Leviticus 12, Proverbs 4-5, Mark 10:1-16, 1 Corinthians 16:1-11, Psalm 78: The thing that stuck with me today was the declaration to listen. In Proverbs the young man was told to listen to the instructions of his father and mother. In Psalm 78 the parent was to instruct the child to listen and to recount what God had done for Israel. In both cases the listener would learn and not repeat the unwise and ungodly temptation of those who had gone before them. As we listen to instruction we gain wisdom which is a fear of God and a knowledge to do the things that are best for us. Understanding is to flee from evil and as we listen and understand we will do the things that please God and lead to long life. That life will not just be a lingering life, but an abundant life. The world promises abundance but delivers death. Jesus promises death will yield abundance. Death to my ways and my desires to live to the things that God desires and commands.
It reminds me of a story I have heard Les Hughes tell a couple of times about a woman who was traveling on a plane. She had boarded the craft when a man came running toward the plane and begged the woman not to travel in the fierce storm. He warned the plane would not make it. The pilot of the craft assured her it would and that though bumpy the craft would reach its destination. The woman listened to the man who had run up to the plane and chose to disembark. The plane taxied and took off to a doomed flight. The plane did go down in the storm and everyone on board perished. The man who had run up to the plane to warn the woman was the plane’s creator. He knew the capabilities and the lack there of for the plane he had designed. The woman was Eleanor Roosevelt. Her life was spared that night.
The story is just to remind us that the Creator knows how we will be function and what brings life to us. The devil and even our own desires will carry us away into some deadly places. Listen my friend to the Spirit and to those wise advisors God has placed in your life. It could be the difference between true life and death.

Leviticus 4:22-5:13, Job 37, Mark 7:31-8:10, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, Psalm 72: This weekend as I taught we talked about agreeing with God about our sin. Sin is anything we do that we know God would not have us do. It is missing the mark of what He says is right. It is purposely stepping across that line or sometime just not choosing to do what He says do. When that happens He doesn’t have to “catch you” in your sin. He sees all and knows all so nothing is hidden from Him. Therefore when we acknowledge our sin it is not like we are admitting to God something He doesn’t already know. We are just agreeing with Him. That my friend is called confession.
As a parent you have undoubtedly confronted your child with something you already knew they did but knew they needed to acknowledge it. When that child refused to admit their guilt you may have even grew frustrated or weary because it wasn’t up for debate. You knew the truth! As that child continued in their disobedience of denying and maybe even lying to cover it up did your heart break and you feel like an even bigger wall was being erected between you and that child? If so, you know how God feels when we too choose to make excuses, deny the truth or just be defiant. That wall can get big. The good news is it can also come back down with just a few words. “I was wrong, would you forgive me?”
In Leviticus as the sinner placed their hands on the head of the animal that was to be sacrificed it was an admission of guilt, and a request for forgiveness. I am so grateful we no longer need the blood of goat and sheep, for The Lamb took on our sin and paid the price. My job now is to admit it and allow Him to forgive.
Father, please forgive me for all known and unknown sin that I have committed. I am sorry. Would you forgive me? Help me to stay far from sin and evil’s door and no cave to my fleshly desires. Help me not walk in fear but in faith trusting Your sovereignty and grace. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Leviticus 1-2, Job 34, Mark 7:1-13, 1 Corinthians 14:1-12, Psalm 70: Do you remember the story of Nicodemus coming at night to Jesus? Do you remember their conversation about being born again? Jesus was saying that you need to be born of water and Spirit. I have always thought about how at our physical birth the mother’s water breaks as the child begins to come forth. As we studied recently in a precept class our teacher was talking about the water could also have been the ceremonial cleaning that the Jewish people observed. I had never thought of it that way, but in Mark 7 today the Jewish leaders were questioning why Jesus’ followers did not wash ceremonially before taking in food.
7:3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
Jesus’ responded 6And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
Are religious practices that we observe that are more culture and tradition and obedience to God? Even greater are we substituting things like washing for a genuine Spirit led relationship with God? The traditions will not save you. Only the Spirit will. Don’t trust in your works or your goodness. Trust in the work of Jesus on the cross. Only that saves us!

Exodus 35:30-36:36, Job 31, Psalm 66, Mark 6:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
We long for our walk with God to be easy with an absence of trouble, yet very few times if ever in the Bible do we read that this is the case. Instead we read of troubles and hardships galore yet the key is that God is with that person and gives them strength, hope and endurance to withstand the adversity. Listen to how Psalm 66 puts it:
10 “For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance”
Maybe you can identify with this writer knowing that crushing trials that have come your way only to refine you. I pray today that you are living in that land of abundance. Even if you have not made it there yet, hold on. He is with you and He is strengthening you and He will come through with you and for you. Look just a little further in the scripture to see what God wants us to do with our testimony.
16 “Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!”
Testify to His grace, mercy, goodness, and steadfast love in the midst of your struggle. He is honored and glorified! Notice that iniquity separates us from that clear channel with God, so confess sin so that the pathway is clear. He does listen and longs to help those who call on Him.

Exodus 31-32; Job 22-24; Mark 4:10-25; 1 Corinthians 10:14-22; Psalm 62: Have you ever just wanted to sit down before God and just lay out your life as it is now and present your side of the why’s and how’s? Have you wanted to contend with God over His plan and plead your case? If so you are echoing Job’s heart. He too just did not understand God or what He was doing. He too longed to be able to present his side of the case to God and be able to sit before Him to hear His voice.
I too have felt overwhelmed and even frustrated at times wanting to present my case before the Father, but in the end it really is about having Faith even if we do not see or understand. In a few chapters we will get to where Job does hear from God and God begins to ask Job where he was when God was laying the foundation of the earth or telling the waters how far to come. Job’s response is to put his hand over his mouth. The ultimate shut up! God is sovereign and as our Creator He does what is best for us. Our job is just to trust Him, His heart, His purpose for our life that it is what is best for us. When we question we are expressing unbelief. We would not say it that way. If we are asking God to explain Himself or asking Him the why’s it is questioning His choices or decisions for me. Ouch. I don’t like admitting that. My job is to trust. I don’t have to be thrilled with all that is going on in my life or in the lives of those I love, but I do have to trust that He chooses what is best for me and them. I am learning. I am willing. I am yielding even if it is difficult. I am a work in progress!

Exodus 30, Job 20-21, Mark 3:31-49, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 61: What does it mean to you to have a refuge? I remember as a young mother being so tired. With 4 children the demands of daily life just sucked all of my energy and strength. Every so often I would call my mom and she would say, “Just come home”. She wasn’t inviting me to move in or anything like that. She was saying, come under my roof and let me care for you and the kids long enough for you to be restored and ready to give again. I would drive to her home which was usually a couple of hours away. From the time I walked in the door I felt like I could lay the burden down and be restored. Mom would cook, help with the children, speak life into me, allow me to take a hot bath and even a nap if needed. Within 24 hours I was back in the car but my spirit was renewed. When I think about the word refuge this is one of the things I think about. Listen to how the Psalmist viewed God.
Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!

I believe the Psalmist found renewed strength in God. He sought the shelter that comes under the tender wings of one who cares for you. God can be our shelter as well. Even this morning I was pouring out my heart to Him and just being reminded that He is my Provider, Sustainer and Friend. I am so grateful that I can “Put life down” in His very capable hands. He is my refuge, strong tower, shelter and so much more. He can be that for you too sweet friend if you trust Him to be.

Exodus 29, Job 18-19, Mark 3:13-30, 1 Corinthians 9:15-27, Psalm 60: As a believer one of the things I struggle most with is why we the called out ones don’t see that we are to be set apart. It seems as though in our desire to fit in and relate to those around us we have begun to sound like, look like, act like the world around us. It is very difficult to see a holy distinction between the world and God’s children. We watch the same TV and movies causing us to be desensitized to the ungodliness around us. We listen to the same music and the words that come from our mouths match those in the lyrics we take in. We choose to dress like the world even as we come to worship at God’s house not choosing to honor Him. I am sure some reading this will think I am being legalistic or even prudish, but that is not my intent. I just want to see the church be more like Jesus than the world that surrounds us. As I read Exodus 29 I am reminded that God set Aaron and his sons apart from everyone else because they were the ones who met with Him. They were called to be set apart in dress, word and actions. God reminded them that because He is holy to meet with Him they too needed to be set apart. We have the blessing of forgiveness of sin because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary, but even with that shouldn’t our desire to be set a part to honor His gift be even greater. He was our sacrificial Lamb. His blood set us apart. Therefore not to be legalistic or prudish but to give thanksgiving and honor to Him we the present day dwelling place of the Holy Spirit should be different from those surrounding us. I know Jesus would associate with the lowly, but His words and actions were still honoring to the Father. May that be my goal and yours today as well.

Exodus 27, Job 15-16, Mark 2:13-28, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Psalm 58: Are you “doing away with the fear of God
and hindering meditation before God?” Job 15:4 records this very statement as one of Job’s friends accuses him of no longer fearing God. He was saying that the reason so many of the bad things happened to Job was because he was in sin and was not following God’s ways. Yet God Himself said that Job was a blameless man following in the footsteps of God. Job had no problem fearing God. It was the trying to figure God out that had Job stumped. Maybe you feel like Job. You have done all of the right things. You fear God. You love His word and are following it to the best of your ability and yet things still seem to be falling apart. Maybe God is allowing your testing as well as He did Job so that the world and the enemy can see that though the various trials come your way you will still trust in God. Oh how our world needs this message right now. Bad things do happen to God’s people but God’s people love Him more and more and pull closer and closer to Him even when they don’t understand. We hold to the promises of God and know that this temporary testing will result in the refining of our faith and prove to show our steadfast love and trust of the Father.
I won’t lie, I hate this part, but I love the closeness I feel at the end of the journey and the sweetness of total dependency on God. I know Heaven will reveal the why’s and my job now is just to hold tight to Him. I can’t imagine all Job went through. I know God knows how much each of us can withstand and at the end of it all I run back to the end of Job’s book to be reminded over and over how strong, mighty, omnipotent, omnipresent and truly awing our God really is. My mountains of problems pale in comparison. I pray today you will see that in your life as well.

Exodus 25, Job 11-12, Mark 1:21-39, 1 Corinthians 7:25-31, Psalm 56: Just slowing down enough to write my devotion. Have had some of the grands here the last 3 days and this grandmother is worn out! Lol. Thankful for these precious little ones but tired. As I pondered what I would write today I chose to write about a place we visited back in December. It was the fishing village of Capernaum that rests on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. We visited the ruins of the Synagogue that Jesus cast the demonic spirits out of the man recorded in our reading today. One of the things we learned about a Synagogue is that it was not a church at first. During Jesus’ time on earth and before a Synagogue was a place for people to exchange ideas and debate. Popular thinkers and governmental leaders as well as religious figures would come to discuss the issues of the day. The Torah was read there and men would debate or be taught from it. So it was not a church were the demon possessed man had come. It was a place where he knew this man who commanded spirits and healed sicknesses would be. Jesus made it his practice to visit the Synagogue in each town He came to.
I love how when things got heated Jesus just stepped away. That is a wise practice for us as well. When we were in Capernaum we walked what would have been the street in those days less than a block away to the home where Peter and Andrew resided. Peter’s mother in law was sick and Jesus healed her. Immediately she got up prepared a meal. As we stood there and looked over the ruins of that old home it reminded me that hospitality was the outpouring of a grateful heart. She wanted to show Jesus appreciation. I wonder sometimes if one of the reasons I love to cook and have people in my home is not because of how grateful I am as well for all God has done for me. He healed my sin sick heart. He made me well. I am forever grateful. Whether my hospitality is extended to family like this week or friends, I do it with a grateful heart praying all see my love for my Savior.

Exodus 10-11; 2 Chronicles 32; John 17:20-26; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 44: This weekend I am speaking for a group in Mississippi and the theme is Fear Not. This is a theme that comes up frequently and part of the reason why is because so many people live in fear. And yet God says 365 times in His word not to be fearful. In our reading today we read one of the passages I will be using. It is about when Sennacherib the king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. Hezekiah saw what was happening and took steps to thwart the enemy take over, but the people of Judah were afraid because they had seen what this conquering king had done to all of the countries around them. Here is how Hezekiah encouraged the people.
2 Chronicles 32:7″Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
This message may find you in a place of great fear right now. If so hold on my friend. Take the reasonable measures to face the enemy that is ahead of you, but don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed because the One who is with you is greater than any enemy you face. You just need to hold on with faith to Him. Pray, stay in His word speaking back to Him the words in His book. Live with a clean heart toward Him asking for forgiveness for any sin that might be creeping in. Then listen and walk where He is telling you to go. Doing His will step by step will bring the peace and confidence you need. Last but certainly not least praise Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing. As faith in Him fills the place where fear once lived you will know unbelievable peace!
P.S. I would appreciate any prayers you want to lift up this weekend as well. Pray God shows up big through me this weekend. I speak Friday, Saturday and Sunday at two different places.