Listening to the Word

Judges 11-12; Psalms 50; 2 Corinthians 1   “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills…Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me.” Psalm 50:9, 10, 14, 15 God exposes and rebukes the deception of transactional spirituality among his people. Believing that sacrifices can earn God’s favor so we can live with greed, lust, gossip, and slander creates a god in our own image and one who is altogether like us.   The Mighty One, God the Lord says, “…I am God, your God…He who sacrifices thank-offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:7, 23) When our relationship with God is based on worship and thankfulness, we don’t expect to receive anything in return. There is no room for spiritual entitlement when our salvation is by g...

Judges 9-10; Psalms 49; 1 Corinthians 16   “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” Psalm 49:20 In the wealth of the West we have exchanged the understanding of God’s Word for a reliance on wealth and power. The psalmist reminds us that every person dies and takes nothing with them. The issue is not our riches; it is our reliance on them. The opportunity, freedom, and choices that wealth brings deceive us into thinking these same realities exist in eternity. God doesn’t need wealth and is not impressed or influenced by our wealth. Our understanding of what God values and how he determines what has eternal value will transform how we live with wealth, relationships, our time, and our priorities.   If we have to choose between riches and understanding, which choice would we make? God’s love for each person, and his value of relationship with us, moved him to send his son Jesus, to live among us in poverty and yet, with great power. The incarna...

Judges 8; Psalms 42; 1 Corinthians 15 “…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies…So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;…For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:36, 42, 43, 52 Our resurrection from the dead is the evidence that we belong to Christ. However, this resurrection life is only given to those who first die to self like a seed that falls into the ground and dies. To be born again, we must first enter the darkness of a womb of faith like a single seed. Claiming resurrection life in a life that has not yet died to sin and is now alive only in Christ is self-deceiving. The glory, power, and transformation of the resurrected life, are not for heaven only. These qualities mark the resurrected lives of those who belong to Christ and have exper...

  Judges 6-7; Psalms 52; 1 Corinthians 14   “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet…” Judges 6:34 “…if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” 1 Corinthians 14:8 God’s call to Gideon, and his requests to destroy the altar to Baal and Asherah and replace them with a proper sacrificial altar to the Lord, were all preparations for the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Gideon’s consecrated life. God will not anoint “mixture” in our lives. We cannot serve lust, money, power, and God. God wanted Gideon’s life to be a clear trumpet call empowered by the Holy Spirit. If the trumpet doesn’t sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? Is there a clear “trumpet call” coming from our lives for the kingdom of God? Are we blowing our own trumpet, or is the Spirit of God speaking to and through us? The Body of Christ will respond to the clear sound of the trumpet. “Lord Jesus, blow your trumpet in the power of the Spirit thro...

Judges 4-5; Psalms 39,41; 1 Corinthians 13   “Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! This is the Day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword…” Judges 4:14, 15 Barak could not recognize the presence of the Lord. His dependence on Deborah to hear from the Lord is much like many Christians today who rely on their pastors to hear from God. God’s desire is that each one of us would know the Lord. Each one of us would seek God’s face and learn to know his voice so that each one of us would be led by the Holy Spirit. Deborah was a prophetess who heard from the Lord. This prophetic gift is something Paul encouraged the Corinthian Church to eagerly desire (1 Corinthians 14:1). Knowing when the Lord is going before us to open a door, deliver us from the enemy, or make a way where there is no way, can mean th...

  Judges 1-3; 1 Corinthians 12   The outpouring and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, which was first experienced at Pentecost in Jerusalem and has continued since then around the world until now, is given for the common good, not just our personal edification. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit is first expressed in love for those who are powerless to love. The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit are both essential for effective discipleship into maturity, mission impact, and our collective witness as a community of faith. The Holy Spirit should empower and move us into greater love, synergy, and equipping effectiveness as the Body of Christ. Does that describe our experience of the Holy Spirit? “Lord Jesus, renew my dependence on the Holy Spirit for mission impact and for your glory.”

Joshua 23-24; Psalms 44; 1 Corinthians 11   “’The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God…I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you – also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.” Joshua 23:9-11; 24:12 God’s deliverance and salvation of Israel continued into their possession of the Promised Land. One of the Israelites routed a thousand because God fought for them. Do we still believe the Lord fights our battles for us today? God has delivered and saved us from the bondage of sin and made us his very own; are we still trying to fight our own battles in ministry, work, and everyday life? God will strengthen and go before those whose hearts are fully committed to him. Are we continuing to fight battles that the Lord is inviting us...

  Joshua 21-22; Psalms 47; 1 Corinthians 10   “…And is not the bread we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17 Our remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection includes participating in his body as we partake of the one loaf of bread. The remembrance of communion signifies our communion with Christ and our communion with each other. The body of Christ is made up of hundreds of millions of people around the world, united by their union with Christ and filled with one Spirit. Communion remembrance is not just an individual transaction with God; rather, communion is a reminder and a strengthening of both our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationships with one another. No matter what culture, church tradition, or context, we partake of the one loaf. It’s ironic that this unifying remembrance has been as source of division for many par...

Joshua 18-20; 1 Corinthians 9 “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some…No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22, 27 The cost of living on mission with Jesus every day, no matter where we are, is high. Paul said it is like being a slave of others in order to win them. He also said that the self-control and personal disciplines of discipleship are like enslaving our own bodies to the obedience of Christ. Why would we restrain our freedoms like this? Paul said he wanted to win as many people as possible to the gospel and save them. He also wanted to win the ‘well done’ prize of faithful obedience to Jesus. Are we willing to pay any price for the gospel? Does living on mission every day as a disciple of Jesus matter to us enough to rest...

  Joshua 15-17; 1 Corinthians 8   “…(Arba was the forefather of Anak.) From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites – Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai – descendants of Anak…And Caleb said, ‘I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.’ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.” Joshua 15:13, 14, 16, 17 Kiriath Sepher, or Debir, was named after the back room of a shrine temple used for oracle pronouncements. This was a city known for witchcraft. Caleb’s vision was to see Debir transformed and become a part of Judah’s inheritance. As an older warrior, he challenged the next generation to possess their inheritance and even used the marriage of his daughter Acsah as incentive. How are we challenging the next generation to possess their inheritance in God’s kingdom? The enemy has a strategy; do we? Anak was a giant from the offspring of fallen angels who had relations with women ...

Joshua 12-14; 1 Corinthians 7 “These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over…And the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He ruled over Mount Hermon…” Joshua 12:1, 4, 5 We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but our struggle is against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). The kings whom Joshua faced worshiped and received their strength from the powers of darkness. This symbiotic relationship between earthly leaders and spiritual powers can still exist today. As we pray for least reached peoples, we, too, have the gospel of peace as our weapon; we have the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord of all. Og was a Rephaite giant who was no match for the angels of the living God. Will we pray for the victory of the cross to be proclai...

  Joshua 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6   “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 Salvation is more than having sins forgiven. We have been saved from the dominion and power of spiritual darkness and death. Jesus’ blood was shed to purchase our freedom. We are no longer slaves to sin. The devil’s first commandment is “do what thou wilt”. His lie is that we are happier living for ourselves. How many relationships and lives have been damaged or destroyed by this deception? God’s plan of salvation is to save us from sin, death, and ourselves. God’s offer of freedom is for those who in turn offer their lives to him as temples of the Holy Spirit. It is a deception to think we can receive God’s forgiveness of sin and still live for ourselves with a veneer of religion. This is not salvation; it is another form of ...

Joshua 7-8; Psalms 69; 1 Corinthians 5   “…’That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it’…Over Achan they heaped a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.” Joshua 7:13, 26 When secret sin is in our lives, we, too, cannot stand against our enemies. God’s call to us is that we, too, remove our secret sin, repent, renounce, and cry out to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. The Lord’s fierce anger against sin is what nailed Jesus to the cross to pay the price for our rebellion. It is the cross which redeems and transforms our sinful heart into purity. God’s desire is to redeem even the most painful and shameful sin into a testimony of his mercy and forgiveness. In Christ, the “Valley of Achor”, or ‘trouble’, can become a doorway of hope (Hosea 2:15). In Christ, our sin-sick hearts can be transformed. If we a...

  Joshua 3-6; 1 Corinthians 4   “…’Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!’...When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:10, 20 God’s call is often to wait before we go. Waiting in silence reveals our hearts and our motives. We learn obedience and self-control as we wait. Neither the Jericho walls nor any other walls will come down because we march or because we shout; they will only come down because God removes them. Will we wait on the Lord? Will we obey the Word of the Lord? The people’s loud shout on the seventh day of a very unusual battle was a shout of agreement with God.   When was the last time we, too, shouted in agreement with the Lord and his trumpet signal? There is a call to the followers of the Lord to fully engage his mission...

Joshua 1-2; Psalms 37; 1 Corinthians 3   “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 1 Corinthians 3:11-13 Are we building faith, hope, and love into each other’s lives, or self-serving values and beliefs that will be consumed with the fire of God’s presence? The foundation of our life in God and of our salvation is Jesus Christ. With the clarity of Christ’s life, as set before us in the gospels, how can we promote, or consume, self-serving teaching? When we build with Christ, we will be living with humility, surrender, love, and the fear of the Lord. We will resist temptation and instead value the gold of faith, the silver of purity, and the precious stones of hope and love. The holi...

  Deuteronomy 32-34; 1 Corinthians 2   “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1 How did the gospel come to us? Is our faith resting on man’s wisdom, or on God’s power? Paul was exposing the insufficient foundation for faith in God when it is based on eloquence and superior wisdom. But aren’t eloquence and superior wisdom what fills auditoriums and sanctuaries? Paul’s capacity to debate and use words to sway opinions might not have been as strong as Apollos’; however, his knowledge was formidable. His repeated strategy, despite his capacity to argue from logic, history, and intellectual capacity, was to testify to God’s revelation in Christ. Paul knew Christ. His passion was to introduce others to the living Christ. When we personally know Christ, we, too, have a testimony of the gospel’s power to transform. We, too, have something powerful to share with even the most intim...

Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalms 40; 1 Corinthians 1   “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 Where do we turn when we are stuck in the mud and mire of sin, despair, or hopeless circumstances? David waited patiently for the Lord. When our sin has placed us in the mud we must humble ourselves and repent. We must resist the lies and oppression of the enemy in the mighty name of Jesus. However, we must also wait on the Lord. It is the Lord who will deliver us. It is the Lord who uses our mud and mire to discipline us so that we, too, learn to obey the truth and resist the lies and deceptions of the enemy. Restoration is God’s heart for us. He wants our feet on a rock and a new song in our mouths. The testimony of rest...

  Deuteronomy 28-29; Galatians 6   “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 God does not grow tired or weary, but he does give strength to the weary and to those who wait on him (Isaiah 40:28, 29). The harvest waits for the proper time. As we sow gospel seeds, and water, fertilize, and nurture faith, we are dependent on the Lord of the harvest who makes faith grow. The harvest is the multiplication of the gospel seed within us into full maturity and fruit which is a hundred fold and more. Working with the Holy Spirit each day to please and obey the Lord requires perseverance and discipline. Loving our neighbor as ourselves is tiring in our own strength. In the power of the Spirit, we can love one another through doing good and waiting on the Lord for the full harvest in both our lives and the lives of others. This kingdom-harvest is worth it! Let’s not give up. All our obedience and faith will be...

  Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5   “…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6 What would we say really counts in our walk with Jesus today? What are we counting? Are we counting daily Bible reading, prayer, gospel opportunities, church attendance, and tithing? Paul points us to faith, count faith. How is faith measured? Paul points us to love and the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Faith requires action to be visible; but, when we only measure the actions we can miss the source. Love for our neighbor as we love ourselves is the summary of the whole Law of Moses. When faith in God is expressed through this kind of sacrificial, generous love, we know it counts and is worth counting. How are we counting faith? Taking a few minutes to reflect on our current faith-journey and where the Lord is inviting us to grow could change our prayers and behavior in the days ahead. Let’s keep our eyes on the Lord, the author and perfec...

Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4 “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Galatians 4:4, 5 Jesus entered this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit, in the fullness of time. God’s timing was as important as his call. Jesus’ tribal lineage, place of birth, and region of upbringing were all fulfillments of prophecy. When the time had fully come, Jesus began public ministry at the age of thirty. He could have taught Israel’s teachers at the age of twenty-one, but he was waiting on the Father’s timing and his good and perfect will. Will we, too, offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God in worship, waiting on his timing so that we, too, can cooperate with his purposes when the time has fully come? Where is God inviting us to surrender to his timing and will? “Lord Jesus, Lord of the harvest, I will wait on you even as I offer myself to go where you lead me, so I, too, can s...

NOTE: due to February 29th not having a devotional we have moved ahead one day to match the You Version schedule.  Deuteronomy 19-21; Galatians 3   “…After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing – if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Galatians 3:3-5 Paul’s challenge to the Galatians is also a challenge to us who believe in Christ as our Savior. The sign of salvation he points to includes receiving the Holy Spirit, miraculous evidence of God’s power and suffering.   This describes most first generation churches in the Global South; however, does it describe us? Are we trying to attain salvation by human effort as evidenced in our correct formulas of the gospel, or by church attendance and giving? If we were asked today for evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our liv...

Deuteronomy 16-18; Psalms 38; Galatians 2   “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20, 21 The many paths of salvation through human effort, religious works, good deeds, and being a ‘good person’ leads to dead ends. Paul reminds us that only the death of Christ, the Son of God, and a sinless sacrifice, could atone for our sin. It was our sin that took Jesus to the cross. When we receive Christ’s atonement for our sin, by faith, we are receiving the grace, or unmerited favor, of God. We cannot both trust Christ for our salvation and trust our religious sacrifices, effort, or good deeds to save us. We now live by faith in Christ, not just for salvation, but for our daily life. This full dependence on the grace of God...

Deuteronomy 13-15; Galatians 1 “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite…because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.” Deuteronomy 15:1, 2 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all…” Galatians 1:6, 7 God’s command to cancel all debts every seven years was an early expression of the principle of grace. Grace is not earned, but rather, received as unmerited favor. God’s heart was for no one in Israel to be poor. Living with grace requires the humility to acknowledge that we ourselves are recipients of grace. At any moment our heart could stop beating. Who gives us the health and strength to work, invest, and enjoy life? Paul’s rebuke to the Galatian church was focused on their drift from a gospel of salvation by the grace of Ch...