Tag Archives: Bible Study

Heavenly Headcount

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Appleton, WI

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 26

This is the beginning of a new section of the Book of Numbers and my bible labels this chapter as census and rules. The new generation is preparing to enter the land. The remainder of the Book of Numbers is about this preparation.

When I drive by those signs that tell us what the population is, I’m always fascinated by that number. I know it this the population that was recorded according to our latest census, but counting every adult on the planet is no easy task and it’s constantly changing. There is a small town that we pass through when we go to my in-laws house that reads population = 23. After all the years of driving past that sign and through that little town, I have often thought about going around to introduce myself to those 23 people and asking them what it means to them to be so significant? 23 is such a small number, but the fact that they live there and their population sign records it tells me that every one of them matters. In the sign above, I matter… I’m one of 70, 078!

I know, I have too much time on my hands, but truth is… someone took the time to count and tax payer dollars were spent to publish that number on their sign. So why does it matter? It matters because we matter to God.

Numbers 26:51 says, “The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.” The census determined that number. Sad thing is, that throughout the book of Numbers we lost a lot of people to sin, selfishness, greed, impatience, complaining and discontentment. The number is actually 1,800 few than the previous census that was taken back in Leviticus.

So here’s the deal, or at least my interpretation of what God is telling us today. You matter. We matter. We, collectively, make up mankind. God created us; every man, woman and child. This is our life to live, but we are His people called to live according to His purpose and plan. New Year’s Day was yesterday and many of us are going out in the world today (back to work, school, regular routine) with the intentions of being better people that we were last year or even a day ago. This is great, but we need to keep our focus on God, not ourselves. What is His plan to fulfill through us, what is He going to do to transform your heart this year and how can you most effectively do that? As we represent one human being in the headcount of believers, let’s exercise our significance and get out there and matter… For Christ’s sake.

Inner Enemy

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Implosion

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 25

Balaam couldn’t curse Israel, but he could tell Balak what to do. So Balaam led Balak to infiltrate Israel, integrate with them, intermarry with them, and introduce idolatry to them to turn them away from God. I conclude that God gaves Balaam an answer that he didn’t like so he uses manipulation and his own influence to get what he wants anyway.

It backfires (of course), but in the meantime there is a lesson here for us. We can’t let other people do our dirty work for us. Indirect disobedience is disobedience period. What I read here is if God says, “No”, God means, “No!” We are a squirrelly bunch of sinners aren’t we? Like Balaam, we selfishly move to getting what we want through other means. For Balaam, that meant Balak would be the fall guy. Not only does Balak fall, but Balaam goes down with him – God knows all.

As we enter 2014, this is a great way to keep our hearts in check with understanding the difference between what God wants/says and what we want/do. If we put our own needs before God’s wants, we will be in some serious trouble… That’s disobedience! The ground we walk upon is not stable and the enemy, who is working overtime in our hearts, will implode the foundation in which we stand. Our motives will crumble under disobedience to God.

God is doing a lot of work in my own heart. My heart is under some serious construction and I’m seeking my strength to be obedient. I hope you have a new years resolution to allow God to work on your heart. Of course that only comes through the reading and living out of His Word. Numbers 25 might be a great start and I look forward to growing in Christ with you this year.

Watch And Pray

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New-Years-Eve

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 24

This chapter is a continuation from Numbers chapter 23 because Balaam gives us two more prophesies – one being the coming Christ, which is a story that is shared on Christmas fairly often. It is also noted that this is the message (prophesy) that the wise men had knowledge of and is why they knew to be looking for a star to find the coming Messiah.

See verse 17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.”

Tell me THAT isn’t cool!

This makes me wonder if we are paying attention and listening for the signs that God is giving us regarding the return of Christ. I don’t believe you would disagree that we don’t have to look far. Turn on the world news, watch the global economy taking shape, the natural disasters that are seemingly more frequent (like birth pains – Mark 13:7-9) and not to mention how sin is permeating our culture – a whole new meaning to the “Sex, Drugs and Rock-N-Roll” quote of the 70’s.

If we look to the new testament where God IS preparing us for what is to come, we will see His warning in Luke 21:36, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

I pray for you my girlfriends in Christ, that we will be wise to hear God’s voice, following His teaching and be wise to see the message that He has for us in preparation of what is to come. With a new year upon us, a fresh start – a new beginning in some aspects. Let’s not only plan to be healthy, make wise choices, be financially stable or whatever worldly self-improvement plans we have to check off our lists. Let’s put more emphasis on time in His Word, Following His plan for our lives; watching and praying for what the future holds so that we may stand before the Son of Man like wise men who read the message and followed that star.

Discipline, Not Condemn

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bookcase God's love

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 23

This chapter has been dubbed, “”The error of Balaam”—ignorance of God’s righteousness.”

Balaam has now come to Balak, the king of Moab. Balak takes Balaam to the top of a mountain so that he can see the camp of Israel below. Balak is not satisfied with any of the prophecies of Balaam; so he will take him to four different mountains on four different sides of the camp.

Balaam uses his own reasoning and rationalizing, and concludes that God must condemn Israel because of their sin. Man has a tendency to conclude that God must judge Israel, because of their sin, and that God must judge the individual sinner. However, God does not judge the sinner because He has already judged him in Christ Jesus—when he (we) came to God by faith in Christ.

The world does not understand that and neither did Balaam. He thought that God must condemn Israel. He figured that if God was going to judge Israel, he might as well get the benefit of the rewards from King Balak; thinking that God would condemn Israel and that he would be permitted to get a handsome reward as a result of it.

Balaam did not understand the righteousness of God either. He did not understand that the believing sinner, just like the people of Israel, could not come under the judgment and condemnation of God. When the believer sins, he comes under the disciplining hand of God, not under the condemnation of God.

Aren’t you relieved? I am! Disciplined for our sin, not condemned. That’s not to say the world isn’t out to get us or the devil doesn’t work overtime to discourage us, beat us when we’re down and rob us of our happiness and hope. Today, I’m thankful to have a God who knows my heart, has all things figured out, can right my wrongs and direct my path. I’m so glad that my God forgives, loves, redeems, restores, and rebuilds lives.

Thank you LORD!

Christmas… Do You “Get It”?

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter, Reflections From My Heart by

Christmas

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 19

It’s Christmas Eve. Do you want to know something? Since I became a born-again believer over 10 years ago Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning. One of my friends, Kent Maichle, who received Christ this year had an amazing post on Facebook. He says, “A few have asked, since my son is getting older. Does he still believe this Christmas? My answer is yes and for the first year his Dad does too.” As I paste this unto this blog tears run down my cheeks…. for the first year his Dad does too. (Awesome, absolutely awesome!) There is nothing more beautiful that a heart who ‘gets it.’ I remember so vividly my first Christmas with Christ – A whole new meaning, an entirely new perspective on life!

I went into my bible study in Numbers 19 today with the intention of extracting a Christmas message. After all, it is Christmas. What kind of blogger would I be if I just blogged through the holiday and didn’t acknowledge the special event of Christ’s birth. But then I came to realize something. By reading God’s Word, I celebrate Christ’s birth, life, and resurrection everyday.  Through the reading of His Word, I am constantly reminded of who God is, what He has done and how I should live in a surrendered, humbled, God-honoring life.

So that being said, of course there is a message of Christmas in Numbers 19, and this is what I found.  Verse 20, “But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean.” We are unclean, all of us. During this time in history, God put the calf and other sacrifices in place for man to deal with their sin and dirtiness. Today, because of Jesus, we HAVE a way to deal with our sin and become clean. The disconnect is knowing that and then living for that.

So Christmas is a symbolic celebration of the coming of our LORD Jesus to earth, as a human infant, to live a perfect life, so that we may live an eternal life. But when we truly come to accept that gift, we not only have His eternal promises, but we are clean. It’s like a Holy shower. So I pray for all of those who haven’t unwrapped their gift from God and given their hearts over to Him. My heart grieves when I remember seeing Christmas Day as the finish line for my 6 week marathon of retail frenzy. Now I go into the Christmas season with my heart and budget in tact. True peace on earth!

Blue, God Believing Day!

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BelieveGod

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 15

There is a Lorrie Morgan song with a line in the lyric that says, “I’m looking for something in blue” and the blue she seeks is for her unborn son. A couple years ago I was in a Beth Moore study called “Believing God,” we all cut blue ropes, made them into bracelets, and wore them as a reminder to believe God. This all based upon a the biblical message that we are studying today. In Numbers 15, verse  39 says, “You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.”

So is this tassel supposed to be some form of good luck charm like a pet rock, rabbits foot, or finding a penny, picking it up so all day long you have good luck? Not at all. This is a reminder. A reminder that we are to believe God. Since I became a born-again believer I have let go of all things superstitious. My parents used to call me every new years day to remind me that I was supposed to wash my hands in money so we could make sure we had enough for the year ahead. I stopped avoiding cracks on the side walk that would break my mothers back. I cringe at the thought of how many people put their faith into palm readers and horoscopes, and lastly, I gave up putting my faith into winning the lottery. (Although I still joke that that I would be the poorest lottery winner because I have so many people, causes, and ministry organizations that I wish to support.)

God is all we need. When I found Him, I found so much more than hope of 2 kids, a yard and a picket fence. I am reminded of this as I read Numbers 15, how God gave the Israelities something blue to remind them not to follow the lusts of their own hearts and eyes. Know that this message is intended to encourage you if there is something you are struggling with or striving to remain faithful to God in. It just might be between you and God, but you know what – everything is.

Let’s make it a blue, God believing day!

 

Wait Until Your Father Gets Home

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FINGER

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 11

I was fortunate to have an at-home Mom when I was growing up. There were days when my two brothers and I were a bit too much for her to handle. Generally, she would hold the line and usher the discipline, but there were those other days when our energy could not be harnessed and we would see her finger point while she declared those haunting words, “You just wait until your father gets home.”

Once we heard that, our attention shifted from the playfulness, rebelliousness and rambunctiousness to strategizing what we could do to minimize the spanking that awaited us when Mom told Dad about her day.

I remembered this when I read the first verse of Numbers 10. “Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.” Uh-oh, God’s mad! Rightfully so, He helped them escape slavery and what does He get? Tribes of Israelities complaining that His provisions are good enough for them.

If I read between the lines, God does not like whiners and complainers. As a matter of fact, in this passage, He gets very angry. Fast forward to today and I look at my life as it relates to this message and I’m guilty! Guilt of praying for things and circumstances that will make me happy. I may not be praying for meat instead of manna, but I do pray for material possessions, relationships that are challenging and for things to work out “my way.”

Shame on me! I hear God reminding me of 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, “Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Today I’m going to hold my head high, I’m going to be thankful for all God has blessed me with and praise Him for all He has given me and done for me. I appreciate His words this morning to put in perspective how we need to recognize the blessings and all He has done for us, instead of complaining and whining.

 

Time To Move

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moving

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 10

This chapter is the beginning of the wilderness march describing how early one morning the people of Israel strike camp because the pillar of cloud is lifted. Each family packs their things; the tabernacle is taken down. The time has come to move.

I can’t help but think about life as a wilderness. Each day we get up and we proceed to move. Move where? Well, that all depends. What is the goal? I have had days where I hit the ground running and there are other days that no matter what is on my agenda, something or someone, redirects my course. That’s not good or bad… it just is.

So, if life is a wilderness and you buy into this metaphor you’ll agree that without a goal, a leader, or even a plan – we wander. Numbers chapter 10 reminds me of that I need goals. Daily goals and goals for what I am seeking out of my life.

What is my goal in life? Well, I would have to say it would be to hear those words, “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) My leader is God, John 12:26, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me,” and my plan is to read and study God’s Word to grow. 2 Peter 3:18, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.“

It sure makes this wilderness world a lot more navigable and purposeful doesn’t it? What if today is the trumpet call on our lives and our que to move? Perhaps its a bit overwhelming to think about the whole wilderness all at once, but we can take it day-by-day. He’s get us there.

Wait On The LORD? What!

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Now

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 9

Oh. So. Cool!

The Israelities go to Moses asking if they can worship God and participate in the Passover. See here in verses 6-7, “But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day and said to Moses, ‘We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the LORD’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?'”

Moses doesn’t say, “Oh, sure, of course. That should be fine. It doesn’t matter that you have been deemed unclean. Since you’re going to worship God, why wouldn’t God want that. Go ahead, worship away.” Instead Moses says, “8 Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you.”

What?!

I manage people and occasionally someone on my team will ask me for something and I quickly weigh the positives and negatives. If the good outweigh the bad, I proceed to approve their request. If my team came to me and said I want to do something that will glorify God, I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of their relationship with God, an opportunity to serve Him or their own spiritual growth. The last thing I think I would do is tell them to wait until I hear from the LORD, so I could make a decision.

Today, God is reminding me (and you, if you’re reading this) that we DO need to wait on His decisions, answers and commands. Even those that seem ‘right’ at the time, still need God’s guidance. I’m honestly in awe of this today. Perhaps I have become very comfortable in speaking for God in certain circumstances and this is my remember to go to God first to hear what He wants to say, tells me how to lead and guides me in His ways – not mine.

I’m thankful today for this lesson and this perspective and I pray God will give us the ability to stop ourselves from speaking on behalf of the LORD, patience to wait for His answers and wisdom to know how to make Godly decisions, not our own decisions independent of Him.

Gifts That Count

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gifts

Today’s Devotion: Numbers 7

The second to the longest chapter in the bible and a very monotonous chapter at that. Eighty-nine verses and very repetitive as it describes each of the gifts that the princes brought to the tabernacle from each of the twelve tribes. My mind wandered as I read this chapter (confession), and I couldn’t help thinking about the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Every time the chapter shares which gift the prince presented I thought, “And a partridge in a pear tree!” I hope you see the humor – I was simply feeling the warm of the Christmas season as my Christmas tree glistens next to me, 12 tribes, 12 princes, 12 gifts.

Although, this chapter is much more serious than that; a very important message to you and me today. As much as this chapter seems to repeat itself, one of my applications that I believe God was speaking to my heart is how much He notices what we give. Some of the princes, namely the very first two, gave the identical gift. God couldn’t have said, “The first two princes gave a silver platter?”No! He spends paragraphs/verses describing it.

Why? Because we bring Him gifts and He pays attention – He notices. This is convicting to me because I just adjusted my monthly budget and reduced my offering. After all, its Christmas, I just got my tax bill in the mail, I’m going to be moving at the end of the month and with moving comes additional expenses. I justified, to myself, that I would ramp up my offering after things settled down.

I realize this is my issue and I’m personalizing God’s message to my circumstances, but that’s the beauty of God’s Word. It’s how He speaks to each and every one of us. You can read chapter 7 and get something completely different. If you do, and He does, please share it if you are comfortable.

The message I have for this cold, Wisconsin, Monday morning is that God cares. He cares not only what we give, but in the spirit in which we give it. God will continue to bless our Christmas season, provide for our tax bill and incur the cost of a move. It’s my flesh the fears, tries to control and withhold from the LORD feeling as if I need to “take care of things.” If you are feeling anxious about finances this season, based on what God showed me today, I have to say, “Put your trust in the LORD!”