Tag: daily devotions

Judgment: The Positive and The Negative

Old Testament: Ezekiel 33 & 34

Poetry: Psalm 105

New Testament: Revelation 20

     Revelation 20 involves God’s judgment, and it may make sense to put 19:20-21 in your mental image of the passage so the beast, the false prophet and their armies are in there. Verse ten reiterates the judgment of the beast and the false prophet, pairing them with the devil they had served. I see the passage with alternating sections of negative and positive references to judgment (19:20–20:3, 7-10, 15) and (20:4-6; 11-14). Grouped this way the text has every use of “lake of fire” (a different phrase appears in 21:8).

     After 19:20-21 establishes the punishment of those who served the dragon, chapter 20 opens with very satisfying language about the serpent not being able to deceive the nations. He is chained and sealed away for a thousand years.

     The description of the saints’ resurrection which follows in verses four to six may seem notably out of sequence. The first resurrection takes place at the last trumpet, in the twinkling of an eye (meaning in the time it takes to blink; 1 Corinthians 15:52). At Christ’s return the dead in Christ rise first, at the sound of the trumpet, and his servants who remain alive rise to meet him just afterward (1 Thessalonians 4:14‑17). That happens before Jesus fights the armies of the antichrist. It seems that the first resurrection was skipped over in Revelation 19. It also seems questionable for there to be an evaluation of the martyrs like is described in the vision. God knows all about them – they are raised because of who they are. It seems that the evaluation was described just for the sake of the vision, and what this passage presents as “judgment” clearly would need to be a fully positive judgment.

     Recognizing all of that, I think God wanted this text here, after a description of what happened to the devil. It contrasts what happened with those who accepted the mark of the beast (dead) and the leaders of the conspiracy (burning) and the one who inspired that conspiracy (imprisoned for a thousand years) to those who stood firm against it (they come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years). Considering what these martyrs suffered, God wants to emphasize their acceptance and glorification, although that called for it being addressed out of sequence.

     In verses seven to nine Satan is again free, for a short time. Perhaps this represents a winnowing of the nations before God makes the next big change in the status of earth. Satan again deceives the nations who are willing to be deceived and assembles them for judgment (even if he doesn’t understand that is what he is doing). And this time judgment comes on him as well. God is closing out the books, after this there won’t be anyone else around able to be tempted. God could have left this entire story unmentioned, but He wanted us to know this part of the future, to be aware that our enemy will be permanently dealt with. (Not that Genesis 3:15 didn’t already indicate it.)

     I like the imagery in verse 11, as though perhaps God’s majesty surges up, and all that is nearby is not holy enough to remain. “Earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them” (v. 11). We continue to be reminded that this is a vision, as the lake of fire is still present for the later part of the vision and did not flee away. Maybe this is looking toward the next part of the story, that God is in the process of replacing heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:12). The description of death and Hades being thrown into the lake of fire is very positive (v. 14), but also serves as another reminder that we are reading about a vision (as it is hard to figure how John knew this happened except by being made aware of it).

     Elements of both the positive judgment scenes (v. 4-6, 11-14) can be found in Daniel 7:9ff, with the thrones, the books, and the fire, but they are mixed. It is a common statement that prophets of the Old Testament saw future events like we might see a distant mountain range, unable to tell very well how large a valley was between the peaks. Events from Christ’s first coming and second coming could be discussed right next to each other in a passage. With Daniel 7, making distinctions relevant to the existence of multiple resurrections wasn’t purposeful. And with Revelation John could not see and appreciate all the things happening in fully accurate order.

     I questioned whether to think of the judgment in Revelation 20:11-15 as neutral, or to break it between a positive first four verses and a ‘negative’ verse 15, because it raises the idea of someone’s name not being found in the book of life. It is interesting to think that verse 15 involves a resurrection too late in history to be relevant for the reader and so may not be intended as a warning for us. But I suppose it will be a warning to people during the millennium.

     Lord, your judgments are true. Thank you for offering your mercy. Please open my heart to accept your gracious offer, for myself, and for others. Don’t allow me to remain burdened with the past. Don’t let me be held back by refusing to forgive. Lord, let me listen so well to you now that I will not be deceived by the evil one or accept any of his lies. Let me seek your truth, and love it. In the name of your beloved son, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you think it will be like for people in the millennium to read the Bible?
  2. How does it make you feel to think that God is eager to praise those who have faithfully served Christ?
  3. The text refers to “priests of God and of Christ” who will “reign with Him for a thousand years” (v. 6) – have you given much thought to what that might involve?
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The Marriage Supper of the Lamb AND The Great Supper of God

Old Testament: Ezekiel 31-32

Poetry: Psalm 104

New Testament: Revelation 19

     At the start of Revelation 19 heaven rejoices over God’s actions regarding Babylon the great. Soon we hear about the coming of the marriage supper of the lamb, and John is informed that the bride is clothed in fine linen which “is the righteous acts of the saints” (v. 8). He is also told to write that those who are invited to the wedding supper are blessed. This feels a bit like when Jesus commented in 16:15 “I am coming like a thief,” drawing our attention forward to coming attractions rather than remaining in sequence with events.

     The voice which spoke about the marriage supper came from God’s throne, and hearing it speak caused John to fall and want to offer worship. John is corrected for this and told that only God is to be worshipped (v. 10). But it seems like in this case he made an understandable error. Throughout Revelation voices come from a variety of exalted sources, among them angels, strong angels, mighty angels, an angel standing in the sun, the Temple, the altar, and the horns of the altar. For John it may have been like experiencing holy surround sound, never knowing where the next proclamation would emerge from. Maybe degrees of grandeur are indicated by who spoke from where, giving different impacts to their statements. It wasn’t always clear to John what the intention was.

     The message of the chapter proceeds, announcing the arrival of Christ, and of the armies of the world gathered for Armageddon. In fact, the word “Armageddon” is only named back in 16:16 where its origin is explained. Here the battle is previewed as “the great supper of God” – a supper for the birds, to eat the carrion it will provide, in contrast to the wedding supper of the lamb (v. 17‑18). With Jesus on the move there is no contest (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Jesus seems to be given credit for the entire victory: the gathered forces “were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.” That is, except for the beast and the false prophet. Those two are removed from the scene and dropped into the lake of fire, receiving their punishment for serving the dragon and for deceiving the nations.

     The description of Christ includes having “a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself” (v. 12). Note that this mirrors part of Christ’s letter to the third church, Pergamum. There Christ said he would give overcomers a white stone with a new name written on it, which only the recipient would know (2:17). (That same letter identifies Christ with the sharp two-edged sword, shown in John’s opening vision sticking from Christ’s mouth, much as in chapter 19; 1:16; 2:12.) I like the idea of these names which are known only to oneself. I wonder if I am being fanciful in thinking this new name involves having a sense of your own identity. You won’t need to share that with anyone else. There will be no need to. There will no longer be self-doubt, rivalry, jealousy, any of the potential bitterness that plagues our current lives. It will be a wonderful time. I hope to see you then.

     Lord, I look forward to the day when your kingdom has come on earth as you now reign in heaven. You have been waiting for a long time, allowing more people to be saved through the grace of your son. May your glory and your majesty be shown in my life while I wait for that day. Let me be empowered and enthused to perform righteous actions that will please you. Let me set my mind on the things of the Spirit, live as your humble servant, and exalt you. Let my light so shine before men that they will glorify you. Let me present my body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to you. Renew my mind, so I may prove what your will is. Thank you, my God. In Jesus’ name I pray these things, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you ever think about the fact that it is our opportunity, and honor, to clothe the bride of Christ in righteous acts?
  2. Who are some of the people you want to sit with at the wedding supper of the lamb? What do you think you will talk about there?
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7 Bowls

Old Testament: Ezekiel 25 & 26

Poetry: Psalm 101

New Testament: Revelation 16

     I tend to think of the seals, trumpets, and bowls of God’s wrath as a sequence, but when I’m away from reading Revelation for a while I can lose track of how late in the book the bowls appear. Way back at the sixth seal we are told of God’s wrath, and that people would try to hide from it in caves and beneath rocks (6:15-17). Now, in chapter 16, that wrath comes. Its targets, as Paul stated, are not Christ’s followers (1 Thessalonians 5:9); they are people who served the Beast, killed God’s servants, and would not repent. Considering the nature of some of the bowls, it may be hard to imagine how anyone is protected from their impact – but during years of drought God made sure that Elijah ate and drank.

     Several bowls seem to build on earlier parts of Revelation. While the second and third trumpets affected just a fraction of the sea and rivers, they are fully affected by the pouring of the second and third bowls. With the fifth seal a vision came to John of those who died for the word of God, crying out for judgment (6:9‑10), the angel of the third bowl declares that such judgment is happening and is fully justified (16:6). Those with only blood to drink had poured out the blood of the righteous. The comment “they are worthy” is ambiguous, it may describe the martyrs as worthy of being avenged, or their killers as worthy of this punishment. Either interpretation may feel different than how “worthiness” was discussed in chapters 3-5. There worthy believers were dressed in white. There also a great search took place for one worthy to open the seals on God’s scroll, and the lamb was found. But God does not just watch over the righteous, He also does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:7).

     Part of the effect of the fourth trumpet was to bring darkness in a third of each day. The fourth and fifth bowls of wrath initially scorched with the sun those who defy God, and then plunged them into darkness. In both cases the people chose to blaspheme God, rather than repent. (I bypassed the first bowl, and the sores it brought; those sores remind me of Job. I see these people as anti-Jobs, beyond trust or accepting help, who simply lash out.)

     The sixth bowl involves the river Euphrates drying up, as preparation for eastern armies to reach the site of Armageddon (in the north of Israel). That is as opposed to the sixth trumpet when an army tied to the Euphrates killed a third of the population (9:15). Also, evil spirits come from the dragon and the two beasts to gather the kings of the world to Armageddon. When the seven seals and seven trumpets were listed there was a lengthy pause after each of the sixth entries, and there is also a pause after the sixth bowl, but this one is fairly short, just a brief comment from Jesus about his coming like a thief.

     With the seventh bowl the fall of Babylon begins (see chapter 18). The worst earthquake in history occurs, and Jerusalem splits in three. Language about the islands and mountains moving (Revelation 16:20; 6:14) suggests there is overlap between the seventh bowl and the sixth seal. Overlap of language also seems to link the seventh bowl with the seventh trumpet (16:18, 21; 11:19). Even if we can tie the timing together for those two moments we can’t say much about the overall chronology of the seals and trumpets. Some of those events are stated to take months or years, and God may just want us to know about all of them but not to understand interconnections.

     The famous four horsemen from the first four seals collectively tie to the devastation of humanity. Whatever it is the “victors” of such conflict may think they have gained, they do not possess the wisdom to avoid fighting the army of Christ. The battle of Armageddon will be massive and destructive, but it will at least be decisive, and it launches a time of peace and restoration on earth.

     Also mentioned with the seventh bowl is hail the weight of a talent (v. 21), which may mean it is a hundred pounds. The heaviest recorded hailstone so far is 2.25 pounds. A bit lighter case, 1.9375 pounds and the size of a softball, left a ten-inch pit where it struck. Why will God use such large hailstones? If the goal is to impress, why not just have a lot of hail? But that has been done. The hail accumulation record is from 1959, when a 54-square-mile section of Kansas received a 19-inch covering of hailstones. I find that much hail difficult to envision already. Amassing a hundred pounds of ice layer by layer in the clouds may only be feasible with a miracle of air pressure. Penny-sized hail requires 40-mile-per-hour updrafts. Grapefruit-sized hail requires 98-mile-per-hour updrafts. Tornadoes do achieve winds over 300-miles-per-hour, but anyway I think you see the issue. Just referring to the weight of the hail may lead us to underplay in our minds the significance of the storm itself.

     But still, why 100-pound hailstones? Perhaps because God will be dealing with people who would seek to hide from judgment beneath rocks, and in caves. And at least some portion of those refusing to acknowledge their sins will be the world’s most powerful and haughty, those who were content with their actions and amassed huge wealth in service of the Beast and Babylon. Some of them might even be sealed in bunkers when the bowls of God’s wrath are tipped out. Perhaps they will check in on events through video, and then just turn off the screens. But God does not intend for anyone to remain comfortably oblivious to the truth, or even comparatively so, in whatever hideaways they find for themselves. A hundred pounds of ice will put a hole in quite a lot of concrete, steel, and pretension. And God has excellent aim (Joshua 10:11).

     Lord, let me not be complacent, comparing myself to those who will one day go far astray. Truly, without your grace, I would be quite different. But no one sets out to be deceived and destroyed. Please help me be observant of others’ needs, not inattentive. The world is a less distressing place than it will be, but even now there are issues I feel I can only bring to you in prayer. Let me pray, but also show me where I should act. Please help me to trust in you, and to keep my compassion and hope. You are a great God, and you continue to work powerfully. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. Revelation 16 describes the last plagues God enacts in this age, which finish His wrath (15:1). What do you think it shows us about how God views wickedness? How do you think it might have affected people over the centuries?
  2. Are you sometimes comforted by considering God’s promises to bring judgment on the wicked? Maybe, like you see a rainbow and remember God’s mercy, you can see hail and recognize that He won’t just let things go on forever.
  3. Revelation 6:16-17 refers to people who wished to hide from “the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come.” (Revelation 15 and 16 don’t refer to matters that way.) Do you find it jarring to think of Jesus expressing the wrath shown in the chapter?
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Moldy Berries

*Old Testament: Ezekiel 21 & 22

Poetry: Psalm 99

New Testament: Revelation 14

It seems as though fresh strawberries go bad so quickly. You get a package at the grocery and then sometimes by the next day they already start to expire. Maybe that morning you are in a rush when you see that one moldy spot. You know it’s not good, but you will get rid of that bad strawberry later. But, then you forget and by the time you check back in on them, half the package is moldy. And worse yet, this isn’t the first batch you have lost in such a manner. You knew better from previous experiences and yet you managed to find yourself in the same exact trouble.

This happened to me this week. I was reminded of these bad strawberries when reading Ezekiel 22. Time and time again, we see the Israelites in the hot seat after continuous rebellion against God. They should know better from previous experience, but they do not use that knowledge to do better.

I think it is interesting in verses 6-13 God declares the vile things that Israel had within itself. These things were not all immediately there. Rather, I imagine the Israelites allowed one bad thing in at a time until eventually almost the whole batch became rotten. Just as we do not always discard that moldy strawberry when we should, the Israelites did not turn to God and rid themselves of the sin when they noticed it. Rather they turned their heads and allowed more to sneak in and take hold.

In doing these terrible things, they forgot God. They turned their heads from Him and, to stay with the strawberry analogy, allowed the mold to consume them. These things that they did hurt one another and were against the very principles of their creator. These were against the very principles of loving God with all our heart, soul and mind and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

So with that I want to challenge you and myself with the following question. Are there any moldy strawberries in our life right now that we are ignoring? If so, let us, with God’s help, throw that strawberry out so that the mold from it will not spread further in our heart.

-Hannah Deane

Reflection Questions

  1. Just like Hannah asked, “Are there any moldy strawberries in our life right now that we are ignoring? If so, let us, with God’s help, throw that strawberry out so that the mold from it will not spread further in our heart.”
  2. When have you seen the progression of sin overpower and block out a desire to serve and follow God?
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A Difficult Climb

Old Testament: Ezekiel 19 & 20

Poetry: Psalm 98

New Testament: Revelation 13

Have you ever been hiking in the mountains? Have you heard the crisp cool breeze filtering through the branches of the towering evergreens? The sweet melodies of birds and the rushing mountain stream?

I appreciate that in this Psalm the beauty of God’s creation is intertwined with praising the creator. The psalmist paints a picture for us of the mountains and the rivers singing together for joy. From the creation we can observe the majesty and power of its creator.

This past spring I had the opportunity to hike in the Carpathian mountains of Romania. I did not know that this grueling 12 hour hike was something I was embarking on until the morning of. It was cold, the hike was steep and in some places slick from the packed snow melt. I didn’t know when this hike was going to end as that was a secret my group’s leaders kept a mystery. And all we had to drink was warm sparkling water. At times it felt as though my legs would give out and that I was going to lose strength. But I had to just keep trusting my leaders and asking God for the strength to keep going. It was difficult.

But then we reached the summit. The snow capped peaks and majestic towering mountains surrounded us on almost every side. It was beautiful. From the heights I saw a new perspective than what I had seen prior to the hike. I could see new parts of God’s creation and praise him for the opportunity to explore it.

This is what this Psalm reminds me of. Sometimes after we go through those difficult times in life, we see why we had to climb steep mountain sides. For, without the difficult climb we would not now see the beauty of God’s handiwork. Because of this blessing to see the wonderful things that God has done, we can, as the psalmist writes, “sing to the LORD a new song”.

-Hannah Deane

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you love about God’s creation?
  2. What helps keep you going through the difficult “climbs” and times?
  3. What difficult “climbs” have you gone through that now allow you to “Sing a new song”? How was the new song different from the old song?
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Identifying Detestable Idols

Old Testament: Ezekiel 7-9

Poetry: Psalm 93

New Testament: Revelation 8

Today I want to focus on Ezekiel 8. So in this chapter, there is a description of the second vision Ezekiel had. This vision is all about the idolatry going on amongst the Israelites. God takes Ezekiel to Jerusalem. This is where the temple is, so it is where people come to worship God. But instead of that, Ezekiel sees people worshiping idols, not God. I want to focus on the idols that Ezekiel sees, and see how they could potentially be present in our lives. 

The first idol mentioned is in verse 5. It is called the “idol of jealousy.” It is important to focus on what this means, and to start to understand that, we need to know what it means to be jealous. To be jealous is to look at other things and want them more than what you have. It’s like if your neighbor gets this awesome new car, maybe a brand new corvette, and you see that, and start to feel like you just have to have that car. He looks so cool driving it, and you just need that in your life, too.  We try to satisfy ourselves by trying to be like the people around us. We want what they have and maybe, just maybe, more than they have. This is something that we can put before God very quickly. We can focus on the next best thing instead of God. God says in verse 6 “the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary.” We are pushing God away when we start looking for “things” rather than looking for God. 

The second idol that Ezekiel sees is the worship of images of animals and creatures. The elders were burning incense to these images as a form of worship. In verse 12 the elders say, “the LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.” They did not feel like God was there. So what do they do? They replace God with something else. We do this all of the time. Something doesn’t go the way we want it, we feel like God has abandoned us, and we instantly start to put something else before God. We turn to something else that makes us “happy.” Whatever that is, is different for each person, whether it’s work, hobbies, sports, school, friends, alcohol, or other things of this world. Instead of turning to these things, we need to put God first.

The last idol that Ezekiel sees is men in the temple with their “backs towards the temple of the LORD” and bowing down to the sun. The men here have completely turned away from God and are worshiping something other than God. We are sometimes guilty of this as well. We turn our backs to God and worship what is right in front of us. We see the visible thing that is right there and think that that thing is worthy of our full heart. Sometimes we need to do a full 180 and turn our worship back to the amazing, all powerful, loving God. 

Every time God shows Ezekiel one of these idols He calls them “detestable” things. They aren’t just bad or an “issue”, they are detestable in the eyes of God. Having idols is very serious to God. Just read verse 18. It is very important to evaluate our lives and identify if there is anything we put before our relationship with God. And if there is, to either reprioritize our life with God at the head, or get rid of whatever we put before God. 

-Camden Bormes

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you experienced the idol of jealousy? Have you overcome it (for now) or are you currently struggling with it?
  2. How have you seen people (including yourself) try to replace God?
  3. In what ways might idol worship creep into a culture – or into a church – or into the life of a believer – or into your life? What makes it detestable to God?
  4. What makes God and God alone worthy of all your worship and first place in your life and heart?
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Your Role in Revelation

Old Testament: Ezekiel 4-6
Poetry: Psalm 92
New Testament: Revelation 7


My apologies, I messed up the schedule and talked about Revelation 5 rather than 6 yesterday, so today we’ll get a lot of Revelation! I am writing this from somewhere in the middle of Indiana with about 27 of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please pray for all those going to ReFuel South. Please pray for our safety and great blessings to those hosting it! I also pray the worship and preaching will glorify God and encourage the walk of faith for all attendees!


Most little girls love horses. Horses are beautiful, graceful, and strong. I, however, have a healthy fear/respect for horses. A long time ago, I volunteered with a program that matched horses with kids with disabilities. I loved the kids. However, I spent most of the time grooming a horse that knew I feared him and took every advantage of that… including releasing some methane every single time I brushed his backside. Ugh. So you can imagine I find the visions of the four horses of the apocalypse especially disturbing. In fact, most of yesterday and today’s reading was pretty gruesome. Ezekiel starts out eating scrolls that taste like honey but ends the reading with foretelling about the great destruction of Israel. One third is killed by fire, one third is killed by the sword, and one third will be saved but scattered across the nations. Keep this in
mind for tomorrow’s reading in Revelation. Revelation starts with the horses representing the conqueror, death, famine, and war along with the seals representing the martyrs and terror.


Thankfully, we move on to the 144.000 chosen from the tribes of Israel. But then, THEN, WE are mentioned!!! Starting in verse 9, WE are “ the every nation, tribe and tongue,” wearing white robes shouting, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”


When the reading of the Old Testament and Revelation gets a little frightening, It is these promises of God to which I cling… Much like on the few occasions I ride a retired horse on a worn park trail!

-Maria Knowlton

And the editor apologizes for yesterday missing that we are starting Ezekiel with 3 chapters for the first few days in order to get the rest of the Old Testament to squeeze into the rest of the year. So you might need to play a little catch-up to get in Ezekiel 3. Sorry. But, while we are talking schedules, I am starting to put together the Bible reading plan for next year. If you have a preference on what that might look like (chronological, 1-3 readings a day, etc…), leave a comment or let Marcia know. Thank you for Seeking, Growing & Loving with us!

Reflection Questions

  1. Are you prepared for your role in Revelation? Do you know and confess the ones who hold Salvation?
  2. How can you practice for your part today?
  3. Why do you think God gave both Ezekiel and Revelation to the audiences they were originally written for, as well as saved for you and I?
  4. What do we learn about God in our reading today?
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Visions of God

Old Testament: Ezekiel 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 91

New Testament: Revelation 6


There are so many reasons I am so thankful for the Holy Word of God. I don’t really have enough time to tell you all about them right now but there was one I just thought of while reading today’s scriptures…

Revelation describes some fairly scary creatures and situations. I am very glad that I get to read about it and know what is going to happen first!


Both Ezekiel and Revelation reveal visions that are wild, brilliant, and fascinating….. But lead to very different ramifications for the people to whom God revealed it.


Ezekiel was given the vision because of the oncoming punishment He would send to the rebellious people of Israel (thankfully God gave them hope for the future as well but that is in a future reading).


Revelation is very different… the visions and prophecies are for those who love the Lord and follow the teachings of Christ. Revelation 5 is a beautiful vision of introducing the only one who is worthy of opening the seals of the scrolls, Jesus Christ, the lamb who was slain.


I’ve been a little too busy this week, working my job and preparing to go to ReFuel South (Whoo Hoo) so I didn’t do a lot of research on the meanings of all the visions I read about today. I cannot even pretend to understand it all, but I do know this one thing. I want to be on the receiving end of the Revelation vision… not the Ezekiel vision. Sadly, there is a vision of the future for those who do not want to be with Jesus in the coming kingdom. There is no coming
back from the second death. Not only do I not want to die that second death, I want to be with Christ! I hope to see you there!

-Maria Knowlton

Reflection Questions

  1. What similarities and differences do you find between Ezekiel and Revelation?
  2. What hope do you find in God’s Word for the future?
  3. What do you learn about God from His Word today?
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Lost and Wandering

Old Testament: Ezekiel Intro – found below

Poetry: Psalm 90

New Testament: Revelation 5


Have you ever had a time in your life where you just feel lost? Like it could be a major thing that happened to you, or just a time where it felt like nothing was falling into place. Where you just wander around, with no end goal in mind, going through the motions. I know in my life there have been plenty of times where I’ve felt that way. One time that I can really think of was my senior year of high school. Going into that year I had no clue what I was going to do in just a few short months. I knew what I wanted sometime in the future, but not right after I graduated. I felt like everything was working out perfectly for all of my friends around me, and that they knew exactly what was ahead for them. But for me, I had no clue. I was lost and just didn’t know what my plan was going to look like. 

Another wandering story is the Israelites in the desert. They disobeyed God, and they wandered around for 40 years! Think about that! They were told that their generation would not enter the promised land, so they just moved around. That is a long time to just move from place to place without an end goal in sight. Now, Psalms 90 is written by Moses, most likely around the time that the Israelites are wandering in the desert. So with that context in mind, let’s dive into what the Psalm is talking about.

The first four verses here Moses is praising God for how great He is. Moses is trying to show just how big and powerful God is. He says in verse 2 “from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Moses then contrasts God’s foreverness with man in verses 5-12. In this section, he talks about how man’s life is short. And beyond that, he says “yet their span is but trouble and sorrow.” (verse 10) Moses is saying that not only is man’s life short, yet in that short life there are a lot of bad things that can happen as well. Remember, Moses is wandering through the desert right now, there are not a lot of great things going on for him. Every time he turns around the people are disobeying him and God. They are just moving from place to place. Knowing that they are not going to get to see the land that God promised them. Yet after all this he moves back into prayer. In verses 13-17, Moses asks God to show His love. In verse 14 he says “satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love.” 

When we are “wandering” and lost, we should take a lesson from Moses. Even when nothing was going right for him, he still asked God to make him glad. (verse 15) Moses asked God for His favor to rest on him. It is easy when things are going poorly to forget how everlasting God is. Moses reminds us that when things aren’t going right, and you’re just “wandering” to not forget about what God has done and what He can do.

-Camden Bormes

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you felt lost and wandering, with no clear goal in mind?
  2. What can we learn from Moses in his time of wandering?
  3. How do you refocus on God’s unfailing love? Have you ever tried asked Him to satisfy you with His unfailing love (which doesn’t mean making your life perfect or giving you everything you want)?
  4. What can we learn about God from Psalm 90?

Ezekiel Introduction

The Book of Ezekiel was written by the prophet Ezekiel while he was in Babylon during the Babylonian captivity.  (Ezekiel was among the first of the exiles to Babylon, and prophesied to Israel for 7 years before the fall of Jerusalem, and for about 13 years after.)  

Thirteen of Ezekiel’s messages are dated in relation to King Jehoiachin’s exile, and you’ll notice, while reading the book, that the messages aren’t recorded strictly chronologically, but are recorded by theme (e.g. 27:1, 29:17, 30:20).

Many times, God called Ezekiel “son of man” – a title Jesus used for himself multiple times in the Gospels.  God also called Ezekiel a watchman, who had to give a warning to sinful people, as we see in 33:7-9, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.  When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.  But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.’ ”

The book is full of visions and prophecies. It starts with Ezekiel’s awesome vision of God and God’s calling Ezekiel.  It includes prophecies of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem; prophecies against the nations surrounding Israel; and finishes with visions of the future restoration of the land and [millennial] temple, and the glory of God returning to the temple.

Some of the most well-known visions include Chapter 37 (The Valley of Dry Bones) and Chapters 38 and 39 (prophecies against Gog and Magog).

-Steve Mattison

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The Throne of Him who Lives Forever and Ever

Old Testament: Lamentations 3-5

Poetry: Proverbs 31

New Testament: Revelation 4


When I was a little girl, I thought God looked something like the pictures I had seen of Jesus but with short hair. So the first time I met Greg Demmitt, I might have stared at him a little longer than socially acceptable. Obviously, I was a bit silly, but Greg was definitely a godly man and a faithful representative of Christ. I was so blessed to have known him and shared a few waffles at Waffle House with him and my family. My heart hurts that he and my uncle, Dan Kizer, both
great, godly men, both died of pancreatic cancer within four months of each other. In my earthly perspective, it was way too soon. Not because it’s from our reading, but because I need it;


Revelation 21: 1-5
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”


What a balm for the grieving soul! I can’t get through reading without tearing up with joy…every.single.time.


As far as today’s reading…I got a little emotional whiplash! Lamentations was hard and gruesome to read… One of the commentaries I read said it was a book of sorrow and hope..I must have missed the hope part…except that it does seem God’s people FINALLY realize that they were being punished for their disobedience. But we aren’t told about their deliverance quite
yet. That is a story for another book of the Bible.


After all that sorrow, I read Proverbs 31….which contains the story of so many women I have been blessed to know throughout my life. I alway feel convicted that I don’t quite live up to this description. I alway feel like I can only be good at about a verse or two at a time 😀If you are a girl or woman, look to the women around you to find someone who emulates Proverbs 31. If you’ve been to FUEL you know quite a few! As I have talked about before, we all need good mentors who love the Lord, no matter what our age.


And finally, Revelation 4, our first peak at the throne of God! There is no description of God here (though I’m sure my perception is close) but a splendid description of the throne room and all those worshiping there. I used to think all that singing would be so boring, but then I heard Carrie Underwood sing All Is Well and decided if God gave us that kind of emotion stirring song now, imagine what the Kingdom will be like! But as beautiful as the Kingdom will be, and I am looking forward to seeing it, I really can’t wait to see God’s face, Jesus’s arms and all of those who will be resurrected, my mom, my grandparents, Dan, and Greg.

-Maria Knowlton

Reflection Questions

  1. Who has been a godly mentor for you? What have you learned from them? If no one comes to mind – pray and find one. And even if you don’t know everything and do everything right – you can be a mentor to someone who could use a good example, encouragement and accountability. Pray for an opportunity. And seize it.
  2. How does Proverbs 31 challenge you?
  3. What do you like most about the description of God’s throne room in heaven in Revelation 4? What do you look forward to in God’s Coming Kingdom?
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