Category: Homeschooling

God Keeps His Promises

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Joshua 23

God is faithful to keep every word of every promise. If He said it, we can trust it. We may not know exactly when it will come to pass, but we can bank on it that it will. Like His words to the Israelites as they took possession of the Promised Land,

But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you,
so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

Joshua 23:15 ESV

Are we promise-keeping parents? If we tell our child that we will take them for ice cream if they finish all their chores, do we do it? If we tell our child that they will get a spanking if they do that ‘one more time,’ do we do it? Am I the only one who has an easier time keeping my promise of a treat than my promise of a punishment?

In God’s absolute sovereignty, omniscient wisdom, and omnipotent power, He is able to keep every promise, like we never could.

Let’s trust Him and cling to Him and try to be more like Him which includes not making random threats that we’re never going to keep nor manipulating our children with promises of rewards that we don’t intend to give.

Heavenly Father, I’m so glad that I can trust You. I’m so thankful that You are honest and faithful, mighty and true. You are a promise keeping God. If you’ve said it, I can believe it. Grow my faith, Lord. Bury Your Word deep in my soul, water it with Your Spirit, bathe it in the sunshine of Your love, that it may bear great multitudes of fruit and bring You glory. I love You, Lord. Turn my heart, and my mouth, to sing Your praise and to speak Your Holy Words to others. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Words made flesh, I pray. Amen.

The Lord is My Refuge

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Joshua 20

Read these aloud as a prayer of surrender to Almighty God. Put not your trust in man. Put Your trust in God. Make Him Your refuge.

2 Samuel 22:3 ESV — My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.

2 Samuel 22:31 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 5:11 ESV — 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 7:1 ESV — A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,

Psalm 16:1 ESV — A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

Psalm 17:7 ESV — Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.

Psalm 18:2 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 18:30 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 25:20 ESV — Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

Psalm 28:8 ESV — The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Psalm 31:2 ESV — Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!

Psalm 34:8 ESV — Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 57:1 ESV — To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. 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 59:16 ESV — But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

Psalm 61:4 ESV — Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

Psalm 62:7-8 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. Selah

Psalm 71:3 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 73:28 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 91:4a ESV — He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;

Psalm 118:8-9 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 142:5 ESV — I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Psalm 144:2 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.

Proverbs 30:5 ESV — Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

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. In the strong name of Jesus Christ, my Wise Teacher, my Faithful Redeemer, and my Steadfast Refuge, I pray. Amen

What are You Putting Off?

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: 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, Let us not delay in whatever task You have called us to do. If you’re calling us to faith in Christ, I pray that TODAY would be the day of salvation, that we would not put it off any more. If you’re calling us to share the good news with a friend or neighbor or family member, I pray that TODAY would be the day that we open our mouths and speak the words of eternal life. If you’re calling us to cook and clean and wipe bottoms and noses, I pray that TODAY and EVERYDAY we would work heartily at the high and holy calling of motherhood, serving You, Lord, and not men. If you’re calling us to read Your Word each and every day, I pray that that journey would start TODAY.

Help us, Father, to remember that You are the God of small beginnings, that You are the God who leads and guides and calls.

You, Father, 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.

In the Name of Jesus Christ my Lord, I pray. Amen.

Softly and Tenderly

A Prayer for my Children to have the Strong and Steadfast Faith of Caleb

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Joshua 14:6-15:63

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 only true Savior and Sustainor of Life, I pray. Amen.

This Little Light of Mine – J.J. Heller
Dare to be a Daniel – Cedarmont Kids

All God’s Words for All God’s People

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Joshua 8

Every person needs every word that the Lord has given to us. Joshua read every word to all the people, and so should we. (Joshua 8:35)

We need the Old Testament as well as the New. We need all the words; those that Moses wrote and those that Jesus spoke; those that David sang and those that Isaiah prophesied; those that Peter spoke simply and that Paul penned eloquently. We need them all.

Men as well as women, children as well as adults, those who are unfamiliar with the scriptures and those who grew up with them, everyone needs God’s Word.

I understand that there is value in making our children’s ministries age appropriate. Children benefit greatly from making crafts and dancing around while singing songs about Joshua and Jericho. But children also need to study the Word as God’s inspired, true, trustworthy Word – not some fairy tale on par with “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” The Bible is more than a series of inspirational stories to teach our kids to be good and kind and helpful, not to lie or cheat or steal. The Bible is the bread of life, even for children.

Additionally, children have an incredible ability to memorize the Word. Would you rather your children memorize “Hop on Pop” and “The Cat in the Hat” or the 23rd Psalm and the Sermon on the Mount?

And let’s not forget that children have been created by God to receive with simple faith the words of their teachers and parents. Children absorb truth (and lies) like thirsty sponges. Would you rather train your children to believe in tooth fairies and boogie monsters or the Holy Trinity?

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 30:5 ESV

Proverbs 30:5 is a great verse for you, your husband, your children, your neighbor, and everyone else to hide in their hearts.

Hold the presses … My daughter (along with my two-year-old granddaughter) just called me, so I got to have a little Grammy break to read “Inside a Barn in the Country” and a story from my old Beginners Bible story book, and sing the Ten Commandments song with hand motions.

Then, my daughter told me about a new podcast for children that she’d found called “God’s Big Story“. I just love how God shows His goodness and sovereignty in His perfect timing. Don’t you?

Have you ever heard of this podcast? Are there other children or family podcasts that you’ve found? I’d love to hear about them.

Do Not be Frightened … BUT WHY? (Joshua 1)

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: 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 a completely 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 much, 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

Find it on YouTube

The Power of Song

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Deuteronomy 31:14-32:52

And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.”

So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.

Deuteronomy 31:16-22 ESV

In reading Deuteronomy 32, the song of Moses, don’t forget these words from Deuteronomy 32. This song has purpose, as all songs do. Songs have the power to drill words deep into hearts. I can recite word for word songs from my childhood and my teenage years even though I haven’t heard them for years. How about you?

What songs are your kids listening to?

What songs are you listening to?

What music is playing in your car? In your home? In your mind?

What songs do you sing at church on Sunday mornings? Are they rich? Are they lovely? Do they draw your heart to worship the Lord and do they teach timeless truths?

If you’ve been reading my blog regularly, you’ll know how often I share a song to go with the scripture for that day. I’m so very thankful that the Lord gave us the gift of music – that we can give it back to Him, but also that we can have a song reverberating in our own hearts and minds as we go throughout our day.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us the gift of music. We want to give it back to You. We want to worship You in song. With words and with musical instruments, we pour out our praise and our griefs before You. Help us pay careful watch to the music that we’re putting in our mouths and our minds. We want to memorize whatever is true and lovely and good and excellent and praiseworthy. We don’t want ugly songs stuck inside our heads. Please, Lord, prick our hearts with these words from Your Scriptures today and help us to be careful how we walk. In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

If you don’t have a hymnal at home, try this one – Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories

Deuteronomy 8:3 Song
Come Thou Fount (Above All Else) – Shane and Shane
There is a Fountain Filled with Blood

1
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains:
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
2
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away:
Wash all my sins away,
Wash all my sins away;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
3
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed ones of God
Be saved, to sin no more:
Be saved, to sin no more,
Be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed ones of God,
Be saved to sin no more.
4
E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die:
And shall be till I die,
And shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.
5
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save:
I’ll sing Thy power to save,
I’ll sing Thy power to save;
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save.

A Prayer of Gratitude and Surrender

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Deuteronomy 26

The Lord has brought the people out of their slavery in Egypt, and now He is bringing them into this blessed land flowing with milk and honey. The commanded response, as well as the logical response of gratitude, is to offer back to God some of the fruit of this land – and not just any of the fruit, but the first fruits. Giving first fruits demonstrates faith and dependence on the Lord.

But, if I’m honest with myself and with you, I have to confess how stingy I am with the many gifts that the Lord has given me, whether with my time, my talents, my treasures, or my testimony. I treat these things as though I have earned them myself rather than recognizing that they are gifts from God, given to me to give back to Him and to share with others.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I would have a heart overflowing with gratitude for all that You have given me. Truly, what do I have that I haven’t been given? Where would I be today if You hadn’t brought me by the hand every step of the way? Now, today, I offer back to You the first fruits of my labor. My children, my home, my work, my mind and mouth and money, are Yours. I give them back to You as an offering of praise. They are Yours. They were given to me by You, and now I again give them back to You, laying them down, prying my fingers off of them, leaving them on the altar of Your Holy presence. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen

Your Neighbor’s Stuff or Your Neighbor’s Soul

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Deuteronomy 22-23

I’m prone to losing stuff. Usually the items are lost in my home. At least once a week, I can’t seem to find my keys, my purse, my sunglasses, or whatever. But sometimes I lose something when I’m out somewhere, most often my purse. When I was younger – like less than 40 ☺️ – I forgot my purse in the grocery cart with remarkable regularity. (I’d like to say I’m not so forgetful anymore, but I’m afraid that the real reason I no longer do that is that I rarely go shopping anymore, preferring the convenience of grocery pickup or delivery.)

Well, anyway, it seems I’ve passed on my forgetful genes to my youngest son (and at least one of his siblings). Last Saturday, my son was playing basketball in our church parking lot. He took his wallet out of his pocket and set it carefully on the cement light pole for safe keeping, fully intending to replace it in his pocket when the game was done. You know how the story ends, don’t you? Several hours later, when he went to put his wallet in his pocket before heading to work, he couldn’t find it and, in fact, couldn’t even remember where it was. Thankfully, I recovered said wallet from the church parking lot without a hitch. Not a dollar missing. 🎉🎉🎉

“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.”

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 ESV

What a perfect reading for me this week! I prayed, “Father, help me to do to others as I’d have done to me, to go the extra mile to restore whatever was lost!”

And suddenly I thought of the parables that Jesus told as recorded in Luke 15, the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:8-10 ESV

Friends, as much as we should help restore to our neighbor a lost wallet, how much more should we seek diligently to restore a lost soul. A lost human being is of infinitely greater worth than a thousand lost sheep or a million lost wallets.

What is more valuable to you,
your neighbor’s stuff
or your neighbor’s soul?

Heavenly Father, You are my greatest treasure. You are worth more to me than all the money in the world. Help me to love my neighbor as myself. Help me to love my neighbor’s children as I love my own. Help me to be faithful to love what You love, to be about my Father’s business of seeking and saving the lost. Please forgive me, Lord, for not making the most of every opportunity because of my own selfishness. Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. I love You, Lord. Thank You for Your love for me, for chasing me down and running to me with open arms. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer I pray. Amen.

The Love of God

Of Work and Rest

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Deuteronomy 16:1-16

As I wrote about yesterday, I grew up the younger of two daughters to a hard-working mother and father. My mom went back to college to finish her degree when I started kindergarten, and then she started working full time. In spite of her long hours at work, she was still determined to serve a home-cooked meal for dinner every night. No McDonald’s drive thru or frozen pizza for us. Mom served us pork chops and potatoes or chicken breasts and stir fried vegetables, even after a long day’s work.

Likewise, my sister and I were expected to work hard, too. We had our own responsibilities around the home: washing our laundry, setting the table for dinner, unloading the dishwasher, taking care of our pets, and doing our schoolwork to the best of our ability. My parents didn’t tolerate laziness. We were capable of getting A’s at school, so A’s we should get. The thought of skipping an assignment or not studying for a test never even entered my mind.

Fast forward forty years to my life today.

There are so many conveniences – and so many entertainments – available, it’s become increasingly hard for me to really work hard.

  • Who needs to clean house and cook dinner? There are housekeepers and restaurants for that.
  • Who needs to plant and tend a garden? I can buy whatever I need at the store.
  • Who needs to go to the library or the grocery store? I’ve got the world wide web and grocery delivery at my fingertips.

Hence, I no longer feel the need for a time of rest, like the Lord gave to His people. The Lord knew how strenuous their days were and He commanded them to set aside days every week and every year to rest and feast.

But, wait, I can just hear you saying, “Don’t you look forward to your annual vacation at the beach?”

Why, Yes. Yes, in fact, I do! I treasure those days spent watching the sun rise with my Bible open on my lap, meditating on the Lord’s words and listening to the waves’ quiet melody. But, to be honest with you, I don’t need a holiday like the Israelites did, and I’m afraid some of that is because almost every day for me is a holiday of sorts.

  • Ice cream and brownies aren’t only for birthdays.
  • Watching a movie isn’t only for that one special Saturday night in the summer when everyone piled into the station wagon and Dad to the drive-in.
  • Going out to dinner with my husband is a regular occurrence, not just a twice a year event reserved for Valentine’s Day and our anniversary.

In light of all this, I’m trying to be more conscious to fill my days with work. My work might be writing this blog or creating a YouTube video. My work might be reading the Bible with my son. My work might be embroidering a gift for my daughter or being a listening ear for a hurting friend, but I need to work. I need to make the most of the time God has given me.

I want to number my days that I may have a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Maybe you can’t relate to this post at all. Maybe your weeks are filled to the gills with work – in the home and outside the home. Then, my words to you are these: Great! Good for you! God designed His people to work hard! God gave us the sun to light our days, and He gave us the soil to grow food. God wants us to be diligent like the ant. But don’t forget to rest and feast. God also gave His people a weekly sabbath rest and annual times for dedicated resting and feasting. He designed us to need them, that we would have time to renew our minds and bodies, and that we would remember Him and be grateful for all we have.

  • Proverbs 6:6-11 ESV — Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
  • Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV — Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
  • Psalm 39:4 ESV — O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Heavenly Father, I’m your child, and I want to be about Your business. I’m thankful for all that You have given to me and for all that You have given me to do. You have created me for a good purpose, and You have good works that You want me to accomplish. Help me to be faithful and diligent with the time that You have given to me. Help me to work hard and to rest well with a grateful heart. Make me a good steward of my time, talents, treasures, and testimony. For the glory of Your Name I pray. Amen.