April 5

Deuteronomy 28:1-68, Luke 11:14-36, Psalm 77:1-20, Proverbs 12:18 

Pray: The Lord is faithful. His promises are true. The reading is filled with statements following the consistent declaration that “the Lord will…”. What are the promises in Scripture that you cling to? You’ll know by the few that immediately come to your mind when prompted to think of His promises. Open your prayer by telling God how faithful He is, and thanking Him for some of the specific promises in the Scripture that often give you hope and guidance. 

Read: God speaks so definitively in declaring what He will do in the Old Testament reading, and Jesus, who is God, speaks so definitively about what He will do in the New Testament reading. Consider Moses who is writing (or dictating) the book of Deuteronomy at end of his life about 1400BC. Then consider King David who is God’s King in the Promised Land around 400 years later. Both Moses and David are familiar with God’s great acts and how He follows through in both His promises and His warnings. Allow an honest assessment of your faith in God’s declarations while reading today, and also consider what you can learn from King David’s honest prayer in today’s Psalm.

Edify: Haven’t we seen it so many times in our own lives and the lives of people around us? Being obedient to God brings blessings and being disobedient to God brings curses, heartache, and judgment. Jesus says just as Jonah emerging from the depth after 3 days gives a sign to the Ninevites to repent, so will His emergence from the grave give all people a sign to repent and believe. Repenting and believing is the pattern of the Christian life. Much like Jesus’ teaching with demons, when we simply repent, we create a void that could be filled by a greater evil unless it is filled with belief in the one true God. Notice the example given by David who struggles with doubt and unbelief in God’s promises in verses 1-10. Then, notice a repentance and change of direction of the Psalm in verses 11-20 as David recounts God’s faithfulness at the Red Sea. He has always faithfully done everything He has promised to do. This repentance is partnered with belief and faith in God’s past actions and what He will do in the future.

Practice: From the lips of the Son of God, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice” (Luke 11:28). What unbelief needs to be cast out? Repent and fill this void with belief in God’s promises. For today, write down one of the promises in today’s reading that your heart needs to believe and be reminded of. The Scripture addresses most ever area of life and has a corresponding promise. For example, if you’re struggling with career or finances, write “your children and your crops will be blessed” when you’re obedient to God. Like David, remember His mighty deeds today and remind yourself of His promise in this area of life throughout the day.