It occurred to me that there is a preoccupation with blood sucking “werewolves,” bloody “walking dead,” and vampires in our current society. This smacks clean against what the Lord commanded His people … “Don’t eat the blood.”

The life is in the blood. Christ’s blood is the blood we are to be focused upon. It is represented in The Lord’s Supper when we take communion.

PRAYER: Lord, we thank You for shedding Your blood. It gives life because of the cleansing from sin. There’s life in Your blood. There’s life in Your name.

READ: Deut. 11, 12

Moses was so grieved at the rebellion of the Israelites that he spent 40 days in fasting and prayer … much of it lying prostrate before the Lord. God had even wanted to kill Aaron, but Moses interceded.

Taking up the prayer burden for those who have fallen away is a noble thing. When mere spoken words cannot penetrate resistant hearts, prayer can.  Moses proved it.

PRAYER: Father, hear our cries for those we love who are not close to You. Draw them near. Speak to their hearts, because they don’t seem to hear us. In the name of Jesus.

READ: Deut. 8-10

God spoke to Israel directly from the fire on Mt. Horeb the commandments He wanted them to live by. He promised that it would “Go well with (them)” if they would observe these precepts continually.

Mankind, of course, falls miserably short, and thereby never fully enjoys the perfect culture God offered … until Christ Jesus came to fulfill the law.

Flawed vessels (us) once again have a chance to exist in the culture of Heaven if we will allow Christ to live in and through us. He is the Perfect One. We are the imperfect ones.

Heaven on earth.

PRAYER: Lord, we live each day in humility and gratitude because of Your sacrifice on the cross. We praise You. You are perfect. We want to live in Your ways, in Your culture.

READ: Deut. 5-7

Og was a giant who was probably between 9 and 13 feet tall. Amos said he was tall like “Cedars and strong like an oak.” He was king of Bashan, modern day Syria. Moses and Israel’s army conquered him through God’s strength.

Sihon was the king of the Amorites. They had a fearsome army, but were defeated by Israel.

Do you have giants in your life? Are your foes bigger than you are? God is MUCH BIGGER  than any problem that you have. He is your key to victory. He can slay your giants.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I believe You are greater than my problems. I pray. I ask. I seek. It’s in Jesus’ name that I exist, and I give all the glory to You.

READ: Deut. 3,4

God reminded the Children of Israel that they had not lacked ANYTHING as they wandered through the wilderness for 40 years. He was their source … water from a rock, manna every morning, shoes that never wore out.

This testimony reminds us that He watches us also as we pass through life’s uncertain moments.

Jesus said, “Do not worry” about the basic needs of life. Just “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you.”  [Matt. 6:33]

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, we will put our trust in You when our concerns for our personal welfare grow. You will provide for us the way You supernaturally provided for the Israelites when they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land.

READ: Num. 36; Deut. 1,2

A good friend currently finds himself at one of life’s junctions. “Where do I go from here?” He is seeking the Lord for the next step in his life.’

The Children of Israel had a unique travel agent … the LORD! He led them by day with the Pillar of Cloud and by night with the Pillar of Fire. Their destination may have been unclear, but HOW to get there WAS NOT.

“He leadeth me, O blessed thought, O words with heavenly comfort fraught …”

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I ask and trust that You will lead my friend, Tom. Comfort him and his family in this period of trust. You are GOOD, and I know You will lead him.

READ: Num. 33-35

After Israel had routed the Midianites, an evil tribe who worshipped Baal, they assimilated the bounty captured. For cleansing, items were to go through the fire for purification, or be washed with water.

God’s refinement process is critical … the fire refines, purifies, and makes an item ready for use.

We cry out to God, “Use us.” Yet, we holler when He puts us through the fire.

He knows what He’s doing. It’s His refinement process.

PRAYER: Lord, I trust in You even when I’m in the midst of a great trial. I believe You ARE refining me to use me in the future. Give me Your grace that I might endure to the end.

READ: Num. 30-32

Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of his transgression at the water of Meribah. God took him up into a mountain to give him a glimpse of it.

Joshua was God’s choice to assume the leadership of the Children of Israel. God instructed Moses to bring Joshua before the people and lay his hands upon him for a transference of authority. Moses desired that they would have a leader who would lead them like a shepherd.

As I transfer the leadership and authority I have with TCS to Dr. Mark Anthony, my prayer also is that the school would be led into glorious days of promise and blessing.

PRAYER: Lord, let Your Mighty Hand be evident upon Dr. Anthony as he assumes the leadership of Trinity Christian School. I am grateful for the leadership opportunity You have given me.

READ: Num. 27-29

The Israelite men were allured into adultery by the Midianite women. It was the devil’s ploy to entice them to worship Baal.

The enemy of our soul does his best to trip men up by drawing them away from moral uprightness. They are tempted when they are drawn away from God by their own lust. Little do they realize what awaits them when they are caught in this trap of living to please themselves.

The Lord is  … longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [2 Pet. 3:9]

PRAYER: Father, be merciful to us. Give us clear, right thinking that leads us to seek to please You in every area of our lives. Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

READ: Num. 24-26

God had instructed Moses to SPEAK to the rock at Meribah to obtain water. Instead, in his anger for the complaining of the Israelites, he hit the rock. Although water did flow out of the rock, God was greatly displeased by the disobedience of Moses. God’s main objection: “Moses, you did not ‘Sanctify My name’ before the people.

The people gave credit to Moses rather than to God when they saw him touch the rock with his staff.

To sanctify the Lord’s name means to trust Him, to allow Him to do it rather than ourselves.

The key to our power with God is “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” [Col 1:27]

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, we want to hallow and sanctify Thy name by allowing You and Your power to flow through us. You are the treasure we have in these earthen vessels.

READ: Num. 20-23