Our God’s Arrows

Today’s reading is Psalm 61-65.

Our enemy is cunning, baffling, and ruthless. As Psalm 64 explains, he lies in ambush, secretly plotting to take down the God Filled, shooting his arrows, his fiery darts as Paul calls them, suddenly and without fear. If we are not careful, we may think his cunning power is too much for us. Well, of course, it is. But it is not too much for our God. Our God shoots His arrow and the enemy is wounded suddenly. The enemy is brought to ruin and destruction. Certainly, victory over our enemy’s fiery darts is about progress not immediate perfection, but we can know that God is working victory for us. Our enemy will be destroyed because our God has already fired His victorious arrow when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 66-70.

The Paradox of God Filled Victory

Today’s reading is Psalm 31-35.

“The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength” (Psalm 33:16, ESV). Wait! What? Surely it is our strength which grants us victory? I mean, I don’t want to be a weakling, do I? The God Filled grasp that our strength simply isn’t enough, but God’s strength is. Our enemy is too great for us, but not for God. Our victory doesn’t come from impressing God with how strong we are; it comes from admitting to God how weak we are and how much we need Him. When His strength floods in, we are strong indeed, but we know He is the one who deserves the glory for the victory. Whose strength are you relying on today?

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 36-40.

The LORD is My Rock

Today’s reading is 2 Samuel 20-24.

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

…

“In my distress I called upon the LORD
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.

…

“For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
This God is my strong refuge
and has made my way blameless.”

2 Samuel 12:2-4, 7, 32-33 (ESV)

What could I possibly add to this?

Tomorrow’s reading is 1 Kings 1-5.

The God Filled Can Put a Thousand to Flight

Today’s reading (rather yesterday’s reading, I’m a day late but hopefully not a dollar short) is 1 Samuel 11-15.

Saul’s reign over the newly forming nation of loose knit tribes and clans was in a precarious spot.  They had one victory under their belt, but now the prophet and priest Samuel wasn’t coming to offer the sacrifice to gain God’s blessing on the next battle. It had been a full week, and Saul’s army was dispersing. There was no way he could defeat the enemy by himself; so he did what any sane general would do. Taking matters into his own hands, he offered the sacrifice himself (1 Samuel 13:8-15). Samuel arrived and announced that for this infraction Saul would lose the kingdom. “What else was Saul to have done?” we ask. But in the very next chapter, Jonathan and his armor bearer routed an entire Philistine garrison all by themselves. Imagine what Saul could have done if he had simply relied on God. When we are God Filled, one can put a thousand to flight (cf. Joshua 23:9).

We’d love to know what you got out of today’s reading or if another part of the reading struck you. Let us know in the comments section.

Tomorrow’s reading (rather today’s) is 1 Samuel 16-20.

 

How On Earth did a Moabite Descendant Become King of Israel?

Today’s reading is Judges 21; Ruth 1-4.

Deuteronomy 23:3 had said, “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever” (ESV). Yet, not only did Ruth the Moabitess enter the assembly of the LORD, her great-grandson became king (Ruth 4:17-22). How did that happen? Because unlike her in-laws who abandoned Jehovah and His people in search of food (Ruth 1:1), Ruth turned with great commitment to the LORD and His daughter Naomi, saying, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you did I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:16-17, ESV). If such commitment allowed a Moabitess and her descendants into the assembly and onto the throne, what could such commitment to the Lord do for you today?

We’d love to know what you got out of today’s reading or if any other part of the reading struck you. Feel free to let us know in the comments section.

Monday’s reading is 1 Samuel 1-5.

 

The Real 300

 

Today’s reading is Judges 6-10.

“The LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me'” (Judges 7:2, ESV). Here is the real 300. God used the least of armies led by the least in his father’s house which was the least of the clans of Manasseh. But God used him and his measly three hundred to win the battle. That means God can use you. This is what happens when we are God Filled (see Judges 6:34). And when we’ve won, let us never say our own hand has saved us. God saves. Praise the LORD!

We’d love to know what you got out of today’s reading or if some other part of the reading struck you. You can let us know in the comments section.

Tomorrow’s reading is Judges 11-15.

P.S. I know the picture is from a different 300, but I thought it made the connection.

The #1 Reason to Stay in the Fight

Today’s reading is Joshua 6-10.

“And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel” (Joshua 10:42, ESV). If God is for us, who can be against us? If God is within us, who can overcome us? Don’t live today in fear. Live it in victory. Even when you mess up, turn back to God. After all, Israel had Ai and Gibeon, but they still took the land. God is for you; you can’t lose. Hang on to Him and enjoy His victory.

We’d love to know what you got out of today’s reading or if some other part of the reading struck you. Let us know in the comments section.

Tomorrow’s reading is Joshua 11-15.

The #1 Reason You Can Face Your Spiritual Battles Today

Today’s reading is Deuteronomy 20-24.

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory'” (Deuteronomy 20:1-4, ESV).

Hear, O Christian, today you are drawing near for battle against Satan, sin, doubt, fear, over-indulgence, lust, arrogance, rage, covetousness, immorality, sloth, pride, idolatry, impurity, sensuality, slander, gossip, greed, drunkenness, gluttony, and more: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD you God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory!

I think I can face the day. How about you?

Praise the LORD!!!

We’d love to know what you got out of today’s reading or if some other part of the reading struck you. Let us know in the comments section.

Tomorrow’s reading is Deuteronomy 25-29.

 

The Shout of a King is Among Them

 

Today’s reading is Numbers 21-25.

“The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them” (Numbers 23:21, ESV).

As far as Balak was concerned, Israel was kingless, leaderless, a mass of unshepherded people. But Balaam proclaimed God was among them. They had a greater king than Balak, and the shout of devotion and impassioned commitment to the king’s cause was among them. Israel would be victorious over Balak, Moab, and Midian. To the world, Christ’s church seems to be a leaderless mass and repeatedly seeks to curse us. But we have a King: Jesus. He is among us. We will be victorious. Let the world hear our shout!

We would love to know what you got out of today’s reading or if some other part of the reading stood out to you. Let us know in the comments section.

Tomorrow’s reading is Numbers 26-30.

God Our Defender

Today’s reading is Genesis 13-16.

“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”–Genesis 15:1

He had just defeated the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim, freeing his nephew Lot, and doing what Bera, Birsha, Shinab, Shemeber, and the king of Zoar could not. He had heard the blessing of Melchizedek: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” Why had he won? Because he was so awesome? No. Because he was God Shielded. What application can we make today other than the words of the Psalmist:

“Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.”
–Psalm 118:5-9

God Filled means God Shielded and God Defended. Blessed be God Most High!