March 27

Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalm 69:1-18, Proverbs 12:1 



Pray: Do you want some encouragement? Is being challenged or corrected what is needed most in your life right now? Pray to the Lord. As you read His Word, ask Him to meet the deepest needs of your heart and life right now. It may be from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms or Proverbs. Rest assured, God has a message for you from today’s readings. Pray and ask for revelation.

Read: In Deuteronomy 7, we read of the reason God chose Israel. It was because of His great love for them and the promise He made to their ancestors. We have a tendency in our culture to be extreme. We choose left/right (nobody likes the middle!). We are all-in or all-out. We operate in this same mentality when it comes to self-assessment. We either think we are pretty good people or we can’t possibly understand how anybody could put up with us. Extremism is all around us and even in us. The truth is, extremism is rarely productive, and often it is counterproductive. However you view yourself, and whatever is going on in your life today, remember this: “The Lord did not set His heart on you and choose you because you were more” (holy, perfect, attractive, successful, etc.) “…Rather, it is simply that the Lord loves you…” and He keeps His promises.

Edify: Look around you right now. Take notice of your surroundings: the furnishings, the decor, the people (perhaps), the area outside the window (if there are windows). Compared to much of our world, we are blessed with much more than we need in the United States. Sometimes, we feel a bit guilty about this. I don’t think it’s biblical to feel guilt about God’s blessings. I do, however, think we must be guarded when we realize just how much we have been blessed. Deuteronomy 8 gives us some instructions about this very thing: Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees. …For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in…be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God…He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful…” All that you have is a gift from the Lord: your family, your friends, your home, your car(s), your checking account, your clothing, and even the very breath of life which allows you to enjoy all of the Lord’s gifts. It’s all from Him. God wants to bless us, but He also warns us to be careful not to forget the source of our blessings and to be obedient to His commands.

Practice: If we’re open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we’ll often find a connection, a common thread, between the daily readings. Today, the connection is made between Deuteronomy 8 and Luke 7 fairly easily. The Old Testament lesson reminds us to enjoy God’s blessings, but to keep God’s commands. In Luke 7, we find these verses: “When a certain immoral woman from that city heard [Jesus] was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.” The woman with the alabaster jar of expensive perfume…how did she choose to use what God had brought into her life? She could have dabbed on the perfume and walked around town with everyone taking notice that she must be wealthy or important because of this expensive perfume. She could have placed it in her home for all her visitors to see this expensive item she owned. Instead, this “immoral woman” knelt at the feet of the Savior, washing His feet with her tears and hair. The perfume? It too, went to the feet of Jesus along with her kisses. What are you holding onto that you need to lay at the feet of the Master? Is it pride, greed, lust, anger, bitterness, resentment? Is it the resources and blessings that God has given you? Is it your very life that you need to commit/recommit to Him? The “immoral woman” left hearing these words from Jesus: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” He wishes to speak those very words to you today. Will you come and kneel at His feet?

March 26

Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Luke 7:11-35, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31

Pray: Pray today that God would offer new insight into something that you have been questioning, wondering about, struggling with through the pages of Scripture today. Trust that God has answers for each of us that are nestled away in the verses within the greatest book ever written!

Read: Today we receive the Ten Commandments from Moses as well as Moses’ comments and teaching for living a Godly life. It's interesting that Moses spent so much of his time reminding the Israelites that there is only One God and that it is imperative that they remember that. Do you think Moses sees something coming after they enter the Promised Land? Guess you’ll have to keep on reading to find out. We also read of Jesus raising a widow’s son from the dead. This boy was in the coffin and on the way to be buried and Jesus stopped the processional and simply said, “Young man, get up”… and HE GOT UP!!! In the midst of all of that, John the Baptist sends messengers to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah that they had been waiting on. Jesus reassures John and his followers that He is the Messiah and that John is and has always been a part of the plan… preparing the way for one who is greater.

Edify: Proverbs speaks to the family and relationships that we have with them. Family is one of the greatest resources God gives us. They provide acceptance, encouragement, guidance and counsel. Bringing trouble to one’s family in any way is foolish because you cut yourself off from all they provide. It is crucial for us to diligently work toward promoting and building a close-knit and strong family connection.

Practice: How have you hindered the development of a strong family unit? How can you further strengthen your family unit? Commit today to investing in your family. Maybe there is some forgiveness that needs to be offered for the sake of reconciliation and family unity. 

March 25

Deuteronomy 4:1-49, Luke 6:39-7:10, Psalms 68:1-18, Proverbs 11:28



Pray: We live in an “I want it now” society. The internet has placed volumes of useful and useless material at our fingertips. We can watch television shows everywhere we go thanks to mobile phones and we can get from point A to point B without ever looking at a map. (Do you remember those?) That being said, we have often been guilty of allowing this mindset to enter into our prayer lives as well. Sometimes, we expect our prayers to be answered in our way in an instant, but this is not how God works. Today, pray for an understanding that God’s timing is perfect and that Scripture is often the answer that we are looking for and needing. We just have to do a little searching. 

Read: Moses now knows that he will not be able to enter into the Promised Land… even after all that he went through to get the Israelites where they are, God did not have it in His plan to allow Moses to cross the Jordan River.  Now Moses urges the Israelite people to obey God when they enter into the Promised Land. He warns them against the temptations that will come and the opportunities to worship idols in this new land. 

In Luke, we continue to read the teachings of Jesus when it comes to judging others and about the fruit that can be produced in the lives of other people.

Edify: There are so many powerful moments in our reading every day that it is difficult to keep our notes manageable. The story of the Roman soldier has always had a profound impact on me as a follower of Christ. I see a faith that is so great that the soldier knows that Jesus can heal his slave without even having to be there in person. Talk about a faith that could move mountains. There is an unwavering assurance there and there is also something that Jesus values in each of His followers… a love of others. No matter their station in life, we are called to love and look out for the well-being of all people. 

Practice: Two things to consider from our passages today. The first is for each of us to consider our life and the places where we may have erected idols that would hinder us from experiencing God to the fullest. Remember that an idol is anything that takes our focus and our attention away from God. The second thing to consider comes from the example of the Roman soldier. Find a way to look out for others today. Is there a way that you can love someone of “high value” today? We often write challenges in the Christian to the exclusion of those closest to us. How can you value someone closest to you today?

March 24

Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29, Luke 6:12-38, Psalms 67:1-7, Proverbs 11:27



Pray: The power of prayer should not be underestimated. James 5:16-18 declares, "…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." God most definitely listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers.

Pray today, that your prayers be as powerful as those of Elijah. Lifting our prayers to God never falls on deaf ears. Pray, in addition, for the patience and spirit to know that God is in control of all things and moves according to His Will.

Read: Today, we remember through our Old Testament reading, the wandering of the people of Israel as a result of rebelling against God’s plan to deliver them into the Promised Land. We also read of the deliverance of God of the Israelites, 40 years later, into the Promised Land. The initial battles against the people who inhabited the land went the way that Caleb and Jacob said they would… God gave the Israelites victory over them. Luke tells us of the first few times when Jesus began to establish Himself as the Son of God. Even in the face of adversity from the Pharisees, we see Jesus standing up to their title and proclaiming that He is the “master even of the Sabbath”. 

Edify: Jesus was filled with so much valuable teaching and today is no different. Today, you will read of the choosing of the first apostles from the group of disciples that Jesus accumulated. We also read some of the most beautiful words ever spoken as we read the Beatitudes along with Jesus teaching of loving your enemy. In this passage on loving your enemies, Jesus isn’t talking about the love we often think of… He was speaking of a love of the will. This kind of love takes an act of will. Loving our enemies means acting with their best interests in mind. It means lifting them in prayer and we can do things that would be of help to them. Jesus said to love one another… He didn’t exclude anyone, even the people we don’t like and that may not like us.  

Practice: Let’s pledge today to think of the best interest of others and place their needs ahead of our own… even those who would seek to attack our character. Let’s do the very thing that Christ asked us to do… love our enemies. How can you pray for them today?

March 23

Numbers 36:1-13, Deuteronomy 1:1-46, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalms 66:1-20, Proverbs 11:24-26

Pray: In 1982, the Today show in New York City scheduled an interview with Reverend Billy Graham. When he arrived at the studio, one of the program's producers informed Graham's assistant that a private room had been set aside for the reverend for prayer before the broadcast. The assistant thanked the producer for the thoughtful gesture, but told him that Mr. Graham would not need the room. The producer was a bit shocked that a world-famous Christian leader would not wish to pray before being interviewed on live national television. Graham's assistant responded, "Mr. Graham started praying when he got up this morning, he prayed while eating breakfast, he prayed on the way over in the car, and he'll probably be praying all the way through the interview."

May our prayers be ongoing and never cease. Pray for a never-ending prayer life… one where every moment of life is lived in a spirit of prayer and praise. 

Read: In Deuteronomy we read of Moses giving God’s instructions to leave Sinai and travel to “the wilderness east of the Jordan River” (1:1). So, Moses appointed leaders for the tribes because the numbers of Israelites had grown so much that moving and managing such a large group of people had become too difficult. We also read of the spies that were sent ahead of the Israelite nation to check out the Promised Land and bring a report of their findings. This report albeit positive also brought on rebellion from amongst those that have quickly forgotten that the Lord is with them.

Edify: As nations, businesses, and even churches grow, they become more and more complex. Conflicting needs and problems arise. It is no longer possible for one person to handle the burden alone; therefore it is necessary to share the leadership load. This is what Moses did.

Practice: Just like Moses shared the leadership load with others, it may be necessary, from time to time, for you to share the leadership burden with others. This not only helps you as a leader be more effective but it also allows others to share in the load and exercise their own God-given gifts and abilities. 

March 22

Numbers 33:40-35:34, Luke 5:12-28, Psalms 65:1-13, Proverbs 11:23



Pray: Today, lift to the Lord your praise and adoration for who He is. It's easy to ask God for things, but we rarely utilize our prayer time to give God the glory that He is worthy of. In our busy world, we live in a “get down to business” mindset, but God wants to hear that we appreciate Him and are thankful for the reality that He is a gracious and forgiving God. Today let your prayers be about glorifying Him first. This should be the beginning of all of our prayers. God first…us later.

Read: We read in Numbers today of the Israelites preparing to move in and take possession of the Promised Land. In doing so, the Israelites were instructed to wipe out the existing inhabitants completely. Here we see God being one who is set on ridding the land of those who had inhabited it for generations. God warns that to not completely rid the land of these wicked inhabitants would create a situation of great irritation in the future. We are called to do the same thing in our own lives… throwing the old way of life away and moving ahead into our new life of obedience. Like the Israelites, we must decide for ourselves whether to stamp out our former ways or allow them to claim residence beside the new way of life. To settle for the latter is to not truly embrace the new way of life… it is straddling the fence of life, with one foot in the past and one in the future. Where are you today?

Edify: Luke records two miracles of Jesus in today's reading… one where Jesus healed a man with leprosy and the other a paralyzed man. In both cases, the faith of the men played a major role in their healing, but in the case of the paralyzed man, it was not only the man who was faithful. The men who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus and even went so far as to open a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was and lowered their friend down in front of Jesus also demonstrated great faith. I am always amazed in this verse at Jesus' response to the Pharisees during this exchange. Jesus never got upset or angry with the Pharisees challenging Him for forgiving the man’s sins, He simply asked them which would be easier… forgiving him or healing him. So Jesus being who He was… did both. 

Practice: Psalms 65 says, “What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you for you answer prayers, and to you all people will come. Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all.” Just as Christ forgave the sins of the paralyzed man, we can have our sins forgiven by the very same Christ. All we have to do is trust in Him and ask for the forgiveness. Ask for God’s forgiveness today and, like the Israelites, push out the wickedness within your heart so that you can begin a new life in Christ today.

March 21

Numbers 32:1-33:39, Luke 4:31-5:11, Psalms 64:1-10, Proverbs 11:22



Pray: Pray today that Scripture would come alive in your heart and mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and unlock something new and meaningful for you and your life while you read and study today. Pray for your family… those close to God and those far from Him. Pray that God would, in His own way, create opportunities for sharing your story and your journey with God. 

Read: The Old Testament story today is one that, if not careful, you will miss a major point where many are guilty. Moses made an assumption that the tribes that wanted to live on the other side of the Jordan were doing so out of selfish reasons. Ever been there? It is crucial for us to find out all of the facts before we come to a conclusion on something. Just because something may sound suspicious doesn’t always mean that it is being done out of bad motives. We also read a remembrance of the journey that Israel has made thus far all the way back to the very beginning of the Israelite people.

We read some of this just yesterday in our New Testament reading where Jesus was rejected in His hometown because of who they saw Him as being and not who He was in God. Today, we see Jesus moving on and doing amazing things in Capernaum where He casts out a demon (did you notice that the demon knew WHO He was… what was it that kept those in Nazareth from seeing WHO Christ was?). Jesus also calls James and John as disciples after doing the impossible and showing some awesome fishing skills! 

Edify: In the story of Jesus calling James and John, Jesus teaches an important reality about who He is and how we are to follow Him. Jesus demonstrates that even though the instructions that we are to be faithful to in our lives may not make sense, we are to be faithful in fulfilling that which is expected. It didn’t make any sense to think that just by throwing the nets over the other side of the boat, that it would make any difference, but we see that in their following Jesus’ instructions, it yielded a great reward. And so it should be with our own lives… we must be faithful in our own following even when it may not make the most sense. We are to remain faithful.

Practice: Proverbs tells us that wicked talk leads to the tearing apart of cities. Covenant today to make your words uplifting rather than words of destruction. Who can you build up today with a simple, authentic compliment?