March 20

Numbers 30:1-31:54, Luke 4:1-30, Psalms 63:1-11, Proverbs 11:20-21

Pray: Pray today that God would open your heart and mind to the message that HE has to reveal through Scripture today. Lift up our leaders within our church as we seek to serve the church and God’s Kingdom to the best of our abilities. Pray for our families and our ministries as we do our very best to reach millions of people by developing thousands of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Finally pray for revival… that people would turn from their wicked and selfish ways and turn to God. 

Read: Today we read in Numbers of the vengeance of God on the Midianites for leading the Israelites into idol worship. While the wrath of the Lord was swift and total, we see the warriors not follow the instructions of Moses, which had come from God when they brought the women, and children back as spoils of war. None of the men had survived. Moses further instructs the warriors to finish the task at hand with the destruction of the women, who had led the Israelites into idol worship. Next we see a beautiful scene of thanksgiving as the warriors, none of whom were hurt or killed in battle, gave an offering of gold from their plunder to God as thanks for their victory and safety during battle. What a beautiful example of thankfulness in the midst of chaotic times! 

In Luke’s Gospel we find ourselves at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee where He was rejected in His hometown. The people only saw Him as Joseph’s son and could not see that Scriptural prophecy was standing before them in the form of a man.

Edify: Today, we read in both the Old and New Testaments about gratitude. On one hand, the Israelite warriors had a sense of gratitude for their victory and well-being in battle. The Nazarenes did not have any form of gratitude towards Christ because they were blinded by Jesus being “Joseph’s son”. It is critical to our overall health and especially our spiritual well-being to have a sense of gratitude when it comes to the person and workings of Jesus Christ.

Practice: Let’s commit today to be people of gratitude and not people blinded by the culture by placing Christ in the second chair of life. Where in your life should you be more thankful than you are? Make it a priority today to demonstrate thanks in those areas in life where you should be more thankful than you show.