Today’s Readings: Judges 1:1‐2:9, Luke 21:29‐22:13, Psalm 90:1‐91:16, Proverbs 13:24‐25

Luke 21: 37-38  And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.  And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

This is the last day of Holy Week.  Luke 21:37-38 summarizes what Jesus was doing during the last week before his crucifixion.  What stands out to me is Jesus finishing strong in his ministry.  He continues to be others focused and to teach knowing his death is imminent.  For a more detailed lay-out of his final week, check out this article.

When I was in Israel, it was pointed out to me that during Holy Week, the population of Jerusalem would quadruple.  This forced Jesus and his disciples to stay in Bethany and later probably in a gethsemane (an olive press in the garden) on the Mount of Olives (which had many gethsemanes and gardens during the time of Christ – the text implies there may have only been one titled the Garden of Gethsemane).

I’ve included a picture of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.  The wall that you see on the temple mount has two filled-in gates through which Christ will enter through when he returns.  I’ve also included a picture of one of the parts of the olive garden that claims the name of the Garden of Gethsemane.

Apply: I want to run through every finish line that God gives me.  I want to be others focused.

What helps you remember to finish strong?

Today’s Readings: Joshua 24:1‐33, Luke 21:1‐28, Psalm 89:38‐52, Proverbs 13:20‐23

Questions out of the second half of Joshua 24:

Do you have spiritual mentors that push you to serve the Lord? 14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness… Choose this day whom you will serve…  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Do you remember God’s faithfulness? 16-18 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery… Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

Do you know there are consequences if you forsake God? 19-20 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”

Have you cleaned house? 21-23 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

Have you committed to obedience? 24-26a And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God.

What are your witness stones? 26b-28  And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

Today’s Readings: Joshua 22:21‐23:16, Luke 20:27‐47, Psalm 89:14‐37, Proverbs 13:17‐19

Joshua 23:14b-16a … not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.  But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them…

Observation:

• Two chapters later than the similar verses in yesterday’s post…
• God is faithful to bless and to discipline.
• Serving and bowing down to other Gods brings evil and destruction in our lives.
• The IF in our future is related to us, not God.

Where am I serving idols and not God?  In our culture, most of us do not have carved images that we “bow down” to.  However, we struggle with idolatry through placing too much worth on stuff.  We “serve” other people and other things before God.  In my life it is often my agenda, my family, approval, comfort or work.

Application:  Today I want to focus on serving God and letting the rest of my life flow out of the service of him.

What are you spending the most of your time serving?

Today’s Readings: Joshua 21:1‐22:20, Luke 20:1‐26, Psalm 89:1‐13, Proverbs 13:15‐16

Joshua 21: 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Observations:

• Not one word – completely
• All the good promises – God has good plans for his people
• Lord had made – God made these promises.  Not Israel.
• Had failed – All came to pass

Why do we doubt God?  We see in history that he comes through every time.  In my life he has proved himself over and over.  The Bible helps us remember and recognize his faithfulness.

Apply: I want to worship God for his faithfulness.

Can you give an example of how God has shown his faithfulness in your life?

Today’s Readings: Joshua 19:1‐20:9, Luke 19:28‐48, Psalm 88:1‐18, Proverbs 13:12‐14

Luke 19:41 And when he drew near and saw (Jerusalem), he wept over it…

We live in a Christian culture that encourages us to be happy all the time.  This is NOT the message of the Text.  Jesus was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).  In Psalms today we read: “I, O Lord, cry to you” and “my eye grows dim through sorrow” (Psalm 88:3&9).  Nehemiah writes ^“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days” (Nehemiah 1:4).  Last week one of my friends sent me a link to this powerful video on Christian agony.

Apply: Are you acquainted with grief?  2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us that “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret…”  Today I want to encourage myself to grieve things that grieve the Spirit.

How do you define Godly grief?

Today’s Readings: Josh 16:1‐18:28, Luke 19:1‐27, Ps 87:1‐7, Prov 13:11

Luke 19: 7-9 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” … And Jesus said “…the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Observations:

• Context: story of Zacchaeus
• Those watching didn’t like that he was going to be a guest of a “sinner.”
• Jesus responded by explaining that these are the people he came to save.
• Those who grumbled were the ones that ended the story lost.

Apply: We need to be a light to a lost world.  Look for opportunities to get real time with lost people, love them, and show them Jesus.

When do you connect with people who are lost?

Today’s Readings: Josh 15:1‐63, Luke 18:18‐43, Ps 86:1‐17, Prov 13:9‐10

Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

Observations:

• Context: The rich young ruler thinks he has gained righteousness by human good deeds.
• On January 30^th I was struck by a different section of this story in the Matthew account.  Check it out here.
• Jesus reserves the word good for God alone.

Do we realize how set apart God is?  There are times when I subconsciously try to bring him down to my level.  I don’t realize the fullness of who I am serving.  Are there things in my life that I reserve for God alone?

Apply: Today I want to focus on the holy (set apart) character of God.

Do you have a word that you use to describe God alone?

Today’s Readings: Josh 13:1‐14:15, Luke 18:1‐17, Ps 85:1‐13, Prov 13:7‐8

Psalm 85:12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.

Observations:

• Context of the passage is praising God for forgiving sin and asking him to restore and revive his people.
• The verse agrees with the character of God and claims future blessings.
• God will give what is good.
• God will give increase to his land.

We need to be careful to claim the promises that God gives to other people, in this case Israel, for ourselves.  At the same time, we know that God desires to give good gifts to all of his children (Matthew 7:11, Romans 8:28, James 1:9).  The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to speak into our life.  Rebecca believes that God gave her this verse as she was praying over our dating relationships.  It now hangs on the wall of our bedroom.

Apply:  Rebecca and I are at a marriage retreat as we seek to make a good thing better.  I want to consciously remind myself of this verse and God’s desire to bless our future.

Do you have a verse that you believe God has given you for this stage in your life?

Today’s Readings: Josh 11:1‐12:24, Luke 17:11‐37, Ps 84:1‐12, Prov 13:5‐6

Psalm 84:10 – “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

Observations:

• A day with God is better than a thousand away from God.
• David would rather live as a servant of God than a peer with wicked people.

I love to singing the song “Better is One Day” based on Psalm 84.  It is easy to sing these words.  But, I often live as though I would rather be a peer of the wicked than a servant of God.  It is exciting to think that the temple is now in our hearts.  What David desired, we can have every day.  We can walk as a servant of God even when we are in the tents of the wicked.

Apply: Today I want to make a point to go through the day “in the courts” of God.

What enables you to have a “Better is One Day” with God perspective?

Today’s Readings: Josh 9:3‐10:43, Luke 16:19‐17:10, Ps 83:1‐18, Prov 13:4

Luke 16:19-31.  “and in Hades, being in torment… have mercy on me, for I am in anguish in this flame… (after hearing no) I beg you, (Abraham), to send him to send (Lazarus) to my father’s house – for I have five brothers – so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”

Observations:

• Hell is eternal torment / anguish
• There will be no mercy for those in pain
• If you could hear the cry of hell, it would be- have mercy on us and send someone to warn those that I love.

Several months ago I heard a preacher read this passage and say: “I have a message from hell… Stay out of hell!  Don’t go to hell!  Miss hell!”  I am not a big fan of fire and brimstone preaching.  What motivates a response is seeing that we are saved by grace through faith (see verses 29-31).  However, I do believe that Jesus wanted the world to know that the pain of hell is real.  Jesus died to save us from a punishment more than physical death.

Apply: I want the voices of hell to motivate me to share God’s love today.

What does the story of the rich man and Lazarus prompt in your heart?