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Christian Devotional – November 21, 2013
VERSE: Number 5:5-6–The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty.'” TRUTH: When we do something wrong toward another person, it is the same as doing something wrong toward God Himself. Our actions reflect our commitment and obedience to God. So, our actions against someone else is the same as us being unfaithful to God. We are guilty when we do not treat others as we would treat God. How are we responding to the people we are around? RESPONSE: Father, I praise You and lift You high. I will treat…
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Christian Devotional – November 20, 2013
VERSE: Numbers 4:20–But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die. TRUTH: The Kohathites were responsible for carrying the holy things of the tabernacle, but they were not allowed to look at those things. They had to simply carry them from place to place as they moved around the desert. They would never know the beauty of the items they carried and it would have been tempting to discount the importance of what they carried. God has a plan for us to follow and obey Him, yet we will not always know or understand the depth of the…
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Christian Devotional – November 19, 2013
VERSE: Numbers3:4–Nadab and Abihu however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron. TRUTH: God is love and grace, but God is also holy and just. God cannot tolerate sin. Nadab and Abihu were wrong in what they did before the Lord and as a result of their sin, they died and others took their place. We must realize that God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. We are not to just do whatever we want, there are consequences for sins…
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Christian Devotional – November 18, 2013
VERSE: Number 2:34–So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family. TRUTH: The Lord put them together as families and then placed them around the tabernacle they had constructed to worship God. He wanted the people to camp and move together as families. The family is so important to God and the people were a visual reminder of that based on how they set up camp. They also had God at the center of their camp. Do we have God at the center of our…
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Christian Devotional – November 17, 2013
VERSE: Numbers 1:2–“Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.” TRUTH: God tells the people to take a census, so they set about counting the people. Interestingly, in other places in scripture, God tells the people not to count themselves and if they do, they will be punished. The important thing to remember is that it was not the act of counting themselves that was wrong, but the obedience to God that determined whether they were right or wrong. Are we focused on doing what God has told us to do, when and how God has told us…
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Christian Devotional – November 16, 2013
VERSE: Jude 21–keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. TRUTH: We are waiting for the day when we will be brought to heaven, so what should we be doing in the meantime? We are to keep ourselves in God’s love. Would everything we do be considered displaying God’s love? The love of God is demonstrated to others through us, so we are to be a messenger for God every day. RESPONSE: Father, I pray that Your love will shine through me as a beacon to those who are around me today. As I am waiting for…
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Christian Devotional – November 15, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 13:11–So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. TRUTH: After Nehemiah got everything settled, he went back to Babylon to fulfill his duty to the king there. Some time passed and he returned to Jerusalem and found that they had not continued as he had instructed. Nehemiah then set about cleaning house, so to speak. He set things straights and put things back where they belonged. Do we have the courage to point out and seek to correct the things we see where people have been disobedient to God? We…
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Christian Devotional – November 14, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 12:43–And on that day, they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. TRUTH: God had provided for them. He had made it possible for them to rebuild the city walls and they were celebrating. The people were rejoicing and sharing their joy loud and far. When God moves in our life, do we sing, shout, rejoice? Do we let others know of what God has done in our life? RESPONSE: Father, You have indeed done great and marvelous things. You make great sacrifices and You provide us…
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Christian Devotional – November 13, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 11:23–The musicians were under the kings orders, which regulated their daily activities. TRUTH: As the people were determining who would live in the newly fortified city of Jerusalem, the people still had their specific roles and jobs. The musicians were no less important than the others and the king made provisions that they could continue doing what they were called to do. Do we recognize our importance and our role that God has for us? God has a purpose and a plan for each person and He provides for that person to fulfill their plan. RESPONSE: Father, I praise You for having a purpose for me and for…
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Christian Devotionl – November 12, 2013
VERSE: Nehemiah 10:35–We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree. TRUTH: As the people dedicated themselves to the Lord, they recommitted themselves to the various commands that God had given them. In this case, the people were also agreeing to bring of their possessions a tithe to God. They knew that God owned everything and as such they were responsible to return a portion of it back to Him. Do we treat our things as if God owns them or as if we own them? Do we return the first of our earnings back…