Monday, February 9 – “The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.” (Exodus 32:16) A long, long time ago, God gave Moses the blueprint for successfully living as a community. Just think what this world would be like if we all simply followed the Ten Commandments? It’s not your fault that we all don’t follow the Ten Commandments. But it is your problem. For we all live in a world where even these simple commands aren’t being followed.
Tuesday, February 10 – “And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’” (Exodus 33:19) God is the first, the middle and the last word in all things. Your perspective of blessing comes from your experience of that which you’ve received, from God, but didn’t deserve. And, vice-versa, your perspective of punishment comes from your experience of that which you’ve never received, from God, that you did deserve. Do you hear the repetition of “you”?
Wednesday, February 11 – “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Nahum 1:3) God is slow to anger, but when God is angered, watch out. Justice is always the name of the game. Yet, justice, as defined by God, is actually the game. We can complain. We can disagree with God’s definition of justice. But none of that changes the fact that justice is, was and will ever be, defined by God.
Thursday, February 12 – “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) God is the epitome of the present tense. At this very moment God was, God is and God will be. As real as this moment is to you, that’s how real every moment, that has ever been or will ever be, is to God. God is “I AM”. Not “I Was” or “I Will Be”.
Friday, February 13 – “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark.’” (Deuteronomy 10:1) Today is the first day of the rest of your life. God isn’t judging your future by your past. So, now you’re free to stop doing it yourself. Take a fresh set of tablets to God today and allow God to chisel.
Saturday, February 14 – “You shall not steal.” (Deuteronomy 5:19) This is the eighth of the Ten Commandments. Simple right? Well, how are we doing following just this commandment? We wish that God would make things simple for us. Well, how much more simple can God get? Your struggle isn’t with the commandments. Your struggle is with the fact that you can’t keep the commandments. It’s not your fault. But it is your problem.
Tuesday, February 10 – “And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’” (Exodus 33:19) God is the first, the middle and the last word in all things. Your perspective of blessing comes from your experience of that which you’ve received, from God, but didn’t deserve. And, vice-versa, your perspective of punishment comes from your experience of that which you’ve never received, from God, that you did deserve. Do you hear the repetition of “you”?
Wednesday, February 11 – “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Nahum 1:3) God is slow to anger, but when God is angered, watch out. Justice is always the name of the game. Yet, justice, as defined by God, is actually the game. We can complain. We can disagree with God’s definition of justice. But none of that changes the fact that justice is, was and will ever be, defined by God.
Thursday, February 12 – “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) God is the epitome of the present tense. At this very moment God was, God is and God will be. As real as this moment is to you, that’s how real every moment, that has ever been or will ever be, is to God. God is “I AM”. Not “I Was” or “I Will Be”.
Friday, February 13 – “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark.’” (Deuteronomy 10:1) Today is the first day of the rest of your life. God isn’t judging your future by your past. So, now you’re free to stop doing it yourself. Take a fresh set of tablets to God today and allow God to chisel.
Saturday, February 14 – “You shall not steal.” (Deuteronomy 5:19) This is the eighth of the Ten Commandments. Simple right? Well, how are we doing following just this commandment? We wish that God would make things simple for us. Well, how much more simple can God get? Your struggle isn’t with the commandments. Your struggle is with the fact that you can’t keep the commandments. It’s not your fault. But it is your problem.
You try to eat right. You drink plenty of water. you exercise. don't forget your spirit - feed it!
daily devotions
