Wait

July 31

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 62 – 64

Verse of the Day: Psalm 62:1 – “My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; For my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be moved.”

Where do you find comfort and encouragement when you are tempted to lose faith in God?

David writes a song that urges us to have confidence in the victory of God over our enemies. Psalm 62 is full of wisdom, like in the Proverbs. It calls to us to wait patiently on God. God’s timetable and direction is not the same as ours. We get impatient and lose sight of the hand of God working in our lives.

David calls us to take a time of silent meditation and focus on God. Today, find some time to get alone with God and listen.

Prayer: Heavenly father, speak – Your servant is listening. I will quietly and patiently listen for Your voice in my life today. Amen. 

Deliver me

July 30

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 59 – 61

Verse of the Day: Psalm 59:1 – “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: Set me on high from them that rise up against me.”

The three psalms we read today are songs of lament. We find David seeking God’s intervention at various points in his life. We also find a confidence in the One whom David is looking to. David did not feel a total helplessness in these situations, because he put his trust and hope not in himself, but in God.

When we find ourselves in desperate and sometimes hopeless situations today, we can join with David by looking toward the One who is able to deliver and provide what we lack. When we place our hope firmly in God, we can rest assured that He is capable and willing to deliver.

Prayer: Almighty and all powerful God of Creation, keep me in the shadow of Your Love. Provide Your mercy and grace, so that I may then sing Your praises to all. As I walk in Your way, let my rejoice in Your works. Amen.

No Fear

July 29

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 56 – 58

Verse of the Day: Psalm 56:3 – “ What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee.”

Are we seeing a pattern in these readings? Earlier we spoke of the Psalms being like the first five books of the Old Testament. These readings are coming from the second division, the one that corresponds to Exodus. Exodus is about deliverance and redemption. The Psalms we have been reading we see this pictured. The portrayal of a cry for deliverance from something, and the resolution being God. David in this song sings about fear in the midst of trials, he is praying for relief from his tormentors.

Where does the solution for our fear come from? From God. And how does it come? By my trusting Him. He holds all things in His hand and His plan. I need only trust Him.

Prayer: Today as I see the fearful things around me, I will be as David trusting You, O God, my strength and salvation. Amen.

The Burden Bearer

July 28

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 53 – 55

Verse of the Day: Psalm 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

Have you ever experienced a severe grief in your life? Have you ever felt desolate? Have you every wished that someone could take the burden off of your shoulders? David gives us a solution to this feeling. 

God is longing to take the burden, carry it, and even remove it – but He won’t force you to give it up. He is waiting for you to risk the step of faith and giving it to Him. We must do this ourselves. And, when we do, we find that God is there, he is constant (Psa. 55:19) and a true friend (Psa. 27:10). There is never a burden too big or too hard for Him.

Prayer: Almighty God, this burden that I carry is too much for me. I have tried to shoulder it, to muscle through, to do it myself. I admit I can’t. Today, I freely and fully give to You ­­­­­_____________. I trust You and Your Word. I am thankful for Your freedom. Amen.

Forgive and Restore

July 27

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 50 – 52

Verse of the Day: Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”

David wrote this Psalm after his affair with Bathsheba. The man after God’s own heart had grievously sinned. And now he records his deep-seated prayer of repentance to his God. David, the man after God’s own heart – both before and following his sin – knew that he needed the forgiveness and restoration that only God could provide.

In verse 10 – 12, he cries out for God to create a new heart, renew a steadfast spirit, not cast him away, remove the Spirit of God, and to restore him. Not just for himself, but then he can teach others the way of God and bring others into reconciliation with God.

Today, where do you need to call out to God for forgiveness and restoration?

Prayer: Today, create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Amen.

Unabandoned Joy!

July 26

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 47 – 49

Verse of the Day: Psalm 47:1 – “Oh clap your hands, all ye peoples; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”

The Psalms contain many genres (a particular type of writing, painting, etc.). This beautiful and uplifting song is a hymn of praise to God. They highlight the character and deeds of God. We can see His goodness, majesty, and virtues.

I can imagine the people singing this with loud and enthusiastic voices - the people being totally enthralled with their God. When is the last time that you sang a song of praise to God – totally abandoned in awe, rapture, and enveloped in His Beauty and Glory. Too long? Try it today – don’t worry if someone hears you – maybe they will be encouraged to bless and praise God also.

Prayer: Majesty enthroned, may I in full abandon bless Your Holy Name. May I be so covered by Your Love and forgiveness that nothing else matters but to sound Your Praise. Amen and Amen!

Be still and know Me

July 25

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 44 – 46

Verse of the Day: Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

We go through our days in the midst of noise. Not just audible sounds, but the noise of our thoughts and the noise of confusion. We are so busy that we cease to hear the still small voice of God as He communicates to us. When is the last time that you took just five minutes to sit in silence before God? Habakkuk 2:20 states – “But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” Today, in the noisy busy schedule you have, carve out just 5 minutes and sit in solitude listening for the voice of the One who loves you so.

Prayer: Loving Heavenly father, I am taking the time to listen for Your precious voice. Speak as I revel in Your stillness and quiet. May I draw so much closer to You in this time. May I desire it each day of my life. Amen.

Depressed? Praise Him

July 24

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 42 – 43

Verse of the Day: Psalm 42:11 – “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.”

Three times in our reading today (42:5, 11; 43:5) we hear the heartfelt cry of one who is suffering from depression. In many of the Hebrew manuscripts, these two Psalms are considered one song. The writer of this song is expressing their desperate personal situation to God and requesting help. Most of us have at one time or another been in what one friend called the “mully-grubs.” These two songs can be seen as the writer’s longing for God’s presence, vindication and hope in God. The author sees that the answer to the feelings of despair comes from hope and praise of God. 

Prayer: Father, today I lift Your name on high, I praise You, trust You, and see You as my full hope. Amen.

Amen and Amen!!

July 23

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 38 – 41

Verse of the Day: Psalm 41:13 – “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.”

Each of the books inside the Psalms ends with a doxology (jubilant praise) and often includes the double “Amen.” The picture is that as one travels through each of these “books” they close with jubilant praise to God.

This book one begins with a blessing pronounced upon the righteous and ends with the righteous blessing God. Two different Hebrew words are translated as blessed. In verse 1 the word refers to the person being blessed, and the word used in this doxology speaks of the source of the blessing.

This book begins with the righteous person receiving the blessing and ends with the people praising the One who provides the blessing. 

Prayer: Majestic Righteous Lord of all, I lift my voice in praise for all the blessings You have given to me. I exalt You! I magnify Your Name. I bow humbly before You. Amen and Amen!!

Focus please

July 22

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 36 – 37

Verse of the Day: Psalm 37:1 – 4 – “Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on his faithfulness. Delight thyself also in Jehovah; And he will give thee the desires of thy heart.”

It is so easy for us to put our focus on the wrong things. If we spend our time looking at the circumstances around us we get discouraged and dissatisfied. God reminds us to place our focus on Him and Him alone. When we are looking intently at the right person, all other things fade into the background. They fade out of focus and we concentrate on the One who is true and right.

Prayer: May I keep my eyes on You, O Lord. May I focus only on You and You alone. I so easily get distracted by my surroundings and end up worrying. Free me from this. Amen.

Mnemonics

July 21

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 34 – 35

Verse of the Day: Psalm 34:1 – 3 – “I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah: The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad. Oh magnify Jehovah with me, And let us exalt his name together.”

This is one of the acrostic Psalms (Psalms 9; 10: 25; 34; 37; 111; 112; 119; 145). An acrostic poem was one that each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (in Psalm 119 every 8 verse started with the same letter). So, why would they do this? Some ideas are that it may be an artistic device used to add a certain beauty to the psalm, as rhyme does in our poetry. It may indicate that the subject is being covered completely, from A to Z, as we might say. It may have been a mnemonic device designed to assist the young in learning the psalms. Any of these reasons make sense.

Prayer: Lord of Creation, help me to determine to memorize Your Word. Encourage my mind and heart to start today. Amen.

Joy of Forgiveness

July 20

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 31 – 33

Verse of the Day: Psalm 32:1 – “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.”

This Psalm is by David about the joy of forgiveness. He truly understood this topic. Being a man after God’s own heart, his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah haunted him. He talks in verses 3 and 4 of this Psalm about the way that he struggled with the knowledge of his sin.

He goes on to speak of confessing his sin to God and that God had forgiven him. He ends this Psalm with these words – “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he that trusteth in Jehovah, lovingkindness shall compass him about. Be glad in Jehovah, and rejoice, ye righteous; And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”

Prayer: Gracious and Forgiving God, I come to You today confessing _______. I thank You for Your grace and mercy and forgiveness. I thank You that You restore the sinner. Amen.

Three Riddles

July 19

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 28 – 30

Verse of the Day: Psalm 29:2 – “Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name; Worship Jehovah in holy array.”

Psalm 29 answers three riddles for us. First, what comes from God because we as humans cannot manufacture it? Second, What comes from humans because God cannot experience it? And finally, What brings the first and dispels the second?

In this Psalm we see that the answer to the first riddle is – Wisdom. The answer to the second one – Worry. And to the last – Worship.

Wisdom is seeing things from God’s perspective. It is seeing the big picture. It understands God’s purpose and plan. Worry is not from God, it is what we manufacture. God cannot worry – He is omniscient. And worship brings us wisdom and dispels worry in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, bless your people with peace. Remove the fears and worries from me, help me to trust and rely completely on You. I want Your wisdom to live as I should. Amen.

Remember, O Lord

July 18

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 25 – 27

Verse of the Day: Psalm 25:6 – “Remember, O Jehovah, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindness; For they have been ever of old.”

Zakar – is the Hebrew word we find here for remember. It basically means to contemplate or call to mind. When it is used in a phrase that looks at past ideas or events, it is translated remember. In some passages in the Old Testament it is connected with the idea of thinking on the future and is translated as dwell on, consider, or mention. 

The Psalmist in a number of places calls upon God to remember His people or His mercy. This does not intimate that God has forgotten, but that the writer is requesting God to take action according to the promises that He has made.

Prayer: Lord Almighty, remember Your promises to Your people – to me today. I seek your mercy, grace, and love. I hold to Your forgiveness and restoration. I am so thankful that You keep Your promises. Amen.

The Cross, the Crook, and the Crown

July 17

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 22 – 24

Verse of the Day: Psalm 23:1 – “Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Psalm 23 is perhaps the best-known Psalm. It is frequently read or recited at funerals for comfort. It is the middle of a trilogy of Psalms. It and the prior and following Psalms paint a picture of the Shepherd.

Psalm 22 (the crucifixion Psalm) show the “Good Shepherd” who would lay down His life for His sheep. (Read John 10:11). In Psalm 23 we see the Great Shepherd as referred to in Hebrews 13:20 – 21. David here describes the Great Shepherd in full detail.

Finally, Psalm 24 paints the portrait of the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). We are privileged to see the cross (Psalm 22), the crook (shepherd’s Psalm 23), and the crown (Psalm 24). Spend time today discovering the Shepherd in His fullness.

Prayer: Good, Great, Chief Shepherd, I bow before You and the Majesty of Your name. Jesus, I praise You in all Your fullness. Amen.

Emote it

July 16

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 19 – 21

Verse of the Day: Psalm 19:1 - 3 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard.”

The Psalms record in powerfully poetic language the response of the individual to God. Desperate cries to shouts of ecstasy, all proclaim the innermost feelings of the writer. Even though they had been a part of the communal worship of the nation, each one was composed by an individual as a reaction to their encounter with life and God.

We can use them in public worship – but maybe we can gain the most of them as we claim them for our own individual needs and emotions before God. 

Prayer: God, I come to You today open and exposed – may I use all my emotions to express what I feel and what I need to say. Open my heart, Lord. Amen.

Find one that fits

July 15

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 17 – 18

Verse of the Day: Psalm 18:49 – “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.”

Just as songs today are written for various reasons and purposes, the Psalms were also written for a variety of reasons and uses. Some appear to be for private devotional use. Other Psalms give the impression that they for public worship times.

What makes these Psalms so vital is that no matter what the subject is in our worship, we can find a Psalm that corresponds to both the situation and our emotions.

Today, review the 28 Psalms we have read so far. What different emotions are already expressed? Have any spoken to you in your situations?

Prayer: God of all emotions, thank You that you work through (and often in spite of) our emotions. You created them, You can use them. Amen.

Sing a Song to God

July 14

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 13 – 16

Verse of the Day: Psalm 16:9 – “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety.”

Singing psalms and writing psalm was a part of everyday life in Israel. They often would erupt in songs of praise when God showed Himself mighty on their behalf. Moses, Deborah, Hannah and David are prime biblical examples of this tendency. 

Psalms also were ways that Israelites would express thanks and commitment to the Lord. we see examples even in the New Testament of this – consider Mary’s response to the Angel’s message in Luke 1. They have discovered a number of original psalms among the Dead Sea Scrolls recovered in 1947. To the Israelite this is a normal procedure.

Today, seek to direct a song of praise to God.

Prayer: We lift our praise and our hearts to the One Who righteously provides for our every need. Amen.

From highest high to lowest low

July 13

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 10 – 12

Verse of the Day: Psalm 10:1 – “Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?”

As we read through the Psalms this month (and following) we learn very quickly that they are statements of human emotions. They are not carefully crafted discourses on theological issues (although there is nothing that is contrary to the truth of God) they are the deep emotional utterances that compass all areas of the human condition. 

We will find the highest praise and the lowest depths of despair. We will find pain and joy. We will discover a man’s doubts and man’s confidences in the Almighty. God is praised, extolled, complained to, lifted in joy, lost in despair – all the realm of the human condition. Every one of us can find ourselves in them – all of them at some time.

Prayer: Father, thanks that You understand all of our emotions and needs. We trust You with our whole being at all times. Amen.

Highest Praise

July 12

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 7 – 9

Verse of the Day: Psalm 8:9 – “O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth!”

The Holy Spirit oversaw the collection and preservation of the Psalms over such a long period of time. The Psalms may have gone through some editing and compilation – but the same Holy Spirit who inspired them also preserved them.

In our Psalm 8 today, we find the Psalmist encouraging us to declare Who God is with the loudest praise that we can offer. As we catch the vision of Who He is, what He demands of us, and all that He can accomplish in and through us – we must trust Him.

Prayer: O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who has set Your glory upon the heavens! Creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Redeemer, Protector, Encourager, strengthen us with Your strong right arm. We praise and worship Your Holy and Majestic Name above all names. Amen.

All In

July 11

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 4 – 6

Verse of the Day: Psalm 4:5 – “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in Jehovah.”

As we continue, understand that the Psalms were written over a period of 1000 years – from Moses to the time of Ezra. They span a number of authors.

Continuing on the different books, Book Three (73-89) is Leviticus: focuses on Worship and the Sanctuary. Book Four is Numbers (90-106) or, pictures of the Wilderness and wandering in life. The final book (107-150) is like Deuteronomy: we see Scripture and Praise.

Our verse today reminds us that God wants our entire love, devotion, and trust; not our analysis of His ways. We need to fully trust the Creator, our Creator.

Prayer: Majestic Creator of the Universe, I bow and worship You. You, who created the massive Universe, also created me. Thank You for Your love and watch care. Amen.

Sweet, Sweet Songs

July 10

Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 1 – 3

Verse of the Day: Psalm 1:1 – “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:”

We now begin a 54-day reflection on the Psalms in the Bible. The Book of Psalms is the hymnbook of Israel. They were written to be sung – however we do not know the tunes today. They were songs that they used in public worship in the Temple. They are written in Hebraic forms of poetry – much different than our forms of poetry.

The Psalms fall into five “books” that have been equated to the first five books of the Scriptures. Book One (1-41) correlates to Genesis – Humanity: Man and Creation. The second book (42-72) is like Exodus: Devotional look at deliverance and redemption. We will speak on the final three sections in tomorrow’s devotion. Pause today and worship with the Psalms we read.

Prayer: Praise to our Creator! Amen.

When he prayed ---

July 9

Daily Bible Reading: Job 40 – 42

Verse of the Day: Job 38:4 – “And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: and Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

We come to the end of our daily musings form the book of Job. We have painfully watched as a good, blameless man before God suffered at the hands of the Evil One. He endured losses greater than most of us would face in this life.

And, in the end, when God confronts him, he had maintained his trust and dependence upon the One true God. And, then he does something most would find hard to do – he prayed for his friends – the very ones who helped to increase his pain. But notice, when he did this, God restored him. Maybe what we need to find restoration is to intercede for those around us. Think about it.

Prayer: Gracious God, today I pray for ____. I focus on You and those around me, and 

Were you there?

July 8

Daily Bible Reading: Job 38 – 39

Verse of the Day: Job 38:4 – “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.”

I remember listening to Ken Hamm teach upon the topic of the Creation account in Genesis. He was dealing with the topic of the contrasts between the Bible and science of the time. The Bible attributes creation to God, and science hypothesizes that it came through Evolution.

Ken kept repeating a question that went like this – “Were you there?” When science speculates on what could have happened, the question arises – “Were you there?”

The only persons that were there when Creation came into being was God. So, in my book, His explanation holds more weight than later speculations.

Prayer: Creator God, I trust Your account of what You did as the way that all things came into being. Amen.

Resentment Release

July 7

Daily Bible Reading: Job 35 – 37

Verse of the Day: Job 36:13 – “But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them.”

The way to deal with resentment isn’t difficult, but it is painful. You see it requires three important steps on our part.

First, we must admit that we are harboring resentment. We must be brutally honest with ourselves. Then, we must submit in humility – confessing that it is sin to the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. Finally, we must be exposed to Him on a regular basis. We must be teachable, genuine, open, and hold an unguarded attitude before our God.

Prayer: Father, as I bow before You today, I come seeking to be transparent, open, vulnerable to Your seeking Spirit. If I harbor anything against anyone, expose it, no matter how painful, and guide me in releasing this bitter cancer that will continue to destroy my usefulness for You. I humbly bow to Your hand today, may I be clean in Your sight. Amen.

Use Truth Correctly.

July 6

Daily Bible Reading: Job 33 – 34

Verse of the Day: Job 34:10 – “Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.”

One of the challenges of the book of Job is to decipher that truth from the misuse of these debaters. Much of what is shared in the discourses is true, however, the application of the truth is wrong.

Elihu here reminds us that God is incapable of do evil or committing sin. When evil surrounds us, it is from the Evil One (we have a behind the scenes look in chapters 1 & 2), however, it is important to remember that God is still in ultimate control. When we are enclosed by evil, He has allowed it for His purpose and plan. Again, trust His heart and hand.

Prayer: Today I come trusting You, even though I cannot see or understand the purpose of Your plan, I submit to You. Amen.

Elihu - the young theologian

July 5

Daily Bible Reading: Job 31 – 32

Verse of the Day: Job 30:20 – “Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were elder than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.”

Now we find the fourth and final person who debates with Job. This is a young man named Elihu. He is the young theologian and intellectual. He views God as a disciplinarian and teacher. His name means “He is my God.”

Elihu bases his arguments upon education, and tries to come forth as the voice of logic. He is perceptive, however this almost is overwhelmed by his conceit. 

He believes that God purifies and teaches, and thus seeks to advise Job to humble himself and submit to God. We will see his solution to the problem given in chapters 32 through 37.

Prayer: Father of Wisdom and Knowledge, as we seek to learn, to increase our knowledge, may we continually seek You first – the basis of all wisdom and knowledge. Amen.

Give God His Place.

July 4

Daily Bible Reading: Job 29 – 30

Verse of the Day: Job 30:20 – “I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me: I stand up, and thou gazest at me.”

Today we celebrate the birth of our nation – July 4, 1776. We have picnics, family get-togethers, fireworks, and other gatherings. We are proud that we are a part of the U.S.A. 

Our heritage is based upon the Judeo-Christian ethic that our founding fathers brought into our union. We held the Bible in esteem; we sought God in our progression to freedom. Schools were established to teach His Word and truth. We are a nation based upon the One True God.

However, we have let much of this slip past us. Many of the afflictions we are facing today can be traced to our replacing God and His Word with man and his ideas. Do we wonder why it seems He is absent today?

Prayer: Father of man, we come to You today, may You have the place of honor You deserve. Amen.

Fear God - gain wisdom

July 3

Daily Bible Reading: Job 26 – 28

Verse of the Day: Job 28:12 – “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding”

Job in today’s verse laments that it seems that wisdom is beyond man’s ability to uncover, understand, and utilize. He has been through so much suffering (both physically and mentally) that he is searching for the wisdom behind what is happening to him.

He turns to state what we can read in Proverbs 3:7 and 9:10, - “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28).

Even in his periods of despair, he never lost his trust and confidence in God. He never doubted God – himself, his friends, the world around him, the purpose of his life – but never God. Fear God brings one true wisdom in this life and eternity.

Prayer: God of Wisdom, I come before You in obedience and fear – give me wisdom. Amen.

Hypostatic Union

July 2

Daily Bible Reading: Job 23 – 25

Verse of the Day: Job 25:4 – “How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?”

Bildad, our legalist, asks an important question. And, if we answer the question honestly, we have to state that no one can be considered just before God. We are all born into this world as sinners, and as such we cannot be declared clean before God.

It is not until Jesus Christ came into this world was anyone born pure and stayed pure. Because He was both 100% God and 100% human (called the Hypostatic Union by theologians), Jesus started and stayed sinless. And as such He is able to be our substitute before the judgment of God.

I am not pure and sinless – yet through the acceptance of the free gift of Jesus, God sees me as sinless and pure.

Prayer: Jesus, born of a woman and the Holy Spirit, I thank You that You are my substitute before the Father. Amen.

             

     

Why, oh Why?

July 1

Daily Bible Reading: Job 21 – 22

Verse of the Day: Job 21:7 – “Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

He at first accuses his friends of judging him and will later appeal to God to be his judge and his refuge from his trials. Job makes three basic complaints in his debates with his friends.

He complains that God does not hear him as he cries out (see 19:7). Have you ever cried out to God and feel that He is not listening? He also complains that God is punishing him (see 7:20). When you face the trials and struggles of life, do you sometimes feel that God is punishing you? And, finally he complains that God allows the wicked to prosper (see our verse today). How often does it appear that the righteous suffers trials, and the wicked go on and on to prosperity in life. As we follow this book, we see some answers to these complaints.

Prayer: Righteous Judge, open our eyes to Your ways and trust You in all things. Amen.