Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 119:1-40; Leviticus 20
The Israelites were to be a set apart people in Egypt and now they are to be a set apart people in Canaan. God pulled them out of a nation of idol-worshippers, and now He’s sending them into a new nation of idol-worshippers.
God has always been – and will always be – holy. It is His very nature. To be holy, by definition, means to be set apart.
From the beginning of creation God separated. He separated the light from the dark, the water above from the water below, the land from the sea, the day from the night. He made animals of different kinds and He designed the animals to reproduce after their own kinds.
From the beginning of the nation of Israel, God desires His people to be separated from the nations. And when God gave Moses instructions for building the tabernacle, He told Moses to hang a veil to separate the Most Holy Place where the priest would meet with Him. (Exodus 26:33)
Yet, mankind doesn’t like to be separate. We like to mix and mingle. We like to be part of the crowd. We like to fit in.
So God says,
You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples that you should be mine.
Leviticus 20:26 ESV
Heavenly Father, please give us the strength to be separate, to stand out from the crowd. Help us to remember that even when we feel alone, You are with us. Please place like-minded believers into our lives who can encourage us and hold up our arms when we feel weak. We especially pray for our children and other young people who have to learn to swim upstream in a current that wants to pull them down. Make us holy for You, our Creator and Father, are holy. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Genesis 1:4 ESV — And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:6 ESV — And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
Genesis 1:14 ESV — And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,”
Exodus 26:33 ESV — And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 113; Leviticus 8
At the consecration of Aaron and his sons, the Lord tells Moses to assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting, so they can witness this blessed event. Moses washes Aaron and his sons with water and dresses them in their sacred robes and ephods and turbans. Moses pours anointing oil onto their heads as well as on the tabernacle and the altar and its utensils.
And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.
Leviticus 8:12 ESV
This passage reminded of Psalm 133:1-3, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
Are you an active, participating, contributing member of a local Bible-preaching, Bible-believing congregation? Friends, you need them, and they need you.
Is there someone in Christ’s body that you are at odds with? Someone you need to forgive? Someone who has something against you? Christ has charged His children to be ministers of reconciliation and ambassadors for His kingdom. Let it start with you.
Dear Heavenly Father, what a beautiful gift it is to dwell in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s not easy, but it’s good. I pray for pure and heartfelt unity within my local body of believers as well as across the global body of Your church. I pray that our unity would be rooted in Your truth and righteousness and bear great fruit for Your glory. Make us Your priests, anointing and washing others in the water of the Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us to be quick to repent and quick to forgive. By the grace of Jesus Christ we pray.Amen.
There is One Gospel by City Alight
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Read Through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 107; Exodus 36 – 37
Why did God lead Moses to list all these details in His Holy, inspired Word?
Why do we need to know all about the curtains and the rods and the clasps and the ark and the table for the bread and the table for the incense?
Why do we need all these details about the lampstands and the altar and the basin?
Well, here’s one thing that was made more clear for me by the incredible amount of detail Moses shared:
He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.
Exodus 36:12-13 ESV
The tabernacle was made of all these various things, things that were donated and constructed by various people, yet the tabernacle was a single whole. God wanted all these golden clasps, wooden frames, silver bases, and blue and purple curtains to fit together perfectly to make the tabernacle a single whole.Unique and United again.
There is one God, and there is no other. The perfect unity of Father-Son-Holy Spirit, one God eternally exists in three persons.
And, what about the bride of Christ, the wife of the Lamb, the church?
“Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed– on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb….
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day–and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Revelation 21:9-14, 19-27 ESV
Christ only has one bride, but this one bride is made up of thousands upon thousands of individual, unique souls who have been coupled together by God’s Holy Spirit and washed in the blood of the One Lamb Jesus Christ.
The tabernacle was a single whole, made of many parts, and so is the body of Christ.
Are you a member of that very special body? If not, what is holding you back? If so, how then shall you live? What does being a member of the body of Christ mean to you in your daily life?
Heavenly Father, Thank You for making me Your bride, for inviting me into this holy union between You, Holy Almighty God, and Your bride. Thank You for the beauty that is found in communing with You. It is a precious, priceless gift of infinite worth. I pray that I would be eager to contribute to the building of this sanctuary – to spend my time, talents, treasures, and testimony for the building up of this body, Your bride. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in Two Years: Psalm 106, Exodus 35
“All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD.”
Exodus 35:29 ESV
God had called Bezalel and Oholiab by name, giving them special skills and abilities to craft the beautiful tabernacle for the worship of the Lord, yet God also had a purpose for the entire congregation. Every man and every woman in the whole nation, everyone whose heart stirred them, everyone whose spirit moved them, were invited to contribute to the creation of the tabernacle.
Do you have some blue, purple, or scarlet yarn? How about some rams’ skins or goats’ skins, goats’ hair or fine linen? God needs you.
Do you have anything made of bronze, silver, or gold? How about some stones, spices, or oils? God needs you.
They didn’t have to have any particular skills. They just needed to have willing hearts.
What do you have to offer Him? A house? A job? An education? A child? A marriage? These are all gifts from Him, and He can use them all. Are you willing?
Heavenly Father, every hour of every day is a gift from You. My life is a gift, but so is my stuff. Every piece of furniture, every article of clothing. Every room in my house. Every child around my table. My husband sitting next to me. I offer them back to You. Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Stir my heart. Move my spirit. For Your glory and praise. Amen.
My Worth is Not in What I Own – Keith and Kristyn Getty
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 102, Exodus 31
Next week my youngest son will graduate after 13 years of homeschooling, and I’ll become a retired homeschool mom. Where has the time gone? Will you please bear with me for just a few minutes as I take a trip down memory lane, looking back over 23 years of homeschooling?
My firstborn daughter was born creative … and bossy. Ever since she could speak, she’s been gathering children around her to tell them a story or make a craft or work on a project together.
My second child has always been super verbal with a fantastic memory for all things movie, TV, sports, and music related. He actually spoke at a younger age than his siblings, despite being adopted from Russia as a six-month-old!
My third child – my little princess – has always been a thoughtful, caring child. She has a fantastic eye for details. She’s the first one to notice a new haircut or shirt.
My youngest child didn’t start talking until he was almost two-and-a-half, but he loves to learn. He’s my book-smart child, enjoying workbooks and math and school stuff.
If you follow my blog for long enough, you’ll notice several things that I’m especially passionate about with regards to my faith, things that jump out at me again and again as I read through the Scriptures.
God’s heart for the nations.
God’s perfect timing – that He is a “that very day” kind of God.
God’s unique purpose for each and every person that He has created.
Well, here it is again. God has a unique purpose for Moses, to lead and speak; He has an equally important, though completely different purpose for Bezalel and Oholiab, to craft the things which God has designed.
“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you.”
Exodus 31:2-6 ESV
Once again I am reminded that God has designed each person on earth intentionally. Moses, Bezalel, and Oholiab each have a purpose. Even though their purposes are very different, none of their roles are more or less important than another. If Moses doesn’t keep his end of the deal, then Bezalel and Oholiab won’t know what to do … but if Bezalel and Oholiab don’t implement what Moses says, then the tabernacle won’t get built.
Likewise, my four children have each been created for a special purpose.
Our school system tends to heap praise upon the book-smart kids, while overlooking the kind, thoughtful, detail-oriented ones. Our culture elevates the importance of the extroverted speakers and leaders, forgetting the essential roles of the quiet, hard-working, faithful followers.
Let me wrap up today with this word of encouragement: God has a purpose for each of you and each of your children.
Are you a quiet, creative type with an impeccable attention to detail? Use that gift! You’re an essential part of God’s body. Don’t be ashamed to stay behind the scenes and serve the body!
Are you a bold, leader type with a big-picture vision? Use that gift! You’re an essential part of God’s body. Don’t be ashamed to shine and lead and share!
Don’t be afraid to be who God created you to be
Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for each of my children. Each of them has been fearfully and wonderfully made, intentionally woven together by Your perfect hand. You make no mistake. You don’t make junk. Help me as a mother to encourage each of my children to pursue their unique callings, not to be ashamed of who You made them to be. Please protect my family from the traps of comparison and favoritism, and help us all to enjoy the beautiful variety of Your creative plans and purposes. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
You Have Searched Me (Psalm 139) – Keith and Kristyn Getty
If you’d like to learn more about God’s creative purposes in making each of His children “Unique and United,” I’d love to share more with you. Listen to part 1 and part 2. If you’re a member of a women’s ministry in your area, I’d love to share with you in person! Check out my “speaking ministry” page to contact me.
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Read though the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 94, Exodus 18-19
After many days traveling, the Israelites find themselves in the wilderness of Sinai, and they camp at the foot of Mount Sinai where God meets with Moses. The Lord tells Moses to speak to the people of Israel these words,
“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Exodus 19:4-6a
Though I don’t have the blood of Abraham running through my veins, I have the faith of Abraham running through my heart. These verses reminded me of 1 Peter 2, where the Lord extends this beautiful promise to all of His children, both Jew or Gentile.
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:4-10 ESV
Oh, Heavenly Father, Thank You for calling me that I might taste and see that You are indeed good, so very, very good. Though I once rejected that Living Stone, that stone of stumbling and rock of offense, Jesus Christ, Your Son chosen and precious, You intervened and changed the whole course of my life.
Thank You for making each and every one of Your children a vital member of a chosen race, royal priesthood, and holy nation, the family of God. Thank You for giving us mercy, though we deserved Your wrath. We love you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 93, Exodus 16-17
“Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Exodus 17:8-16 ESV
There are so many things I can learn from this short passage.
1. God calls different people at different times to different tasks. Joshua and his soldiers were to go down and actively fight in the battle, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur were to go up on top of the mountain and fight in prayer. Each one of us are responsible to do whatever God has called us to do. Beware of looking at the brother or sister next to you and thinking, “Why aren’t you on the front lines of this fight?” Moses obeyed God when he led the Israelites through the Red Sea, and Moses obeyed God when he went on a mountain to pray.
2. Aaron and Hur’s supporting roles were vital to Moses’s success. Just like Jesus sent out his followers two by two (Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1), God sent Aaron and Hur to help Moses in the fight – not by standing next to Moses holding up their own arms, but standing next to Moses holding up his arms. If you’ve been called to lead, don’t minimize your need for sisters and brothers to partner with you. But if you’ve been called to provide support, don’t minimize the essential nature of your role! Your leaders need your prayers, your encouragement, and your partnership in the fight! I’m personally so thankful for those faithful sisters who pray for me, who speak encouraging words to me, and who walk next to me in this daily battle.
3. Our battle’s victory is ultimately won (or lost) in the spiritual realm. There are real battles being fought – both in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm – but the victory is in the Lord’s hands.
Some physical battles here on earth will be lost. Your loved one might lose their fight with cancer. Your marriage might end against your will. Your child might fail that class or lose that friendship.
We can trust that the battle belongs to the Lord. No one and no thing can thwart His plans. Sometimes all that we can do is pray and wait with our hands raised and our knees bowed, but that is where the real power lies.
The Israelites didn’t win the war because they had a better army. They won the war because the Lord had ordained the victory. So, whether the physical battle is won or lost, the battle belongs to the Lord.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV
Heavenly Father, the battle belongs to you. The victory belongs to you. It is not by our own might but by your spirit that the battle will be won. Help us to trust You when the earthly battles we are fighting don’t go the way we want them to. You are our banner. You are who goes before us and fights for us. Help us to trust you in all things and to pray to You faithfully. Help us to help each other – lifting one another’s arms, remembering that the fervent prayers of a righteous person are powerful and avail much. In the Powerful name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 92, Exodus 14-15
The Israelites are finally fleeing Egypt after watching God repeatedly pouring out His judgment on the Egyptians. He has proven to them again and again that He makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. (Exodus 11:7) And yet, God has led His people right up to the edge of the Red Sea, and Pharaoh’s army, including at least six hundred chariots, is on their heels.
“And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.””
Exodus 14:10b-12 ESV
Poor Moses. Doesn’t your heart just break for him? Leading is hard work. When the people following you are happy, that’s great, but what about when the “sheep are restless,” when they’re arguing and complaining and blaming you for everything? But, God. God is growing Moses’s faith, too. Listen to how Moses replies to the Israelites.
“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.””
Exodus 14:13-14 ESV
And He does…. And He uses Moses to do it. Moses is the Lord’s chosen vessel. Moses is who God has called to lift his arms that the Lord would drive back the sea that the Israelites could walk through on dry land … and to lower his arms that the water covered the chariots and the horsemen and the whole host of Pharaoh’s army. (Exodus 14:21, 26-29)
“Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.”
Friends, God had purpose for His servant Moses, and God has purpose for You. The good works He has prepared for you may not look like Moses’s, but God has purpose for you nonetheless. (Ephesians 2:10)
And sometimes doing those very things that God wants you to do is going to result in persecution, ridicule, or disagreement.
Your boss might not like the high standard of honesty and integrity that you are determined to maintain. Keep it anyway.
Your kids might not like what you’re telling them to do. Tell them anyway.
Your parents may not agree with you even when you speak in the most humble, loving. honest way. Be willing to risk it for Him.
God’s ways aren’t always easy. Sometimes being His vessel is incredibly joyous, exciting, and totally awesome, but sometimes being His vessel gets you thrown in a well or a prison. Either way, it’s an honor and a privilege to be a servant of the living God.
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, What an honor it is to be love and used by You. It is glorious to be Your workmanship, to know that the God who put the stars in place calls me by name. As You had special purposes for Moses, You have a special purpose for me. Please lead me and guide me. Give me the wisdom and hunger for righteousness that I need to follow You fully. I love You, Lord. I want to follow You on that straight and narrow path all the days of my life. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Lord, I pray. Amen.
Turn Your Eyes – The Glorious Christ Live – Sovereign Grace
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12 ESV)
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39 ESV)
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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 78, Matthew 25
The Lord blessed our family with four children over a span of eleven and a half years. I was a busy homeschooling mom trying my best to manage a very busy household. One way that I did this was with “chore charts” assigning various chores to each child in our household.
My oldest daughter was responsible for so many tasks around the home, from cooking and cleaning to helping with her younger siblings. My youngest son had much smaller jobs like feeding the dog or putting away the silverware.
Did I assign them the same jobs? Certainly not. Was it unjust? Absolutely not. They had different skill levels, so they were given correspondingly different jobs.
Yet, yhey were equally praised for a job well done and equally reprimanded for a job poorly done, regardless of whether they were supposed to clean the entire bathroom or merely empty the trash can.
Likewise, our perfectly wise Lord gives each of His children a different quantity of talents, but they are eligible for equal praise. To the ones who invested their talents well, whether apportioned two or five, the Lord says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:20, 22) The one who invested well his five talents did not receive greater praise, nor did the one who invested well his two talents receive lesser praise.
The Lord is angry with the worthless servant, not because he only had one talent, but because he did not invest his one talent well. The one who received only one talent chose to hide it in the ground, saying that he knew that the master was a hard man, “reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed,” (Matthew 25:24) Surely this man doesn’t truly know the character of his Master, for if he did he would never utter such words.
Good servants know their Master, that He is good and generous to give His servants talents with which to serve Him.
When I was an atheist, I lived my life serving no one but me. I recognized no Master of my destiny except me.
Now, as a follower of Jesus Christ, it is a gift to serve my Lord and to know that I was created on purpose for a purpose. It is good news to be God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
What talents has the Lord entrusted to you?
Has He blessed you with children, a house, a skill, a passion, a testimony … all of the above?
How can you put them to good use for your master?
Heavenly Father, You are a good Father who delights in giving good gifts to Your children, and You are a good Master in giving us, Your servants, fruitful tasks to accomplish. It is a joy for our lives to have meaning and purpose. It is a joy to serve you here on earth, and it is a joy to look forward to that day we will enter into Your kingdom and hear the words we long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In the Name of our Gracious Master Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Seeing yourself as a steward of your time, talents, treasures, and testimony
Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 71, Matthew 18
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Matthew 18:14-17 ESV
Yesterday we looked at not causing someone else to stumble or sin. Today let’s look at what to do when someone else sins against us.
I had someone ask me how to handle a conflict she was having with a sister serving in her church’s children’s ministry. I’ve copyied my answer here in hopes that it will help you, too!
When a sister in Christ has hurt you, you should approach her with gentleness, humility, and love. Begin by speaking words of genuine encouragement, such as, “I’m so thankful for your service to our children. I appreciate you teaching the children to sing and worship. I want us to work together in a spirit of unity and love.”
Examine your own heart and motives. Look for the log in your own eye. We often notice pride in others more easily than we see it in our own hearts.
Remember, love thinks the best of the other person. Don’t assume that her motives are wrong.
Finally, sometimes the women that I’m serving with are eager to speak words of complaint or criticism, but slow to offer help. I love it when people come to me with offers to help! Try that first.
Here are some other passages you can read to prepare for a difficult discussion with a brother or sister.
You are perfect in all Your ways. You have never sinned, and You never will. But people do, Lord. We do sin, and we need forgiveness – from You and from others.
Help us to be quick to listen and slow to anger. Keep us from pride. Make us patient and faithful. Give us discernment to see the log in our own eyes.
We know that You desire unity within Your body, so give us the strength and wisdom we need to reconcile with our brothers. For Your glory and our good we pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace. Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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