CLASSIC DEVOTIONALS: " After God’s Silence – What?" -My Utmost for His Highest





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After God’s Silence – What?

10
11
2013
When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days in the same place where he was. —John 11:6


Has God trusted you with a silence – a silence that is big with meaning? God’s silences are His answers. 

Think of those days of absolute silence in the home at Bethany! Is there anything analogous to those days in your life? 

Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking for a visible answer? God will give you the blessings you ask if you will not go any further without them; but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvellous understanding of Himself. 

Are you mourning before God because you have not had an audible response? You will find that God has trusted you in the most intimate way possible, with an absolute silence, not of despair, but of pleasure, because He saw that you could stand a bigger revelation. 

If God has given you a silence, praise Him, He is bringing you into the great run of His purposes. The manifestation of the answer in time is a matter of God’s sovereignty. 

Time is nothing to God. 

For a while you said – "I asked God to give me bread, and He gave me a stone." He did not, and to-day you find He gave you the bread of life.

A wonderful thing about God’s silence is that the contagion of His stillness gets into you and you become perfectly confident – "I know God has heard me." 

His silence is the proof that He has. 

As long as you have the idea that God will bless you in answer to prayer, He will do it, but He will never give you the grace of silence. 

If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, He will give you the first sign of His intimacy – silence.


DAILY DEVOTIONS: ""Don't talk the talk unless..........NOT" -WordDevo

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"DON'T TALK THE TALK UNLESS YOU WALK THE WALK"
It's a nice idea but it's just not true.

You Really Can't Control What You Are Doing.

You may be getting better at it.
You might think you have it under control.
But the fact remains.

YOU CAN'T WALK THE TALK

Only God Can.

(Note to Self)

Of course if your walk and talk is all about mercy and grace.....

GO FOR IT

Jesus has you covered.

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "Walk in Your Calling" -David McGee

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Walk in Your Calling - Friday, October 11th 2013
1 Chronicles 15:2
"Then David said, 'None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever.'"
KJV
Do you know God has a special calling on your life? You can run from that calling, like Jonah, or you can embrace it, like David. Give yourself to the Lord and walk in your calling. Don't look at someone in their calling and grow envious. Your calling is special and unique to you, and only you can fill that role. How did David know the right path to his calling? He read and studied God's Word. David served God where God had him, even when it was difficult and dirty. He was also open to receiving from others who were passionate about God.
Perhaps you don't know what your calling is; that's okay, but allow God to show you your calling. Don't just sit around and wait for an answer. There is something we are all called to do and that is serve God. Serve Him right where He has you. At The Bridge, everyone (even pastors) started out cleaning toilets. It was in the midst of cleaning that many were called to be staff members, team leaders, deacons, elders and pastors. Friend, it's in the midst of faithful serving (obedience) that God will reveal your calling.
Life Lesson: God has a special calling and purpose for each person.
Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. Lord, help me to be set apart and think differently from the world. Please show me Your plan for my life and give me a boldness to walk in the unique call You have for my life. Lord, fill me with an indescribable joy. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "Prayer provides perspective" -Bob Coy


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PRAYER PROVIDES PERSPECTIVE

The disciples were amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked. "Even the winds and waves obey him!" Matthew 8:27 (NLT)

Consider the power of perspective. It can turn something that appears to be life-threatening into something that is life-changing. The account of Christ calming the sea is a classic example (Matthew 8:23-27). From the disciple's perspective, the storm was the end of the line. But God saw it as the beginning of something-a beginning to their understanding of Christ's power and authority.

So how does this apply to prayer? When we pray, and specifically when we pray in a manner that acknowledges His goodness and greatness, it has a powerful way of putting life's storms into perspective.

No matter what trial you might be going through, it's going to be insignificant in comparison to God. Your boss, your job, your car, your health, your spouse, your teenagers, your neighbors...they're all miniscule when placed beside Almighty God!


"Oh Lord, You know that I can't take another day at this job! But right now I'm reminded of what You went through for me, even though I was Your enemy at the time. You could have given up on me, but You didn't and You never will!"


See how it works? Our trials fade when we focus on God because it puts things in proper perspective. It's not us vs. Goliath, it's God vs. Goliath, and we know that we are more than able to overcome through Him (Romans 8:37).


If life's storms have you feeling like you're about to go under, get perspective, spend some time in adoration of who God is and all He's done. As you do, the wind will settle and the sea will be still.


What influences your perspective on circumstances, and how does prayer make a difference? How did the cry of the disciples in Matthew 8:23?27 reflect their perspective? Who can you pray for who is going through a storm?

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "A Prayer Of Passion ( Psalm 139:19-24 )" -Ray Steadman


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A Prayer Of Passion  ( Psalm 139:19-24 )

Read the Scripture: Psalm 139:19-24
If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me you bloodthirsty men! (Psalm 139:19).
Why do these psalmists seem all of a sudden to interject these bloody thoughts? Why this sudden word of passion, If only you would slay the wicked! This has troubled many because it seems so far from the New Testament standard, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). How shall we understand these things?
We need to recognize that everything the psalmist asks for is not necessarily a reflection of God's will. We are reading the experiences of believers, and their thoughts are not always reflections of God's perfect will. At times, the Psalms earnestly mirror the human viewpoint, and we need to understand these passages in their context. In this paragraph, the psalmist, having been gripped by his close relationship with God, now naturally comes to the place where he asks God for something. That is also what we do. When we are aware of being near to God, being dear to Him, we tend to ask God for things, but those things are not always in keeping with God's best for us. That is what this psalmist is doing.
He asks God to take care of the problem of the wicked. His suggested manner of handling it is rather naive. He says, Lord, wipe them out, as though such a simple remedy for human ills had never occurred to the Almighty. Have you ever felt that way? One of the refreshing things about these psalms is the honesty they reflect.
There are several things we need to note about this: For one thing, this psalmist's request falls short even of the Old Testament standard. It is the Old Testament that first says, Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). The New Testament and the Old Testament are not opposed to one another in this matter of moral standards. But this man has not yet learned this. In his honesty, he says Lord, it seems to me the easiest way for You to handle this problem of evil would be to slay the wicked. Why don't you do that?
Here is the case of a man who has felt God's hatred against sin but not yet God's love for the sinner. That is why, I think, he concludes with these words: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting  (Psalm 139:23-24). Is he not saying, Lord, I don't understand this problem of evil? It appears to me the easiest way is for you to eliminate the evil person. But Lord, I also know that I don't think very clearly, and I don't often have the right answer. So Lord, in case I don't have the right remedy for this problem, let me add this prayer: 'Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Father, how desperately I need to be led through the complexities of my life. Help me not to settle for simple yet wrong solutions but to be willing to let You work out Your own purposes knowing that You have taken all the factors into consideration.
Life Application: How much of our prayer time is occupied with petitions formed by our finite understanding? Is there a better way to pray? Have we yet felt God's love for sinners?
We hope you were blessed by this daily devotional.

DAILY DEVOTIONS: "EACH GENERATION: A NEW BEGINNING" -Bob Caldwell



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EACH GENERATION: A NEW BEGINNING
READING FROM: 
 Numbers 26:1-65
KEY VERSE:
“For the Lord had said of them, ‘They shall surely die in the wilderness.’ So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.” –Numbers 26:65
We have come to a fresh chapter in the life of this new nation Israel. God is preparing the second generation to step out in faith and make the land God promised them their own. The generation before them had been given the same opportunity, but they turned their backs to it and yielded to evil hearts of unbelief. 
Each subsequent generation encounters parallels to the lessons of the events recorded here. They should be heeded. Each generation must take personal responsibility for its relationship to the life and blessings of the Kingdom of God. There are no grandchildren in God’s kingdom, only children. The failure of a former generation to live worthy of the Kingdom of God and its potential is no excuse for the failure of the current generation to do so.
As we read here, the former generation had taken a census to prepare for the battle necessary to fulfill their calling. Yet they denied that calling to go in and take the Promised Land as their own. Here we see that the second generation is also called upon to take a census to do what the former generation did not do.
The bottom line is, regardless of the condition of the former generation, each successive generation must take full responsibility for its own relationship to its call to take the “Promised Land.” Today we are not called to take a physical Land of Promise. Instead we are called to establish the Kingdom of God as our own and appropriate its spiritual blessings for our current generation. We must reach our generation for Christ. The next generation can’t reach the preceding generation because the people who came before them are in the grave. We must bring our children to the Promised Land of God’s Kingdom. A little Sunday school and a few pep talks are not enough. The Kingdom of Darkness is not passive. Satan is passionate about enveloping each new generation with bondage. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy a world of people that God is calling into His Kingdom of Light.
Look around you. What do you see? Pray about whatever is less than God’s best. Pray about your part in bringing faith in God to that place. The promises of God are always new and ready to be given to each person, family, and nation of each generation. Take the Promised Land. Do not let fear and unbelief rob you of God’s exceedingly great and precious promises. They are our weapons to redeem humanity from the father of lies (2 Peter 1:4).

BIBLE READING

NUMBERS 26:1-65

THE SECOND CENSUS OF ISRAEL

1 And it came to pass, after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.” 3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across fromJericho, saying: 4 “Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”
5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites: those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8 And the son of Pallu wasEliab. 9 The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord; 10 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign. 11 Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die.
12 The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.14 These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15 The sons of Gad according to their families were: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites;of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.
19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23 The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puah, the family of the Punites; 24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26 The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.
28 The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim, were: 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: ofJeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred.
37 These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.
38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44 The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four hundred.
48 The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
51 These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 53 “To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names. 54 To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them. 55 But the land shall be divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. 56 According to the lot their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller.”
57 And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.61 And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the Lord.
62 Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and above; for they were not numbered among the other children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel.
63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

VERSE-BY-VERSE STUDY NOTES

NUMBERS 26

THE SECOND CENSUS OF ISRAEL (VERSES 1-65)

v. 2 A Census - This is the second census of the nation since they began their exodus from Egypt. This census is prepared the men of Israel for their call to take the land promised by God. The first census was about 40 years prior to this (Num. 1:2).
v. 5-51 - Since the children of Israel left Egypt approximately 40 years ago, everyone who was more than 20 years old at the time of their departure had died off except Joshua and Caleb (26:65). It was time to prepare this new generation to take the Promised Land that their fathers had in unbelief refused to do.
Of the twelve tribes
  • Five suffered population loss, while seven gained men.
  • Half of the tribes had gains or losses of 15% or less
  • Simeon lost 63% of their population
  • Manasseh gained 64%
v. 55 But the Land Shall be Divided by Lot - The Promise Land would be divided up proportionally with the larger tribes receiving larger areas of land. However, the quality of the land was to be determined by a lottery, which depended on God’s providence.
v. 57 Numbered of the Levites> - The Levites were counted in a different way than the other tribes. The other tribes were counted by the males old enough to go to war (26:2). The Levites were counted by the number of males over one month old (26:62).
No Inheritance - The Levites were to receive no land and therefore were not to be counted into the lottery. Their inheritance was to be the Lord Himself according to Numbers 18:20.
v. 64 Not a Man of Those - Simply put, no one was left alive from the first census except Joshua and Caleb. These two men were allowed to go into the Promised Land because they were the only ones of their generation that faithfully believed God would give them the Promised Land (14:30). Moses and Aaron were not allowed to go into the Promised Land because they dishonored God in an angry response against the people at Meribah (20:12).

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