Desiring God’s Word MORE THAN Gold – 2025 Day 286

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 74, Psalm 19

This semester, I’m memorizing Psalm 19 with our local Community Bible Study group. Psalm 19:10 says that God’s Word is to be desired MORE THAN gold, MORE THAN much FINE GOLD, which reminded me of something I learned when I was in Ohio this fall at a training conference for LifeWise program directors. They mentioned that one reason it’s hard to ask people for financial support is because our nation idolizes money; therefore, we treat it like an idol, tiptoeing around it and fearful of getting too close to it. Ouch.

In his book, “The Watchmen,” Mark Cahill wrote, “People traveled all across America to get to the West Coast for the Gold Rush, but would you walk two steps over to your bookcase and crack open the eternal Word of God which is more precious than gold?” Double ouch.

How often do we choose the pursuit of money
over the pursuit of God?

Which reminds me of Revelation 3:15-18, a passage I memorized last year with Community Bible Study, during our study of Revelation.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Would you like to work on hiding God’s Word in your heart, too? Here are some graphics I created for Psalm 19:7-10 to help me (and the youth) commit it to memory.

If you’d like a printable PDF of all the graphics, you can download it here.

Let’s pursue the TREASURE of God’s precious Word, faithfully and diligently storing it up in our heart, that we might not sin against Him.

If you’d like to support my local LifeWise program, I’d certainly appreciate it. Click here for my local program, or click here to find a program in your area.

Psalm 19 – Sounds like Reign

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Serving our Enemies’ Gods – Judges 10 – 2025 Day 275

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 63, Judges 10

Have you ever thought about this – God brought His people into the Promised Land, an abundant land flowing with milk and honey, yet the Israelites ended up worshipping the gods of the very people God sent them to conquer?

God wanted the Israelites to drive out those idol-worshipping nations, but instead the Israelites joined in worshipping those idols themselves.

How often are we guilty of these very same things? How often are we Christians bowing to the idols of our culture – the idols of sports and wealth and comfort and fame? How often do we give Jesus our leftovers – after giving the world our time, talents, and treasures – rather than seeking Him first and giving Him our best?

Repent and return to Him today.

He who did not spare his own Son
but gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him
graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32 ESV

Heavenly Father, Forgive us for presuming on Your kindness. Your kindness is to lead us to repentance. Forgive us for our whoring and adultery. We have chased after idols, false gods that can never deliver what they promise. We have turned to the world that You created and turned our backs on You, our Creator. Forgive us. Cleanse our hearts and hands and renew a right spirit in us. In the Name of Jesus Christ, the Sinless Lamb who was slain for our sins, we pray. Amen.

Christus Victor (Amen) – Keith and Kristyn Getty, Cochren & Co

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Sins of Ignorance – Leviticus 4-5 – 2025 Day 141

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 141; Leviticus 4-5

The Lord here provides specific directions for how to atone for unintentional sins, sins of ignorance. This reminded me of so many other passages, like Paul’s beautiful testimony from 1 Timothy 1:12-16,

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Listen to Jesus’s words when He was being crucified,

But what about when you continue willfully in sin? Or what about those who have heard the gospel again and again and yet they choose to turn their back on God?

Let’s stop questioning what God will do with those who have never heard the gospel, and instead ask ourselves, “Am I prepared to meet God? Am I in willful disobedience to the Word of God? Am I being faithful to share the good news and make disciples where God has placed me?”

Will you join me in prayer?

Heavenly Father, I, for one, am not ignorant. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Even when I was darkness, running away from You, You had written Your law on my heart. I knew that it was wrong to lie. I knew that it was wrong to say hateful things about other people. I knew that it was wrong to slander and gossip. I knew it, but I did it anyway. Thank You for saving me while I was yet a sinner. Thank You for sending Jesus to die in my place, to be the sacrificial lamb who died outside the camp, who bore my sin and shame.

Now let me take this knowledge and share it with others, so that they will not meet You in ignorance. I pray also for those who have heard the truth and have willfully rejected it, who are intentionally running away from You today. Please, Lord, save them! Draw them to Yourself. Send Your Word, Your angels, and Your children into their path. May Your courts be filled with people from every tribe and tongue from around the globe. In the Name of Jesus Christ, the only Name that saves, Amen.

In the Light – Shane and Shane

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The Whole Truth of the Easter Story – Matthew 13 – 2025 Day 98

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 66, Matthew 13

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:47-50

From beginning to end of Matthew 13, Jesus was faithful to tell the whole truth, not just half the truth, for half the truth isn’t really the truth. If you only say, “When you die the angels will come and take you to heaven,” but you don’t also explain that all the evil people (that’s you and me apart from faith in Christ!) will be thrown into the fiery furnace, you are not really telling the truth.

Friends, please know that I’m writing these words to myself, because I need to hear them, but I hope they will encourage you as well. I want so desperately for people to be saved, that sometimes I only want to tell them the “Happy News about Eternal Life” … but the truth is that no one can fully appreciate the good news of the gospel until they’ve understood that every single one of us are sinners who deserve hell apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ.

So long as you think that you are a good person, that you are going to heaven by your own merit, then, who needs Jesus?

May the words of Christ fall on fertile soil and bear much fruit! Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace in telling us the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Thank You for explaining to us that every one of us is a sinner deserving of hell. Thank You for the best news I’ve ever heard – that Jesus Christ paid the price for my sin by His death on the cross, and that by believing in Him I have been saved from the fiery furnace of hell and will live with You in heaven for all eternity. This is truly the most awesome, wonderful, fantastic, marvelous news I could ever hear! May we share this truth every day of the year, but especially this weekend as we remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray, Amen.

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Into the fire – Matthew 3 – 2025 Day 88

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 3; Psalm 56

John the Baptizer was calling the people to repent, and so does Jesus.

A time is coming when each of us will stand before the throne of God and be judged. Are you ready? If God asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?

  • I’m a good person.
  • I go to church.
  • I read my Bible.
  • The good I’ve done outweighs the bad.
  • I’m a Christian.
  • Your Son, Jesus Christ, has paid the price for me. His blood has washed away my sins. My faith is in Him and Him alone.

Only one of these is the correct answer. Are you ready to meet God? Have you turned away from your sins and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation? Have you publicly professed your faith in Him and followed Him in being baptized? If the answer to any of these questions is no, please let today be the day. Don’t put it off any longer. Only God knows when you’ll breathe your last breath and that day for your judgment will come.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, in the flesh, to be my atoning sacrifice, paying the debt that I could never pay. I pray that You would use me to share this good news with others. I pray that those reading this would trust in Jesus’s finished work on the cross, repenting of their sins and turning to You for salvation. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen

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Victory in Jesus (Christ Won the Victory) – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell

Good Things and Bad People – Job 22 – 2025 Day 72

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Job 22; Psalm 41

Have you ever struggled with why “bad things happen to good people”? I believe the simple answer to that question is, “Truly there are no good people. We’re all downright bad. None of us deserve anything that the Lord gives to us out of His grace.” But, today when reading Job 22, I found myself thinking about a slightly different question, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”

They said to God,
“Depart from us,” and
“What can the Almighty do to us?”

Yet He filled their houses with good things…

Job 22:17-18a ESV

Why does God allow the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the evil and the good, like we read in Matthew 5:45? Why is the LORD good to all, and why does He have mercy on all that He has made? (Psalm 145:9) Why do the wicked prosper like we considered in yesterday’s reading of Job 21?

I think one reason is that when God saves and blesses bad people (like each and every one of us), so that we can display His immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:1-7 ESV

Like Job, and David, and Paul, the Lord inclined Himself to me and heard my cry and drew me out of the pit of destruction that I had dug for myself. He set my feet upon the rock of His salvation. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of PRAISE to our God, that many will see and fear and put their trust in God. (Psalm 40:1-3)

Heavenly Father,

I am indeed so poor and needy, yet You take thought of me. You have indeed multiplied Your wondrous deeds and thoughts towards me. I will proclaim and tell of them, though they are more than can be told. You are my help and my deliverer. Do not delay, for You are my God.

I delight to do Your will for You are my God. Your law is within my heart. Let me not restrain my lips. Help me to tell of all the glad news of deliverance that I have experienced. Let me not hide Your saving grace within my heart.

Fill me with Your Spirit. Delight me with Your presence. Make me Your witness, sharing boldly and openly of Your faithfulness and salvation.

Truly, You are good to both the evil and the good for You are a good and gracious King. May I praise You just as loudly for the thorns in my flesh which You have given me to keep me humble as I praise You for Your mighty works of deliverance. They are both gifts granted out of Your abundant, overflowing grace!

Make me a pipeline of Your kindness and grace toward sinners like me.

In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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Thank You, Jesus, for the Blood – Charity Gayle

Remind Me, Lord – Job 21 – 2025 Day 71

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Job 21; Psalm 39

In the 21st chapter of Job, Job wrestles with God as he watches the wicked prosper. Why were their animals multiplying and their flocks of children running and playing and singing, while his own house and fields had been wiped out?

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever prayed for God to give you a running vehicle so you can get to work while your annoying co-worker keeps bragging about her new minivan? Have you ever pleaded with God to give you a friend while your gossipy neighbor has a house full of companions? Have you ever begged God for a child while you watch a story on the news about a woman who threw her own baby in the dumpster?

I remember how hard it was to go to baby showers for my friends after losing my baby boy. I remember how hard it was to hear about others whose children were so quiet and obedient while mine were outspoken and headstrong.

Frankly, there is no 3-step solution to answer all your questions, no quick pill to take away all your pain, but there is hope and wisdom to be found in drawing near to God and His Word. We must remind ourselves of the simple truth that none of us are good, no not one. All of us are wicked. Our wickedness may look different from that co-worker or neighbor or woman on the news, but none of us deserve God’s great blessings of food and friendship and family.

We must remind ourselves that this world is not our destination; we are all just passing through.

Ultimately, the greatest blessings in this life are not found in expensive cars or rich food or abundant friends or even in a house full of children and a happy marriage. Rather, the greatest blessings in life are found at the feet. and in the hands, of Jesus. The blessings of joy and peace and purpose are found in the abundant, eternal blessings both in this life and the life to come.

Let’s pray,

Oh Lord God, remember your mercy and steadfast love – for they have been from of old. Change my prideful, sinful heart. Remind me of how much I have been forgiven. Let me not be like that unmerciful servant who pointed a finger of condemnation at the speck in his brother’s eyes, while forgetting his own sin against You, our Perfectly Holy, Righteous, Merciful King.

Remember not the sins of my youth nor the sins of my old age. My transgressions are indeed many, but Your mercy is indeed more. Remember me according to Your steadfast love — for the sake of Your Name and Your goodness. Your Name is great, and Your Goodness is without end. I know that You are good. I know that You are just. I know that You are faithful and true. Help me to remind myself of what I know to be true about You, about me, and about my neighbor.

I pray that You will bless others – my family, my friends, my neighbors, my enemies – with a knowledge of the truth, that they might know that You are indeed full of justice and grace. I pray that You would save them today, Lord, that they might turn away from their sin and receive forgiveness, that they might know Your love which is better than life.

It is in the name of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, that I pray. Amen.

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“I’d Rather Have Jesus” – Selah

Feeling Forsaken – Job 15 – 2025 Day 67

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Job 15; Psalm 35

I hope you’re reading the Psalms along with Job. They’re so beautiful to read together.

Sisters, when we find ourselves in a pit of despair, we must speak truth to our hearts. God has given us His Word to guide us, enlightening our path that we might not sin against Him. (Psalm 119:5, 105, 11) His Word is truth. His truth sanctifies us. (John 17:17)

  • “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV)
  • “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV)
  • “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10 ESV)

In Christ, we are the recipient of God’s grace, hidden behind the cross where Jesus absorbed the Father’s wrath that we so deeply deserved. Jesus took the Father’s scorn in our place. Jesus paid the death price, so we don’t have to. Let’s encourage one another with these words and pray to the Father together. Will you join me in praying?

Heavenly Father,

You are worthy of our full trust. Thank You for the sacrifice of Christ who has paid the price for my sin so that I don’t have to. My debt has been paid in full by my Savior, Christ Jesus, my Lord.

Thank You for Your faithful, steadfast love. I can trust without doubting that You will never leave me or forsake me. You are true, though every man be a liar. My own parents might even abandon me, turn away from me in shame, forsake me, but You never will.

In Jesus, You have made me Your child and put Your seal upon me, filling me with Your Holy Spirit, making me Your temple. What purpose and hope and peace there is in that!

In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

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Only a Holy God – CityAlight

Though He Slay Me – Job 13-14 – 2025 Day 66

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Job 13-14; Psalm 34

You can feel Job wrestling between how he feels in his heart and what he knows is true in his mind. On the one hand, Job wishes that God would go far away from him and leave him alone, yet he knows that God is good and his only hope for salvation.

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever wrestled between your mind and your emotions?

And in the middle of that wrestling Job says these nine profound words.

Can we say that with Job? Can we maintain our hope in Christ even when life is crashing down around us.

No matter what God puts us through, He is still our only hope, and what is life without hope? How can we get through the tragedies of daily life without trusting in a good and Sovereign God?

Truly He is our only hope in life and death.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the hope that we have in this life, that even our pain has purpose. Thank You for the hope that we have in eternity, that You will wipe every tear from our eyes and we will behold Your glory face to face.

We lift up our grieving brothers and sisters to You and ask You to encourage them. Please do not take Your hand from them, even when they ask You to. Hold them close in Your hand even when they’re in the fire.

We love You and worship You and thank You for giving us the book of Job that we might know that we are never alone.

In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

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Though You Slay Me – Shane and Shane, featuring John Piper
Christ our Hope in Life and Death – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Papa

Consider the Lilies – Job 12 – 2025 Day 65

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Job 12, Psalm 33

Spring has arrived! The birds are singing. The trees are budding. The daffodils yellow heads are filling the landscape. The world seems alive after a long sleep. Revival! I love how the creation sings of its creator.

Has winter lasted too long in your heart and home? Have you lost your desire to bloom. Job understands and so does God. I pray that you will turn your face toward the Almighty and His face will shine on you as you wait for Him.

Jesus’s words in Matthew 6:26, 28-30 echo Job’s loud and clear — “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father,

You are the creator and sustainer of life. You send rain and sun and snow. Thank You for the beauty of spring after a long winter. Help us to learn what You’re teaching us – to be patient, to trust You, that everything has a season and time.

You take care of the birds and the flowers, and you take care of us.

We pray for those sisters who have suffered through a long winter full of storms and cold. Please let Your face shine upon them and be gracious to them and give them Your peace. Sustain them and strengthen them for the road ahead. Let them not grow weary. Help them to trust that in due time they will reap a harvest if they do not give up.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

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“Where are the Snowdrops?” In loving memory of Anna Grace Kirby.
Please join me in praying for Joe and Emma Kirby and their family.
Do Not Worry – Rain for Roots