Category: repentance

Draw Near

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 28-29

POETRY: Song of Songs 4

NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 10

I used to think that Hebrews chapter 10 was the scariest chapter in the whole Bible because it contains the scariest verses—about those willful sins that are committed. I missed the whole point of this beautiful chapter.

I missed that Jesus doesn’t have to make a sacrifice for us yearly like the priests of old did to cleanse the flesh of sin committed that year. His one-time sacrifice takes away sins for all time, cleansing the flesh and the conscience. That’s perfection that the old law could never do. Through Jesus, God’s children no longer needed that reminder that we’re slaves to sin, because we’re not anymore. We are free in Christ. We are perfect, but we have to choose to remain perfect by doing God’s will.

I missed that where there is forgiveness of sin (because of Jesus’s obedience to always do God’s will), an offering for sin is no longer required to enter the holy place of God. His role as high priest of the New Covenant is different than that of the Levitical high priests. He’s always available to save if you draw near to him; to intercede on our behalf when we sin, as opposed to sacrificing himself by dying again and again and again when we sin.

An animal sacrifice for sin is no longer required under the New Covenant law, but drawing near to Christ is required when dealing with my sin. I still need to bring a sacrifice, but it’s of repentance; a contrite heart. And I don’t have to wait outside a tent or a veil, I go right into the heavenly tabernacle where Jesus is and ask for forgiveness in his name. God will be faithful to me when I draw near to him through his son in this way. This is required of me if I entered the New Covenant with God through Jesus. I did, when I was baptized into the name of Jesus. Praise God.

The word says that by one offering (Jesus’s literal sinless body), he perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Those who are sanctified are those who have put the laws of God in their minds and have written them on their hearts because they chose to do God’s will out of love for God and others (just like Jesus did).  

Now for those scary verses:

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries (read through verse 31 if you want to see how scary this section is).

There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but what does remain is something better – drawing near to Christ through repentance when we sin. I think this is true for most sins, even willful sins IF we desire to repent of them because we know how much better God’s ways are for us and desire to get back on track.

If we don’t have that desire and don’t enter the holy place through Jesus’s torn body veil, what should we expect? If we don’t, we should expect just judgment. If we don’t, it means we are choosing to willfully bind ourselves to sin again and remain in it. It means we aren’t looking for forgiveness, because we think it was better when in slavery to sin than being freed from it (and slavesto serving God by doing his will that is good for us).

This reminds me of the children of Israel in Massah and Meribah, complaining in the wilderness, wishing they were back in Egypt. They were slaves there, and perhaps they’d die, but at least they weren’t going to die of hunger or of thirst like they would in the wilderness serving God, so they grumbled. They tested Yahweh God, as they had no faith that God would provide for them as he promised (“Is the LORD among us or not?”). This willful sin, this lack of faith that God would be faithful to do what he said he’d do for them in a time when they were enduring trials and hardship, eventually got them destroyed. The reality was that though God was faithful to uphold his end of the covenant he made with them, they weren’t willing to uphold theirs because they didn’t trust him.  

The testing of God’s faith is what I believe the scary section in Chapter 10 is referencing. If we sin because we don’t believe God is faithful to do all he promised for us, especially when times get tough, and we think it was better living the old way when slaves to sin as opposed to being slaves to God, then our entrance into the Kingdom of God is in jeopardy. It’s like saying to ourselves, “We’re slaves to sin, but at least we won’t die hungry or thirsty living in sin.”

Unfortunately, choosing to live like Christ now does come with pain and suffering, because of the consequences of the past and present sins of all people. Not everyone chooses to do what God says is good for us, so our world becomes more and more corrupt. So do our bodies. It’s hard to live for Christ in a world like that. There’s also so much confusion about what’s right and wrong, even among his followers, and so we get hurt. And of course, there is Satan, walking around like a roaring lion, trying to get us off track.  

The Hebrews were reminded of their former sufferings for Christ and commended for enduring it with joy because they once knew they had something better awaiting them. Though I’ve been through trials, I’ve never had to go through the trials that the Hebrews here had to go through for Christ. It says that they “32 …endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.” The Hebrews were being exhorted. The writer is pleading with them to behave how they once did, and to stop looking back at their old way of life.

If the people of God who went through this type of hardship needed an exhortation to get back on track, what of us? What of me?

Now that we’ve got the kick in the pants we needed to stop being babies, we can apply this information to do better with some application from the writer:

“19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

-Juliet Taylor

Reflection Questions

1. Notice that we draw near to Jesus in the throne room of God, which is God’s throne room in heaven. We do this in spirit. The bible uses figurative language like this a lot. What other figurative language do you notice in this chapter?  

2. How can you encourage one another in love and good deeds through their hardships?

3. How do you live by faith as it says in Hebrews 10:38 (quoted from the old; applied to us in the new)?

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Accusations Against You

Old Testament: Micah 1

Poetry: Psalm 81

New Testament: Luke 16:16-31

The world could use more knowledge of the Old Testament minor prophets. I should become more familiar with them, too. I wonder what would happen if they became required reading in every college or high school curriculum? Could our world, our nation, our church, our family, me, learn a lesson from what God spoke through His prophets so many years ago? Would they listen?

This week our Bible reading will include one chapter of Micah every day. Some years we have read the whole thing in just one or two days. But this year let’s slow down a little and digest one chapter a day. Some days this week our devotions will be over other parts of our Bible reading, but still take the time to work through one chapter of Micah every day, as if it were required reading from God.

Unlike several of the books of prophecy which are directed to just one nation or city, Micah addresses both Israel and Judah and many specific cities in those countries. Micah includes three sections which each begin imploring his audience to listen and pay attention to the messages God gave him to tell of the capital cities, the leaders and the people of these countries (1:2, 3:1, 6:1).

As you read through Micah this week be watching for what we can learn about God. What are His characteristics, what does God like, what does He hate, what has He done, and what will He do? Not to spoil the whole plot, but you will find many instances of God’s justice and also many instances of His love.

Here in chapter 1 then we begin with Micah telling the people of the world to listen to the visions he has received from God in regards to the capital cities of Samaria and Jerusalem because “The Sovereign Lord is making accusations against you” (Micah 1:2). What does it mean to you that God is sovereign? Sometimes when we are accused of something we can easily dismiss the accusation because of who it comes from. But, not so easily done when the accusations are coming from the Sovereign God. Maybe this is something we ought to sit up and pay close attention to.

The next verse says, “Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven …” So – we are not just to use our ears to listen – but also use our eyes to look and see the evidence. The Lord God is getting up off his throne. As a teacher or parent or baby-sitter it is interesting to watch a child who has heard the person in authority say what to do or not to do, but the child continues disobeying – until they see that authority figure start to stand up…and then they know it’s time to fall in line. It’s time to listen – and look – and obey. Because the LORD is not coming to give hugs and high-fives this time around. He isn’t bringing congratulations but accusations – and it’s not just talk. It’s time to act. The mountains are melting beneath His feet – because of the sins He has seen.

It is interesting that our other passages today share many of the same warnings and pictures of God. In Psalm 81 we hear, “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.” (vs 8). We see a people who did not want God around (vs. 11). We also see in this Psalm, what we will later see in Micah – what God does when His people DO come back to Him. When they DO repent, listen, follow Him and walk in His paths – THEN God subdues their enemies, and feeds them the finest wheat and satisfies them with wild honey from the rock (Psalm 81:13, 14, 16). While those who hate the Lord will be doomed forever (vs. 15).

Will you be eating wild honey from the rock or doomed forever?

Will you be like the rich man Lazarus or the beggar in Luke 16? If you are wanting some more information and discussion on this interesting parable, you might want to read the online REV Bible commentary on this passage.

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. Seriously consider, what accusations do you think the Sovereign Lord would make today against you, your church, your city, your capital city? Why are these accusations important to know and consider?
  2. The verse about the city of Lachish caught my attention, “You were the first city in Judah to follow Israel in her rebellion, and you led Jerusalem into sin.” (Micah 1:13) Your sins don’t just affect you. Where have you seen this slippery slope and growing snowball before? Thinking of your own life – who have you followed into sin – and then were you aware of who followed you and your sin? Could repentance work the same way?

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The Realities of Repentance

Old Testament: Hosea 9-11

Poetry: Psalm 79

New Testament: Luke 15:11-32

One of the toughest things to do as a parent is to let your child take a great risk, manage their own protection, or walk into a mistake.  There is a realization that your sway and shielding over another willed being is truly limited, even in the smallest stages of life.  You turn them loose, simply hoping they heed your instructions.  You let them crawl and explore your home, you put them on a bus for the school day, you let them sleepover at a friend’s house, and slowly but surely they become independent humans who make their own way from their own place.  While many who read this blog have walked their children through some or all of these stages in life, today, we will all take the perspective of a child, not the parent.

Through our study of Hosea paired alongside our slow walk through Luke 15, we have focused on the restoration of those who are lost and our responsibility to be ever-searching for those who have stayed or strayed away from the care of the Good Shepherd.  Today, we look more inwardly as we walk with the Prodigal Son, specifically looking at how each of us have wandered in our own right and making sure that we have come to the realities of repentance.

“Do not hold against us the sins of past generations, may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name;” – Psalm 79:8-9

“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? … My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused” – Hosea 11:8

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” – Luke 15:20

The first reality is that we have all squandered the blessing of God. Today’s Psalm is estimated to be written some 150 years after Hosea, as captivity and destruction set in. We see the lament of a nation whose possessions are long carried off, whose temple is destroyed, and their freedom now limited by their lack of resources.  God’s blessing can only extend to those who walk in His ways.  If we are seeking repentance or even identifying our need to repent, we need only reflect on the way we describe the blessings in our life. Do we see our wealth as our own or God’s?  Our time as our own or God’s? Is it our relationship, our ministry, our accolades, or God’s? If we are fortunate enough to be blessed even in a single area, we should not take it for granted, turning our back and hitting the road to make our own way.

The second reality is that all this world has to offer us is pig slop. While there is an overwhelming abundance of beauty on this earth, it is not found through any pursuit other than God. We often picture an endless rave alongside the Prodigal Son in his “wild living”, but not everyone of us is a party animal. Sometimes our pursuits for pleasure and meaning come in more temperant forms. In isolation from God, pursuing education, taking a leadership role, traveling the world, and many more noble activities are vanity and unfulfilling if they are not done with God at the forefront.  If we are filling our plates with these things, we will be left with food that is fit for swine, an important image when we think to Jewish dietary laws, an animal that is unclean because of its diet.

Finally, the third reality is that we must be mindful that God’s favor makes us belong, but it does not make us supreme.  The lie we have been sold for the whole of mankind is that we can be like God, knowing what is best for our own life.  We look to the older brother, who has a grievance that his younger sibling could be invited back so easily.  God forgives us all when we act as a maître d’ to His table, deciding who eats, and who sits where. Repentance is reconciliation to God and no other. While it is important to seek forgiveness from our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is not dependent upon it.  Thankfully, it is God alone who restores us to our place at the table, and we can only hope to scoot down to make room for one more who has accepted His invitation.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you realize how YOU were (or are) dead and lost? When/where has God seen you stay or stray away from His table?
  2. In what ways are you guilty of not giving God the credit He deserves for the blessings He has given? How could you take steps to repent and remedy this problem?
  3. What pig slop have you tried living on? How does it differ from what is available at your Father’s table?
  4. Where/when do you see yourself in the big brother’s resentment and wish for exclusion? How can you adjust your heart to reflect God’s instead – and scoot down to make more room? How can you extend the invitation to His table?
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Jonah’s Object Lesson

Old Testament: Jonah 4

Poetry: Psalm 73 (on repeat the rest of this week)

New Testament: Luke 12:13-21

In Jonah chapter 3, the great city Nineveh repented, and they turned towards God. Afterwards, God had mercy on the people and relented on the upcoming disaster that Jonah was warning them of. 

For those who follow God, it should be easy to rejoice when God shows his mercy and love. However, in Jonah chapter 4 we see that Jonah was displeased with the mercy that was afforded to the people of Nineveh. Why was Jonah angry at this? This is possibly due to Nineveh being the capital of the nation of Assyria, an enemy of Israel. Perhaps being on opposite sides, Jonah wanted to see his enemies destroyed, or perhaps his own personal morality guided that the Ninevites deserved destruction. Perhaps the disaster never befalling Nineveh also delegitimized the words that he spoke to them, and made him feel less powerful. Either way, Jonah’s heart was not in the right place, and God saw to it that Jonah saw this too. 

After Jonah complained to God, he rested. There, God allowed a plant to grow. Jonah found joy in this. Then, God caused the plant to die in the morning, and called in a great heat to overcome the area that Jonah was in. Again, Jonah cried out at the demise of the plant that he had. 

God then likened this plant to Nineveh. It gave great joy to Jonah despite him not being the reason it grew, and it was only there overnight. So too Nineveh should also receive mercy even if recently they turned from their wicked ways. 

Although only 11 verses long, Jonah 4 reveals a lot to us about who God is, and how we should interact with him. First off, God used the plant as a metaphor for Nineveh, much like how his son Jesus would use parables to teach spiritual lessons to people in ways that they may understand. 

Secondly, God has love for people, even for those that are not his chosen people. Perhaps Jonah may have disagreed with this at the time, but regardless this goes on to show the legitimacy of the great commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28, and carried out through the rest of the New Testament. The love of God is for everyone. 

Thirdly, we should always want what God wants. Even if we do not understand God, or if we do not agree with the way things may be going for us, we must adopt the viewpoint that aids so many people throughout the Bible: “not my will, but yours be done.” “Yours” referring to God, our father in heaven. 

-Colby Leggitt

Reflection Questions

  1. Even when we feel that we are worthless, how can we remind ourselves of the greater purpose that God has called us to?
  2. Why was Jonah so upset that God relented to the disaster to befall Nineveh? How can we connect this to times in our lives when we are angry that things don’t go our way? 
  3. What does God tell us about the worth of being angry (without very good reason)?
  4. Was God’s lesson on Jonah too harsh? Are such tribulations the kind of tough love that is needed sometimes for us to see things the way God wants us to?
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They Believed!

Old Testament: Jonah 3

Poetry: Psalm 73

New Testament: Luke 12:1-12

It is interesting that some of the best positive examples in the book of Jonah come from some of the least likely places.

In Chapter 1 what do we learn from the pagan sailors?

In Chapter 2 what do we learn about prayer from the prophet who was trying to run away from God?

And, in Chapter 3 what do we learn from the king and inhabitants of one of the most wicked cities of their time? Repent! Believe in God (vs 5) and repent! Humble yourself. Mourn because of your sins. Fast – give up your comforts and pursuits so you can focus completely on what God wants to tell you and what He wants from you. Send out a proclamation to let others know and hold them accountable. “Let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish” (vs 8b & 9). It is a great lesson to learn and imitate! Has your life changed because of a decision to believe and repent?

It’s interesting that Israel and Judah had the benefit of many prophets speaking for many, many years and generations, to the Israelite kings, officials and countrymen, time and time again and sometimes even with miraculous signs. And yet, these countries were still often heading in the wrong direction, away from God. But here in sinful Ninevah, a man of God (who had screwed up a time or two, and wasn’t always the most reliable or faithful, but did know how to pray) takes a one day walk into Ninevah, preaches, and changes the destiny for the whole capital city of Assyria. I wonder if Jonah told of his personal testimony – how God had gotten the attention of this particular runaway prophet? Do you have a story you can tell – even if it doesn’t include a huge fish? What might it mean to your listeners?

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. What does repentance mean to you? When have you repented, of what, what did it look like? Did it last? Where are you without repentance? If the Ninevites didn’t repent what would have happened to them?
  2. What could you say to one on the path to destruction? What part of your testimony could you share? What can you tell them about God? What do you know about the future? How would you feel if they DID listen to you and repent?
  3. What is the difference between God changing and God relenting? Where else do we see Him relenting?
  4. What have you learned from some of the least likely sources, perhaps even from a runaway prophet? Why do you think God chose to send Jonah to Ninevah – twice? Where might God be asking you to go?
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Photoreceptors

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 22

Poetry: Proverbs 7

New Testament: Ephesians 5

A few weeks back my children were very excited to have me read a new book they checked-out from the library.  Not yet mastering the alphabet, their choices are often from the featured book table, typically the flashiest cover; however, the book they chose did not meet my expectation. Their choice: The Worm.  The title wasn’t a metaphor. Not a how-to on dance moves. Not a fictional story of a kid-turned-wrestler.  It was literally a picture book just about worms, and so we began to learn everything I never wanted to know about these three phylums of the animal kingdom.  Did you know that worms can be over 100 feet long? And there are people around the world who eat worms? Or that worms are hermaphrodites? Probably the most relevant fact to today’s devotion is that most worms, including the earthworm, don’t have eyes. This doesn’t stop them from knowing when they are exposed to light. Built into the skin of earthworms are photoreceptors which work as light detectors. These creatures of darkness cannot exist in the light. Being caught above the surface trying to do your same wormy thing equals starvation, dehydration, or becoming prey.

Looking at today’s Proverb, we can see that the speaker is specifically warning his son about infidelity and adultery.  If we use a broader brush with this wisdom, and extend the metaphors and figures of these proverbs as is often done, we can bring our own struggle with sin into the picture.  “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.  Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. (Prov. 7:25-27).” Don’t stray into the path of lust, pride, greed,or being obscene (Eph 5:1-3).  A knock on the door soon becomes a visit. A visit becomes a stay.  When you stay long enough, it is where you live (James 1:14-15). Like a worm, deeper and deeper you dig yourself into the ground, making your bed and lying in the grave.

You may not have heeded the warning up to this point, so here is the wake-up call to all of us worms trying to hide from the light, whether it be for a day or decades,“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  This is why it is said, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Eph 5:13-14).’” When we are exposed by the light of God, we shrivel up and die.  This can be tremendous or tragic. Waking up today means we die unto ourselves and become a new creation in Christ.  We are covered, cleansed, and made pure through God’s grace given to us through the blood of the Lamb.  If our dry bones do not rattle and we die in our darkness, there is no rebirth. Only an eternal separation, a scorching from the Light, because, “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them (Eph 5:5-7).” 

You may have fallen victim to a snare, directly disobeying the commands of God. Don’t sleep on this. Restore your relationship with the One True God, and in the midst of the distress, ask for help and He will answer, not letting you become a victim to the grave (2 Sam 22:5-7). God has given us a path to repentance and an amazing grace. It is time to put your photoreceptors to work, find the surface, and enter again into His marvelous light.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. What sins have seduced you? What was enticing about this sin? Have you gone in for a visit, or a stay, or is that where you live now?
  2. What do you know about God’s wrath? What do you know about God’s grace? How does God decide which worm gets the grace and which worm gets the wrath? Which worm are you right now?
  3. How active have your photoreceptors been? Do you recognize the difference between light and dark? Unlike the worm, do you seek the light? How?
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Hyssop

Old Testament: Joshua 13 & 14

Poetry: Psalm 51

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 6

Ahh….Psalm 51. There are few Psalms I can remember off hand what they are about. I usually can recall that Psalm 119 is the really long one kinda smack dab in the middle of the Bible that talks about the word of God. Psalm 100 is my Mom’s favorite that she still has memorized and can recite on turbo speed which is an uplifting one full of gratitude. And then there is Psalm 51. It isn’t super long and it isn’t super cheerful, but it is authentic, transparent, and full of repentance. A psalm of confession at a time in David’s life that is so significant even our Bibles tell us what David had just been caught doing before writing this.

I don’t know about you, but I know I wouldn’t particularly want people thousands of years from now reading about my sins or finding prayers I wrote on my darkest days. But, I am so grateful that God allowed that from the man after God’s own heart, a beautiful poet and gifted communicator whose contrite and sincere words are available for us today to encourage, convict, and restore.

 In Psalm 51 verse 7, hyssop caught my eye because right now I have it growing in my yard again, transitioning back to a vibrant green after the long winter of blah. For my purposes today, I like that it is a perennial with pretty foliage and purple flowers that also have some herbal benefits. But, in the Bible it is referenced as a cleansing and purifying plant, one used for cleansing lepers, ceremonial cleansings, and what the Israelites were instructed to use as a paintbrush of sorts for smearing the sacrificed lamb’s blood on the doorposts in Exodus 12.  How beautiful a psalm and image to read on the first day of Passover. How wonderful to know that since David’s time, through his line, we received a Messiah through whom we can be cleansed and made right to God.  It is encouraging to know that God always knew we needed this Messiah, and that Jesus was part of God’s plan from the beginning. The relationship with God we have through Jesus and the hope of the gospel he preached in the coming kingdom, a time of no more mistakes and tears, provides a source of joy today.

                Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

 Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities

Someone else must think Psalm 51 is a noteworthy one we can relate to because like it or not. . . here we come. . . .6 days in a row!

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

1. What do you like about Psalms and the books of poetry in scripture?

2. How do you relate to the words in Psalm 51?

3. Consider what you need to ask God to cleanse you of today, and rejoice in the mercy and great compassion David reminds us are abounding in Him when we turn to him in repentance.

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Choose Life

*Old Testament Reading:  Deuteronomy 29-30 

*Poetry Reading:  Job 42

New Testament Reading:  Romans 10

 “Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” – Deuteronomy 30:19b (ESV)

In chapter 42, Job again responds to God.  He is humble, accepting that he cannot understand God nor His ways.  He repents for speaking about what he doesn’t understand.  He responds just as God wanted him to, in humility. 

Job’s friends first made their appearance in Job 2.  They “made an appointment together to come show him sympathy and comfort him” (Job 2:11b).  The first thing they did was an outward display of sharing his pain (wept, tore their robes, sprinkled dust on their heads).  Then they just sat with him.  In silence.  For seven days. 

If you’ve been reading along in Job, you have heard their advice.  Much of it sounds good.  Much of it would likely be great advice in a different situation.  Their focus was on what Job had done wrong to incur God’s wrath.  They couldn’t see any alternative to Job’s suffering.  Yet they gave up their silence and tried.  They did their best, but it turns out, they were wrong.  And God wasn’t about to let them get away with it. 

We’ve all been there….sitting (in person, via text, on social media, over the phone, etc.) with a suffering friend not knowing what to say.  Eventually, the silence drives us to speak.  Our desire to help is strong and pushes us to try to solve the problem, to figure out the “why” so they can fix it, or at least understand it.  Our hearts are in the right place.  I think Job’s friend’s hearts were in the right place, too.  They wanted to help. 

God says that His anger burns against them and that they haven’t spoken of Him what is right.  I don’t want to be in that place with God.  While He does offer them a way out – a way to repent – it is humbling, and likely even humiliating.  They thought they were offering good advice to their friend and now they have to humble themselves and ask him to pray for their misspeaking. 

What can we learn from this exchange?  First, reaching out to a friend who is suffering is good.  Sitting in silence is good, too.  But what I take away from this is that we need to seek God before we respond on His behalf.  Before we tell someone what God would have them do, we should ask God.  That can be in prayer or in reading His Word.  Someone once said that God will never contradict His Word, so whatever you “hear” him saying, cross-check it in the Bible. 

And a quick dip into Deuteronomy for some great thoughts to meditate on today…

Deuteronomy 29:18b-19a says, “Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.”

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

I think Job chose life.  Even though he didn’t do anything really big to sin, God called him out on his attitude and words.  He didn’t bear poisonous and bitter fruit and he didn’t hold on to his stubborn heart.  He humbled himself. 

Amy Blanchard

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you know a friend who is suffering?  What can you do to help them?  Remember to start with asking God.
  2. Do you have a stubborn heart that thinks you’ll be safe from God’s wrath?  Consider what choice you are making – life or death, blessing or curse.  Remember that your choice not only determines if you will dwell in the land of God’s promise, it also affects those following you – don’t make it harder for them to choose life and blessing.
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Surviving a Deadly Plague of Snakes

Numbers 21:9 NIV for SGL

Old Testament: Numbers 21 & 22

Poetry: Job 17

New Testament: Mark 3

In today’s reading, the Israelites needed a spiritual “blood transfusion.” Their sinful and rebellious attitude had shown itself in impatience, complaints about hardships, ingratitude for manna, and a lack of faith in God’s leader, Moses. This faithlessness resulted in a deadly plague of snakes that were killing the people.

The Israelites repented and asked Moses to intercede for them. God’s response required them to show their repentance by a simple act of faith. Moses made a bronze serpent and lifted it up on a pole. To be healed, people had to look at the serpent. If they didn’t believe God’s words, they wouldn’t look up and would therefore die. Only through faith could they be saved.

Homeopathic medicine is the practice of curing likes with likes. The patient receives diluted doses of substances that, at full strength, cause the same symptoms the patient already has. This type of medicine is used in many parts of the world, though it remains controversial among medical experts. In this instance, God prescribed a similar remedy for Israel, treating snake bites with a replica of a snake. Going a step further, God undid the effects of the plague through an image of the curse itself.

Today’s story begins with the people grumbling … again. It was the same old story: we’re dying, we’re starving, we don’t like the miraculous food, and we’re sorry we ever left Egypt. But this incident is unique; this time, the people repented.

In past events, Moses had asked God for mercy on behalf of the Israelites, but on this occasion, his prayers were prompted by a recognition of their sin that Israel hadn’t shown before. They realized on their own why the snakes were sent, and they confessed their sin. In that way, this was a spiritual breakthrough for Israel!

If God had followed the formula we’ve seen so far, we might expect Him to demand a sacrifice of some kind, like a lamb without defect. But the Lord told Moses to put a bronze snake, a picture of judgment, on a pole for all to see. He directed the people’s eyes, not to an image of purity, but to a symbol of wrath.

For healing to take place, the people had to close the loop of repentance. They sinned, confessed, and asked for mercy. The last step was to accept God’s remedy by faith and follow His instructions.

We often picture Christ as the perfect sacrifice, and that he is. But He also took upon Himself the shame of sin and the full penalty of wrath. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus compared His upcoming crucifixion to the lifting up of the serpent in the desert. Let’s confess our sins, seek His mercy and turn our eyes to him, who not only gave his life but also received our punishment. Thank Him in word and in deed today.

Andy Cisneros

(Originally posted on March 3, 2020 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. What have you most recently complained about? Do you often complain? Is there a problem with complaining and grumbling? How do you think others view your complaining? How do you think God views it?
  2. What role does confession and repentance play in your relationship with God and others? How has God shown His mercy to you when you have repented? Is there anything you need to confess and repent of?
  3. After the Israelites confessed and repented what did they have to do next? What does God expect from us after confession and repentance?
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An Important Message from Joel

Old Testament: Joel 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 127

New Testament: Matthew 13

12 Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster. Joel 2:12-13 (HCSB)

Today we’re going to read the book of Joel (hey, that’s my name!). It is one of the shortest books in the Old Testament, so I’ll keep my thoughts on it brief. It was written as a wake up call to God’s people. As you’ve been reading through the Prophets, it should have been quite apparent that God wasn’t the happiest about the actions of His people. That’s why we have this particular section of scripture; if Israel hadn’t messed up so bad, God wouldn’t have had to tell them so. Joel doesn’t say much different than the other Prophets; he is just rehashing the same message because apparently, Israel still hasn’t learned its lesson.
Here’s the condensed version of the message: you’ve sinned and made God angry, but He loves you and wants you to live, so turn away from your wickedness. 


This message, which was proclaimed to the Jews first, is just as relevant today for us as it was then for them. Only today we have the added part: God loved you so much He sent His only begotten son so you can live eternally (John 3:16). We still live in nations full of wickedness, we still raise idols to a status reserved only for Yahweh, we still do wrong when we know what’s right, and we still let the ungodly have undue influence over us. The words spoken through the Prophets to the people of Israel still hold value for us, and I hope we will do a better job heeding them than the original recipients. 

-Joel Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What idols do you/have you raised to a status reserved only for Yahweh?
  2. What wrong do you do when you know what is right?
  3. In what ways have you let the ungodly have undue influence over you?
  4. What does the book of Joel reveal will happen to those who don’t return to the Lord? What is revealed will happen to those who do?
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