Deuteronomy 20:4  “For the Lord your God is going with you!  He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!”

This verse is in the context of the Israelites preparing for battle.  God wanted them to know that He is with them, He is in their corner, He is fighting for them, He will give the victory.  They just needed to be reminded of that and remember that in the midst of the battle God is on their side and the battle belongs to the Lord.

This is a good reminder for me as I live my life for Lord in the midst of challenges, struggles, battles, and difficulties.  God is with me, He is for me, He will fight on my behalf, and helps me to be victorious over whatever it is that I am dealing with.

The enemy would like me to fail and be defeated.  I need to rely on the Lord and trust in His power and ability to help me in the midst of the battles that I face.  The Lord will give the victory.

Jesus thank you for conquering death and providing life.  Help me Lord to follow you and to give you my battles on a daily basis.  May I have confidence in you and lean on you in the midst of struggle, uncertainty, and hard times.

Deuteronomy 17:7c – You must purge the evil from among you.

Psalm 44:20,21 – If we had spread out our hands to a foreign God, would not God have discovered it since He knows the secrets of the heart?

God has no tolerance for evil.  His word says that it must be consumed/destroyed.

On the early part of Deut.17, Moses talked about people who were choosing to worship something other than God and how God felt they should be handled.  I want to say that I don’t worship anything other than God, but I am not so sure that there isn’t something from the culture that hasn’t captured a part of my heart.  Could it be my desire to appear or dress in a certain way?  Could it be something that I feel I just must own?  If something else has captured my heart, keeping me from having a heart that is purely and fully seeking God, it is hard for me to admit that is a form of idolatry. In all honesty, however, I think that it is.  I need to purge or eliminate that evil from my heart. God knows if it is there ~ He has known it as He knows the secrets of my heart. (Ps 44:21)  I can’t hide it from God. My unwillingness to admit it to God (and myself) does not mean that He doesn’t know about it. I need to face that which I am holding onto as an idol and eliminate the evil so that I can be blameless before the Lord my God. (Deut.18:13) I want to be blameless.

Lord, open my eyes to see any evil that is present in my heart, particularly anything I am holding onto as an idol. You see it. Reveal it to me. I want to be willing to eradicate it from my soul ~ give me the strength to do that, give me the willingness to do that.  I long to be blameless before you.  Help me to do what it takes to eliminate the evil that lies within me.

Psalm 42:5 - Why am I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad?  I will put my hope in God!  I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! 

This verse sums up this chapter in Psalms very well.  Here we see a vivid display of total discouragement that is transformed into submission and hope in God.  The writer goes through this cycle of contrasting emotions several times in this chapter.

It is encouraging to be able to apply these opposing attitudes in my own life.  When I am completely discouraged and need God more than anything and I choose to cry out to God, he listens and restores my soul.  Much of the restoration comes from memories of the great things the LORD has done for me in the past.  The biggest lesson to take from this is to remember that God is there always and he loves me and wants me to communicate with him.  He will take me just as I am and He doesn’t want me to fix things myself.

Thank you God for not asking for perfection from me.  Thank you for accepting me as I am and permitting me to choose to come to you.  I am crying out to you LORD, restore my soul and fill me with your Holy Spirit.  Remind me that I am not alone and you care about my every need.  I love you Father and put my hope in you!

Deuteronomy 5:29a  “Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands!”

In this passage from Deuteronomy the Israelites get it.  They have a proper perspective and picture of who God is.  They understand His power, His ability, His nature, and character.  They have a reverent fear and respect for their God and their are willing to listen and obey.

The Lord sees this and He is moved with a response that shows His longing for His chosen people to always be in this state of mind, heart, and willing attitude.  He so wants them to ALWAYS be like this and yet He knows that they aren’t going to be.  But it is obviously what He is looking for.  It seems like God is saying…  “Man!! Stay this way, this is what I want from you, the blessings for you and your offspring are going to be huge!!  Don’t wander away, stay close, remain obedient and in awe of who I am!!”  I think God is pleading here.  Not in a helpless, weak, limited way, but in a loving, caring, hopeful way, that His people will exercise their wills in a way that lines up with the will of their God.

Lord help me to remain obedient to you.  Give me the ability and the reminder to listen to your Word and to reverently fear you in a way that shows you honor, glory, respect, and my love back to you.  Thank you for this example of your longing for people to follow after you and to do what you want.  Thank you for longing after me and giving me the promise of eternal life through Jesus.

Do not fret because of evildoers Psalm 37:1

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord,  Psalm 37:3,4

Commit you way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, Psalm 37:5

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: Do not fret…..Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;Do not fret-it only causes harm.  Psalm 37:7,8

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23

Depart from evil, and do good; Psalm 37:27

The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law (word) of his God is in his heart;  Psalm 37:30,31

Wait on the Lord, and keep His way  37:34

But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.  Psalm 37:39,40

I have been in situations where I have needed specific direction from the Lord. I will not go into the details, and I do not dwell on those situations to this day. What can a person do when they are faced with “enemies”, and destruction? Destruction of a marriage, relationships, ect…In this Psalm there are things that the Lord will do for those who follow him. Today I have picked out the things that I can do to follow Him. Things that I can do to take my eyes off of the circumstances in my life. Things that will lead me to the foot of the cross where I can place my burdens, and find the face of Jesus. Why do you need to read about this? You may not need direction for your own life now, but I think that we all need to know how to come alongside someone that needs help. I like to consider this a recipe. By following the directions, peace and strength can be the results (vs 37, vs 39)

I have seen miracles in my life. I have also created my own recipe for disaster. When I have been hurt or betrayed, and tried to “fix” it, I have ended up with pain in my heart instead of peace, despair instead of strength. I once heard in a sermon that we end up in a fix so that God can fix us, not necessarily so He can fix the fix. Are you still with me! The sooner I can fix my eyes on Jesus (Psalm 112;7), the sooner I can receive his peace and strength.

When my heart is full of the Lords peace and I can go forth in his strength, I have found that I am free to pray for my “enemies.” It is humbling to think that in the royal scheme of things…what if I am one of the only people praying in that direction…for that “enemy” or that situation? I want to be in the flow of eternity. I can pray for people that have hurt me. That is a miracle….in my heart.  

                                            ~RECIPE FOR A MIRACLE~

~Do not fret~Trust in the Lord~do good~dwell in the land~feed on his faithfulness~    Delight in the Lord~Commit you way to the Lord~Trust also in Him~Rest in the Lord~ ~wait patiently for Him~Depart from evil, and do good~The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice~The law (word) of his God is in his heart;~ Wait on the Lord, and keep His way~      For the future of that man is peace~

Lord please help me remember to pray for my “enemies”. I need you Lord. Thank you for your word that can guide me to You in the midst of my circumstances. Lord I want to find You as soon as possible, and allow you to do a miracle in my heart. Lord please bless those that have caused pain in my life. Please draw them to know You. Thank you for your peace and strength. Please plant these truths, and this recipe deeply into my mind and heart.

This chapter in numbers gives us a little history lesson about what was to be done with murderers. It is interesting to the see the parallels that can be made with issues of a time long ago and today. In today’s society we are often overrun on the evening news with stories of murder, crime, and deceit. People often speculate about how much more sinful people are today but we see that the Israelites were dealing with many of the same issues.

The verse that sticks out to me the most is verse 28: The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property. Immediately this verse drew a great picture of Jesus Christ. We are reminded that the death of Jesus on the cross is the only way that we are forgiven for our sins. We are so lucky that we could commit any sin on the face of the earth and the ultimate sacrifice has already been given to pardon us from our sins.  Jesus gives hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless. When we have nowhere else to turn, Jesus is already right beside us waiting for us to come back to him.

Father God, thank you for this passage to open our eyes, knowing that we must always come back to you to ask for forgiveness. You are the ultimate redeemer. No sin is too large or too small to be forgiven and I thank you for the sacrifice that you made on my behalf. Father steer me away from sin and continue to keep my mind and heart focused on you this week.

I read Numbers 31 and simply laugh because I could come up with no other emotion. As I read through scripture, I am blown away at how God just comes to a point that he says, “enough” and destroys everything, everyone, and often anything. If someone ever says that God is against war. . . .hmmm.
The next section of reading is Psalms 33. Verse ten says, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. . . Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord . . .”
The Midianite people were responsible for enticing Israel into Baal worship. God decided that they should be destroyed; not just their army or for a takeover of the land, but women, children, personal property etc.
Is my nation like the Midianites? What is the Lord’s plan? Will our nation’s plan be “foiled” because our “Baal” is arrogance, money, things? All I know is that I am glad I am saved and I know the score in the end.
Jesus – Please steer me from sin. Please deal with the sin I have in a renewing of my mind.

I want to thank Michael Shores for his journal entry, I hope you are all enjoying your reading and taking the time to journal.  Keep up the good work!  Brett

Mark 15:1-4  Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.  Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.”  The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly.  Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”

Mark 15-10  For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

Mark 15:13-14  They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”  But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”  But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”

As I read Mark 15 this morning, once again I am reminded of the depth of fallenness of the world in which we live, and, on a very personal level, my own natural fallen sinful condition.  It is very easy for me to read through this passage in Mark and picture it in my mind as “just another part of the Easter story”.  It is very easy for me to read these verses in scripture as just a “documentation of events”.  The fact that I naturally seem to react in such a way serves as a warning to me.  It is a warning to me that, while I desire in my heart and mind to live a life serving Jesus, I am afflicted by a fallenness that, had I been there, would likely have caused me to stand by silently watching with the rest of the crowd.  That is very sad for me to think about.  It shocks me and scares me when I realize how little reaction I usually experience when I read of the pain inflicted on Jesus.  It should break my heart…  but it most often sadly doesn’t cause much of a reaction at all.  My lack of reaction is just a sad indication to me of how much I have really, deeply, been affected by our world’s fall into sin.

Envy.  Am I envious?  Envious of who?  Why?  How?  I need to ask myself about envy and ask the Lord to shine His light on wherever envy might be lurking inside of me.  It is easy for me to look at envy as “not such a negative thing”, but it was envy that caused the chief priests to hand Jesus over to Pilate.  I need to be ever watchful that envy does not cause me to react in similar ways.

Dear Lord.  I know the account, as written in Mark.  I’ve heard it and read it many times.  And I also know the victory, won by You.  Help me to learn from my reading this morning.  Help me to grow.  Help me to not fall into the same trap of envy that the chief priests and others fell into.  Show me wherever I am envious of others and help me to stop its negative consequences.  Thank You for Your sacrifice.  Thank You for all that You’ve done for us.  Thank You for saving us and redeeming us and drawing us to Yourself.  Thank You for Your love for us when we were most unloveable.  In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Psalm 31:7  “I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.”

God’s love never fails.  He knows what is going on in my life, knows my struggles, is aware of challenges, he knows that I have trouble and in the midst of all that I am dealing with, He cares about what is going on in my life.

I may not know why I am dealing with certain things or what the purpose is behind whatever it is that I am facing, but in reality I don’t need to know the whole story or see the big picture, because God does and He’s got it all figured out.

With this in mind, I can have joy in the midst of hard stuff.  In fact I can be overcome with joy because I can know that God has not “hung me out to dry” or “left me hanging”.  He is fully involved, totally in control, taking charge, faithfully loving me, and He cares deeply about what my soul is dealing with.

Lord thank you for this reminder today.  When, at times, it feels like nobody cares or understands, you do.  And that fills me with hope, some peace, and joy in knowing that you are there.

Mark 16:8

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Women who had been around Jesus ~ following Him, caring for His needs, being helped by Him ~ had plans for their day. They were going to put spices on Jesus lifeless body. As they walked to His tomb they were discussing the details, one being how to move the stone. They arrived at the tomb to witness the miraculous. The most important detail they had worried about wasn’t even an issue. The stone was moved. They saw and heard an angel telling them that Christ had risen. The heavenly plans for their day were now laid out…to share the good news about Christ. Did they do as they were told? No. Trembling, bewildered and afraid they fled and said nothing.

I almost always have at least a mental “to do” list for every day. I must admit that these rarely have many things on them that others would find exciting or desirous of doing for me. I have seen God do some mighty things that I never would have thought could have ever been a part of that day or any day. I am convicted by this passage, however, because I am sad to say that I, like these ladies, choose to say nothing about what God has done. Why is that? Am I so busy thinking of mundane details that I don’t see the day from God’s perspective? Am I afraid that people with think I am strange for talking about the reality of God in my life? Am I bewildered because I don’t know enough about my God to really believe that His hand was able to have brought about such a great thing? Do I sometimes not even recognize His work at all? Do I let myself get so consumed by the mundane that I don’t hear, listen and respond to Him prompting me to tell of the miraculous?

Lord, show me your hand today. Take my mind away from the mundane and let me be aware of the miraculous. Help me to be bold in sharing about what you have done for me…starting with how you were risen that morning, conquering sin and death. John 5:24 says “Whoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from the death to life.” Nothing mundane about that! That’s a miracle! Thank you for working that miracle in my life today and for my eternity.