God’s blessings were extended to the Children of Israel if they obeyed His law with all their heart and soul.

Jesus spoke of the good seed of the Kingdom (God’s Word) falling on good ground, a heart that receives it and begins producing fruit.

It is more a matter of yielding to the Word of God and allowing it to fill your heart than it is your sheer will-power.  Allow your heart to receive God’s Word and His Spirit by spending quality time reading or listening to His Word.  Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, I give You my heart and soul.  Make me what You want me to be.  Use me for Your purposes today.  I love You.  I need You.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 29-31;  Luke 8

God’s blessing or curse depended upon the Old Testament Israelite’s response to His law.  (Deut. 28)

In the New Testament, God’s provision all came through Jesus Christ, His Son.  “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me,”  were the words of Jesus in Luke 7:23.

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.  And because they love me, my Father will love them.  And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (Jn. 14:21)

We get it all through Christ.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, my life is in You.  You are my strength, my joy, my reason for living, and I need Your nearness today.  Thank you Jesus for Your blessing in my life.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 27-8;  Luke 7

Jesus prayed all night on a mountain.  At daybreak, He announced the names of His disciples.  His overnight season of prayer affected the whole Kingdom of God.

How often we “throw up a prayer” like a football pass that is incomplete.  The patient process of prayer is like a huddle that yields understanding of the play, unity with the Heavenly Coach, and coordination with the other teammates.  Touchdown!

“The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  (James 5:16)

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, thank You for Your example of prayer to us.  It’s our desire to more intimately know You, thereby discovering Your perfect will for our lives.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 24-6;  Luke 6

Fishing!

After Simon Peter watched Jesus demonstrate the power of His influence as evidenced by the overly full nets of fish they pulled in upon his command, he fell to a position of worship.  Jesus was in that moment shifting their fishing skills and success to fishing for men.

Our earthly job skills all pale in eternal impact to God’s ultimate design for our lives.  He will take your skills and show you how you can be used in His Kingdom to serve His eternal purposes.

Everywhere you’ve been was preparing you for where you’re going.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, Your forethought amazes me.  Take my life, my skills, my joys, and use them to build Your Kingdom and build up Your people.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 21-3;  Luke 5

The Levites were the priests to God for the Israelite nation.  The law forbade them from having their own lands or homes.  How seemingly unfair.

Actually, God wanted them to be devoted to Him, and He provided for all their needs.  Jesus encouraged us to “take no thought” for material possessions because God would provide what we truly needed.

To the Sons of Zadok was given the highest premium for their service to the Lord.  In Ezek 44, God says, “I am their inheritance.  They get ‘Me.'”

DAILY PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, heal Laney Armistead’s jaw and remove the tumor that is threatening her teeth and well-being.  In Jesus’ name we ask this.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 18-20;  Luke 4

A clear head to make good decisions is a beautiful thing.

In Deuteronomy 17, God instructed whoever was appointed King in Israel to read consistently the law, thereby insuring that his judgement and lifestyle would please the Lord and bring true justice to the  people.  As New Testament Christians, daily reading of God’s Word gives us a supernatural ability to exercise sound judgement and have a healthy perspective on life issues.

Who wouldn’t want that?

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, thank You for Your Word that gives light to our path and understanding that lifts us above common thinking.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 15-7:  Luke 3

Jesus said, “I have not come to destroy the law … but to fulfill it.”

We don’t live by the law.  We live by Jesus and the grace He brings.  “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”  (Rom. 8:2)

The J.B. Phillips translation gives this paraphrase of Romans 3:20 by saying, “No man can justify himself before God by a perfect performance of the Law’s demands—indeed [however] it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are.”

“Shall we sin to our heart’s content and see how far we can exploit the grace of God? God forbid.”  (Rom. 6:1,2)

We are not sinless, but we want to sin less.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, thank You for providing for the cleansing and removal of our sin.  Fill me with Your Spirit of life.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 12-14;  Luke 2

We don’t realize how partial we are.  We play favorites … we are good to those who are good to us.  We resist those who resist us.

Deuteronomy 10:17 declares God’s non-partiality.  “He regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward (bribes).”  The “good ol’ boy” network doesn’t trump unconditional love in God’s Kingdom.  For us to show true God-like love, we must move toward a non-partial, non-judgemental display of Christ’s character in our daily routine.

DAILY PRAYER:  Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit today, and let me see the hearts of those around me as You see them.  Displace my partiality with Your compassion.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 9-11;  Luke 1

We are made up of body, soul, and spirit.  The one we feed, exercise, and obey is the one who will be in control of our lives.

Moses instructed the children of God to “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.”  (Deut. 4:9 NASB.)

Jesus said, “My Words, they are spirit, they are life.”  (Jn. 6:63)

God’s Word shapes our spirit, our spirit controls our soul, and our soul controls our body.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, thank You for Your Word.  I live by the words that come out of Your mouth.

DAILY READING:  Deut. 5-8;  Mark 16

Ever been falsely accused?  Maybe you’ve been the accuser and upon discovering your error, you shudder in shame.

It must have been so difficult for Christ Jesus to endure the lies and persecutions directed at Him by the religious leaders of His day.  Yet, it was God’s plan to bruise Him.  God laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

The famous hymn, “And Can It Be” ponders the depth of love that would cause Jesus to willingly pay the penalty of our sin.  Love, forgiveness, mercy … as Christ gave them, let’s follow His example.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, we are awed by the compassion and forgiveness You extend to us every day.  Let Your love flow through us to others today.

DAILY READING:  (Ooops, there is no Num. 37) … Deut. 1-4;  Mark 15