Dry Ground

This blog post is based off of Joshua 3:1-17 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

God did it again. He parted the waters so that the Israelites could walk through on dry ground. 

The first time was over the Red Sea. God parted the waters and hey all walked through. The second time was when he parted the Jordan River. Some of them had to get their feet wet first, but God promised that as soon as they walked in He would part the waters and they would walk across on dry ground.

I think that God performed this miracle for a second time to remind the people that He was still with them. Their leader may have changed from Moses to Joshua, but the same God Almighty was in charge. 

The second time around, God required a little more effort on the part of the Israelites. The first water parting was done all on God. The Israelites had no where to turn, the seas parted, and they went. This time, with the Jordan, they had to get their feet wet first. I believe that over time our relationship grows with God. Our faith can be stretched and strengthened and we are asked to go out and "get our feet wet" first. Trusting God is something that we grow. 

Sometimes God will ask us to do something difficult. He made lead us into a difficult direction before we can see the miracle at work. Stay strong. Trust God. He has something in store for you. Get your feet wet and He will do the rest!

Exodus 13:17-14:31

Psalm 106:1-12

"God knows the journey you need to take before you do." Unknown

Legacies

This blog post is based off of Deuteronomy 34:1-12 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

Moses had a major legacy. He led the Israelites out of bondage all the way tot he Promise Land. He wasn't able to live in the Promise Land, but was shown the land, by God himself, and was able to see where he had led the people. 

I think that Moses must have been satisfied with his legacy. I think that he was given the greatest privilege and was able to team up with God and make it happen. Moses died after seeing the Promise Land. But not only that, he was spending time with God and communing with Him as well. 

We all have responsibilities. We all have a legacy that we have already left behind and are working on right now. Maybe you are leading children, a family, a church, or a group of people at work. We are all responsible for something and should take pride in that work. 

We have the chance to leave a spiritual legacy for those we are leading. Whenever we have followers we get the chance to lead them into great places. Remember that, and with God as a team, lead your legacy. 

Genesis 12:1-2

Hebrews 10:39-12:2

"You are God’s legacy, and your legacy is made up of the moments that made a difference for God’s Kingdom, the relationships that had eternal significance, and the ways you worshiped the Savior.” Pastor Rick Warren

Who's the Boss?

This blog post is based off of Deuteronomy 30:11-20 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

God doesn't ask too much from His people. He asks them to love Him and keep His commandments. That's it. 

Sometimes we give countless excuses for why we aren't obeying God. Maybe we think it is too hard, or we act like we didn't know it was God asking us. Excuses are easier to make sometimes than actually following through and obeying. 

When we do trust and obey God the results are great. Our lives our enriched by the gifts God has in store for us. Sometimes, we won't be able to experience the richness from God unless we obey Him first. His commands also keep us safe and protect us. They aren't there just to test us - He provides them because He loves us. 

How quickly do we obey God? Is it instantly, hesitantly, occasionally? Let us work on obeying God right away. This is one of the first things that tells us how deep and great our relationship with Him truly is. 

Exodus 20:2-17

Philippians 2:12-13

1 Thessalonians 5:24

"Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him." Dr. Charles Stanley

Accepting Others

Today was a sleep-in kind of morning. My routine was not routine this morning and I decided on eating breakfast first and getting ready later. This resulted in me reading my devotions while eating and I didn't have time to blog. 

Wanted to just share real quick that God wants us to accept others Not just some, but all others. In the Promise Land He required the Israelites to forgive their brother's debts after a certain time. He wanted the community to feel whole and inviting. 

The same concept still exists today. God wants us to forgive and accept others. He wants us to live in a community where we can count on one another. 

Count the Ways

This blog post is based off of Deuteronomy 10:12-22 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

When Jesus was here on earth He made sure to narrow down the laws for us to two very important ones, "Love God with all your heart" and "love your neighbor as you love yourself". It is that simple. Or is it?

In the passage above, in Deuteronomy, the same idea is presented to the Israelites. They were asked to love God with all their hearts and to obey God's commands. 

Just like a mother longs to hear their child say "I love you", so does God long to hear us say that. I find it easy to tell God that I love Him, but it wasn't always like that. Of course when I was a child it was easy as well. But the years in between were not so easy. Not because I didn't love Him, but more because it sounded silly or not important to say. I now understand the importance and I want God to know that I love Him. 

Loving God is important, but telling Him you do is vital to the relationship! Imagine being in love with someone and never hearing them say it to you? I would be heartbroken. There is something about hearing those words that bring so much more meaning to the emotion. 

Loving God means also loving others. If we love God we tend to serve others our of that love. Have your fed the homeless, helped someone cross the street, given a spare moment to answer a questions. All these ways are serving others out of love - and will come easily to you through your love of God. 

Psalm 63:1-11

Micah 6:6-8

Mark 12:28-34

"Love must be learned again and again; there is no end to it." Katherine Anne Porter 

Who Can Stand?

This blog post is based off of Deuteronomy 9:1-6 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

In this passage, God tells the Hebrews that they needed to defeat the mighty Anakites. They were nervous, scared and anxious, but God promised He would go before them. And He did.  

Some of us have our own personal battles that we are fighting. We think "how can I stand against this person/thing". We need to remember that if God is asking us to stand up and face it, He is also promising that He is going before us. 

Sometimes it isn't our lack of strength that keeps us from standing, many times it is our emotions. We doubt ourselves, or we let anxiety get the better of us. Whatever it may be, we allow silly emotions to get in our way instead of looking to God and knowing that He is before us and He knows best. 

There have been plenty of time when God has gone ahead of me and conquered a situation. He has shown me that He is in control and His ways are the best. These are the times I need to remember when I'm facing new trials. 

2 Chronicles 20:15-17

Psalm 28:6-7

Ephesians 6:10-18

"Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you: everything passes away except God; God alone is sufficient." Teresa of Avila 

No Loopholes

This blog post is based off of Numbers 33:50-56 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

When the Israelites finally came to the Promise Land, God told them to drive out all Canaanites from the land. This was a hard thing to swallow coming from a fair and loving God. Why would He want to drive out all people? 

Sometimes it is hard to understand why God does what He does. Sometimes it's hard to read these passages in the Bible and not question Him. There are also times in our lives where we go through something that we want to question Him about. 

There aren't any answers to these difficult questions. The only thing we can know is that God's ways are higher than ours. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us of that. Even thought this may not be a comfort to all, it is a comfort to me. When I go through something that I don't understand, I know that God is just and He has a reason for everything. Maybe in heaven I will find out why. Maybe not. But I'm okay with knowing that He knows best. 

2 Chronicles 31:20-21

Romans 8:28

2 Timothy 3:16-17

"God doesn't look for our input - just our obedience."

"The truth is this: There is no better way than God's way. In every area, in all things, at all times. God is good and loving and just. And he always, in all ways, knows best." 

Devotion and Dignity

This blog post is based off of Numbers 27:1-11 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

In the passage from Numbers, we read how God was fair to the daughters of Zelophehad. This may come as a surprise to some people, especially those who believed that God gave all men benefits in the Bible and not women. 

I honestly hadn't thought too much about this. I hadn't ever thought God to be sexist, or unfair towards females. I had always just thought equal in both sides. However, many people do believe this and should be reminded that this is not the case. 

I would ask you to remember that God chose a woman to carry His son and bring Him into the world. God chose to reveal Himself to women first when He rose from the dead. And He also chose to give these five daughter's back their father's land as an inheritance. 

God is a devoted and dignified God. He is just and fair. All He asks for in return is our devotion to Him. 

Joshua 17:3-4

Luke 24:1-10

Romans 16:12

Galatians 3:28

Look Up and Live

This blog post is based off of Numbers 20:2-13 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

God had reminded me this morning that He is my outlet for stress, frustrations, and bitterness. 

The Israelites were filled with all these same emotions in the desert. They were bitter, frustrated, feeling angry, and God did not want them to complain to each other. He had Moses make a bronze snake that forced the Israelites to look up and grumble. 

God also put His son up on a cross to symbolize the same thing. We must look up and depend on Christ. 

This is the way I see it. I know that others have many other interpretations of the story. And perhaps tomorrow I may see it in another way. But today, this is how I need to see it. I need to know that I have a God who I can look up to and turn to. I need to have someone who can hear my cries and get rid of the bitterness. 

Just like the Israelites looked up at the bronze snake, we too can look up to Christ and live. 

Psalm 121:1-2

John 8:27-28

Credit Where Credit is Due

This blog post is based off of Numbers 20:2-13 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

This morning I snoozed the button a little too much. 

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. 

This morning I feel frustrated at a lot of little things.

This morning God is working on my heart. And He needs to!

I wanted to blog about this passage like I normally spend time on others. I just don't have the mindset and motivation this morning. What I want to leave you with is to remember that God does amazing things in our lives everyday. But it seems like we only look to Him when the bad stuff occurs. We get angry with Him, frustrated that He didn't do something we thought He should....well, I'm here to remind all of you what hubby reminded me of awhile back when I said the same things, "Who are you to get a direct favor from God?" Well, it was harsh, and not a fun thing to think about, but true. I'm not some extra special person who deserves favors. I'm just a child of God, like the rest of you, who tries my best to make it in this crazy, sinful world. The beauty of it is that I'm of child of God, going through this tough world, with a Savior right next to me! I need to remember to thank Him when He brings me the beautiful things in life - not just complain when I don't get what I want!

So....give credit where credit is due! Remember that God loves you and is working for you! You may not understand His reasoning for things, but remember that we are lucky to have a God that is willing to walk through this awful world with us!

A Grumbling Church

This blog post is based off of Numbers 16: 1:35 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

I don't remember this story...it is probably one that they didn't use as a Bible story when I was younger. It is the story of the 250 men that rose up against Moses and Aaron in the desert. They were upset and wanted to take over. They were told that God would appear to the one that was supposed to be in control, and the earth opened up and swallowed the leaders that were heading up the rampage. 

There are so many parallels from this story in today's churches. So much grumbling and complaining and talk about pastor's and leaders in the church. So many people want to put their two cents in and forget that these leaders are appointed my God. It is His church and He is leading it. 

We can show respect to the leaders of our churches, and to God, but praying for our leaders. Choosing to not talk about them when the gossip is occurring. Encourage them and let them know that we believe God is leading them. 

Just like in the Bible, members began to complain and turn form what the real focal point was. Their grumbling wasn't unwarranted, but they were forgetting to trust God and know that He was in control and had appointed the leaders He saw fit. He would equip them with what was necessary for His purpose. 

Philippians 4:2-3

1 Timothy 5:17-20

Titus 3:1-2

Life in the Fast Lane

This blog post is based off of Numbers 9:15-23 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

We have heard the story of the cloud and fire leading the Israelites through the desert. We have also come to know that the fire and cloud was not just a sign of nature, but God Almighty leading them. He told them "no" when they should stay put and He told them "go" when the cloud lifted and led them elsewhere. This was a visible reminder that God would guide their lives. 

Life is crazy. There is so much going on, happening, and I doubt it will ever slow down. We may have constant decisions in our life that we are making - small or big ones. These decisions could be life-altering and may change the path of our lives drastically. When you have these decisions upon you, have you talked to God about it? After all, He is the one leading our lives and would know best what direction to send us in. 

Through all the craziness of life, there may just be a simple "no" when God wants you to stay put. There also may be a "go" lurking around just like when the Israelites experienced sings in the desert. Ask God to make that clear to you. Then we will know what His guidance and plans are. 

Deuteronomy 4:1; 28:1

Psalm 43:3-4

"If you need to know which way to turn, look up."

What's in a Name?

This blog post is based off of Numbers 6:1-27 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

When we were named, our parents thought about everything they could possibly think about when choosing the special name that became our own. A friend of mine is due any day now for her first baby and I know just how much she has thought about the name they have chosen. She knows the meaning, and what other's will call the baby as a nickname, and also how it will flow together as a whole name. 

I really lived up to my name as a child. I remember my mom telling me what my name meant and reassuring me that I was fulfilling its meaning. I know she didn't know it at the time, but she had chosen my name and hoped that I would grow into its meaning. It was a name that she loved and the meaning was one she would hope for her daughter to be. 

God's name means many things. It is holy and precious and sacred. When we were born again into His kingdom we received His name as our own: Christian. Christ's name is written onto us and we now carry His identity as our own. 

So many people in today's society take God's name for granted. They abuse it and defile it and don't think twice. They have forgotten just how sacred it is. When we bear God's name it is holy and we should protect it. 

A song that really gets across this meaning of God's name is one I love, "What Do I Know of Holy?" by Addison Road. Click here to listen!

Genesis 2:19-20; 4: 1, 25-26

Exodus 34:1-7

Revelation 2:17

"How we use the name of God reveals more clearly than any creed we ever confess our deepest attitudes toward the God of the sacred name." Dr. R.C. Sproul 

How to Restore Relationships

This blog post is based off of Numbers 5:5-8 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

In the Old Testament of the Bible God had a way for his people to restore relationships. He commanded them to not only repent for their wrong-doings, but also give back 20% of what they took from the other person. Now I know that the law was done away with when Christ died for us. But there are still broken relationships today and recitation may be the way to save them. 

Restitution is beneficial in relationships because it shows the other person that you are willing to go the extra mile to mend the relationship. It shows them that they are worth fighting for. By fixing what we did wrong, and doing a little something extra, shows the other person that we want to mend the relationship and move forward. 

With any relationship, things happen that can make it begin to unravel. It may be a number of things as well. But with any unraveling relationship there I always something that can be done to make restitution. 

Are any of your relationships in need of restitution? I know that personally I can begin working on a few of mine. 

On a different note, what about our relationship with God? Is it needing restitution? Pray about these things today and ask God to show you how to restore your relationships. 

Leviticus 6:1-7

Luke 19:8-10

A Time Apart

This blog post is based off of Leviticus 23 from the "New Women's Devotional Bible".

God gives us and order several times in the Bible that we need to set time apart to spend with Him. This is what we call the Sabbath. This day is a day of worship and reverence. A day where we can focus solely on God and our relationship with Him. Many people obey the other commands of Christ, but look right past this one. 

If we aren't keeping a Sabbath, when are we giving God our undivided attention? When are we allowing Him to speak with us, move us, and shape us? 

Whether or not you would like to keep the Sabbath, everyone needs a special, quiet time where they can retreat with God. A time where they can focus on being alone with God and withdraw from the everyday life things. This is necessary for our relationships. 

God wouldn't tell us something so many times if He didn't believe it was important. He wants us to spend time with Him. To set aside a day for us to focus on Him and the things He would like us to do. 

Exodus 20:8-11

Acts 17:24-28

Romans 12:1-2

"Anybody can observe the Sabbath, but making it holy surely takes the rest of the week." Alice Walker