Saturday, April 28, 2012

Day 28: Follow The Leader

READ: Deuteronomy 31:8


“And the Lord is the One who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed.”

Life with God is an adventure. Jesus paid the debt for our sinful hearts and enabled us to receive His free gift of salvation. As always, from the story of the Israelites to our stories, God not only wants to save us - He wants to be in relationship with us.

Following Jesus is one step at a time. And when our hearts are set on The One whose name is Love and we realize that Love is for us, following Him turns from obedience into our greatest joy.

As we enter this new season at Two Rivers Church, we want to have the “Spirit of Caleb.” We want the blessing that comes with obedience. We want God’s plan and timing to be accomplished in us and through us. We want God to expand, lengthen, and strengthen us for His Kingdom and for His Glory. God has asked us to join Him in what He is doing and we have answered with a resounding “yes!” Will you join us?

THINK:
If so, how?

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Ask the Lord to seal the work He has done through this study. Thank Him for His grace in teaching us, His gentleness in leading us, and His love that endures.

“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.”
Numbers 14:24

Friday, April 27, 2012

Day 27: He Will Accomplish It

READ: Isaiah 14:24


The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.”

When God plans on doing something, He is going to do it with us or without us. God has cast a vision for Two Rivers Church of Expanding, Lengthening, and Strengthening and invites each one of us to take a part. It is His desire to have us join Him in what He is doing for He knows the blessing involved in following Him. If we don’t follow Him, we miss the blessing.

THINK:
-If you are choosing to join God in what He is doing at Two Rivers Church, how do you think you can be a part of the vision He gave us?
-More importantly, what do you think God wants to accomplish in your life right now?

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Take time with Jesus and ask Him those two questions above. Grab a pen and write down anything you ear. Pray.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for good and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Day 26: The Blessing or The Curse

READ: Deuteronomy 11:21-28; 28:1-15


God loves you (Ephesians 2:4-7). He longs to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18). He wants life to go well for you and for your sons and daughters (Deuteronomy 5:29, 33). As His children, nothing can separate us from His love, but our choices can separate us from His plan.

God wants us to join Him in His plans…for our good and for His glory. But as always, it’s a choice.

When we stand at a crossroad, we can choose a way that leads to blessing or a way that leads to harm. If we listen, we will hear God tell us which way to go (Isaiah 30:21).

THINK:
-What crossroad are you standing at right now? Which way will lead to God, abundant life, and generational blessing?
-Are you hesitating to go that way? Even though the way of blessing is costly, it is always worth it. Think about the cost of taking the other way. And remember, you never walk alone.

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Before Joshua is about to lead the Israelites across the Jordan into the land that God promised them, the Lord gives him instructions. Three times God says to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.”

Could it be that the process of going where God wants us to go is hard and scary – requiring much strength and courage?

Ask the Lord to give you strength and courage to do what He is asking you to do. Pray for the leaders of Two Rivers Church that they would have the strength and courage to lead us where God is calling us in this season of expanding, lengthening, and strengthening.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Day 25: The Top Seven Take-Aways

READ: Deuteronomy 10:12-22; 11:18-20; 13:4


Reading through these passages from Deuteronomy and Numbers, you begin to see some repetition. God stresses a few key points that are highlighted below. These points come up throughout Scripture because they are the way to abundant life – which is what He wants for all of His children.

Remember. Remember God, His commandments, and what He has done for you in the past. Remember.
Follow. Follow Him. Walk the way He walks. Go where He goes.
Fear Him. Have a healthy respect for who God is. Give Him reverence. Be in awe and worship Him.
Love Him. With all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Serve Him. With all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Listen To His Voice. By listening to Him, we will know what to do, where to go, how to live. Hearing His voice is our constant comfort and greatest joy.
Cling to Him. Our nearness to God and dependence on Him secures our place on this narrow road. Jesus is the vine. We are the branches (John 15). Draw near and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

THINK:
-Remember, follow, fear, love, serve, listen, and cling. What is your take-away?
-Is there a chronology to these 7 points? If so, what might it be?

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Ask the Lord these questions, and listen to what He has to say to you today.
Remember: What do You want/need me to remember right now?
Follow: Am I out of step with You in any way?
Fear: How do you want me to worship You in this hour?
Love: How can I express my love for You today?
Serve: What do You need me to do so that your plans might be accomplished this year?
Listen: Above all else, what words do You want me to hear right now from You?
Cling: How can I draw closer to You?
Write down what you hear the Lord saying to you. What words or Scriptures come to mind? What impressions did you receive? What pictures in your mind did you imagine? Are the responses you are receiving true to His Word? Pray more about what you have heard and received. Ask the Lord to elaborate. Then - remember, follow, fear, love, serve, listen, and cling to Him!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Day 24: With Us in Our Wanderings

READ: Deuteronomy 1:7


So, off they go – away from The Promised Land by way of the Red Sea to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Oh, how the heart of God must have broken. This was not His plan. Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua must have been brokenhearted too as they led the people away from all that they wanted, waited and longed for – home.

Moses recounts their wanderings in the book of Deuteronomy and also makes note of God’s constant presence and love in the midst of their punishment. Deuteronomy 2:7 says, “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wandering through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”

THINK:
-What is your response when you think of how God blesses you in all that you have done, knows your trouble, and walks with you through it?

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Thank and praise God for His constant presence, abiding love, and continual provision for us as individuals, families, and a church – despite ourselves.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39

Monday, April 23, 2012

Day 23: A False Repentance

READ: Numbers 14:39-45


Moses delivers all the bad news and, as would be expected, the sons of Israel mourn greatly over their sin. BUT the next morning, they take matters into their own hands and start their march up to the ridge of the hill country wanting to claim the land. Moses tells them the Lord is not with them, this is not His plan, and they will be struck down by the sword.

You can almost picture them with their fingers in their ears running up to the ridge, hoping against hope they can get their way – with God or without Him. It’s like a toddler’s temper tantrum: “Okay, okay, we were wrong, but whatever, let’s pretend it never happened. Just give us the land. Don’t talk about death and wandering around the wilderness. Give us our land! Hurry, we want it now!”

So, they keep going despite Moses’ instruction, despite the fact the Ark of the Covenant AND the Lord are still back at camp. They go on without them… and are struck and beaten down by the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived there.

THINK:
-The verb “repent” literally means to “turn around” and “change your ways.” Repenting of sin is not complete without change or a “turning around.” Feeling bad about our sin is never enough. What do you think about that?

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Repent of any sin in your life so you can stand blameless in the sight of the Lord, covered by the blood of Jesus Christ – so that He can accomplish His will in you and through you. Read and meditate on Psalm 139: 23-24.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Day 22: The Lord Is Just & Merciful

READ: Numbers 14:27-38


What exactly have the Israelites done to make the Lord angry? Let’s make a list:

  • planned to stone the leaders, 14:10
  • put the Lord to the test ten times, 14:22
  • did not listen to God’s voice, 14:22
  • spurned Him, 14:23 (Spurned means to “reject someone with disdain”.)
  • grumbled against Him, 14:26, 29
  • made complaints against the Lord, 14:27
  • gathered together against Him, 14:35

What exactly is the Lord going to do in response?

  • Those who have seen His glory and put Him to the test along with those who spurned Him, will not see the land He swore to their fathers, 14:23.
  • God will do to them what the Israelites accused Him of doing; therefore, their corpses will fall in the wilderness, all the numbered men from twenty years old and up, 14:29; none of them will enter The Promised Land except Caleb and Joshua, 14:30, 37-8.
  • HOWEVER, He will bring their children into the land even though they said they would become prey, 14:31.
  • The Lord will make their sons shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer because of their parents’ unfaithfulness, 14:33.
  • They will wander the wilderness for forty years and they will know His opposition, 14:34.


THINK:
-Often when reading excerpts of the Old Testament out of context, God can seem like a hot-tempered, exacting, and harsh Ruler. But when read in context, His patience, mercy, justice, long suffering, and unending love are quite apparent. In this passage, where do you see evidence of the Lord’s attributes?
-In your life, how has God shown you His justice and His great mercy?

PRAY & WORSHIP:
Thank God for His justice and mercy. Ask Him for the grace and wisdom to live a life of obedience and trust. Pray He keeps us from a life of rebellion where He, because of His love, has to discipline us. Pray that by His Spirit we will live a faithful life so that our children and the next generation will not suffer because of our unfaithfulness. Praise Him for the fact that He is for us, not against us!