On Eagles’ Wings

Today’s reading is Isaiah 36-40.

“Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

…

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is insearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:21-23, 27-31

What could I add to this? Praise the LORD!

Tomorrow’s reading is Isaiah 41-45

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 #1 Step to Becoming God Filled

 

Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 16-20.

The Moabites, Ammonite, Meunites, and Edomites were attacking Judah with a horde too great to face. Instead of surrendering to them, Jehoshaphat surrendered to God. “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you…O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:6, 12, ESV). This is the first step to becoming God Filled: admit that you are empty, unable, powerless. Only those humble enough to admit their powerlessness can ever enjoy God’s power within and, like Jehoshaphat and Judah, win the victory.

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 21-25.

 

Responding to a God Filled Victory

Today’s reading is 1 Chronicles 26-29.

1 Chronicles 29:10-19 is one of the best pictures of a God Filled victory in all of God’s Word. David and his people have given freely and abundantly to build the temple. Yet, when they come before God, they do not expect God to give them praise, honor, and glory for their actions and works. Rather, they give God the glory and praise because they know it was only through His empowering hand that they were able to give. Don’t misunderstand. God didn’t give for them or primordially elect them to give whether they wanted to or not. They chose to give and would have had no relationship with God if they chose to withhold. But they gave God the praise and glory because they knew without His blessing and strength in their lives, they would have no ability to give. When you have a spiritual victory, whether overcoming sin or accomplishing some work, how do you respond? “God, thank me, praise me, honor me, save me because of this great work I’ve done for you.” Or do you say, “In Your hand are power and might and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now I thank You, my God, and praise Your glorious name” (adapted from 1 Chronicles 29:12-13, ESV)?

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Chronicles 1-5.

We Only Need One Ally

Today’s reading is 1 Kings 21-22; 2 Kings 1-3.

Jehoshaphat was a good king. God even had special regard for him over the other kings around him (cf. 2 Kings 3:14). But he was not a great king. Why? He kept making alliances with the wrong people. He married his son into Ahab’s family, which ultimately caused problems for the family. He went to battle with Ahab and lost. He built ships with Ahaziah, so God destroyed them (cf. 2 Chronicles 20:35-37). The long and short of it is this: the God Filled don’t need to compromise with the world filled, ally with them, or capitulate to them. God brings victory and greatness, not the world. We don’t need any other alliances than God.

Tomorrow’s reading is 2 Kings 4-7.

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.

 

A Battle of the Gods

Today’s reading is 1 Samuel 6-10.

A battle of the gods. Well, that’s not quite fair, because one god came to the battle unarmed or, rather, nonexistent. God’s Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines as judgment on Israel, but God didn’t take it lying down. He attacked Dagon in his temple and sent plagues on the Philistines. The Philistines came up with a plan to know if this was Jehovah or coincidence. The milk cows left their young and went straight to Beth-Shemesh pulling God’s ark behind them. There was no doubt. The God of Israel was supreme and greatly to be feared by His enemies. Postmodernists can claim every culture’s god is just as valid, but the Philistines learned that just wasn’t so. Perhaps we should learn the same lesson today.

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

Tomorrow’s reading is 1 Samuel 11-15.

Filled with a Spectacular God

Today’s reading is Judges 11-15.

Ehud was left handed, Deborah a woman, Barak a bit of a coward. Gideon was least in the least clan and full of fear, Jephthah the son of a prostitute with a propensity for rash vows, and Samson…well Samson was Samson. There is nothing about these folks that makes them spectacular except they were God Filled. The Spirit was upon them (see Judges 6:34; 11:29; 13:25). Don’t worry that you aren’t spectacular, glory that you are filled with a spectacular God. Praise the LORD!

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 is Judges 16-20.

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.