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Read Hebrews 3:12-19 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily ... so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:12-13 The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart. The people of Israel (except Moses, Joshua, and Caleb) erred in their hearts, which means that their hearts wandered from God and His Word. They also had evil hearts of unbelief; they d

Read Job 11 "If you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear." Job 11:14-15 Zophar makes three accusations against Job: Job is guilty of sin (vv.1-4); Job is ignorant of God (vv. 5-12); and Job is stubborn in his refusal to repent (vv. 13-20). "There is hope!" is Zophar's encouraging word to Job, and he describes what Job can experience. But if Job wants t

Read Job 1:20-22 "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1:21 The hosts of heaven and of hell watched to see how Job would respond to the loss of his wealth and his children. He expressed his grief in a manner normal for that day, for God expects us to be human ( 1 Thess. 4:13 ). After all, even Jesus wept ( John 11:35 ). But then Job worshipped God and uttered a profound statement of faith. First, he looked back to his birth: "N

Read Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 Solomon was not advocating "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!" That is the philosophy of fatalism, not faith. Rather, he was saying, "Thank God for what you do have, and enjoy it to the glory of God." Paul gave his approval to this attitude whe

Read Isaiah 1 Isaiah 1:18-20 : "Come now, let us reason together says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." These verses together give a compelling picture of the two options before us. God, in His grace, has

Read Isaiah 55 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for wh

Read 2 Corinthians 1:1-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Paul began his letter with a doxology. He certainly could not sing about his circumstances, but he could sing about the God who is in control of all circumstances. Paul had learned that pr

Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 Since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:1 The way we look at our ministry helps to determine how we will fulfill it. If we look on serving Christ as a burden instead of a privilege, we will be a drudge and do only what is required of us. Some people even look upon Christian service as a punishment from God. When Paul considered the fact that he was a minister of Jesus Christ, he was overwhelmed by the gr

Read John 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15, ESV Reflect For whom would I lay down my life? How would I describe my relationship with God--close and comfortable or distant and formal? How does the fact that God considers me His friend affect my view of our relationship? Think about what Jesus is telling us he

Read Philippians 2 Philippians chapter two, verse three, exhorts us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. This verse goes against the grain, I think of everything in me, that is my sinful nature. I am so tempted to do so much from selfish ambition. Even when I'm doing what I think are good things, kinds things, for others, I'm still prone to think, "How is this going to affect the way they view me?" I've

Read Hebrews 5:1-6 Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.... No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God. Hebrews 5:1 , 4 When I became pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Covington, Kentucky, it was necessary for me to go to the city hall and be bonded. Otherwise, I would not have the authority to perform marriages. I had to show my ordination c

Read 1 Peter 2 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24-25, ESV Reflect If running toward God is how we grow spiritually--especially in times of insurmountable challenges--then what is holding me back from doing that?Why does it sometimes feel like I am taking two steps

Read Hebrews 3:1-11 Fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. Hebrews 3:1-2 Jesus Christ is not only the Apostle; He is also the High Priest. Moses was a prophet who on occasion served as a high priest. That title belonged to his brother Aaron. In fact, Jesus Christ has the title "great high priest" (4:14). As the Apostle, Jesus Christ represented God t

Read Psalm 94 When I thought, "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. Psalm 94:18-19, ESV Reflect When my foot is slipping--and temptation is overwhelming me--do I immediately return to Jesus?When I feel like I can't handle my worries and my problems on my own, do I turn to Jesus for solace?When I feel God's hand of correction, do I accept that as a sign of His love? It's easy to beat o