Morning, June 23
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Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.  — Hosea 7:8
Bible League: Living His Word
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
— Proverbs 11:24 NIV

Some people give freely. Whenever they are asked for a contribution of some kind, they can be counted on to come through. Indeed, it seems like they are always looking for opportunities to give.

Ironically, such people gain even more. They always seem to have enough to give, not lacking in anything. It seems like whatever they may lose by giving to others is always returned to them with interest in some way. It seems like they know this too, and so they can give without fear.

Other people withhold unduly. Whenever they are asked for a contribution, they always have an excuse not to give. When someone in trouble asks for help, they have nothing to give. Beggars beg in vain.

In God’s economy, often such people come to poverty. Even though they hold on to what they have, they lose even that. They complain that they never have enough of what they need, and they can see no advantage to giving.

Why is this so? What makes life work out this way? It’s because of a law in the Kingdom of God: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). God has set it up so that, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done” (Proverbs 19:17). In fact, the Lord has decreed that the reward of those who lend freely, even to their enemies, without expecting to be paid back, “will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35).

In God’s economy, it pays to be generous. As we model Christ to the world, we must look for opportunities to give.
Bible in a Year
Old Testament Reading
Esther 7-10


Esther 7 -- Esther Accuses Haman; Haman Is Hanged

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Esther 8 -- Mordecai is advanced; Xerxes allows the Jews to Defend Themselves

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Esther 9 -- The Jews Slay Their Enemies; Purim Instituted

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Esther 10 -- Xerxes' Tribute to Mordecai

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


New Testament Reading
Acts 6


Acts 6 -- The Seven Chosen; Stephen Seized

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB


Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library.
Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion
But all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
Insight
Worldly worries, the false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for things plagued first-century disciples as they do us today.
Challenge
How easy it is for our daily routines to become overcrowded. A life packed with materialistic pursuits deafens us to God's Word. Stay free so you can hear God when he speaks.
Morning and Evening by Spurgeon
Hosea 7:8  Ephraim is a cake not turned.

A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone through the very centre of thy being so as to be felt in its divine operations in all thy powers, thy actions, thy words, and thy thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be thine aim and prayer; and although sanctification may not be perfect in thee anywhere in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned.

A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire, and although no man can have too much religion, there are some who seem burnt black with bigoted zeal for that part of truth which they have received, or are charred to a cinder with a vainglorious Pharisaic ostentation of those religious performances which suit their humour. The assumed appearance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a total absence of all vital godliness. The saint in public is a devil in private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The cake which is burned on one side, is dough on the other.

If it be so with me, O Lord, turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to the fire of thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from thy heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded man, but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace; for well I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of thy grace, I must be consumed forever amid everlasting burnings.

Daily Light on the Daily Path
John 14:16,17  "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; • that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

John 16:7  "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

Romans 8:16  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Romans 8:15  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Romans 8:26  In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

Romans 15:13  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 John 4:13  By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

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.

Evening June 22
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