Joshua 1:1-9
June 30, 2011
There are times when what the Lord calls us to seems daunting or overwhelming. There are times when we start something and feel that we can never complete it, or our inner perfectionist says that it will never be good enough. God’s words in these times? Be strong and have courage. Keep going.
Joshua 1:1-9
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Haggai 2:4-5
June 28, 2011
The people of the remnant are discouraged, giving up on their building. But God is not ready to let them quit, so He comes with encouragement. God comes with the right words at the right time to help hold them up, so they may continue His will.
Haggai 2:4-5
‘But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
Haggai 2:1-3
June 27, 2011
The remnant of the people have begun the work on the Temple, but discouragements abound. The first discouragement comes up in today’s passage, and it is that the Temple is not as glorious as it used to be.
Haggai 2:1-3
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?’
Psalm 119:129-132
June 24, 2011
Obeying the commands and the voice of the Lord is a joyful thing for His followers. Partially because obedience is the best way to live, lining our lives up with the God who created this world. But also, obedience opens us up to see the way God is always acting, a God of love and mercy, always with us.
Psalm 119:129-132
Your statutes are wonderful;
therefore I obey them.
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.
Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.
Genesis 6:5-22
June 23, 2011
Our passage this week from Haggai deals with obedience. The people, after 16 years, have decided to do what the Lord asks of them. Obedience is often a difficult but beautiful thing. One of the most difficult, crazy, and important stories of obedience in the Bible is the story of Noah. It shares a parallel with the obedience of the people in Haggai. In both cases, it is God who begins the process and “stirs up the spirit.” In Noah’s story, God’s favor find Noah in the midst of terrible sin. Like we talked about last week, God with us is a God who is always active, finding us and helping us obey.
Genesis 6:5-22
The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Isaiah 55:10-12
June 22, 2011
How about a little bit of Biblical poetry today? In our passage from Haggai this week, the people begin building the Temple because the Lord’s Spirit “stirred” them to do so. That follows what is said here in the beautiful, poetic prophecy of Isaiah.
Isaiah 55:10-12
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Exodus 19:3-6
June 21, 2011
The Lord spoke to the people of Haggai, and yesterday we read that the people finally obeyed. They got into action and began rebuilding the Temple. The importance of obedience is a recurring topic in Scripture, and we look today at Exodus, as God forms His people. What does the Lord tell them about obeying?
Exodus 19:3-6
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
With
June 20, 2011
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God often comforts with the words “I am with you.” What is the power, action, and comfort behind this?
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Haggai 1:12-15
June 20, 2011
The people have changed their attitude to fear the Lord. The Lord has responded with his presence. What happens next?
Haggai 1:12-15
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.
Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD. So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
Matthew 28:16-20
June 17, 2011
In one of the more famous passages, Jesus echoes the sentiments of the Old Testament. As Jesus prepares to ascend to heaven, He reassures His disciples with the same comforting words God used throughout the stories of His people. Jesus gives a promise, a promise of presence.
Matthew 28:16-20
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
