your Word and Your Creation confirm it. You have created me and redeemed me for Your pleasure, for Your Name’s sake. I want to live for Your glory. I want to glorify and magnify Your Name. Help me. Strengthen me. Enlighten me. Draw all men to Yourself that there would be a great cloud of witnesses praising You for all eternity. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 84, 1 Samuel 3
Heavenly Father, You are the Lord, the only Lord, Supreme Ruler over heaven and earth, and I am Your servant. You created me. You redeemed me out of sin and out of the kingdom of the evil one. You bought me with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the unblemished, perfect Lamb of God. You own me. I am Yours.
Better is one day in Your presence than a thousand apart from You. I long to sit at Your feet. I long to hear from You. Speak to me, Lord. Speak truth into my soul. Speak peace into my mind. Speak life into my weary heart. Speak to me.
You have said that Your sheep hear Your voice, and they follow You. Make me an obedient, submissive, gentle sheep.
Help me to hear, to listen, to understand, to trust and obey. Keep my mind from distractions and confusion. Help me to be attentive to Your voice, especially when it is but a whisper while the world, my flesh, and the devil are shouting. Give me discernment to clearly recognize Your voice in the midst of the myriad of distractions, buried like land mines all around me.
Thank You for the pure milk, the pure light, the pure water, of Your Word. Fill me. Wash me. Guide me. For the glory of Your Name and the edification of Your body.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.
Speak, O Lord – Keith and Kristyn Getty
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 78, Ruth 1
[Naomi] said to [the women in Bethlehem], “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
Ruth 1:20-21 ESV
I wish I could tell Naomi not to lose hope, to trust that joy was just around the next bend.
I once heard God’s sovereignty compared to a stoplight which controls traffic in a construction zone. This light is provided to stop people from a head-on collision with oncoming traffic hidden by the bend in the road. Sometimes a person might be tempted to ignore this light, to just assume that no one is coming and give up waiting for the light to turn. As a loving God who knows the future, He asks us to wait on Him rather than barreling forward because of His great care for us.
The point was then made that God is good to not reveal the future to us for if we knew about the tragedy that lies just around the bend we would spend our lives fretting, rather than living each day in itself.
While I do wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, I can’t help but recognize our human propensity to dwell on the negative, on the coming trial, rather than the coming joy. Several years ago, the Holy Spirit convicted me that when I spend my time fretting about what the future might hold, I end up missing out on having HOPE, trusting in God’s sovereign goodness, waiting expectantly for what hidden joy might lie just around the bend.
Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25) Remember, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) If we could see what was just around the bend, whether tomorrow or a hundred years from now, then we would have no need for HOPE, no need for FAITH. God grows our faith, our trust in Him, by having us wait upon Him.
So, the next time when things look bleak and hopeless and we’re tempted to despair that all hope is lost, let’s remember that God holds the future and that He is worthy of our trust. May we be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” Psalm 37:5
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.” Psalm 130:5-7
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 77, Ruth 3-4
In April 1994, I was having another discussion about religion with a young man I was interested in. For the dozenth time, I was arguing with him about my inability to believe in a God that I couldn’t see with my eyes or touch with my hands. Suddenly, in a brief moment of humility, I asked a simple question, “What do you mean when you say, ‘saved’?” To me, “save” was a word associated with money and stray puppies, not college valedictorians. And for the first time I heard clearly explained the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Reading through the book of Ruth, I noticed the words redeem and redeemer over and over again. Do we as 21st-century adults understand what ‘redeemed’ means?
Do we see our own lostness and wretchedness, our need for a counselor and guide to show us where to go and lead us by the hand to get there? Or do we think we already know all the answers, have already arrived, and don’t need anything beyond what hard work, Google, and the government can provide?
Do we see ourselves as hopeless, helpless beggars, searching for a morsel of bread? Or do we see ourselves as wealthy, capable, able-bodied men and women in need of nothing and noone?
Do we see our sinful nature and recognize our need for forgiveness and rebirth? Or do we think we’re good, decent people who’ve never killed anybody or done anything all that bad, especially compared to all the good things we’ve done?
Naomi, a Jew, and Ruth, a Moabite, both needed to be redeemed, and so do you and I.
Naomi and Ruth’s earthly lives were redeemed by their kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, but their eternal souls were redeemed by looking forward in faith to that sinless Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for their sins with His own sinless blood, something much more precious than all the gold and silver all the world over.
Have you been redeemed? Have you been washed in the blood of that Lamb?
Have your sins been fully paid for by Jesus, that spotless Lamb, when He was nailed to the cross 2,000 years ago?
Forgive me, God. I have sinned against You. I have broken Your commands more times than I can count. I knew I was wrong and I did it anyway. Wash me clean in the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please, I want to be made new. I need You, Heavenly Father, to make me new. Give me a new heart and new desires and new strength. Fill me with Your Spirit that I might live for You all the days of my life for Your glory and for my good. Amen.
Are you Washed in the Blood of the Lamb? – Antrim Mennonite Choir, video by S.E. Samonte
Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb – The Worship Initiative
I Know that My Redeemer Lives – Keith + Kristyn Getty, Laura Story
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 70, Judges 17-18
It seems that Micah is about using God rather than serving Him. He wants a priest and an ephod and carved images, not so he can rightly know and love God, but so that he can get them to do what he wants.
God isn’t a genie in a lamp that we can rub when we want our wishes granted. God doesn’t live to do our bidding. We need to know God rightly, so we can worship Him rightly. Wrong beliefs lead to wrong actions. Every. Time.
Quit following your heart and start leading your heart to follow God. His ways are right. His ways are better. Every. Time.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your immense mercy and grace. You didn’t have to love me. You didn’t have to save me. But You did. Thank You. I want to serve You for You are worthy. Give me discernment to recognize what is good and what is evil, and give me the power to choose good. For the Glory of Your Name and Your Kingdom. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Ten Shekels or the Lamb – Chris Sandford
Is He Worthy – Andrew Peterson – Highrock
Are you USING GOD … Or WORSHIPPING GOD? – FormerAtheist58
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 67, Judges 14
There are some parts of the Bible that I just don’t understand. I’d put the story of Samson and particularly Judges 14 in that category. That’s one reason why it’s so good to read through the whole Bible – so you can’t skip over those “not so favorite” parts.
Is it ok for me as a sold-out, all-in, evangelical follower of Jesus Christ and believer in every word of the Holy Scriptures to struggle with what the Bible means here? Yes, I think it is. When my kids don’t understand what I’m doing and why, they are forced to trust what they do know about me and obey on that basis.
I know that God is good. I know that He inspired the men who wrote the Bible. I know that He is sovereign over the affairs of humanity. That
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV
Heavenly Father, some things are hard to understand. Help me to trust You in my life, and in my reading of the Word. I know that You are good. I know that You are working all things together for good for those that love You and are called according to Your purposes. I know that Your ways are different from mine and higher than mine. I pray that I would trust You in all things and cast all of my anxieties on You, trusting that You care for me. I pray that You would give me wisdom as I read Your word and help me to apply it to my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and King, I pray. Amen
TRUSTING GOD when you don’t understand what He’s doing – FormerAtheist58
All Creatures – Shane and Shane
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In researching more about Jephthah, I stumbled upon two very interesting articles about the possibility that Jephthah didn’t actually sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering.
If you’re struggling today to understand God’s Word or God’s will, remind yourself of the things that you KNOW, the things you can be absolutely sure of.
God is by nature holy and good, and His Word is always true.
Man is by nature fallen and not good, and we can easily be led astray.
If you can’t understand what God wants you to do, study and keep studying, reminding yourself that God will never lead His children to sin.
So Good to Me – Zach Williams
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 60, Judges 7
The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
Judges 7:2 ESV
This passage has had a special place in my heart since one night about twenty years ago when the Holy Spirit convicted me about how often I used manipulation to get my husband to do what I wanted. That night, the Lord opened my eyes to the importance of trusting Him to fight my battles, rather than trusting my own skills of argumentation to get my way. That night, I decided to quit fighting against my husband and to start praying for him. That night, I finally recognized that I might be winning these marital battles, but I was losing the war for my marriage.
Can any of you relate?
Ask yourself what weapons you’re using to fight your own battles: Nagging and complaining? Threatening and yelling? Silence and the cold shoulder? Put those weapons away, friends. They’re not the Lord’s weapons; they’re the enemy’s.
If the Lord can cause the entire Middianite army to kill one another, giving the Israelites success by merely blowing their trumpets, then surely He conquer the heart of your stubborn loved one.
Put on the whole armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. And take up your weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and start praying in the Spirit, asking Him to fight for you. (Ephesians 6:12-17)
Join forces with the Lord. Remember who your real enemy is. Quit fighting your spiritual brothers and sisters and start fighting the spiritual forces of evil.
Heavenly Father, we need You to fight our battles for us. Open our eyes to see the spiritual battle that we are in. Make us soldiers in Your army, wielding that Sword of the Spirit, your Word, with excellence and accuracy, praying without ceasing, and seeking Your face for direction day after day. Let us not grow weary of well-doing. Give us clean hands and pure hearts. Help us to root out those spirits of bitterness and selfishness. Protect us from pride and manipulation. Make us more like You. In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Brother, we pray. Amen.
Rock of Ages
FormerAtheist58 – WHO’S FIGHTING YOUR BATTLES – Full-Length
FormerAtheist58 – WHO’S FIGHTING YOUR BATTLES – 3 minutes
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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 58, Judges 6
From the beginning of time, God knew that people would need signs to strengthen their faith in Him. When God created the sun, moon, and stars, He said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be forsigns and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14 ESV). A rainbow, a staff turned to a snake, and here in Judges 6, a wet fleece on a dry ground followed by a dry fleece on a wet fleece, have all been signs given by a good God to prove the truth of His promises, His Word, and even His existence.
I remember a time when I asked God for a sign that He was real, that He was out there somewhere. I was 15 or 16 years old, sitting in an empty grassy field on a college campus in Vermont where I was attending a summer debate camp. The vast blue sky, gentle breeze, and towering swaying trees were making me think.
When I wasn’t struck by lightning (or a Bible falling from the sky), I concluded that God must not be real. But, I was wrong. So wrong. In fact, God had given me signs of His existence in those very things – the sky, wind, and trees, the sun, moon, and stars – they were all pointing me straight to Him. ☝️ (Read Romans 1 and Psalm 19 for more on this.)
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20 ESV
God has also given us so many signs to point mankind to the Messiah, the Savior of the World, Jesus, the One who came into the world to save sinners like you and me. He took on human flesh, born as a human baby to a virgin mother, yet He was Immanuel, God with us. He was crucified without cause, the sinless for the sinful, the innocent for the guilty. Do you know Him?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 ESV
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12 ESV
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:38-40 ESV
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
John 2:18-22 ESV
God gave us all these signs so we would recognize the Messiah when He came the first time 2,000 years ago, but I believe He’s coming again … and soon! I hope you’re keeping your eyes wide open, being faithful to attend to your Father’s business while you’re eagerly watching for Him. Don’t be caught unaware like a thief in the night. Read Matthew 24 for more!
Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending Jesus in just the right way to just the right place at just the right time. Your Word is true and trustworthy. I pray that we would be found eagerly watching for You with our hands to the plow, being about our Father’s business. I pray that we would be faithful to You and faithful to pursue the salvation of the lost. I pray for anyone who is reading this and has not yet bowed the knee to Jesus. I pray that today would be the day of their salvation, that they would wait for a sign no longer. In the name of Jesus Christ, our savior and our Lord, we pray. Amen.
As summer turns to fall, I hope you’ll purchase a paperback copy or ebook of my family’s Christmas devotional and trace the line of the Savior from Creation to Christ with your family this advent season.
Available on Amazon or wherever books are sold
For Unto Us a Child is Born – Integrity Music
All Your Works are Good – Sandra McCracken
Waiting for a SIGN from God? So was I.
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