Evening, June 9
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Bible League: Living His Word
Then the LORD said to Gideon, "I am going to help your men defeat the Midianites, but you have too many men. I don't want the Israelites to forget me and brag that they saved themselves."

Gideon had been called by God to attack the Midianites who were preparing to raid and sack the land of Israel. The Midianites had 135,000 men, but Gideon had only 32,000 men. Gideon no doubt thought he had too few men, but God told him that he had too many. The Israelites had cried out to the Lord for deliverance from the Midianites (Judges 6:6-7) and the Lord determined to make it plain to them that it was He that was going to save them. Thus, He had Gideon reduce his force to a mere 300 men.

It is part and parcel of the sinful, fallen nature of humankind to take credit for any success it has in life. Instead of giving the praise and the glory to God, we give the praise and the glory to ourselves. Given this prideful feature of fallen humanity, the Lord must remind us on a regular basis just who we are. One example of this can be found in Isaiah 10:15, "Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!" (Isaiah 10:15). Since it is God who is actually in control of all things, it is the height of prideful foolishness to fail to realize this.

Although we may cry out to the Lord for deliverance like the Israelites did, our prideful foolishness may still cause us to take credit for any deliverance we may receive after it has been gained. The Lord's oft implemented practice of making it plain to us that this is not the case, consequently, is an essential part of the mercy and grace He extends to us in our time of need. It is to our benefit to realize that it is the Lord alone who has delivered us. It is to our benefit to have our pride and foolishness taken down a notch.

When you cry out to the Lord for your deliverance, then, don't be surprised if it comes in a way that makes it plain He got it for you.

Bible in a Year
Old Testament Reading
2 Chronicles 29, 30, 31


2 Chronicles 29 -- Hezekiah's Good Reign; Temple Worship Restored

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


2 Chronicles 30 -- Hezekiah Invites All Israel to the Passover

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


2 Chronicles 31 -- Idolatry Destroyed; Contributions for Worship

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


New Testament Reading
John 18:1-23


John 18 -- Judas Betrays Jesus; Peter Denies Him; Jesus Questioned by Annas and Pilate

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library.
Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion
Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or ‘Stand up and walk'? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
Insight
It's easy to tell someone his sins are forgiven; it's a lot more difficult to reverse a case of paralysis! Jesus backed up his words by healing the man's legs. Jesus' action showed that his words were true; he had the power to forgive as well as to heal. Talk is cheap, but our words lack meaning if our actions do not back them up.
Challenge
We can say we love God or others, but if we are not taking practical steps to demonstrate that love, our words are empty and meaningless. How well do your actions back up what you say?
Morning and Evening by Spurgeon
John 5:39  Search the Scriptures.

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires searching--much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for babes, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every tittle of Scripture. Tertullian exclaims, "I adore the fulness of the Scriptures." No man who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure. The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence. The Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur--who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The word of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn--we have but to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No merchandise is like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the Scriptures reveal Jesus: "They are they which testify of me." No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.

Daily Light on the Daily Path
Job 20:5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary?

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

Luke 22:53  "While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours."

Hebrews 2:14  Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Colossians 2:15  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

1 Peter 5:8,9  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. • But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

James 4:7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Psalm 37:12,13  The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. • The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming.

Romans 16:20  The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Revelation 20:10  And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

Morning June 9
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