Wednesday August 24 Ps 106:7-14. Our forefathers in Egypt did not appreciate your wonderful works. They did not remember your abundant loyal love, But they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea. But he saved them for the sake of his name, To make his mightiness known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through its depths as through a desert; He saved them from the hand of their foe And reclaimed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their adversaries; Not one of them survived. Then they had faith in his promise; They began to sing his praise. But they quickly forgot what he did; They did not wait for his counsel. They gave way to their selfish desires in the wilderness; They tested God in the desert. Why is it important for us to consider this matter of giving thanks? As foretold, people have become increasingly unthankful. (2 Tim. 3:2) Many take their blessings for granted. Influenced by the commercial world and its advertising, millions of people strive to obtain more instead of being content with what they have. We too can be affected by this unappreciative spirit. Like the ancient Israelites, we could become ungrateful and lose appreciation for our precious relationship with God and for the blessings that we have received from him. (Ps. 106:7, 11-13). Then, too, consider what can happen when we undergo difficult trials. At such times, we could easily become overwhelmed and lose sight of our blessings. (Ps. 116:3) Therefore, we need to cultivate a grateful heart and maintain it. That will help us to remain positive even when we are undergoing severe trials. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thursday August 25 The last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing. 1 Cor. 15:26. When they were created, Adam and Eve had no enemies whatsoever. They were perfect humans who lived in a paradise. They enjoyed a close relationship with their Creator as his son and daughter. (Gen. 2:7-9; Luke 3:38) Their life prospects were indicated in the very commission God gave them. (Gen. 1:28) To “fill the earth and subdue it” could be accomplished in a certain amount of time. But to continue to ‘have in subjection every living creature that is moving on the earth,’ Adam and Eve would need to live forever, Adam never having to abdicate his oversight by dying. Although they had the prospect of living forever, Adam and Eve were not immortal. To keep living, they had to breathe, drink, sleep, and eat. More important, their lives depended on their relationship with their Life-Giver. (Deut. 8:3) Accepting God’s guidance would be essential for their continuing to enjoy life. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Friday August 25 We are members belonging to one another. Eph. 4:25. God is helping us “to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zeph. 3:8, 9) He is training us to fit into his eternal purpose. What does that include? He purposes “to gather all things together in the Christ.” (Eph. 1:9, 10) Yes, he wants to unify all willing creatures throughout the universe, and he will succeed in doing so. God is teaching us to attain unity now, with the objective of having unity forever. Again and again, the Scriptures tell us to “have mutual concern for one another,” to “have tender affection for one another,” to “keep comforting one another,” and to be “building one another up.” (1 Cor. 12:25; Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11) God knows that Christians are imperfect, and this may make it challenging to be united, so we need to work at “freely forgiving one another.” (Eph. 4:32). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Saturday August 26 Let his days be few; His office of oversight let someone else take. Psalm 109:8 The traitorous course of Judas Iscariot fulfilled divine prophecy and demonstrated God's foreknowledge as well as that of his Son. (Ps 41:9; 55:12, 13; 109:8; Ac 1:16-20) Yet it cannot be said that God foreordained or predestinated Judas himself to such a course. The prophecies foretold that some intimate acquaintance of Jesus would be his betrayer, but they did not specify which of those sharing such acquaintance it would be. Again, Bible principles rule against God’s having foreordained Judas’ actions. The divine standard stated by the apostle is: “Never lay your hands hastily upon any man; neither be a sharer in the sins of others; preserve yourself chaste.” (1Ti 5:22; compare 3:6.) Evidencing his concern that the selection of his 12 apostles be wisely and properly made, Jesus spent the night in prayer to his Father before making known his decision. (Lu 6:12-16) If Judas were already divinely foreordained to be a traitor, this would result in inconsistency in God’s direction and guidance and, according to the rule, would make him a sharer in the sins that one committed. Thus, it seems evident that at the time of his being selected as an apostle, Judas’ heart presented no definite evidence of a treasonous attitude. He allowed a ‘poisonous root to spring up’ and defile him, resulting in his deviation and in his accepting, not God’s direction, but the Devil’s leading in a course of thievery and treachery. (Heb 12:14, 15; Joh 13:2; Ac 1:24, 25; Jas 1:14, 15) By the time such deviation reached a certain point, Jesus himself could read Judas’ heart and foretell his betrayal. Joh 13:10, 11. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Very good thoughts. I know some that say Judas didn't have a choice. But that means God would have created someone who is destined to destruction. God can do that if he wants and just because I can't rationalize it doesn't mean that it isn't true. However I agree with your devotional...I think Judas had a choice. It could have been any of the other 11 disciples. Some say we have 100% free will and God is absent. Some say God is 100% sovereign and we have no choices. In the words of Forrest Gump " Both. I think it's both. Maybe both are happening at the same time". God is definitely in control. Yet somehow he still allows us to choose and have free will. But I do think there's a point where if you open yourself up to evil things and constant sin God will take you and use you for his purposes but the end result isn't good for you. That motivates me to be on the right path and lean more on Him. Id rather him use me for good rather than let me run down the road to destruction. Nobody wants to end up a Judas.
Sunday August 28 “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said: “Yes.” (Acts 22:27). Roman citizenship offered valuable rights and immunities. Paul made use of his Roman citizenship on several occasions. Faced with scourging in Jerusalem, the apostle asked a Roman officer: “Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman who has not been condemned?” It was not. When Paul pointed out that he was a Roman citizen by birth, “the men who were about to interrogate him under torture backed away from him; and the military commander became afraid.” (Acts 22:25-29) Paul’s citizenship under Roman law affected how he was treated in Philippi. (Acts 16:35-40) In Ephesus, the city recorder referred to the Roman legal system after he had calmed an angry mob. (Acts 19:35-41) Paul’s legal appeal while in Caesarea opened the way for him to make a defense of his faith before Caesar. (Acts 25:8-12) Thus, Roman law made possible “the defending and legally establishing of the good news.” (Phil. 1:7). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just as some additional food for thought, compare 1 John 5:19 & John 12:31. Many people have trouble reconciling the terrible things that happen in the world when God is supposedly in control. It is true that when we put true faith in God and live by it, we let ourselves be controlled by his holy spirit. But as far as the world as a whole, the bible is clear who is in control of it. Certainly makes sense when you see the disunity and hatred everywhere. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Monday August 29 More bitter than death is the woman who is like a hunter’s net, whose heart is like dragnets, and whose hands are like prison chains. Eccl. 7:26. True love was rare in the days of King Solomon of ancient Israel. He wrote: “One upright man out of a thousand I found, but a woman among them I have not found. This alone I have found: The true God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” (Eccl. 7:27-29, ftn.) Largely as a result of the influence of foreign women who practiced Baal worship, moral standards had dropped so low in his day that Solomon found it difficult to find a man or a woman with good morals. Still, the poem he wrote some 20 years earlier, the Song of Solomon, shows that enduring love can exist between a man and a woman. It also vividly portrays what that love is like and how it is displayed. Both married and single worshippers of God can learn much about such love by carefully considering this Bible book. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tuesday August 30 You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the Law. Acts 21:20. If we are to have God's favor and blessing as individuals, we must accept adjustments in our understanding of the Scriptures. Consider this: After Jesus’ death, there were thousands of Jewish Christians who were zealous for the Law and found it hard to break free from it. (Acts 21:17-20) With the help of Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, however, they accepted the fact that they had been sanctified, not by means of sacrifices “offered according to the Law,” but “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Heb. 10:5-10) Undoubtedly, most of those Christians of Jewish descent adjusted their thinking and moved ahead spiritually. We too need to study diligently and be open-minded when there are adjustments in our understanding of God’s Word. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wednesday August 31 Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Matt. 25:21. According to the parable of the talents, when the master comes, he finds that the first two slaves—the one given five talents and the one given two—have proved faithful, each doubling his talents. The master says the same thing to both slaves, as noted in today’s text. What, then, may we expect when the Master, the glorified Jesus, comes for judgment in the future? Those represented by the first two slaves—his hardworking anointed disciples—will already have received their final sealing before the great tribulation breaks out. (Rev. 7:1-3) Before Armageddon, Jesus will give them their promised heavenly reward. Those with the earthly hope who supported Christ’s brothers will have been judged as sheep and will be granted the privilege of living in the earthly realm of the Kingdom. (Matt. 25:34). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thursday Sept 1 The ropes of death encircled me; The Grave had me in its grip. I was overcome by distress and grief. But I called on the name of Jehovah: “O Jehovah, rescue me!”...You have rescued me from death, My eye from tears, my foot from stumbling. (Psalm 116:3,4,8) What are “the ropes of death”? It seemed as if death had so tightly bound the psalmist with unbreakable ropes that escape was impossible. Ropes tied tightly about limbs produce sharp pains, or pangs, and the Greek Septuagint version renders the Hebrew word for “ropes” as “pangs.” Hence, when Jesus Christ died, he was in the paralyzing grip, or pangs, of death. When God resurrected Jesus, therefore, He was “loosing the pangs of death.” (Acts 2:24). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Friday September 2 “Keep seeking [God’s] Kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” LUKE 12:31. It has been said that man’s necessities are few, but his wants are infinite. It seems that many cannot see the difference between material needs and wants. What is the difference? A “need” is something you must have because your life depends on it. Food, clothing, and shelter—these are legitimate necessities. A “want” is something you would like to have, but it is not essential for everyday living. Satan uses his world’s commercial system to seduce us into believing that having material things beyond our actual needs is necessary for the enjoyment of life. He is adept at appealing to “the desire of the eyes.” (1 John 2:15-17; Gen. 3:6; Prov. 27:20) The world offers every kind of material thing, from the superb to the absurd, some of which look very enticing. Have you ever purchased something, not because you needed it, but because it caught your eye in an advertisement or a store display? Did you later realize that you could have lived the rest of your life without it? Such nonessential things only complicate our life and weigh us down. They can ensnare us and distract us from what is really important. Remember, the apostle John warned: “The world is passing away and so is its desire.” Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Saturday September 3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God. (2 Cor 1:3,4) The apostle Paul describes God as “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trials.” Thus the Bible assures us that no person is beyond God’s help and that no tragedy is so great that our heavenly Father cannot comfort us. Of course, we must do something if we want comfort from God. How could a doctor help us if we never made an appointment to see him? The prophet Amos asks: “Will two walk together unless they have met by appointment?” (Amos 3:3, footnote) The Scriptures therefore urge us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” (James 4:8). Like many today who seek help from God, King David was all too familiar with tragedy. “Hear my pleas when I cry to you for help,” he once begged. Did God respond? Yes. David added: “I have received his help, and my heart rejoices.” (Psalm 28:2, 7). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sunday September 4 This is the blood of the covenant that God has made with you. (Ex. 24:8). By means of the Law covenant, the ancient nation of Israel was set apart as God’s chosen nation. God now became ‘their Judge, their Lawgiver, and their King.’ (Isa. 33:22) The history of Israel provides a record of what happens when God’s righteous standards are either observed or ignored. Since the Law forbade intermarrying with pagans and participation in false worship, it was designed to prevent Abraham’s line of descent from being contaminated. (Ex. 20:4-6; 34:12-16) Through that covenant, Israel had a unique opportunity and privilege to become “a kingdom of priests,” provided they met the stipulation to obey God's laws. (Ex. 19:5, 6) Israel, however, failed to meet this requirement. Instead of esteeming the arrival of the Messiah, the primary part of Abraham’s offspring, the nation rejected him. Consequently, God rejected that nation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Monday September 5 Happy are those who are blameless in their way, Who walk in the law of God. Happy are those who observe his reminders, Who search for him with all their heart. They practice no unrighteousness; They walk in his ways. You have commanded That your orders be carefully kept. Ifonly I could remain steadfast So as to observe your regulations! Then I would not be put to shame When I consider all your commandments. I Will praise you with an upright heart When I learn your righteous judgments. I Will observe your regulations. May you never utterly forsake me. (Psalm 119:1-8) True happiness depends on our walking in God’s law. If we do this, God will consider us ‘faultless in our way.’ (Psalm 119:1) Being faultless does not mean that we are perfect, but it does indicate that we strive to do God’s will. Noah “proved himself faultless among his contemporaries” as a man who “walked with the true God.” That faithful patriarch and his family survived the Flood because he pursued the life course outlined by God. (Genesis 6:9; 1 Peter 3:20) Similarly, our survival of this world’s end depends on our ‘carefully keeping God’s orders,’ thus doing his will. (Psalm 119:4). God will never leave us if we ‘laud him with uprightness of heart and continue to keep his regulations.’ (Psalm 119:7, 8) God did not abandon the Israelite leader Joshua, who applied the counsel to ‘read in the book of the law day and night so that he might do all that was written in it.’ That made him successful and enabled him to act wisely. (Joshua 1:8) Near the end of his life, Joshua was still lauding God and could remind the Israelites: “You well know with all your hearts and with all your souls that not one word out of all the good words that your God has spoken to you has failed.” (Joshua 23:14) Like Joshua and the writer of Psalm 119, we can find happiness and success by praising God and trusting in his word. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tuesday September 6 You must be holy. (Lev. 11:45). In the book of Leviticus, holiness is referred to more often than in any other book of the Bible. Since this quality is a requirement for all genuine worshippers of God, understanding and appreciating Leviticus will help us to prove ourselves holy. The book of Leviticus, written by the prophet Moses, is part of “all Scripture” that is beneficial for teaching. (2 Tim. 3:16) God's name (Jehovah) appears an average of ten times in each chapter of the book in the original writings. Getting the sense of Leviticus will strengthen us to avoid doing anything that would bring reproach on the divine name. (Lev. 22:32) The book’s frequent use of the words “I am Jehovah” should remind us to obey God. As recorded in Leviticus chapter 8, God selected Aaron to serve as Israel’s high priest, and his sons were to serve as priests in behalf of the nation. Thus, Aaron represents Jesus Christ and Aaron’s sons represent Jesus’ anointed followers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wednesday September 7 He opened up their minds fully to grasp the meaning of the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45). It was still the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Two of the disciples were walking to a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. Not knowing that Jesus had been resurrected, they were heavyhearted because of recent events. Suddenly, Jesus appeared and started walking with them. He was able to comfort these disciples. How? “Starting with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:13-15, 27) At that, their hearts started to burn within them as he clearly explained the Scriptures to them. (Luke 24:32) That same evening, these two disciples returned to Jerusalem. Finding the apostles, they related their experience to them. As they were speaking, Jesus appeared to all of them. However, his apostles were terrified. Doubts came up in their hearts. How did Jesus strengthen them? By doing what the scripture for today relates. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
